Daily Pricing WAMCAT Fall 2026 Institute - THURSDAY ONLY

8:00 – 9:50
Municipal Leadership: Developing A Council Orientation by Tara Kuipers
Newly elected municipal officials need timely, accurate, and thoughtful information to succeed—but what does effective onboarding actually look like? This interactive session guides attendees through the WHY, WHAT, HOW, WHO, and WHEN of building a council orientation plan tailored to their community. Participants will reflect on what they're already doing well, identify gaps, and explore the value strong onboarding creates for new officials, current leaders, staff, and the broader community. Leave with an actionable strategy you can apply immediately, starting with simple steps to implement over the next 30 days.

10:00 – 11:50: Breakout Sessions
Clerk Track- Elections 101 – How to run good elections and stay out of the newspaper by Debra Lee
Nationally or locally, there’s much greater scrutiny of elections today. People want to feel confident about the credibility of the process. Whether your elections are governed by charter ordinance or administered by your county clerk, municipal clerks have certain responsibilities under Wyoming law. Participants will learn the legal requirements, how to prepare the election notice, register voters, prepare ballots, set up polling places, reconcile ballots cast, count ballots, and canvass results. This course will provide you with information, tools, and tips to plan, organize, and conduct elections that are accurate, transparent, foster confidence, and keep you out of the newspaper. 

Treasurer Track- Wearing the Payroll Hat: Essential Compliance for Small Communities by Jennifer Malmborg
This course is tailored for clerks, treasurers, and staff who manage municipal payroll. In smaller communities, payroll personnel wear many hats, making efficiency and strict compliance critical. This session demystifies public sector regulations, focusing on FLSA rules, police and fire 7(k) exemptions, and other important base hour calculations. You will learn to manage state pension reporting, clear audit trails, and complex union rules without dedicated HR departments. Participants will leave with actionable strategies to safeguard public funds, minimize administrative errors, protect the public trust, and ensure every local employee is paid accurately and on time.

2:00 – 2:50
EPA Guidelines and Updates by Kyle St. Clair and Erica Wenzel 
Description TBD

3:00 – 4:50 Breakout Sessions

Clerk Track- AI Workshop: Setting Up a Municipal GPT by Jessica Weaver
Step into the future of local government operations with this hands-on, practical guide to artificial intelligence. Designed specifically for municipal officers, this session details how AI can dramatically increase daily office efficiency, streamline administrative tasks, and help your department do more with less. Participants will learn the practical steps necessary to successfully configure and deploy a secure, specialized GPT instance tailored to a municipality's unique regulations and workflows. The workshop will also address critical data privacy concerns and the best practices for crafting robust, responsible municipal AI usage. 

Treasurer Track- Managing Municipal Debt & Maintaining/Rebuilding Cash Reserves by Julie Sibernagel
Strong reserves and responsible debt practices are essential to maintaining financial stability and preserving public trust. This session will provide participants with practical strategies for managing municipal debt, rebuilding depleted cash reserves, and preparing for future capital and operational needs. Participants will review applicable Wyoming statutes and debt limitations. The presentation will highlight best practices for reserve policies, capital planning, debt issuance, cash flow management, and long-term financial sustainability, offering tools and ideas that can be adapted to communities of any size.