2014 CAMA E-Brief Partner:

May 5, 2014

 

Cultivating a Positive Culture ... that’s the theme for the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrator’s (CAMA’s) National Conference in Niagara Falls, ON from May 26-28, 2014. 
 
The Conference will highlight the skills needed to help municipal administrators grow and develop into the best leaders possible.  From the start of the Conference to the very last session, hear from experts across the country that will help foster a positive culture in municipal operations across the country. 
 
This is sure to be three days of professional development and networking you won’t want to miss! 
 
Sessions
 
The Conference starts with keynote speaker Dr. Linda Duxbury, who will talk about “Managing a Changing Workforce.” It closes with Marnie McBean, three-time Olympic Gold Medalist and Athlete Mentor for the Canadian Olympic Team, who will present “Be a Career Champion: Training to Win on the Bad Days Too.” 
 
Municipal administrators and those who work in the field will lead a variety of other sessions.  On May 27, there will be a panel discussion called “Best Practices Learned by CAMA Members.”  This will be followed by a plenary session called “Are You Asking Your Police and Fire Chiefs the Right Questions” and a panel session called “Public Safety – Trends, Perspectives and Opportunities.”
 
On May 28, the day will start with two concurrent sessions:  “Lean Six Sigma: The Importance of a Positive Environment” and “Creating a Positive Dialogue with Small Communities.”  Dr. Vince Molinaro, Knightsbridge Human Capital Solutions will follow with a plenary called “The Leadership Contract.” 
 
The day ends with delegates getting to choose from a “Public Safety Workshop” or one of three study tours presented by the City of Niagara Falls, ON:  Revisiting the Past – Reshaping the Future; Maintaining Excellence at the Niagara Parks Commission; and, The Entertainment Experience at Niagara Parks. 
 
Other Conference Highlights
 
The Conference gets underway on May 26 with the CAMA Golf Tournament, Tours of the Niagara Region, Provincial/Territorial Association Meetings, a Women’s Social, a First-Time Delegate Reception, and an opening reception in the CAMA Tradeshow, where refreshment breaks will be held throughout the Conference.
 
On May 27, CAMA’s Long Service Awards will be presented.  A Young Professionals Reception and a Reception for OMAA Members will be held before a “Taste of Niagara Showcase” Casual Night Out for delegates.  May 28, begins with CAMA’s Annual General Mmeeting.  At 12:30 p.m., the CAMA Awards of Excellence will be presented.  The day will end with the CAMA President’s Dinner. 
 
Throughout the Conference a Companion’s program will be offered.  Thanks to the following conference Gold sponsors:  JLT and Ravenhill Group Inc.  For more information, visit the 2014 annual conference section of the CAMA website.  You can also check out CAMA on Facebook or on Twitter (@CAMALink). 
 

In keeping with our Conference Sessions on the rising costs of public safety, Leonard Matarese (Director of Research and Project Development at the ICMA Centre for Public Safety Management) will lead an interactive workshop which will provide participants with a unique opportunity to talk about issues in their own communities and to share best practices and practical solutions with your colleagues across the country. 

This session will take place on Wednesday, May 28th from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (at the same time as the Study Tours).  If you have not already signed up but are interested, please call CivicInfo BC at Phone: 250-383-4898.

CAMA PARTNER: LIDSTONE & COMPANY BARRISTERS & SOLICITORS
 
 

There are numerous major proposed projects in Canada right now. In British Columbia alone there are five proposed LNG pipelines and LNG terminals, the Site C dam, oil and gas activities in the Northeast, mines, the Enbridge pipeline, and the Trans Mountain "Kinder Morgan" pipeline. While not all communities will be directly affected, some are affected several times over.

 

Local governments are playing an important role in asking tough questions about these proposed projects. Local governments, like First Nations, are uniquely well positioned to anticipate and see the cumulative impacts of these and other projects on the lands, people, infrastructure, and environment within their boundaries. Local governments also face concerns over their ability to pay for infrastructure and services required to support large scale industrial development.
 
We are also observing local governments taking on questions that might traditionally be thought to lie in the Provinces’ regulatory realm. In some cases local governments have fiscal, environmental and population health concerns that go beyond protections or standards put in place by provincial and federal governments. Accordingly, these local governments are leveraging available legal tools to get compensation and mitigation in addition to project monitoring.
 

The National Energy Board has just announced that 20 local governments in Alberta and British Columbia are among the 400 intervenors who will be participating in the assessment process for the Kinder Morgan pipeline. Each will have unique concerns, and come with different perspectives on the proposed project. Some will be opposed, some supportive, some neutral.  However there will be commonalities between them--concerns about how the construction of the project will impact local lands, streams, infrastructure and businesses, as well as concerns about what risks communities will be left with during operation of the proposed project, including marine shipping.
 
Local governments do not have direct constitutional regulatory authority with respect to most of these projects, but they are in many cases taking strategic action in the regulatory processes to assert the interests of the communities that they represent.  For more information, visit Lidstone & Company at www.lidstone.info

 

ICMA has extended a Call for Speakers invitation to CAMA members for the upcoming ICMA Conference in Charlotte, N.C.   Below is a list of sessions with open slots.   The application form is available at:
http://icma.org/en/icma/knowledge_network/documents/kn/Document/306032/2014_Call_for_Speakers_Application_Form
 

Counties and Regional Transit Systems: Governing Tips and Lessons Learned
Monday, Sept. 15, 2:30–3:40 p.m.
Transportation services are crucial for transporting people to jobs, medical services, and educational opportunities, but economies often dictate that systems be regional, which brings up governance issues. In this session, we’ll provide case studies and guidance on funding, building, maintaining, and governing regional public transportation.

What We Share: Successful Collaborations
Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2–3:10 p.m.
Many municipalities and counties are pursuing new areas for service sharing: human services, public safety, back-office functions, cooperative purchasing, and transportation. Hear how different local governments have done it, and come ready to share your new idea or approach. 

 

The Jetsons Meet Mayberry
Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2–3:10 p.m.
This session will look at essential technology for a small community and will address how managers balance the cost versus the return on investment. We’ll look at case studies of small communities that have successfully implemented new technologies.

Leading without Ultimate Authority
Monday, Sept. 15, 9:45–11 a.m.
Many times the manager is out, meeting with the community or businesses. That leaves the assistant to “run” the organization and focus on the internal issues. Sometimes that means they have to switch gears and think more strategically. How do assistants manage this effectively—and with the respect of the organization—without being the top boss?
 

Managing E-Hostility
Monday, Sept. 15, 9:45–11 a.m.
The increased use of social media and remote-access technology creates challenges when government must manage any hostility and incivility that arises in these forums. The techniques used when responding to such situations face to face may not be as effective in a digital setting. This session will identify techniques for effectively managing online communications. 

Enhancing Operational Efficiencies and Elevating Your Community for Success
Tuesday, Sept. 16, 3:30–4:40 p.m.
This session will examine the major resource areas—e.g., alternative revenues, debt management, priority-based budgeting, strategic/financial planning—that a local government must consider to successfully balance an increasing demand for services against shrinking revenues.

Next Gen Elected Officials: How Do They Change the Council Dynamics?
Tuesday, Sept. 16, 3:30–4:40 p.m.
The younger generation of elected officials faces the world with different skills, values, and perspectives than the generations that preceded them. They’re more frequent users of technology and multimedia, and have different decision-making processes. This session will give attendees a better understanding of how to interact and work with this demographic of elected leaders and its leadership styles.

Is There a Pill for That?
Monday, Sept. 15, 12:45–2 p.m.
Maintaining the work-life balance can be challenging, but a fulfilling and enjoyable personal life is obtainable. This session will discuss positive options for managing stress. Listen as peers, partners, a mental health professional, and a yoga instructor talk about being proactive in order to succeed emotionally through the tribulations of the job.
 

Civility: The Good, the Bad, and the Costly
Monday, Sept. 15, 2:30–4:40 p.m.
This interactive session will provide real examples of incivility occurring in communities. We’ll provide you with the tools to address these challenges in your community and put into perspective the consequences of not addressing them. 

The Afterlife: Our Encore Performance
Monday, Sept. 15, 2:30–3:40 p.m.
You have decided to retire but aren’t quite ready for the rocking chair. That sense of community obligation still burns deep within your soul. This session will explore career options that are available to managers during their transitional stage of life.
 

Personal Survival after Community Crisis
Tuesday, Sept. 16, 3:30–4:40 p.m.
Good leaders develop strategies to manage their own survival in the wake of disaster. Attend this session to hear about tales and tools of endurance from leaders who withstood a crisis and balanced their personal needs with their commitment to the community.

Need further information?  Contact Julie Butler, CMP, DES,  Conference Program and Exhibits Manager at 301-681-0660 or [email protected]

 

Since 2005, the SMCC Western Sponsorship Congress™ has provided professional development and networking opportunities that have focused on a range of sponsorship related topics from inventory development, prospecting, branding, designing proposals, technology, communications, case studies and insights from properties and corporate sponsors.

The Congress hosts 250 registered delegates and speakers from across North America. They represent a cross section of corporations and small businesses that invest in sponsorship, non-profits and charities, sports organizations (professional and amateur), all levels of government and advertising, communications, public relations and sponsorship agencies.

Visit www.SponsorshipCongress.ca for more information or to register. Pre-congress half-day workshops available!

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