02/19/1997

But you can call me Vern - Project Reporting lets you spell the contact name and title yourself.
And everyone does! We are preparing a report of all contacts so we can conduct another customer
satisfaction survey. The first step is an alphabetical sort by name. We had trouble doing that
because of all the different ways we spell. AnnO is editing the list and I asked her to prepare
some examples.

Here are the Vern Haefele (city administrator in Mount Carmel) spelling permutations.
(Choose one from each list. - Please remember these are actual entries from our database!)

Vern, Ver, Verne
+
Haefele, Haefelle, Haeffele, Haeffel, Haeflee, Haefley, Haefle, Haesele, Heafelie, Heaflee,
Heafley, Healfie, Hefalee, Hefelie, Hefely, Heffly, Heflee, Hefley, Heflie, Heflin, Helfie, Hiefle

The following are multiple choice.

Is the City Attorney for Graysville Carl or Carol Barron?

Is the City Clerk in Cleveland Janice Casteel, Castell, or Castill?

In Kingston Springs, the City Manager is Laure, Laurie, Lorie, or Lorrie Cooper?

In Pegram, the City Recorder is LuAnn Engelman, Luann Engleman,
Luann Engle, Lou Ann Engrenam, Luann Engleman?

Is Tammy, Tammie, or Tommy Ledford City Recorder in Pittman Center?

Does the Police Chief in Carthage go by Scooty or Scotty Lewis?

The City Recorder in Baileyton is Wanda Sensabaugh, Sensabaum, Sensenbaough,
or Sensenbough?

How about the City Manager for Signal Mountain? Is he Rick Sonnenberg, Sonnenburg,
Sonnennburg, or Sonninburg?

How about our own Margaret, Margarett, or Margerat Pratt?

And Leslie Schechter, Scheckter, Schecter, Schecther, Shechter, or Scheckter?

One day we will have an upgrade for Project Reporting that looks up the names to help with the
spelling . In the meantime, please give your spelling a second look. Thanks.

TML Conference Survey - In October, the TML Board asked us to do a survey about the TML conference. I asked Pat Hardy to do it. He enlisted a lot of help. We did personal interviews with all the TML board members to help develop the questions for the survey. Pat and Armintha then mailed survey forms to almost every city in the state. The results are impressive. Pat will report to the TML Board on Monday, February 24. We'll make copies of the executive summary and distribute them to all staff. If you want a full copy, call Armintha.

MTAS Funding Bill - The bill to increase local funding for MTAS has been introduced as SB 339 and HB 280. It will raise our share of the cities' share of the state sales tax from 0.75% to 1.0% over three years. This was recommended by the MTAS advisory committee and then by the TML legislative committee. It's being tracked by TML as a key bill so keep your eyes on the TML legislative bulletin.