Thanks for coming!

People involved in government, whether elected or employed as a civil servant, have an amazing opportunity to serve and serve deeply. Too often we get caught up in the day to day details and mania of our work-a-day world and lose sight of why we are here. Public service is a noble calling when we remember it as such. This keynote address is about bringing us back to a shared commitment to serve and serve deeply our community and thereby our society, our families and all who will come after us. Deep Service: a Call to a Higher Level seeks to unite us all and reignite the fire to serve Nova Scotia and Nova Scotians and be truly Leading the Change to a better future for all.

Municipal Councils make many decisions that impact their community and the municipality. The best decisions are made when Council and staff have a certain level of harmonization. It sounds simple, policy and politics are the domain of elected officials and administration is the domain of staff. But the best decisions are not the result of one of these perspectives triumphing over the other, but those that integrate the technocratic public service view with the local sensitivity that municipal elected officials contribute. This session will discuss ways in which council can balance what the public expresses with what staff advises. It will look at what steps can be taken to ensure that decisions are made in the best interest of the community and the municipality.

With diverse audiences, municipal communicators have the opportunity to personalize engagement for citizens and stakeholders. From all different levels — individual, organizational, public, intra- and interpersonal — municipalities and their communicators require the ability to facilitate engagement and analyze the responses received from audiences. The opportunity? Digital engagement. Digital engagement initiatives are picking up traction in many departments and offices as citizens expect to be digitally engaged. Municipal digital engagement strategies have been able to help municipalities of all sizes complement existing processes while also streamlining organizational procedures and offering citizens more in the way of personalized communication and services. this session will explore the opportunities municipalities have today to digitize components of their day-to-day operations in order to gain new insights, optimize procedures, and offer citizens engaging communication. Russell Stuart, Director of Health Services Emergency Management for the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness, will also be joining via teleconference to outline emergency scenarios and the ways in which digital technologies are able to help in preparation, response, and restoration efforts.

Striving to make the unknown, known and the uncelebrated, celebrated - the Powered by Communities initiative is bringing community energy success stories in Nova Scotia to the forefront. As part of this initiative, the Powered by Communities Film Festival has brought together short films, some familiar and some new, to showcase the amazing achievements of Nova Scotia’s municipalities. Join us and be inspired by the possibilities of how municipal government can better serve its residents through innovative energy projects.

This panel discussion will provide you with an update on current FCM activities and initiatives. President Bill Karsten and Councillor Tom Taggart, County of Colchester and Vice-Chair of the FCM Rural Forum will discuss their funding opportunities, online resources and how they are working with NSFM to advocate for Nova Scotia’s Municipalities.

Jordi Morgan oversees all legislative activities and communications for the Atlantic region for Canada’s largest business association. CFIB represents 5,200 business owners in Nova Scotia. Jordi chairs HRM’s Joint Project for Regulatory Modernization (JPRM) Business Advisory Panel and, along with his colleagues at CFIB, provides strong advocacy for federal, provincial and municipal red tape reduction.

Municipal Councils will soon have to decide which voting method they wish to use for the upcoming 2020 municipal elections. This session will provide key information with regard to: Council’s role in municipal elections; the use of e-voting in past municipal elections; the realities of electronic voting; and perceived vulnerabilities. HRM is finalizing the e-voting services RFP for the 2020 municipal elections. The RFP includes language enabling other municipalities to use the HRM selected vendor and the pricing outlined in the RFP proposal. Joining the e-voting services RFP will provide significant cost savings to municipalities. This session will provide information about how to join and municipal obligations. Presenters: Kevin Arjoon, Municipal Clerk, HRM; and Mark Phillips, CAO, Region of Windsor/West Hants.

Nova Scotia is welcoming a record number of newcomers. The Honourable Lena Metlege Diab, Q.C., Minister of Immigration, along with representatives from NS Health Authority and the NSOI, will discuss how immigration benefits all Nova Scotians through a strengthened economy and population growth. During this informative panel, learn how the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration’s innovative programs are supporting businesses and communities succeed by helping employers fill labour needs, diversifying our communities, contributing to improvements in healthcare and education, and the retention of newcomers.