Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, 3-3:40 p.m.

All Aboard! Your Guide to Welcoming New Employees and Officials
Saturday, 3-3:40 p.m., Room 209, 2nd floor, Hynes Convention Center
Presented by the Massachusetts Selectmen’s Association
This interactive discussion will focus on how to build loyalty and engagement with appointed and elected officials. To make their terms a success both for them and your town, they must have a solid understanding of the town’s mission, vision and values, and understand how these align with their positions. Panelists will discuss how to get the most out of your board and committee members.

PANELISTS
Jody Middleton is the human resources director in Canton.
Dave Turano is the founder of JCE Consulting.

Costing the Contract: Knowing Your Negotiation Numbers
Saturday, 3-3:40 p.m., Room 202, 2nd floor, Hynes Convention Center
Presented by the Massachusetts Government Finance Officers Association
“Costing” a collective bargaining agreement is an essential part of preparing for contract negotiations and allows the parties to formulate realistic goals. Where should you begin? What should you include in your analysis? What about data from comparable communities? Attendees will learn the basic steps to cost a collective bargaining agreement in order to prepare for and conduct contract negotiations.

PANELISTS
Sandy Pooler is the deputy town manager in Arlington.
MODERATOR
Marc Waldman is the treasurer/collector in Wellesley.

• Costing the Contract: Knowing Your Negotiation Numbers – presentation

Effective Financing of Parks and Recreation Departments
Saturday, 3-3:40 p.m., Room 201, 2nd floor, Hynes Convention Center
Presented by the Massachusetts Recreation and Park Association
Operationalizing cost recovery financial models in parks and recreation departments isn’t just an accounting exercise, but both a science and an art. This session will provide an overview of cost recovery as a financial sustainability strategy, revealing creative ways to generate revenue through your parks and recreation department and positioning it to thrive in any political and economic climate. The benefits and challenges of using alternative funding sources, such as enterprise accounts and revolving funds, will be discussed. Panelists will also discuss alternative revenue strategies, such as partnerships, to offset operational expenses.

PANELISTS
Jesse Myott is director of administration and finance for the Department of Public Works in Watertown.
Lisa Paradis is a senior consultant for BerryDunn’s Parks and Recreation Practice.
MODERATOR
Barry DeBlasio is director of community resources for the town of Plymouth and president of the Massachusetts Recreation and Park Association.

Financing Affordable Housing Solutions
Saturday, 3-3:40 p.m., Room 208, 2nd floor, Hynes Convention Center
Presented by the Department of Housing and Community Development
This workshop will cover the basics of affordable housing finance and how municipalities can support better affordable housing outcomes in both financial and nonfinancial ways. At a high level, this session will cover the role that scale plays in feasibility on both the development and the management side. Besides reviewing public financing tools such as the Community Preservation Act, panelists will explore how communities of any size can have a positive impact by creating coordinated, predictable and transparent municipal processes.

PANELISTS
Susan Connelly is director of Community Assistance and Strategic Partnerships at the Massachusetts Housing Partnership.
Nancy McCafferty is the senior relationship manager at the Massachusetts Housing Partnership.

• Financing Affordable Housing Solutions, From Start to Finish – MHP presentation

Fostering Connection Between Community and Town Hall
Saturday, 3-3:40 p.m., Room 205, 2nd floor, Hynes Convention Center
Presented by the Massachusetts Municipal Association
Citizens of all ages and backgrounds have numerous ways to become more involved with their local government, such as town meeting, office hours and volunteer positions on boards and committees. Local officials will learn about replicable programs and initiatives currently in place in cities and towns, and share ideas about how they can help to increase valuable engagement and participation in their communities.

PANELISTS
Alaa Abusalah is the citizen participation officer in Framingham.
Mehreen Butt is a town councillor in Wakefield.
MODERATOR
Paul Bockelman is the town manager in Amherst.

• Fostering Connection Between Community and Town Hall – presentation

Municipal Responses to Human Trafficking
Saturday, 3-3:40 p.m., Room 206, 2nd floor, Hynes Convention Center
Presented by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office
This workshop will present an overview of sex and labor trafficking in the Commonwealth and explain how the problem manifests at the local level. Local officials will learn how to identify illicit massage businesses that are engaging in sex and labor trafficking, and learn about the state and local criminal and civil enforcement tools that are available to municipalities.

PANELISTS
Andrew Cahill is assistant attorney general of the Fair Labor Division of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.
Jennifer Snook is deputy chief of the Human Trafficking Division in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.

• Human Trafficking in the Commonwealth – presentation

New Strategies to Stabilize and Strengthen Vulnerable Neighborhoods
Saturday, 3-3:40 p.m., Room 204, 2nd floor, Hynes Convention Center
Presented by the Massachusetts Municipal Association
Local housing leaders are working collaboratively with state agencies and policymakers to find effective strategies for strengthening neighborhoods where the housing stock is aging and in need of upkeep. Attendees will learn more about these promising efforts and will gain perspective on how to tailor strategies to meet their community’s unique needs by using case studies from across the Commonwealth.

PANELISTS
Chrystal Kornegay is executive director of MassHousing.
Linda Tyer is the mayor of Pittsfield.
MODERATOR
Joe Kriesberg is president and CEO of the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations.

• Neighborhood Strategies – Pittsfield presentation
• Neighborhood Stabilization Fund – MassHousing presentation

Property Sustainability: Protecting Municipal Assets
Saturday, 3-3:40 p.m., Room 203, 2nd floor, Hynes Convention Center
Presented by the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association
As communities confront increasingly extreme weather, municipal facilities teams must incorporate best practices to prevent property loss and maintain continuity of services. This session will cover facility sustainability and resiliency best practices, as well as ways to strengthen facilities team operations and responses in managing community assets. Attendees will learn about sustainable and resilient facility maintenance and operations, and will be equipped with strategies and best practices to improve protection of public buildings and ensure their reliability for residents, employees and students.

Workshop eligible for MIIA Rewards points

PANELISTS
Ken Wertz is executive director of the Massachusetts Facilities Administrators Association.
MODERATOR
Lin Chabra is the member training manager for MIIA.

• Property Sustainability: Protecting Municipal Assets – presentation