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Local Officials: Stronger, Together Podcast — Government
Local Officials: Stronger, Together Podcast

The Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool proudly introduces the Local Officials: Stronger, Together Podcast Series. The Pool is producing this regular podcast series, which has been dubbed STP, to help local officials (and managers and staff) understand key operational and legal concepts, and the services the Pool provides. After arming members with that information, each 15-minute episode will give easy action items to help keep your citizens, employees, volunteers, and property safe, all while saving public dollars. City council members can earn up to 19 Texas Municipal League Institute CEUs for listening to the podcasts. To receive CEUs for a particular episode, an elected official must provide a description of the episode, which must be educational in nature, pertain to municipal leadership, and should enhance your service as an elected official, for TML approval. Attorneys who listen to podcasts may be eligible for up to three hours of self-study CLE credit. Please refer to the State Bar CLE compliance rules for more information.

Copyright: © 2024 Local Officials: Stronger, Together Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 9e: Cybersecurity: The Evolving Threat Landscape Jul 19, 2024

Show notes

Cybersecurity threats are changing, emerging, and growing every day to include city funds, government websites, and water systems and other infrastructure. Local officials should stay aware of the changing cybersecurity landscape and evolving hacker tactics. In this episode, Scott interviews Dr. Michael Ramage, Director of Cyber Education and Research Center at Murray State University, to learn about the most important issues to know. Dr. Ramage will also present a more in-depth version of this discussion at the 2024 TML Annual Conference and Exhibition in October. Don’t miss this episode or the presentation, both of which provide an overview of the dangers facing your communities, while highlighting steps and governance necessary to protect your network, data, and, ultimately, your people.

Further Information:

Murray State University Cyber Program Home Page
Murray State Cyber Center YouTube Channel (Including 10 @ 10)
2024 TML Annual Conference Cyber Presentation – Friday Agenda (see 9:00 - 10:15 a.m.)
TML Risk Pool’s Cyber Bytes #3: Preventing Fraudulent Instruction
TML Risk Pool’s Cyber Liability Home Page

Episode 16b: The 2024 Hurricane Season is Upon Us - Are You Ready? Jul 03, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, Scott explains the predictions for the 2024 hurricane season and visits with a special guest – Matthew Rosencrans, the Climate Testbed Director at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center – to get his top three things a local official should know about this season. Unsurprisingly, being prepared is one thing. Local officials from almost every part of the state should tune in to learn about one you might not know!

Further information:

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s Hurricane Preparedness Website and 2024 Season Predictions

Colorado State University Climate Prediction Center 2024 forecast

Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hurricane Preparedness and Evacuation Planning Website

Texas Department of Emergency Management’s Preparedness Website

TML Risk Pool’s Hurricane Resources Web Page

Episode 34: Communicating During a Crisis: A Local Official’s Primer Jun 28, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, Scott visits with a public relations/communications expert about what a city or other local government official should know about communicating with the public and media during a crisis. Be it severe weather, an act of violence, or any other catastrophic event, elected officials, city managers, and city attorneys need to know the basics. This episode also mentions the Pool’s new qualifying crisis incident coverage, which can provide the services of a crisis management firm to assist Risk Pool Members during a qualifying crisis that leads to intense media scrutiny.
Further Information

Episode 33: The Pool’s Role in Supporting Excellence in Law Enforcement Jun 21, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, Scott explains the Pool’s internal efforts to ensure appropriate resources are provided to the approximately 800 law enforcement departments covered by the Pool. The efforts began with a July 2023 preliminary report that was presented to the Board of Trustees for their consideration. The Board's comments were then incorporated into a summary of actions, which serves as a roadmap for the Pool’s loss prevention and other efforts. After explaining the summary, Scott interviews Charles “Chase” Stapp, the Pool’s Law Enforcement Consultant, about how he can assist departments with risk management efforts that save lives, prevent injuries, and protect property. Members are encouraged to reach out to Chase at chase.stapp@tmlirp.org or 512-491-2440 for a no-cost consultation designed to promote excellence in law enforcement.
Further Information

Episode 32: STP Special Report: 2024-2025 Rerates May 31, 2024

Show notes

In this special report, you’ll hear from Jeff Thompson (Executive Director) and Aaron Hardiman (Risk Services Manager) as they explain the state of the Pool, the major rate drivers, and their effect on your 2024–2025 rerates.

Further Information

Episode 31: Servant Leadership: Leading with Trust, Respect, and Honesty Mar 01, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, Scott talks about Robert Greenleaf’s seminal essay “The Servant as Leader.” Servant leadership is not about a personal quest for power, prestige, or material rewards. Instead, from this perspective, leadership begins with a true motivation to serve others. Scott is joined by a special guest – his Dad (hey, the price was right) – who speaks about one man’s experience practicing the philosophy over 50 years in business.

Further Information

The Servant as Leader Download (Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership - $4.99)

Ten Principles of Servant Leadership from Indeed

Business Insurance New Names TML Risk Pool to 2020 “Best Places to Work” List

TDIndustries “What Does Servant Leadership Mean?”

Strategic Government Resources

Episode 30: Remote Employees: Practical Challenges and Legal Pitfalls Feb 16, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, Scott explains some of the practical and legal issues related to hiring remote employees, whether in Texas or out-of-state, and interviews several Risk Pool employees with expertise in the subject.

Further Information:

Department of Labor Employee v. Independent Contractor FAQ

Episode 9c: You’ve Been Cyber-Attacked: When Nothing Works at All Five Things Every City Manager Should Know Feb 09, 2024

Show notes

In this eye-opening episode, Scott interviews City of Tomball Assistant City Manager Jessica Rogers. Cyber-criminals hacked Tomball at the end of 2022, and the city is still – one year later – dealing with the aftermath. In this episode – which should be required listening for every city manager in Texas (and beyond) – Jessica explains exactly what it’s like to have essentially every computer system go down, including 9-1-1 dispatch, utility metering and billing, permitting, and everything in between. She’ll also describe the long road to getting everything up-and-running. Don’t miss this chill-inducing story.

Further Information:

Texas City Management Association’s “TCMA Messenger” Newsletter article: “There and Back Again, An ACM’s Journey”
Center for Internet Security’s 2022 Nationwide Cybersecurity Review
TML Risk Pool’s Cyber Liability Home Page

Episode 11a: January is R.O.A.D. Ready Month: Protect Those Who Work in and Around Roadways Dec 08, 2023

Show notes

The year 2023 has seen multiple city employee struck by fatalities on Texas roadways. The TML Risk Pool’s goal is to reduce that to zero in 2024, and we’ve developed a program to do just that. R.O.A.D. Ready is a Risk Pool program designed to save lives, prevent injuries, and protect property by raising member awareness of dangers on and near roadways, and January is R.O.A.D. Ready month. Listen in to learn how you can participate and stop one of your employees from being a statistic.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

R.O.A.D. Ready Web Page

Find You Safety and Loss Control Consultant

Safety @ Your Fingertips Sign Up

Episode 29: Employee Drug Testing: An Interview with Dripping Springs City Attorney Laura Mueller Nov 10, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Scott interviews Dripping Springs City Attorney and Texas City Attorneys Association Board Member Laura Mueller. In it, Laura explains how the law limits the circumstances in which a city or other local government can drug test its employees. Lots of entities are improperly drug testing employees, and this short interview can help set them straight. Check out the podcast as usual or watch the interview by clicking on the video to the left of this episode.
Further Information:

“Weeding Out Bad Employees: Random Drugs Testing and Cities 2023 Update” prepared by Laura Mueller and recently presented to the Texas City Attorneys Association.

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