Special May 2020 WMCA E-Newsletter

Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association Monthly Newsletter

Hard to Believe it’s May Already!!!!  May is the month of spring, which to me means rebirth, moving forward and warmer weather.  I am looking forward to the warmth and reenergizing.  Like you, I find myself still digging out and starting to prepare for August.  I am truly enjoying my Presidential term, but I admit, I never envisioned having to deal with a pandemic and how that would affect our daily lives, WMCA and Elections.  As busy as April was, I embraced my role as the voice of WMCA and made time to talk to many organizations, about what else ….. Elections!  Some of the organizations that reached out were the USPS; Wisconsin Watch; UW Madison; WEC; the League; PolitiFact; FOX News, Journal/Sentinel; Government Relations; Wisconsin Public Radio; CBS 58; TMJ 4; and the Governor’s office along with several Senators and Legislators.  They all wanted to know how COVID-19 was affecting us, what measures we put in place to run a safe election, how we were preparing for the 7^th Congressional District Election, what did we need that we didn’t have, how the election workload affected our other duties, did we have enough pollworkers, the cost to mail ballots, voter turnout – absentee versus at the poll, and so many more questions.  I also heard from so many of you during the last several months and I drew from the information you provided; your fears and concerns, as well as my experiences, and did my very best to represent each and every one of you for the job you did, your creativity, stamina, dedication and resolve by answering the questions honestly while making sure I stated to each and every one of them, that you are Professionals.

Safer-At-Home Order:  As you know, on May 13^th the Wisconsin State Supreme Court reversed the governor’s “Safer at Home” order which basically means all businesses are permitted to open without restrictions.  What is important for all of us is that we get back to business safely.  The actions we have taken over the past months in our communities have worked and can continue to work if we use common sense through this transition. The following links offer some best practices/guidance for businesses that you can share with your community.  Click on the title to bring up the documents.

WI Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) Best Practices to ReOpen
Business Reopening Guides
WI Restaurant Association Reopening Checklist
WI Restaurant Association COVID-19 Reopening Guide

Did You Know: May 15^th is National Pizza Day / May 16^th is National Armed Forces Day and National Mimosa Day / May 17^th is National Walnut Day.  Sounds like a fun weekend to me 😊

 VISION:  On May 7^th, I called a WMCA Board of Directors meeting to discuss the August 2020 WMCA Annual Conference in Chula Vista.  We reported with a heavy heart in a “Message to the Membership” that the Board unanimously voted to cancel the conference.  The cancellation opened new doors for opportunity in how we will bring education to you without a conference.  On May 14^th the New Clerk’s Class Committee met to discuss this new Vision of how we will provide virtual training and what topics will be offered.  I would like to recognize and thank the members of this Committee Cindy Hegglund, Jo Ann Lesser, Lynn Pepper, and Elena Hilby who along with Faith Elford, will be putting together training videos and making them available to the membership on the WMCA Website.  You will be notified as soon as we are ready to launch!

VICTORY:  You made it through a February, very tough and taxing April and May Elections ……. Need I say more!!!  You deserve to be recognized by your community, elected officials, residents, County, and State Representatives for doing your job with integrity, transparency and most importantly under the duress of a pandemic and an avalanche of mail absentee ballots.  There was no right or wrong way to deal with what you faced – we had no handbook for this.  The Victory also served as a learning opportunity for us and has given us tools to better handle and prepare for August and November and hopefully reinforced your confidence in your ability to be able to handle anything that comes your way.  Be Proud of Yourself and Your Staff – You Achieved Success!

I would like to end by recognizing Memorial Day on May 25^th which honors those who sacrificed their lives while serving in the United States Armed Forces.  I plan to spend some quiet time to think about and honor those who never made it back home and their families.  We have so much to be thankful for.  Diane

The WMCA Annual Conference might be cancelled but we are still looking to honor a municipal clerk or deputy clerk with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.

If you know a clerk that merits consideration for the Lifetime Achievement Award, please act quickly.

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.

What is the process for nomination?  Nomination forms must be received by the WMCA Executive Director by June 14^th.  Click here for the Guidelines and Nomination Form on the WMCA website.

When and how will the award be presented?  An exact date has not been determined and the details will remain secret, but the Lifetime Achievement Committee will make sure it is a memorable moment for the recipient.

This article is worth repeating - It is that time of year when we are looking for a few good leaders to serve on the WMCA Board of Directors.  The positions that are open are 2^nd Vice President; Secretary; Treasurer and Director-at-Large.  Please note that the 2^nd Vice President position ascends to the Presidency in three years.   All other positions are term positions.  I know that some do not want to run if they are going to step on someone elses toes - but I can tell you that we need a new Director-At-Large person to step forward.  Jill Kenda-Lubetski is going to retire this next year and is not running for the position again.  I have not heard from anyone else on the other positions.

You need to fill out and send in the 2020-2021 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 on June 1st and include a letter of support from your immediate supervisor/primary elected official.  You can read a short job description on page 4 of the packet.

DIRECTORS NEEDED
We are looking for District Directors in District 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 & 8.  While I have received a nominee for Districts 3, 5, 6, and 7.  District 1, 2, and 8 - we need you!
District Directors work in a Co-Directors team with one vote on the Board.  A Co-Director has a two-year term and we stagger the terms between the Co-Directors of a District.  That way there is always one Director that knows some history of the job.  
​The duties involve working with the Executive Director to develop one-day district meetings in the Fall and Spring.  The Co-Directors determine what classes to offer and contact speakers.  The Executive Director assists in finding places to meet and ordering the food for the day as well as negotiating the prices, creating the meeting registration forms and taking in the money for you.  The Directors just need to be at the meeting to check people in from a sign in sheet created and sent to you by the Executive Director.  At lunch time you report to the members about what is happening with the Board of Directors and upcoming events.   Also as a District Director you are part of the WMCA Board of Directors which meets 4-5 times per year in-person or via telephone.  You are part of the decision-making body representing member Clerks from your district!  The Board keeps the WMCA growing and sets the pace for helping clerks into the future. 

If you are interested in becoming a District Co-Director or wish to nominate someone else, please reply to Faith as soon as possible.  District Directors DO NOT have to fill out the Board Packet.  If we receive more than one candidate for the position, there will be an electronic election in your District later in June.

If you have any further questions regarding any of the positions above, contact the Executive Director.

Annual
Professional Education Certificates
Have Your Educational Efforts Recognized
Deadline:  June 1st

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 2019-2020 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 will be mailed if we do not have our annual conference.

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 the Certification Committee Chair Melissa Blease  at Cambriadeputy@gmail.com or the WMCA office at ExecDirector@wisclerks.org or call the WMCA Office at 1-920-568-9278.

President Coenen is always so good about reminding us of our holidays and I wanted to add to her thoughts on Memorial Day.
The “National Day of Remembrance” resolution passed in December of 2000, asks that at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day, all Americans “voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to “Taps”.

The veterans organizations also remind everyone in the community to show respect by flying their American flags.  If a flag is flown on a flagpole, the flag should be flown at half-staff until noon, at which time it should be raised fully.

I thank you for your observance and honoring of this holiday.

Faith A. Elford
WMCA Executive Director and
Chaplain of the Wisconsin Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary

 Issue #6  
Special May 2020

In This Issue

• President's Message
• Leaders Wanted
• District Directors Needed
• PEC Certificate
• Lifetime Achievement
• Memorial Day
  

40th Anniversary WMCA Conference
The 40th Anniversary WMCA Conference has been cancelled for 2020.  Please know that if you had already made a hotel reservation, Chula Vista will cancel it and will be giving back the deposits as soon as they can.

The Institute in July will still be held this year in a new, VIRTUAL platform. This means that there will be no in-person classes.  You will participate in a mixture of live formatted classes using Zoom and pre-recorded, online courses.  The Zoom classes will also be recorded for those who are unable to view them live.  You will have a window of time to view the pre-recorded courses at your convenience. We are very excited to explore this new, virtual platform with you all!

LODGING UPDATE: Your lodging reservation at the Radisson Hotel or Wingate has been cancelled for you. There is nothing that you need to do on your end to cancel your hotel room.

Tuition will remain the same at $489.  Your municipality will be saving $460 in lodging plus travel expense.

Registration is still open! To register: https://www.uwgb.edu/govt/clerks-treasurers-institute/fees-and-registration/

We look forward to seeing you virtually in July!

Kassie M. VanRemortel
Director of Government Affairs & Economic Development

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.

Check Out Our Website at:
www.wisclerks.org