7 minute read
Court Update
6. Embracing allies is essential.
A true champion of diversity, equity and inclusion doesn’t push someone away who genuinely wants to advance change because they look different than them. Questions are better than assumptions. If someone genuinely comes to you to understand and learn, give them the opportunity to learn. Change only happens when we can capture the minds, hearts and actions of those who don’t look like us or have the same life experiences.
7. Change starts by meeting people where they are.
Think about a 5K race. Some people can go out and run 3.1 miles any day of the week with ease. Others may be unable to run for 30 seconds without stopping. Inclusive leaders understand that different people are at various places along the continuum in their journey. Introducing enhancements to an organization’s culture takes time and conversations. Authentically committed leaders identify where people are and create safe spaces for dialogue and engagement. They have the courage to have uncomfortable conversations with their staff, board and partners about these issues and aren’t afraid to raise challenging questions.
8. There is no finish line.
Each of us is continuously learning, no matter who we are or where we come from. This work is complex and multifaceted. There is no way to address everything overnight, and certainly not without making mistakes along the way. Inclusive leaders are consistently trying to improve and be better when it comes to embracing diversity, equity and inclusion — working on it, prioritizing their focus on it, and ultimately building and strengthening a long-term culture of DE&I to change the future. Christopher Johnson is a senior social responsibility specialist at Mosaic and a member of the Nonprofit Leadership Center’s board of directors. He also co-leads NLC’s diversity committee. READ FULL REPORT HERE: https://nlctb.org/tips/inclusive-leadership/?gclid=CjwKCAiA6Y2QBhAtEiwAGH ybPex2an7vwFncLqXqevChlQwVq_jo0Gr66pe7pCgOOnLSYL1VsS2Z5RoCvj4QAvD_BwE
By Stephen C. Buckley, Legal Services Counsel and Jonathan Cowal, Municipal Services Counsel
Now available online:
February 2022
Under RSA 106-H:14 There is a Categoric Exemption for 911 Recordings from the Right-to-Know Law. This Exemption Applies Not Only to the Name, Number and Location of the Caller but Also to the Content of the Recording, B&C Management v. NH Division of Emergency Services, New Hampshire Supreme Court Case No. 2020-0052, 02/23/22
January 2022
Under RSA 236:112 Property Inundated with Junk is a “Junk Yard” Even if the Owner is Not Selling Junk, Town of Lincoln v. Joseph Chenard, New Hampshire Supreme Court Case No. 2020-0316, 01/19/22
May 1 through 7, 2022 will be the 53rd Annual Professional Municipal Clerks Week. Initiated in 1969 by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC) throughout the United States, Canada and 15 other countries, the week is a time of celebration and reflection on the importance of the municipal clerk’s office.
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation that officially declared Municipal Clerks Week the first full week of May. Typically this recognition involves a week-long series of activities aimed at increasing the public’s awareness of Municipal Clerks and the vital services they provide for local government and the community.
The Municipal Clerk is the oldest of public servants in local government, along with the tax collector.
When the early colonists came to America they set up forms of local government to which they had been accustomed, and the office of clerk was one of the first to be established. When the colonists first settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts, they quickly appointed a person to act as recorder. That person kept all the vital records for birth, marriages and deaths for the church, as well as various other records of appointments, deeds, meetings, and the election of officers at the annual town meeting. Indeed, in Massachusetts, the town clerk was one of the earliest offices established in colonial towns. The settlers were well aware of the importance of keeping accurate written records of their agreements and actions including grants of land, regulations governing animals, the collection of taxes and the expenditure of town funds. The person given the responsibility for recording these orders was also often given other duties, such as sweeping the meeting-house and selling the seats, ringing the bell, and paying the bounty for jays and blackbirds whose heads were presented to him by the citizens. By the middle of the 17th century, the title town clerk appears in town records and this title has continued to the present.
Over the years, municipal clerks have become the hub of government, the direct link between the inhabitants of their community and their government. The clerk is the historian of the community, for the entire recorded history of the town (city) and its people is in his or her care. The eminent political scientist, Professor William Bennett Munro (1934), stated: "No other office in municipal service has so
many contracts. It serves the mayor, the city council, the city manager (when there is one), and all administrative departments without exception. All of them call upon it, almost daily, for some service or information. Its work is not spectacular, but it demands versatility, alertness, accuracy, and no end of patience. The public does not realize how many loose ends of city administration this office pulls together."
These words, written almost 90 years ago, are even more appropriate today.
SOURCE: https://www.iimc.com/DocumentCenter/View/178/History-of-the-Municipal-Clerk?bidId=
JOIN US IN JUNE FOR EFFECTIVE CODE ENFORCEMENT WORKSHOP
9:00 am—12:00 pm Thursday, June 2, 2022
Building inspectors, code enforcement officers, fire chiefs, health inspectors, and various other municipal officials are responsible for the enforcement of a variety of codes, regulations, and ordinances related to the use of land. These include both local regulations, such as zoning ordinances, site plan and subdivision regulations, health regulations, and the conditions of approval that accompany many land use board approvals, as well as state law, such as the State Building and Fire Code and statutes governing junkyards.
Effectively enforcing these various codes and regulations can pose a challenge to municipalities. Join attorneys from the law firm of Drummond Woodsum for this half-day hybrid workshop which will provide you with practical guidance on how to navigate the nuanced procedures associated with code enforcement, as well as practical advice in pursuing an enforcement action against non-compliant property owners. Our legal experts will address some of the most difficult issues under the law, including junkyards, dilapidated buildings, and health codes. There will be ample time for questions and answers on all aspects of the law.
Attendees will receive an electronic copy of the publication, A Guide to Effective Enforcement: Investigating and Enforcing Code and Land Use Violations and the 2022 Supplement. Additional materials such as the PowerPoint presentation will also be distributed electronically. No print outs of the materials or hard copy of the publication will be provided.
$65
In-person Fee
$55
Virtual Fee
Pre-registration and payment is required. If you register but cannot attend, a recording of the workshop will be provided as long as payment has been received.
Questions? Please contact our Event Coordinator, Ashley Methot at 603230-3350 or nhmaregistrations@nhmunicipal.org.
Interested in Joining the Statewide Broadband Investment Planning Network?
NCDE proposes that interested members allocate to NCDE a portion of their municipality’s ARPA Local Relief Funds (based on population, see below) to join the broadband investment planning network, whose priorities will be to: (1) assist the participating municipalities to develop one or more joint broadband investment funding proposals, (2) design investment plans to support for-profit and nonprofit business models that incorporate affordable pricing (<$15/ month) for low- and moderate-income households; (3) assist participating municipalities to become “Broadband Ready” communities while developing NHMA’s capability to provide this support as an ongoing support to members generally; and (4) other broadband projects as deemed fundable.
Broadband planning network cost schedule, based on population: 25-4,999: $5,000 5,000-9,999$7,500 10,000 and greater: $10,000
The New Hampshire Municipal Association (NHMA) has partnered with the National Collaborative for Digital Equity (NCDE), founded and based in New Hampshire, to help communities that are interested in using Local and Fiscal Recovery Funds (LFRF) to improve broadband. NHMA and NCDE are working together to bring interested members the opportunity to join a NHMA/NCDE broadband planning network and to undertake broadband investment planning together. Sign-up Today to Learn More About the Network
