Digging into the sessions of the annual UASD convention

It’s right around the corner — the UASD Annual Convention. With a theme of “Districts: Working Together in Challenging Times,” it takes place Nov. 2-4 at the Davis Conference Center in Layton, Utah.

While there are plenty of network changes, dine and be entertained at the convention, there are also two components that are crucial to help you meet those challenging times head-on. On Wednesday and Thursday during the day, the convention focuses on ways to better the work you do for your districts in a wide variety of areas, including drainage, electric, fire protection and water control, among many others.

Here’s a more specific look at what both Wednesday and Thursday have to offer attendees.

Breakout sessions on Wednesday

The sessions that take place from 1 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. on Nov. 2 are ideal for all board members, management and staff. At the same time, they are also a resource for management to provide district staff with training on statutory requirements and operational issues – and all taking place in a single afternoon for their convenience.

Taking place on Wednesday are these breakout sessions:

• Annual Certification Training for newly elected or appointed board members
• Open Meeting Act Training, an annual requirement for all board members
• GRAMA: State Archives training on a variety of topics for records officers. It includes updates on the Public Notice Website and Records portals.
• Personnel officer training that fulfills a statutory training requirement
• Training and discussion on tases, including the Truth in Taxation process.

Note that there is a “Wednesday Only” registration option available for those who want to attend only the sessions that cover their responsibilities in a district.

A general session and more breakouts on Thursday

The general session — scheduled for 8:30-11:45 a.m. — is meant to spark discussion and impart information on a variety of topics that affect districts. Being planned are these discussion groups/presentations:

• Current issues facing districts
• Posting public materials on PNW
• Procurement template updates
• Fraud attacks: challenges and solutions
• Cybersecurity: “New Challenges in the Cyber World”

The afternoon sessions on Thursday address even more topics of relevance. They include:

• 
NSDC: accessing and applying for grants
• Learn from the districts leading on social media
• Inflation mitigation with debt financing
• Blue stakes: “What You Don’t Know, But Should!”
• Fire and water breakout session
• NSDC national discussion
• Capital facility planning: considerations and resources
• Emergency preparedness, a panel discussion on current issues

And so much more . . .

There’s more to the convention than these valuable sessions. Guest speakers, including one for Friday’s breakfast, are also included. There are displays from districts and the UASD that you can check out, and plenty of chances for networking with your fellow district leaders and members.

Heading to the convention website on the UASD site will lead you to the registration, more detailed agenda items and other resources to help you make it a great experience for you and your staff.

For any other details on the convention or the UASD in general, go to our website.