Virtual Conference Program

9 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.

Welcome Session
Join Executive Director Kevin Bommer as he welcomes you to the 2021 Virtual Conference. Get an overview of the next two days and how you can get the most out of this virtual experience.

9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

General Session:  The Hero Effect: Being Your Best When it Matters the Most!*
In a fresh and entertaining style, Kevin will share ideas, strategies and principles that will inspire and equip attendees to show up every day and make a positive difference. At the heart of his message is a simple, yet powerful philosophy for life that drives every thought, every action and ultimately every result we achieve both personally and professionally. Teams will be motivated to reach beyond what is required and do something remarkable. Achieve greater results by eliminating "ordinary" thinking and mastering the habit of excellence. Own the moments that matter (and they all matter) by taking responsibility for your attitude, actions and results.
Speaker: Kevin Brown

10:15 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

Wellness Break from the City of Westminster

10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Why Is It So Hard To Talk About Race?
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Commonly heard on playgrounds, may of us have heard this mantra, but there's nothing further from the truth.  Words are powerful.  Words can awaken,  inspire, damage, or destroy.  Words can build, tear down, or provide access to understanding.  To fully achieve EQUITY or a state of everyone thriving, we must be vulnerable, authentic, and willing to hear and courageously share our words.  Join Dr. Ryan Ross in a conversation that helps get the EQUITY train on the right track by exploring the power of courageous conversation and our responsibility to engage in it.  Address myths, consider individual lived experiences, and take away valuable tools to support the collective work required to ensure we build equity0minded organizations and communities where everyone thrives. 
Speaker: Dr. Ryan Ross, president/ceo, Urban League Foundation of Colorado

Public Private Partnerships in our Economic Recovery
Our objective for our discussion is to broadly explore the role of public private partnerships in our economic recovery. Congress continues to debate the next phase of funding targeted at stabilizing our economic decline. At the heart of this debate are the fiscal needs of our state and local governments, including government entities who are under incredible fiscal pressures as they attempt to balance their budgets and addressing COVID-19-driven tax revenue losses with existing pension, service and infrastructure liabilities. The American Society of Civil Engineers scorecard provides a deep analysis of our existing infrastructure deficit. As we move from stabilizing our economic decline to economic recovery and growth, we expect government investments in infrastructure to play a critical role. As you know, infrastructure investments are inherently complex, requiring broad stakeholder inputs from our communities coupled with a wide range of expert inputs necessary to mature solutions. The public private partnership development approach we are discussing can play a significant role in our recovery as we leverage equity investment efficiencies, debt risk structuring and adaptive regulatory oversight as a platform to enhance and accelerate these complex demands with collaborative incentives.
Speakers: Codi Newsom, P.E., project director, Northern Colorado Region, VANIR; Michael Palmieri, P3Point; Simon Stachnik, director asset delivery-civil, Plenary and Victoria Taylor, Project Finance Advisory Limited (PFAL)

CLE: Ethics in Negotiations - Boasts, Shading and Impropriety
Arranged by the Attorneys Section. CLE credit has been applied for.
Negotiations are a part of every legal practice, including municipal law.  This ethics session will provide an in-depth view of ethics in negotiations including: Truthful representation vs. zealous representations; Affirmative statements of fact, value or intent in settlements; Silence about adverse law in negotiations; Silence about facts unknown to an opponent or counter-party; Silence about errors in settlement agreements or transactional documents.
Speaker: Thomas E. Spahn, McGuireWoods LLP and Elizabeth Treubert Simon, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

11:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m.

Break

11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Flying Lessons - Decision Making in 4 (or more) Dimensions
Speaker: Irv Halter

12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m.

LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion)
In this session, Alamosa and Jefferson County Public Health will discuss how they implemented LEAD, an evidence based criminal justice reform strategy. They will go over best practices from case management, public health, law enforcement and municipal operations perspectives.
Speakers: Ken Anderson, police chief, City of Alamosa; Heather Brooks, city manager, City of Alamosa; Carey Deacon, community case management program director, Center for Restorative Programs; Dan Earmon, City of Longmont; and Sarah Sweeterman, LEAD project coordinator, City of Lakewood.

How to Use Budget Simulation in any Financial Circumstance
The last 18 months have been a roller coaster for local government finance. Last year’s projected revenue drop was not as bad or widespread as feared and this year’s influx of ARPA stimulus funds is welcome but comes with its own challenges. This session will highlight strategies and successes of local governments from around the state and world who are using budget simulation to put residents in the shoes of public officials to better understand and make hard decisions.
Speaker: Chris Adams, senior fellow, University of Colorado School of Public Affairs and President, Balancing Act and Matthew Behunin, analyst with Larimer County Budget Office

Seven Key Commitments for Success in Public Office*
Presented by CIRSA 
In this presentation, CIRSA General Counsel Sam Light will discuss several core commitments every elected and appointed official should make to enhance their effectiveness as municipal leaders and reduce the risks of liability for themselves and their municipalities.  Among other topics, Sam’s presentation will address the importance of: honoring due process, committing to transparency, supporting your entity’s organizational structure, and observing high standards of ethical conduct.  Whether you are a newly elected or appointed municipal official or have served a few terms, you’ll want to hear this lively presentation on ways you can effectively manage your public officials liability risks. 
Speaker:  Sam Light, general counsel, CIRSA

1:45 p.m.-2:45 p.m.

Using Your Best Tools to Drive Performance -- Your Employees
Decades of research have proven that when individuals have the opportunity to discover their natural talents and purposely develop them into strengths, the effect on individual and organizational performance is transformational. Join Paula Gibson, director, Human Resources for the City of Centennial as she discusses the relationship between strengths and employee engagement and organizational success.
Speakers: Paula Gibson, director of human resources, City of Centennial

From Unconscious Bias to Consciously Inclusive*
In this captivating and interactive presentation, based on her Wall Street Journal national bestselling book INCLUSIFY, Dr. Johnson demonstrates the nature of unconscious bias in a visceral way and then provides simple, research-based practices that interrupt bias and improve decision-making. The course then moves to a focus on how to be proactively inclusive. Most leaders want to be inclusive but just don’t know what steps to take to get there. Dr. Johnson will explain what it takes to make people feel included by digging into our two most basic human needs: to be unique and to belong. She will also explain why this is so important amidst Covid-19 and some of the unique challenges and opportunities that Covid-19 has created for inclusion and belonging. Finally, the presentation will cover strategies for designing more inclusive meetings, cleaning up office housework, and creating culture swaps. The focus will be on creating actionable steps to increase inclusion ranging from increasing transparency, improving selection, and creating more equitable promotion practices.
Speaker: Dr. Stefanie K. Johnson, associate professor, CU Boulder Leeds School of Business

Emerging Issues 2 - The American Rescue Plan Act: How Municipalities Can Access State Funding*
In addition to direct allocation to local governments, the American Rescue Plan Act specified funding to be dispersed and spent by state governments. As a result, several grant programs were created during the 2021 Legislation Session. Additionally, many existing programs were significantly funded. Join the CML Advocacy Team as they walk through the available resources at the state level and how municipalities can access much needed funding.
Speakers: Meghan Dollar, legislative policy manager, Colorado Municipal League, Meghan MacKillop, legislative policy advocate, Colorado Municipal League and Beauclarine Thomas, legislative policy advocate, Colorado Municipal League

8:30 a.m.-9 a.m.

Morning Coffee & Hot Topic Breakouts
Grab breakfast and a cup of coffee and enjoy robust discussions with other attendees about issues that are important to you.

9 a.m.-9:15 a.m.

Welcome to Day Two!
Executive Director Kevin Bommer and CML Executive Board President Kathi Meyer opens day two of CML’s virtual conference.

9:15 a.m.-10:15 a.m.

NEW Keynote Presentation - NLC Delivers: Resources to Respond, Recover and Rebuild
Hear from National League of Cities CEO and Executive Director Clarence E. Anthony and NLC President Kathy Maness how critical federal funds, including from the American Rescue Plan Act, can help you rebuild a stronger and more equitable community. Learn the role that NLC, local leaders, and the nation’s state municipal leagues played in securing direct funds for cities, towns and villages, as well as how NLC can continue to deliver for your community.  

10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

American Rescue Plan Act: Collaborate, Leverage, or Spend it Now?*
Since the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) in March 2021, municipal leaders have been faced with questions. How much will be distributed? When will we get it? How can we spend it? What are the reporting requirements? Is it better to wait or put the money to use now? How can I maximize its effectiveness? Unlike the CARES Act, the state isn’t a gatekeeper. While there are still many questions, this session will help municipal leaders talk through some answers and share the direction they are taking in their own cities and towns.
Speakers: Kevin Bommer, executive director, Colorado Municipal League and John Swartout, executive director, Colorado Counties, Inc.; Ann Terry, executive director, Special Districts Association and Anne Miller, director of the Colorado resiliency office, DOLA

What’s New at DOLA?*
Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) leadership will discuss recent developments in funding programs, strategic services provision, and policy initiatives. The basics of DOLA structure and function, how to access resources, and collaborative opportunities with local governments will be addressed.
Speakers: Rick Garcia, executive director, DOLA and Chantal Unfug, Division of Local Governments director, DOLA

CLE: US Supreme Court Review*
Arranged by the Attorneys Section. CLE credit has been applied for.
One of the leading "court-watchers" in the United States will address the historic transformation of the U.S. Supreme Court with three new justices on board, and how the current composition of the court in its first full term addressed issues of greatest impact to state and municipal governments.
Speaker: Lisa Soronen, State & Local Legal Center

11:30 a.m.-noon

Lunch & Walk
Stand up, stretch, grab your headphones and head outside for a walk.

noon-1 p.m.

Futures Committee
Does your Council have opportunities to reflect on the “What ifs” or trends influencing the future of cities and counties? Do you take the time to recognize that the decisions you are making now can have decades’ long impact?  In municipal organizations, councils, leaders, and staff often get bogged down focusing on immediate projects and daily work. As leaders in the organization, it is critical to recognize the importance of taking a step back and looking to the future. In this presentation, we will discuss how the City of Fort Collins utilizes a council sub-committee, Futures Committee, to discuss forward thinking ideas not on the immediate council agenda and will outline examples of futures topics that became a reality for the Fort Collins community.
Speakers: Emily Francis, mayor pro tem, City of Fort Collins and Jacqueline Kozak Thiel, chief sustainability officer, City of Fort Collins

Emerging Issues - Distribution of National Opioid Settlement Proceeds: A Crucial Role for Municipalities*
Arranged by the Attorneys Section. CLE credit has been applied for.
In recent years thousands of lawsuits have been filed against state and local governments against the manufacturers and distributors of opioid painkillers due to the way over-distribution of these drugs has contributed to the epidemic of opioid addiction throughout the country.  Now settlements in many of the largest nationwide lawsuits are pending.  In Colorado, under a negotiated agreement between the Attorney General and a coalition of local governments, a substantial portion of the settlement dollars will flow down to the regional, county, and municipal level to help local communities battle the epidemic. Maximizing these dollars will require robust municipal involvement in the settlement.  Our panel will address how the national and statewide agreements came to be and explain how your municipality can and should be involved going forward. 
Speakers: Stacey, Aurzada, deputy city attorney, City of Greeley; David Broadwell, general counsel, CML (moderator); Kristin Bronson, city attorney, City of Denver and Heidi Williams, director of opioid response, Colorado Attorney General’s Office.

Harnessing Technology to Augment Municipalities
Watch how municipalities can leverage the latest advancements in physical and virtual technologies to facilitate public participation. Clerks will detail the hardware, software and methods being implemented to produce high quality media, host content, meet compliance requirements and virtualize processes. These technologies augment effectiveness, simplify workflows and are solutions to budget cuts.

1:00 - 1:15 p.m.

        Wellness Break from the City of Westminster

1:15 p.m.-2:15 p.m.

Police Reform Session - Colorado's Next Steps*
The landscape of policing continues to change following the adoption of SB20-217, the Law Enforcement Integrity Act.  Join a police chief and a police legal advisor to talk about the ongoing changes to policing in Colorado with the passage of HB21-1250.
Speakers: Aaron Jacks, police legal advisor, City of Arvada and Clint Nichols, police chief, City of Commerce City

Marijuana & Social Equity
In this session, you will hear from local and state leaders on how to expand social equity in the marijuana industry. You will hear about the governor's marijuana social equity agenda, Aurora's delivery program, and Denver's social equity program.
Speakers: Molly Deplechian, Denver excise and licenses deputy director of policy and administration, City and County of Denver; Ean Seeb, marijuana advisor, Governor’s Office, Robin Peterson, manager, Marijuana Enforcement Division, City of Aurora and Tristan Watkins, program manager, Cannabis Business Office.

Work From Home --Implementing New Policies After Lessons from the Pandemic*
This session will explore work from home policies and provide examples of best practices. It will also explore practical solutions and getting the most from your employees as they potentially continue to work from home after the pandemic. The panel will also discuss generally responding if someone wants to work from home but that doesn’t meet the needs of the position.
Speakers: Gabriella Bommer, acting director of human resources, City of Arvada and Lauren Mueller, human resources director, Town of Frederick