e-Brief September 21, 2020
2020 CAMA Awards of Excellence and Leadership Recognition Ceremony (Virtual) - October 1st, 2020
 

CAMA Launches Council Orientation Toolkit
             
Council changeover happens any time there is an election or by-election.  Municipal elections in Canada fall within the jurisdiction of the various Provinces and Territories.  With municipal elections mostly occurring every four years, the probability of change is high.  Even if all the same individuals are voted in, each term brings a new Council. 

While the agenda may vary across jurisdictions and municipalities, the overarching purpose and importance of an orientation session is to ensure elected officials understand their role in governance and municipal service delivery. By providing each new Council with the information they require to get off to a good start and govern successfully, a CAO and their staff can build trust and establish a strong working relationship from the beginning.

Recognizing the importance of on-boarding a new Council, CAMA has launched a Council Orientation Toolkit which is now available by visiting the CAMA website under the Resources section.  CAMA’s Communications Committee, led by Brenda Orchard and Board members Cory Bellmore, Beverly Hendry, Dawn Chaplin, Tony Kulbisky and Mike Dolter, worked in collaboration with Jennifer Goodine, CAMA Executive Director, and City of Fredericton staff to develop the Toolkit. 

“This toolkit is meant to be a high-level guide to provide the CAO and municipal staff with some helpful hints in building a successful Council Orientation.” said Jake Rudolph, CAMA President and CAO for the City of Nanaimo, BC.   “CAMA’s Political Acumen Toolkit also provides some preliminary information on Council Orientations; however with this additional  resource, it is our goal to provide you with recommendations, best practices and resources to ensure that your Councils are trained properly after a municipal election.”

Following are just a few of the topics that are included in the toolkit: Swearing-In Ceremony, Checklists for Staff for Incoming and Outgoing Elected Officials, Ideas for Teambuilding, Suggestions on How to Explain the Different Roles of Staff and Council (including the mechanics of governance of a municipality and committee systems), The Decision Making Process, How to Chair A Meeting, Administrative Reports, The Life of a Capital Project, Media Relations, Tips on Setting Priorities of Your Community, and Staff Orientation on Working with Council.   

Janice Baker, CAMA Past President and former City Manager and CAO for the City of Mississauga, ON and Jake Rudolph, CAMA President and CAO for the City of Nanaimo, BC shared their experiences with Council Orientation during the launch.  You can access the recording of this session in the Member's Section of the CAMA website under the Conference Presentation section.

In some jurisdictions, the legislation identifies what the Council orientation is required to address. Check with your Provincial/Territorial Municipal Affairs Department and your Elected Official and Administrator Associations as some provide training and resources following elections.     Got questions? Want more information?  Contact Jennifer Goodine, Executive Director, CAMA National Office, 1-866-771-2262, [email protected].
ICMA is going to have a digital event, Unite this year in lieu of the ICMA Annual Conference. ICMA is extremely excited to be able to offer 3 international regional tracks (in keeping with respective time zones) for the first time in addition to the regular conference sessions that will take on North America time.  

This year to reach out to a larger global audience, we created global content with speakers from all around the world (thanks to ICMA affiliates and their members!). All registrants will have access to all conference sessions (100+ sessions) including the regional tracks. If a registrant is not able to participate in a session live, the sessions can be watched on-demand until the end of this calendar year.

In addition to the educational sessions, UNITE offers a digital exhibit hall, inspirational keynotes by leaders from the world stage including Connie Hedegaard from Denmark (at the E/A track opening session), and exciting entertainment events (e.g. Sheryl Crow Concert).

UNITE is a great opportunity for local government professionals around the world as well as students and academicians! Please spread the word with anyone who might be interested in this content.

To register you need to either use your ICMA account or create one if you don’t have one. You don’t need to be a member to create an account, you can simply do so by adding an email and creating a password. In the registration form, you should enter your information and follow the instructions on the registration page.  Do not miss out on this rich global event and help us make this a success. Register Today!
CivicInfo BC Leadership and Governance Award
The CivicInfo BC Leadership and Governance Award is funded by an anonymous donor, to provide assistance to employees of Local Government and First Nation Communities in Canada pursuing educational opportunities in governance and leadership.

Am I eligible?
  • You must be enrolled in a post-secondary leadership or governance specific education program and be employed by a Canadian Local Government or First Nation Government (excluding Fire and Police Service).
  • Students may be in short term training, certificate, undergraduate, postbaccalaureate, and graduate programs; all are eligible.
Criteria:  The selection committee will evaluate applications based on but not limited to the following criteria:
  1. Demonstrated financial need
  2. Relevance to local government objectives
  3. Demonstrated commitment
  4. Type of education pursued
  5. Demonstrated value to and impact on the community served
How do I apply? The application period for 2020 opens September 14th. Applicants are required to complete online application in the portal  and upload documents including a letter of support and proof of registration or enrollment. See the Application Guide for more information about applying. Visit www.civicinfo.bc.ca for more information.

When is the deadline? Completed applications are due no later than 4pm on October 23rd, 2020.

What is the value of the award? The 2020 award will be $1,000. Once the award recipient is determined, 75% of the award will be remitted to the recipient. The remaining 25% will be paid out upon submission of an impact statement following completion of the training.

 
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!
 
  • Neil Smith, Chief Administrative Officer, Town of Nanton, AB 
  • Nicole Enns, City Manager, City of Morden, MB
  • Jessica Linthorne, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Town of Saugeen Shores, ON
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CAMA is a non-profit association open to all senior managers dedicated to improving municipalities in Canada.
Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators
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CANADA