ONLINE PRESENTATIONS 2012   "Worker's Compensation Court to the Rescue?" Injured while working from home? Denied a public safety accidental disability retirement pension? Under emerging new legal theories about when an employee may be working in this nearly always work-connected world, and a new law which passed the last legislative session governing the award of police and fire disability pensions, the Workers' Compensation Court will be answering these and other timely questions. Moderator: Denise Lapolla, Workers' Compensation Manager, RI Interlocal Risk Management Trust Speakers: The Honorable George E. Healy, Jr., Chief Judge of the RI Workers' Compensation Court John Harnett, Esq., Lovett Schefrin Harnett Nick Fernandes, President, Information with Integrity, Inc. Ian C. Ridlon, Esq., General Counsel, RI Interlocal Risk Management Trust "Financial Forecasting & Budget Balancing Strategies for Local Governments" Learn how to identify fiscal gaps in your long term financial outlook and learn how to develop strategies to solve these fiscal shortfalls. Speakers: Dean Kaplan, Managing Director & Leader of Strategic Consulting, PFM Group Bill Fazioli, Senior Managing Consultant, PFM Group "GASB's Pending Pension Changes" The workshop will discuss the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) proposed changes in financial reporting for pensions. Speaker: Dennis Hoyle, Auditor General, State of Rhode Island ONLINE PRESENTATIONS 2011   Retiree Medical and Other Post Employment Benefits This session focuses on understanding OPEB actuarial studies, how OPEB is different than pensions, disclosure of OPEB liabilities, recent SEC action on disclosure, discussions at public meeting, prefunding choices, and what other public entities are doing regarding prefunding and any changes to benefits or eligibility. Speakers: William Fazioli, Sr. Vice President, First Southwest Brian Whitworth, Sr. Vice President, First Southwest Mark A. Dingley, Deputy Treasurer, State of Rhode Island Collective Bargaining, State Health Insurance Exchanges and Uniform School Health Insurance Plans – The Smart Public Official's Guide to the Future Take a thought- provoking tour of the emerging new landscape for health care and health insurance in terms of how "reform" elements such as State Health Exchanges and State mandated uniform plan designs for school employees may affect collective bargaining and local finances under various scenarios. Speakers: Tom Dwyer, President & Executive Director, Rhode Island Interlocal Risk Management Trust Ian C. Ridlon, Esq., General Counsel & Director of Legal Services, Rhode Island Interlocal Risk Management Trust Keith R. Demty, Director of Employee Benefits Programs, Rhode Island Interlocal Risk Management Trust Rhode Island's Office of Regulatory Reform Established in 2010 by Executive Order within the RI Economic Development Corporation, the Office of Regulatory Reform aims to improve the state's business climate by making it easier for small and mid-sized businesses to deal with state and municipal permitting and regulatory affairs. Learn how this office can: Work with state agencies and local municipalities on efforts to streamline permitting processes; Intervene in any regulatory or permitting matters to assure the efficient and consistent implementation of rules and regulations and to foster the creation and retention of Rhode Island jobs; and Provide direct assistance to incoming and existing Rhode Island businesses in navigating through regulatory systems Speaker: Keith W. Stokes, Executive Director of the RI Economic Development Corporation ONLINE PRESENTATIONS 2010 Liability and Insurance Implications Managing municipal budgets is becoming more difficult during these challenging fiscal times, and there is an increased need to consolidate services in the public sector. As a result, Municipalities are looking to each other to share services and equipment. However, the sharing of municipal services creates a set of problems not often faced before by Municipalities in the form of increased and shared liability. This educational session will discuss and explore the liability and insurance implications on current initiatives already involving shared services, the creation of joint boards through regionalization, and what it all means to Municipalities. Speakers: Thomas E. Dwyer, President Executive Director, Rhode Island Interlocal Risk Management Trust Ian C. Ridlon, Esq., General Counsel, Rhode Island Interlocal Risk Management Trust Paul F. Dutra, Esq., Claims Supervisor, Rhode Island Interlocal Risk Management Trust Click HERE to view this presentation.... Ratings 201-S & P's Views on Lessons Learned in the Recession The past 2 years have brought change to the capital markets and credit rating agencies. Standard & Poor's employees will share observations on the economy and changes made in criteria for rating Rhode Island municipalities, including the state of the capital markets; the rating scale; general obligation debt rating criteria; OPEB's. Moderator: Geoffrey Buswick, Managing Director, Standard & Poor's Speaker: Henry Henderson, Associate Director, Standard & Poor's Click HERE to view this presentation.... Cooperative Purchasing, Green Purchasing, and Saving Purchasing Dollars Cooperative Purchasing is a proven way of reducing costs and making the purchasing process more efficient. In today's economic climate, municipalities especially need to use all the tools at their disposal to save money. US Communities can provide another cost saving option for municipalities looking to save money and time. Speakers: Alexis Turner, Program Manager Click HERE to view this presentation.... Back to the Convention main page