The MMA and the municipal law team at Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane will host a boot camp for municipal officials on May 8. Attorneys Peter Mello, Madison Harris-Parks, and Karis North will review key regulatory concepts, including ethics, the public record law, and the open meeting law — essential rules that influence daily operations…
The Massachusetts Moderators Association and the MMA will co-sponsor a webinar on May 2 reviewing how to publicize, plan and conduct meetings that promote civil public discourse. A panel of seasoned town moderators will offer insights from their experience in both open and representative town meetings. They will review how to develop meeting rules, anticipate…
The third session of the MMA’s “Climate Action” webinar series, on April 30, will explore how to design effective community engagement efforts. Julie Gagen, sustainability coordinator in Weston, and Michele Paul, director of resilience and environmental stewardship in New Bedford, will share best practices for engaging different populations in climate planning and adapting to community…
The MMA will host a free webinar with the Massachusetts Broadband Institute on April 22 to discuss the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Challenge Process and other timely MBI programming to help bridge the digital divide. This spring, the BEAD program will allocate $147 million to expand broadband access across the state. As a part…
The second session in the MMA’s “Climate Action” webinar series, “From Planning to Practice,” will be held on April 18. The webinar will showcase various approaches to climate action planning and discuss how to respond to the effects of climate change through meaningful, data-based initiatives. Panelists will discuss methods used in their communities and share…
A free MMA webinar on April 2 will review, step-by-step, how to have productive conversations amidst tension and volatility. Sharon Select Board Chair Kiana Pierre-Louis, who’s also assistant dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Northeastern University, will discuss the art of communication in challenging times, including how to stay clear-headed, unbiased, and empathetic when…
MMA members are invited to a virtual legislative briefing on Thursday, March 28, to hear about the latest activity in the current legislative session that has implications for cities and towns. The one-hour meeting will be held via Zoom beginning at noon. Topics will include the fiscal 2025 state budget, the governor’s Municipal Empowerment Act…
On March 26, the MMA will launch a “climate action” webinar series, which will explore how climate change impacts municipalities and address questions about how appointed and elected officials can take action. Online registration is open for the first webinar in the series, which will feature a “fireside chat” between Massachusetts Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer…
The MMA will host a free webinar on March 20 to review key elements of Chapter 70, the major state aid program for public schools. Brian Allen, the deputy superintendent, chief operating officer, and chief financial officer for the Worcester Public Schools, will cover how the state’s foundation budget for education is determined for school…