This page is being updated as we build our program of topics and speakers. It may change as we progress.
Each track will feature four sessions.
Check back often!
Click here to see what we’ve done in past conferences.
Town and Village Boards (Track A)
ATVs and Considerations for Municipalities – Susan O’Rorke, NYMIR and Taylor McKinney, Tug Hill Commission
All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) are an important activity from a recreation, economic, and tourism standpoint on Tug Hill, but regulations on motorized recreation can become complex when involving public right of ways. This presentation will discuss the legal framework in which ATVs exist, summarize recent court case review, and offer suggestions on best practices for municipalities considering implementing a local law regarding ATV access to highways in order to reduce municipal liability and ensure safety for all parties.
Hot Topics for Town Boards – Lori Mithen-Demasi and Katie Hodgon, Association of Towns
This session will cover issues facing governing boards in 2026, including building electrification mandates, new animal shelter standards, affordable housing challenges, assessing and revaluation challenges, and workforce development needs, among other things. Attendees will gain practical insights into navigating regulatory changes and enable town boards to effectively address issues impacting their municipality.
Regulatory Standards for Animal Shelters (Article 26-C) – David Chico and Bridgette Kennedy, NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets
Ambulance Service in Rural New York State – Nathaniel DeGear, Oswego County EMS, and Angie Kimball and Katie Malinowski, NYS Tug Hill Commission
Ambulance services provide critical first-response care statewide, but can face challenges especially in rural communities across New York State. A significant number of emergency medical services (EMS) agencies have closed in the past few years. The challenges for EMS and ambulance services include volunteer and staffing changes, a dysfunctional funding model, and increasing costs and training requirements. This session will provide background on emergency services in New York, discuss each of these challenges as experienced with municipalities and ambulance services in the Tug Hill region, and explore potential solutions.
Crossover 1 (Track B)
Chobani’s Expansion in Upstate New York – Max Finberg, Chobani
Chobani’s $1.2 billion investment in Rome, NY—the largest natural foods manufacturing investment in U.S. history—is underway. This session will provide an overview of the project, share progress, and explore the opportunities it will bring to the region’s dairy industry and beyond.
Municipal Considerations for Purchasing and RFPs – Matt Cervini and Mark Tompkins, GYMO, and Laird Petrie, Municipal Consultant
Local procurement is governed by each municipality’s adopted procurement policy. If a purchase exceeds a set dollar threshold, a competitive process—like an RFP—is required. This presentation will cover NYS procurement policy related to professional services, the municipality’s procurement policy, and will discuss how municipalities can develop effective Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for professional services such as engineering, architecture, and legal consulting.
The Assessors Office-What Elected Officials Need to Know – Rob Bick, Town of Clay
As an elected official, do you know what your Assessor does, what they are responsible for and how important a good Assessor is to the fiscal health of your jurisdiction? This presentation will shed some light on this for attendees.
To Reval or Not to Reval: How to Decide? – Warren Wheeler, NYS Assessors Association
This presentation is designed to provide an overview of the revaluation process. Topics include the process, implications, financial considerations, and administrative challenges in providing a revaluation that promotes transparency and tax equity.
Planning Boards (Track C)
Land Use and SEQR Case Law Update – Matthew Fitzgerald, Phillips Lytle
This session will provide attendees with an overview of changes in the laws relating to land use and zoning in New York State. The latest cases from New York courts have been reviewed and the speaker will discuss new trends in municipal land use and zoning issues. The session will also include discussion about the latest decisions relating to the State Environmental Quality Review Act.
TBD – Bill Fulton, FAICP, William Fulton Group
SEQRA Basics – Henry Zomerfeld and Charles Malcomb, Hodgson & Russ
Sign Regulation – NYS Department of State Division of Local Government Services
The regulation of signs isn’t just a zoning issue— when regulating signage, municipalities must be careful not to violate free speech. This course reveals what municipalities may and may not regulate in commercial or non-commercial signage and explores how signage can be regulated for community aesthetics. The session also addresses the drafting of a sign control law; the content of local sign control regulations; regulating billboards and other off-premises signs; and eliminating nonconforming or undesirable signs.
Zoning Boards of Appeals (Track D)
Zoning Basics for Enforcement Officials and Board Members – NYS Department of State Division of Local Government Services
The interpretation and application of the requirements of zoning is the focus of this course, which is geared toward enforcement officials, planning and zoning board members. Attendees will learn about the essential elements of zoning: definitions, districts and permitted uses and area and development standards within them, nonconformities, and more. With some real-world examples, participants will learn to use the tools needed to guide sound, fair, enforceable, and defensible land use decisions.
Litigation Lessons: Strategies to Avoid Article 78 Proceedings – Corey Auerbach, Barclay Damon
Think your board is safe from an Article 78? Think again. In this fast-paced, practical session, Corey Auerbach pulls back the curtain on the missteps that land municipalities in court and how to avoid them. Learn how to bulletproof your record, craft defensible findings, and turn procedural traps into teachable moments drawn from real-world litigation lessons.
Variances and Limitations – Corey Auerbach, Barclay Damon
The role of the ZBA is instrumental in upholding the constitutionality of zoning. This session offers a focused examination of the statutory requirements for use and area variances, with an emphasis on how those standards operate in practice and how courts have defined the limits of ZBA discretion. Corey Auerbach provides a clear, practical framework for understanding the function of variances and for applying the statutory criteria consistently and defensibly.
Questions and Answers for Planning Boards and Zoning Boards of Appeals – Matthew Fitzgerald, Phillips Lytle
This is your chance to ask the expert your burning legal questions. This session is an open-floor format for questions on planning and zoning issues.
Crossover 2 (Track E)
Clean Energy and Host Community Agreements – Henry Zomerfeld and Charles Malcomb, Hodgson & Russ
Abandonment of Town Highways – Ken Ayers, The Ayers Law Firm
This session will focus on the proof necessary to determine whether a Town highway has been abandoned, how to confirm and memorialize that finding, and outline the procedures that the Town Superintendent and Town Board must follow to abandon a Town highway.
Cybersecurity Made Simple for Government Leaders –Lisa A. Brown, CEO and Founder of IT for Local Government Powered by CST Group, Inc.
Cut through the jargon and learn the must-have steps to protect your community’s data.” (Additional description if you need it: “You’ll learn how to reduce risk, ask the right questions, and implement smart, budget-friendly practices that protect public data and services. Leave with a clear roadmap and simple tools you can use right away.
Highway Departments and Town Budgets – Laird Petrie, Municipal Consultant and Joseph Wasilewski, Jefferson County Highway Department
The town highway superintendent is responsible for the maintenance, repair, and snow removal of all town highways and bridges. Key duties include managing personnel, maintaining highway equipment and overseeing road improvement projects. In addition, each year the highway superintendent must work cooperatively with the town board in developing the highway budget and keep the purchases of materials and equipment within budgetary limits. This session will focus on the statutory duties of both the highway superintendent and the town board, and will discuss ways in which the two parties can work effectively together.
Clerks (Track F)
Fiscal Responsibilities of Town and Village Clerks and Clerk Treasurers – Ingrid Otto, Office of the State Comptroller
This session will assist town clerks and village clerk-treasures in understanding their major financial duties and responsibilities such as receiving moneys and maintaining accounting records. We will discuss the importance of having a system of internal controls, reconciliations, and timely reports, along with other important fiscal oversight topics.
Navigating AI: The Do’s, Don’ts, and Must-Knows for Clerks – Lisa A. Brown, CEO and Founder of IT for Local Government Powered by CST Group, Inc.
In this insightful and approachable session, tech expert and municipal advocate Lisa Brown demystifies artificial intelligence and shows clerks how to harness its power without falling into common traps.
Hot Topics for Clerks – Lori Mithen-Demasi and Katie Hodgdon, Association of Towns
This session will address key issues in the town clerk office, including their roles and responsibilities as records management officer, complying with the new .gov mandate and the resulting website publication requirements, handling voluminous Freedom of Information Law requests, and how to process cash payments now that the penny is dead, among other topics. Bring your questions to this interactive session!