2023 MME Summer Workshop

Pre-Conference Workshop & Tour

Frankenmuth Woolen Mill and Star of the West Milling Company Walking Tour

Visit the City's two oldest industries - not chicken dinners or hotels - but the Frankenmuth Woolen Mill and Star of the West Milling Company. Both companies have been in operation at their current locations for more than 125 years. The tour will start at the Frankenmuth Woolen Mill where they are one of the largest manufacturers of wool bedding, still using some of the original equipment. The tour will head north along Main Street to Star of the West, a supplier of flour, dry edible beans, food grade soybeans and ready to eat wheat flakes. We will have a tour of the Mill, the flakes processing facility and an introduction to the goats used to maintain and groom the riverbank. Please wear closed toed shoes and no shorts. For entrance into the food processing areas a hair net and hard hat are required.

Speaker

Dan Hopp, DDA Director, City of Frankenmuth

General Sessions

Impact of Officer Involved Shootings

This session will focus on all of the aspects one would face when an officer involved shooting occurs in your community. This session is primarily geared towards smaller communities who do not have the resources larger communities will have when these events occur. The session will focus on the active event along with the community response, internal and criminal investigation, possible criminal prosecution and civil litigation along with arising labor issues which will occur.

Speakers

Chief Christopher Hurt, Chief of Police, Lowell Police Department
G. Gus Morris, Shareholder, McGraw Morris P.C.
Mike Burns, City Manager, City of Lowell

Proposal 2 and Elections in Your Communities

Proposal 2 was passed overwhelmingly by voters in November of 2022. It will expand several rights Michiganders have when it comes to our elections, including allowing early voting and more absentee drop boxes. But what does it mean for your community and who is going to pay for this? It’s up to local governments to figure it out and this session is here to help. Join officials from the Michigan Secretary of State to get the latest on Proposal 2, and hear about potential legislation needed to implement it, and the overall impact on our communities.

Speaker

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson

Legislative Update

Legislative staff from the Michigan Municipal League will present an update on local government issues being addressed in Lansing.

Speakers

John LaMacchia II, Director, State & Federal Affairs, Michigan Municipal League

Jennifer Rigterink, Assistant Director, State & Federal Affairs, Michigan Municipal League

Leadership on the Banks of the Red Cedar

Interim President Teresa Woodruff will share an update on Michigan State University’s partnership and impact in communities across Michigan. She will also discuss changes on campus that support students as well as the greater campus community and provide a preview of the great things to expect in the upcoming 2023-2024 academic year.

Speaker

Teresa K. Woodruff, Ph.D. Interim President, Michigan State University

Ethical Dilemmas in Local Government

Two retired city managers with a wealth of experience will discuss various ethical issues/dilemmas that managers and assistant managers face at one time or another throughout their careers. The session will include an opportunity for questions and answers, either related to the scenarios discussed or other questions about ethics that participants may have.

Speakers

Mark Wollenweber, Retired manager and ICMA Senior Advisor
Gregg Guetschow, MME/ICMA Senior Advisor
Juan Ganum, City Manager, Bridgman (moderator)

Effectively Managing Generational Differences in the Workplace

This fast-moving session examines and analyzes the differences, similarities, and issues involving people of different ages that come together in the workplace. The latest data on managing and motivating younger employees will be presented. The different generations' views, behaviors, and attitudes are explored seriously and humorously. Participants will find new ways to view and work with other generations. Participants will leave with practical approaches for supervisors and organizations to address performance and behavioral issues in the workplace.

• Relevant trends related to generational differences and the impacts on organizations, leaders, and teams.
• How to avoid the pitfalls that many managers face managing younger workers who are frequently reluctant to follow established rules and procedures.
• Explores the behavior and attitude differences and ways to motivate and retain younger workers.
• Creating successful, adaptive supervising and organizational strategies for managing multiple generations in the workplace.
• Training, retraining, and leading younger workers.

Speaker

Lewis Bender, Ph.D., Consultant & Facilitator, Bender & Associates

Breakout Sessions

Growing Sustainability, Accessibility, and Community Building in Your Parks

Sustainability. Resilience. Equity. The stewardship of a community’s park system is an underutilized avenue for local governments to meet these challenges. Learn how one community crafted an authentic, community-supported vision for the future of its 52-park system, supported by technology-enabled data collection and quantifiable sustainability and accessibility metrics. These benchmarks provide an implementation framework for evaluating and prioritizing investments. Learn how your community’s green spaces can also contribute to a resilient and inclusive future. Show me the money! We will discuss grants that are available to fund your park and recreation projects including the new Michigan Spark Grants. You don’t have to wait until November to start your park and recreation plan update! We will go over the schedule for preparing a plan and submitting it to the Sate for approval including new reporting requirements.

Speakers

John Jackson, AICP, President, McKenna
Paul Urbiel, AICP, Senior Principal Planner, McKenna

Trends in Project Finance and Funding

In-depth discussion of project funding opportunities including the State Revolving Fund (SRF),USDA Rural Development, Brokers and Banks. Pros and cons of each option, interest rates,financial differences, process differences, grants, etc. In addition, discussion regarding proactive planning in terms of user rates and financial cash flows to best position yourcommunity for funding and stability going forward.

Speaker

Andy Campbell, Director, Baker Tilly

Recent Changes to CDL Law and How it Affects Your Community

There was a major change in the Commercial Driver's License statute in February of 2022. This breakout will give you information about the licensing requirements that your employees will need to be compliant. We will also discuss other items surrounding CDL type employees in your organizations and how these can have a direct impact on your budget.

Speakers

Steven Frizzell, Motor Carrier Officer, Michigan State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement
Darin Dood, Village Manager, Village of Lakeview

Straight from the Source: Michigan Department of Treasury Shares the Latest on Issues Impacting Local Government

Every year local governments must deal with the implications of Headlee, manage legislative changes to Michigan tax law, and comply with application and reporting requirements for grant funding made available by the state. The Michigan Department of Treasury is at the center of many of these issues. Key staff from the department will share the latest information on how inflation is impacting property taxes, recent changes to the personal property tax small taxpayer exemption, administration of the new personal property tax exemption for heavy rental equipment, and submission of applications for the municipal pension debt relief program. Much to unpack here, and Treasury officials will help break it down.

Speakers

Nick Brousseau, Manager, Michigan Department of Treasury
Evah Cole, Division Administrator, Revenue Sharing and Grants Division, Office of Revenue & Tax Analysis (ORTA)
Sean Mulchay, State Administrative Manager 15, Michigan Department of Treasury
Jessica Thomas, Bureau Director, Michigan Department of Treasury

Adapting to the New Norm: Managing Cybersecurity Threats in the Age of Advanced Technology and Geopolitics

The landscape of cyber threats is being redefined by technology advancements such as generative artificial intelligence, the rise of sophisticated cyber criminals, and the constantly evolving geo-political climate. In this session, we will explore the implications of these changes and how local governments can modify their cybersecurity programs to effectively handle this new reality.

Speaker

David Behen, Chief Client Success Officer, SensCy

Road Funding 101 - Direct and Indirect Options

Road funding is becoming more and more of a challenge as revenue sources continue to lag construction costs. This session will discuss the basics as well as more in-depth funding options available to communities. Bonds, millages, special assessments as well as indirect options will be discussed.

Speaker

Andy Campbell, Director, Baker Tilly

Workforce Housing PILOT

State laws aimed at expanding workforce housing are beginning to show results as several municipalities in Michigan have passed ordinances to support the development of new housing. The new legislation allows developers to make annual payments instead of traditional property taxes, enabling them to offer housing at lower rates. Communities such as White Cloud and Jackson have already implemented these ordinances, and others like Muskegon, Hillsdale, Battle Creek, Laingsburg, and Three Rivers are considering adopting similar measures. This session will discuss plans for investing and constructing new workforce housing to address the housing shortage in many communities. This initiative aligns with the Legislature's bills passed last year to promote "missing middle" housing.

Speaker

Brian Farkas, Director of Workforce Housing, Allen Edwin Homes

How to read a financial statement: City Manager Edition

The audit provides a wealth of information on the fiscal condition of your local unit. This session will teach you how to read and interpret your financial statements. Additionally, we willreview critical fiscal indicators you should monitor to evaluate your fiscal health.

Speakers

Rod Taylor, Senior Governmental Consultant, Maner Costerisan
Bill Tucker, Principal, Director, Maner Costerisan

Be a Goldfish: Leadership Lessons from Ted Lasso

How do educated, experienced professionals who chose work in the public sector stay true to themselves and support a team when faced with frequent roadblocks, conflict and anger? TV character Ted Lasso says one key is to “be a goldfish,” because they have short memories and don’t let themselves be defined by one angry moment. What else can we learn from “Coach Lasso” to build professional resilience that keeps experienced leaders from retiring early and younger professionals from giving up too soon?

Speaker

Jill Bahm, Partner, Giffels Webster

Strategic Planning and Budgeting to Achieve Long-Term Success

Strategic planning provides communities with a road map for long-term success and sustainability. The budget process is the tool that enables the prioritization of limited resources, allocates, and allows informed decisions based on data and analysis. This session will tie these critical processes together to help your active long-term success.

Speakers

Rod Taylor, Senior Governmental Consultant, Maner Costerisan
Sarah Jennings, Principal, Director, Consulting, Maner Costerisan

Authentic Leadership

Being a leader is hard work, what is harder is developing a succession line. In this session learn what is means to be authentic as a leader and discover leaders within. When you discover those leaders, find ways to cultivate their talents and build the mentor/mentee relationship.

Speakers

Susan Brasseur, Senior Director, Center for Adult Learning, Saginaw Valley State University

Make it in Michigan: Building and Sustaining Desirable Communities

Hear from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s new senior vice president of external affairs about what the organization is doing to help local communities and businesses create the highly sought-after sense of place for businesses and residents during an unprecedented time of competition for talent and economic growth.

Speakers

Tupac Hunter, Senior Vice President, External Affairs, Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)