Municipal Bulletin Board
(from the January 2012 Maine Townsman)

TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE: PORTLAND

The MMA Technology Conference this year moves from Bangor to Portland, and will be held on Thursday, March 1 at Holiday Inn by the Bay.

The event, co-sponsored by the Maine GIS User Group, begins with registration at 8 a.m. and concludes at 4:30 p.m. Greg McNeal, Chief Technology Officer for the State of Maine, will deliver a keynote speech on “Technology in Government” starting at 8:45 a.m.

Among the other topics to be covered: Broadband Expansion and Strategy; Tools for Government Transparency; Libraries and Technology; Flood Inundation and Flood Plain mapping; and, Liability Issues with Information Management.

The Tech Conference is considered MMA’s second-largest event, as it typically draws upward of 300 attendees and 15 to 20 exhibitors. Cost to attend is: $65 for MMA and MEGUG members and employees from non-profit government agencies; $90 for businesses; and, $35 for students who show college identification. Registration can be done through the MMA website.

ELECTIONS (TITLE 30-A)

The Maine Town and City Clerks’ Association will offer workshops on Elections and Title 30-A at the Augusta Civic Center on Feb. 9 and at the Bangor Hilton Garden Inn on Feb. 13. Both sessions will run, from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Michael Stultz of the MMA Legal Services’ staff and April Dufoe, Clerk in Kennebunkport, will co-present.

The workshops are designed principally for clerks, including deputies and assistants, but selectmen and moderators also benefit from the information presented and are encouraged to attend.

Attendees should bring with them copies of MMA’s Town Meeting and Elections Manual, which can be ordered by calling 1-800-452-8786 and asking for Jane Tondreau. It can be printed out at: www.memun.org/public/mmapub/OrderForm.cfm.

Cost for the workshop, which is necessary for MTCCA certification, is $50 for members and $60 for non-members.

BASIC MUNICIPAL BUDGETING

James Bennett, City Manager in Presque Isle, and John Eldridge, Finance Director in Brunswick, will co-present a workshop on municipal budgeting on Feb. 14 at the Maine Municipal Association conference center. The program begins with registration at 8:30 a.m. and concludes at 3:30 p.m.

The course, sponsored by MMA, is designed for municipal officials with primary responsibility for budget preparation and management. The cost is $60 for MMA members and $90 for non-members.

PLANNING BOARD/BOA: BELFAST

MMA’s Legal Services Department will host sessions for local Planning Board and land use Boards of Appeal members from 4 to 9 p.m. on Feb. 29 at the Hutchinson Center in Belfast.

The workshops are designed as an introduction for new or less experienced members but veterans may find an update useful as well. Among the topics to be covered: jurisdictional issues; conflicts of interest and bias; public notice requirements; site visits; procedure for decisions; and, variances. The cost is $40 for MMA members and $60 for non-members.

MANAGERS INTERCHANGE

The 33rd Annual Statewide Manager Interchange will be held on Friday, March 2 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Bangor. The day-long event, sponsored by the Maine Town & City Management Association, begins with registration at 8 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m.

Cost to attend is $60, if pre-registered or postmarked by Feb. 25, or $85 after that day. There also is a $30 first-time attendee registration offer for MTCMA new managers. Registration is available through the MMA website.

MTCMA has blocked rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn. In making reservations, be sure to mention that you are with MTCMA. The telephone number at the inn is: 207-262-0099.

TAX LIEN PROCEDURES

The Maine Tax Collectors’ and Treasurers’ Association will sponsor one-day workshops on Tax Lien Procedures March 8 at Hollywood Slots in Bangor and on March 14 at the Captain’s Galley in Old Orchard Beach. The workshops start at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 3:30 p.m.

The program focuses on proper procedures in the tax lien process as well as the proper completion of necessary forms. The emphasis is on the “how to” rather than the legal aspects of tax liens. Instructors are: and Gilberte Mayo, Treasurer in Lincoln; and, Stu Marckoon, Treasurer in Lamoine.

It is important that attendees have Municipal Liens Manuals and bring them to the workshop, which costs $50 for MMTCTA members and $60 for non-members. Municipal Liens Manuals can be purchased by calling MMA at 1-800-452-8786, ext. 2295.