Your monthly news & updates
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Greetings NTMCA Members!
Elections, elections, elections! I know this is the topic on everyone’s mind right now, at least it is mine. To everyone having an election, we are now in the home stretch! To everyone who might be closed on Good Friday, April 19
th
, remember, you will need to have your City Secretary’s office open for at least three hours. Here is some helpful information we received from the Secretary of State’s office:
“Each county clerk, city secretary or secretary of a governing body (or the person performing duties of a secretary) must keep the office open for election duties for at least 3 hours each day, during regular office hours, on regular business days. (Sec. 31.122).
Good Friday (Friday, April 19, 2019) is not a state holiday under sections 662.002(b)(1) through 6 of the Government Code. Since Good Friday is not defined as a state holiday a city would need to remain open for at least three hours because it is the last day for a voter to hand-deliver their application for a ballot by mail (Sec. 84.008). Friday, April 19, 2019 is a filing deadline, therefore it is defined as election duties and therefore the cities would need to remain open for at least three hours.
There is nothing in the election code that says what time these three hours need to be conducted; that would be the discretion of the city to determine those hours. However, we recommend that the city post the hours they have selected on a bulletin board, the entrance to the office, website and any other means to inform the public.”
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Thank you to Christine Green and Amanda Hartwick for hosting our March meeting in University Park. It was great visiting with former NTMCA President Sheila Morales and her family; her daughter was our guest speaker! The University Park Public Library meeting room provided us with a great view of the area. We enjoyed delicious food from Zoe’s Kitchen. After the meeting, Veronica and I walked through some of the area shops and shared some dessert at Carlo’s Bakery.
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Guest speaker Alicia Morales shared a topic she really enjoys,
Active Listening
. Alicia grew up in Copper Canyon before going to John Brown University to earn an undergraduate degree in Psychology. She is currently an Executive Coordinator at Deloitte, managing calendars, travel and requests from her clients. Previously, she worked as the administrative assistant to the clinic director at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas. This position helped her realize her interest and passion for team dynamics, problem solving, and creativity within the traditional administrative role.
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She believes that we all can influence others and to be a leader to hose around us, regardless of the job titles we hold. Business knowledge and hard skills could advance a career, but she encourages everyone to refine their people skills, to maximize the quality of that career.
The Active Listening skill can greatly impact your work and relationships with coworkers, and it can also be taken to like outside of work with your friends and family.
I believe Alicia shared with us some valuable information, especially her point about listening with the intent to understand, not reply. I really enjoyed her session with us, and I hope you did too!
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During this meeting, we also approved the following:
- February 21, 2019 meeting minutes
- February 2019 Treasurer Report
- Amendments to the November 2018, December 2018, and January 2019 Treasurer Reports
- Audit Report for FY2017-2018
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We will not have a regular Chapter business meeting until July, when we meet in Richardson for the Joint Meeting with the Lone Star Chapter. We do not meet in May due to our municipal elections, and June is our annual awards meeting, which will be hosted by the City of North Richland Hills. Hope to see you all in June!
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APRIL 18, 2019 PROFESSIONAL SEMINAR
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Join your peers and facilitator Dr. Amy Holt for an Athenian Dialogue on Thursday, April 18, 2019, at Colleyville Center, 5301 Riverwalk Drive, Colleyville, TX 76034. We will be discussing the book,
The Woman Behind the New Deal
by Kirstin Downey.
The International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC) describes Athenian Dialogues as "conversations in which clerks share their experience and understanding as it relates to the ideas of the author and the relevance of those ideas to their public leadership role."
Participants in the dialogue are eligible for 3 IIMC CMC education or 3 MMC advanced education points with completed learning assessment. The learning assessment can also be used toward TRMC recertification.
Click on the link below to register. Registration is limited to 30. The registration fee does not include the purchase of the book. Participants should obtain a copy of the book and complete reading before the course. A light breakfast and lunch will be served.
Register here!
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MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
Our chapter has reached 91 members, but we need to reach our goal of 100!
We’re 91 members strong and we want you to help us in hitting 100 members this year. Do you have someone in your office or network who would benefit from the comradery, professional development opportunities, or the network? Encourage them to join and help us reach our membership goal!
A Membership Application can be found on the website by or by clicking
here
. Checks must be made out to ‘NTMCA’ and mailed to Traci Henderson as indicated. Please contact Membership Chair Laurie Garber,
Laurie.Garber@cityofcarrollton.com
if you have any questions.
Laurie Garber, Membership Committee Chair
Also, don’t forget to renew your TMCA membership too!
Purchase dues
online
or via
mail
.
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MUNICIPAL CLERK OF THE YEAR
Once again, it’s that time of year when we recognize one of our members as the NTMCA Clerk of the Year and/or the Texas Municipal Clerk of the Year nominee. This is an opportunity for us to honor clerks who have demonstrated leadership, mentorship, and a commitment to the advancement of the clerk profession. Each of us knows a clerk who deserves this recognition – so I expect the committee to be overwhelmed with nominations! It only takes few minutes to submit a nomination – please submit one today!
Deadline for nominations is
May 17, 2019
. Nomination forms can be found
here
. The list of qualifications and a Chapter History of Recipients can be found
here
. The awards luncheon is scheduled for June 19, 2019 in North Richland Hills.
ALYCE DEERING SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS
We are currently accepting applications for the 2019 Alyce Deering Scholarship. The purpose of the scholarship is to provide funds for travel and seminar registration for a TMCCP/TMCA sponsored certification program. The full summary of the program is available
HERE
. To apply you must complete the application and provide a copy of your TMCCP transcript and a letter of commitment. The application deadline is May 17, 2019.
Tammy Dixon, Alyce Deering Scholarship Committee Chair
FY 2019-2020 BUDGET
Beginning later this month, the Board will be working on the Fiscal Year 2019-2020 Budget. In preparation, we anticipate conducting a review of current year-to-date and projected expenses with the Budget Committee. We will provide updates to the membership and propose a balanced budget in August. We look forward to working together to achieve the goals of the membership.
Thank you to all our members and committee volunteers for your support and dedication to our organization. We succeed because you make it happen!
Respectfully Yours,
Amy Shelley, President
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Getting to Know Your Fellow Clerks
Michael Wells, City of Bedford
- What is your current position at your city/town? City Secretary
- How long have you been in your position? 9 Years
- How long have you been in municipal government? 15 Years
- What other positions/jobs have you held? Assistant City Secretary and Municipal Court Clerk
- What is your greatest professional accomplishment? Pushing forward the digitization of the City’s records / Moving to digital Council packets
- What are your current hobbies or interests? Reading and whatever my nine year old and three year old wants to do.
- Fun fact that others may not know about you? I am a Marine brat who spent five years living in Hawaii
- If you could travel back in time who is one person from history that you would like to meet and why? Teddy Roosevelt; He led a fascinating life and overcame many physical and emotional challenges to become one of the greatest presidents.
Toni Wheeler, City of Aurora
- What is your current position at your city/town? City Administrator
- How long have you been in your position? 15 Years
- How long have you been in municipal government? 20 Years
- What other positions/jobs have you held? City Secretary
- What is your greatest professional accomplishment? I would consider earning my Doctorate in Public Policy and my Texas Certified Public Managers Certification to be two of my greatest accomplishments; however, the path of knowledge never ends. I intend to pursue other avenues of study and research.
- What are your current hobbies or interests? My hobbies and interests include: working on my second Ph.D. in Law; working on my farmhouse, just South of Dublin; and going to the gym and dance classes with my daughters.
- Fun fact that others may not know about you? I was a competitive powerlifter in college. I held the squat record at Gold's Gym - Texas A&M. At the age of 19, I could squat 360lbs.
- If you could travel back in time who is one person from history that you would like to meet and why? It is so difficult for me to pick just one person. I am a huge history buff. I think it would be fascinating to speak to President Dwight D "Ike" Eisenhower. His military career, appointments, and presidency were fascinating. I am interested in his planning and methodology for the Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways. I would also discuss his "Atoms for Peace" program. Despite his military prowess, Eisenhower adamantly opposed the use of nuclear warfare.
Allison Tidwell, City of Fort Worth
- What is your current position at your city/town? Assistant to the City Secretary, City of Fort Worth
- How long have you been in your position? Four years
- How long have you been in municipal government? 17 years
- What other positions/jobs have you held? Administrative Secretary, Administrative Technician, and Creative Solutions Supervisor
- What is your greatest professional accomplishment? Obtaining my Texas Registered Clerks Certification
- What are your current hobbies or interests? Reading, writing, binging on Netflix
- Fun fact that others may not know about you? I have been a paranormal investigator for almost 20 years and have been on TV several times, both locally and on A&E, investigating haunted locations across the US.
- If you could travel back in time who is one person from history that you would like to meet and why? Queen Elizabeth I. I would like to know how she managed to maintain her sanity during a time when it seemed like her countrymen, and even her own family, were out to destroy her. The fact that she overcame that to become one of the longest ruling and greatest rulers of England ever, she is truly to be admired. She proved that women are just as capable to run a country, and do so successfully.
Lindsay Wells, City of Euless
- What is your current position at your city/town? Deputy City Secretary
- How long have you been in your position? Almost 6 years
- How long have you been in municipal government? 14 years
- What other positions/jobs have you held? City Secretary, Teen Court Coordinator and Court Clerk
- What is your greatest professional accomplishment? Handling a local option liquor election in Pantego. I was the first one (at least that I’m aware of) that had to run one after the law changed and the county was no longer responsible.
- What are your current hobbies or interests? I love running and participating in running races. I also love to travel.
- Fun fact that others may not know about you? I performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade when I was 12.
- If you could travel back in time who is one person from history that you would like to meet and why? Queen Elizabeth I. She accomplished so much in what was truly a man’s world.
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~~Congratulations~~
NTMCA Vice President Monica Solko has earned the designation of Certified Municipal Clerk, which is awarded by IIMC. Monica’s City Manager Stacey Almond said, “She’s a trooper and a key member of our team. We’re excited for her career progression!”
IIMC grants the CMC designation only to those municipal clerks who complete demanding education requires; and who have a record of significant contributions to other local government, their community and state. IIMC was founded in 1947, has 14,000 members throughout the United States, Canada, and 15 other countries, and the mission of this global non-profit corporation is to enhance the education opportunities and professional development of its diverse membership. In light of the speed and drastic nature of change these days, lifelong learning is not only desirable, it is necessary for all in local government to keep pace with growing demands and changing needs of the citizens we serve.
Congratulations Monica on your education accomplishments and achievement of this milestone!
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Upcoming Events and Meetings
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April 18, 2019 – Professional Seminar – Athenian Dialogue - Colleyville
May - No Meeting - Elections
June 19, 2019 - Awards Luncheon - NRH
July 18, 2019 - Richardson
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North Texas Municipal Clerks Association | ntmca@ymail.com | www.ntmca.org
Vice-President:
Monica Solko
, Lake Worth | 817- 237-1211 x105
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