Presidential Perspective

president’s perspective

By Daryl Moeller, SAMA Mille Lacs County

What a beautiful day it is going to be. Every day I wake up, I think this is going to be the best day ever. Whether we are in the office or still working from home, we can always make each day the best it can be. Having a positive attitude in life, will allow you to appreciate the little things in it and make them more special. If we can spread more positivity to our coworkers and the public we work with, the better our days will be. It is hard to believe the changes that we have witnessed in the last couple of months or since the last time I wrote my article for Equal Eyes. Keeping a positive outlook, will get us through this pandemic.

Many areas of Minnesota are struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, a timeframe we have never seen before and hopefully we will never see again, when it ends. Some of us have struggled with the virus personally or probably know someone that has either had it or worse died from it, I do. We have all struggled with it in our professional lives. Some offices are working at full capacity and running business as usual, with extra precautions put in place. While others are working from home as their offices are still closed to the public. Most of us are probably somewhere in the middle. This pandemic has definitely changed our ways of doing business. From going and looking at properties, accepting applications and the computers that we have worked on for years are all changing. Changes that will influence operating the assessor’s office for years to come.

Since my last article, we have started to offer classes again. Prior to COVID-19 classes had been scheduled at locations that were big enough to fit our needs, but many are no longer safe locations Our first class to be offered was ALP. This class was our first class held at The Park Event Center in Waite Park. This new facility was able to accommodate our needs with plenty of room to be COVID-19 safe. We also used the new Hilton Garden Inn attached to the Conference Center for room reservations. Both locations were welcoming and appreciative for the opportunity to serve us. We have also hosted Assessment Administration and the joint Legislative and Executive Board meeting at these locations. Hopefully we can continue to use their facilities in the future. We also had a successful Principles class at the Kelly Inn, St. Cloud and IAAO 102 at the Holiday Inn in Lake Elmo. For those who like to take classes in person, we are focusing on having locations that promote the guidelines for COVID, so our locations will be limited on where we can have these classes. Please watch our website as classes are being added or locations may change.

I understand people may not feel comfortable taking classes in person. And some have asked why we are still having classes in person. The answer is, the way our classes are being taught right now, is with the large classroom setting, and small group breakouts. It is being accountable for people attending the class and making sure they are comprehending the material presented. We also need to make sure the tests at the end of the class is administered properly. Making a 30-hour weeklong course is much more labor intensive than creating a two or fourhour seminars with no test involved. MAAO courses will need to be rewritten before we can offer them virtually. There will be many I’s to dot and t’s to cross, before this will become a reality. We are making plans to move in this direction, but it will take time. If you have not done so, make sure you check out the requirements of obtaining your AMA license. Some of the requirements have changed since the beginning of the licensing cycle on July 1st. Also new is the State Board is approving continuing education hours as small as two hours now. I want to strongly remind assessors that are under the deadline to receive their AMA by July 1, 2022, that you are making proper arrangements to achieve this license. It is less than 2 years away and classes are only offered typically once a year.

If you are wanting to get involved with MAAO, there are a couple of committees that could use a few more members to get active within the organization. When you take on a role within our organization, you will truly see the benefits come back to you. I am excited with where MAAO is at right now and even more excited with where we will go in the future. It is going to take many people coming together to keep us moving forward.

In leaving my year as President, I am so honored to have served the organization. I want to thank everyone who has helped me through this year. It was a great team effort to get us through our rough times. And it is through these tough times that we can become better and stronger, together!

Daryl Moeller MAAO President