MML's 2009 convention is attracting hundreds of city and town officials from every part of Maryland. Officials from 124 municipalities have registered to date. Over 1,000 city, town, county and state officials, as well as corporate representatives, will attend MML's convention which will be held June 28 - July 1, 2009 at the Ocean City Convention Center. Pre-registration is now closed, but you can register on-site in Ocean City.

Bill Strickland is a mesmerizing speaker who will inspire you to make a difference in your life and in the lives of those around you. Over the past 30 years, Mr. Strickland has been transforming the lives of thousands of people through the creation of Manchester Bidwell, a jobs training center and community arts program. He delivers a profoundly simple, optimistic message for leaders: give people the tools they need, treat them with respect, and they will perform miraculous deeds. Mr. Strickland will be speaking at the opening general session of MML's convention, which will be held on Monday, June 29 from 10:00 - 11:45 a.m.

Do you have questions about speed cameras, public officials liability, "green" building codes or the Maryland Public Information Act? These are just a few of the many workshop topics that will be presented at MML's convention, June 28 - July 1, 2009, at the Ocean City Convention Center. You can view a detailed 2009 Convention Program at this link Program Detail or 2009 MML Convention Program Summary, at this link Program Summary.

This year's Cabinet Secretaries Roundtable, scheduled for Tuesday, June 30 from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m., will include representatives from 25 State departments and agencies. Municipal officials will have the opportunity to circulate among the tables and speak informally with the Secretaries and other staff members from each department or agency in attendance about issues important to cities and towns.

Confirmed at this writing are Secretaries and Directors from the following agencies: Departments of Aging, Agriculture, Appointments, Business & Economic Development, Critical Areas Commission, Disabilities, Education, Energy Administration, Environment, Maryland Environmental Service, General Services, Health & Mental Hygiene, Housing & Community Development, Human Resources, Juvenile Services, Labor Licensing & Regulation, Military, Minority Affairs, Natural Resources, Planning, Public Safety & Correctional Services, Secretary of State, State Police, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs. With the growth and development in Maryland's cities and towns, it is more important than ever that municipal leaders from around the state talk to these high-ranking department staff members. Be sure to mark your convention program and plan to attend!

Governor Martin O'Malley will speak at the inaugural dinner on Tuesday, June 30. At the conclusion of his speech, the Governor will introduce MML's newly elected Board of Directors.

MML's business meeting and election of officers will be held on Tuesday, June 30 from 9:00 - 10:15 a.m. We expect two prominent officials to attend the business meeting and offer brief remarks: State Comptroller Peter Franchot and State Attorney General Douglas Gansler.

Municipal department heads and employees who do not normally attend MML's convention are invited to visit the exhibits on Tuesday, June 30 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The cost is $30 per person and includes lunch. There is no pre-registration for Commerce Day - just show up at the Convention Center on June 30 after 10:00 a.m. and pay the fee to receive a special pass to the exhibit areas.

MML's 2009 convention will include 221 exhibit booths and the largest display of public works vehicles in MML's history. The exhibit halls will be open on Monday, June 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Tuesday, June 30 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Be sure to make time to visit Municipal Main Street in Exhibit Hall C, featuring displays from 35 cities and towns and four MML departments. These displays will provide a perfect environment for networking and learning from your peers. For a complete list of convention exhibitors, please visit MML's website at Exhibitor List

Children (under age 16) will be permitted in the exhibit areas only on Tuesday, June 30 from 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. and they must be accompanied at all times by a registered adult. Lollipop the Clown will entertain children in Exhibit Hall C on Tuesday from 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.

MML's convention registration desk will be open on Sunday, June 28 from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. It will also be open on Monday, June 29 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., on Tuesday, June 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and on Wednesday, July 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon. MML's registration desk will be located in the Level 1 Lobby of the Ocean City Convention Center.

As the host town for MML's convention, Ocean City's Mayor and Council have generously agreed that MML convention attendees can ride Ocean City's buses free of charge on June 28, 29, 30 and July 1. Just show your 2009 convention name badge to the bus driver, and you will not have to pay any fee. The Convention Center bus stop is on Coastal Highway; riders will walk from the Highway to the Convention Center. Buses run at 10-minute intervals from 6:00 a.m. to noon, 5 to 7-minute intervals from noon to 3:00 a.m., and 20-minute intervals from 3:00 to 6:00 a.m. For handicapped bus service, call 410/723-1607 at least one hour in advance. Please take advantage of this hassle-free way of getting to MML convention activities at the Convention Center!

The check-in time at MML's convention hotels, the Princess Royale, Clarion, Holiday Inn Suites, Hilton Suites, Holiday Inn Oceanfront, Princess Bayside and Grand Hotel is after 4:00 p.m. Please do not expect to have access to your hotel room until at least 4:00 p.m. Check-out time is before 11:00 a.m. at all of these hotels.

Current year MML name badges will be required for admission to all convention workshops, general sessions and the exhibit areas. Door monitors will be at the entrance to all sessions, and only those wearing a 2009 MML name badge will be admitted.

The parade of city and town flags will again be an exciting part of the opening general session of MML's convention on Monday, June 29. The ceremony will begin the opening general session. The Laurel Police Color Guard will present the colors prior to the flag parade. Each participating member municipality must designate an elected or appointed official (no children please) as standard-bearer to present their municipal colors. Parade participants should wear white or khaki slacks/skirts, white or blue shirt, and navy blue jacket. Police uniforms are also acceptable. The march-on will be conducted in alphabetical order. After the parade, the city and town flags will be displayed in the Level 2 Lobby throughout the convention. Please bring a flag base to the convention and be sure to mark your base with the name of your municipality.

A mandatory rehearsal for flag participants will be held at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, June 29. The following cities and towns have registered for the flag parade: Aberdeen, Barclay, Barnesville, Bel Air, Bladensburg, Bowie, Brunswick, Burkittsville, Cambridge, Capitol Heights, Cecilton, Centreville, Charlestown, Chesapeake Beach, Chesapeake City, Chestertown, Cheverly, Chevy Chase Section 5, Colmar Manor, Cottage City, Cumberland, Delmar, Denton, District Heights, Eagle Harbor, Edmonston, Elkton, Federalsburg, Forest Heights, Frederick, Frostburg, Gaithersburg, Galena, Glenarden, Greenbelt, Hagerstown, Hampstead, Hancock, Havre de Grace, Hurlock, Hyattsville, Indian Head, Kensington, La Plata, Landover Hills, Laurel, Leonardtown, Morningside, Mount Airy, Mount Rainier, New Carrollton, New Market, North Beach, North Brentwood, Oakland, Ocean City, Perryville, Pocomoke City, Poolesville, Princess Anne, Rising Sun, Rock Hall, Rockville, Rosemont, Salisbury, Seat Pleasant, Somerset, Sykesville, Takoma Park, Taneytown, Union Bridge, Westminster.

If no one from your municipality will be attending the business meeting during MML's convention in Ocean City, your city/town may complete a Municipal Proxy Form and allow another city/town to cast your vote. If only appointed officials (manager, clerk, etc.) will represent your municipality at the business meeting, then an elected official must complete an Administrative Proxy Form giving the appointed official the right to cast that municipality's vote. If you need another copy of either proxy form, or have questions about the proxy or elections process, contact Jim Peck at the MML office.

The Banner City/Town designation is MML's highest city/town member achievement award. The program is designed to encourage and reward exceptional participation in MML programs and activities and to foster teamwork among municipal officials to achieve the program criteria. Remember, to qualify for the 2009/2010 MML Banner City/Town Program, someone from your city or town must attend the 2009 convention. The program year runs June 1 through May 25 and the designation must be earned each year.

You may pick up a copy of the 2009/2010 Banner City/Town Participant Documentation Form at the MML convention registration desk. The form may also be downloaded from MML's website Banner City. If you have questions about the program, please contact Linda Burrell at the League.

The 2009 recipients of the Banner/City Town Award are: Aberdeen, Barnesville, Bel Air, Brunswick, Frostburg, Gaithersburg, Greenbelt, Hampstead, Havre de Grace, La Plata, Laurel, Leonardtown, Oakland, Perryville, Poolesville, Rising Sun, Salisbury, Somerset and Takoma Park.

Congratulations to this year's Banner Cities and Towns!

Nominations materials for the MML 2009-2010 Board of Directors were mailed to chief municipal elected officials and to MML chapter presidents and secretaries early in March. The following nominations for MML's 2009-2010 Board of Directors have been received at the League office:

President
Craig A. Moe - Mayor, Laurel

First Vice President
Gary A. Comegys - Council Vice President, Salisbury

District 1 Vice President
Carl L. Anderton - Commissioner, Delmar

District 2 Vice President
Robert C. Willey - Mayor, Easton

District 3 Vice President
Sheila Dixon - Mayor, Baltimore

District 4 Vice President
Gregory Dotson - Councilman, North Beach

District 5 Vice President
Jeffrey Z. Slavin - Mayor, Somerset

District 6 Vice President
James E. Hoover - Mayor, Emmitsburg

District 7 Vice President
Susan M. Keller - Commissioner, Frostburg

District 8 Vice President
Howard W. Long - Assistant Mayor, Boonsboro

District 9 Vice President
Phyllis W. Robinson - Commissioner, Cottage City

District 10 Vice President
James L. Eberhardt - Mayor, Perryville

District 11 Vice President
Christopher M. Nevin - Councilman, Hampstead

Members at Large
Michael E. Bennett - Mayor, Aberdeen
Michael S. Bojokles - Mayor, North Beach
Michael W. Brady - Commissioner, St. Michaels
Eric B. Braley - Commissioner, North East
John J. Bunnell - Mayor, Cecilton
Judith M. Cox - Mayor, Rising Sun
Fred H. Cullum - Council President, Havre de Grace
Judith F. "J" Davis - Mayor, Greenbelt
James B. Kraft - Councilman, Baltimore
Paul E. "Eddie" Kuhlman - Commission President, Poolesville
Mabel Mumford-Pautz - Councilmember, Chestertown
Frederick Smalls - Councilman, Laurel

Don't forget to vote at MML's Business Meeting Tuesday, June 30, 2009, 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. 2nd Floor, Convention Center, Room 215 Corridor.

• Each MML member municipality is entitled to one vote at the business meeting.
• One representative from each participating municipality should pick up voting materials at the credentials desk outside the business meeting room.
• A mayor or a mayor's designated elected official from the mayor's municipality has primary authority to carry the vote for a municipality.
• Voting materials include a ballot to vote (from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.) for the MML Board of Directors, a special ballot to be used in the event of a tie vote in the election, and a voting card to allow your municipality to vote on issues during the business meeting beginning at 9:00 a.m.
• Proxy voting information and material are available at the registration desk in the Level 1 Lobby of the Convention Center.

Be sure that your preferred municipal elected officials are nominated as candidates for election to the MML Board of Directors.

• PICK UP A NOMINATIONS FORM AT THE REGISTRATION DESK
• FILL OUT THE FORM WITH THE NOMINEES OF YOUR CHOICE
• TURN IT IN AT THE REGISTRATION DESK
• DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS IS MONDAY, JUNE 29 AT 12:00 NOON

Nominations Procedure
Board nominations may be mailed or faxed to the League headquarters until one week before the annual convention business meeting. Additional nominations may be made by filing a nominations form at the MML registration desk until 12:00 noon on the day before the annual convention business meeting.

Only those nominees who have accepted their nominations prior to 12:00 noon on the day before the business meeting will be candidates for election to the Board at the business meeting. Candidates for election to the Board may run for only one office.

Election Procedure
One representative from each city should register and cast a ballot to elect qualified persons as MML Board members for contested seats on the Board.

Elections results will be tabulated and certified by the Elections Committee. Immediately upon certification, the President will announce the final election results to the general membership.

Proxy Procedure
Any one direct member municipality may exercise a voting proxy (municipal proxy) from one other direct member municipality. In the event that no elected municipal official is present at a League meeting from a given municipality, an administrative officer (a city or town's manager, administrator, clerk or other appointed official) of that municipality may exercise all rights as a delegate provided the officer receives the written authorization (administrative proxy) to do so from that person's municipality.

Proxies will be rejected for any of the following reasons:

1. Evidence of altering the substance of the proxy,
2. Lack of clear intent to award the proxy to a given municipality or administrative official, or
3. Where a municipal proxy recipient already holds a proxy for another city or town.

The proxy form should be submitted to the Executive Director or other League staff by noon on June 29 at the annual convention. If mailed or faxed prior to the convention, it should arrive at the League office at least five days prior to the election.

Governor O'Malley is requesting that local governments consider placing links to the State's American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) and 2010 Census Outreach websites on their jurisdiction's websites. By having the ARRA link on your website, your citizens will have a greater opportunity to see where ARRA dollars are going and also help local contractors better identify project opportunities. The State hopes you will likewise consider adding the 2010 Census link to help ensure a more complete and accurate response to next year's decennial survey so that Maryland citizens receive their fair share of federally-funded programs and services for years to come.

You'll find the State's ARRA web page at: statestat.maryland.gov/recovery.asp, and the Census page is located at: www.mdp.state.md.us/msdc/Census2010.htm. If you have questions or need additional information regarding either of these initiatives, feel free to contact Josh Russin of the Governor's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs at JRussin@goci.state.md.us.

Earlier this year the Maryland Municipal League launched a new web-based compensation survey that provides participating cities and towns with a powerful state-of-the-art tool for comparing and assessing employee compensation data. The web-based system allows municipalities to compare both salary and benefits data with other municipalities in Maryland. In addition, the system provides access to an additional mode containing compensation data from local governments in six other states, including Virginia.

Forty-two (42) MML member municipalities currently contribute to the compensation survey, and the League is hoping to further boost participation for the next data entry period beginning July 20, 2009. If you'd like more information on how your municipality can join the Maryland Municipal League compensation survey, please contact Tom Reynolds at 800/492-7121 or TomR@mdmunicipal.org by July 15, 2009.

The Critical Area Commission for the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Program recently announced plans to adopt regulations bringing certain grandfathered lots and parcels into better conformance with the existing Critical Area program. These regulations include directives for local program implementation, which may result in slight expenditure increases for some jurisdictions. To access the proposed regulations, go to the latest volume of the Maryland Register and scroll down to Title 27 on page 845: www.dsd.state.md.us/MDRegister/3612/main_register.htm.

The Critical Area Commission is currently accepting comments on the proposed regulations. Municipalities interested in submitting comments should send them to:

Lisa A. Hoerger, Regulations Coordinator
Chesapeake Area Commission for the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays
1804 West Street, Suite 100
Annapolis, MD 21401

Alternatively, comments can be emailed to lhoerger@dnr.state.md.us or faxed to 410/974-5338. Comments will be accepted through July 6, 2009.

The Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) is conducting the Chesapeake Basic Economic Development Course for those who are interested in learning the fundamentals of economic development as well as those working toward certification in the field. The 5-day course is accredited by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). Classes will be instructed in: Real Estate Development and Reuse; Business Retention, Attraction, and Expansion; Economic Development Strategic Planning; Economic Development Marketing; Small Business Development; Business Research; Workforce Development; and other courses. Overnight accommodations have been arranged at a reduced rate for those attending the course at Courtyard by Marriott at Ripken Stadium. Call the hotel directly at 410/272-0440 to reserve your room. Please mention MEDA for the reduced rate.

MEDA will also hold their Annual MEDA Crab Feast at Ripken Stadium during a minor league baseball game on Thursday, July 30.

The Chesapeake Basic Economic Development Course will be held as follows:

DATE: July 27 - 31, 2009
WHERE: Higher Education & Conference Center @ HEAT, 1201 Technology Drive, Aberdeen, MD 21001
COST: $450 for MEDA members and $600 for Non-Members (includes membership for one year)
HOW: Register for the course and crab feast at www.medamd.com or Call 410/575-6027
CRAB FEAST: In addition to an Ironbirds baseball game, the ticket includes steamed crabs, hot dogs, hamburgers, beverages, ice cream. Crab Feast is $45 for members and non-members. Children and families are welcome.

Please use the Basic Course registration form to secure your ticket for the crab feast. You do not have to attend the course to attend the crab feast. Register at www.medamd.com