10:00-11:45 a.m.
Opening General Session and Presentation of Awards
Shift from Fear to Freedom and Embrace Your New Normal
How does one bounce back from being an Olympic track and field hopeful and Army officer candidate one day and an amputee the next? John Register knows the answer to that question all too well because it’s his story. Despite Register’s devastating accident, he hurdled his adversity. Within 22 months post-injury, he competed on the United States Paralympic Swim Team. Four years later, he returned to his first love of track and field and in Sydney at the 2000 Paralympic Games, Register won the silver medal in the long jump, setting the American record. He is the first to say that overcoming any obstacle, no matter how great or insignificant it is, begins with a resilient mindset. But how do you get it? Where does it come from? And can it be taught so everyone can respond better when facing adversity? Your life can change with one wrong step, but your life can also change with one right step. In this presentation, John will share the pathway and steps to winning.
Speaker: John Register, Speaker and Change Management Leader
Noon-5:00 p.m.
Exhibit Hall Grand Opening
1:00-1:30 p.m.
Greenhouse Presentation
TX Sales Tax Update and Outlook
This presentation will explore the current state of municipal sales tax revenues as the economy continues to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic and related shutdowns. We will explore how trends have varied widely in different industry segments and discuss strategies for identifying the strengths and weaknesses of your city’s sales tax base.
Presented by HdL Companies
1:45- 2:15 p.m.
Greenhouse Presentation
Energy Resiliency in Texas: A Real Life Example
Learn how the Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) is improving energy resiliency by applying efficiency and distributed generation strategies, and how municipalities can leverage these same approaches for critical infrastructure and beyond. Under a self-funding Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC), the JBSA project combines traditional energy efficient upgrades with the construction of a microgrid integrating 20 megawatts (MW) of new onsite energy photovoltaic assets, 4 MW of gas fired backup generation and 4 MW/8 MWh of battery energy storage to provide sustained electrical supply to critical buildings during the event of a utility outage or grid disruption.
Presented by Ameresco, Inc., Vince Drieling, PE, Director of Business Development
2:00-3:15 p.m.
TML Concurrent Sessions
How Small Cities Are Using Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Session courtesy of the Small Cities Advisory Council Under the American Rescue Act Plan, the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund provides funding to local governments to support COVID-19 response efforts, promote economic stabilization for families and businesses, and other related items. In this interactive, roundtable session designed for small cities, learn how these funds can be used, discuss ways your city is using the funds, and more. Moderators: Victor Contreras, Mayor, City of Marion; and Will Trevino, Legal Counsel, Texas Municipal League |
Advocacy Collaboration – Working Together for Texas’ Future Session courtesy of the American Planning Association Texas Chapter The quality and character of development in our communities has been a critical ingredient in Texas’ success as one of the fastest-growing states in the nation. The Texas Legislature has a major role in determining how development and redevelopment happen and whether Texas cities and towns are able to provide the economic support and quality of life that people and companies want and need. During the 2021 Legislative session, APA Texas experimented with some new approaches to advocacy, including collaboration with public, private, and non-profit entities that share common objectives. Join this session for a briefing on the results, and a lively, interactive dialogue focused on how future collaboration on advocacy can deliver the communities Texans want. Speakers: Matt Bucchin, AICP, Regional Practice Leader for Planning, Halff Associates, Inc.; Craig Farmer, FAICP, President, Municipal Planning Services; Kimberley Mickelson, JD, AICP, Senior Assistant City Attorney, City of Houston; and Chance Sparks, AICP, Associate, Urban Planning & Design Group, Freese and Nichols |
Winter Storms and Water Outages: The Importance and Effectiveness of Communication in a Crisis Session courtesy of the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers February’s deep freeze and subsequent water and power outages made crisis communications more challenging than usual. In this session, we’ll have a panel of experienced PIOs discuss what worked, what didn’t and lessons learned. Speakers: LeaAnn Petersen, Director of Communications, City of Seabrook; Jay Warren, Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs, City of Arlington; and Joshua Lee, Director of Communications, City of Pearland |
Using Robert’s Rules Effectively This session takes a strategic look at Robert’s Rules of procedure. Who are the players? How do they get what they want? How can you stop them? Speaker: Thomas Gwosdz, City Attorney, City of Victoria |
Global Opioid Settlement: What It Means for Texas A global opioid settlement has been reached with the three major opioid distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health, and Amerisource Bergen, and opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson, with up to $1.5 billion being awarded to Texas. In this session, the Texas Attorney General’s Office will explain what the settlement means financially for your city and county, and how you can sign-on to the settlement. Speakers: Stephanie Eberhardt, Assistant Attorney General, and Ryan Fisher, Director of Government Relations, Office of the Texas Attorney General |
2:30-3:00 p.m.
Greenhouse Presentation
Texas Municipalities Invest in Their Digital Future
COVID-19 has demonstrated the need for faster and more reliable internet in Texas communities. During the pandemic, broadband became a lifeline to work, learn, and live from home. Communities without it struggled to keep up. Communities with high-speed internet thrived in the new normal. In this session, you’ll learn why digital inclusion is so important to life post pandemic and what Texas municipalities are doing about it. Find out how to identify and address broadband issues in your community and learn from Magellan’s on-the-ground-team who are actively expanding high-speed internet for cities across Texas.
Presented by Magellan Advisors, LLC
3:15-3:45 p.m.
Greenhouse Presentation
The Evolution of Community Engagement in Texas Communities
The pandemic has permanently altered how we shop, work, and live. Citizens now are engaging in a whole new way through digital methods 24/7. As our citizens evolve the way they interact, effective local government must also enhance its citizen engagement.
Join us for an interactive discussion on ideas and successful tools for equitable community engagement being used by Texas local governments with highlights on how the City of Caldwell partnered with Texas A & M University to drive innovations in community engagement that continue to build a healthy thriving city for its citizens and businesses.
Co-Presented by Social Pinpoint, City of Caldwell, and Texas A&M University – Texas Targeted Communities Program
3:30-4:45 p.m.
TML Concurrent Sessions
Looking Back. Focusing Forward – A Public Works Perspective Session courtesy of the Texas Chapter of American Public Works Association Round table discussion from Public Works professionals on navigating the 2021 Texas Legislative Session and COVID-19 response from a public works perspective. Speakers: Kristina Ramirez, Planning and Development Director, City of Harker Heights; Shawn Poe, Director of Engineering, City of Richardson; and Brian Mason, Assistant Director, City of Houston |
Policing in Texas: A Deep Dive in Law Enforcement Legislation Session courtesy of the Texas Police Chiefs Association As the nation grappled with police reform in 2020, the Texas Legislature was no exception. Our panel will take in-depth look on legislation affecting policing and personnel. Speakers: JJ Rocha, Grassroots and Legislative Services Manager, Texas Municipal League; Evelyn Njuguna, Assistant Director of Legal Services, Texas Municipal League; and Jessica Anderson, Commander, Houston Police Department |
Misery Loves Company! Session courtesy of the Texas Parks and Recreation Society Misery does love company, and that goes for your staff too! In this session we will discuss strategies to help you improve your internal customer service to enhance your organization’s ability to deliver exceptional service to your community. Organizations often spend thousands of dollars on customer service training and are not seeing the results they would like to see. Shifting the focus from external only to include internal customer service may be the missing link in customer service success. Speaker: Tiffany White, Membership Director, YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth |
Understanding the Comptroller’s Sales Tax Sourcing Rules A panel discussion to understand the impact of the comptroller’s new rules governing the sourcing of local sales taxes on local budgets, and a look at what the future may hold for city sales tax revenue in Texas. Speakers: Bill Longley, General Counsel, Texas Municipal League, Patrick Lawler, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, ZacTax, and Lara Abi Habib, Tax Policy Counsel, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts |
Don’t Mess with Texas: Water Edition Texas is in a near-constant state of drought that is occasionally interrupted by devastating floods. Moreover, the state grew by almost four million people between 2010 and 2020. The Texas Water Development Board leads the state’s efforts in ensuring a secure water future for Texas and its citizens through a variety of initiatives – water supply and flood planning, infrastructure financing, and research. Learn about how to participate in their bottom-up planning process and how to access low-interest financing for water infrastructure. Speaker: Kathleen Jackson, Texas Water Development Board |
4:00-4:30 p.m.
Greenhouse Presentation
What to Know As You Grow: 10 Tools to Prepare for Population Growth
Many Texas municipalities are experiencing record growth rates. Do you have all your ducks in a row to respond to this growth? A wide range of tools can help your city get ahead of development pressures: a community vision; comprehensive plan; unified development ordinance; master plans for thoroughfares, water and wastewater systems and parks; impact fees and other funding mechanisms for future projects. Learn the best practices and lessons learned from other cities who have navigated the challenges of growth.
Presented by Freese and Nichols, Inc