Voices in Local Government

Part two focuses on severance agreement negotiations. 

Takeaways

Severance agreements are of utmost importance for city managers, providing protection and security in case of termination.

Negotiating severance agreements should consider the duration of payment and the inclusion of benefits.

Differentiating between cause and no cause in severance agreements is crucial to avoid ambiguity and potential legal disputes.

The inclusion of a clause related to the conviction of a felony in severance agreements provides clarity and protection for both parties.

The risk profile of severance agreements may vary depending on the stage of a career, with more leverage and negotiation power as experience and reputation increase.

Educating city councils on the importance of severance agreements can help ensure fair and reasonable negotiations.

Preparing for the worst and prioritizing personal and family protection in severance agreements is essential for city managers.

Resources

email [email protected] to send Warren a question about hiring, recruiting, or anything career-related.

Sumter Local Government Consulting

Part one focuses on internal and external pay paradox. Should an IT director or civil engineer make significantly more than a fire or police chief? With tight budgets, how can city/county managers and HR leaders attract top candidates and keep current employees morale up?

Resources

email [email protected] to send Warren a question about hiring, recruiting, or anything career-related.

Sumter Local Government Consulting

Free Resources

GovermentAI Coalition

Free Membership Application

Free to Use Deliverable Guide, including:

1. AI Policy
2. AI Policy Manual
3. AI Incident Response Plan
4. AI Fact Sheet
5. Vendor Agreement
6. Use Case Template
7. Vendor Registry

ICMA Local Government Reimagined Conference: Explore the Future of AI in Local Government - June 5-7 in Palm Desert, California

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:25 Job Search Process
• 07:15 Networking and Job Search Resources
• 09:11 Negotiating Job Offers
• 16:05 Adjusting to the CAO Role
• 28:29 Building Relationships with Staff
• 29:57 Hiring Veterans and Tapping into the Talent Pool

Resources

Veterans Local Government Management Fellowship

Voices in Local Government Podcast EP27 Veterans in Local Government Management Program

ICMA Job Center

Human Resources Recruitment Handbook: Hiring Veterans for Local Government Positions

(Timestamps are an approximation)

00:52 Defining Mediation
02:34 Mediation in Local Government
05:08 Mediation in Noise Complaints
09:05 Benefits of Mediation for Local Government
11:41 Mediation in Policy and Ordinance Development
13:11 Cost Benefit of Mediation
15:15 Mediation and Community Engagement
20:22 Challenges in Mediation
25:56 Implementing Mediation in Local Government
28:26 Finding and Hiring Mediators
29:13 Conclusion
 

Resources

Sage Mediation

ICMA Learning Lab on-demand webinar: Managing a Divided Council.

In part two, Santy and Hemant continue covering these topics:

• How should IT or HR departments answer when employees ask: "How will AI make my job easier instead of replacing me?"
• How residents can use AI to help themselves and create better interaction with local government.
• What is the next step for local governments and individual staff after experimenting?
• AI architecture.
• Creating internal guidelines.
• Fear and optimism from our favorite fictional AI.

Resources

City of Boston Interim Guidelines for Using GenerativeAI

ICMA's Local Government Reimagined Conferences:

Explore the Future of AI in Local Government

One Topic.  Two Locations. ICMA is headed to Boston, MA and Palm Desert, CA for the Local Government Reimagined Conferences. From cutting-edge applications to strategic insights, discover how AI is reshaping the landscape of local government. Register here.

Government AI Coalition

Join over 140 government agencies in creating standards for responsible AI procurement and governance for public agencies. Learn more.

Additional Content

Zencity: Using Generative AI for Community Engagement, from our partner named a 2024 GovTech100 company.

• Define AI, GenerativeAI and dismiss common myths or misconceptions.
• How can AI can be used as a precise tool for a specific project right now?
• How can local governments vet vendors?
• Application for smaller towns and counties.
• Are GenerativeAI tools going to remain free?
• AI’s ability to help and/or hurt public discourse and local government employees caught in the middle.

Resources

City of Boston Interim Guidelines for Using GenerativeAI

ICMA's Local Government Reimagined Conferences:

Explore the Future of AI in Local Government

One Topic.  Two Locations. ICMA is headed to Boston, MA and Palm Desert, CA for the Local Government Reimagined Conferences. From cutting-edge applications to strategic insights, discover how AI is reshaping the landscape of local government. Register here.

Government AI Coalition

Join over 140 government agencies in creating standards for responsible AI procurement and governance for public agencies. Learn more.

Additional Content

Zencity: Using Generative AI for Community Engagement, from our partner named a 2024 GovTech100 company.

Resources:

ICMA Economic Mobility and Opportunity Tools and Resources
 

ICMA Annual Conference, Austin, Texas

Free Breakfast Workshop with Danielle Arigoni: Affordable, Climate-Friendly Housing as a Pathway for Economic Mobility

October 2, 2023
7:45am to 9:45am CT

Austin Convention Center
Room: Meeting Room 4

Climate Resilience for an Aging Nation, by Danielle Arigoni. Use promo code "webinar" for a 30% discount.

More from ICMA strategic partner, Cigna:

Local government healthcare resources

ICMA experts on brownfields, Clark Henry and Chris Harrell, explain why brownfields are a problem and how to transform them into sustainable spaces with positive economic, social, and environmental impact. Often at no cost to the local government. Then they preview the Brownfields Conference, August 8-11 in Detroit.

Resources

Technical Assistance to Brownfields Communities: Free technical assistance and workshops (in-person or digital) via ICMA in region four, or find your representative organization on the resources page.

Brownfields Conference, August 8-11 in Detroit

Brownfields University, a foundational pre-conference training program, free with registration for Brownfields 2023 conference. 

ICMA Brownfields topic page, for the basics all the way through advanced studies and resources.

Free copy of the ResourceX Annual Impact Report

City and County government organizations face significant challenges, including budget constraints, changing regulations, and increasing demand for transparency and accountability. Finance transformation can help address these challenges by improving financial processes, increasing efficiency, and enhancing decision-making capabilities. 

Jim McClurkin and Miriam Rayward explain how initial assessment, defining vision and objectives, developing a roadmap, engaging stakeholders, and implementing and monitoring progress, local government organizations can begin their finance transformation journey, including:

• Integration across multiple functions, departments, and projects. HR, payroll, t+e, accounts payable, compliance, etc).
• Talent and change management.
• Analytics for real-time decision making instead of waiting until "budget season".
• Tips on how to optimize processes with new technology

Resources

Free eBook: 4 Ways to Turn AP More Productive for Cities and Counties

ICMA's A Budgeting Guide for Local Government, Fourth Edition