County Commission | The Magazine August 2018 | Page 32

NEWS YOU CAN USE
Want to put together a “go-to” notebook for a new commissioner?
Find sample documents and checklists for “must-have” info online:
• May 2018 presentation to county administrators from
ACCA General Counsel Morgan Arrington
• The table of contents for a county highway department notebook
• A complete copy of a county EMA notebook
standing around the gas pumps, and
one of the commissioners said, ‘You
know what? I had no idea it was this
involved. I wish every citizen could
know this.’”
New commissioners have been
very receptive, Champion said,
and have appreciated having a
reference manual to better equip
them to respond to questions from
constituents.
The go-to notebook approach
works well for other areas of county
operations, too. EMA Director Phyllis
Little in Cullman County does
something similar – but has taken it a
step further. She periodically provides
32 | COUNTY COMMISSION
commissioners with updated pages,
which creates another opportunity to
share important information.
When addressing county
administrators on this topic in May,
ACCA General Counsel Morgan
Arrington opened the conversation
with the following quote from Sonya
Parker: “Almost everyone will make a
good first impression, but only a few
will make a good lasting impression.”
Her presentation (available
at www.alabamacounties.org/
gotonotebook) includes detailed
bullet points to help administrators
cover all the bases. Sprinkled
throughout the slides are helpful “Pro
On the Web: www.alabamacounties.org/gotonotebook
Tips” to maximize usefulness.
New commissioners will take
the oath of office in mid-November,
which means there is still time
to initiate this project or update
resources used in previous years.
An informal survey indicates that
the notebook – paired with face-to-
face briefings and tours – is a very
popular approach to orientation
for new commissioners, but it is by
no means the only one. Some use
a Powerpoint presentation instead
of the three-ring binder, and there’s
a good argument for an electronic
version that could be saved to a tablet
or other device. n