YOU'RE INVITED! WHAT: 69th Annual Wisconsin Towns Association Convention WHEN: Sunday October 9, 2016 through Tuesday October 11, 2016 Who should come? WHERE: Holiday Inn Convention Center 1001 Amber Avenue, Stevens Point, Wisconsin 54482 We encourage every town to send two or more town officials to take advantage of all of the useful information and educational opportunities that will be available at this year s convention. If you have never been to a WTA convention, know that the convention is more than just an opportunity to attend many workshops under one roof. Beyond that, it is a wonderful opportunity to meet state agency staff, private consultants, presenters, and exhibitors. There is also plenty of time to network with town officials from around the state who face the same issues you face. So, come prepared to learn, but also recognize that you'll have the opportunity to make new friends and build new relationships that can improve your effectiveness as a town official. Registration Fees Convention registration fees are $135 for all days or $75 for single day registrations on Monday or Tuesday. Spouses and guests that wish to attend convention events pay a $25 registration fee. These registration fees include lunch for registered officers, but not spouses or guests. Lunch tickets are available at a cost of $12 per person per day for registered spouses and guests. Spouses and guests who pay the $25 registration fee are welcome to attend convention functions, unless the events are optional and require an additional fee (e.g., Monday evening banquet or the special spouse activity). Registered spouses may attend these special events if the additional fees are paid. Sunday October 9 th Registration will begin at 1:00 p.m. and be available through 6:00 p.m. The exhibitor area will also open at 1:00 p.m. Come meet, learn from, and build relationships with vendors and companies that provide products and services of interest to towns. There will be a general assembly from 2:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. with invited guest speakers.
Sunday Evening Reception Following the Sunday afternoon general assembly there will be an Exhibitor Reception with complimentary beer, soda, and snacks. Dinner is on your own Sunday evening. Monday October 10 th There will be a general assembly from 8:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. with key featured speakers whose names will not be released until confirmed. Workshops will begin at 11:00 a.m. and run through 4:45 p.m. with a break for lunch. Monday's lunch will consist of a pasta buffet. Monday Spouse Activity Monday afternoon registered spouses and guests will have the opportunity to board a bus and visit Crossroad Commons, a retail center with a variety of popular stores in the Plover area. Monday Afternoon Exhibitor Reception There will be an Exhibitors Reception in the exhibitor area with complimentary beer, soda, and snacks for all registered attendees. Note that the exhibitors will close down at the end of the day Monday and will not be present on Tuesday. Monday Evening Banquet The annual awards banquet will be held on Monday night of the convention at 6:30 p.m. College scholarships will be presented to the students who won the WTA essay contest and long standing town officers will also be recognized. To receive this recognition, please mark your registration form accordingly and indicate you will be attending the banquet. The banquet is an optional event that features a buffet dinner at a cost of $40 per person and is not included in the general registration fee. (Spouses and guests are also welcome to attend the banquet at a cost of $40 per person.) The banquet ticket includes an evening of music and dancing beginning after the awards ceremony. Our banquet entertainment this year will be "The Drovers". The Drovers have been a hit at past conventions. You ll want to be sure to enjoy their rare variety and exceptional quality of music.
Tuesday October 11 th The day will start with workshops beginning at 8:30 a.m. and concluding at 12:00 p.m. Tuesday's lunch will be a soup and sandwich buffet. On Tuesday morning, a BINGO game for cash and other prizes will be held for registered spouses and guests at 10:00 a.m. There will be a general assembly at 1:00 p.m. concluding with a presentation by Olympian and Wisconsin Native Matt Antoine. Matt has won numerous national championships, world cup medals, and a Bronze Medal in the Sochi Winter Olympics in Skeleton. He will share his leadership story of commitment and persistence, which also applies to town officials and the impact they have on Madison, Washington, the services provided to citizens, and our democracy. Workshop Highlights Please Note: Clerks should be aware that there will be a 3 hour long election training class provided by the Wisconsin Elections Commission (formerly Government Accountability Board) on Tuesday. Assessors will want to take advantage of the assessor training offered for six hours on Monday and an additional six hours on Tuesday. Workshop Topics Workshops are scheduled for both Monday and Tuesday. Many have one hour time slots and will be repeated a second time. Some of the workshops will be presented only once, as noted. Monday: 11:00 a.m. - Noon (Repeated 1:15 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.) 1. Little Plover Groundwater Flow Modeling Project High capacity wells have been a major news story in recent years and months. Come learn about a state-of-the-art groundwater flow model developed as a tool to understand the interactions between groundwater withdrawals and streamflow in the Little Plover River basin. Presented by Ken Bradbuty, Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey Director and State Geologist. 2. Using Mobile Applications to Streamline Highway Maintenance. Learn how smartphones and tablets, combined with mobile applications, can be used to integrate pavement condition ratings with other highway maintenance features to create a tool for budgeting, planning and implementing an effective and efficient highway maintenance program. Presented by Andy Zimmer, PE and GIS Manager Todd Halvorson of MSA Professional Services.
3. Understanding and Collecting Personal Property Tax Learn about the different options for collecting delinquent personal property taxes. Presented by Atty. Philip Freeburg, UW-Extension Local Government Center. 4. Developer Agreements Developer Agreements: What are they? Why do you need them? How can they protect a town when a development goes wrong? This workshop will focus on explaining what a developer agreement is, and how a town can utilize them to get the most bang for your buck. 5. Recycling Requirements for Town Responsible Units: Review and Update As a Responsible Unit for recycling, there are requirements in the state statutes and administrative code that town need to follow. Get an overview of your recycling obligations to ensure you remain in compliance. Also, learn about new resources, program changes and other updates. Presented by WI DNR Recycling Program Staff. Monday: 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. (Repeated 3:45 p.m. - 4:45 p.m., unless noted) 1. Manure Irrigation Study The Wisconsin Manure Irrigation Workgroup begin work in the Fall, 2013 and recently completed their research and recommendations about how to manage manure irrigation in Wisconsin. Come and learn from the researchers about the outcomes of the workgroup. Presented by Ken Genskow, UW- Madison; Becky Larson, UW-Madison, and Mark Borchart, USDA. This session will not be repeated but will instead be followed by a panel discussion on manure irrigation at 3:45 p.m. 2. The New Department of Labor FLSA Overtime Rule How will it impact municipal employers? Are our salaried employees affected and will they become eligible for overtime pay? The presenter will discuss what has and hasn t changed with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime regulations, options for municipal employer s for ensuring compliance, and ways a municipal employer can prepare for the changes and mitigate risk. Presented by Atty. Christopher Nickels, Quarles & Brady LLP. 3. The Invasives are Coming! Invasive plants, emerald ash borer, oak wilt, and numerous other invasive species impact Wisconsin towns. Rules such as NR40 and best management practices are designed to help deal with problem species. We ll discuss what species you should be most concerned about and what you can do to help prevent their spread and minimize their impact. Presented by WI DNR Forest Health Team Staff.
4. Managing Difficult Town Board Meetings Conflict-laden issues are often accompanied by angry people and tension filled meetings. Without a sound approach for managing such situations, meetings can quickly become unproductive and even destructive, and tensions can accelerate. This session will provide town officials with some strategies to help them better manage challenging meeting environments when issues get hot. Presented by Bill Rizzo, Ph.D. UW-Extension Local Government Center. 5. Cyber Security Tips and Insurance Products That Can Help the Town Protect Its Finances Want to learn some tips for protecting your town and yourself online? Do you have questions about public official bonds, employee dishonesty policies and errors and omissions insurance? Have you ever wondered what sorts of events are covered by each of these and what protections the town should have in place? Rural Insurance staff will be on hand to share their thoughts and answer your questions. Monday 3:45 p.m. (until completion) The Urban Towns Committee (UTC) will have its Annual Meeting at which it will elect three board members to the UTC Executive Board, review its financial report, and discuss other matters related to UTC. Tuesday: 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (will not be repeated). 1. There will be an Election Training session for clerks presented by the Government Accountability Board Election Division. Several new laws that affect election administration have been signed in to law this year. G.A.B. staff will discuss how the new laws impact clerks, election inspectors and voters. This session will count for 3 hours of recertification training. Tuesday: 8:30 a.m.- 9:30 a.m. (Repeated 9:45 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. unless otherwise noted) 2. Recreational Trails Both motorized and non-motorized are an important asset to our tourism economy. Representatives from the Departments of Tourism, Transportation, and Natural Resources will provide updates on ongoing efforts and tools available to enhance this recreational opportunity. This is also a forum for discussion: What do you need? How can your state agency partners assist you? How can we collectively grow this asset? Presented by Tom Beekman and Gary Brunner, WI DOT, Cameron Bump, WI DNR, and Drew Nussbaum, Tourism. 3. Creative Economic Development Opportunities for Towns Agricultural innovation and entrepreneurism is advancing across much of Wisconsin and rural America. In addition, rural towns have some of the most culturally rich
buildings, structures and history, which are now attractive to a growing number of entrepreneurial investors. Whether it s barn wedding venues, wineries, cheese shops, or many more, is your town in a position to accommodate or attract these opportunities? Could they put your town on the map? Join us for an interesting look at how rural towns can be part of a growing rural economic development movement. Presented by Ken Jaworski, Martenson & Eisele, VP of Planning and Environmental Services. 4. Legal Cracker Barrel Bring your questions to this informal question/answer session intended to address common legal questions that arise for towns. Presented by Atty, Carol Nawrocki, WTA Assistant Director. 5. Town Official Speed Dating Based on last year s evaluations requesting more networking opportunities, this session will provide attendees with the ability to date (for 10 15 minutes then rotate to a new date ) different town officials who have various stories of success. Come learn from those that have been through the ringer on the tips, tricks, and traps associated with different issues. Tuesday: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. insights on general election races around the state. In addition, WTA Legal Counsel Rick Manthe will update members on the work of the Legislative Council Study Committee on Rural Broadband. 2. Crude Oil by Rail Preparedness The State of Wisconsin is crisscrossed by train cars carrying crude oil and other commodities. Participants will receive an introduction to Crude-By-Rail transportation preparedness and response, as well as State, Federal, and railroad company responsibilities in the event of a crude-by-rail incident. Presented by Brian Satula, Administrator, Wisconsin Emergency Management. 3. To be Announced 4. To be Announced The convention registration form follows in this magazine and can also be found on the WTA website. Please use separate registration forms for each person and send them into our Shawano office as directed on the form. Should the host hotel become full, a list of hotels near the convention center appears later in this magazine. We are excited to be planning a fun and educational experience for you. We hope to see you at the convention! 1. Fall Election Preview and Legislative Council Study Committee Update. Which state races are likely to be tight? What should we be watching for? WTA Lobbyist Jolene Plautz will share her
Assessor training workshops will be held on Monday and Tuesday from 8:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. each day as follows: October 10, 2016 8:45 a.m.- 11:45.am Public Records Law Presented by Paul Ferguson AAG Wisconsin Department of Justice (3 Hours Law Credit) 1:15 p.m. 4:15 p.m. Uniformity and Equity: Part II Presented by Grota Appraisals (3 Hours Appraisal Credit) October 11, 2016 8:45 a.m.-11:45 a.m. Annual Assessment Report (2.5 Hours Law &.5 Hours Appraisal Credit anticipated) Presented by Mark Paulat, WI DOR 1:15 p.m.-4:15 p.m. Expert Witness (3 Hours Appraisal Credit) Presented by Rob Sherman