Athenian Dialogue

No Pain, No Gaines: The Good Stuff Doesn't Come Easy

Author: Chip Gaines

Facilitated by Michele Bobrowski, MMC

 Click here for registration form and details

1^st Amendment Audits – Why Us? What’s Changed? … (Transparency)                                        

Keith Hummel, Associate Director Public Sector, J.A. Montgomery Consulting

The municipal clerk is busily preparing council meeting packets when an unexpected and confrontational visitor arrives. The person gives no reason for the visit or identification, but instead demands answers: "What is your name? What is your job here? What's in that room over there?" The person is also recording the encounter with a mobile phone and begins to walk down the hallway into the private office areas. What should the clerk do?  This session will provide that very answer with practical ways to be prepared and how to respond.

2 Contact Hours Approved for: RMC (Prof. Dev.), CMFO/CCFO, (Office Mgmt.); CTC (General); CPWM (Mgmt.); QPA - 2.5 (Office Admin)

Records Management: “It’s a Big or Small Problem, After All.”

Karen Perry, Records Analyst & Elizabeth Hartmann, Records Management Services, NJ Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services

In this back-to-the-basics type course, the principles and practices of efficient records and information management for municipalities will be highlighted with emphasis on Artemis’ records retention and disposal, Imaging Certification of Public Records, DORES-RMS Damaged Records Reports and much more will be explored. 

1.5 Contact Hours Approved for: RMC (Records.), CMFO/CCFO, (Office Mgmt.); CTC (General); CPWM (Mgmt.); QPA (Office Admin)

Partnership is the New Leadership

Ty Bennett, Keynote Speaker & Leadership/Service Expert

Leadership is NOT about your name on the door, your years in the business, the title you hold or where your office is located. It’s about people and the significance, value, and connection you share with them. The bottom line is relevance equals influence - which equals commitment, collaboration, trust, teamwork, and performance. Are you ready to make a transformational change in your office? Raise your relevance and increase your influence by challenging old ways and opening new doors.

1.5 Contact Hours Approved for: RMC (Prof. Dev.), CMFO/CCFO, (Office Mgmt.); CTC (General); CPWM (Mgmt.); QPA (Office Admin)

The FAST System… What’s That, a New Diet?

Bonnie Brookes/Matt Gallelo -NJ Department of Community Affairs

It is becoming increasingly more difficult to fill vacancies at the local level for municipal positions such as Municipal Clerk, Chief Financial Officer, Tax Assessor, and Tax Collector.  This session will focus on the challenges encountered with such vacancies, options, and statutory guidelines for hiring, appointment, retention, and tenure. 

Does everyone know why the State moved to the FAST System? How does it work? What’s the Clerk’s role now?  WAIT! Do you know what the BPI is? These topics will be explored in this session. 

0.5 Contact Hours Approved for: RMC (Prof. Dev/Finance.), CMFO/CCFO, (Office Mgmt/Finance.); CTC (General/Secondary/IT); CPWM (Govt. or Mgmt./IT); QPA - (Office Admin/Gen. Duties/IT)

Election Changes...It’s Everywhere….Everywhere!

Lauren Zyriek Enriquez, Assistant Secretary of State/Acting Director, NJ Division of Election

Wade Hale, Deputy Director, NJ Division of Elections

Mike Randisi, NJ Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness

Brittany Giampola, Division of Elections

Early voting, paper verifiable trails, and electronic poll books were just a few of the changes the Legislature made regarding Elections in 2021 and 2022.  In this session, the top professionals at the NJ Division of Elections will review what’s in store for 2023. This comprehensive elections course is a must for municipal clerks to learn additional election changes that affect how they do their jobs and what information needs to be disseminated to the public.

1.5 Contact Hours Approved for: RMC (Elec.), CMFO/CCFO, (Office Mgmt.); QPA - (Office Admin)

Here’s the Small Talk from Trenton

Lori Buckelew, Assistant Executive Director/Director of Government Affairs, NJ State League of Municipalities

In this review of recently enacted laws and pending bills in the legislature, this session will cover topics that are of interest to local government officials in a wide range of areas including records, finance, elections. licensing, and more.

2 Contact Hours Approved for: RMC (Prof. Dev.), CMFO/CCFO, (Office Mgmt.); CTC (General/Legal); CPWM (Govt. or Mgmt.); QPA (Office Admin)

Annual Meeting 

Do You Know the Difference Between an OPRA Request and a Common Law Request?

Thomas H. Prol, Esq., Sills Cummis & Gross, P.C. & MCANJ Legal Counsel

To run a governmental entity, public officials must understand the rights of the public and access to government records. The public's right to documents stems from both common law and statute.  Even if the record would be exempt under statute, and in particular OPRA, it may well be that the public has a right to the document under the common law right to know.  This will help you determine the required balancing act. 

1 Contact Hours Approved for: RMC (Records), CMFO/CCFO, (Office Mgmt.); CTC (General); CPWM (Mgmt.); QPA (Office Admin)

Real Life in the World of Daniels Law

Christine Campbell Director, Office of Information Privacy, NJDCA

Richard Norcross, Executive Vice President, CSI Technology Group

Joshua Ottenberg, Director, County & State Agency Division CSI Technology Group

John Porter, Deputy Dir. – County/State Agency Division CSI Technology Group

The Office of Information Privacy was created to carry out the mandate of Daniel’s Law and work with municipalities shielding protected information. A must-attend for records custodians, the Office of Information Privacy and its vendor will demonstrate how those covered by the law have registered on the Daniel’s Law Portal and explain what must be in place to receive and respond to redaction requests.  They will provide a review of what has worked well during the roll out of the Daniel’s Law Portal.

1.5 Contact Hours Approved for: RMC (IT), CMFO/CCFO, (IT); CTC (IT); CPWM (IT.); QPA (IT)

The World of OPRA 20+ Years Later

Frank F. Caruso, Executive Director,  NJ Government Records Council

This session will provide an overview of OPRA as it applies to municipalities. Through this presentation, the custodian of records will gain a better understanding of OPRA and how it works on a day-to-day basis, including a review of requests for records, personnel information, and various GRC decisions on filed denial of access complaints.  

2 Contact Hours Approved for: RMC (Records), CMFO/CCFO, (Office Mgmt.); CTC (General); CPWM (Mgmt.); QPA (Office Admin)

How to Spot a Fake ID in Seconds

Joe Visil, Vasil ID Training

This course is designed to educate attendees to detect and deter fraud by recognizing fraudulent identity documents.  These authentic looking "modern day" fraudulent IDs have compromised nearly ever security feature on their IDs making them virtually "undetectable". Vasil IDs presentation will instruct you on the proper ID protocol to detect/identify these fraudulent IDs within seconds.

1.5 Contact Hours Approved for: RMC (Prof. Dev.), CMFO/CCFO, (Office Mgmt.); CTC (General); CPWM (Mgmt.); QPA (Office Admin)

Did you Say TACO or PACO?

 Anthony Carlos, New Jersey Department of Treasury

 This session will review Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) in Public Contracts.  If your organization were to be audited by the State, do you have all the required compliance documents? Would you pass the audit with flying colors?  Don’t miss this session so you can be prepared and compliant. 

1.5 Contact Hours Approved for: RMC (Reccords.), CMFO/CCFO, (Office Mgmt.); CTC (General); CPWM (Mgmt.); QPA (Office Admin)