eNews December 3, 2021
Friday, December 03, 2021 - 05:07pm
In this issue:
- Newly Elected Officials Conference to be held Jan. 6th in Charlottesville
- Local Government Day scheduled for Feb. 3rd in Richmond
VML Events
Newly Elected Officials Conference to be held Jan. 
6th in Charlottesville
VML’s Newly Elected Officials Conference provides a valuable opportunity for both new and seasoned public officials to learn from speakers with extensive experience working with local government officials. Furthermore, the conference offers an excellent opportunity to learn what it takes to succeed and how to avoid common pitfalls as an elected official.
The next Newly Elected Officials Conference will be held at the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission in Charlottesville on January 6, 2022.
Topics typically covered include (but are not limited to):
- ABCs of Local Governing
- Budgeting Basics
- FOIA
- Innovation, Financing and Foresight (speakers sponsored by VRSA)
- Council / Manager Form of Government
- COIA
- Investment / Finance
- Public Officials’ Liability
- How the Virginia Municipal League works for you
Details and registration are available here >.
VML Contact: Mitchell Smiley, msmiley@vml.org
Local Government Day scheduled for Feb. 3rd in 
Richmond
Register early for discounted rate!
VML, VACo and VAPDC will host the 2022 Local Government Day starting on Thursday, February 3rd at the Omni Hotel in Richmond. As in years past, this event will allow local government officials and staff to learn about the important issues being considered by their legislators and to advocate at the 2022 General Assembly Session.
Registration opens at 11:00 AM with lunch available beginning at 11:30 AM. The afternoon will include briefings from staff and an opportunity to visit the Capitol to meet with legislators. The day will conclude with a reception at the Omni beginning at 5:30 PM.
Registration and additional details, including hotel reservation information, can be found here >.
VML Contact: Rob Bullington, rbullington@vml.org
COIA
Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council considers issues affecting local governments
During a meeting just prior to the Thanksgiving break, the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council (COIA) took up two issues of importance to local governments.
The first issue is proposed legislation entitled “possible legislation to require notification to local clerks if compensated for attempting to influence certain local government actions.”
Essentially, this legislation would require individuals who influence or attempt to influence a local government to provide notice to the locality’s clerk and pay a fee. The notice would have to be given 15 days prior to the first attempt to communicate with the local government and would need to include the individual’s name, telephone number and business address as well as the local government action that the individual seeks to influence. Qualifying “local government actions” include any enactment, repeal, or mediation of an ordinance or resolution including actions related to local taxes, the budget or land use.
The notice would be good for one year. Failure to comply with the notification/fee requirement would result in a class one misdemeanor (which includes potential jail time).
The second issue of concern to local governments was a vote on an opinion provided by the COIA Council Executive Director G. Stewart Petoe. The question being considered is as follows:
Do the restrictions and reporting requirements found in the COIA Act apply to gifts given by lobbyist principals to officers when the lobbyist’s principal is a locality, and the gift is given to a member of the governing body of that locality?
The opinion, which the Council voted to issue, includes a great deal of discussion, but reaches the following conclusion:
“The elected members of the governing body of a locality must follow the restrictions and reporting requirements provided for in COIA whenever they receive any gifts from lobbyist’s principals. This applies even in those rare circumstances where the lobbyist’s principal is their own locality, and the locality is giving them a gift, distinct from their regular compensation.”
The agenda and materials from the meeting are available here >.
VML Contact: Michelle Gowdy, mgowdy@vml.org
Elections
Official ELECT advisory issued for moving May elections to November
Today, December 3rd, the Virginia Department of Elections issued an ELECT advisory for those localities that have not passed the ordinance required by SB1157 (2021) to move May General Elections to November.
The advisory includes information on how this affects those localities as well as action items and contact information.
View/download the ELECT advisory letter here >.
For more information on this topic, please review the April, 2021 issue of VML’s magazine, Virginia Town & City which features articles on the topic of understanding the new elections laws.
VML member localities that would like an example ordinance for reference can reach out to Executive Director Michelle Gowdy at the below email address.
VML Contact: Michelle Gowdy, mgowdy@vml.org
General Assembly
2022 General Assembly will be here before you 
know it!
The 2022 General Assembly will convene on Wednesday, January 12, 2022. This will be a long (60-day) session during which the budget for the next biennium (July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2024) will be debated and adopted.
The inauguration will take place on Saturday, January 15.
Leading up to the 2022 Session, Governor Ralph Northam will deliver his final budget proposal to the General Assembly budget and finance committees on Thursday, December 16, at 9:30 a.m. This meeting will likely be streamed; a link to the meeting will be available on the General Assembly’s website prior to the meeting.
VML has a dedicated 2022 General Assembly Resources page. Up-to-date information will be added as it becomes available. Information about the 2022 General Assembly session will also be posted in eNews as January approaches.
VML Contact: Janet Areson, jareson@vml.org
Senate Rules Committee sets bill limits
The Virginia Senate Rules Committee met on November 19 to discuss bill limits for the upcoming 2022 regular session. The Committee decided to set a limit of 25 bills per member that can be introduced and 8 bills that can be pre-filed while members can have up to 40 bills drafted.
This is the first glimpse of substantive legislative activity and reaffirms that the Senate intends to continue limiting the amount of legislation that individual Senators can introduce. VML members should be aware of these limits if they anticipate asking a Senator to introduce legislation on their behalf during the 2022 session.
Bottom line: Do not delay in contacting Senators with legislative requests.
VML Contact: Mitchell Smiley, msmiley@vml.org
Environment
Local government considerations related to Executive Order 82
On November 18th, the Governor issued Executive Order 82 entitled “Consultation with Federally Recognized Tribal Nations for Environmental and Historic Permits.”
The order starts with the following directive:
“The Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Department of Historic Resources, and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission shall develop policies and procedures to ensure an opportunity for meaningful and culturally appropriate, written consultation with potentially impacted Indigenous tribes, nations and communities acknowledged pursuant to the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994, 25 U.S.C. 479.”
Page two of the order lists the relevant permits and reviews, including several state permits that could affect local government projects. These include, but are not limited to, ground water withdrawal permits for over 1 million gallons per day, environmental impact assessments for oil or gas well drilling in Tidewater, and local government notifications for new and existing impoundment structures or dams.
In addition, the order includes language about federal joint permit applications for shoreline erosion control projects, piers, wharfs, dredging, and construction related activities. It directs the Department of Environmental Quality and Virginia Marine Resources Commission to ensure there is appropriate input.
VML Contact: Michelle Gowdy, mgowdy@vml.org
Opportunities
National Civic League announces applications for 2022 All-America City Awards
The National Civic League is accepting applications for the 2022 All-America City awards until March 1, 2022. The theme for 2022 is “Housing as a Platform for Early School Success and Equitable Learning Recovery.” The 2022 awards program will be co-convened by the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading and will focus on robust efforts that seek measurable improvement around one or more of the following areas of focus:
- Digital equity
- Relational supports
- Afterschool, summer and out-of-school learning opportunities
- Transforming non-school places and spaces into learning-rich environments
- Promoting school readiness, regular attendance and summer learning
- Parents succeeding as essential partners
- Parents succeeding in their own journey
Cities, counties, towns and tribes can submit a letter of intent by January 10th to receive $100 off of their application fee. Applications are due March 1st. Leaders from municipalities, schools, nonprofits, community foundations, libraries, chambers of commerce and youth have all led their communities to win the All-America City Award.
Finalists will be announced in early May and invited to assemble a community team to present at the virtual All-America City event in July. Learn more here >.
About the awards
Since 1949, the National Civic League has designated over 500 communities as All-America Cities for their outstanding civic accomplishments.
During the past 18 months, the closure of schools, early childhood programs and childcare centers in response to COVID-19 was a significant setback for all children’s early school success. The adverse impact has been disproportionately devastating, however, for children of economically challenged, fragile, and marginalized families. Left unattended, learning loss of this scale and magnitude could further compromise the prospects for a generation of children whose future already is at risk.
Public housing and affordable housing programs are high-potential platforms for regaining momentum for early school success and for accelerating equitable learning recovery. Public housing authorities and affordable housing organizations can serve as focal points that bring together public, corporate, and community-level stakeholders to support children, adults and families using a system of 24/7/365 wraparound services and supports and a two-generation approach.
Applications are due March 1st and Teams of residents; nonprofit, business, and government leaders; and young people from communities across the country will share insights with peers, learn from national thought-leaders, and present the story of their work to a jury of nationally recognized civic leaders. The transformational experience equips, inspires, and supports leaders and communities to achieve more than they ever believed possible.
The All-America City Award shines a spotlight on the incredible work taking place in communities across the country. By celebrating the best in local innovation, civic engagement and cross-sector collaboration, the All-America City Awards remind us of the potential within every community to tackle tough issues and create real change.
NLC Contact: Program Director Rebecca Trout, rebeccat@ncl.org
