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Workshops
NHMA understands the value of efficient and effective local government. Well-educated officials and staff play a key role in the betterment of local government. With NHMA membership in mind, a wide variety of training opportunities have been developed to meet the ever changing educational needs of municipal officials and employees. NHMA welcomes feedback so please feel free to contact us with suggestions for future training ideas.
Please visit our Events & Training page to view the workshop calendar and to register!
The Academy for Good Governance
The Academy for Good Governance is a series of six courses created by NHMA and Primex, exclusively for elected governing body members (select board, town council, city council, board of aldermen, school board, and village district commissioners). Courses are taught by experienced attorneys and staff from NHMA, Primex, HealthTrust, and the New Hampshire School Boards Association (NHSBA). Attendees will receive education and training intended to make them more knowledgeable and effective in their governing body roles.
Attendance at the Academy is free and open to governing body members from municipalities and school districts that are members of NHMA, Primex and NHSBA. Registration will open on the NHMA website this summer. Attendees must attend all six courses to receive a Certificate of Completion. All classes will be provided by Zoom and run 5:00 pm—7:00 pm. with classes in September and October.
Right-to-Know Law Workshops
New Hampshire’s Right-to-Know Law, RSA Chapter 91-A, affects every aspect of local government in our state. Every board, committee, commission and subcommittee in every town, city, village district and school district in New Hampshire must comply with this law.
NHMA’s Right to Know workshops review specific responsibilities relating to public meetings and governmental records. Five to seven workshops are held throughout the year in various parts of the state. Ample time is devoted to participant questions and discussion of scenarios. These workshops are designed for all municipal officials, staff and board members. Attendees receive a helpful packet of materials to provide guidance with understanding and complying with this important legal obligation.
Please check our website frequently under Calendar of Events for the next scheduled Right-to-Know workshop.
Budget and Finance Workshop
NHMA’s annual Budget and Finance workshop is offered at two locations in late September and is one of our most popular training opportunities. In addition to a thorough overview of the Municipal Budget Law, this full-day workshop provides an update on recent legislative changes impacting local budgets along with other topics of interest and importance to municipal and school officials. Ample time is devoted to questions and answers.
The Budget and Finance workshop is designed for selectmen, budget committee members, town managers and administrators, finance staff and other officials involved in the town or school budget process. Participants will receive the latest edition of NHA’s The Basic Law of Budgeting: A Guide for Towns, Village Districts and School Districts.
Local Officials Workshops
Faced with ever-changing laws and regulations, budget constraints, employment issues and a variety of other demands related to municipal government, local officials need to continually reinforce their knowledge base. Presented by New Hampshire Municipal Association’s Legal Services Attorneys, the Local Officials Workshops provide newly elected and experienced local officials with the information required to effectively serve their communities.
Attendees will receive the latest edition of Knowing the Territory: A Survey of Municipal Law for New Hampshire Local Officials, revised annually to reflect the latest statutory changes and Supreme Court decisions. Local Officials Workshops are offered in various locations throughout the state in the spring.
Moderators Workshop
Moderators play a vital role in the conduct of town meetings and the local election process. In the weeks preceding town meeting season, NHMA and the New Hampshire School Boards Association jointly host the annual Moderators Workshop to support individuals serving their communities as town, village district and school district moderators.
The Moderators Workshop provides an overview of the Basic Law of Town, Village District and School District Meeting, including the statutes governing the moderator’s duties at town and district meetings and issues related to warrant articles, secret ballot voting, official ballot referendum (SB 2) meetings and other town meeting issues. This topic is offered in two concurrent sessions tailored for new and experienced moderators, and ample time is devoted to questions and answers. Attendees receive the latest edition of NHMA’s Town Meeting and School Meeting Handbook.
This half-day workshop provides valuable information for town, village district and school district moderators. Town clerks, selectmen and other town officials will also find this session informative.
The Moderators Workshop is offered on two dates tailored for SB 2 and Traditional Town Meeting to provide moderators with guidance relevant to the structure and rules of their form of meeting. (Please note that the budget process is not a focus of this workshop. The topic is covered in detail at the annual fall Budget and Finance Workshop.)
Land Use Law Conference (formerly Municipal Law Lecture Series)
The Land Use Law Conference is held on a Saturday in October, with lectures intended for municipal officials with an interest in, or responsibility for, any aspect of municipal land use, including members of planning boards, zoning boards, and conservation commissions, as well as select board members, councilors, planners, building inspectors, and code officers. Lecture topics change from year to year.
Hard Road to Travel Workshops
A Hard Road to Travel is one of NHMA's oldest and most popular publications. This workshop, held once in the spring and once in the fall each year, is based off of the publication and focuses on different topics in the area of municipal road law, including regulation, maintenance, and liability. They are well attended by public works officials, as well as governing body members, managers, and administrators.
Code Enforcement Workshop
Held each year in the spring, this workshop is targeted at municipal officials involved with municipal code enforcement, including zoning violations, junkyards, and health and safety regulations. The content of this workshop is based in part on NHMA's publication, A Guide to Effective Enforcement, co-authored by the law firm DrummondWoodsum.
Fundamentals of Local Welfare Workshop
The Fundamentals of Local Welfare workshop is an informative session for municipal officials new to local welfare administration. Members of the New Hampshire Municipal Association and members of the New Hampshire Local Welfare Administrators Association are welcome to attend. Attendees will receive a copy of NHMA’s 2022 edition The Art of Welfare Administration.
This workshop is held in June each year and provides a basic overview of New Hampshire law governing local welfare administration, including why guidelines are important, how assistance is provided, anticipated legislative changes, fair hearings, suspension of assistance, and more. There will also be a panel to answer questions, share practical tips, and provide guidance in the “art” of managing a sound welfare program.