It will feature a workshop on active shooter/situational awareness.
Rockville, Md (KM) Elected officials form cities and towns from all over Maryland will be gathering in Ocean City the week of June 23-26. That’s when the Maryland Municipal League will be holding its 2019 Summer Conference. “As of Friday, there were 630 municipal people registered, and 160 non-member registrants. And that represents just 130 of our municipalities,”: says Bridget Newton, the Mayor of Rockville, and President of the MML.
One of the activities is a workshop on “Active Shooter/Situational Awareness.” Newton notes that this follows the fatal shootings of 12 people at the municipal center in Virginia Beach, Va. earlier this month. “I think it’s been a concern for several years,” she says. “Virginia is unfortunately the latest. But there have been some other workplace situations, and I think of the Annapolis newspaper.” Five people were killed last year at the Capital Gazette during a mass shooting.
That workshop takes place on Monday, June 24th between 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM.
Another activity taking place on Monday, June 24th is Opioid Overdose Response Training. “One of the big important things for me is the opioid crisis, and how it’s impacting so many of our families across the state. It knows no boundaries. The times for that session is from 9:00 AM until 9:45 AM.
Other topics being covered include the Future of Recycling and Zero Waste on Monday, June 24th between 3:00 PM and 4:15 PM; “Community Emergency Response teams SNAP Session” on Monday, June 24th from 3:30 PM to 4:00 PM; “It’s More Than Just Technology: A 4-Step Process to Becoming A Smart City” on Tuesday, June 25th from 8:45 AM to 10:00 AM. There’s also a session on “Planning Protocols and Preparedness for Town Events” on Wednesday, June 26th from 9:00 AM until 10:30 AM. And “Bridging the Gap: How Roles, Values and Perspective Drive Effective Governance” is taking place on Wednesday, June 26th from 11:00 AM until 12:30 PM.
Senator Ben Cardin will host a town hall meeting on Sunday, June 23rd, and Governor Larry Hogan will speak to MML members on Tuesday, June 25th at 7:00 PM.
All events will take place at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center at 4001 Coastal Highway in Ocean City.
With all of these activities, Mayor Newton says she gets most of her insights on municipal government by speaking with other elected officials and how they dealt with problems in their communities. “We don’t have to reinvent the wheel.. And we can learn a great deal from others, maybe make tweaks based on your own individual circumstances and the size of your community,” she says. “I’ve a learned a great deal. It’s definitely the go-to program for Marylanders.”
The MML represents 157 cities and towns in Maryland.
In addition to Mayor Newton, Frederick Mayor Michael O’Connor, Middletown Burgess John Miller and News Market Councilmember Lawrence “Jake” Romanell are also members of the MML Board of Directors.
By Kevin McManus