2023 WCCA Legislative Conference and New Commissioner Workshop

2023 WCCA Legislative Conference and New Commissioner Workshop

January 18-20, 2023

Blue Community Event Center, Cheyenne, Wyoming

Wednesday, January 18

I. Welcome and Introductions

President Bill Novotny (Johnson County) welcomed attendees to the Wyoming County

Commissioners Association (WCCA) Legislative Conference and New Commissioner

Workshop and led with the Pledge of Alliance. The WCCA Executive Committee and the

WCCA staff were introduced, and all attendees individually introduced themselves.

President Novotny thanked the WCCA Business Partners for their continued support in

helping make these events possible.

II. Presentations

WCCA Executive Director Jerimiah Rieman gave an overview of the WCCA’s structure,

bylaws, and communication methods to new commissioners.

He then gave an overview of major revenue sources for counties and discusses resources

that are available to commissioners and other county officials for business purposes.

Sara janes-Ellis, Local Government Coordinator, WYDOT, Brian Edwards, P.E., County

Engineer, Park County Public Works Department, Gene Legerski, P.E., Public Works

Director, Sweetwater County all gave a presentation on the county road and bridge systems. This session detailed available funding sources, program amounts, basic award

requirements, county matches, and more, including WYDOT- administered pass-through

transportation-related programs.

Mary Augustin and Andrea Hixon, Risk Management Consultants with Local

Government Liability Pool gave a presentation called Counties as Employers: Protecting

Your County. The presentation talked about the many hats commissioners wear, not only as constituent representatives but also as employees of their county. In this session,

Mary and Andrea discuss the importance of continuous improvement and training and, further, the role of policies and procedures in minimizing liabilities.

Brandi Monger, Deputy Attorney General, Civil Division and Darlena Potter, Ombudsman, Governor's Office gave a presentation titled Open Meetings, Public Records, and

Government Ethics Wyoming's county commissioners and counties must conduct their

business according to the Wyoming Public Records, Public Meetings, and Ethics and

Disclosure Act. This discussion centered more about the rights, responsibilities, and

limitations of these laws.

After lunch, a presentation was given by Matt Chase, CEO/Executive Director, National

Association of Counties and Jonathan Shuffield, NACo Legislative Director for Public Lands

and Liaison to the Western Interstate Region. Here, they talked about how NACo and WIR

shape federal policies, share proven practices, and strengthen knowledge works to help

improve residents' lives and the efficiency of county government.

Next were Teton County Commissioner Natalia D. Macker, NACo Health Policy Steering

Committee member and Washakie County Commissioner Terry Wolf, NACo Environment,

Energy and Land Use Policy Steering Committee member giving their presentation titled A

Commissioner Perspective: Getting Involved with the National Association of Counties.

Commissioners Macker and Wolf discuss their experiences with NACo and the value of

membership, including access to resources and information, shaping federal policies, and

networking opportunities.

Tim Rahschulte, Chief Executive Officer of the Professional Development Academy gave a

quick talk on Leadership Development. He stated nearly two-thirds of U.S. counties rely on

the NACo Leadership Academy to make their existing leaders better and emerging leaders

ready. He encouraged commissioners to learn about the online, fully-facilitated 12-week

programs and how counties across Wyoming are utilizing the courses to help their officials and employees develop practical leadership skills.

After a break, those in attendance heard from our Congressional Delegation who shared

their priorities for the 118th United States Congress, their partnership with counties, and

how county commissioners can best support their efforts to benefit Wyoming's families and communities. Those speaking were:

U.S. Senator John Barrasso

U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis

U.S. Representative Harriet Hageman

Next, Matt Kaufman, Partner with Hathaway and Kunz gave a presentation on Decentralized Autonomous Organizations - What is a DAD and how will it impact Wyoming?

The day ended with the WCCA Legislative Reception held at the Gallery at the Met.

Thursday, January 19

I. Welcome and Overview of Voting Process

WCCA President Novotny welcomed attendees at 8:00 a.m. and introduced

Executive Director (ED) Jerimiah Rieman to give an overview of the voting process.

II. Bill Review and Voting

Commissioners were presented the opportunity to vote collectively, on all bills

reviewed by the bill review committee. Bill review and voting continued until after

lunch.

III. Tour, Elected Remarks, Legislative Visits

After lunch a trolley departed for the Capitol from the Blue Community Event

Center. While at the Capitol, Remarks from statewide elected officials were given.

Remarks were given by:

Governor Mark Gordon

Secretary of State Chuck Gray

State Auditor Kristi Racines

State Treasurer Curt Meier

State-Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder

Next, Riana Davidson with the Legislative Service Office talked to commissioners

with a presentation titled: Understanding the WY Legislature.

Commissioners then visited with Legislators and took a tour of the Capitol.

The evening wrapped up with commissioners hosting county dinners with

legislators.