CCAC | Official Word | March 2023

CITY CLERKS ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA

Official Word

•PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

•MENTORING A CLERK FOR THE DAY

•DID YOU KNOW…?

•SPONSOR

HIGHLIGHT: NDC

REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

SPOTLIGHT

•ASSOCIATION MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

•ATTENTION: ALL FIRST TIME CONFERENCE ATTENDEES

•MEMBERSHIP SERVICES UPDATE

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

MARC A. DONOHUE, MMC

Happy Spring, CCAC! I can’t believe we are less than three weeks away from the 2023 Annual Conference! It feels like yesterday that it was months away and now it’s around the corner. Before I hype up the conference, I wanted to touch on a couple of things first.

First off, I’d like to thank the members of CCAC for passing Measure 23-A with the following vote:

90.71% - yes

9.29% - no

What does this ballot measure mean for CCAC?

It does the following:

- Removes the requirement that a member of CCAC also be from a member City of the League of California Cities in order to run for President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, Immediate Past President, Recording Secretary, or Legislative Director.

- Allows all Board positions to be elected at-large as opposed to having a north/south region requirement for certain positions.

- Adds the Immediate Past President position to the Board of Directors.

- Extends the terms of the current Board of Directors for an additional six months to allow for the annual installation of officers for the incoming Board of Directors to occur at the 2024 CCAC Annual Conference instead of the 2023 League of California Cities Annual Conference.

- Provides clean-up language for the articles addressing membership and vacancies.

In conjunction with these changes, the CCAC election that normally would occur in the June/July timeframe will now move to a December/January timeframe to allow for the installation of CCAC officers to occur at the CCAC annual conference starting in 2024. Thank you again to the membership for overwhelmingly supporting these changes to the bylaws!

At the March 21 CCAC Board of Directors meeting, the Board provided direction to begin contract negotiations with California State University – San Marcos, for the establishment of our new educational institutes. I wanted to take a moment and thank everyone who’s been serving on the Education Institute Committee the last two years. It was a lot of work to get us to this point but we are finally near the finish line! We hope to have a contract for the Board’s approval sometime in April or May.

I just had the honor of representing California at the Washington Association of Municipal Clerks Annual Conference at the beautiful Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, Washington. It was a great conference filled with informative educational sessions and networking. Congratulations to WMCA President Shawn Campbell on an amazing conference!

From left to right, Karin Johnson, OAMR President; Marc Donohue, CCAC President; Shawn Campbell, WMCA President; Brenda Henry, AMCA President

MARC DONOHUE

There is still time to register for the 2023 Annual Conference! Below is the conference schedule:

Tuesday, April 11 - Pre-Conference Advanced Academy

- Athenian Dialogue

Wednesday, April 12

- Opening Ceremonies

- State of the Association Address

- Keynote, General & Concurrent Sessions

- All Conference Event at Oscars Palm Springs

Thursday, April 13

- General and Concurrent Sessions

- Annual Recognition Lunch

- Annual Banquet and Awards Dinner

- Silent and Live Auctions

Friday, April 14

- Keynote Session

There are still a few spots left for the Advanced Academy, Athenian Dialogue, and All-Conference event! Register today!

Looking forward to seeing everyone in Palm Springs! As always, please feel free to reach out to me at mdonohue@eastvaleca.gov or (951) 703-4421.

Havana Nights

Get dressed up for a themed evening for you to come in that summer style, honor our awardees listen to talented musicians, and dance the night away!

Thursday, April 13, 2023

6:30 p.m.

Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel

Banquet Room

Palm Springs, CA

SILENT AUCTION DONATIONS NEEDED

Every year we seek the help of our wonderful members to donate items for our annual silent auction and help make this fundraising event a success.

The CCAC Annual Silent Auction helps supplement the Scholarship Fund in providing scholarships for members working towards their CMC or MMC Certification.

If you are interested in donating, please complete the attached form and return by April 3, 2023.

Completed forms should be emailed to sbermudez@cvwd.org.

Donation items must have a minimum value of $25. All proceeds go towards the scholarship fund.

THE FORM IS ON THE OTHER SIDE

INDIVIDUAL PROFESSIONAL HEADSHOT

Thursday, April 13, 2023

1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Exhibitor Hall

Palm Springs, CA

One Style Headshot Per Session

Come dressed in your best professional attire. Sponsored by Tripepi Smith, CCAC invites attendees to take your professional headshot at this year’s conference.

CCAC CONFERENCE MERCH STORE

Blankets

Bookmarks

Cookbook

Dog Bandana

Dog Bowl

Flag

Glass Slurpy Tumbler

Hat/Shirt Combo

Highlighter

Iron-On Patches

Jackets

Journal

License Plate Holders

Mugs

Padfolio

Pens

Pins

PJ Pant

Polo

Post-It Note

Pull Over Crewneck

Pull Over Hoodie

Reusable Water Bottles

Rubber Stamp

Selfie Stick

Speaker

T-Shirts

USBs

Windbreakers

Interested in volunteering at this year ' s Merch Store booth? Email Networking Director at roxanneb@cityofbrea net

MENTORING A CLERK FOR THE DAY

ROXANNE BRECEDA, CMC, DIRECTOR OF NETWORKING

This year’s annual conference attendees will again be able to bid on a clerk to assist them for the day. This fundraiser helps provide scholarship opportunities for our association members. City Clerk Mindy Cuppy, MMC from the City of Sacramento, shares her story: Sylvia Bermudez gifted me a new friend!

At the 2022 CCAC Conference, then-First Vice President Marc Donohue approached me with an idea for a fundraiser – the opportunity for conference attendees to bid on seasoned (I think he meant old) clerks, so they could mentor another clerk. I agreed, as it was for a good cause. All CCAC fundraisers go towards scholarships for members. I was a bit apprehensive, that no one would bid on me, so I lined up a couple of friends and promised to reimburse them.

Although I was not the clerk with the top fundraising amount, I was honored to stand amongst outstanding clerks I admire, Dawn Abrahamson and Stephanie Smith.

The top bidder was Clerk of the Board Sylvia Bermudez from Coachella Valley Water District, who gifted me to the lowest-tenured clerk in the audience. City Clerk Delores Pedersen, from the City of Willits, was the last person standing amongst the nearly 200 attendees, having been in office for five days.

Delores and I exchanged contact information, and after some time, I got the pleasure of attending her city’s first post-COVID in-person council meeting. I had the opportunity to get to know Delores personally, and after my trip to her city, I now have a new friend! She worked with the City of Willits for 17 years before being promoted to City Clerk. Delores embraces our profession and is doing a fantastic job! Despite what our job entails, like the public records requests she received, a request for video footage of the airport, Delores handled that request accordingly and pleasantly.

ROXANNE BRECEDA

Thank you, President Donohue, for your unique fundraising idea, and Sylvia Bermudez, for your generous donation to CCAC. Thank you, Delores, for being a remarkable City Clerk and my new friend. I cannot express how valuable it is to our association's clerks. This is selfless devotion to duty. Mindy Cuppy, you are extraordinary! Sir Isaac Newton, the English physicist, and mathematician, once said, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” He acknowledged the importance of the discoverers who came before him.

Should you attend this year’s Live Auction during the Annual Banquet and Award Ceremony, , we hope you remember this article, and the wonderful contributions of our fellow clerks like Mindy Cuppy, Sylvia

Bermudez, and Delores Pedersen. CCAC fundraising events help further the career, knowledge, and even simply the well-being of members. Thank you to all for taking the time to read this article and making a difference in our association. We not only are standing on the shoulder of giants, but we are also building back better and selflessly doing an act of kindness.

If you are interested in volunteering to be auctioned off as a “Clerk Mentor for the Day” during Thursday’s Banquet and Live Auction on Thursday, April 13, please contact President Marc Donohue, CCAC President. Make it a great day, clerks!

“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”

- SIR ISAAC NEWTON

DID YOU KNOW…?

HOLLY M. CHARLÉTY, MMC, DIRECTOR OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Did you know that International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC) offers online professional development courses? Topics range from Ethics to DEI in Civic Spaces to Human Resource Essentials for Municipal Clerks. These courses are approved for 1 CMC or 1 MMC education points for every 2 hours of learning. For more information, check out the list of on demand courses available online. Sessions scheduled for the coming months will open for registration online the month prior. For more information, contact the IIMC Professional Development Director at Bea@iimc.com or (909)944-4162.

HOLLY CHARLÉTY

SPONSOR HIGHLIGHT: NDC

JESSICA BLAIR, MMC, 1ST VICE PRESIDENT

City Clerks are NDC’s vital partners throughout our 40 years-andcounting of demographic studies and districting and redistricting projects for California local governments. When an at-large election city wants a demographic study to assess potential liability under the Federal or California Voting Rights Acts, or when Council election districts need drawing or redrawing, NDC is there to help. We appreciate the vital direction and support City Clerks provide in every one of those projects. This year it is again our pleasure to sponsor CCAC and to join you at your conferences and meetings. Transitions to district elections can be difficult. While districts offer the benefit of more locallyfocused elections and reduce the cost to run for Council, district elections also mean individual voters only vote in Council elections every four years instead of every two, and only vote for one Councilmember instead of for the whole Council. After districting, explaining these impacts to often-surprised voters usually falls on the City Clerk. But NDC can help.

Before passage of the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) in 2002, only 29 of California’s 482 incorporated cities and towns held by-district elections for City Council. But the slow flow of cities moving to by-district elections from 2002 to 2015 turned into a flood following Sacramento’s 2015 adoption of AB350. NDC’s most recent count found CVRA prompted 185 cities to move to bydistrict elections, increasing the total number of by-district election cities from 29 to 214.

Santa Clarita and Irvine recently agreed to change to by-district elections, meaning every California city with a Census count of 200,000 residents or more will hold by-district Council elections. Among cities with 150,000 to 200,000 residents, only four of the 16 cities remain at-large. Among cities with 105,000 to 150,000 residents, only two of those 31 cities are still at-large while a third is “from district” (where Councilmembers must live in a given district, but the election is still held citywide).

JESSICA BLAIR

District elections are now found in cities of all sizes: before CVRA, only ten of the 407 cities currently under 100,000 in population held bydistrict elections – less than 3 percent. Today that count is over 36 percent, as 146 of those 407 cities under 100,000 in population now hold by-district elections.Many cities have made the (strong) case to the legislature and to potential plaintiffs that “small” is “too small” for by-district elections. But the legislature ignores those pleas. And potential plaintiffs have drawn the line at a ridiculously low bar: thankfully no city under 5,000 population has yet been forced into bydistrict elections by CVRA threats, but many just over 5,000 have faced such challenges. When a city receives an attorney letter threatening a CVRA lawsuit, time is of the essence: state law allows a 45-day “safe harbor” to respond. NDC can quickly assist with demographic data, polarized voting analysis, and guidance drawn from our extensive experience with hundreds of these challenges. This analysis must be focused on local elections. Residents or plaintiffs may show up with analysis based on partisan election results (just because those data are easier to get), but those have limited relevance to city challenges.

NDC’s analysis helped two cities achieve a best-case result, where NDC and the cities were able to convince the plaintiffs to withdraw their threat letters.

Another handful of cities are resisting making the change even when plaintiffs refuse to withdraw their threats. These cities are currently waiting to see if lawsuits will be filed. With NDC’s analysis in hand, these cities know their situation and the strengths and weaknesses of plaintiff’s position. We are happy to report that some cities are now five or more years past the threat without a lawsuits filed, but that risk hangs over them.

But those were the exceptions. Most jurisdictions receiving CVRA threats (understandably) decide the financial stakes are so high that a change to bydistrict elections is required.

For cities seeking to resist the challenge, NDC is here to help with demographic analysis and guidance. Among cities making the change, NDC provided demographic assistance to over 85% of the 185 cities moving to by-district elections so far. And now NDC has launched “Project 2031,” providing annual demographic updates to our clients and allowing our clients to know they have NDC’s help in the rapidly approaching 2031 redistricting cycle. See our website for more information about Project 2031.

All of us at NDC thank every City Clerk for your vital service to California. We are thrilled and honored to be partners with CCAC.

REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE SPOTLIGHT

ROXANNE BRECEDA, CMC, DIRECTOR OF NETWORKING

Can I get a show of hands as to how many look up to this rare gem of a clerk? Yup, I can agree!

I met this month’s Regional Representative Spotlight at the 2021 CCAC virtual annual conference. “Boards, Commissions, and Committees…Oh My!” was the conference session. I recall a practice tip she provided to work with your city attorney to create your own AB1234-compliant program. It’s an honor to spotlight Kerry Bigelow, a clerk with excellent skills and knowledge, a committee member, and a proud mama!

KERRY BIGELOW, MMC, MPA CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CITY CLERK REGION 9, SAN DIEGO COUNTY

How did you get started in the clerk’s world?

I’m a 2nd generation city clerk. My mom is a retired city clerk, having worked in appointed and elected city clerk positions in several cities. My first city clerk-related role was around age 10 when I made $0.10 per file folder to adhere the numerical filing stickers. My dad was an economic development consultant working for local government agencies in California and overseas. So I always knew I wanted to go into local government as well. I started working for the City of Chula Vista in 2004, serving in a couple of departments before making my way to the City Clerk’s office in 2012. My passion is changing the perception of local government. I have worked with and know so many intelligent, hard-working, innovative public servants. I enjoy the opportunity to help people have a positive experience connecting with their local government and see that government agencies can be innovative, forward-thinking, and efficient.

What is your secret to keeping yourself organized, and how are you able to meet your deadlines?

I am a huge proponent of continuous improvement (CI) of processes and have been practicing CI formally for more than 10 years and informally for 20. Streamlining processes so we can carry out duties faster, more accurately, and more consistently has contributed to our team’s success. I also love a good checklist. I often use handwritten to-do lists (there really is something about checking that box!) but incorporate technology for reminders, follow-ups, and ensuring I meet deadlines.

ROXANNE BRECEDA

What advice would you give to a fellow clerk?

Some advice I received that has served me well is to raise your hand. Raise your hand for new assignments and opportunities, even if they are out of your scope or comfort zone. I have met so many incredible people inside and outside my organization. I have also been exposed to programs that I wouldn’t otherwise be aware of and learned new things. Also, you can lead from anywhere in your organization. You don’t need to be called a manager, department head, or city clerk to be a “leader.” Acting in a leadership capacity on a project gives you the freedom to conduct a little social experiment. Pick a leadership skill you want to work on—relationship building, innovation, motivation, decision-making, negotiation—and intentionally look for opportunities to exercise it throughout the project. Keep track of what you experimented with, how well it worked, and what you might want to adjust for next time. And no matter how seasoned you are, there’s always room to learn and improve.

What is one of your favorite places to eat or visit?

My son, Tristan, and I took a spontaneous trip to Fairbanks, AK, in December 2021. We had a blast meeting sled dogs, snow machining (I learned the proper term for “snowmobiles” while I was there), visiting North Pole, and chasing the Northern Lights. Of course, we took the opportunity to visit city hall (my son was a bit less excited than I was) and met the City Clerk and City Attorney, who very kindly gave us a tour. We will definitely be back!

And yes, I continue to have the session documents refer back to them occasionally and tab and highlight sections.

ASSOCIATION MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

ROXANNE BRECEDA, CMC, DIRECTOR OF NETWORKING

Happy Women’s History Month! This month’s featured Association Member is a member I met through a zoom meeting. She is a vibrant and caring member and mentor for CCAC. Her energy is contagious, and I enjoy her story telling. Please meet June Lemos from the City of Fort Bragg.

What are you most proud of in your career so far?

How did you get started, and what advice would you give association members working towards becoming a clerk?

I worked as a paralegal for 25 years at a Fort Bragg law office, then joined the City of Fort Bragg in 2013 as an Administrative Assistant in the Community Development Department. I was promoted to City Clerk in 2015 when my predecessor retired. She was on a leave of absence, so I was thrown into the pool’s deep end and learned how to swim on my own without knowing what the job entailed.

My best advice to association members would be to take advantage of all the guidance and training CCAC and IIMC offer. Connect with other clerks and attend as many annual conferences and new law seminars as possible. Get a mentor. Ask questions on the Listserv. If your agency can afford it, attend the Technical Training for Clerks to help with CMC credits and the Master Municipal Clerks Academy to get your MMC designation. If you’re a bit of a nerd like I am, you’ll love every minute of the educational journey.

I’m most pleased to have attained the Master Municipal Clerk designation. When I received my MMC designation in November 2021, there were only 167 Master Clerks in California and 1,339 in the USA, which was quite an achievement. I’m also proud of helping the City go paperless by digitizing public records requests, meeting agendas and minutes, and FPPC form filings. In addition, I worked to establish a portal for members of the public to view archived records and helped create a new City website. I love serving the people of my community and working with the City Council and City staff to make Fort Bragg a vibrant, safe, and thriving place to live. But perhaps my proudest accomplishment is becoming a CCAC mentor to eight new City Clerks. It is such a pleasure to help people in our field receive the assistance they need to obtain their CMC designations and become competent City Clerks.

JUNE LEMOS, MMC CITY CLERK, CITY OF FORT BRAGG

ROXANNE BRECEDA

June and the original 1889 official seal of the City of Fort Bragg, “The only thing at City Hall that’s older than I am!”

What is one place you would like to visit and why?

There are so many places on this earth I want to see, but the one at the top of my list is the island of Flores in the Açores, my family’s ancestral home. My grandfather and his 14 brothers and sisters were all born there, so I bet I have a few unknown Portuguese cousins still living in Flores. I’ve seen photos of this beautiful island, whose coastline is very similar to Mendocino, where I live.

June and her sisters Jill Lemos (L) and Jone Lemos (R) have always been active in the Women’s Movement. “I knitted a LOT of pink hats that year!”

"I love serving the people of my community and working with the City Council and City staff to make Fort Bragg a vibrant, safe, and thriving place to live."

ATTENTION ALL FIRST TIME ATTENDEES FOR THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE

MICHAEL MACDONALD, CMC, DIRECTOR OF MEMBER SERVICES

The Membership and Inclusivity Committee is excited to announce the re-launch of the Ambassador program for our first-time attendees at the Annual Conference in Palm Springs next month! If you are a first-time attendee or flying solo at the conference, be sure to be on the lookout for committee members who will be wearing Ambassador name tags. We’d love to tell you more about how the conference works and we want to make sure that you feel welcome!

Can’t wait to see everyone in Palm Springs!

Contact information:

Michael MacDonald, CMC - City of Ventura

E: mmacdonald@cityofventura.ca.gov

2023 AMBASSADORS

MICHAEL MACDONALD, VENTURA

SANDRA KENDALL, PACIFIC GROVE

TRACEY HERMOSILLO, CATHEDRAL CITY

MARI HERNANDEZ, CALABASAS

ASHTON AROCHO, FONTANA

CANDICE ALVAREZ, LAKE ELSINORE

JESSICA CONTRERAS, CHINO HILLS

JUNE LEMOS, FORT BRAGG

MEMBERSHIP SERVICES UPDATE

MICHAEL MACDONALD, CMC, DIRECTOR OF MEMBER SERVICES

Hello CCAC! I wanted to take a brief moment to introduce myself as your next Director of Member Services. I am currently the City Clerk for the City of Ventura. In this role, I have focused my priorities on moving my office into the 21st century. This includes greater use of electronic filing, reducing paper transactions, and implementing new technology to change how we interact with the community.

I’m excited to be joining the CCAC Board of Directors because I have enjoyed networking and collaborating with clerks around the state. In addition to my professional development through training opportunities and conferences, the relationships that I have created out of that network have been critical in my success as a clerk. I want to share this with other new clerks as we look to the future of our association.

MICHAEL MACDONALD

I look forward to serving you all. If you have ideas about how we can strengthen our membership, I want to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me any time at mmacdonald@cityofventura.ca.gov or (805) 658-4787. Over the next several weeks, I’ll be getting myself up to speed, and look forward to seeing you all in Palm Springs next month!

"I want to share this with other new clerks as we look to the future of our association."

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEWLY CERTIFIED MEMBERS

We’re pleased to inform you that the following individuals have earned either the prestigious Master Municipal Clerk (MMC) or Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC) designation from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC):

CMC:

Kelly Clancy, CMC - City Clerk - City of San Leandro, CA

Patricia A. Vazquez, CMC - City Clerk - City of Stanton, CA

Kimberly Solorio, CMC - Records Management Analyst - City of Rancho Cucamonga, CA

Enyssa Momoli, CMC - Administrative Analyst I - City of Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

MMC:

Tania Garcia, MMC - City Clerk - City of La Canada Flintridge, CA

CCAC

Official Word