City officials attended the Arkansas Municipal League's winter conference Jan. 11-13 in Little Rock.
This is one of two conferences the league, which counts 501 cities as members, has each year, Mayor Peter Christie said. It provides an opportunity for city officials from all over the state to learn about an array of topics, he said.
"You learn a lot," he said, "but it also gives you an opportunity to network with other mayors and councilors."
Being right after an election, he said, the focus was on the basics of running a city to help Arkansas' newly-elected officials.
The league, he said, also provides certifications. A city official who has attended enough classes, he said, can become a certified official.
Christie said he is a league-certified mayor himself, and while this conference was focused on basics, it was worthwhile even for experienced officials.
"You always pick up something new," he said. "There's a change in a law or a change in a process."
Ward 3 Position 1 Alderman Doug Fowler said he found the summit extremely helpful as a freshly-elected alderman.
"There wasn't anything that didn't hold my interest while we were there," Fowler said.
Fowler said there was a lot of standard procedural stuff that anyone in his position needs to know -- things like meeting structure, laws regarding how a city council operates, and the importance of knowing one's way around city documents.
Additionally, he said, the presenters at the summit were excellent, and came well-prepared.
"Everyone took their role very, very seriously," he said, "and I certainly took note of that."
It was also nice to spend some time -- during which no business was discussed -- with other members of the City Council, he said.
In all, he said, it was a positive experience, and he's already looking forward to the next conference this summer. It's already in his calendar, he said.
"I took a lot of pride in being part of that," he said, "and I want to do everything in my power to do justice for the people of Bella Vista."
General News on 02/01/2017