JUNE 22-26 2018 ANNUAL CONVENTION

2018 Annual Convention Registration

Note: Registration and housing forms faxed early will not be entered until March 6

Friday, June 221:00 pm – 5:30 pmRegistration opens2:00 pm – 5:00 pmPre-Convention Training Sessions5:15 pm – 6:30 pmBoard of Directors’ Meeting

Saturday, June 237:30 am-5:00 pmRegistration8:15 am-11:15 am Municipal Training Sessions11:30 am -12:30 pmPolicy Committee Meetings12:45 pm – 1:45 pmPolicy Committee Meetings2:00 pm – 3:00 pmPolicy Committee Meetings3:30 pm-5:00 pmOpening General Session5:00 pm – 6:30 pmOpening Reception in Exhibit Hall

Sunday, June 247:00 am-12:00 pmCity Attorneys’ Session and Breakfast7:30 am – 8:15 amWorship Service8:00 am-9:30 amCity Managers’ Session and Breakfast8:00 am -9:00 amFederal Policy Council Meeting8:30 am – 1:30 pmExhibit Hall Opening with breakfast9:45 am -10:45 amDistrict Caucuses11:00 am -12:00 pmLegislative Policy Council working lunch11:15 am -1:15 pmLunch in the Exhibit Hall12:30 pm - 1:30 pmTraining Board Meeting1:45 pm – 2:45 pmConcurrent Sessions2:45 pm – 3:15 pmCredential Pickup3:15 pm – 3:50 pmBusiness Meeting4:00 pm -5:00 pmTraining Ceremony

Monday, June 257:30 am – 9:30 amHub Cities Meeting8:00 am – 10:00 amRMEBS Board of Trustees Meetings9:00 am – 10:00 amRapid Fire Sessions10:15 am-11:15 amConcurrent Sessions11:30 am-1:30 pmAwards Luncheon (separate ticket required)

2:15 pm-5:15 pmMunicipal Training Sessions6:30pm-10:00pmClosing Event

Tuesday, June 268:15am-3:15pmMunicipal Training Courses (3 and 6 hour courses)

Tentative Schedule

HIGHLIGHTS

2018 GMA ANNUAL CONVENTION (June 22–26) Tentative Schedule and GMA 2018 Annual Convention Registration and Housing Form. No registration will be processed without payment. Advance Registration ends May 25.

u Awards and Installation Luncheon will be held onMonday. A separate ticket must be purchased forthis event. During the program, the Board of Direc-tors and district officers will be installed.

u Registration Packets: Registration packets will bemailed to all attendees two weeks before the con-vention.

u Green Meeting: We will continue our green meetinginitiatives. You will find recycle bins throughout theTrade Center. Handouts and session notes will beposted on the GMA website. We will not serve bot-tled water, but will provide water tanks throughoutthe building. You may bring your own water bottle, ifyou’d like.

u Exhibit Hall: The Exhibit Hall will be open on Sat-urday from 5:00 pm-6:30 pm and on Sunday from8:30am-1:30pm. Please visit the exhibitors and tell

them how much you appreciate their attendance. Lunch will be served in the exhibit hall on Sunday.

u Annual Business Meeting: The Business Meetingwill be held on Sunday afternoon. During the Busi-ness Meeting, voting delegates will vote on GMA’s2019 Legislative Policies and elect officers andboard of directors for 2018-2019.

u Shuttle Transportation: Shuttle service will be-gin each morning at 7:00 am and run continuouslythroughout the day from hotels to the InternationalTrade and Convention Center. The Water Taxi willrun continuously between the Marriott and the Hyattand the International Trade and Convention Center.Service will only be provided on Tuesday morningand Tuesday afternoon to accommodate those tak-ing training. The Convention Center also has 1,500FREE parking spaces in its lot.

Name:____________________________________________ Title:_____________________________________________________

City/Company:______________________________________________________________________________________________

Mailing Address:_____________________________________________ City:__________________ State:____ Zip Code:__________

Email: _______________________________ Phone( )___________________ Fax: ( )______________________

Spouse/Chaperone name required, if registering:______________________

Child #1 __________________________________________Age________

Child #2 __________________________________________Age________

Child #3 __________________________________________Age________

Registration Fees (Includes all Saturday afternoon through Monday morning events, plus closing event, (except special events listed below)

Early Advance Late/OnsiteBy 4/2 4/2 to 5/25 After 5/25

q GMA Members $350 $380 $410 $____q Business Alliance Program $390 $420 $450 $____q Spouse (List name above) $130 $135 $135 $____q Children ___ x $60 $65 $65 $____q Non-Member $500 $530 $560 $____

Special Event Registrationq SE1 City Attorneys’ Session/Breakfast $150 $195 $____q SE2 City Managers’ Session/Breakfast $60 $65 $____q SE4 Awards & Installation Luncheon $50 $60 $____

Municipal Training Institute Registration This fee covers training sessions only. Courses are 6 hrs. each. Please mark 3 choices in case your first choice is full (1, 2, 3). Courses marked with * are on the required list.

Friday, June 22 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM__Capital Improvement Program $140 $150 $165 $______Civics for Local Government $140 $150 $165 $______Current Issues: Understanding the Census $140 $150 $165 $______Current Issues: Understanding, Funding & $140 $150 $165 $____ Fighting the New Face of Homelessness__Living Beyond Expectations $140 $150 $165 $______Mobile Workshop: Port of Savannah $140 $150 $165 $______Municipal Courts Post-Ferguson* $140 $150 $165 $______Municipal Water and Wastewater Systems* $140 $150 $165 $______New and Emerging Technology for Cities $140 $150 $165 $______Roles and Responsibilities of Council $140 $150 $165 $____ and Staff*

Saturday, June 23 8:15 AM – 11:15 AM__Beyond the Beltway: $140 $150 $165 $____ Influencing Federal Policy__Changing Demographics $140 $150 $165 $______Current Issues: Municipal Law Update: 2018 $140 $150 $165 $______Effective Practices for Municipal Operations $140 $150 $165 $______Excellence in Customer Service $140 $150 $165 $______Information Privacy and Security $140 $150 $165 $____ Breaches—Prevention and Response__Let’s Get Social $140 $150 $165 $______Mobile Workshop: Placemaking In Action $140 $150 $165 $______Municipal Taxation 101* $140 $150 $165 $______New and Emerging Technologies $140 $150 $165 $______Public Policy Development $140 $150 $165 $____ & Implementation*__Recreation & Parks $140 $150 $165 $______Risk and Insurance 101 $140 $150 $165 $______Roles and Responsibilities of Council and Staff* $140 $150 $165 $____

Monday, June 25 2:15 PM – 5:15 PM__Employee Benefits 101 (Retirement) $140 $150 $165 $______Entrepreneur Friendly Cities $140 $150 $165 $______Local Government Debt Methods $140 $150 $165 $______Municipal Courts II * $140 $150 $165 $______Municipal Electric Systems 101 $140 $150 $165 $______Municipal Gas Systems 101 $140 $150 $165 $______Municipal Taxation 102 $140 $150 $165 $______Municipal Water and Wastewater Systems $140 $150 $165 $______Open Meetings* $140 $150 $165 $______Public Policy Development $140 $150 $165 $____ and Implementation*__Public Works & Transportation $140 $150 $165 $______Trends in Urban Design for Local Leaders $140 $150 $165 $____

Tuesday, June 26 8:15 AM – 11:15 AM__Open Records* $140 $150 $165 $______Practices for Successful Meetings* $140 $150 $165 $______Trends in Urban Design for Local Leaders $140 $150 $165 $____

Tuesday, June 26 8:15 AM – 3:15 PM__Creating a Downtown Renaissance: Advanced DDA $255 $270 $295 $______Economic Development* $255 $270 $295 $______Municipal Finance I* $255 $270 $295 $______Planning and Zoning* $255 $270 $295 $______Service Delivery Strategy $255 $270 $295 $____ Efficiency & Tax Equity for Local Governments

*This course is on the “required” list for the Municipal Training Institute certificate program.

Grand Total $_________

q Check attached (made to GMA) or Credit Card q Visa q MC q AMEX

Credit Card Number:_________________________________Exp.Date:_________

Name on Card: __________________________________________________

Changes/Cancellations: All registration changes and cancellations must be made in writing via e-mail at: gmaregandhousing@spargoinc.com [do NOT include credit card number in email] or fax to (703) 631-6288 by June 1, 2018. There will be a $50 fee for convention registration cancellations after April 10, 2018 and no refunds after May 25, 2018.

Return Conference Registration and Housing Form to:

Fax: (703) 631-6288 (Credit Card Only)

Mail: GMA Registration and Housing Center 11208 Waples Mill Road, Suite 112 Fairfax, VA 22030

E-Mail Format: q HTML q Text

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) No registration will be processed without payment. Advance Registration ends May 25.

GMA 2018 Annual Convention Housing Form (June 22-26)

You MUST register for the Convention before requesting a hotel reservation.

I am on the GMA Board of Directors/GMEBS Board of Trustees.

Name:_____________________________________________________Title: _______________________________________________________

City/Company:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mailing Address:_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

City: _____________________________________ State: ______Zip Code: _____________ Email:_____ __________________________

Hotels Rate Parking Andaz $232 $23 (valet)

___B Historic Savannah $199 $28 (self) ___ Comfort Suites $139 $12 (self) ___ Courtyard by Marriott $189 $15 (valet) ___Embassy Suites $199 $20 (self) ___ Fairfield Inn and Suites $179 $15 (self) Hampton Inn (Bay St.) $196 $12 (self)

___Hampton Inn (Oglethorpe St.) $175 $20 (self)

Guarantee Method Visa MC AMEX CHECK (see “Payment by Check” information below)

Number:_________________________________________ __ Exp. Date:_____

Name on Card: ____________________________________ Signature: ________________________________________ The credit card must not expire prior to June 2018. The credit card information above will be provided to the hotel to guarantee your hotel reservation.

Riverfront Rooms: Additional fee for riverfront rooms at Hyatt, Marriott and Westin are $50, $30 and $40 per night respectively and subject to availability. Please indicate “Riverfront” request on this form. Additional fee for balcony room facing golf course is $30 per night at Westin. Re-quest will be submitted to hotel. Please confirm at check-in.

Room Deposit: Westin requires a two-night deposit and all other hotels require a one-night deposit all of which is refundable if cancelled at least 72 hours prior to arrival. Most hotels charge a fee for early departure.

Changes/Cancellations: All hotel changes and cancellations must be made on-line at https://show.jspargo.com/gma18; or in writing via e-mail: gmaregandhousing@jspargo.com [do NOT include credit card number in email] or fax to (703) 631-6288 by June 1, 2018 for all other hotels. After June 6, 2018, please contact the assigned hotel directly.

Send Completed Forms: Mail: GMA Registration and Housing Center, 11208 Waples Mill Rd, Ste 112 Fairfax, VA 22030 Fax: 703-631-6288 (guarantee method via credit card) E-Mail: gmaregandhousing@spargoinc.com (guarantee method via check only)

Hotel Reservation Request Two double beds One Bed Arrival Date: ________ ________ Departure Date: __________ _____

Special needs

Hotels Rate Parking Holiday Inn Express (Bay St.) $196 $12(valet) Holiday Inn (Bryan St.) $172 $22 (self)

___ Hotel Indigo (formerly Inn at Ellis) $199 $16 (valet) Hyatt Regency Savannah $225 $15(valet) Marriott Riverfront $201 $18 (self)

___ Residence Inn Savannah Historic $229 $15 (valet) The Brice (Kimpton) $223 $18 (self) Westin $237+$21 resort fee

Hotel Preference

Please mark at least six (6) choices ranking them in order of preference. Shuttle service will be provided to historic district hotels (all hotels ex-cept Westin) and water taxi service is available from the Marriott Riverfront and Hyatt.

Please note:

GMA cannot guarantee bed type or special requests. Please confirm your request with the hotel upon check in.

Some hotel rates are higher for more than two occupants.

All hotels have a no smoking policy.

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2018 ANNUAL CONVENTION OFFICIAL HOTEL LOCATIONS

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT REGISTRATION

u Registrations must be received by May 25 and PAYMENT MUST BEINCLUDED. Anyone unable to meet the May 25 deadline must registeronsite at higher rates and make their own hotel reservations.

u All cancellations or changes must be submitted in writing.No TELEPHONE registrations, changes, or cancellations will beaccepted. Full refund will be given for cancellations by April 10.Cancellations after April 10 and before May 25 will be subject toa $50 cancellation fee. Cancellations postmarked or faxed afterMay 25 will not be eligible for refund.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT HOTEL RESERVATIONSu You are strongly encouraged to register and make your housing reservations on-line. Since hous-

ing is done on a first come, first serve basis and hotel assignment is made immediately on-line, youwill be informed promptly if the reservation is made at your hotel preference. Faxed registrationforms could take up to three business days to process. If the faxed form is missing information,you further decrease the chance of receiving your hotel choice(s). If all of your city officials do notget into the same hotel, please let us know and we will put them on a wait list and move them aswe have availability.

u Since a housing deposit is required and is merely to guarantee your room, you are encouragedto provide a credit card for hotel deposit. Check deposits and credit applications must be mailedto your hotel after June 1, 2018 and before June 15, 2018. If you are paying your hotel by check,please make the check payable to the hotel and mail it directly to the hotel. If you are tax-ex-empt, you must mail your tax exempt form along with your check or provide it upon check-in.

u It is your responsibility to verify that all information on the acknowledgement letter sent by theGMA Registration and Housing Center is correct. Most hotels will charge a fee for early depar-ture! If you need to change or cancel a reservation, please submit the change in writing to GMAHousing Center via email or via fax through May 28, 2018 [do NOT include credit card numberin email]. After June 1, please contact the hotel directly for all changes, cancellations and newreservations.

u If you must cancel your hotel reservation, please do so as early as possible so that GMA may re-assign your room to someone else. In some cases, rooms that are blocked for the GMA AnnualConvention and not used are charged to GMA after the event.

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MUNICIPAL TRAINING INSTITUTE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Each training class provides 3 or 6 hours (as noted) of credit toward certification. A separate registration fee is required for training. Classes fill up quickly, so register early. If you do not get into your desired course, please notify the GMA Registration and Housing Center at gmaregand-housing@jspargo.com and they will put you on a waiting list. Those courses included in the RE-QUIRED category are marked with an asterisk (*). See descriptions below and on the following page.

Beyond the Beltway: Influencing Federal Policy through Grassroots Engagement (3-hour class)

This class provides information about Congress, federal agencies and how municipal officials can engage most effectively with leaders at the federal level to advocate for municipal priorities. Participants obtain tips for communicating with members of Congress and en-gage in role playing exercises to hone their negotiating skills. Participants also hear firsthand from members of Georgia’s Congressional delegation and/or key Congres-sional legislative staff about why it’s so important for city officials to stay in touch with federal leaders.

Capital Improvement Program (3-hour class) (New)

Capital assets are essential for service delivery in local governments. All governments should have a compre-hensive capital improvement program (CIP) to renew and replace these capital assets. The class provides an overview of a CIP, including how a CIP is included in the annual budget. In addition, the process to create a CIP, in-corporating capital asset requests and the decision-mak-ing process are discussed. Finally, discussion includes considerations in funding capital asset improvements.

Changing Demographics and Best Practices (3-hour class)

Georgia’s demographics are constantly shifting, impacting cities. Georgia’s population is getting older and increas-ingly representing the cultures of many nationalities and many interests. This class examines the cultural and aging trends in Georgia and explores the implications of these changing demographics for cities, both in terms of chal-lenges and opportunities.

Civics for Local Government (3-hour class)

This class provides valuable information on the proper protocol in the display of the American flag and other flags in government buildings; appropriate recognition of the American flag when entering a room; and the proper programming of the Pledge of Allegiance and the Na-tional Anthem into city-sponsored events and other civic programs. The class also discusses the basic protocol

for welcoming foreign visitors and other dignitaries. The class includes activities to make the learning meaning-ful for participants. Knowing what to do, why and First Amendment implications is important to our cities and our citizens.

Creating a Downtown Renaissance: Advanced DDA Training (6-hour class) Pre-requisite: Downtown Development Authority Basic Training

This class builds on the Basic Downtown Development Authority training class with an emphasis on apply-ing downtown development tools. The importance of developing a downtown vision and a plan are discussed. Attendees also hear the basics of navigating Business Im-provement Districts, Community Improvement Districts, Tax Allocation Districts, Historic Preservation Tax Cred-its, the Redevelopment Powers Act and Urban Redevel-opment Law. Best practice examples of utilizing federal, state and local partnerships, programs and incentives are shared. Class participants are given an opportunity to immediately apply the tools and programs highlighted in the classes through a case study exercise. The Down-town Development Authority Basic Training class is a pre-requisite.

Current Issues Class - Understanding the Census (3-hour class) (New)

The purpose of this class is to expand the understand-ing of the U.S. Census Bureau, the uses of Census data, the importance of Census 2020, and what the state of Georgia and local governments can do to ensure the most accurate count. Georgia has the opportunity to gain one or two congressional districts based on popula-tion growth. In this Current Issues Class, the role of local governments in Census 2020 is explored.

Current Issues Class - Municipal Law Update 2018: (3-hour class)

This class updates attendees on legislation and judicial decisions affecting municipal governments. The goal of this class is to provide attendees with a detailed under-standing of changes to laws affecting municipalities.

Current Issues Class - Understanding, Funding and Fighting the New Face of Homelessness in Georgia (3-hour class) (New)

Homelessness has a direct impact on local government and communities in rural settings across Georgia. The face of homelessness is now different than many would perceive, with families, veterans, and the working poor comprising an ever-increasing percentage of those affected. In this class, an introduction to the real causes of homelessness is presented, with discussion of how

homelessness financially impacts local communities. Roles, responsibilities and supportive efforts required of elected officials to face this issue along with strategies for engaging with non-profit/faith based organizations, and opportunities for federal funding are examined. Case studies of municipalities utilizing Department of Community Affairs funding, and possible municipal ser-vice structures are evaluated.

Economic Development* (6-hour class)

This class provides a basic overview of the economic development process, with a focus on the strategies, re-sources and programs employed by the state of Geor-gia to assist communities in achieving success in today’s global economy. Topics such as community develop-ment building blocks, business development strategies, regional cooperation, and the role of local leadership in economic development are covered.

Effective Practices for Municipal Operations 101 (3-hour class)

This class targets municipal elected officials from small communities and newly elected officials and exposes them to various fundamental principles for having a professionally managed city. The class examines basic management strategies and analyzes tools and processes needed to create an organizational climate of excellence for the effective delivery of municipal services. In addi-tion, the class identifies emerging issues and other chal-lenges that can impede effective municipal operations.

Employee Benefits 101 (Retirement) (3-hour class)

This class targets municipal elected officials and staff. It provides a general overview of retirement plans that cities can offer to employees and explains the differenc-es between various plan types, such as defined benefit, defined contribution and deferred compensation plans and how these plans function and are administered.

Entrepreneur Friendly Cities (3-hour class)

This class targets municipal elected officials, city man-agement, community development specialists, economic development professionals or planning and zoning staff. The class highlights the critical role economic devel-opment plays in our cities’ growth while highlighting the purpose current ordinances and policies play in the contribution of or hindrance towards business develop-ment. Pulling from real life examples, a panel of prac-titioners provides attendees with both statewide and local perspectives, sharing their success stories, chal-lenges and endorsements for how class participants can address the needs of their city’s business community. In addition, the class identifies and addresses emerging impediments and statewide trends that can negatively impact the growth and development of a city.

Excellence in Customer Service (3-hour class)

This class provides valuable information for elected of-ficials and staff relating to the proper role that custom-er service plays in local government. Participants will explore ways to move from average customer service to excellent customer service. Participants examine in-ternal policies and procedures that hamper and support customer service at its best. The class instructor guides officials in defining and communicating the customer service organizational culture of their respective cities.

Information Privacy and Security Breaches: Prevention and Response (3-hour class)

Elected officials are the “face” of a city’s commitment to information privacy and security. This class will cover what municipal officials “need to know” about informa-tion privacy and security policies including: risk assess-ment, access controls, security provisions in contracts, disaster recovery / business continuity, workforce training and incident / breach readiness. Class attendees review actual municipal and county information privacy and security breaches. They also learn how to champion for the resources to secure city information and how to designate the city as a HIPAA “hybrid entity.”

Let’s Get Social (3-hour class)

Technology impacts personal lives, work and local government. This class examines and defines what social media means, how social media can be used by local government, including the risks and benefits of such us-age. The legal basis for governmental use of social media is reviewed. Demonstrations on making social media user friendly for both large and small governments are provided. Finally, the class helps participants deter-mine the social media applications that matter most to their organization, navigate the set-up process for key applications, create meaningful content and engage their audience across different sites.

Local Government Debt Methods 101 (3-hour class)

This class targets municipal elected officials and staff and exposes them to various fundamental methods of issuing debt in Georgia. The class examines the history of public debt in Georgia, basic public finance principles, legal requirements and prohibitions, and various financ-ing methods needed to effectively budget for capital improvement projects.

Mobile Workshop - Port of Savannah Georgia’s deep water ports foster growth statewide. They drive development and opportunity across a range of industries, reaching every corner of every county. The Port of Savannah is the nation’s fourth busiest port and is home to the largest single-terminal container facility of its kind in North America. This mobile workshop

MUNICIPAL TRAINING INSTITUTE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

includes a presentation and tour of the Savannah ports facility, highlighting the Georgia Ports Authority’s role and partnership in attracting and expanding businesses in communities throughout the state.

Mobile Workshop: Placemaking in Action Placemaking is a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and management of public spaces. During the mobile workshop, participants engage in the process of Placemaking by conducting a walking audit of Ellis Square in Downtown Savannah. Participants examine the diverse ways placemaking capitalizes on a local com-munity’s assets, inspiration and potential, with the in-tention of creating public spaces that promote people’s health, happiness, and wellbeing.

Municipal Courts Post Ferguson: Promoting Justice, Protecting City Assets* (3-hour class)

This class reviews how municipal courts are required by law to handle common offenses, such as traffic of-fenses, certain misdemeanors and municipal ordinance violations. Designed for elected officials, it address-es court practices that have led to class actions and investigations across the country. In addition to a basic knowledge of the role of the judge, court clerk, pros-ecutor, probation service provider and city leadership, attendees leave class with a self-assessment and set of model documents. These tools help officials ensure that the courts are promoting justice and supporting public safety, and are not jeopardizing the city’s “brand” and exposing the city to financial harm.

Municipal Courts Post-Ferguson II: Promoting Justice, Protecting City Assets (3-hour class) (New)Prerequisite: Municipal Courts Post-Ferguson I

This class provides a deeper dive and interactive expe-rience into the actual operations of municipal courts in Georgia. Through a combination of classroom instruc-tion and interactive mock court exercises, classroom participants take a deep dive into the constitutional protections afforded to defendants and the operations of municipal courts. Specifically, this class looks at how contracts with probation service providers and judges as well as specific state and federal laws governing mu-nicipal courts work in the real world. Additionally, this class analyzes the responsibilities of the court, contract-ed parties, and elected officials under Georgia law, with a focus on criminal justice reform changes enacted by the Georgia legislature.

Municipal Electric Systems 101 (3-hour class)

This class is open only to officials from the 52 Geor-gia cities that own and operate public power systems. Electric utilities are multi-million dollar enterprises and it is essential that policymakers and key staff have a strong understanding of all aspects of the service—in-

cluding generation, transmission and distribution—as well as sound financial and management practices. In addition to providing a basic overview of municipal electric system operations, the class is designed to help attendees understand the role of the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia and Electric Cities of Georgia and the services and resources each organization provides to participating systems.

Municipal Finance I* (6-hour class)

This class is intended to serve as a basic primer on mu-nicipal finance issues that all mayors, councilmembers and managers should understand. Included in this gen-eral overview is a discussion of the budget process, the revenue sources available to cities, purchasing policies and financing capital improvements.

Municipal Gas Systems 101 (3-hour class)

This class is open only to officials from the 84 Georgia cities that own and operate a municipal gas system. In addition to providing a basic overview of municipal gas system operations, the class is designed to help attend-ees understand the role of the GMA Gas Section and Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia and the services and resources provided to participating systems. The class also informs and educates municipal officials on the continued safe and efficient operation of the natural gas system. It is important that key officials become aware of state and federal regulations and the issues of an aging infrastructure.

Municipal Law* (6-hour class)

This class provides an overview of the major sources of municipal authority and the limitations on that author-ity, including constitutional and statutory law. Municipal charters and ordinances are discussed and participants are encouraged to read their city’s charter before attending this class. How to enter into legal contracts is reviewed. This course also provides a basic foundation for understanding the liability and immunity of cities, elected officials and municipal employees. If time per-mits, this course may also address working with the city attorney.

Municipal Law Update 2018 (3-hour class)

This class updates attendees on legislation and judicial decisions affecting municipal governments. The goal of this course is to provide attendees with a detailed understanding of changes to laws affecting municipalities.

Municipal Taxation 101 - The Basics* (3-hour class)

The class gives municipal officials a broad under-standing of the fundamentals of local government

MUNICIPAL TRAINING INSTITUTE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

taxation with an in-depth look at the two primary funding sources for local government in Georgia: property tax and sales tax. This class is designed to give participants an understanding of tax lan-guage and appropriate usage of revenues, preparing them to communicate tax issues to constituents and make prudent decisions related to expendi-tures. *This class includes information from the old six-hour Taxation 101-The Basics class. Those who completed the six-hour version may earn credit for completing the three-hour version.

Municipal Taxation 102 – The Basics Continued (3-hour class)

The class gives municipal officials a broad under-standing of local government taxation with an in-depth look at excise taxes related to alcohol, lodging, rental vehicles and energy used in manufac-turing, as well as business occupation tax (formerly known as business licenses). Participants gain an understanding of tax language and appropriate use of revenues, preparing them to communicate tax issues to constituents and make prudent decisions related to expenditures. This class includes informa-tion from the old six-hour Taxation 101-The Basics class. Those who completed the six-hour version may earn credit for completing three-hour version.

Municipal Water and Wastewater Systems* (3-hour class)

Water and wastewater services are fundamental to the operation of a city. This class provides an overview of the management of these services and introduces participants to the significant role of water in community health, quality of life and economic development. This class also describes various service delivery methods and discusses the challenges and opportunities that municipal officials face in providing water and wastewater services to their customers.

New and Emerging Technology for Cities (3-hour class)

Today, technology is essential to most aspects of our public and private lives. For mayors, city councils and other community leaders, technology has become a critical factor in governance, communication and citizen engagement. In this advanced class, your role regarding local government technology is outlined and you are made aware of the ways your city might better utilize available technology or digital solutions. These solutions include applications and services that enhance oppor-tunities for increased operational effectiveness and pro-ductivity such as engaging citizens on a more consistent basis, increasing quality services, facilitating transparency, and enhancing efficient operational procedures. Partic-ipants hear from those with technology expertise and other elected officials who have had success with digital solutions in their communities.

Open Meetings* (3-hour class)

Open, accessible meetings are a hallmark of local government and important for communicating with residents and businesses. This class examines the requirements of Georgia’s Open Meetings Act, what constitutes a “meeting,” and the limited circumstances authorizing executive sessions. The importance of prop-er notice as well as meeting agendas, summaries and minutes are discussed. Class participants are apprised of potential consequences for failing to follow the law.

Open Records* (3-hour class)

Recommended for newly elected and first-term officials. This class familiarizes municipal officials with Georgia’s open records law and the potential consequences for failing to adhere to it. Hypothet-ical scenarios are used to give participants a better understanding of their responsibilities and obliga-tions for complying with these statutes. Records management and the requirements of the Georgia Records Act are reviewed as well as legal obliga-tions for preserving records for litigation.

Planning and Zoning* (6-hour class)

This class examines the difficult choices municipal officials encounter in stimulating economic well-be-ing, protecting public infrastructure investment and maintaining environmental integrity. It examines legal considerations for planning and zoning, the role of the mayor, council and manager and prac-tical steps for maintaining a comprehensive plan and effective zoning procedures. In addition, the class highlights issues, barriers and policy solutions associated with efforts to achieve desirable patterns of development.

Practices for Successful Meetings* (3-hour class)

The success of a city is often gauged by how its res-idents perceive city council meetings. This class is designed to give elected officials and others a practical understanding of the most commonly-used procedures available to govern meetings. The basic tenants of Rob-ert’s Rules of Order, as well as alternatives to Robert’s, are taught in a manner that seeks to arm presiding officials with the tools necessary to run successful and productive gatherings of their elected officials and other meetings necessary to operate their cities. *This class is reformatted from the former six hour Managing Meetings and Parliamentary Procedures class. Those who completed the six-hour version may earn credit for completing three-hour version.

MUNICIPAL TRAINING INSTITUTE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Public Policy Development and Implementation* (3-hour class)

Developing policy to advance the vision of the city is one of the most important duties that a mayor and council perform. This class is designed to give municipal officials an understanding of the importance of that function and the role of the elected officials and profes-sional staff in developing, implementing and evaluating those policies. Participants learn how to effectively use policy-making models in the development of practical public policy that will benefit their communities and constituents.

Public Works and Transportation* (3-hour class)

Public works services, including transportation, are fundamental to the operation of a city. This session in-troduces participants to the types of services provided through public works departments and the important role those services play in community health, quality of life and economic development.

Recreation and Parks – Building Communities (3-hour class)

Recreation and park programs and facilities play an important role in creating a high quality of life for communities. They create public value by offering recreational activities, greenspace for relaxation and opportunities for improving the health of residents. However, recreation and park programs are sometimes seen as amenities that cities cannot afford. This session explores the role of recreation and parks in building community and economic development, and options for funding.

Risk and Insurance 101 (3-hour class)

This interactive class introduces the concepts of risk management and insurance as they relate to munici-palities. The class focuses on real world best practices involving risk avoidance, reduction and transfer through purchasing insurance, safety training, claims mitigation and implementation of proper policies and procedures. This class is designed to give participants a better understanding of ways to save money, provide for a safer environment and techniques to avoid many of the pitfalls that put a city and staff at risk. Subject matter experts present the information through interactive classroom instruction and group problem solving sessions. *This class is reformatted from the former six-hour Risk Management and Insurance class. Those who completed the three-hour version may earn credit for completing three-hour version.

Roles and Responsibilities of Council and Staff* (3-hour class)

While municipal elected officials have the responsibil-ity to develop policies to effectively address complex issues and problems that are often unique to cities, they typically must rely on public sector employees to implement them. In this class, the different perspectives of council and staff are explored in order to identi-fy ways for them to collaborate in addressing public problems. *This class is reformatted from the former six-hour Council and Staff Relationships class. Those who completed the six-hour version may earn credit for completing three-hour version.

Service Delivery Strategy – Efficiency & Tax Equity for Local Governments (6-hour class) (New)

The Georgia Service Delivery Act requires each county and its municipalities to develop and periodically update a service delivery strategy (SDS) that describes how services are provided and funded. SDS agreements must outline how local governments will minimize duplica-tion of services and insure tax equity in the provision and funding of services. Failure to maintain an updated SDS agreement results in sanctions including the loss of state grants, loans, and permits. This class reviews the components of an SDS agreement, examines tools for negotiation, provides opportunities to explore exam-ples of existing SDS agreements, and provides strategies for establishing successful city/county partnerships. Participants work on a case study identifying services and calculating the financial impact of each service to determine tax equity.

Trends in Urban Design for Local Leaders (3-hour class)

Using the urban fabric of streets, parks, squares, side-walks, urban design shapes the towns and cities we call home. As a multidisciplinary field, successful urban design borrows from the professions of architecture, landscape architecture, an understanding of sociology, and more to form the spaces that create community, entice visitors, and invite investment. Designed to give municipal leaders an understanding of the practice, history, and relevance of good urban design, this class informs leaders of emerging design trends applicable in cities big and small. In fun and creative hands-on activi-ties, the basic principles of successful urban design are taught in a manner that seeks to arm local officials with the tools necessary to advance the principles of effec-tive urban design in their home communities. This class is limited to 40 participants.

MUNICIPAL TRAINING INSTITUTE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

JUNE 22-26 2018 ANNUAL CONVENTION

2018 Annual Convention Registration & Schedule

P.O. Box 105377Atlanta, Georgia 30348