The media continues to find no shortage of material for stories on data breaches. What’s different about recent stories is that cybercriminals are changing their mode of attack to different and unsuspecting targets, and they’re targeting less in financial gain and more in sensitive information. This is sad news for local governments that are now at significant risk for data breaches. Insecure board communications at the municipal government level can cost local governments an immense amount of money and legal expense. More importantly, data breaches negatively impact public … [Read more...] about The Dangers of Insecure Municipal Board Communications
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6 Tips to Improve Your Professional Presence and Gain More Influence as a Clerk
As a Municipal Clerk you are always on. Whether at the office, at the monument dedication, or even at the grocery store, as a Clerk you must always exude professional presence when you are in public. A professional presence will help you to achieve many of your goals as a Clerk. A polished image can assist in getting that budget approved, being calm and poised during meetings, and becoming a charismatic good will ambassador for your office and your community. Professionals that have a ‘presence’ are described as having ‘that something’ or having an ‘aura.' Perhaps people like John F. … [Read more...] about 6 Tips to Improve Your Professional Presence and Gain More Influence as a Clerk
Choosing a Government Management Solution That Works for Your Board
If you’re a city clerk, city manager or council member, and you’ve been using manual systems for a long time, you probably know that electronic solutions could make your work much easier. Perhaps you’re just not sure what programs are out there that will actually work for your board to solve the daily problems you experience. You know what you want the programs to do for you and you want something that is intuitive and easy to learn — something where users can get up to speed on using it quickly. Preferably, you’d like solutions that were designed by a company that understands the needs and … [Read more...] about Choosing a Government Management Solution That Works for Your Board
How to Increase Public Engagement with the Right Meeting Management Solution
Is anybody actually reading these public notices in newspapers? And if they are, you can’t expect the average person to actually be motivated to participate in a local government’s public engagement process. In a TED Talk by Dave Meslin (video below) he effectively illustrates how ridiculous a Nike ad in this format would look. Now, It’s been a longstanding requirement in both Canada and the United States that public notices from the government be published, several times in some cases, in local newspapers. But these laws were introduced during a time when newspapers were the major source … [Read more...] about How to Increase Public Engagement with the Right Meeting Management Solution
Why Transparency is Key for Local Government Boards
People are inherently mistrustful. It’s common for people to be even more mistrustful of governmental entities. The economic crisis has trickled down to state and local governments, causing them to tighten up budgets and be cautious with spending. Times of drastic change cause people to be even more skeptical than normal, especially when they’re not able to understand the reasons for fast or sudden changes. Most municipal leaders believe that transparency is a vital ingredient in freedom and democracy. Municipal leaders often want to be more open, but they struggle with how to get … [Read more...] about Why Transparency is Key for Local Government Boards
How Clerks Can Structure a Meeting Agenda to Drive Efficiency
An agenda is a written plan for a meeting that outlines topics for board discussion and formats them in the proper order. While creating an agenda sounds simple enough, the manner in which clerks structure the agenda drives the meeting’s efficiency. The structure of the agenda makes it easy for the board chair or meeting facilitator to keep the meeting flowing and on track. Agendas can be simple or complex, written or online. Municipal clerks can customize the agenda according to the needs of the council. With an online agenda software program like iCompass’s Meeting Manager, the process … [Read more...] about How Clerks Can Structure a Meeting Agenda to Drive Efficiency