As a utility professional you are a person of service. You serve the citizens of your area to provide them with what we consider a basic right. Unfortunately in this age of social media those same citizens you serve may have lost their gratitude for the privileges you provide, often only engaging at the roughest moments, without worry because of the shelter and anonymity provided by social media. You may have even asked yourself why you would...

As a result of the continuing global war on terrorism, employers are faced with an unprecedented level of impact of military service on the workplace. What must an employer do when an employee gets orders to be activated? Do you have to hold the job open? What if it’s an employee’s family member with the orders? What are an employer’s obligations then? Do you need to track veterans who apply for employment with your company?...

A number of significant changes to Federal employment law have taken place in recent years. These changes affected employers’ obligations in areas such as hiring, wages, discrimination, and termination. During this topic, we will: (1) review significant changes in recent years; (2) take a look at the employment law changes in 2018; (3) review current and anticipated changes in employment law (including EEO developments, leave laws, ADA u...

The explosion of information held by government agencies presents unique and growing challenges to those that must administer the public's access to government records. Questions persist about the scope of the government's duties in maintaining and producing electronically stored information. Particularly thorny questions arise in the area of personal email accounts. May government officials use their private accounts to communicate about gove...

Gain new insights with a comprehensive overview of government financial reporting from beginning to end. Recent financial difficulties of state and local government finances, highlighted by some noteworthy bankruptcy filings, have prompted increased attention on governmental financial statements. The financial statements of these governments and governmental entities can be very confusing, even for the experienced accountant. This topic will e...

Make sure your policies and procedures are in compliance with all of the recent changes to Federal employment law. A number of significant changes to Federal employment law have taken place in recent years. These changes affected employers' obligations in areas such as hiring, wages, discrimination, and termination. During this topic, we will: (1) review the significant changes to employment law, legal and administrative changes from 2017; (2)...

Understand how to utilize social media to connect with your community and increase responsiveness and community involvement. It's more important than ever for government agencies to have a robust social media presence that can create and strengthen real connections with their communities. However, these connections - and the benefits that result from them - don't just happen without careful planning and execution. Does your government agency h...

Know how to balance the interest of your company with cooperating with the EPA inspectors. Most environmental enforcement begins with an EPA inspection of the event or facility, and the inspection can be the most critical phase of the entire enforcement process. Although EPA and the states have broad inspection authority, companies are often at a loss regarding how to handle an environmental inspection. As a result, inspectors are often allowe...

Review approaches to restoring degraded or impacted wetlands and outline practices to be considered in a restoration project. Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world. Species of microbes, plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish, and mammals are part of wetland ecosystems. Physical and chemical features such as climate, topology, geology, and the movement and abundance of water help determine the plant and anim...

Changing employment laws, recent court decisions, and shifting agency priorities are directly impacting Washington's workforce. Local laws often vary, creating challenges for employers who do business in multiple locations. Human Resource professionals need to be aware of the latest updates in order to make the best decisions for their companies and employees. This topic will discuss current developments on cutting-edge topics affecting Washin...