August 2015
Telephone: 218-743-3782 or 218-689-3592 Web-site: www.mcfoa.org
President
Terri Boese, CMC
City of Dassel
PO Box 391 Dassel, MN 55325
320-275-2454
Vice President
Melissa Barker, MMC City of Plymouth
3400 Plymouth Blvd
Plymouth, MN 55447 Phone: 763-509-5305
Secretary
Janet Lewis, CMC
City of Bloomington 1800 W Old Shakopee Road
Bloomington, MN 55431
Phone: 952-563-8700 [email protected]
Treasurer
Marita Rhude, MMMC
City of Barrett PO Box 155
Barrett, MN 55311
Phone: 320-528-2440 [email protected]
Director-at-Large
Renee Eckerly, CMC
City of Paynesville
221 Washburne Ave. Paynesville, MN 56362
Phone: 320-243-3714
Administrative Assistant
Angie Storlie, MMMC 40548 Co Rd 225
Bigfork, MN 56628
Phone: 218-743-3782 or 218-689-3592
I’d like to start by sending out a huge thank you for allowing me to be your representative at the
annual IIMC conference in Hartford, CT in May. The opening ceremony was very impressive
and I will treasure the experience of representing MCFOA by carrying the Minnesota state flag. I
had the opportunity to be part of the parliamentary procedures by serving as an election judge. I
was surrounded by some of the most knowledgeable clerks in the world. Networking
opportunities included meeting clerks from the Netherlands to South Africa. Can you imagine
having 27 council members of 6 different political parties? I listened with eagerness as one of the
delegates described working with that many council members.
If you have not had the opportunity to attend an IIMC conference, I invite you to attend next May
when the conference will be held in Omaha, NE. I guarantee you will gain invaluable education
and networking experiences. Can anyone say “road trip?” Speaking of road trip, Vice President,
Melissa Barker and I enjoyed spending a few days after the Hartford conference traveling around
New England. We got to see 7 states, 6 state capitals and fabulous scenery during our 4 day
whirlwind tour.
I also had the opportunity to attend the Iowa Clerk’s conference in June and will be attending the
Wisconsin Clerk’s conference in August.
I’ve had the privilege of attending several clerks’ retirement parties and presenting resolutions on
behalf of the MCFOA. I have been to two Regional meetings and am looking forward to
attending a meeting in each of the remaining four regions. It has been a busy summer indeed.
Don’t forget to sign up and join me for the Advanced Academy coming up in Bemidji on
September 10th & 11th. The education committee has another great line up of learning
opportunities.
The Conference Planning Committee and GTS staff have reviewed your survey responses and are
planning an education and networking packed week for you in St. Cloud, March 15-18, 2016.
I’m excited to announce that we’ve recruited one of the outstanding speakers from the Iowa
Clerk’s conference to be a general session speaker. Christopher Carter is a mentalist and will
amaze you with his talent. He has also been scheduled to entertain us on Thursday evening.
The next board meeting will be held on August 28th in St. Cloud. I encourage you to attend if you
are able. As always, if there is something you would like the Board to discuss, or you have any
questions please feel free to contact me.
Enjoy the remainder of summer and the fall foliage, as cold weather will soon be upon us.
Once again, let me say it is my privilege to serve as your president.
A World of Opportunities Awaits you in St. Cloud
Annual Conference: March 15-18, 2016
Greetings - Goodag - Aloha - Ciao - Gia’sou - Sawubona
LONNIE NEUNER, VP
CITY CLERK
P.O. Box 239
LAKE PARK, MN 56554 PHONE: (218) 238-5532 [email protected]
Hello to everyone in Region I. We are over half way through the summer and lately it has been a warm one! Just think, in a year from
now everyone will be going through election training. I’m sure everyone enjoys those long trainings as much as I do.
Thanks to James Leiman, the new Administrator for Ada, for hosting our region meeting in May. Our next region meeting will be held in
the City of Callaway and hosted by Shelly Dillon. A date has not yet been decided but it will be in late August or early September. As
always, to better serve you and provide educational opportunities of interest either by discussing a topic with the group or having a
speaker, I would appreciate any input you have on possible training topics. If you wish to provide us with some ideas for session topics, or
volunteer to host a future region meeting, please contact me.
I hope everyone has fun with their parades, town festivals and budget planning. See you soon!
KIM GIBEAU, VP
CITY CLERK
402 N POKEGAMA AVE
GRAND RAPIDS, MN 55744
PHONE: (218)-326.6711
“The City is what it is because our citizens are what they are.”
~Plato
True, yes!?!?! The people that live and work in our communities
are, indeed, what makes each City unique. Upon returning from
a recent vacation, I did the things we all do. I rifled through my
inbox and email, chatted up the Department Heads, and visited
with the Mayor, trying to find the balance that we seem to lose
when we’re away from our “space” for a time. Like a newborn
fawn trying legs for the first time, I tend to wobble around a bit.
And then it happens! A familiar face from the community
appears. A business owner, a recent graduate or that resident
who likes to go for walks and City Hall happens to be a place to
stop and visit. All of a sudden, balance. Because that’s why
we’re here. That’s why we do what we do. For them. Yeah, it’s
pretty awesome! Just a silly moment of sharing before getting on
with business.
Region II hosted two trainings for Data Practices, first in May at
the City of Breezy Point and then in June at the City of Two
Harbors. Between the two, we had 48 attendees! Thank you to
the cities that hosted. As we move forward, our next trainings
are tentatively scheduled for October 22nd & October 23rd, in
Pillager and Tower. We are still working on the details but plan
to have presentations on pay equity, meeting procedures and
minutes and conflict of interest. If you have other topics that you
would like to see covered, please let me know asap and I’ll do
my best to get them in the fall.
And because I’m a planner, I want to remind everyone that my
term as VP will be up in March 2016. This has been an amazing
opportunity and I thank you all for your patience and support. If
you are interested in serving the MCFOA in this capacity, or as
the Assistant VP, please complete the Board Application Form
on the MCFOA website.
Enjoy the rest of your summer and may your fall be filled with
ever changing color!
MARTY BODE, VP ADMINISTRATOR-CLERK-TREASURER
PO BOX 400
RICHMOND, MN 56368
PHONE: (320)597-2075
Greetings from Region III. I would like to introduce Thomas
Schmitz as the new Region III Assistant Vice President. Tom has
been the City Administrator of the City of Browns Valley for
almost three years. Prior to this position Tom was the Traverse
County Director of Emergency Management for 6 years and at the
same time was also a Emergency Preparedness Planner for West
Central Environmental Consultants. Tom is also a retired EMT of
30 plus years. Welcome aboard, Tom.
We are in the early phase of planning our next Region III training
and meeting to be held on Wednesday, October 14 and Angela
Jacobson of the City of Osakis has agreed to be the host City.
Please mark your calendar. We are still working on a topic so if
you have some ideas on a great topics let me know. Also, for
future meeting if you have any suggestions for topics and or
would like to host a Region III meeting, let me know. Please feel
free to call or email me if you have any questions or concerns.
The last Region III meeting was held June 10, in Alexandria and
was well attended. Captain Scott Kent of the Alexandria Police
Department presented on “Workplace Violence and Dealing With
Difficult Customers”. Steve Wischmann, partner with KDV,
discussed “Your City - Are You At Risk For Fraud?” We ended
the day with a walking tour of the downtown area that recently
went through a street and sidewalk reconstruction. Our tour guide
was Tim Schoonhoven, PE with Widseth Smith Nolting. Thank
you to all the presenters and to those who attended. Also, thank
you to the City of Alexandria and Kathy Summer for hosting the
meeting! Great job!
I did attend the IIMC conference in Connecticut this past May and
it was a great conference. Next year’s conference is in Omaha
Nebraska. I would encourage you to consider attending. It will be
a great car-pooling opportunity and I’m sure you will not regret it!
Will someone please slow the clock down, I love summer and it is
going by way too fast!
BETSY SNYDER, VP
CITY CLERK/TREASURER
PO BOX 9
MILROY, MN 56263
PHONE: (507) 336-2495
Hello Region V Members!
On June 17, 2015 our region had 12 participants attend “City
Hall safety, protecting yourself and city staff” at the City of
Wood Lake. Thank You to Brenda Drager for making us feel
welcome!
Mark your calendars for Friday, September 18, 2015. Our next
Region Meeting will be held at the Grandview Valley Winery
near Belview, MN. The topic is yet to be determined.
If anyone would like to host an upcoming meeting please let me
know! If you know of anyone who would be a good speaker or
a topic that you are interested in please send me an email!
AUDRA ETZEL, VP
DEPUTY CLERK
6031 MAIN STREET
ROCKFORD, MN 55353
PHONE: (763)-477-6565
Greetings Region IV
Mark your calendar for Wednesday, August 12th. We will have a
Regional Meeting in West St. Paul to discuss: Legislative
Updates/Employment Applications and Gambling. In September
we will have a meeting to discuss liquor issues with MN Dept of
Alcohol and Gambling on licensing brew pubs, distilleries, etc…
And a session on document imaging work flow is being
considered. Watch for an email update on these events. Contact
Audra or Cathy if you have meeting suggestions!
Now that it is the 2016 budget season, consider attending the
following: MCFOA Conference in March, Minnesota Municipal
Clerks Institute (1 week a year for three years) in May, IIMC’s
Annual Conference located in Nebraska in May, Advanced
Academy in September. To fit these great opportunities into your
budget, consider carpooling and sharing a room.
Remember, if you or an MCFOA member is retiring, please let me
know and we’ll help celebrate their years of service as a city
employee!
If you are not getting the Region IV email updates and would like
to receive them, please email your contact information to:
Audra Etzel and Cathy Sorensen
Region IV President Region IV Assistant President
LINDA RAPPE, VP
CITY CLERK
401 5TH STREET SE
KASSON, MN 55944
PHONE: (507) 634-6324
I have to apologize for not having a meeting since February. But I
am going to make this up with a bang! As I am writing this we
have a meeting planned for tomorrow, July 23 in Lake City. Can
you think of a better place to be in July!!! Steve Pedersen from the
Gambling Control board will talk about Bingo, pull tabs and
raffles! August 27 Stephanie Pocklington has invited us to Pine
Island to listen to Greg Van Wormer from the League of MN
Cities regale us about Cyber Security and Sean Scrampton from
Cities Digital will give a demonstration on Laserfiche. Heather is
planning a meeting for end of Sept/Oct at their local brewery in
Montgomery. The Bureau of Alcohol and Gambling will be there
to tell us about licensing tap rooms and brew pubs and I will have
a session on filling out your certification paperwork for MCFOA
and IIMC. Bring your forms and information and we will have
one on one time to get it all filled out and ready for you to send in
when you get back to the office! If you have other suggestions
please let us know or if you have ideas on speakers that is also
helpful. If you would like to host a meeting please contact me or
Heather.
I would like to extend a special Congratulations to Sue Cain from
Elgin. Sue will be retiring August 31 after 10 years in Elgin.
Jerilyn Horton-Schuman will be taking Sue’s position and working
with her starting August 3. Welcome Jerilyn! Please feel free to
call on me, Heather or any of your fellow clerks with questions
you may have! My contact information is above. Heather’s is:
Heather Slechta, Assistant Vice President
City of Montgomery (507)-364-8888
2015-2016 Membership Dues
MCFOA’s Membership year runs from July 1 to June 30 of each year. Renewal notices for the 2015-2016 membership year were sent out in May. Reminder notices will be sent in August to those members who have not yet renewed their dues for the year. A few things to remember: 1. Members sometimes pay their dues in January or February,
just before the annual conference, but remember that dues paid at that time are for the current membership year, not the upcoming year.
2. It is the member’s responsibility to get back into the correct rotation for paying dues.
3. It is VERY important to return a membership application with your payment so that our Treasurer and Administrative Assistant know who the payment is for.
4. Please make sure you are mailing your form and payment to the current year Treasurer, Marita Rhude at the City of Barrett.
If you would like to verify if your 2015-2016 dues have been paid yet, please email Administrative Assistant Angie Storlie at [email protected]
IIMC Region VI Director update
Anne Uecker, City Clerk/Treasurer, St. Francis, WI
[email protected] (414)316-4305
Pam DeMouth, City Clerk, Ankeny, Iowa
[email protected] (515)965-6405
“Seasons Change and So Do We” was the theme for the 2015 IIMC conference held in
Hartford Connecticut. It was the first year for the four day conference opposed to the
five day schedule in previous years. For those of you who attended the conference, we
would love to hear any thoughts/suggestions you would like to share regarding this
change.
At the annual member meeting held May 20th, during the Hartford conference, two
separate requests relating to the IIMC Constitution were submitted for
consideration. The requests relate to the following: a) The first request pertains to the
election of the incoming Vice President of IIMC and the consideration of possible changes
to the current process; and b) The second request pertains to any proposed constitutional
amendment being distributed to the entire membership prior to discussion at the Annual
Business Meeting.
IIMC President Monica Simmons, established a Constitution Task Force for the purpose
of reviewing the two requests and issuing subsequent Task Force findings and
recommendations for consideration by the Board of Directors during the November 2015
mid-year meeting. To ensure broad representation on the Task Force, she requested the
nomination of one region member representative from each of the eleven regions. We are
happy to say that Anne and I nominated Daniel Buchholtz, Administrator, Clerk/
Treasurer of City of Spring Lake Park, MN to serve on the Task Force for Region VI.
We know Dan will be a good representative on this task force.
For those of you who are not members of IIMC, we would encourage you to consider
membership. IIMC is 10,000 plus members strong and we would love you to become a
member of this great organization. As a member, you would have the opportunity to
attend the May, 2016 conference in Omaha, Nebraska. A great opportunity as Omaha,
Nebraska is right in the middle of the Midwest…so close. Many of you could possibly
drive, car-pool or charter bus. I know the Omaha City Clerk and Nebraska clerks are
planning a great conference with many fun events. Scholarship opportunities are
available to assist with the cost of the conference registration. Feel free to contact Anne
or myself and we would be happy to provide you information on those scholarship
opportunities.
Lastly, Anne and I would like to thank Linda Rappe, City Clerk, City of Kasson, MN for
her great service as Region VI Director for the past three years. She represented all
Minnesota Clerks, as well as Iowa and Wisconsin Clerks, proudly. Thank you, Linda!
News from the Institute Director’s desk!
I hope all of you are having a wonderful summer! I entered the season feeling great about the outstanding final participant numbers for
this spring’s Minnesota Municipal Clerks Institute (MMCI). We had 130 total attendees, with a rise in numbers for all classes, and the
largest year one class to date! Congratulations to all of our hard-working 2015 graduates!
This year, in preparation for the MMCI, the team at SCSU did more to spread the word about our educational offerings that have clerks
in mind. We also worked hard to more thoroughly and clearly communicate Institute policies to attendees. Finally, this year we added a
President’s Luncheon that contained valuable certification information as well as a much-appreciated visit from the Secretary of State,
Steve Simon. In the months moving forward, we will be working with the Institute Committee to further enhance the Institute
curriculum. So look for updates on that in the future!
Soon after the MMCI, I had the pleasure of representing our state for the first time as an Institute Director at the IIMC conference in
Hartford, Connecticut. Networking with other Institute Directors was extremely beneficial and gave me many ideas for potential use in
the curriculum work mentioned above.
In other news, the Advanced Academy Committee and I are looking forward to this year’s Advanced Academy, to be held September
10 and 11 in Bemidji at The Sanford Center, with a focus on project management. Attendees will learn to manage projects under the
constraints of scope, cost, and time, to successfully achieve specific objectives. One component of the program will be learning to
manage resources efficiently using Neurolinguistic Programming, a skills toolkit focused on science-based communication that teaches
people how to understand, identify, and manage people and patterns. Members of the Advanced Academy Committee and I recently
held a meeting with our instructors to discuss specific examples of real-world problems in the day-to-day life of clerks, with which case
studies will be developed for participant exercises at the event. Registration information is available at: www.scsutraining.com/MCAA.
I look forward to seeing some of you at the Advanced Academy in September, and as always please feel free to reach out to me with
ideas or questions.
Enjoy the sunshine!
Jennifer Janasie
320-308-3050
What Is An Athenian Dialogue? Dialogues are conversations that go beyond the usual knowledge recall and application process familiar to all municipal clerks in training seminars. They are unique because they explore leadership principles and practice, drawing on the insights contained in a book that all participants have read. Dialogues are conversations in which clerks share their experience and understanding as it relates to the ideas of the author and the relevance of those ideas to their public leadership role. The premise of the Athenian Dialogue Society is the idea that clerks are leaders in very profound yet subtle ways. Leadership here is not the transactional vending machine citizens seem to believe about public management. The interest and involvement of the participants, as well as the author's specific focus and emphasis, require that the facilitator move with purpose using language of meaning, feeling, and power. Participants devote a full day (6 hours) to a Dialogue and come away intellectually enriched by this communication experience. Clerk leadership is more transformational in nature. That is to say, the contribution of clerks to municipal leadership changes the perception of colleagues and citizens about the role and purpose of government.
How does an Athenian Dialogue Work?
Participates read the selected/approved book prior to the Dialogue. The day of the dialogue, a facilitator will lead the group in
a 6 hour discussion about the book and its leadership qualities. All participates will receive a certificate of attendance. If you
would like to earn 3 points towards your certifications you must complete an assessment assigned by the facilitator after the
dialogue. If you attend 10 Dialogues you can become an Athenian Leadership Society Fellow by applying to the IIMC.
Watch upcoming newsletters from the MCFOA and IIMC for details on Athenian Dialogues
scheduled in your area.
MCFOA offers a World of Opportunities in 2016
Planning for the March 15-18, 2016 MCFOA Annual Conference is well underway, thanks to the Planning Committee
and to the many members who took part in the planning survey. Watch the MCFOA website and GTS website for
updates and registration information over the coming months.
While March 2016 seems a long way away, it’s not too early to make your hotel reservations in St. Cloud. To do so,
download the lodging form from MCFOA's event homepage on the GTS website, http://mngts.org/MCFOA/. Or click on
the link MCFOA Lodging Form.
This year’s conference will feature election-related pre-conference and general sessions and a bank of three-hour
workshops on Wednesday afternoon. In addition to the new Secretary of State, the keynote speakers will be Mark
Lindquist and Chris Carter.
If you know of a vendor that you feel would be a benefit to have at the exhibit show, please forward this information to
Karen Beaulieu, Conference & Tradeshow Manager, or have the vendor get in touch with her at [email protected].
SUMMER & FALL 2015
LAND USE PLANNING WORKSHOPS
The Basics of Planning and Zoning Thursday, September 10, 2015
Shoreview Community Center in Shoreview, MN (full-day) - $135
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Sanford Convention Center, Bemidji (in conjunction with the 2015
APA Minnesota Conference) (morning) - $70
Beyond the Basics of Planning and Zoning (full day)
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Shoreview Community Center in Shoreview, MN - $135
A Practical Guide to Variances in Shorelands and Floodplains (afternoon) Thursday, October 22, 2015 Best Western Kelly Inn in St. Cloud, MN - $70
Comprehensive Planning -- It’s Not The Same Old, Same Old (full day) Wednesday, October 28, 2015 Doubletree by Hilton in Bloomington - $110
To register: Please go to www.mngts.org and click on the Land Use title.
The MCFOA wishes a very Happy Retirement to the following members:
John (Jac) Kleinschmidt, City of Morgan - 42 years of service
Wanda Berg-Vorgert, City of Battle Lake - 19 years of service
Pat Nusbaum, City of Elysian - 4 years of service
Catherine Ekstrand, City of Blaine - 10 years of service
Doris Nivala, City of Ham Lake - 36 1/2 years of service
MCFOA Board members enjoying
the banquet at the IIMC
conference in Hartford, CT.
Minnesota Municipal Clerks Institute 2015 Graduates
Lisa Acker (Deputy Clerk)
City of Red Wing
Cindy Anderson (Utility Billing Clerk)
City of Richmond
Adam Bell (City Clerk)
City of Lake Elmo
Jane Blank (City Clerk/Treasurer)
City of Beaver Creek
Andrew Carlson (City Clerk/Treasurer)
City of Cokato
Phillip Dassinger (Clerk)
City of Ogema
Tara DeGuiseppi (Clerk/Treasurer)
City of Bovey
Tracey Hartung (Clerk/Treasurer)
City of Carlton
Sandra Hennen (Clerk-Treasurer)
City of Echo
Karissa Henning (HR/Deputy Clerk)
City of Isanti
Claire Huisman (Clerk Assistant)
City of Ely
Shawna Jenkins (City Clerk)
City of Princeton
Rebecca Jurrens (City Clerk)
City of Taunton
Jodi Knaus (Clerk/Office Manager)
White Township
Erin Konkel (City Clerk/Treasurer)
City of Spring Grove
Karin Krueger (Deputy Clerk)
City of Aurora
Shelli Krueth (Clerk/Treasurer)
City of Kelliher
Ella Kruse (Deputy Clerk)
City of Brownton
Kristi Kvaal (Administrative Assistant)
City of Dawson
Tori Leonhardt (Accounting Clerk)
White Bear Township
Shannon Mackey (Deputy Clerk)
City of Biwabik
Nancy Malecha (Finance Administrator/Deputy City Clerk)
City of Pequot Lakes
Margaret McCallum (Assistant to the City Administrator)
City of Maple Plain
Lorene McWaters (Executive Assistant)
City of Eden Prairie
Sandra Meer (Clerk/Treasurer)
City of Holdingford
Megan Nelson (Executive Assistant)
City of East Grand Forks
Kim Points (Administrator/Clerk)
City of Willernie
Thomas Schmitz (Administrator)
City of Browns Valley
Mary Schneider (Clerk Treasurer)
City of Loretto
Heather Slechta (Clerk-Treasurer)
City of Montgomery
Annita Smythe (City Administrator)
City of Cokato
Vicky Sons-Eiden (Deputy Clerk)
City of Carver
Krista Weigel (Administrative/Program Assistant)
City of Kasson