It has been awhile since I did a general update on news items. I have avoided getting in the routine or rut of doing an update regardless of news, but may have waited longer than I should Nevertheless here are some items you will find of interest./

1. I would like for you to welcome Jennifer Ward our newest employee. She is our MPA Post Graduate Intern and is working with the cities of Brentwood, Columbia, Murfreesboro and White House and also with the TML. Jennifer is a recent honors graduate of Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Her master's concentrations were public finance, economic development, and policy analysis. She received her undergraduate degree in International Affairs from Xavier University. Jennifer interned in the Research and Consulting Center of the Government Finance Officer's Association (GFOA). Her work with GFOA was (will be?) published in their State and Local Government Sourcebook on Performance Measurement publication. Please contact Jennifer at jennifer.ward@tennessee.edu and make her welcome to MTAS.

2. Budget - The MTAS budget for FY 08/09 is final and in balance. We had to reduce our state shared revenue by $58,000 or 2% (substantially less than other parts of the University). We compiled this reduction by eliminating raises for the coming fiscal year, ending our contract with OIT for on-line courses and by ending our statewide membership with the Alliance for Innovation. We have started making arrangements to raise funds from cities through a restricted account to try and maintain the Alliance membership. We also used equipment replacement funds to do the renovations in the Knoxville office. No positions have been affected, but we are holding the southeast management consultant position and the Nashville training consultant position open for the time being. If the economy doesn't improve, we may be facing further reductions and if we do, we handle those reductions with those positions. I know going without a raise is not anything to cheer, but we do have our jobs and the management team will put every effort into rectifying the salary situation (continuing to work towards market) as soon as the economy permits.

3. Project Reporting - Two great subjects in a row. Regarding the latter, I need you to be mindful of completing your project reporting on time (at least monthly). We have to submit numbers to IPS by the 10th of each month and need your numbers by the 8th in order to make a full submittal. Also, I need you to be mindful of economic impact and since we are only reporting implemented recommendations, this means you will need to track old projects and report their dollar impact when they are implemented. In instances of a closed project please open a new project in the current month enter the dollar impact and the old project summary and then close the project at the same time. That current month entry means the project will be captured for a current month submittal. If you have some idea where our work is going, look at the attached THEC county report. This is a calculation using market hour dollar value (which probably needs to be updated) for all work done within that county by MTAS.



Also it is extremely important that time for grants and/or contracts be accurately and completely recorded for that grant or contract. It may not be "your" project, but may be something for which you provide assistance in any case, be sure you record the time.

4. Wireless policy - The IPS wireless technology policy has recently been updated to meet the increased needs of our staff and our customers. Added to the policy are support for internet air cards and broadband tethering! The updated policy is posted on the IPS intranet.

Staff may now request partial reimbursement of monthly charges on a cell phone, a blackberry, a windows mobile device or an internet air card. For reimbursement purposes, cell phones, blackberries, and windows mobile devices are purchased by the employee after receiving approval from the agency's IT personnel, the agency's executive director, and the IPS assistant vice president. An approved list of mobile devices is attached to the IPS policy and will be updated quarterly. Only mobile devices approved by the agency's IT personnel will be supported.

Staff with mobile devices may also request reimbursement for broadband access tethering. Tethering connects a laptop computer to the internet via the mobile device. Requests for internet cards are to approved by the agency's executive director, and the IPS assistant vice president before being purchased by the agency's IT personnel. Internal-only internet air cards will be purchased by each agency as needed. Only internet cards purchased by the agency will be supported.

Whenever possible, staff should utilize their existing internet connection when traveling, training, or presenting to avoid incurring additional in-hotel or other facility-based connectivity charges.




5. MTAS Retreat - We will not be having a retreat on August 26 and 27, but will instead be doing a dinner on Monday, September 29, the night before the retreat. We are looking at something informal and will let you know as soon as the plans are finalized. We will do dinner, our agency awards and the recognition awards that Mr. Barton and Mr. Angerer do so well. Should be fun.

6. IPS awards - Speaking of awards don't forget the deadline for IPS awards. Please give it some thought and nominate one or more of your fellow consultants. Its kind of like playing the lottery, if you don't buy a ticket (nominate someone) you are not likely to win anything (agency will have no winners). Buy a ticket and nominate someone.

7. Recruitments - Mr. Shoopman's email updated you on the status of the Executive Director Recruitment, but in addition to that, IPS is recruiting an Assistant Vice President. It is my understanding they received over 30 applications and have narrowed that down to 12 and have conducted telephone interviews with each of them.

In closing, I want to thank each of your for the hard work you do everyday and the difference you make for Tennessee cities. Almost daily, when working with cities, I hear someone say, "I don't know what we would do without MTAS". That statement directly reflects the high quality of work that you do and the relationships you have built.

I also want to thank you for your patience and support of the management team during this transition. It may not always seem like we are working to assist you as you do your jobs, but we are in whatever way we can.

Again thanks for your time and efforts and remember the door, phone and email is always open. It is an honor to work with each and everyone of you.

Mike