• Municipal Clerks Week
• 38th Annual WMCA Conference
• WCEF Scholarships
• Northern Wisconsin Training
• Lifetime Achievement Award
• Running for Office
• Volunteer for a Committee
• New Certification
• PEC Annual Awards
• Dept. of Justice Article
• Silent Auction
• Our Super Associates
• WCEF 2018 Money Raffle
  

DISTRICT MEETINGS

To: Municipal Clerks and Treasurers

The Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) is providing a reminder to complete your Board of Review (BOR) training affidavit.

• File your BOR Training Affidavit (Form PA-107) with DOR every year attesting you have a trained BOR member for your current BOR
• Note: State law requires one BOR member to attend training every two years

DOR provided additional BOR information on March 29, 2018.

About Us

THE WMCA MISSION:
To be the premier source for the personal empowerment of municipal clerks in Wisconsin through education, professional development, and the promotion of excellence.

Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Assoc.

Website:  wisclerks.org

Wow, what a month April has been thus far!!  I don’t think any of us expected all the snow we have been given in the past week or so.  I’m sure many of you, like me, are ready for Spring to arrive already.   Now that the Spring Election is past, we can focus on our Board of Reviews and Liquor License renewals.  This will keep us all very busy!

If you haven’t checked out our new website, please be sure to do so.  There is so much wonderful information provided for you there and it’s set up so things are easier to navigate and find what you are looking for.  Kudos to Faith on all of the hard work she put into getting this up and running!

Municipal Clerks Week is just around the corner, from May 6-12, 2018.  We have received a signed proclamation from Governor Walker celebrating Wisconsin’s Municipal Clerks.  Click here for a Word version of the Clerks Proclamation and please consider adding this to your Board or Council agenda and have your community recognize you for all of the critical work you do for the Board/Council and your community.  Without the Municipal Clerk, the hub of the community, the work, including Elections, would come to a standstill.  IIMC provides a number of materials you can use to promote Municipal Clerks week.

This is the opportunity to recognize and congratulate your fellow Clerks and yourself, not only by your elected officials, but by the public you serve. You’ve worked hard to earn this recognition and I applaud all of you, for all you do!

There are so many great things occurring, now and into May, they should take your mind off the weather and on to brighter things.  Districts are holding their spring training sessions – be sure to check them out on the website.  Remember, you can sign up for ANY District meeting, not just the one in your area.  Sometimes, a training session might be just what you have been wanting and is provided in a part of the state where you have family to visit or have been wanting to discover a new area.  Take advantage of all the beauty our state has to offer and to see other places – you will be amazed at what you see and who you meet along the way!

The Northern Training Conference is available for registration now.  Minocqua is one more beautiful area that many have not had a chance to visit in the past and this training provides the opportunity for Clerks that can’t make it to other trainings, to meet here, make new friends, network with old friends and gain incredible knowledge through the training provided, all while working toward your WCMC or WCPC.

We will be holding our May WMCA board meeting on Friday, May 11^th at 11:00 a.m. at the Waters of Minocqua as part of the Northern Training session.  Please consider attending our meeting to hear what the Board and Committees have been working on and to consider running for office or becoming involved at the Committee level in the next year.  1^st Vice President Kelly Michaels (City of Brookfield) is currently working on her committee appointments in preparation for taking over as President at conference in August.  WMCA is an association of the members.  Become involved to see it achieve the goals you would like to see for our success.  I look forward to meeting more of you there!

Have an amazing rest of April and think Spring!!

Barb Goeckner, President

Click here to check out the great line-up of “Super” classes listed in the brochure.  The training starts with everyone attending the Election Updates class with the WEC.  After that, you pick the breakouts you need to become a “Super Clerk”. 

Click here to go to the on-line Northern WI Super Clerk in Training registration website for all the details.

Would you love to attend both days but can only get away one day or one morning or one afternoon?  That works!  Choose from the ala carte menu and attend when you can.

 What is a Lifetime Achievement Award?
This award is the Wisconsin Municipal Clerk’s Association’s most prestigious.  It was originally known as the Clerk of the Year Award, and the name was changed in 1999 to the Lifetime Achievement Award to better reflect the long-term commitment of the recipient clerk.  The award was developed to recognize clerks for outstanding contributions and commitment to their local municipality and their profession.  The award itself is characteristic of the Wisconsin Municipal Clerk profession, having an inscription of the title of the award, the year, and the name of the recipient.

Who is eligible for the Lifetime Achievement Award?
Must be a current member of the WMCA for at least five years, hold the position of municipal or deputy clerk, exhibit leadership ability, have received or currently hold certification as a Municipal Clerk (WCMC, CMC, MMC, WCPC), be active in the WMCA by serving on the Board of Directors, serving on a committee, attending annual conferences, workshops, or trainings.
Click here to read on . . .

Click here to go to the Nomination forms on the WMCA website.

The WMCA is looking for a few good members to run for office on the WMCA Board of Directors.  Have you been an Active Member of the WMCA for a few years and ready to give something back for what you have gained from this association.  This is your chance!

You need to fill out and send in the 2018-2019 Board of Directors Packet or you can find it on the WMCA website.  June 1st is the deadline for the Board of Director Application to be submitted electronically to the WMCA Executive Director at ExecDirector@wisclerks.org and/or mailed to the WMCA Office at 1414 Montclair Place, Fort Atkinson, WI  53558.   Applications must be received by 4:00 pm and include a letter of support from your immediate supervisor/primary elected official.
Here are the open positions for the 2018-2019 year.  You can read a short job description on page 4 of the packet.

• 2nd Vice President- the person elected to this seat will move up to 1st Vice-President and then President.   The candidate for this position must have been a Committee Chair or have held another position on the Board of Directors.

• Secretary—one-year term
• Treasurer – two-year term
• Director-at-Large-one-year term

No prior position on the Board is required for Secretary, Treasurer or Director-at-Large positions.

If you have any questions, please contact any of the current WMCA Board of Directors for more information.

A New Year Stands Before Us,

Like a Chapter in a Book

Waiting to be Written. 

M. Beattie

by 1st Vice President Kelly Michaels

The WMCA Conference is just four months away and the search has begun for members interested in serving on committees during the 2018-2019 term.  

Benefits to Participating in a Committee:

By participating, you can influence the quality and direction of WMCA policies and procedures.  This is your association and how better to affect how your association supports you and your fellow Clerks, than to participate on a committee or two. What's more, you'll reap personal and professional rewards by participating.

• Interact and network with other Clerks from around the state to not only make new friends but gain a broader knowledge and technical expertise in your field.  Learn how others deal with common issues and how to avoid or resolve similar issues in your municipality.
• Realize the satisfaction of seeing your own efforts incorporated into the workings of your WMCA.
• Broaden your understanding of how your association works to supports you and then share the gift of your knowledge with others.  Share your leadership!

Click here for the committee descriptions!   We have seats available on all committees, so tell me what strikes your fancy!  Email Kelly Michaels at:  michaels@ci.brookfield.wi.us

The PEC Awards – Profession Education Annual Certificates

This application is designed for annual recognition of your extraordinary efforts for completing additional education to gain knowledge of the current laws and processes to assist you and your municipality towards a productive and efficient office.

Send in the 2017-2018 PEC Annual Application Form on or before June 1st this year and attach the required documentation for proof of attendance.  The Certification Committee will review your annual application and verify the points you have earned. Then you will be recognized at the annual WMCA Conference and receive a Diamond, Gold or Silver Certificate for your achievements.*

The Certificates are based on the following hours per year:
Silver Certificate for 25-50 hours
Gold Certificate for 51-74 hours
Diamond Certificate for 75+ hours

In addition, all courses listed in this application count toward state certification and will be tracked and documented for you by the WMCA. After you have accumulated the required points for certification, you will send in the certification application with a copy of the annual certificates you have received.  You will not need to send in all of the individual certificates of attendance again!  The $20 annual fee will be deducted from the regular certification fee for every annual certificate you use.

*You do not have to be working toward certification to qualify for the annual certificate.

If you have any questions about allowable courses, contact one of the Certification Committee Chair Julee Helt at jhelt@waunakee.com or the WMCA office at ExecDirector@wisclerks.org or call the WMCA Office at 1-920-568-9278.

Did you know there are mandatory requirements
for municipalities to maintain law enforcement employment records?

The Wisconsin Department of Justice, Training and Standards Bureau is responsible for insuring all Law Enforcement, Jail and Secure Detention Officers employed by agencies are in compliance with minimum qualifications to be certified in Wisconsin.  The Training and Standards Bureau employs five Field Representatives who are entrusted with significant responsibilities including: oversight of preparatory law enforcement and jail officer academy training to insure compliance with Wisconsin Law Enforcement Standards Board (LESB) standards, provide training to correct deficiencies to law enforcement agencies and LESB certified training academies, make recommendations for certification of academies and attend local law enforcement executive board meetings as a representative of Training and Standards.  The Field Representatives are subject matter experts bringing a wealth of experience from law enforcement careers with decades of service throughout the state of Wisconsin. 

WCEF Silent Auction is Just Around the Corner! 
Which District’s Superhero Will Conquer the WMCA World?

What is Silent Auction you ask?  The Silent Auction is one of the main scholarship fundraisers held every year during the WMCA Annual Conference.  It is sponsored by the Wisconsin Clerk’s Education Fund—a committee of WMCA.  Funds raised go back to our own Clerks around the State in the form of scholarships to attend the Northern Training Days or the Annual Conference.  In the last two years alone, WCEF has awarded over $14,000 in scholarships thanks to your support.

What do you mean, which district’s superhero will conquer the WMCA World?  2018 is the third year the Silent Auction includes a competition among the districts.  The district that receives the highest bid on the basket it donates to the Silent Auction is the winner.  This year’s theme is Super Clerk and as such, the Silent Auction district basket theme is Superheroes.  Each district has either chosen or been assigned a Superhero, and the basket should represent that Superhero in some fashion.  District 2 was the winning district in 2016, and District 4 won in 2017.

How do you get involved?  Contact your district director to find out if she or he is coordinating the basket donations or if someone else in your district has volunteered to do it.  Then make your donation in the form of items or cash to purchase the items that go with your Superhero theme.  Many districts will be accepting donations at their Spring District Meeting, too.

Is there another way to get involved in the Silent Auction?  Yes!  You can donate items to the Silent Auction that have nothing to do with Superheroes.  Here are some examples of items you might consider:  purses, sporting event tickets, tools, beauty care items, lawn ornaments, funky ties, artwork, and crafts to name a few.

Still have questions?  Please feel free to contact the WCEF Chair, Racquel Shampo-Giese at gieser@combinedlocks.org