Fall Seminar

HELP! Civil Service Changes and Hiring Practices

Municipal government services and challenges keep expanding and our pool of potential public servants continues to shrink. Recently across New York our county governments are struggling to hire and retain quality employees to provide essential services. The good news is that the State has heard our call for needed changes in Civil Service practices that were slowing down or even blocking your ability to hire needed employees in a timely fashion. With the newly installed HELP program, your county can find and put to work employees faster to meet your service challenges. Join this workshop to learn more about the HELP program, how it works and what titles can become eligible for this expedited process. Additionally, this workshop will discuss the latest trends in collective bargaining that will help you better understand recent benefit structures.

Who Wins, Who Loses? Mental Health Competency Restoration v. Treatment  

The SFY 21 Enacted Budget included an assumption requiring the state to charge counties 100 percent of the costs of restoring mentally ill defendants to competency. This policy action resulted in tens of millions of dollars in new expenses for counties, without any changes to treatment plans or input from local county mental health experts. Join us for a discussion on mental health competency restoration, and how counties are advocating to improve this system.

Rural Housing Development: Obstacles, Resources, and Solutions
Much of New York State is comprised of sparsely populated rural areas with an aging housing stock. In fact, 28% of homes in rural portions of the state were built prior to 1940 and face an 18% vacancy rate compared to just 9% in more urban settings. Join us for a conversation to learn more about how your county may benefit from a housing needs assessment, what tools and resources are available to you, and most importantly, how local policy makers can improve their community’s housing profile. 

Rising Together: Women’s Leadership Council Mentorship Program Kick-Off

Join us for the launch of the Women's Leadership Council (WLC)'s mentorship program, designed to foster connections between experienced and emerging county leaders. Share advice, ask questions, and learn what it takes to thrive as a woman in county government.

Tourism, IDAs, and the Local Economy: A Data Discussion

Tourism done right drives sustainable, responsible economic growth through job creation, small business activity, revitalization, increased local and state tax revenues, and a better quality of life and pride of place for the community. A growth in tourism benefits the state, our local communities, businesses, and residents. Join us for a discussion to learn the facts on tourism, and how local IDA’s are driving growth across the state.

Celebrating A Decade of County Climate Leadership

Celebrate ten years of climate action through the Climate Smart Communities program. This session will highlight standout projects, honor significant achievements, and discuss resources to continue driving progress in your county.

Bridging the Gap: The Culture of Poverty & Public Health

Delve into the complex issues of poverty, race, and ethnicity in healthcare. Learn how counties can identify and address disparities to promote equity and improve health outcomes for all residents

How to House the Hard to House

Counties across the state are struggling with finding appropriate shelter for people with mental health, substance abuse, and other behavioral health issues. At the same time, the state is expanding mental health treatment capacity for inpatient psychiatric treatment beds and adding housing units serving individuals with mental illness. This session will highlight how counties are creatively approaching these challenges.

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Building Consensus in a Political Environment

(County Government Institute Core Session) County leaders are often confronted with the need to settle political differences so that the greater interests of the public can be served. During this session, county leaders will learn skills and techniques to help manage and resolve political conflicts. This is an interactive session, where participants will be grouped with other county officials to jointly work on significant issues facing your county so that practical application of the techniques can be demonstrated. This session will be led by representatives from the NYS Dispute Resolution Association. (County Government Institute Core Requirement –4 credits.

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