1. Understanding Intergovernmental Relations
Alan W. Kemp Executive Director
Dustin Miller
Government Affairs Manager

2. Opportunities for Intergovernmental Relations
Intergovernmental Relations Occur
Vertically – Federalist System
Laterally – Political Subdivisions
Spatially - Inter-organizational Relations

3. Federal Government
State Government
School
City
County

4. Opportunities for Intergovernmental Relations
Cooperation versus Collaboration
Cooperation is a passive decision to interact or comply - compliance with mandates
Collaboration is an active determination to interact - decision to enter into 28E agreement

5. Opportunities for Intergovernmental Relations
Regulations and Mandates
Legislative Branch
Executive Branch – Administrative Agencies
Judicial Branch

6. Opportunities for Intergovernmental Relations
Regulations and Mandates
Legislative Branch - IPERS
Executive Branch – City Budget Forms
Judicial Branch – Franchise fee decision

7. Opportunities for Intergovernmental Relations
Reality- complex interaction of many players
Congress passed the Clean Water Act
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was directed to promulgate rules directed at state environmental agencies
Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) determines rules in Iowa based on EPA guidance, legislative policy and state-level administrative rules
Environmental groups seek court interpretation of CWA with direction to EPA which is then imparted to IDNR

8. Reasons to Collaborate with Other Local Governments
Effective Delivery of Services
Improve existing service delivery
Maintain service levels
Retain service levels – survival
Obtain specialized services
Comply with federal & state mandates

9. Reasons to Collaborate with Other Local Governments
Efficiency of Services Delivery
Reduce costs
Maintain costs
Mitigate increasing costs
Enhance managerial capacity
Hire and retain quality workforce

10. Reasons to Collaborate with Other Local Governments
Forces pushing for regionalization and service sharing
Federal government – i.e. Homeland Security
State Government – i.e. Flood Plain Management
Economic Forces

11. Reasons to Collaborate with Other Local Governments
Collaboration and Public Networks
Cities determine whether or not to pursue collaborative projects
Cities, along with other governmental entities and non-governmental organizational entities, operate in a network or a web of relations
City may collaborate as trade-off for future benefits on other projects.
Various models of collaborative management

12. Models of Collaborative Management
Active
Jurisdiction-based
Donor-recipient
Collaborative Activity
Top-down
Reactive
Contented
Abstinence
Inactive
Passive
Opportunistic
Collaborative Strategy

13. Challenges to Intergovernmental Collaboration
Need to develop a joint understanding of the problem
Problems addressed through collaboration do not need to be identical for each partner
Collaboration does need to provide some kind of benefit to parties involved
Benefits can be actual or perceived

14. Challenges to Intergovernmental Collaboration
Need to develop a joint understanding of the possible solution
Identification of problem is first part of equation
Collaborative solution needs to satisfy the parties involved in the manner they expect

15. Challenges to Intergovernmental Collaboration
Negotiate an agreement to share responsibilities and costs
Role of the written agreement is to memorialize the determination of the partners’ responsibilities and costs
See Attachment B – 28E Agreement Checklist
See also the 28E website -

16. Challenges to Intergovernmental Collaboration
Determine a management structure
This is vital if the collaboration creates a governmental entity
The structure needs to address
Governance
Financial obligations
Liability issues
Termination procedures

17. Challenges to Intergovernmental Collaboration
Bring other interests into the agreement
Intergovernmental collaboration has impacts beyond policy makers
Staff is impacted by change in operations
Operational culture of collaborating organizations can have impact
Agreements impact citizens – agreement may make perfect sense to everyone but the citizen

18. Challenges to Intergovernmental Collaboration
Agree to methods of evaluation
How do you know that the collaborative arrangement is working?
Are there measurements of success or expected outcomes?

19. Challenges to Intergovernmental Collaboration
Agree to address changes which may occur over time.
Determine an “exit strategy”

20. Unique area of Intergovernmental Relations
Participation in legislative and regulatory process
Who represents city interests?
Iowa League of Cities
Some cities have their own city lobbyists
Some cities are part of regional groups – such as NW Iowa League, MAC, Metro Coalition, etc…
Variety of intergovernmental groups represent some aspects of cities issues
Other Groups - Chamber of Commerce
Cities have their own lobbyists – Des Moines, WDM, Cedar Rapids, Coralville, Iowa City, etc.
Business – ABI, PDI, etc.

21. League of Cities – Legislative/Regulatory
One staff lobbyist – Dustin Miller
Fiscal Analyst – Erin Mullenix
Legal Counsel – Terry Timmins & Bruce Bergman
One contract lobbyist – Jessica Harder

22. League Legislative Team: What do we do
Track all Legislation and Amendments and review to determine impact on cities
Attend meetings to represent interests of cities
Work to form alliances and cooperate with ALL interests who share the same position on an issue
ex. Open Meetings/Records, Competitive Bid Issues - Counties, Schools, Regents, Hospitals, Rural Water, Municipal Utilities
In the off-season, right now, we are working on our own legislative agenda – to do this we consult first with the membership and then with other groups to find out what types of legislation they will be working on

23. Iowa Legislative process: Current Political Makeup
House of Representatives
53 Republicans
47 Democrats
Senate
26 Democrats
24 Republicans
Governor Terry Branstad (R)
Cities have their own lobbyists – Des Moines, WDM, Cedar Rapids, Coralville, Iowa City, etc.
Business – ABI, PDI, etc.

24. Iowa Legislative Process
How A Bill Becomes A Law - Flow chart makes it sound SO logical – a bill goes from here to there
Its very hard to pass a bill and VERY few bills are passed each year – many proposals have to be introduced for many, many years in order to be passed. Ex: took the city of DSM ten years to increase their parking ticket fees from $10 to $15.

25. Iowa Legislative Process: Reality
Very few bills actually become law – 2009 session – 2,043 bills were introduced, but ONLY 184 were actually passed.
That means that only 9% of the bills that were introduced were actually passed and became law %
Of those bills, 12 were appropriations-related legislation that pass every session. So, if you eliminate those % of other legislative ideas actually passed.
Amendments are an important part of the process – 3,193 were drafted and 1,149 were filed
Its very hard to pass a bill and VERY few bills are passed each year – many proposals have to be introduced for many, many years in order to be passed. Ex: took the city of DSM ten years to increase their parking ticket fees from $10 to $15.

26. Iowa Legislative Process: Difficulty of Passing a Bill
The system we operate within is set up so that bills DON’T pass
It is much easier to kill a bill than to pass one
At every step along the way there are obstacles, both overt and hidden
Key is to have a legislative champion to work on the inside to support the issue and to have a STRONG collaborative group working for passage and to KNOW the process.

27. Iowa Legislative Process: Citizen Legislators
Part-time
Varied backgrounds
3+ month time period with 100s of bills
Committee assignments
Committee staff

28. Iowa Legislative Process: How A Bill Becomes A Law
First a bill must be sponsored by a Legislator or Committee
Drafted by nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency
Filed by legislator as a H.F./S.F. or HSB/SSB
Assigned a Subcommittee
Subcommittee Hearing
Pass Subcommittee – 3/5/7 members – apptd by Chair
Brought up and pass Committee – usually 21 members in House and 15 in Senate – need majority of Committee to pass a bill, only a majority of those present to pass an amendment
A bill can be proposed by an individual legislator, or sponsored by a legislative committee of the House or Senate, for example the Local Government committee.
The party in power – the majority leader, committee chair – decide what bills will get a subcommittee. If they pass out of a subcommittee, usually three people (two of the party in power and one of the minority party) then they go to the full committee for consideration.

29. Iowa Legislative Process: How A Bill Becomes A Law
Pass floor – must be placed on debate calendar and receive Constitutional majority to pass
need 26 in the Senate and 51 in the House - don’t need 150 people
amendments need a majority of those present
Message to other Chamber and do it all again
Conference Committee

30. Obstacles
At every step along this route, there are obstacles to overcome and hidden ways in which a bill can die – there is so much process to the process
Back rooms and closed discussions – say one thing and do another
Not all legislators have same ability, clout
Schedule and rules – funnels
Drafted wrong
Poison Pill Amendment

31. Iowa Legislative Process
Its very hard to pass a bill and VERY few bills are passed each year – many proposals have to be introduced for many, many years in order to be passed. Ex: took the city of DSM ten years to increase their parking ticket fees from $10 to $15.

32. How can YOU work collaboratively with us?
Stay Informed – weekly Legislative Link and Action Calls
Attend legislative meetings sponsored by League or other groups to keep you updated
Attend forums with your legislators – ask questions
Develop a relationship with your legislators NOW – they are elected to serve the public and cities are an important constituency for them
If there is someone you think would be good – help them get elected – yard signs, host a fundraiser, $$
Talk about the fiscal conditions survey and regional meetings

33. Senator for Newton Dennis Black (D) Standing Committee Assignments
Agriculture
Appropriations
Natural Resources and Environment (Vice Chair)
Veterans Affairs
Ways and Means
Time in Legislature
Senator Since 1995 Rep from 1983 to 1995
Its very hard to pass a bill and VERY few bills are passed each year – many proposals have to be introduced for many, many years in order to be passed. Ex: took the city of DSM ten years to increase their parking ticket fees from $10 to $15.
Background
Retired conservationist. Resides in Grinnell. Received B.S. in forest management and M.S. in natural resource economics from Utah State University. Member of Izaak Walton League, Iowa Sister State Taiwan Committee, Jasper Community Foundation Board of Directors. Same barber as Dustin Miller.

34. Representative for Newton
Dan Kelley (D)
Standing Committee Assignments
Agriculture
Environmental Protection
Ways and Means
Time in Legislature
Member Since 2011
Background
Profession: Realtor, owner and operator of Dan Kelley D. J. Service. Education: Received B.A. with honors in communications studies from the University of Iowa. Memberships and Activities: Served as president of Newton Board of realtors; 2007 Newton Board of Realtors; executive board of directors, Newton Housing and Development Corporation; Board member Newton Chamber of Commerce. Birth and Residence: Born in 1970 in Marshalltown. Raised and resides in Newton.
Its very hard to pass a bill and VERY few bills are passed each year – many proposals have to be introduced for many, many years in order to be passed. Ex: took the city of DSM ten years to increase their parking ticket fees from $10 to $15.

35. Senators for Urbandale
Jake Chapman (R)
Standing Committee Assignments
Commerce
Economic Growth (Ranking Member)
Labor and Business Relations
State Government
Ways and Means
Its very hard to pass a bill and VERY few bills are passed each year – many proposals have to be introduced for many, many years in order to be passed. Ex: took the city of DSM ten years to increase their parking ticket fees from $10 to $15.
Brad Zaun (R)
Standing Committee Assignments
Education
Judiciary
Local Government

36. Representatives for Urbandale
John Forbes (D)
Standing Committee Assignments
Commerce
Local Government
Transportation
Ways and Means
Jake Highfill (R)
Standing Committee Assignments
Appropriations
Local Government
Natural Resources
State Government (Vice Chair)
Its very hard to pass a bill and VERY few bills are passed each year – many proposals have to be introduced for many, many years in order to be passed. Ex: took the city of DSM ten years to increase their parking ticket fees from $10 to $15.
Ralph Watts (R)
Standing Committee Assignments
Appropriations
Commerce
Labor
State Government

37. COMMUNICATE
Most important thing you can do during session is communicate with us to let us know what you are hearing in your community
Dustin Miller
(515)

38. QUESTIONS?