46 episodes
Local Officials: Stronger, Together Podcast Scott Houston
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- Government
The Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool proudly introduces the Local Officials: Stronger, Together Podcast Series. The Pool is producing this regular podcast series, which has been dubbed STP, to help local officials (and managers and staff) understand key operational and legal concepts, and the services the Pool provides. After arming members with that information, each 15-minute episode will give easy action items to help keep your citizens, employees, volunteers, and property safe, all while saving public dollars. City council members can earn up to 19 Texas Municipal League Institute CEUs for listening to the podcasts. To receive CEUs for a particular episode, an elected official must provide a description of the episode, which must be educational in nature, pertain to municipal leadership, and should enhance your service as an elected official, for TML approval. Attorneys who listen to podcasts may be eligible for up to three hours of self-study CLE credit. Please refer to the State Bar CLE compliance rules for more information.
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Episode 33: The Pool’s Role in Supporting Excellence in Law Enforcement
In this episode, Scott explains the Pool’s internal efforts to ensure appropriate resources are provided to the approximately 800 law enforcement departments covered by the Pool. The efforts began with a July 2023 preliminary report that was presented to the Board of Trustees for their consideration. The Board's comments were then incorporated into a summary of actions, which serves as a roadmap for the Pool’s loss prevention and other efforts. After explaining the summary, Scott interviews C...
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Episode 32: STP Special Report: 2024-2025 Rerates
In this special report, you’ll hear from Jeff Thompson (Executive Director) and Aaron Hardiman (Risk Services Manager) as they explain the state of the Pool, the major rate drivers, and their effect on your 2024–2025 rerates. Further InformationTML Risk Pool Board of Trustees Adopts 2024-2025 RatesTML Risk Pool Board of Trustees Adopts 2024-2025 Rates (Housing Authority Edition)
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Episode 9D: DIR-Certified Cybersecurity Training - Featuring the Cyber Guy and Hacker Hank!
Texas Government Code Section 2054.5191 mandates cybersecurity training for local government employees, elected officials, and appointed officials who have access to a local government computer system or database and use a computer to perform at least 25 percent of their duties. The training must be certified by the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) – both this podcast and the YouTube video linked to the left are DIR-approved. This episode isn’t some boring episode. I...
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Episode 31: Servant Leadership: Leading with Trust, Respect, and Honesty
In this episode, Scott talks about Robert Greenleaf’s seminal essay “The Servant as Leader.” Servant leadership is not about a personal quest for power, prestige, or material rewards. Instead, from this perspective, leadership begins with a true motivation to serve others. Scott is joined by a special guest – his Dad (hey, the price was right) – who speaks about one man’s experience practicing the philosophy over 50 years in business. Further InformationThe Servant as Leader Download (Ro...
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Episode 30: Remote Employees: Practical Challenges and Legal Pitfalls
In this episode, Scott explains some of the practical and legal issues related to hiring remote employees, whether in Texas or out-of-state, and interviews several Risk Pool employees with expertise in the subject. Further Information:Department of Labor Employee v. Independent Contractor FAQ
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Episode 9c: You’ve Been Cyber-Attacked: When Nothing Works at All Five Things Every City Manager Should Know
In this eye-opening episode, Scott interviews City of Tomball Assistant City Manager Jessica Rogers. Cyber-criminals hacked Tomball at the end of 2022, and the city is still – one year later – dealing with the aftermath. In this episode – which should be required listening for every city manager in Texas (and beyond) – Jessica explains exactly what it’s like to have essentially every computer system go down, including 9-1-1 dispatch, utility metering and billing, permitting, and everything in...