Preliminary Agenda
Agenda subject to change
Thursday, May 1
8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Breakfast
8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Mayors (OMA) Workshop - Successful Advocacy Begins with Mayors
Mayors play a critical role in the legislative process and ensuring that your city’s needs are heard. Learn from past legislators and current mayors how city leaders can influence other elected officials, regional partners, and the state. Through real life examples, expert insights, small group exercises, and actionable strategies, this workshop will equip you with the tools you need to effectively lobby on your city’s behalf.
8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Councilors Workshop
8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Managers (OCCMA) Workshop - Leading Through the Storm: Mental Health and Coping Strategies for City Managers
Public administrators are no strangers to high-pressure environments, but in recent years, city and county managers have increasingly faced harassment, bullying, and even threats from community members and elected officials. These stressors not only impact personal well-being but can also hinder leadership effectiveness. This interactive workshop is designed to equip city and county managers with practical tools to navigate these adversities while maintaining mental health and continuing to draw on their leadership strengths and resiliency, even in the heat of the moment. Participants will explore strategies to develop and maintain a positive approach to navigating the complexities of public administration.
Key topics include:
- Behavioral Flexibility: Resilient leaders are flexible, adaptable and skilled in self-regulation.
- Overcoming Defensiveness: Defensive reactions impact our cognitive functions and learning to spot defensive triggers in ourselves and others preserves our ability to collaborate.
- Self-Care Strategies: Implementing practices to maintain personal well-being amidst external pressures keeps our batteries charged.
Join us for this essential session to connect with fellow public administrators, share experiences, and learn how to safeguard your well-being while confidently and effectively serving your communities.
10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Networking Break
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Breakout Sessions
- Effective Strategies for Managing Short Term Rentals in Your Community - Sponsored by
Learn how to navigate the complexities of short-term rental (STR) regulation and enforcement to protect community interests and maximize revenue. This session will focus on practical strategies for managing STRs, including effective monitoring, compliance enforcement, and revenue collection, all while reducing the strain on local resources. Attendees will gain insights into balancing the economic benefits of STRs with the need to preserve neighborhood integrity and public safety. - Healthy Relationships Between Council and Staff - Sponsored by
In this insightful session, we will explore essential strategies for cultivating a productive and harmonious relationship between council members and staff. This presentation will highlight best practices for effective communication, collaboration, and mutual respect.
12:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. City Awards Lunch & Keynote Lou Radja - Sponsored by 
"Ubuntu Leadership: Unleashing the Power and Impact of Leading Together"
A culture with belonging woven in its very fabric not only makes for a great community environment, but it also creates a competitive advantage that leads to greater impact. Individually and collectively, “Together for Good” we all have an opportunity to increase our comfort level and competency around being inclusive leaders. Ubuntu Leadership explores ways to create synergistic partnership, work as a complementary team and continue making strides to elevate belonging. Some specific themes and concepts we’ll unpack include: power of a team; leading together, allyship; and, Ubuntu – inclusive leadership and belonging.
1:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Networking Break
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. City Tours
- Lakeside ATV Tour
- Coast Guard Tour
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Breakout Sessions
- Building Stronger Communities: Navigating Infrastructure Funding Options - Sponsored by
Cities have major infrastructure needs – from water systems to roadways – but most lack the funding to bring projects to fruition. While cities may provide some funding to fulfill their infrastructure needs, the reality is that most cities will need outside resources to complete their projects. This session will provide an overview of 10 funding sources, as well as tips for opening the doors to these sources, for local infrastructure projects. - Demystifying What Artificial Intelligence Can Do For Your City
There is never enough time in the day to finish every task; new projects come in, grant opportunities come up, and emails need a response. This hands-on session is designed to revolutionize the way cities tackle everyday tasks. Discover how ChatGPT can be used to streamline research, simplify grant writing, manage schedules, and more - helping you save time and maximize efficiency. You’ll learn how to craft effective prompts to get the most out of this powerful tool, allowing you to do more with less and address capacity challenges. Bring your laptop and get ready to explore practical, easy-to-implement solutions that can make a real difference in your city's daily operations.
4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Offsite Networking Reception and Bowling - Sponsored by 
Join us at the North Bend Lanes Bowling Alley for bowling, food, and drinks! Transportation will be provided to and from the facility.
7:00 p.m. Dinner on your own
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Onsite After Hours Mixer Hosted by Caucuses
Join the caucuses for an evening of food, drinks, and music!
Friday, May 2
8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. General Session with Breakfast - How to Build Voter Support for Local Measures
Local levies can help cities pay for key services like libraries, police, and parks. With limited and shrinking financial resources, local option levy measures are becoming increasingly necessary for cities to provide basic needs and services. Unfortunately, Oregon voters are feeling their own financial pressures and have been less likely to approve local measures in recent years. This session will provide attendees with practical advice, as well as first-hand experience on how to build the necessary voter support for local measures to pass.
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Networking Break
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Breakout Sessions
- Code Enforcement on a Tight Budget
Cities adopt municipal codes and regulations to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of their communities and their residents, but these local laws are only as effective as a city’s ability to ensure their enforcement. With budgets strained and staffing resources limited, many cities struggle to ensure compliance with local regulations. This session will provide cities with strategies for managing their code enforcement needs on a tight budget. - Middle Income Housing Matters: Challenges, Opportunities, and Solutions - Sponsored by
A lack of workforce housing to serve middle income earners prevents people, cities, and economies from reaching their potential. By addressing barriers to housing production and introducing innovation into your marketplace, housing ecosystems can evolve to support sustainable growth at the right price points. Learn how cities are tackling this issue head on through partnership building, innovative funding models, and attracting entrepreneurs and investment.
11:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Networking Break
11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Lunch & General Session – We're Halfway Through: The 2025 Legislative Session - Sponsored by 
LOC Legislative Director Jim McCauley will provide attendees with an overview of what has transpired during the first half of the 2025 legislative session, concluding with the LOC’s predictions on what to expect between now and sine die.
1:15 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Networking Break
1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Breakout Sessions
- Case Studies in Effective City Responses to the Homelessness Crisis
Oregon’s homelessness crisis affects virtually every city in Oregon, regardless of its size or location. While there is no one-size fits all approach to responding to this crisis, cities of all sizes have found some successes in how they effectively respond to and prevent homelessness. During this session, case studies in effective responses to the homelessness crisis will be provided by small, medium, and large sized cities. - What We Aren’t Telling You: The Challenges Faced by Elected Women in the 21st Century
Learn what men and women can do as allies to support women in leadership, and what we just aren’t being frank about. Panelists will share personal lived experiences, and information will be presented from a recent study by the Pew Research Center.
3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Networking Snack Break - Sponsored by 
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. General Session – Economic Revitalization on a National Scale - Sponsored by 
The cities of Coos Bay and North Bend, in collaboration with state and federal leaders, as well as the private sector, are working to revitalize their local economy on a national scale with the Pacific Coast Intermodal Port Project. Seeking $2.3 billion in funding, two small coastal communities are looking to create a massive deep-water terminal where large cargo ships will drop of containers full of goods and services for distribution throughout the west coast via the railway. Attendees will learn what it takes – from key partnerships and lobbying skills – to undertake a project of this size.
5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Networking Reception - Sponsored by 
Join us for a Taste of the Coast reception! Indulge in delicious regional flavors, with a variety of local vendors showcasing the best food our coast has to offer. Enjoy a relaxed atmosphere, great drinks, and the chance to explore unique dishes crafted with fresh, local ingredients. Don’t miss this perfect opportunity to taste the very best of our coastal cuisine!