Winter Legislative Meeting 
AGENDA

• 2:00 p.m.

  NYCOM Registration Desk Opens

• 3:30 p.m.

  NYCOM POLICY COMMITTEE MEETINGS
  All attendees are encouraged to participate.

  • Government Operations and Community Development: The Committee will discuss NYCOM’s legislative priorities, as well as the major components of Governor Hochul’s FY 2025 Executive Budget.
  • Environment, Energy and Technology: Mayor James Giannettino, Jr., City of Auburn and Dan Shapley of Riverkeeper will discuss the protection of drinking water sources.
    
  • Employee Relations and Public Safety: Representatives from the NYS Department of Civil Service Municipal Services Division will participate in a Q&A panel.
  • Finance: Elizabeth Ricci from NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation will discuss grant opportunities for water and wastewater projects. 
• 5:00 p.m.

  PLENARY SESSION

  • Briefing on Governor Hochul's Proposed State Budget #
    Speaker: Barbara Van Epps, NYCOM Executive Director
    
• 6:00 p.m.

  RECEPTION-STYLE DINNER: CELEBRATING THE GRAMMYS
  REMARKS BY: SECRETARY OF STATE ROBERT J. RODRIGUEZ

  Sponsored by NYMIR and Comp Alliance

• 7:00 a.m.

  Breakfast
  Sponsored by FirstNet Built with AT&T 

• 7:30 a.m.

  NYCOM Registration Desk Opens

• 8:00 a.m.

  EARLY RISER ROUNDTABLES 

  • Women's Advisory Committee
    Join us for an informal discussion of the activities the Committee has engaged in over the past year and the Committee’s next steps and policy goals, including strategies to ensure the passage of the NY Equal Rights Amendment, which will be presented to voters this November.
    Speaker: Assemblymember Patricia Fahy
    
  • New Officials Open Forum #
    This session will provide the opportunity for a relaxed and frank discussion among local officials to ask questions and hear from each other about challenges faced, and solutions found, on the various issues that affect your communities.
    Facilitators: Mayor Christopher Rosenquest, City of Plattsburgh, NYCOM Second Vice President and Mayor Richard Milne, Village of Honeoye Falls, NYCOM Past President
    
  • Sexual Harassment Prevention (will satisfy NYS's mandated training requirement)
    Since August 2019, New York State requires annual training for all employees regarding sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace (no exceptions). In this session, a NYMIR representative will provide this mandated training and review some of the newest regulations.
    Speaker: Karen Buckley, Vice President of Marketing, New York Municipal Insurance Reciprocal (NYMIR)
    
• 9:00 a.m.

  GENERAL SESSION

  • State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli 
  • Senator Monica R. Martinez, Chair, Senate Local Government Committee 
  • Assemblyman Fred Thiele, Chair, Assembly Local Government Committee 
    
• 10:15 a.m.

  GENERAL SESSION

  • Understanding the Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Local Government
    Speaker: Ed Eisenstein, CEO, United Network Associates, Inc.
• 11:15 a.m.

  CONCURRENT SESSIONS

  • Adult-Use Cannabis: Full Steam Ahead?
    The State legalized the possession and use of adult-use cannabis in 2021, but the Cannabis Control Board did not finalize the regulations regarding licensing and operating cannabis businesses until 2023. This session will provide an overview of the newly adopted regulations, focusing on what city and village officials can and cannot do with respect to regulating cannabis businesses in their municipalities. 
    Speaker: Wade Beltramo, NYCOM General Counsel
    
  • Navigating the Minefield of the Civil Service System
    This session will provide an interactive overview of the local Civil Service process including staffing, testing, and classification. Discussion will focus on identifying creative options to assist with targeted recruitment and retention strategies, examination challenges, and crafting workable job specifications.
    Speaker: Scot Chamberlain, Director of Human Resources, Saratoga County
    
  • Grant and Funding Readiness: Preparing for Success
    This presentation will aim to inform attendees about state and federal grant funding processes and general criteria, and also to help attendees equip their respective communities with milestones and internal processes in order to achieve a state of grant readiness. Topics that will be covered include: the NYS Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) process, “do’s and don’ts,” project planning, budget development, “be careful what you wish for,” and the importance of proper grant administration. Additionally, the presenter will highlight successful municipal case studies focusing on project planning and funding strategies.
    Speaker: Robert J. Murphy Jr., Managing Community Planner, Sustainable Planning & Design
    
• 12:30 p.m.

  Lunch

  • Attorney General Letitia James
  • Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado

  Sponsored by Solar Liberty

• 1:45 p.m.

  CONCURRENT SESSIONS
  

  • Spotlight on Innovation: Success Stories from Across the State
    Throughout New York State, cities and villages are actively engaged in and completing innovative projects and programs. These initiatives aim to enhance residents’ quality of life, achieve cost savings, establish cooperative partnerships, and streamline the delivery of essential services. This panel of local officials will highlight how they have tackled EV charging, railroad bridge decay, and more.
    Speakers: Mayor Tom Roach, City of White Plains, NYCOM Past President; Mayor Jared Kraham, City of Binghamton and Mayor Nicola Armacost,Village of Hastings-on-Hudson
    
  • Solar Energy Solutions 
    The New York Power Authority (NYPA) helps communities across the State develop solar projects that generate revenue, achieve cost savings, reach sustainability goals, and improve grid resiliency. This session will highlight different energy models ranging from on-site solar, storage, and community solar to remote crediting opportunities. It will also focus on how communities can leverage land and underutilized space to achieve cost savings and provide guidance on how solar energy generation and storage can provide a key pathway to achieving your community’s decarbonization goals.
    Speaker: Chris Harvey, Project Manager, New York Power Authority
    
  • Protests, Social Media and First Amendment Audits: How to Avoid First Amendment Pitfalls #
    Because of an ever more contentious political environment, 2024 is shaping up to be a very active year for local government officials dealing with protests, social media and “citizen journalists.” This session will provide an overview of the fundamental protections provided by the First Amendment as well as the specific nuances that are relevant to political protests, social media, signs, and First Amendment audits.
    Speaker: Wade Beltramo, NYCOM General Counsel
    
• 3:15 p.m.

  CONCURRENT SESSIONS

  • Responding to Homelessness, Mental Health Issues and Substance Use Disorders in Our Communities
    New York State has been struggling for decades to adequately support individuals suffering from homelessness, mental health issues, and substance use disorders. While city and village emergency service providers are frequently the first point of contact with these individuals, the State charges counties with the responsibility of providing medium- and long-term services to them. This disconnect has been a significant barrier to successfully addressing these social issues. This panel of local officials will discuss what they are doing to address homelessness, mental health issues, and substance use disorders within their communities.
    Speakers: Mayor Kathy Sheehan, City of Albany, NYCOM President; Mayor Waylyn Hobbs, Jr., Village of Hempstead; and Mayor Ben Walsh, City of Syracuse
    
  • Best Practices for Hiring and Firing Employees #
    There are numerous rules and regulations pertaining to employee onboarding and termination. Failure to recognize potential pitfalls can expose the municipality to significant liability. This session will address the proper procedures necessary to hire and fire employees with an eye toward helping you navigate the landmines and avoid liability.
    Speaker: Bryan J. Goldberger, Partner, Goldberger & Kremer
  • Meeting the Standards: Ensuring Compliance with the Open Meetings Law #
    Conducting well-run meetings is vital for local government operations. Moreover, effective meetings can save time, reduce conflict, increase efficiency, and enhance resident confidence. Conversely, poorly managed meetings can pose challenges for local officials. This presentation will delve into the Open Meetings Law requirements, highlight the significance of written meeting procedures, and address each official’s role in properly handling records.
    Speaker: Rebecca Ruscito, NYCOM Counsel
    
• 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.

  NETWORKING RECEPTION
  Sponsored by: NYMEP/Good Energy

• 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

  Reception at the Governor’s Mansion
  (Only for municipal attendees who have RSVP’d)
  

• 8:00 -9:30 a.m.

  NYCOM Registration Desk Open

• 8:30 -9:30 a.m.

  CONCURRENT SESSIONS
  

  • Labor Relations Update: What’s on Your Mind? #
    Every year the State passes new laws that will impact public sector employers and employees. Municipalities must know and understand these changes to ensure compliance with the law. This session will cover some of the more frequently asked questions currently impacting public sector labor relations in New York.
    Presenter: John Mancini, NYCOM Counsel
    
• 9:00 -10:00 a.m.

  • The State's Pro-Housing Communities Program: What it Means for Cities and Villages
    A representative from the State's Division of Housing and Community Renewal (HCR) will go over the process of becoming a Pro-Housing Community and what that designation means with respect to accessing certain discretionary funding, including the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) and NY Forward programs.
    Presenter: Kate Van Tassel, Director of Special Projects, HCR
    
• 9:30 -10:30 a.m.

  • Keeping Drinking Water Clean and Safe: A Discussion of Lead and PFAS
    This session will address water service line replacement in light of the recent changes to state and federal law.
    Presenter: Laura Rabinow, Deputy Director of Research, Rockefeller Institute of Government