Tell Congress: Don’t Delay - PASS E-Fairness Now!
Federal e-fairness legislation is back in Congress, and it has widespread bipartisan support – but some members of Congress are still dragging their feet and holding up the process. Tell YOUR members of Congress to pass the Marketplace Fairness Act now! Just last week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid promised, “I’m going to do it as quickly as I can. We have more than enough [votes] to pass it.” This is great news for e-fairness supporters, but to help move e-fairness forward, Congress needs to hear that we won’t accept another year of delays. If you haven’t already done so, please take a few moments now to send your legislators a quick email.
New: Union Arbitration Clause is not Exclusive Remedy
Last week the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals held the district court had subject matter jurisdiction to render $7,200 in back pay but not reinstatement in spite of the AFSCME collective bargaining agreement. This case, in which the union did not submit the grievance to arbitration, turned on the language of the collective bargaining agreement’s grievance procedure in the distinction between “may” and “shall.” Click here to read more.
League’s Labor Roundtable Focuses on 2013
The Labor Roundtable discussed several issues involving employment/labor issues at its first meeting of 2013 on February 20. These included a new case on arbitration as an exclusive remedy, new grievance arbitration awards and an analysis of thirty-five 2013 legislative proposals impacting municipal operations. Click here to access a summary of the new case. The arbitration awards will be discussed in future Labor Program Labor Bulletins. You can click here to access a short highlight of the legislative discussion.
Fundraising, Grant Opportunities Focus of KOB Executive Meeting
Kelly Danner attended the KOB Executive Meeting where fundraising and grant opportunities were discussed. Executive Committee selected a new mission statement to be voted on at the next KOB full board meeting on Thursday, March 14, 2013.
ODEQ Board Meeting Approves Rules to Go to Legislature
Kelly Danner attended the Department of Environmental Quality Board Meeting on Friday February 22, 2013. The board elected a new chairman, John Wendling and new vice-chair, Jan Kunze. Jerry Johnson was presented with a plaque in appreciation for his service on the DEQ Board.
Rules that were approved and now go to the legislature for approval are as follows: OAC 252:100 Air Pollution Control, OAC 252-:515 Solid Waste Management, OAC 252:4 Rules of Practice and Procedure (Water Quality Tier Rules), OAC Oklahoma Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (OPDES) Standards, OAC 252:616 Industrial Wastewater Systems, OAC 252:631 Public Water Supply Operation and OAC 252:690 Water Quality Standards Implementations. Click here to view the proposed rules changes.
Practical Guide 2 Workshop,March 8, 2013, Coleman Theatre, Miami, OK
MC&T Training, March 8, 2013, Lawton
Municipal Government Week, March 25 – 29, 2013
Municipal Government Day at the Capitol, March 26, 2013
Citizens Academy Leadership Training, April 4 & 5, 2013, Oklahoma City
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Executive Director's Update Archive |
It’s Time to Rethink Oklahoma’s Budget Process
Gary Jones, Oklahoma’s State Auditor and Inspector, says that legislative appropriations traditionally have been based on a status quo approach with only slight increments of increased or decreased funding applied to static agency budgets. He says it’s time for Oklahoma government to move forward from this “History Based” method of budgeting to a more responsible “Needs Based” approach. Click here to access the Auditor and Inspector’s report.
Snow Removal Tips for Local Road Agencies
Click here to access tips from the former director of the Texas LTAP Center. Snow removal directly impacts public safety, and is an important function for many road agencies, especially those located in regions with heavy snow. As road agencies typically operate with tight budgets and limited resources, it’s important that snow removal be handled efficiently, in a manner that makes the most effective use of all available resources.
DEQ to Host Technical Assistance in Brownfields
Learn where to obtain funding and how to manage redevelopment projects in your community from national Brownfields experts. This workshop will be presented on March 27 in Enid and March 28 in Tuttle.
White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Update
In this week’s issue President Obama urges Congress to find a balanced plan to reduce the deficit and avoid the sequester, talks about his plan to invest in infrastructure and create American jobs, and explains his plan to ensure that hard work leads to a decent living. Click here to access the update.
Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement, March 4 & 5, Woodward (please note date change)
Tribal Transportation Summit 2013, March 12-14, Embassy Suites, Norman
Economic Development & Revitalization through Brownfields, March 27, 2013, Convention Hall, Enid; and March 28, City Hall, Tuttle
ACCO 2013 Spring Conference, March 27 & 28, Norman
2013 Housing Summit, April 4, Moore Norman Technology Center South Penn Campus, Oklahoma City
OGITA 5th Annual Education and Technology Conference, April 25-26, 2013, Stillwater. Go to www.ogita.org to sign up.
Strategic Government Resources
Click here to access SGR’s list of 10 leadership and innovation hot topics.
Click here to view SGR’s Course Catalog of Live and Online Classes.
Strategic Government Resource Announces New Daily Blog
SGR has a new daily blog, “The 16%.” The title comes from change management research indicating that 2.5% of people are change leaders and 13.5% are early adopters. Because SGR’s client base is overwhelmingly comprised of the innovative thought leaders in local government, “The 16%” reflects who YOU are.
Click here to access the blog.
LTAP & TTAP
Click here to access LTAP / TTAP’s News Update which includes Community News, Articles and Reports of Interest, Opportunities/Events and resources.
Click here to access Local Technical Assistance Program & Tribal Technical Assistance Program training classes.
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