Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, 2-2:40 p.m.

Civil Service: Behind the Curtain
Saturday, 2-2:40 p.m., Room 205, 2nd floor, Hynes Convention Center
Presented by the Massachusetts Human Resources Division, Civil Service Unit
It can take years to understand the ins and outs of civil service law. Misinformation often hinders the process of successfully managing civil service issues. This workshop will dispel several myths, address misinformation, and educate attendees about the civil service process. Attendees will leave with a solid understanding of how to navigate civil service issues.

PANELISTS
James Barron is assistant director of appointments and promotions for the Civil Service Unit in the Commonwealth’s Human Resources Division.
Regina Caggiano is director of the Civil Service Unit in the Commonwealth’s Human Resources Division.
MODERATOR
Melissa Murray is an attorney and partner at Norris, Murray & Peloquin, LLC.

• The Civil Service Unit – presentation

Housing Production Plans: A Vision for Your Community’s Future
Saturday, 2-2:40 p.m., Room 208, 2nd floor, Hynes Convention Center
Presented by the Massachusetts Municipal Association
A Housing Production Plan is a proactive strategy for planning and developing housing to meet the needs of residents today and in the future. The resulting plan includes a comprehensive analysis, a set of strategies, and a user-friendly action plan to help the community develop housing for all. Attendees will learn strategies for developing a Housing Production Plan in their community and learn how to use that plan to meet housing goals for the future.

PANELISTS
Bill Nemser is the town planner in Maynard.
Jennifer Raitt is director of planning and community development in Arlington and a member of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s Board of Directors.
MODERATOR
Karina Milchman is chief of housing and neighborhood development at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.

• Planning for Housing: Key terms and concepts
• Housing Production Plans: Envisioning Your Community’s Housing Future – presentation
• Massachusetts Housing Partnership Community Assistance handout

Newest FCC Preemption: Cable Franchising Fees
Saturday, 2-2:40 p.m., Room 203, 2nd floor, Hynes Convention Center
Presented by the National Association of Telecommunication Officers and Advisors
New rules from the Federal Communications Commission governing local cable agreements became effective on Sept. 26, 2019. In this workshop, experts on how the changes threaten local Public, Educational and Governmental access providers, affect existing cable franchising agreements, and strip power from local governments to control the use of local rights of way. Attendees will hear how communities across the nation are dealing with the rulemaking.

PANELISTS
Gerard Lavery Lederer is a partner with Best Best & Krieger.
Nancy Werner is general counsel for the National Association of Telecommunication Officers and Advisors.
MODERATOR
Mike Lynch is director of broadband and cable at the Boston Department of Innovation and Technology and immediate past president of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors.

• Newest FCC Preemption: Cable Franchising Fees – presentation
• The FCC and Cable Franchising: What Mass. Cities and Access Centers Need to Know – presentation
• Top Telecommunications Issues of 2020 handout
• Suggested draft letter to Representative or Senator re: Co-sponsorship of the “Protecting Community Television Act (2020) HR 5659 $ S 2318
• NATOA Endorses The Protecting Community Television Act press release
• FCC’s Proposed Third Report and Order and Initial Effects on PEG handout

Opioid Use Disorder: Managing and Supporting Employees
Saturday, 2-2:40 p.m., Room 204, 2nd floor, Hynes Convention Center
Presented by Morgan, Brown & Joy, LLP
Opioid use disorder is affecting municipal workplaces and is a major concern for municipal employers. Effective practices and policies to manage employees who are struggling with opioid use disorder remain essential for a healthy and safe workplace. An experienced addiction counselor will discuss identifying signs of opioid use disorder in the workplace and ways that employers can help employees recover. An employment attorney will discuss policies municipal employers can put in place.

Workshop eligible for MIIA Rewards points

PANELISTS
Martha Deering is a certified rehabilitation counselor, a licensed and certified alcohol and drug abuse counselor, and a qualified substance abuse professional through the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Desiree Murphy is an associate at Morgan, Brown & Joy, LLP and practices in the area of labor and employment.
MODERATOR
Brendan Little is policy director for the Mayor’s Office of Recovery Services in Boston, the first and only municipal recovery office in the country.

• Addressing Opioid Use in the Workplace – Desiree Murphy presentation
• Opiate/Opioid Abuse at Work – Martha Deering presentation
• Reasonable Suspicion Checklist handout

Re-evaluating Your Employee Evaluations
Saturday, 2-2:40 p.m., Room 206, 2nd floor, Hynes Convention Center
Presented by Massachusetts Municipal Human Resources
An effective evaluation tool is key to managing a successful performance review process. This session will review best practices being used by employers around the country, discuss the best way to evaluate the system currently used in your city or town, and help attendees decide how and when to make a change.

Workshop eligible for MIIA Rewards points

PANELISTS
Joellen Cademartori is CEO of GovHR.
MODERATOR
Michael Taylor is the personnel director in Pittsfield.

• Re-evaluating Your Employee Evaluations – presentation

Renewing the Municipal Energy Landscape
Saturday, 2-2:40 p.m., Room 209, 2nd floor, Hynes Convention Center
Presented by the MMA Policy Committee on Energy and the Environment
Cities and towns must be active partners in helping achieve the Commonwealth’s goals for renewable energy procurement and increased energy efficiency, but they also stand to benefit from the results. Nonprofit and community leaders will discuss best practices related to community choice aggregation, net zero buildings, battery storage, energy efficiency, and other hot topics. Whether your community already has an energy manager on staff, or you’re considering some of these concepts for the first time, you can apply this workshop’s information immediately to make your community more sustainable.

PANELISTS
Eugenia Gibbons is policy director for the Green Energy Consumers Alliance.
Carol Oldham is executive director of the Massachusetts Climate Action Network.
Mark Sandeen is a selectman in Lexington, founder of RePower Partners, and president of MassSolar.
MODERATOR
Jacob Stern is the clean energy organizer for the Massachusetts chapter of the Sierra Club.

• Economics of Solar and Storage – presentation
• Net Zero Buildings – presentation
• Green Energy Consumers Alliance handout

Riding Into the Future: Innovations in Municipal Transit
Saturday, 2-2:40 p.m., Room 201, 2nd floor, Hynes Convention Center
Presented by the Massachusetts Municipal Association
With traffic conditions worsening by the day and the quality of our public transit system in question, drivers and riders are seeking alternatives to the status quo. This workshop will cover innovations in congestion management and multimodal transit through municipal case studies. Attendees will hear about bus rapid transit and other bus improvement projects, shared mobility modes, and increased access and safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

PANELISTS
Jay Monty is the transportation planner in Everett.
Stacy Thompson is executive director of LivableStreets Alliance, which advocates for innovative and equitable transportation solutions.
MODERATOR
Heather Hamilton is a member of the Brookline Select Board, a project manager for BSC Group, and a former director of roadway maintenance at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

• LivableStreets Alliance: A People First Approach to Transportation – presentation
• Everett: Pop-up Bus Lanes, Bicycle Network Buildout and Tactical Transit Improvements – presentation
• Innovations in Municipal Transit – Heather Hamilton presentation

Transparency Basics: Open Meetings and Public Records
Saturday, 2-2:40 p.m., Room 202, 2nd floor, Hynes Convention Center
Presented by the Massachusetts Municipal Lawyers Association
This workshop will cover the basic requirements of the open meeting and public records laws. Panelists will provide practical tips and best practices on how to make transparency work in your community, including proper ways to draft meeting agendas and post notices and how to provide the records that people want in order to avoid complaints and stay out of trouble.

Workshop eligible for MIIA Rewards points

PANELISTS
Kevin Batt is an attorney at Anderson Kreiger.
MODERATOR
Lauren Goldberg is a shareholder and managing partner at KP Law.

• Open Meeting Law: Overview and Practical Considerations for Public Entities – presentation
• Transparency Basics: Public Records – presentation