Weather has been a historical nemesis of the Newly Elected Officials Course. Previous years have seen sessions rescheduled as snowstorms loomed with the promise of whiteout snow and treacherous ice, a challenge to officials committed to learning how to govern their municipalities. This year, we nearly thought we were in the clear.

Our session for Communication and Ethical Decision Making on Saturday, January 29, luckily dodged inclement weather, although we were certainly greeted with a single-digit start to the morning and wind chills around -11. Typical January weather. Attendees pulled out the big coats and headed in for discussions about the media, what determines a public record, the Ethics Act, and “Public Officials Behaving Badly”.

All forms of media impact municipalities — both positively and negatively. Our officials heard firsthand knowledge about the balance of relationships with the media and the public when it comes to circulating a message. A focus of this discussion: social media. While a powerful tool to connect with constituents, attendees heard about how that tool could be a double-edged sword, especially when it comes to the Right-to-Know Law.

Local leaders are held to a higher standard for both communicating as well as ethical decision-making. The pitfalls of accidentally (and intentionally) using the power of an elected official for personal interests has led to lawsuits, fines, and even jail time. Attendees heard anecdotal examples of past offenses regarding the Pennsylvania Public Official & Employee Ethics Act so that they could be better prepared in their roles.

It’s true that the winter season has been relatively mild for us this year, but our following session on Saturday, February 12, had us watching the forecast closely for chances of icy conditions. Nonetheless, the Robert A. Read Performing Arts Center at Gateway High School filled with attendees for a day of discussions about Public Sector Human Resource Management.

Human resources and personnel law require mindful navigation, and public officials need to know their roles and responsibilities when it comes to the legal context of local government employment. After detailed reviews of potential pitfalls and legislative protections for employees, we broke for lunch with a special Mayors’ Roundtable Discussion about HR Management.

Gretchen Love of Campbell Durrant, P.C., says when it comes to making changes: “Rome wasn’t created in a day, you’re not going to dismantle it in a day.” Part Two of the session covered what public officials eager to make personnel changes can expect, plus advice on Collective Bargaining and proper Personnel Policies. The day concluded with a panel: A Day in the Life – Understanding the Inner Workings of Government.

Unexpected snow greeted us for our session on February 26 – light snow, at least. Attendees journeyed to the Allegheny County Emergency Services Center for a serious topic: Emergency Management & Disaster Preparedness.

What’s expected of local government officials when it comes to emergency management, fire protection, and policing? Much more than newly elected officials often realize. Field experts detailed their stories over the decades, beginning with Emergency Services 101 and covering all aspects of EMS and Crisis Communications. Lucky for us, the snow cleared for bright sunshine by the end of the day.

As our session for March 12 approached, we saw something intimidating in the forecast: a winter storm. Here in our region, we’re accustomed to navigating challenging weather on the road, and proudly so. Falling snow won’t deter us from getting things done.

Well, usually.

An overnight snowfall of up to six inches with potential whiteout conditions was too much risky business, so NEOC attendees had a snow day, and our session on Planning & Intergovernmental Partnerships will be rescheduled as webinars next week.

We almost made it through the 2022 cycle of NEOC without a weather hitch. Leave it to March to throw a wrench in our plans.

Only one more session left to go, “Protecting Public Health”, and then it’s time for the Graduation Dinner!