2011-2012 Membership Committee
Current Committee Meeting Minutes

TCMA Membership Committee
September 9, 2011, 9:00 a.m. 
Texas Municipal Center, Austin

Members of the committee present at the meeting included:  Chair Julie Couch, City Manager, Rockwall; Vice Chair Wendy Smith, Assistant City Manager, McAllen; Eddie Edwards, City Manager, Borger; Murvat Musa, City Administrator/City Secretary, Ransom Canyon; Bob Hart, City Manager, Kennedale; Brenda Samford, City Manager, Carthage; Bruce Ure, Assistant City Manager, Victoria; Gary Brown, City Manager, Floydada; Jerry Guillory, City Manager, Dublin; Mike Trimble, Capital Planning Officer, Austin; Gilbert Perales, Deputy City Manager, Arlington; Christal Kliewer Weber, Assistant City Manager, Tomball; Gabe Reaume, Budget Analyst, Sugar Land; Mark Kaiser, City Administrator, Stephenville; Nathan Watkins, Assistant to City the Administrator, Mont Belvieu.

Attending by conference call: Courtney Sharp, City Manager, Midland; David Harris, Assistant City Manager, Schertz; Chase Patton, Field Services Representative, TML Intergovernmental Risk Pool

TML Staff: Kim Pendergraft

Guests: Joe Foster and Noel McDonald, TML Staff

Committee chair Julie Couch called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. and thanked the committee members for participating.

Kim Pendergraft gave an overview of the Professional Awards and scholarships. Committee members will promote the awards and scholarships at the region level. Kim gave an overview of the process of inviting new city managers/administrators to become members and congratulating current city managers/administrators on new positions.

The committee discussed Facebook and Twitter. Julie recommended the formation of a subcommittee, which will be co-chaired by Courtney Sharp and Gabe Reaume. Nathan Watkins and Bruce Ure will also serve. The subcommittee will develop and provide recommendations on Facebook and Twitter.

David Harris reviewed the current in-transition program process and discussed recommendations for updating and enhancing the program. Julie made a recommendation to form a subcommittee. David Harris will chair the subcommittee, and Gabe Reaume, Christal Kliewer Weber, and Courtney Sharp will also serve. The subcommittee will develop and provide recommendations on the program.

The committee discussed the printed directory. On a motion by Christal Kliewer Weber and a second by Wendy Smith, the committee approved the recommendation to update the directory annually, discontinue the printed version, and make it available in a PDF format on the TCMA Web site. TML staff will determine if the search function of the online directory can be enhanced.

Noel McDonald provided information on the TCMA Web site redesign. He recommended that the smartphone application for the TCMA newsletter be launched to coincide with the new Web site. Kim informed the committee that the cost of the smartphone application and the Web site redesign was approved by the Board. Julie recommended that a subcommittee work with Noel on the new Web site. The subcommittee members are Julie Couch, Bruce Ure, Mike Trimble, and Nathan Watkins. The target date for completion is June 7, 2012, to coincide with the TCMA Annual Conference.

Dates were scheduled for future meetings:
January 19, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. A conference call is scheduled to discuss the selection of the 2012 Professional Award recipients, City Council of the Year Award, and the Terrell Blodgett Academician Award.

April 19-20, 2012. Interviews for the Ridley Scholarships and CPM Scholarships will be held, and the Tom Muehlenbeck Scholarship recipients will be selected. The location will be determined at a later date.

May 4, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. A conference call is scheduled to discuss the selection of the 2012 TCMA Annual Conference New Professional’s Scholarship recipients.

With nothing left on the agenda, the meeting was adjourned at 11: 40 a.m.