06/24/2006

Travel- It's the end of the fiscal year! Please close out your FY06 travel on June 28 and send the T-3 to Tess right away.

IF you are attending TML, then we have paid your registration in advance and for the sake of the IRIS system we use to pay travel, you will need to close your T-3 before the TML conference and send in a separate T-3 for the TML conference. Call Tess if you have any questions.

Professional Development Hours - I know I said at the MTAS retreat to submit your 4 hours training for the retreat on the new form that's part of the professional development database. We've since been told that we can submit large groups on a single form. So, for the four of you who have completed your form, thank you and we'll make sure you get the proper credit. And for the 41 of us who were worried about getting it done - relax, it's already been done.

That's just for the MTAS retreat. You still need to complete the Request for Additional Training Credit for all other training that is not provided by the University Office of Employee Development - they are handling those hours since they provide that training.

New positions - I was hesitant to announce this list out during our retreat. We've come far enough with the paperwork that it's likely to happen. Our budget for FY07 includes four new positions. We were able to create this many because of an increase in our revenues and because we didn't fill two positions in FY06. The new positions are:

Administration Specialist II in Codes - The purpose is to help the Codes Team with the ever growing demand for their services.

Human Resources Consultant - to be located in Knoxville. This is one of the areas where we have one consultant statewide. Our advisory committee suggested several years ago that we double up with police, fire, and human resources. We added Gary West last year; we'll add human resources this year; and police will come when we have the funds.

Legal Consultant - to be located in Nashville. We need one more attorney to keep up with the work load and better serve cities.

Research Consultant - to be located in Knoxville. We haven't completed the PDQ for this position so it's a little hard to describe. It will be someone who can work with the financial information we are receiving from the State Comptroller's office and begin to build a body of research and reports for the use of MTAS consultants and city staff.

Fund Raising - or as it's referred to at UT - development. Tom Looney the IPS development director and Roger Campbell, assistant city manager of Maryville have raised $50,000 to support the Gary Hensley (soon to retire Maryville CM) internship. We are hoping to endow this program at about $150,000 so they are still making development visits.