Municipal Monitor - March/April 2008 - (Page 19)

Zone Meeting Participation By Fred Bauthus, 1985 AMCTO President W hen asked to write a piece for the Municipal Monitor, I was not sure what I might contribute. There have been a lot of changes over the years since I was on the Board and the Association has grown steadily, now embracing members from more than just the Clerks, Treasurers and CAO offices. The changes in the Association and municipal work in general are more dramatic to me, as I was away from the municipal field for nearly five years before undertaking a short-term contract for a municipality. This absence certainly drove home the necessity of having to keep up with the changes and how best to do this. I was reviewing the 2008 budget details with the City Treasurer and one of the areas of significant increase was in the conference and seminar accounts. We have more staff participating with the professional organizations than Attendance at the zone meeting allows you to put a name to a face and establish a contact which can be called upon when there is an issue and you need some advice. was previously budgeted and allowed. This, however, is a very necessary increase that should be supported by the Municipal Council and budget. One of the causes for the increase is participation in zone activities for those staff who are members of AMCTO and other organizations, where participation is critical to ongoing education and training for staff. The fall and spring zone meetings provide a venue for educational sessions; but more importantly, they are a means of meeting and networking with your peers. Unfortunately, not all staff who are members of AMCTO can participate in the annual conference. The next best thing is to participate in the spring and fall zone meetings. You will meet others working in your area that you might not otherwise have a chance to meet. I always looked March/April 2008 forward to the zone meetings and the opportunities to meet people who were not able to attend the annual conference. In the larger northern Ontario zones, these meetings generally were longer than one day. I enjoyed the hospitality extended to me by the members when, as President of the Association, I had the privilege to attend one zone meeting in each of the zones. We are fortunate that we are in a business where trade secrets are not part of what we do. People are willing to share their experiences and help one another to achieve the best results for their employer. Attendance at the zone meeting allows you to put a name to a face and establish a contact which can be called upon when there is an issue and you need some advice. It is much easier to deal with a challenge knowing that someone has probably dealt with the same issue and can provide insight into possible solutions. Providing municipal staff with the right tools is critical for success, and information and education represents significant tools in the tool box. The cost of sending two or three people from a department to a zone meeting is a very inexpensive way of acquiring this knowledge. I would encourage those who are responsible for recommending budgets to ensure that there is adequate funding to allow as many staff as is practical to attend the zone meeting, if the annual conference is not possible. Also, I encourage the members to participate as often as possible. The return from participating in zone meetings, both personally and professionally, is significantly greater than the investment to participate. ◆ 359181_TSH.indd 1 municipal MONITOR • 19 PM 12/13/07 10:21:32

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Municipal Monitor - March/April 2008

Municipal Monitor - March/April 2008 Contents President's Message: Stress and Change Viewpoint: Much Ado About Nothing? Covering the Cost: Tapping into Safe, Sustainable Water and Sewage Services Closed Session Investigations: What Do They Mean for Your Municipality? Subtle Sabotage: Female Bullying Trends in the Workplace Water Under the Bridge Municipal Memos Index to Advertisers

Municipal Monitor - March/April 2008

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