MML Review Magazine, July 2019

REVIEW

A U N I T E D V O I C E F O R M I S S O U R I M U N I C I PA L L E A G U E C O M M U N I T I E S

THE MISSOURI MUNICIPAL

July/August 2019

Celebrating Missouri's Local Government Champions

www.mocities.com 1 Value Of A PIO | Respectful Digital Engagement | MML Annual Conference Municipal Government 101 •Community Positive Policing • Annual Conference Photos

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THE MISSOURI MUNICIPAL

July/August 2019; Volume 84, No. 4

CONTENTS Features 6 Local Government Champions

by Richard Sheets

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10 Value Of A Public Information Officer

by Drew Douglas 15 Respectful Digital Community Engagement

by Stephen Ibendahl 16 MML 2019 Annual Conference • Overview • Agenda • Special Events

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27 Share Your Popcorn

by Sam Glenn

31 Lessons Learned In Local Government

by Harold Selby

Departments 4 President's Review 34 Local Government Review:

Advice From Experienced Officials

36 2019 Elected Officials Training

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Conference Photos

38 MML Calendar Of Events/ Members' Notes

Cover Photo: Former city, county and school board officials who are now members of the Missouri House of Representatives came together in the 2019 legislative session to form an officially sanctioned Local Government Caucus. Pictured are (L-R) Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman (R-Arnold); Rep. Dan Shaul (R-Imperial); Rep. John Black (R-Marshfield); Rep. Peggy McGaugh (R-Carrolton); Rep. Bill Falkner (R-St. Joseph); Rep. Jeff Coleman (R-Grain Valley); Rep. Craig Fishel (R-Springfield); Rep. Brad Hudson (R-Cape Fair); Rep. Danny Busick (R-Newtown); Rep. Roger Reedy (R-Windsor); Rep. Curtis Trent (R-Springfield).

MISSOURI MUNICIPAL LEAGUE BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: Council Member Chris Lievsay, Blue Springs: Vice President (and Immediate Past President): *Matthew G. Robinson, Mayor, Hazelwood; Eric Berlin, City Administrator, North Kansas City; Rob Binney, Council Member, Lee's Summit; Paul Campo, Attorney, Williams and Campo, PC; Chuck Caverly, Councilman, Maryland Heights; Adam Couch, Mayor, Odessa; Michele DeShay, Mayor, Moline Acres; Joe Garritano, Council Member, Wildwood; DJ Gehrt, City Administrator, Platte City; Barry Glantz, Mayor, Creve Coeur; Debra Hickey, Mayor, Battlefield; *Bill Kolas, Mayor, Higginsville; *Norman McCourt, Mayor, Black Jack; Marcella McCoy, Finance Director, Harrisonville; Cindy Pool, Council Member, Ellisville; *Kathy Rose, Mayor, Riverside; *Carson Ross, Mayor, Blue Springs; Samuel Snider, Alderman, Willard; *Gerry Welch, Mayor, Webster Groves; Jeanie Woerner, City Clerk, Raymore *Past President AFFILIATE GROUPS Missouri City Management Association; City Clerks and Finance Officers Association; Government Finance Officers Association of Missouri; Missouri Municipal Attorneys Association; Missouri Park and Recreation Association; Missouri Chapter of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors; Missouri Chapter of the American Public Works Association; Missouri Association of Fire Chiefs EDITORIAL Laura Holloway / Editor Lholloway@mocities.com Dan Ross, Richard Sheets, Lori Noe Contributing Editors The Review July/August 2019; Volume 84, No. 4 The Missouri Municipal Review (ISSN 00266647) is the official publication of the Missouri Municipal League state association of cities, towns and villages, and other municipal corporations of Missouri.

Publication office is maintained at 1727 Southridge Drive, Jefferson City, MO 65109.

Subscriptions: $30 per year. Single copies: $5 prepaid. Advertising rates on request.

Published bi-monthly. Periodicals postage paid at Jefferson City, Missouri.

Postmaster: Send form 3579 to 1727 Southridge Drive, Jefferson City, MO 65109.

To contact the League Office call 573-635-9134, fax 573-635-9009 or email the League at info@mocities.com.

Website: www.mocities.com.

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President's Review

by Chris Lievsay, Council Member, Blue Springs, and MML President

Take Advantage Of Expert Training MML members have benefitted from some incredible training this year, and there is much more to come!

In June, more than 250 elected officials, many of them new to local government, gathered in Columbia for the MML Elected Officials Training Conference. Attendees learned the latest information regarding the Missouri Sunshine Law, budgeting, conducting city business and why effective leadership is crucial. Find photos of this year’s event on pages 36-37.

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I encourage you to make it a point to take advantage of an MML regional meeting over the next year ... you will find many great opportunities coming up this fall.

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Registration is filling up fast for the League’s Annual Conference Sept. 8-11, at the St. Charles Convention Center in St. Charles, Missouri. Keynote Speaker Sam Glenn will share why attitude changes everything, while a panel discussion on medical marijuana will provide the details you need as this issue evolves in your community.

Your voice is also needed at the MML Annual Business Meeting, where members will vote to adopt the next year’s policy. Whether a new or more experienced official, you will always return from the event with the latest information that benefits your city.

Along with MML conferences, I encourage you to make it a point to take advantage of an MML regional meeting over the next year. The League has increased the number of regional meetings offered, and you will find many great opportunities coming up this fall.

A regional meeting usually involves networking time before dinner during a weeknight evening, along with a speaker sharing expertise on a timely topic. Be sure to utilize this unique opportunity for networking and to share challenges with neighboring communities. I have often found creative and useful ways to address issues in Blue Springs by checking with my counterparts in nearby cities. When we work together, we are stronger!

If you need a little more information than a regional meeting provides, two pop-up trainings are scheduled in July. These evening trainings are especially beneficial when an elected official cannot attend conference trainings during the workday. In one night, you will take away information on some of the most vital issues you face as an elected official, including Sunshine Law, council procedures and ethics.

We know that well-trained local government officials will have the best opportunity to make a positive impact in each community across the state. While elected officials often wear many hats, we must take the time to gain knowledge of the most pressing issues facing our city. Citizens depend upon us having a strong knowledge about municipal government, and MML is your go-to resource.

Learn more about upcoming conferences, trainings and regional meetings on the League’s website, in this Review issue, and in the MML monthly e-newsletter. In the meantime, we can’t wait to see you in St. Charles in September!

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www.mocities.com

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FEATURE Review

by Richard Sheets

THANK YOU TO MISSOURI'S LOCAL GOVERNMENT CHAMPIONS!

Every year at this time, MML reports on the bills of municipal interest that failed or passed during the recent legislative session. Often, the end-of-session report sounds similar to the one from the previous year. This “déjà vu” effect happens because legislation is never completely dead – it often returns in subsequent sessions of the General Assembly.

This past session was a little different. Yes, we saw the same local preemption bills that we have had in previous sessions and yes, much of the League’s time was spent playing defense and striving to stop harmful legislation.

However, one thing made this session of the Missouri General Assembly stand out from previous sessions – local government champions, in both the House and Senate.

Local Government Caucus Former city, county and school board officials who are now members of the Missouri House of Representatives came together in the 2019 legislative session to form an officially sanctioned Local Government Caucus. The Caucus will study issues affecting local governments and educate their House colleagues on legislation. During House floor debate this past session, Caucus members stood up to support local control and oppose state mandates on local governments, even when that was not a popular thing to do. Members of the Local Government Caucus remember where they came from and the importance of home rule. The Missouri Municipal League, Association of Counties and the Missouri School

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Boards Association stand ready to assist the Caucus in preserving local governance. We anticipate that the Local Government Caucus’ influence in the Missouri General Assembly will become stronger as more former local officials run for seats in the General Assembly. Representative Bill Falkner, former mayor of St. Joseph, is the chair of the Local Government Caucus.

Representative Bill Falkner (R-ST. Joseph) and Representative Donna

Baringer (D-St. Louis), both former Missouri Municipal League Board Members, were instrumental in the formation of the Caucus. Thank you, Bill and Donna!

Local Government Champion: Senator Sandy Crawford Missouri local governments were very fortunate this session to have Senator Sandy Crawford as the chair

Photo: Former city, county and school board officials who are now members of the Missouri House of Representatives came together in the 2019 legislative session to form an officially sanctioned Local Government Caucus. Pictured are (L-R) Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman (R-Arnold); Rep. Dan Shaul (R-Imperial); Rep. John Black (R-Marshfield); Rep. Peggy McGaugh (R-Carrolton); Rep. Bill Falkner (R-St. Joseph); Rep. Jeff Coleman (R-Grain Valley); Rep. Craig Fishel (R-Springfield); Rep. Brad Hudson (R-Cape Fair); Rep. Danny Busick (R-Newtown); Rep. Roger Reedy (R-Windsor); Rep. Curtis Trent (R-Springfield).

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of the Senate Local Government and Elections Committee. Not only did Sen. Crawford sponsor the League’s internet sales legislation (SB 189), she watched for legislation that was harmful to cities. Sen. Crawford successfully blocked several legislative attempts to place mandates onto cities. She even “killed” one of her own priority bills in conference committee to prevent an amendment taking away municipal court fine revenue. A big thank you to Senator Sandy Crawford!

Failure To Appear Champions: Senator Ed Emery, Representative Bill Falkner, Representative Mike Haffner And Representative Steve Helms With the passage of Senate Bill 5 in 2015 and Senate Bill 572 in 2016, many cities have struggled to maintain their municipal courts. Attempts to fix the unintended consequences brought about by these ill-conceived pieces of

legislation have met resistance from state representatives, senators, statewide office holders and special interest groups. It has not been an easy issue to tackle in the Missouri General Assembly. However, a senator and several representatives did just that. During the 2019 legislative session, Senator Emery, Representatives Bill Falkner, Mike Haffner and Steve Helms sponsored legislation that addressed the problem with municipal ordinance violators failing to appear for their municipal court hearing dates.

Many hours were spent working to build a base of support, both in the House and Senate, for a failure-to-appear fix.

Although the bill did not pass, these lawmakers’ efforts changed the debate to one that is more positive and much less negative toward cities.

Municipal Consolidations: Legislative Opposition To Statewide Vote

legislators to speak out in of support of local control than the House and Senate resolutions opposing consolidations of the cities and counties by a statewide vote. What began as a statewide initiative petition drive by the special interest group known as Better Together to amend the Missouri Constitution to consolidate the city of St. Louis, the cities located in St. Louis County, and St. Louis County through a statewide vote, ended up being opposed by senators and representatives from across the state. Our champions led the charge in their respective legislative bodies. Thank you to local government champions: Representative Dottie Bailey, Representative LaKeySha Bosley, Representative Shamed Dogan, Representative Dean Plocher, Senator Jamilah Nasheed, Senator Carla May, Senator Gina Walsh and many other members of the House and Senate.

No other issue during the past legislative session brought out more

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theReview July/August 2019

Déjà Vu: Bills of Municipal Interest That Passed And Failed In The 2019 Legislative Session Municipal Bills Of Interest That Passed

Cutting Edge Solutions

The Top Emerging Risks for Public Entities • Pressure to Reduce Costs & Align Budgets

HB 355 - Sale of municipal utilities • No Long-Term Documented Plan in Place in 4th class cities; trespass • Lack of Claims Management Strategy exemption for tree trimming for • Cyber Attacks municipal utilities; offenses involving critical infrastructure, class D felony • Legislative Changes SB 333 - Certain cities and fire districts • Employment Practices Liability may impose a ½ cent sales tax, instead of • Rising Cost of New Hires current ¼ cent Jeff Chronister • Aging Workforce SB 21- Local general sales tax may be Senior Advisor placed on ballot at any rate up to one cent and public safety sales taxes for certain OllisAkersArney.com Springfield • Branson • Bolivar • El Dorado Springs 417-881-8333 cities SB 68 - Economic development/ workforce development SB 87 - Sales tax rate included on all sales receipts (exemption for small businesses) and transient guest taxes for certain cities SB 291 - 911 emergency communications SB 203 - Building inspections may be performed by registered engineer SCR 14 -Transportation funding, bonding for bridges

Municipal Bills Of Interest That Failed To Pass HB 81 - Consolidation of municipal services HB 188 - Prescription drug monitoring program HB 559 - Working animal preemption HB 297 - Preemption of municipal dog regulations HB 374 - Local sales tax cap HB 473 - Preemption of local zoning authority – home occupations HB 483 - Preemption of municipal building codes HB 1044 - Eminent domain attack HB 762 - Municipal expenditure database SB 66 - Missouri Water Safety and Security Act SB 108 - Tax increment financing SB 122 - Stop Socialism Act SB 273 - Video franchise fee restructuring

IMPORTANT LEGISLATIVE DATES • July 14, 2019 – Deadline for Governor to sign or veto bills • August 28, 2019 – Bills that Passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by the Governor became effective (unless the bill had an emergency clause or another effective date) • September 11, 2019 – Veto session (noon) • December 1, 2019 – Pre-filing of bills for the 2020 legislative session • January 8, 2020 – Second Session 100th General Assembly Convenes

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FEATURE Review

by Drew Douglas

WHY YOUR CITY NEEDS A PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER: THE VALUE OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS FOR MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS

We live in an age of misinformation and fundamental distrust of government. The proliferation of “click bait,” “deep fakes,” “alternative facts,” and other forms of disinformation across the internet and social media make it difficult for your community to know what is true, and to know where to look for factual information.

Though local governments are generally more trusted than state or federal governments (according to Gallup’s annual governance poll), a 2014 study by the Harvard Institute of Politics found only 33% of millennial voters report trusting their local government. Cities need to have a strategy for proactively building trust and communicating truth to combat the misinformation and mistrust that damages your organization and presents obstacles to the accomplishment of your community’s goals.

Value Of A Public Information Officer The value of a Public Information Officer (PIO) is that they are focused on building a relationship of trust with your community through strategic communication.

Miscommunication or lack of communication only fosters deeper distrust of your organization, even when you are doing your level best to serve the interests of your community. If the

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The value of a Public Information Officer (PIO) is that they are focused on building a relationship of trust with your community through strategic communication.

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community does not trust its municipal government, how can you hope to gain support for projects, initiatives or ballot issues? Building trust involves two key steps. The first is to do the right thing; making the right decisions on behalf of the community and thereby becoming worthy of trust. The second is communicating; explaining to create understanding among the people impacted by your decisions. When people understand who you are (good people), why you do what you do (good reasons/motivations), and how you do it (doing things the right way), they can begin to trust you.

Everyone in leadership of your city should be invested in managing a positive relationship with the community. Mayors, council members, city administrators/managers and department directors do this by making the right decisions to enable the

possibility of earning trust. Staff at all levels also manage positive relationships with the community by providing good customer service. However, who on your team is focused on communicating about the hard work done to complete that second step of trust building? Cities with a public information officer (PIO) have a professional communicator dedicated to public relations and strategic communications.

Public relations (as defined by Glen Broom and Bey-Ling Sha in Cutlip and Center’s Effective Public Relations [a textbook referenced by the Universal Accreditation Board that oversees the Accreditation in Public Relations (APR)]) “is the management function that establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the public on whom its success or failure depends.”

Public information is a function that falls under the umbrella of public relations. Public information is defined (according to the Accreditation in Public Relations Universal Accreditation Board) as “information open to or belonging to the public; and in government agencies, non-profit organizations, or colleges and universities, [it is] the task of disseminating information from the organization to the public.”

The value of an effective PIO goes beyond dissemination of information

to the public. A PIO armed with an understanding of the broader role of public relations and all its functions will be able to communicate strategically, collaboratively, accurately, ethically and creatively in order to be most effective and valuable to the organization.

Whether the city employs a single PIO or a full department of PR/ communications professionals, they can provide value across the 12 typical functions of public relations. (This model is taken directly from the Public Relations Society of America and training material used for the APR.) Typical 12 Functions of Public Relations Competencies • Trusted counsel: advise and anticipate.

• Internal communication: engage employees and build trust.

• Media relations: develop public trust and support by working with journalists and bloggers.

• Community relations: establish public trust and support by working with community groups.

• External communication to customers/stakeholders/ community members: build public trust and support.

Public Relations Four-Step Process • Research • Plan • Implement, execute and communicate • Evaluate Other • Publicity and special events • Issues management • Crisis communication In my role with the city of Nixa, I take on a variety of tasks related to the 12 functions of public relations. I also believe the theme connecting all these

efforts relates to reputation management that is all about building the intangible asset known as goodwill. Most work to build reputation is done on bluesky days, though the stakes get higher during crisis communications. When the community hears, sees and reads a steady drumbeat of positive messaging about how their municipal government serves them with excellence, then, if something negative occurs, they will be more likely to perceive the single negative incident as an exception rather than the norm. During challenging times, communicating a message that demonstrates your organization is aware of issues and proactively working to resolve them also contributes to a reputation of competence and excellence.

The “Public Relations Four-Step Process," is a core principle of effective communications. It is essential to strategic communications and to be able to show measurable return on investment and desirable outcomes for communication efforts.

Another core principle of public relations is access. When the PIO has access to city leadership and is in the

room to listen to the decision-making processes, the PIO can provide valuable counsel by anticipating questions the media may have and how the public may perceive situations. Access also gives the PIO deep understanding of what considerations, options and resources were taken into account by decision makers. That context allows the PIO to work collaboratively with leaders to identify communications goals. Once the goals are known, the PIO works with subject matter experts to craft key messages and strategize effective ways to distribute them. The PIO then executes the communications plan, taking communications tasks off the plate of busy leadership, and conducts analysis to determine effectiveness.

Communication is also, importantly, a two-way street. Your PIO can provide value by leading community listening and engagement efforts. These activities demonstrate your organization’s desire to understand and respond appropriately to constituents. Listening and answering questions goes a long way towards building trust. This is why social media is such a powerful tool.

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Value Of The Investment The value of the investment in communication is most visible when it comes time to offer voter-education in advance of a ballot issue. For example, I worked with our leadership to develop the strategic communications plan that helped our city pass a use tax ballot initiative on our first attempt. Nixa’s voter-education strategy included public meetings and events, flyers and brochures, video, email newsletter articles, website content, earned news media coverage and social media. A PIO builds skill sets across a variety of communications disciplines to use a variety of tactics effectively and provide the most value possible to the organization.

Crisis communications is another area where a PIO delivers significant value. During a critical police incident, I manage communication with the media, monitor social media, and communicate across all city channels to allow the police department to focus on the critical work of public safety and investigating the incident.

In a crisis, leaders have to focus on responding, and utilizing a PIO to manage communications with the media and the public will allow leaders to focus on making the right

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The communications mission: Getting the right information to the right people in the right format at the right time so they can make the right decision. ~unknown

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decisions. The Federal Emergency Management Association’s (FEMA) Incident Command System values the role of PIOs so highly that it places the position in the organizational structure as reporting directly to the incident commander. If you are not proactively and consistently communicating, then your organization will only be reacting to the whims of media coverage, social media misinformation, and rumors accusing your organization of incompetence and mis-management.

A centralized communications department (as opposed to each department appointing its own communications staff) can eliminate duplication of effort and provide unified messaging. When your communicators share a mission, vision, values, policies,

procedures and processes, they can be held accountable to a consistent system for strategic, accurate, ethical, creative and collaborative communications. A centralized communications team can sharpen each other, provide continuity of work, specialize in particular skill sets, and work as a team to arrive at better solutions than an individual may develop on his or her own. Even a single PIO working as a centralized communications department can col l ab orate wit h a l l municip a l departments for consistency, accuracy and unification of strategy, brand and messaging.

Invest in your communications/ public relations/public information department and empower them to be strategic in telling the stories of the hard work your organization does.

If the city can not afford a full-time communicator, it is important to start somewhere. Just be careful not to under value the specific skill sets and time investment required for effective public relations and communications.

The better we communicate the more community trust the organization will enjoy. People trust those with whom they have a positive relationship.

Positive relationships are built on good communication. Can your city afford to NOT have a professional communicator on its team?

Drew Douglas has served as the public information officer for the city of Nixa since January 2017. He has helped organize a regional PIO network in Southwest Missouri with a focus towards crisis communications, and is passionate about the role of public relations in local government. He has more than 8 years of experience in television journalism in Texas and Missouri, where maintaining positive working relationships with PIOs was vital to his work. He holds a BA degree in Film & Digital Media Production from Baylor University. You can reach him at ddouglas@nixa.com.

If your city decides to hire a PIO/PR manager/communications director (or any other similar title), be sure to refer them to the following resources for professional development and continuing education. There are additional organizations that offer training in the realm of public relations and government communications such as City-County Communications and Marketing Association (3CMA), National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC), and Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL). I am most familiar personally with the following four valuable resources for municipal government communicators.

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FEMA offers free training to PIOs to learn the Incident Command System model for managing crisis communications. This is highly relevant to municipal PIOs especially if serving leadership/council, public works/utilities, and law enforcement/public safety. The FEMA training ranges from basic PIO awareness all the way to a master PIO course offered at the Emergency Management Institute in Maryland.

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The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) offers regional groups for networking and professional development across a broad spectrum of professional communicators, and they offer a path to accreditation in public relations.

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The Government Social Media Organization (GSMO) offers annual conferences to develop social media skills particular to government use.

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The National Information Officers Association (NIOA) offers annual conferences where PIOs (mostly representing local government and public safety agencies) from across the nation share lessons learned from managing information in the midst of the crises that were the biggest newsmakers in previous years.

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FEATURE Review

by Stephen Ibendahl

Respectful Digital Community Engagement

Communities continually seek to improve constructive dialogue with residents, especially when dealing with community-wide issues such as longrange plans, development proposals or community investments. One of the most constructive methods of community engagement is small group discussions. People are more respectful and thoughtful in small group situations.

Small groups allow everyone a chance to share their opinions. However, it is difficult to have small group discussions with the whole community. How then do you engage the wider community, but keep the respectfulness of a small group setting? Can digital and online tools help recreate small-group civility?

Today, with a multitude of social media and digital tools at our disposal, it should be easier than ever to engage the community. Unfortunately, the answer is often not an easy "yes." Digital choices can seem overwhelming. The dread of out-of-control negativity dampens enthusiasm for digital community engagement. We have all seen Facebook posts or online comment threads where

the resulting online discussion quickly turns into a litany of ever-increasing vitriol.

How do we create better dialogue with residents using social media and online tools? At the i5Group, a consulting firm focusing on community planning, we believe that citizen engagement should be a transparent process. We believe that an effective public engagement process includes informing, educating, identifying, prioritizing and building consensus toward a shared vision. While there are multiple digital and traditional engagement tools to choose from, we have found the following principles help to ensure that engagement is respectful and meaningful (recreating that small group experience).

Principle #1: Give Everyone An Opportunity To Share Their Voice The first step in providing an opportunity to share their voice is ensuring that everyone is aware of the

opportunity. Raising awareness is a key step. Techniques to raise awareness include direct mailings, door hangers, Facebook advertising, banners, street teams, and the existing communication networks of community organizations.

After raising awareness, a community should utilize multiple tools for residents to share their voice, including surveys, open houses, focus groups, online comment tools, and social media.

Principle #2: Show The Community That You’ve Listened Community engagement is both an art and a science. Showing that you have listened requires the most “art� of the process. Showing you have listened is more than just a bulletpoint summary in a document. Every opportunity should be taken to show that residents are heard. A great way to do this is to show the engagement process visually. Share photos of meetings and engagement activities

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via social media, websites, newsletters and other communication channels.

When residents can visually see the process, it builds trust that residents are being heard.

Principle #3: Remember That Engagement Is Two-Way Communication

A boosted facebook post connects residents to an online survey.

Engagement strategies should strive to create two-way communication.

A good engagement process readily shares information with residents while also listening to residents throughout the process to gain insights, build consensus and develop priorities.

While there are many ways to implement the above principles, the following are a few examples focusing on digital and online community engagement.

Create A Hub Of Information A few years ago, the director of marketing for the St. Louis Cardinals gave a presentation about digital marketing. While the Cardinals use a variety of social media tools (remember the Fredbird Instagram stories a few years ago), their ultimate goal was to drive fans back to a central hub (their website) to buy tickets. Community engagement should also utilize the central hub idea. A community should have a hub of communication, such as the city website (or dedicated engagement website) that becomes the repository of information. Instead of trying to use social media tools like Facebook to have a group discussion (that spins out of control), use Facebook to link residents to a more controlled comment tool on your website.

One communication challenge of many community engagement efforts is that the process can run many months, even years. With long time frames, it

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can be a challenge for residents to stay up to date on the process; the website allows residents to easily stay up to date. The website becomes the hub for communications. Other forms of communication (emails, newsletters, social media, etc.) should refer to the website for additional details.

The website allows residents to know the upcoming schedule, review past documents and provide input.

Leveraging Facebook – Boosted (Paid) Posts Facebook is a great tool to raise awareness of engagement efforts and direct residents to input tools. Almost every community now has a Facebook page. However, one of the biggest downsides of Facebook is the limitations of organic (non-paid) reach. Some estimates have put Facebook’s organic reach at only 4-5% of followers for any given post. So, if your city has 2,000 Facebook followers, any given post may only be seen by 80-100 followers.

Of course, the numbers of likes and shares can greatly increase the number of views. Also, Facebook is constantly tinkering with their algorithms that impact views.

For a relatively small financial commitment, paid Facebook advertising (boosted posts) can make a huge difference in the number of views of a post. As part of a countywide comprehensive plan, the i5Group worked with county staff to develop a Facebook advertising campaign to promote and raise awareness of open houses and an online survey.

For approximately $500 in Facebook adver t ising , more t han 53,000 impressions (views of the post) were made and almost 1,000 actions taken (clicking to the website or survey). So, at a per-action cost of approximately $0.50, the boosted post was more cost effective than direct mail. Obviously, boosting every Facebook post would quickly raise a community’s marketing costs. However, for selective posts for key community messages, paid boosts can be very cost effective.

Online Comment Mapping A great tool for transparent and respectful community input is an online, map-based, comment tool.

The public can leave comments on a Google map at a specific location.

Custom categories can be created, such as parking problems, dangerous intersections, recommended bike routes, etc. The key benefit of the comment map is that the public can see comments from other people, so it is a very transparent engagement tool. However, users cannot comment specifically back to other comments, so there is an avoidance of the outof-control comment threads often associated with social media.

Online Surveys Online surveys, such as SurveyMonkey (a free online tool), can also be a very effective engagement tool. However, a few tips can maximize the effectiveness of an online survey.

Keep it Short The shorter the survey, the better.

Ideally, shoot for five minutes or less to complete the survey – definitely no more than 10 minutes. The number of questions can vary, but a good rule of thumb is to aim for no more than 15-20 questions.

Balance Multiple Choice and Open-Ended Questions A good survey will balance multiple choice and open-ended questions.

Multiple choice questions are better to rank and prioritize certain responses, while open-ended questions allow for greater nuance in feedback. We often provide an open-ended option (explain why) as part of a multiple-choice question. Open-ended questions are a good way to balance a short survey while also providing an opportunity for more in-depth feedback. If someone is in a hurry, they can quickly answer the multiple-choice questions. Or if they have more time, they can provide additional feedback through the optional open-ended responses.

Frequently, one-third or more of respondents provide feedback through the optional open-ended questions.

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Make Sure the Survey Results are Easily Understood Too often survey results from services like SurveyMonkey are presented in default formats that are not easily understood by residents. Be sure to take the time to analyze the results carefully. Summarize the highlights of the survey in easy to read narratives, charts and infographics. There should be a balance between presenting all the results for the sake of transparency that can lead to information overload, versus well-crafted summaries of the survey. Remember that engagement is “two-way” communication. Results of the survey should be presented back to the community in a way

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that can be easily understood.

One criticism of online surveys is that the survey may not always capture a representational cross-section of the community since it is a self-selecting tool (unlike mailed or phone surveys that can ensure random distribution).

However, we have found that online surveys can be fairly representational. It is also important to remember that an online survey should be only one part of your community engagement strategy and not a stand-alone effort. Another perception is that older residents may feel uncomfortable with online surveys. However, in past surveys, we have found that the percentage of respondents over the age of 65 and 75 tend to be greater than their percentage of the community’s population.

The above are just a few examples of successful digital engagement techniques. While digital engagement can never fully replicate the respectfulness of a small meeting format, keeping in mind the three principles mentioned earlier can make a community’s engagement efforts more effective and trusted.

Stephen Ibendahl, ASLA, AICP is the Principal of the i5Group, a consulting firm located in St. Louis, Missouri, specializing in community planning, public affairs, and landscape architecture. He can be reached at stephen.ibendahl@thei5group.com or (314) 265-3178. Follow Stephen on Instagram at @VibrantstephenSTL.

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theReview July/August 2019

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What could be easier? See if your bank offers ICS and/or CDARS, or find one of the thousands that do.

www.ICSandCDARS.com Placement of funds through the ICS or CDARS service is subject to the terms, conditions, and disclosures in the service agreements, including the Deposit Placement Agreement (“DPA”). Limits apply and customer eligibility criteria may apply. In the ICS savings option, program withdrawals are limited to six per month. Although funds are placed at destination banks in amounts that do not exceed the FDIC standard maximum deposit insurance amount (“SMDIA”), a depositor’s balances at the relationship institution that places the funds may exceed the SMDIA (e.g., before ICS or CDARS settlement for a deposit or after ICS or CDARS settlement for a withdrawal) or be ineligible for FDIC insurance (if the relationship institution is not a bank). As stated in the DPA, the depositor is responsible for making any necessary arrangements to protect such balances consistent with applicable law. If the depositor is subject to restrictions on placement of its funds, the depositor is responsible for determining whether its use of ICS or CDARS satisfies those restrictions. When deposited funds are exchanged on a dollar-for-dollar basis with other banks in the network, the relationship institution can use the full amount of a deposit placed through ICS or CDARS for local lending, satisfying some depositors’ local investment goals/mandates. Alternatively, with a depositor’s consent, and in states where this is allowed by law, the relationship institution may choose to receive fee income instead of deposits from other banks. Under these circumstances, deposited funds would not be available for local 05/18 lending. ICS, Insured Cash Sweep, and CDARS are registered service marks of Promontory Interfinancial Network, LLC.

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MML 85th Annual Conference

MML 85th Annual Conference

Sept. 8-11, 2019 | St. Charles, Missouri MML Keynote Address: Sam Glenn Attitude Changes Everything!

Sam Glenn, attitude changes everything. At one time, Sam Glenn was barely getting by working odd jobs at night. He was negative, depressed and sleeping in his car or on borrowed floor space. It was a series of positive events from knocking over the legendary Zig Ziglar at a buffet to simple cups of coffee with good friends that gave Sam what he calls a KICK IN THE ATTITUDE to turn his life around. Sam began working on Sam Glenn developing a more positive attitude.

As Sam's attitude changed, everything changed. He discovered renewed purpose, happiness and humor. For the past 20 years, Sam has become regarded as one of the most fun, entertaining and inspirational conference kick off speakers. Sam has been named "Speaker of the Year" on several occasions by meeting and event organizations and won two national awards for his training videos. In addition, Sam is a gifted artist and author of 23 books that focus on personal and professional development. Sam and his growing family currently reside in Carmel, Indiana.

Wednesday Breakfast Keynote: Medical Marijuana: Overview and Panel

Patrick Ibarra Co-founder/Partner Mejorando Group

The conference closing breakfast will provide attendees with the opportunity to learn about the regulations and licensing procedures surrounding medical marijuana. The opening presentation will feature Lyndall Fraker, director, Medical Marijuana Program, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

Afterwards, panelists will include Mara Perry, director of planning & development, Webster Groves; Eric Walter, general counsel, Mo-Cann Trade Assoc; and Kenneth Heinz, attorney, Curtis, Heinz, Garrett and O'Keefe.

Full Registration ($400) • Grand Opening Reception (2 drink tickets) • Keynote Presentation • NEW! Coffee & Conversation • Exhibit Hall Entry • Monday Box Lunch • Popcorn & Prizes • Bacon & Business Meeting • Awards Luncheon • Breakfast Buffet & Keynote

Welcome Reception Join us for a reception Sunday evening held in the Exhibit Hall. Network with exhibitors and colleagues while enjoying appetizers and drinks.

Coffee & Conversation NEW! Join us for a continental breakfast Monday before the Keynote address and network with exhibitors and fellow attendees.

Popcorn & Prizes!

After the conclusion of sessions on Monday, join us for popcorn and beverages in the Exhibit Hall. At 4 p.m., exhibitors will draw names for prizes.

Must be present to win.

Bacon & Business!

Kick off Tuesday morning with breakfast and add your voice to important changes proposed to the MML policy statement.

Awards Luncheon Join us for lunch and to honor Innovation Award winners along with other award recognitions.

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theReview July/August 2019

MML 85th Annual Conference Tentative TentativeAgenda Agenda

Sunday, Sept. 8

9 a.m.-4 p.m.

10 a.m.

12 p.m.

1-3 p.m.

5 p.m.

5:30 p.m.

4:30-5:30 p.m.

5:30-7 p.m.

CCFOA Advanced Academy Golf Tourney - St. Peters Golf Club Registration Economic Development Grant Writing Workshop Nominating Committee (Open) Nominating Committee (Closed) New Attendee Reception Grand Opening Reception

Monday, Sept. 9 7:30 a.m.

8 a.m.

9 a.m.

10:30 a.m.

11:30 a.m.

1 p.m.

CCFOA Breakfast MCMA Breakfast Coffee & Conversation Welcome/General Session KEYNOTE: Attitude Changes Everything! - Sam Glenn Exhibitor Showcase - Exhibit Hall Spouse Wine Tasting Tour Box Lunch CONCURRENT (4)

Fraud Awareness for Municipal Officials (AMGI); How a Small Town in Missouri Became a Manufacturing Oasis; Chump Change CAN Save Lives!; Building a Stronger Financial Future for City Utilities

Tuesday, Sept. 10 7:30 a.m.

9:45 a.m.

10 a.m.

11:00 a.m.

12:15 p.m.

2-4 p.m.

2 p.m.

3:15 p.m.

FLASH SESSIONS (20 min) - Exhibit Hall

2:15 p.m.

Why Vulnerable Populations Need Compassionate Cities (1 p.m.); How to Prepare Before a Disaster Strikes (1:30 p.m.)

CONCURRENT (4)

Missouri Economic Development Alphabet Soup (MGI); Creating Diverse Candidate Pools; Your Metropolis: Super Powers and Kryptonite (CCFOA session); MCMA session

FLASH SESSIONS (20 min) - Exhibit Hall

3:30-4:30 p.m.

4 p.m.

5 p.m.

Missouri on the Move...Training Session (1 p.m.); Blueprint to an Autism Friendly City (1:30 p.m.)

Popcorn and Prizes - Exhibit Hall Exhibitor prize drawings St. Charles CVB event

6 p.m.

7 p.m.

Bacon & Business Meeting CONCURRENT (4)

Planning & Zoning (MGI); Using QBS to Hire the "Right" Design Construction Team; Cyber Security; Community Conservation Opportunities

Spouse event at Candle Fusion CONCURRENT (4)

Public Works Contracting (MGI); Pension Funding Basics; Beyond Certification: Apprenticeship for Drinking Water & Wastewater; Update on Municipal Divisions of the Circuit Court Awards Luncheon/Showcase Mobile Workshop CONCURRENT (4)

Sunshine Law (MGI); Wayfair; Invasive Plant Control in Muni's; Public-Private Partnerships: Examples & Opportunities CONCURRENT (4)

How to Avoid Internet Trolls & Other Forms of Effective Community Engagement (AMGI); Planning for Aging Infrastructure Needs with Your Water Rates; FMLA (CCFOA session); GFOA session Reception Annual Banquet

Wednesday, Sept. 11 7:30 a.m.

8 a.m.

Breakfast Buffet KEYNOTE: Medical Marijuana

10 a.m.

Conference Adjourned

Overview followed by a panel discussion

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MML 85th Annual Conference

Don’t Miss These Events!

MML Annual Conference Hashtag:

Exhibit Hall

#MML19

Sunday, Sept. 8: 5:30-7 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 9: 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

More than 145 firms bring you the latest services tailored for local government success. In addition, several brief educational sessions will take place in the Hall on Monday. Exhibits open Sunday evening during the Grand Opening Reception and close Monday afternoon with the Popcorn & Prizes party. Attendees must have a name badge to enter.

MML 8th Annual Scholarship Golf Outing Join us for the MML Scholarship Golf outing on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019. The four-person scramble tournament will be held at the St. Peters Golf Club at 10 a.m. Proceeds benefit the scholarship program established by the MML Board of Directors to assist those employed in municipal government with furthering their education.

Separate registration is required. Register online at www.mocities.com.

Event Contact: Tony Russo at (314) 435-3779 or email trusso@cmtengr.com

Reception, Annual Banquet and Entertainment Tuesday, Sept. 10, 6 p.m.

Ticket Price: $50

Join us for a reception Tuesday evening prior to the annual banquet. Enjoy appetizers and an open bar while listening to light background music. The banquet includes a steak dinner and the evening's entertainment.

Annual Banquet Entertainment: Buckets N Boards Buckets N Boards: Comedy Percussion Show is an incredibly fun, funny and interactive show that has delighted audiences of all ages worldwide! It is a show chock full of amazing percussion, hilarious comedy, and an incredible variety of musical talents.

Buckets N Boards performs shows in Branson, MO, at Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theatre through the spring and summer, and is one of the most requested Headline Acts for Disney Cruise Line, and tours throughout the US and Canada for theatrical performances and corporate events.

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theReview July/August 2019

MML 85th Annual Conference O.A.S.I.S. Food Pantry Can Food Drive Competition Sunday, Sept. 8 - Monday, Sept. 9

Join your fellow attendees for a friendly competition to stock the St. Charles County O.A.S.I.S Food Pantry. There will be a drop-off location near the MML conference registration desk. The competition will be between the seven MML regions. The winner will be the region with the most goods/donations collected by end of the day Monday.

A shopping list can be found on the League website on the Annual Conference registration page.

Mobile Workshop Tuesday, Sept. 10 2 - 4 p.m.

Price: $10

You may have heard about some of the big brands like Amazon and FedEx adding St. Peters addresses to their list of facilities, but the City’s FasTrac economic development efforts go way beyond just the big names. Take this tour and see how St. Peters is incorporating its fantastic lifestyle amenities to FasTrac solid results for all kinds of businesses.

You will start off at 370 Lakeside Park and RV campsites that boasts guests from all 50 states and several foreign countries and then move on to the Premier 370 Business Park and the more than 2 million s.f. of new businesses. Your tour will end with a reception at the City’s newest amenity, the renovated St. Peters Golf Club and beautiful Water’s Edge Banquet Center. Learn more about how you can incorporate your City’s recreational and lifestyle assets into economic development drivers. A bus will be provided to take you on the tour and return you to the starting point. Light refreshments will be served.

St. Charles CVB Event Monday, Sept. 9 5:30 - 9 p.m.

Location: Foundry Art Centre The Foundry Art Centre was once a train car factory in the 1920s and is now renovated into an interactive art center with studio artists, education and exhibits. Just a few steps away and you can enjoy the charming historic Main Street. The city of Saint Charles welcomes the Missouri Municipal League for a fun-filled evening featuring a live show with smash hits everyone will know. Join us at the Foundry Art Centre with plenty of food, drink and connecting with your MML friends. Enjoy giveaways and Saint Charles treats throughout the evening (must be present to win). Discover Saint Charles — an adventure 250 years in the making! www.mocities.com

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MML 85th Annual Conference MML Nominating Procedures The governing body of the Missouri Municipal League consists of the president, vice president, all past presidents who continue to hold elective office, 12 board members who are elected municipal officials and five board members who are appointed municipal officials. The Bylaws require there be at least one board member from each of the nine Missouri Congressional Districts, and no municipality can be represented by more than one board member (except officers and past presidents). Board members are limited to not more than two consecutive full terms. Officers (president and vice president) shall have served not less than one year on the board.

At the Annual Conference, nominations for president, vice president and board members are made by a Nominating Committee of not more than 11 municipal officials appointed by the president. The Committee holds an open session to explain the nominating procedures and to allow delegates to suggest names for nomination. The Committee then meets in executive session to prepare a slate of nominees. At least 24 hours before the Business Meeting, the Committee posts the slate of nominees. Within 10 hours of the Business Meeting,

other nominations may be made by petition signed by at least 10 municipal officials representing at least 10 municipalities.

The petition provision provides an open process within which interested municipal officials may challenge the Committee's nominees.

The Nominating Committee determines which members of the slate may be contested by the petition without jeopardy to the requirements of the Bylaws for the composition of the board. The vote in any contested election is by written ballot, and each member city present has one vote.

The board of directors and membership have adopted an open and accessible nominating procedure. Municipal officials are encouraged to communicate suggestions to the Nominating Committee directly or through League headquarters. The committee members solicit input at the Annual Conference (where they are easily identified by ribbons) and at the open meeting of the Committee. Your MML nominating process is open and easy, but it is up to you to use it.

Previous Attendee Comments ...

"I love walking away with the feeling that I have learned something and can take that back to my city/community and share that info." " Best one yet! Glad I made time for it!"

"Excellent speakers and topics. This is one of my favorite conferences because I always come away with new information to help our city."

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theReview July/August 2019

MML 85th Annual Conference Platinum Sponsors NLC Service Line Warranty Program Burns & McDonnell

Gold Sponsors Stifel Curtis, Heinz, Garrett & O'Keefe PFM Strategic Government Resources PeopleService, Inc.

Silver Sponsors Gilmore & Bell, P.C.

Trane U.S. Inc.

General Code

Missouri American Water Company

CTS Group

AT&T

Municode MoDNR Brownfields/Voluntary Cleanup Program

Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS) George K. Baum & Company

Piper Jaffray & Co.

Lauber Municipal Law, LLC

Connell Insurance, Inc.

Missouri Department of Conservation

MIRMA

American Fidelity

Cochran

Ollis/Akers/Arney Insurance & Business Advisors www.mocities.com

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MML 85th Annual Conference 2019 Resolutions Committee The 2019 Resolutions Committee of the Missouri Municipal League will meet prior to the Conference on July 24 to consider the recommendations of the four separate policy committees. The report of the Resolutions Committee will be made to the delegates at the business meeting during the Conference. Any municipal official desiring to have a specific topic considered should submit a proposed resolution to League headquarters as soon as possible. Any resolutions brought directly to the Annual Conference must be submitted 24 hours before the annual business meeting with copies (200) provided to the League’s president, the resolution’s chair and the executive director.

The statements recommended by the Resolutions Committee and approved by official vote of the League’s membership will become the “Municipal Policy Statement” for 2019-2020. This policy will provide the guidelines for the legislative program of the League, and direct the activities of the League’s staff during the 2020 session of the General Assembly.

Mayor Ken McClure of Springfield has been appointed chairman of the Resolutions committee for 2019.

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theReview July/August 2019

Download the MML Mobile App for Conference schedules, maps, exhibitors, sponsors, handouts and more!

Scan the QR code below or search "Missouri Municipal League" in your app store!

KEYNOTE Review

by Sam Glenn

SHARE YOUR POPCORN

It was well over 15 years ago when I was waiting to board my flight at the airport in Atlanta. The gate agent had just announced that boarding would begin in 10 minutes. As I sat waiting, I began to smell a familiar and delightful aroma – POPCORN! I have a popcorn radar. Some guy in a really nice suit walked into the gate area and what he held in his hand was the holy grail of snack foods - a freshly popped box of buttery and lightly salted popcorn. When he sat down, he leaned back, loosened his tie, opened the box of popcorn and before diving in, he smiled big. It was like he had a long day and now it was time to relax, chill and enjoy a taste of heaven. When I saw him smile at the popcorn, my thought was, “Yeah … that guy knows exactly what popcorn is all about!”

Then he did something very interesting. He unselfishly

leaned over to people sitting on both sides of him and offered some of his popcorn. I even heard him say, “You need to try some of this … it will change your life!”

And then it hit me, he was sharing more than just popcorn.

He was sharing something special to him, something positive, and something meaningful. And when you add up all the wonderful things that are meaningful to us – our positives, our stories, strengths, skills, heart and talents – you discover the sum total of our best. Some call it greatness, but I call it our POPCORN. That is what it means to share your popcorn – giving the best of who you are, where you are and with what you have.

Popcorn has a special meaning to me. I remember when I was growing up, mom and dad would make our family popcorn. It was always a big deal in our house. My parents

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27

made popcorn the old fashion way. They would put a big kettle type pot on the stove, pour in some oil, add the popcorn kernels and begin shaking the pan over the heat. Minutes later, the captivating smell would fill the house.

Mom would pour the popcorn into a big bowl, and as soon as she put it in the middle of our family room, it brought everyone together. That was one of my first lessons with popcorn, it brings people together. However, I also remember those being fun times – happy times. Popcorn moments create lasting memories and experiences. The same is true when we share our greatness in business, work

or our personal life. When we share our gifts, we create beautiful stories that stay with others. When you share your popcorn in business or at work, you communicate better, lend a hand, give encouragement, and bring a room to life with enthusiasm.

While I love to eat popcorn, the idea of sharing our popcorn (the best of who we are – our greatness) can be exactly like what the guy at the airport sharing his popcorn said, “life changing.”

I believe we all want to know that who we are and what we do makes a positive contribution. And I am telling you it does. Sharing your popcorn daily isn’t hard and you don’t need much to do it.

What Is Your Popcorn?

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Your popcorn is the expression of your greatness. Sharing your popcorn is giving the best of who you are, where you are, and with what you have. So many people complain about who they are not, or what they don’t have or that they are not gifted enough. That kind of thinking is rotten eggs. Don’t buy into that kind of thinking.

The little things we do matter. Sharing a smile, lending a hand, saying thank you, holding a door open – those are little

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theReview July/August 2019

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things that are a big deal.

Your popcorn is your attitude, your strengths, your gifts, your spirit, your wisdom and what makes you unique. Your popcorn is your own personal brand. It’s your mission, purpose and passion.

Sharing your popcorn can create the elements of love, joy, time, patience, hope, encouragement, inspiration, enthusiasm or happiness.

Your popcorn can be a unique strength, like listening, communication, empathy, integrity or being detailed and organized.

Your popcorn can be one word – inspirational, caring, compassionate, encouraging, loyal, kind, awesome.

Your popcorn can be a passion or expertise about a specific subject - health, fitness, food, positive thinking, leadership, parenting, art, music, sports – anything!

It can be a story about hitting rock bottom and how you turned your life around, and who you became in the process.

Your popcorn can be your education, talent or a developed skill.

Your popcorn is the culmination of meaningful stories, experiences and life lessons that make up the best of who you are today. Recognizing your popcorn is an opportunity to look within yourself and acknowledge what is great about you and what you have to offer.

If there is one thing I have learned about people who share their popcorn, they are the music makers, the problem solvers, the first responders and the superheroes who work hard to change the world and make it a better place. They accomplish this by doing the small things with a big heart.

They care! The don’t keep all the popcorn to themselves, they share it.

I want to encourage you to share your popcorn because it makes a difference. And, who knows, it may not change the world, but what if it changes one person’s life?

Recently, I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I am not sharing this to start a pity party because they don’t serve popcorn at those parties. I am sharing it to be real with you, I was scared. I have struggled with my weight for years, because when you travel a lot like I do, you work all day and forget to eat. I would get to my hotel room at the end of the day, decompress and feel starved. I would over eat before going to bed and after 10 years of that, it caught up with me.

My legs started going numb and I remembered my grandpa lost his leg because of diabetes. I started to feel faint and a laundry list of other things. I was scared and you could see it on my face and feel it sitting next to me. I am a dad with 3 little

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kids and I love being a dad and want to be around for them.

So, I found a great doctor and a group of people who didn’t feed my fear, but rather they empowered me to change for the better. They shared their popcorn and instead of feeling helpless, alone and worried, I feel empowered, focused and willing to make better choices that reward my body and my relationships and work. That is the power of sharing your popcorn. It really does change things and make a difference.

You have popcorn galore – greatness within you!

I hope these words encouraged you to see a greater value in who you are and what you have to offer. Sometimes we need to pause and take an inventory of what we have instead of complaining about what we don’t have. Remember, use the best of who you are, where you are and with what you have and that is how you share you popcorn. All this talk of popcorn, I am going to go make some for myself and the

family!

Sam Glenn is an awardwinning motivational speaker, author and performance artist and lover of popcorn. Learn more at www.SamGlennBooks.com.

Hear Sam Glenn in person when you attend the MML Annual Conference Keynote Presentation Sept. 9, 2019, in St. Charles!

www.mocities.com

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Contact Joe Lauber for your day to day or special project needs 816-525-7881 or jlauber@laubermunicipal.com www.laubermunicipallaw.com The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely on advertisements.

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theReview July/August 2019

LOCAL GOVERNMENT Review

by Harold Selby

Welcome To Local Government!

Lessons learned as a state elected official and a city administrator.

I was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives successful. A good city clerk will keep you, as an elected in 1998. I represented a portion of Jefferson, Franklin and St. official, out of trouble.

Louis Counties. After serving four terms, I learned a lot about • Hire a city attorney that specializes in municipal law. The Missouri. My city (Pacific) liked me so much that when I was laws are constantly changing, and you need to have an term limited, the City hired me as its city administrator. I want attorney that understands how this will affect your city. to share some important lessons I learned from my experience • Your city administrator should be a people person. as both a state elected official and city administrator that may They will be working to diffuse not only constituent benefit local elected officials: problems but those with employees as well. My hat is First, if you represent a municipality, you have only one off to the people who choose to dedicate their talents to organization speaking up for you – the Missouri Municipal this occupation.

League. While some areas in Missouri have local leagues or • Let your managers manage. Please try to stay out of lobbyists to represent them, MML is the go-to source for what the day-to-day operations. I was fortunate to work for affects local government throughout the state. As a Missouri mayors that respected that.

State Representative, I met with MML often, and they explained • The most important resource you have as a city is how different legislation would affect my communities. The your employees. Give them the tools and equipment MML representative would track legislation for me and let they need to do their jobs. Just as a bulletproof vest is me know when a good piece of legislation would be bad for important for your police officer, so is the right safety my area. equipment for your other departments. My biggest There are times when your state representative or senator fear in my years as a city administrator was that one of will vote on legislation that is bad for your city. Remember, they my employees would not be able to go home. All your work for you. If you do not like the way your representative employees do dangerous work. The utility clerk at the or senator is voting or helping your town, then run against them. I attended my city’s meetings, passed legislation that benefited the city and tracked grants for them making their way through the bureaucracy in Jefferson City. You should expect the same of your Representative.

There are several policy committees that produce the Missouri Municipal League booklet we as state legislators received each year. If you are a mayor, alderperson or council member, add your voice and join one of these committees. You also need to be IBTS is a nonprofit organization built on in frequent contact with your representative government partnerships and senator. with the goal of strengthening As a representative in the legislature, communities. we would take two years to solve a problem.

However, after being on the job as a city administrator I found we had two hours to solve problems.

Visit us at www.ibts.org • I believe the most important city We provide: employee is the city clerk. I worked • Organizational Assessments • Flood Plain Management • Administrative Services with two of the best, Kim Barfield • Planning and Zoning • Grant Acquisition and • Building Department in Pacific and Sarah Wheeler in St. Management Services • Resilience Services James. If you have a good city clerk, • Community Development • IT Assessments • Stormwater Management do all you can to make that person

LET’S WORK TOGETHER TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNITIES

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front window is as vulnerable as the lineman on the pole.

Anything can happen.

• Cities are finding it harder and harder to find good employees. If you have them, you need to pay them a good wage. They will make your job as an elected official so much easier.

• Grants, Grants, Grants! If you don’t have them, start applying. Your staff needs to be searching for grants.

You can work with your local planning agency or hire a grant writer if you don’t have anyone on staff. With grants obtained for the cities of Pacific and St. James, these communities were able to accomplish projects that would not have otherwise been completed. It is not too difficult, and Missouri state agencies are very helpful.

• The Missouri Municipal League sends out grant information frequently. A grant recently released was the Volkswagen Trust Fund. A city could receive up to 50% of the cost of a new truck. We took advantage of this in St. James and are replacing three very old, worn out trucks.

When I drive through my community, I look around at all the projects that grants helped complete. I think of the hundreds of jobs created by getting a Community Development Block Grant (CBDG) grant for factory infrastructure. I see the many sidewalks and streetlights, new streets and trails. There is a grant available for so many of your community’s needs.

I have had a great career and was able to work with some

great folks. I would have never chosen this line of work but am so glad it found me. The fulfillment was in seeing how much improvement was achieved and the dedication of the people who make local government work.

Harold Selby started his public service as a volunteer firefighter and EMT with the Eureka Fire District. After a four-year term on the Jefferson County 911 Board of Directors, he successfully ran for state representative. In 2005, Selby was hired by the city of Pacific as city administrator, serving for 10 years before moving to the city of St. James to serve as their city administrator until his recent retirement.

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©2018 AT&T Intellectual Property. FirstNet, First Responder Network Authority, and FirstNet logo are registered trademarks and service marks of FirstNet, an independent authority within the U.S. Department of Commerce. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVIEW: Advice What is the top advice you would offer for a newly elected official to serve their community successfully?

"Never forget why you are there in the first place and it’s very simple ... to serve the people that elected you and the city as a whole. You have to be committed to put in the time and make tough decisions which sometimes might not please some people." ~Mayor Carson Ross, Blue Springs Mayor Carson Ross

"Own your position and the authority/responsibilities it entails. Always conduct yourself with civility and be responsive to constituents and staff.

Never hesitate to ask questions to understand the technical, budgetary, logistical, legal and popular perspectives on various topics.

Missouri Public Finance

Communication is key to good governance. Provide for full transparency and citizen input via multiple media Deputy Mayor platforms Nancy Luetzow regarding proposed changes to existing codes/programs. Good governance relies on broad citizen engagement to advance the common welfare PROUDLY SERVING and achieve shared goals.

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theReview July/August 2019

Focus on local issues, but also work with regional and state officials for the general betterment of our citizens, communities, economies and the environment." ~Deputy Mayor Nancy

Luetzow, Kirkwood

Mayor Luge Hardman

"Always answer the phone or email.

People want to be heard. Even if the answer is not what they want to hear, they have been listened to and that is important to them.

Communication is paramount in local government. Be open to suggestions and give their ideas some thought. Do not dismiss them out of hand.

WE KEEP COMMUNITIES FLOWING Missouri American Water is proud to sponsor the Missouri Municipal League and to invest $80–$130 million annually in our 160 communities.

WE KEEP LIFE FLOWING™

I wish I had known how invested I would become in the welfare of the citizens. Sometimes I feel like the mother of 6,000 people. It took me some time to realize that whether you are a council member or the mayor, you hold an important position in your community and people rely on you for a decision or a response. Be that person they respect, no matter the reply you give." ~Mayor Luge Hardman, Waynesville

"Grow yourself as a leader by reading books from great leaders. My favorites, that are by John Maxwell, include: •

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.

•

Everyone Communicates, Few Connect: What the Most Effective People Do Differently

•

Developing The Leader Within You

•

Attitude 101: What Every Leader Needs to Know

Mayor Debra Hickey Also, BELIEVE IT when someone says you cannot make everyone happy and you cannot solve every problem no matter how hard you try. Do the best you can; stay true to your principles and convictions; don’t take things personally; and keep smiling."

~Mayor Debra Hickey, Battlefield

www.mocities.com

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT Review

2019 Elected Officials Training Conference More than 250 local elected and appointed officials gathered in Columbia, Missouri, June 6-7, 2019, for the 2019 MML Elected Officials Training Conference. This Conference covers the most important topics that a municipal official faces, while sharing the latest developments that keep more experienced officials up to speed. It is an important event each year, equipping local officials throughout the state with the tools they need to strengthen their communities.

Topics included personnel law, leadership, conducting city business, revenue sources, Missouri Sunshine Law and more.

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theReview July/August 2019

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MEMBERS' Notes MML Calendar of Events July 2019 12-14 ����� Missouri Municipal Attorneys Association Summer Meeting, Osage Beach, Missouri 23 ����� MML Webinar: Medical Marijuana Implications for Employment 24 ����� MML Resolutions Committee Meeting 24-25 ����� Get Plugged In: Downtown Revitalization, St. Louis, Missouri 25 ����� MML West Gate Civic Leadership Award Banquet, Lee's Summit, Missouri 25 ����� MML Pop-up Training For Municipal Officials, West Plains, Missouri 30 ����� MML Pop-up Training For Municipal Officials, Aurora, Missouri August 2019 6 ����� Election Day 13 ����� MML Webinar: NLC Service Line Warranty Program: Benefits to Cities 16-17 ����� MML Board of Directors Meeting, Columbia, Missouri

September 2019 1 ����� Deadline to set property tax levies 4-6 ����� Governor's Conference on Economic Development, St. Charles, Missouri 8 ����� MML Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament, St. Charles, Missouri 8-11 ����� MML Annual Conference, St. Charles, Missouri 9-11 ����� Missouri Highway Safety and Traffic Blueprint Conf., Columbia, Missouri

October 2019 1 ����� MML Central Region Meeting, Marshall, Missouri 24 ����� MML West Gate Region Meeting, Riverside, Missouri 29 ����� MML Southwest Region Meeting, Ash Grove, Missouri Find more events and details on www.mocities.com and in the MML monthly e-newsletter.

Outstanding Services During Missouri’s Local Government Week in April, the Municipal League of Metro St. Louis conducted a survey to highlight the outstanding services provided by St. Louis metro municipalities. More than 2,100 people voted for their favorite police department, fire department, public works department, recreation center and parks. Winners were recognized at the Muni Awards in May. The winners are: Favorite Recreation Center: City of Ballwin Favorite Parks: City of Jennings Favorite Public Works Department: City of Manchester Favorite Police Department: Eureka Police Department Favorite Fire Service Provider: Maryland Heights Fire Protection District

38 theReview July/August 2019

Leadership Award Congratulations to David Slater, mayor of Pleasant Valley, honored recently with a leadership award from the MidAmerica Regional Council, a group promoting cooperation and progress in nine Missouri and Kansas counties in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

Slater was recognized for his work in education, regional transportation and his continuing efforts to promote cooperation between Missouri and Kansas in economic development issues.

In recognizing Slater, it was noted he is mayor of a small city in Clay County, “but has a statewide sphere of influence.”

He is serving his eighth term as mayor of Pleasant Valley and has chaired the Metro Mayors Caucus for six years.

Call For MML Board Members If you would like to be considered for the MML Board of Directors, please send a letter of interest to Mayor Carson Ross, Nominating Committee Chair, at League headquarters: Missouri Municipal League, 1727 Southridge Dr., Jefferson City, MO, 65109. You may also email Richard Sheets at RSheets@ mocities.com or send a fax to 573-6359009. The Nominating Committee will meet in open session at the start of the MML Annual Conference in St. Charles on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019, to hear from interested candidates. Prior experience serving on MML policy committees and other involvement with MML may be considered. The Committee will propose a slate of candidates to be voted on by MML members at the MML business meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019.

MRSC solved the puzzle Éwhile others are still Þguring it out.

Rating for Solving the Puzzle

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www.mocities.com

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