Editor: Debbie Jermann, MMC, C-TRAN. President s Message

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1 Editor: Debbie Jermann, MMC, C-TRAN Executive Committee President Virginia Olsen President Elect Paula Swisher Vice President Debbie Jermann Secretary Kay Kammer Treasurer Gina Anderson Board Members Jill Boltz Susan Duncan Melissa Collins Lisa Neissl Donald Ross Shawn Campbell Past President Dee Roberts Visit our Website: Founded in 1969, WMCA is a non-profit association that promotes the professional and education standards of Municipal Clerks, County Clerks, and Transit Board Clerks in various local governments of the State of Washington. President s Message Virginia Olsen, CMC Don t Sit Out the Dance! Register for our WMCA Annual Conference by February 12 to get the early bird discount! As I write this in late January, plans are in full swing for events in Semiahmoo, our annual conference site. I m excited to announce that Jill Boltz and Heidi Napolitino are working hard with the Conference Planning & Education Committees on a conference app! Don t worry, we will have paper schedules at the registration tables for those who prefer that but we aren t printing the entire program. Thanks to everyone who is working on this project! Semiahmoo Resort is a special place for me because I owned a home in Birch Bay (also in Blaine) which is about a ten minute drive to the southwest from I used to take the kids over to Semiahmoo when they were young to walk, play on the beach or inline skate. The views on a sunny day are wonderful! You might be wondering, What does Semiahmoo mean? According to Historylink.org: The Semiahmoo were a band of Native Americans who lived in the Blaine and Birch Bay area (future Whatcom County) in the centuries prior to European settlement. Culturally and linguistically a Straits Salish band, they were distinguished from many other area tribes because they fished with reef nets, catching thousands of salmon yearly this way off Point Roberts and Birch Point. In the early 1850s most of the On the inside... Semiahmoo moved a short distance north of Legislative Update Page 2 Blaine, only a few years before the first non-indian Page 3 settlers arrived; this move was just far enough NW Clerks Institute north to place them in Canada when the U.S.- Fundraising Page 5 Canadian boundary was drawn in the late 1850s. Annual Conf. Info Page 6 Today many of the remaining Semiahmoo live in the Semiahmoo Indian Reserve, just northwest of 2019 WMCA Election Page 7 the Canadian side of Peace Arch Park. It was noted WMCA History Page 11 that Former Chief Jimmy Charles said the word Page 13 Semiahmoo meant half moon which is the Membership News shape of Semiahmoo Bay.

2 President s Message (Continued) Back to our conference We ve got great nominations for Clerk of the Year so it s definitely going to be a really difficult choice. The Executive Committee officers are scoring the nominations now. I m so proud of all the nominees and I m proud of all of you for working so hard for your communities each day. If you know of a clerk who is deserving of Clerk of the Year, consider nominating him or her next year. Please take the time to submit the best nomination you can because I can tell you, WMCA has a lot of rock stars! With so many deserving clerks, the person who makes the best case for their clerk usually makes their nominee come out on top! I hope you re finding opportunities every day to try something new, meet new people and learn interesting new things. Push yourself out of your comfort zone. Life is too short to sit out the dance. Can t wait to see everyone next month! Legislative Update 2019 Legislative Session The 2019 legislative session is underway! This will be a long session of the legislature (105 days) where the biennial budget will be adopted. Below is some information about the upcoming session: Session Dates: Jan. 14 April 28, 2019 House Membership: 57 Democrats; 41 Republicans = 98 Total House Speaker: Representative Frank Chopp, Seattle (43rd Leg. District) Senate Membership: 28 Democrats; 21 Republicans = 49 Total Senate President Pro Tempore: Karen Keiser, Kent (33rd Leg. District) Bill Tracking Interested in keeping track of legislation related to your agency or role? Below are two ways to stay informed during the legislative session: Subscribe to the AWC s Legislative Bulletin by contacting awc@awcnet.org. Subscribe to legislation on Local Government. (enter your and then check the box next to Local Government or other topics listed). Search for bills by subject on the legislature s website. Once you ve found a bill that you are interested in tracking, you can register for automatic updates as the bill moves through the process. Sign-up for the tracking tool here. Bill Deadlines Each session the legislature establishes cut-off dates. These deadlines determine how far bills must be through the process in order to continue to be considered. If you are monitoring legislation, these are helpful dates to beware of. The draft 2019 cutoff calendar is available on the legislature s website. Page 2

3 Northwest Clerks Institute 2019 Ready or Not Here We Come! 2019 is off and running! The Northwest Clerks Institute is right around the corner. Are you planning to attend PD I, PD II, PD III or PD IV? Have you registered yet? Early registration (before May 2) saves $50 on your registration fee! Decide to make a difference in your organization, career and future and join us at the 2019 Northwest Clerks Institute. I m available to answer any questions you may have regarding the NCI. I can be reached at NWCIDirector@gmail.com or (209) Best wishes in 2019! Joann Tilton, Northwest Clerks Institute Director 2019 Northwest Clerks Institute Location: University of Puget Sound - Tacoma, Washington: Professional Development I - June 2-7, 2019 Professional Development II - June 9-14, 2019 Professional Development III - June 16-21, 2019 Professional Development IV - June 10-13, 2019 To register for the Northwest Clerks Institute, follow this link: For scholarships: WMCA Scholarship Information International Institute of Municipal Clerks Scholarship Information - Click Here for IIMC Scholarship Information. Invest in Your Future Attend the 2019 Northwest Clerks Institute All successful professionals sharpen their skills on a regular basis. Your job is multi-faceted and changing. New citizen demands, legal changes in procedures and new information technologies have increased the pace of your work and require you to plan and expedite many different tasks at once. You are the citizen s first point of contact in your local jurisdiction, and your elected officials count on you to make sure that your public meetings, records, elections and other special projects operate smoothly. Page 3

4 Northwest Clerks Institute (Continued) The job of Clerk is not getting any easier and you know the importance of keeping abreast of the latest issues and trends. The best way to do just that is by investing in continuing education and obtaining certification as a CMC and MMC. The Northwest Clerks Institute provides a comprehensive curriculum in public administration management, technical skills and professional/personal development. The Institute experience is a unique combination of state-of-the-art classroom training, high impact networking, and one-on-one mentoring with municipal leaders and instructors. The professional friendships you will develop at the Northwest Clerks Institute will prove invaluable over the course of your career. The Week at the Northwest Clerks Institute PD I, PD II, and PD III The program begins on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. with an Institute orientation, a learning session and time to get acquainted with other Institute participants and leaders. Learn the lay of the campus and how to get the most out of your time at the Institute. An opening reception will be held on Sunday evening. The Institute ends on Friday at noon. The Days at the Northwest Clerks Institute PD IV Master Academy registration opens at 11 a.m. with class starting promptly at 1 p.m. on Monday, June 11, Class wraps up at noon on Thursday, June 13, Page 4

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6 Annual Conference Info WMCA ANNUAL CONFERENCE March 12-15, 2019 Semiahmoo, Blaine, WA What to wear? Basically, the conference is business casual which varies depending on where you work. Jeans are often worn in our smaller towns and big city folks sometimes wear business suits. Anything professional that you would wear to your work is okay at conference. All the festivities and classes are within the hotel. Dress in layers for your own comfort as temperatures can vary. Thursday night s banquet is sparkly. President Olsen s request is for something shimmery (or did she say shimmey?) with her Don t sit out the dance theme, it could be both! This dinner is a special event so bring something semi -formal or dressy to wear but it is not required. Dresses or pantsuits for ladies and suits for men are the norm and comfort (especially in the shoe department) is important. What happens at the banquet? If you ve never been, this is our annual event when incoming WMCA officers are sworn in, the outgoing WMCA President passes the gavel to our incoming President, and special awards including Clerk of the Year (COTY) are bestowed. The Clerk of the Year award is a big surprise and only the President and a select few who hide out their guests are in the know. Once the COTY is announced, the honored clerk and their guests move to their reserved table and the program proceeds. How does conference end? We have a three-hour session by Karin Peabody, who will present Self Talk and Mindfulness. Her session on Friday morning is followed by a $100 raffle (tickets available from the Fundraising Committee for $1 must be present to win), so make sure you don t leave early. Conference participation certificates will be available after the conclusion of the conference. Hotel Reservations? Follow this link to reserve your room or call Semiahmoo Resort - WMCA - mention you re with WMCA. Don t know anybody? If you are thinking of sitting in your room alone because you don t know anyone, please don t make that mistake! Ask someone to point you in the direction of Executive Committee, Conference Planning, Membership Committee members, or Education Committee Chairs Joanna Sanders and Terri Wright any of these folks can introduce you to other clerks, fill you in on upcoming happenings, and make sure you know the options for dinner plans. And they will introduce you to other clerks who may work near you. You ll soon learn how much WMCA has to offer and how much you might be missing. Look them up on the WMCA website if you have any questions between now and conference. Registration? Register online or download the form at No refunds will be permitted after February 12. Register by that date and you will save $25 on the Spring Academy and $50 for the annual conference. Page 6

7 Annual Conference Info (Continued) What do you need to know for our conference? The most important thing is don t be shy and if you can t help being shy, don t be afraid to meet a couple of new people in classes. And you most definitely don t want to miss our fun events which is another way to meet people in a relaxed setting. It s so helpful to have another clerk or two to call on when you need to find a sample document or answer questions when you return to work. Our President s Reception and the preceding Meet & Greet for first-time conference attendees is a good way to start off reconnecting with friends and just jump in and meet people if you don t know anyone. The Membership Committee will break the ice with FTA s (First Time Attendees) and President Virginia OIsen will welcome you at the door at her reception! We ll have light appetizers and a no-host bar at this event on Tuesday night as people arrive unless they attended the Academy earlier that day. Enjoy our auction night on Wednesday! In addition, we ll have a great dinner, no-host bar and fun in a casual atmosphere to raise money for WMCA and NCI scholarships! You can come whether or not you plan to bid in the auction or even better, donate an item for the live or silent auction. Crafts, jewelry and theme baskets are very popular items and provide an opportunity for those of you who have received a scholarship to help replenish the fund. Step out of your comfort zone and learn more about WMCA. Attend the Region IX lunch and the annual business meeting. What s Region IX? Good question we ll tell you more about it at conference or visit and type regions in the search bar. The annual business meeting isn t just for the Executive Committee and Committee Chairpersons, it s for you to follow the association s business. Sign up to be on a WMCA committee! You don t need experience and many committees do not have physical meetings, but members participate via . It s a really good way to learn more about how WMCA works and it s a good way to build leadership and other skills you may not use in your daily work. Bring your checkbook, debit card, or Visa! Why? Because the Fundraising Committee will be selling fabulous auction items that benefit our WMCA scholarship fund. If you have ever received a scholarship or simply want to share your enthusiasm for education and WMCA, please consider participating in the 100 Envelopes for Scholarships and/or participate in the auctions. It s a unique and fun approach to fundraising and all proceeds benefit a great cause your education! Don t Sit Out the Dance! Page 7

8 2019 WMCA Election Voting is now open for WMCA Executive Committee Officers! Please visit the WMCA website, login to the Members Only section to access the Elections page and full voting instructions. Voting is open January 25 through 4:00 p.m. on February 15, In order to vote, you will need your Member ID from the WMCA website. To obtain your Member ID, you must log in to the WMCA website and visit your profile. Your Member ID is the 7 or 8-digit number visible only to you. The voting software will ask for that number. The voting software is selfexplanatory and simple. Please vote & show your support! WMCA Annual Conference App is Coming... New for this year s Conference, you will be able to access everything that was previously included in the Annual Conference program on an App! Jill Boltz and Heidi Napolitino will be unveiling the app prior to conference. Facility maps, schedules, etc. will all be at your fingertips! The App name is Attendify, which powers the IIMC Annual Conference App, so some of you may be familiar with how the app works. Stay tuned for more exciting information. Page 8

9 IIMC Conference Region IX Event Page 9

10 IIMC Foundation Fundraiser Page 10

11 WMCA History In celebration of WMCA s upcoming 50th Anniversary and 50th Annual Conference, the Historical Committee will feature fun facts from our former years in this and upcoming month s newsletters. We hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane! This month we take a look back at President: Linda Ruehle, CMC; 1st Vice President: David Grove, CMC; 2nd Vice President: James Naher, CMC; Secretary: Reggie Williams, CMC; Treasurer: Debra Symmonds, CMC. The 1985 Conference was held April 17, 18, and 19 at the Thunderbird Inn in Kelso. There were 109 delegates. The Executive Committee voted to increase conference registration to $90 for the 1986 conference in Pasco, WA. WMCA and its Legislative Committee Chair Marie O Connell urged Governor Booth Gardner to veto eight sections of SB 3800 after WMCA unsuccessfully lobbied against its passage. The bill amended existing law to require all cities and towns to publish every ordinance and other legal notice in full text at least once in its official newspaper. The exception was publication by summary but when a summary was done, a full copy of the complete ordinance must be furnished or mailed without cost to the requestor. AWC asked cities to log its newspaper publication costs from August through November The University of Washington continued to host the Certification Seminars for Northwest Municipal Clerks (PD I, II, III) with Director Ernie Miller, PhD. 91 municipal clerks and recorders attended including 53 from Washington State, 30 from British Columbia, and 8 from Oregon. In PD I, 20% of the class were males! The registration cost was $340. The 1985 IIMC Conference was held in Banff Springs Hotel, in Alberta, Canada. At this conference, outgoing Region IX Director Marge Price was honored for her service. Today WMCA has a scholarship named after her. Members were encouraged to join IIMC in anticipation of the IIMC Annual Conference being held in Spokane, WA in It was noted that there are usually about 2,000 delegates at this conference! Mike Saunders (now with Washington State Archives) became the Assistant City Clerk of the City of Seattle. Marilyn J. Montgomery, CMC, City of Spokane wrote about instituting a City Council Action File or CCAF process that sounds very much like the present day Agenda Bill process to replace formally typed minutes that took days to finish. She noted the time savings was considerable. After installation of officers at the 1986 conference, WMCA planned a dance exhibition of 50's Rock 'N Roll and Modern Country Swing. Afterwards, they allowed audience participation so members could learn these steps. #Don tsitoutthedance. Sadly, WMCA President Linda Ruehle passed away from cancer in 2005 after serving the City of Issaquah for 30 years (26 as City Clerk, 4 years as Deputy City Clerk). She retired in 2001 and was only 63 years old when she passed away. According to the Seattle Times, A life-size aluminum sculpture of the petite redhead, ledger in hand, is on a bench just outside, a tribute commissioned by a grateful city. If you enjoyed this tidbit of WMCA history, please check out all the current and historical WMCA newsletters on WMCA s website at Photo Captions: Top Linda Ruehl in 1976; Bottom Former WMCA President Linda Ruehle at her retirement celebration in 2001 posed with her sculpture. Page 11

12 Featured Clerk You can help us fix this page! Do you know of a fellow clerk you would like to see profiled in this newsletter? Please suggestions to the newsletter Chair Rachel Shaw, rshaw@ci.prosser.wa.us, and Co-chair Cheryl Xanthos, cdxanthos@redmond.gov. Page 12

13 Membership News WMCA and our Membership Committee would like to welcome our newest members: Kristy Arnett City of Stevenson Helen Bell City of Long Beach Tania Morelos City of Othello Jerry Gingrich Grant County Published by Clerks for Clerks! A Helping Hand... CONFERENCE REGISTRATION ASSISTANCE Did you know you can register for conference on the website and pay with a check? Isn t that great? Of course, you can register and pay thru PayPal with a credit card, any credit card. You don t have to have a PayPal account to pay online. Hopefully these facts help you have a more seamless conference registration. See you in March! If you have any great news to share or ideas for articles for the next edition of the WMCA Newsletter, be sure to them to Newsletter Committee Chair, Rachel Shaw at rshaw@ci.prosser.wa.us. Page 13