Your monthly news & updates
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Greetings NTMCA Members!
Welcome to Spring! Trees are turning green, grass is beginning to grow and flowers are being planted; it’s all so beautiful. Seeing all the colors of spring makes me smile.
A big thank you to Art Camacho for hosting our March meeting at the Haltom City Northeast Center. We had an inspiring speaker (thank you, Art, for the recommendation), great food (everyone loves chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes) and an exceptional turnout (close to thirty attendees). During the welcome, attendees shared their ‘go to’ place for summer vacations, anywhere from the beach to the mountains, to watching baseball in different stadiums, or to camping close by. I found it fun hearing everyone’s favorite place.
Art Camacho, Haltom City & Easter Bunny
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March Meeting - Speaker
Rex Phelps, Haltom City Deputy City Manager was the guest speaker. Mr. Phelps presented “E to the 4
th
Power – An Internal Focus to Meet the External Mission”. He explained that there are habits needed for emotional health, which in turn impact one’s
levels of success.
Mr. Phelps asked the group to acknowledge that there is always room for improvement. Based on that declaration, Mr. Phelps identified statements of truth, including:
- There can be no significant professional development without some amount of personal growth;
- You cannot have team improvement without individual improvement; and,
- We will never be all we could be externally until we are all we should be internally.
Rex Phelps, Deputy City Manager
Mr. Phelps introduced his concept of E to the 4
th
Power and identified the four E’s as being:
- Empathy – putting yourself in others’ shoes in order to understand their motivation. He encouraged us to practice listening to others in order to grow in empathy.
- Edification – doing and saying things that build people up. He encouraged us to look at relationships as one looks at their bank accounts: deposits (encouraging words/actions) versus withdrawals (discouraging words/actions). He stated positive people build positive lives.
- Enthusiasm – being thankful for the job you have and being optimistic at your work. He asked whether we focus on ‘opportunities in difficulties’ or ‘difficulties in opportunities’ and whether we whine and complain OR do we look for a solution? He stated that happiness follows thankfulness, so be thankful! He stated that burnout occurs because there is a halt in personal growth/learning, so keep learning - it’s your job.
- Excellence – maintaining the highest ethical standards. He encouraged us to give our very best in all that we do and to live like we want our eulogy to read.
In summary, Mr. Phelps encouraged each of us to continually ask ourselves, “Did I just promote E to the 4
th
Power? I can see how living ‘E to the 4
th
Power’ can help one become effective, happy and more successful.
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March Meeting – Committee Updates
TMCA Records Management Seminar Social
Art Camacho (Haltom City)
provided a report and indicated the estimated cost for hotel space, food and drinks would be $4,500. Attendees briefly discussed the cost and
Alicia Richardson (North Richland Hills)
suggested using $500 from the special projects fund and using vendor donations to fund the event. Membership voted to dedicate $500 from the Special Project Fund for a social event at the Records Management Seminar.
2018 Professional Seminar
Professional Seminar Committee Co-Chair
Art Camacho
(Haltom City)
reported on the Professional Seminar scheduled for April 18, 2018 at the Southwest Denton County Courthouse. The topic for the seminar is Avoiding Legal Pitfalls. If you’re not registered but plan on attending, please register as soon as possible.
Alyce Deering Scholarships
Thank you to
Kim Sutter (Euless)
for filling in at the last minute and giving attendees a brief history of Alyce Deering scholarship. She mentioned that Alyce Deering valued and encouraged municipal clerk education. The scholarship is available to help municipal clerks defray costs incurred while attending TMCA seminars. Applications for the NTMCA Alyce Deering scholarship are due May 1, 2018. Scholarships will be awarded at the June 21, 2018 Awards Luncheon.
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Municipal Clerk of the Year
Municipal Clerk of the Year Committee Chair
Aimee Nemer (Richardson)
provided a handout with previous award winners and stated applications for the Clerk of the Year Awards (NTMCA & TMCA) are due May 11, 2018 and will be awarded at the June 21, 2018 Awards Luncheon.
Membership Update
As of the end of last month, NTMCA has 94 members. Thank you to the Membership Committee: Lauri Garber (Carrollton) – Chair and Amanda Jacobs (Bedford).
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Respectfully Yours, Sheila Morales, President
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TMCA and NTMCA Clerk of the Year
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Fellow clerks,
Once again it’s that time of year when we recognize one of our members as the NTMCA Clerk of the Year and/or The Texas Municipal Clerk of the year nominee. This is an opportunity for us to honor clerks who have demonstrated leadership, mentorship, and a commitment to the advancement of the clerk profession.
The deadline for nominations is
May 11, 2018
.
Qualifications:
NTMCA Clerk of the Year
1) A City Secretary who has been an active member of the NTMCA for at least three years;
2) Must have provided service to other Municipal Clerks on a local level where the opportunity exists;
3) Must have exhibited leadership abilities;
4) Must be a Texas Registered Municipal Clerk; and
5) Must currently be a City Secretary.
TMCA Clerk of the Year
1) Must currently hold a municipal clerk position;
2) Must currently be an active member of the Texas Municipal Clerks Association, Inc., and must have been an active member for at least five years;
3) Must have provided service to other Municipal Clerks on a local level where the opportunity exists, or on a state level;
4) Must have exhibited leadership abilities;
5) Must be a Texas Registered Municipal Clerk; and
6) Must not be a prior recipient of the Municipal Clerk of the Year award.
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Nomination forms should be submitted to the Committee Chair by
May 11
. Questions can be submitted to the Clerk of the Year Committee:
Aimee Nemer, Richardson, Chair, 972-744-4290
Janice England, Saginaw, 817-232-4640
Traci Henderson, North Richland Hills, 817-427-6060
Amy Shelley, Southlake, Board Liaison, 817-748-8183
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Board Officer Applications Wanted!
The 2018 Nominating Committee is seeking
applications
for individuals wishing to serve on the NTMCA Board. Board Member positions include the offices of President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Historian.
Board Members must be willing to commit to attend the ten monthly Chapter meetings throughout the year. Board Members also meet after regular Chapter meetings, as well as attend 2-3 all day retreats, as scheduled by the Board President. Board Members typically dedicate two to five hours per week of their time to NTMCA duties.
Please review the
NTMCA Bylaws
for detailed descriptions of duties and commitments. Please take the time to give back to our organization through service on the board.
2018 Nominating Committee
Shannon Montgomery, Chair
Diane Cockrell, Member
Amy Shelley,
Board Liaison
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2018 Alyce Deering Scholarship Applications
We are currently accepting applications for the 2018 Alyce Deering Scholarship. The purpose of the scholarship is to provide funds for travel and seminar registration for a TMCCP/TMCA sponsored certification program. The full summary of the program is available
HERE
. To apply you submit a completed
application
along with a copy of your TMCCP transcript and a letter of commitment the Scholarship Committee c/o
[email protected]
.
The application deadline is May 1st.
Alyce Deering Scholarship Committee:
Tammy Dixon, Bartonville
Ginger Choate, Flower Mound
Ingrid Rex, Flower Mound
Sheila Morales, Board Liaison
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Upcoming Events and Meetings
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April 18, 2018 - Professional Seminar - Avoiding Legal Pitfalls (
Register Now)
May - No meeting due to elections
June 21, 2018 - Awards Luncheon - North Richland Hills (note date change)
July 19, 2018 - Decatur
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April 13th
- Deadline to Register for Professional Seminar
May 1st
- Alyce Deering Scholarship Deadline
May 11th
- TMCA/NTMCA Clerk of the Year Deadline
June 15th
- Board Officer Application Deadline
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NTMCA PROFESSIONAL SEMINAR
Avoiding Legal Pitfalls
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Fun Facts about Local Government from the Texas Almanac
Texas has 254 counties, a number which has not changed since 1931 when Loving County was organized. Loving County had a population of 82 according to the 2010 U.S. census, compared with 164 in 1970 and a peak of 285 in 1940. It is the least-populous county in Texas. In contrast, Harris County has the most residents, with a 2010 population of 4,092,459.
Counties
range in area from Rockwall's 148.7 square miles to the 6,192.3 square miles in Brewster, which is equal to the combined area of the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island.
The
Texas Constitution
makes a county a legal subdivision of the state. Each county has a commissioners court. It consists of four commissioners, each elected from a commissioner's precinct, and a county judge elected from the entire county. In smaller counties, the county judge retains judicial responsibilities in probate and insanity cases.
There are 1,216 incorporated Texas municipalities ranging in size from 18 residents in Mustang to Houston's 2,275,810, according to the 2015 population estimates of the Texas State Data Center. More than 80 percent of the state's population lives in cities and towns meeting the U.S. Census Bureau definition of urban areas.
Source: The Texas Almanac
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