1. Long Welcomes District Meeting to Morgan County 1/13
This year’s District Meetings kick off next week in Morgan County, home of ACCA President Ray Long. There is still time for county officials and staff leaders to register for the 6 p.m. meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 13, and these District Meetings are an essential part of preparations for next month, when legislators return to the State House for the 2016 session. ACCA staff will tour the state to hear from you and to share the recent developments on legislation ACCA wants to see pass – and fail. You are encouraged to pick the date and location most convenient for you, and registration is online.
Calhoun County | Jan. 14, 2016
Tuscaloosa County | Jan. 26, 2016
2. Tuscaloosa Co. Site of 1st Legislative Meeting on Transportation Funding
This Thursday – Jan. 7 – marks a new phase in the Alabama Legislature’s consideration of revenue for roads and bridges. When the Legislature’s Joint Transportation Committee begins its series of regional meetings this week in Tuscaloosa County, the agenda includes comments from a past Association president, a county commissioner, a county engineer, and a 9-1-1 director – all from the Tuscaloosa region. Just like committee meetings at the State House, attendance is often used as an informal measure of support and opposition, so this is a critically important opportunity for counties to demonstrate their support for increased revenue.
The meeting will be 10 a.m. to noon at Northport City Hall, 3500 McFarland Blvd., Northport, AL 35476.
If you plan to attend, please contact Terri Reynolds (treynolds@alabamacounties.org or 334-263-7594). Anyone unable to attend in person is encouraged to contact members of the committee with whom they have a relationship to relay their support of revenue legislation for roads and bridges. Some suggested talking points and a committee list are below.
DRIVE Alabama Talking Points
Permanent Joint Transportation Committee
Rep. Mac McCutcheon, Chairperson
Sen. Gerald Dial, Vice Chair
Sen. Phil Williams
Sen. Slade Blackwell
Sen. Trip Pittman
Sen. Jimmy Holley
Sen. Gerald Allen
Sen. Arthur Orr
Rep. Ralph Howard
Rep. Mark Tuggle
Rep. Kerry Rich
Rep. Joe Faust
Rep. Dexter Grimsley
Rep. Allen Farley
3. SIDP Training Registration Deadlines Fast Approaching
County Fund Members of the ACCA Self-Insurance Funds will want to take steps now to register for upcoming training that meets some of the Safety Incentive Discount Program (SIDP) requirements. The first dates announced are the Road Supervisors Training on Feb. 1-2 and the Alabama Jail Training Academy – Inmate Management class on Feb. 16-17. To register for these training classes click on Insurance-Related Training & Resources. Review all program requirements and specifics in the 2015-2016 SIDP Guide on the ACCA website “Resource” page. (Note: Some materials are password protected.). Please call Marcia Collier at 334-263-7594 if you need assistance accessing these documents.
4. Alabama Bar Association-approved CLE for County Attorneys
Providing sound legal advice to county officials is no simple task. It’s a highly specialized area of practice, and applicable laws are frequently revised by the Alabama Legislature or re-interpreted by the courts. The good news is that attorneys have access to custom-tailored classes that have been approved for CLE credit by the Alabama Bar Association. Six courses offered throughout the year by the County Government Education Institute have been approved for 10 or more hours of credit, with some hours that can be applied to the ethics requirement. This memo from ACCA Association Counsel Mary Pons may be helpful, and individual classes are listed below.
>>> January 27-28, 2016 | Legislative and Governmental Relations
>>> March 16-17, 2016 | Personnel Administration
>>> April 6-7, 2016 | Finance and Revenue
>>> June 8-9, 2016 | Ethics for Public Officials and Employees
>>> July 13-14, 2016 | Overview of County Government
>>> September 7-8, 2016 | Disaster Preparedness and Recovery
5. Happy New Year from the Alabama County Joint Bid Program
There’s every reason to believe that 2016 will be another great year to save time and money by utilizing the County Joint Bid Program for purchases of heavy equipment, herbicides, adjuvants and road signs. The new 2016 prices and items – with specifications set by a team of county engineers – are now available for purchase. 2016 Alabama County Joint Bid Items
