Recorded NYCOM Webinars

• New Officials (no fee)

  The Roles and Responsibilities of Municipal Officials | To effectively perform their jobs, local government officials must become experts in a variety of topics, while at the same time complying with a myriad of legal restrictions imposed by the state. This session will give an overview of how New York’s local governments are structured and what the roles and responsibilities are of various local government officials. Finally, the webinar will conclude with a discussion of some of the frequent pitfalls of holding local office.
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  Open Meetings Law | This webinar will cover the Open Meetings Law and the importance of adopting meeting procedures and taking meeting minutes. Public hearings will also be discussed. The presentation will conclude with a brief overview of the process for enacting local legislation.
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  Municipal Finance Fundamentals | This session is designed to help facilitate your understanding of some of the most critical elements of municipal finance, including: property taxes and the tax cap; other revenue options; state aid; the budget process; and the expenditure of funds.
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  Ethics and Civil Service Essentials | This webinar will address several targeted topics pertaining to municipal ethics and the Civil Service Law. Topics under ethics will include the proper use of municipal equipment, gifts, nepotism and local ethics codes. Civil Service Law topics will address the different types of positions found in local government and their classifications under the Civil Service Law, probationary terms, creating new positions and modifying or adding job duties.
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• Planning & Zoning (CLE) ($25 fee)

  Meetings, Minutes and Public Hearings | ZBA and planning board training generally revolves around substantive issues such as special use permits, transportation oriented developments, or dealing with solar panels. However, it is paramount that ZBA and planning board members also be trained on procedure. Consequently, this session will provide an overview of the requirements of the NYS Open Meetings Law, including notice of meetings, public participation, and minutes. Public hearings will also be covered, addressing how public hearings are similar to and different from meetings. Finally, the importance of having written rules of procedure will by highlighted.
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  SEQR for ZBA's and Planning Boards | The New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR) plays a significant role in ZBA and planning board determinations. Before any ZBA or planning board may issue an approval, the ZBA and planning board must comply with SEQR. The first major amendments to SEQR since the 1990s were adopted this year and go into effect January 1, 2019. This session will provide an overview of the SEQR process, highlighting the recent amendments. The webinar will also include a discussion of how ZBAs and planning boards may comply with its requirements, including using the Department of Environmental Conservation’s EAF mapper.
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  Siting Small Cell Towers: An FCC Regulations Update | Small cells are here and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is promulgating rules regarding their siting that, if not successfully challenged in court, will substantially impact how local governments may regulate the siting of small cell technology. This session will provide an update on the latest FCC regulations.
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  Ethics for Planning and Zoning Officials | Ethics in government is a hot topic with daily news headlines highlighting ethical lapses by officials at all levels of government. The land use decision making processes can be an ethics mine field for the public officials responsible for making those determinations. Consequently, it is imperative for every ZBA and planning board member to understand the ethics laws relevant to their offices. This webinar will provide an overview of applicable New York State laws regarding conflicts of interest and incompatibility of office. The presentation will cover when ZBA and planning board members should recuse themselves from participating on matters before the board and when individuals may not serve on a ZBA or planning board. The webinar will conclude with a discussion of codes of ethics and local ethics boards.
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• Village Elections (CLE) ($25 fee)

  Part I will cover the most common village election issues including, the village clerk’s duties, how candidates get on the ballot, how to prepare the ballot, Election Day procedures, and post canvass processes. Due to time constraints, the Village Elections Webinar will cover only a portion of the information that will be presented at the regional workshop.
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  Part II will cover the village clerk’s duties as the chief election officer, the party and the independent body nominating processes, challenges to nominations, voter registration, processing absentee ballot applications, handling candidate and voter qualifications and residency issues, ballot preparation, pre-election day preparation, election inspector appointment and training, poll watchers, election day procedures, dealing with voters not on the registration list, canvassing the vote, run-off elections, and the clerk’s post-election responsibilities.
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