CML maintains partnerships with several organizations in an effort to better serve our members.
Alliance for Innovation
The Alliance for Innovation is a partnership of the Innovation Groups, the International City/County Management Association, and Arizona State University. An international nonprofit celebrating 30-years of sharing best practices, cutting-edge research, and thought-provoking information on topics of interest and impact on local governments. The Alliance is a network of local government professionals seeking innovation and governmental excellence. Membership consists of innovative organizations in 34 states and three Canadian provinces that are dedicated to making an impact on the communities they serve. Dr. James Svara, director of the Center on Urban Innovation at Arizona State University completed an analysis of the entire membership and concluded that 80 percent of Alliance members are above the average city in their adoption of innovative practices.
At the heart of this relationship is the sharing of articles, webinars, workshops, presentations, and timely documents that serve the mutual interests of CML and Alliance members. Through League publications, members of CML will have access to research briefs and critical best practices developed by the Alliance for Innovation.
For more information, contact Pam Muse.
American Fidelity Assurance Company
In today’s tough economic times, municipalities across the state are dealing with tight budgets, increasing complexities in relation to Affordable Care Act requirements, and growing demands for ways to help employees become more active participants in the overall process. To help address these concerns, CML formed a partnership with American Fidelity Assurance Company. Their services and benefits have been instrumental in helping municipalities across the state and nationwide save administrative time, manage costs, and support overall employee benefit programs. They specialize in assisting municipalities through a variety of Expense Management Services and Benefits, such as Section 125 Administrative Services, Dependent Verification Reviews, Flexible Spending Account Services, Health Reimbursement Arrangements, and much more. For more information, contact Terry Rook at 800-450-3506, ext. 3009, or via email.
CIRSA
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CIRSA has been trusted to keep Colorado communities safe for more than 30 years. As opposed to commercial carriers that work across multiple states and industries, CIRSA has intimate knowledge and experience with the risks and challenges faced by municipalities across the state. And, it has developed a wide range of solutions to deliver what municipalities need to successfully manage risk and keep employees safe.
As part of CIRSA’s membership community, members receive so much more than standard insurance coverage - they have access to a comprehensive package of risk management resources including a growing line of free, on-site and web-based training programs, complimentary liability consultation, outstanding coverages, and reliable customer service.
Contact CIRSA to learn more about how it is protecting Colorado, 303-757-5475
CliftonLarsonAllen
In late 2009, CML formed a partnership agreement with CliftonLarsonAllen (formerly R.S. Wells and Clifton Gunderson) to promote the availability of a new program called the “Financial Checkup.” The Governmental Solutions Team at CliftonLarsonAllen includes 40 municipal managers and financial experts who provide consulting services to hundreds of Colorado local governments, including cities, towns and special districts.
The Financial Checkup is a unique program developed by CliftonLarsonAllen to assist municipalities in translating financial and management indicators into a practical and understandable tool to assess their municipality’s fiscal condition. Through this partnership with CML, member municipalities can receive a 15% discount on this new service.
As you evaluate the tools and strategies available to proactively ensure the financial resilience of your community, you may want to consider the Financial Checkup to see if it is a fit for your organization. For more information on this program, contact Christine Harwell.
Colorado Development Finance Corporation LLC
Colorado Development Finance Corporation is a new finance program for members of the Colorado Municipal League and other local governments in the state. It provides funding for lease purchase transactions often used by local governments to acquire vehicles, heavy equipment, school buses, computer systems, telecommunications equipment, minor building upgrades, and other capital investments that can't be paid for in one year and typically aren't large enough to warrant a traditional bond issue. The program can also fund smaller capital needs for any enterprise fund, utility or otherwise, of your community. Key attributes include compliance with TABOR, economies of scale, full disclosure of costs, and ease of application with simplified credit review.
To learn more, view this handout from a recent webinar.
Colorado Employer Benefit Trust
CML is a proud partner with Colorado Employer Benefit Trust, a nonprofit multiple employer trust for public institutions providing employee benefits. Since 1980, CEBT has grown to approximately 17,000 employees and more than 200 participating groups, with funds approaching $100,000,000 in premium deposits.
CEBT spreads the risk of adverse claims over a larger base of members and reduce administrative costs. Since the pool is self-insured, the participating groups have been able to benefit from positive overall claims experience and low administrative costs. In fact, the Colorado Employer Benefit Trust has consistently outperformed the market for rate increases. Forty-seven municipalities currently participate in CEBT, with employees ranging from two employees to 166. CEBT's presence throughout the state and coverage of all markets, including smaller and rural communities, is a valuable alternative and possible cost-saving solution for CML members.
For more information, contact Jim Hermann.
Downtown Colorado Inc.
Downtown Colorado, Inc. (DCI) is a nonprofit, membership association committed to building better communities by providing assistance to Colorado downtowns, commercial districts and town centers. DCI currently has approximately 150 dues-paying members representing downtown organizations, local governments, development and improvement districts, consultants, individuals and others involved in downtown and community development. DCI provides four core services to organizations and individuals engaged in downtown and commercial district development throughout the state of Colorado: technical assistance, education, advocacy, and program participation.
For more information, visit www.downtowncoloradoinc.org.
Housing Colorado
Housing Colorado is the unified resource in the state for affordable housing education, information, and advocacy. They work to shift the public perception and the policy environment while providing tools and knowledge to help meet the challenges of affordable housing in Colorado. Through the combined efforts of their growing network of over 6,000 professionals, they generate a wider number and range of affordable housing opportunities. Their members come from all over the state and with different expertise. Learn more at www.housingcolorado.org.
LiveWell Colorado
LiveWell Colorado is a nonprofit organization committed to reducing obesity in Colorado by promoting healthy eating and active living. In addition to educating and inspiring people to make healthy choices, it focuses on policy, environmental, and lifestyle changes that remove barriers and increase access to healthy behaviors. Working in partnership with obesity prevention initiatives across the state, LiveWell Colorado aims to provide every person in Colorado with access to healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity in the places they live, work, learn, and play,
CML and LiveWell Colorado have partnered to launch the Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) Cities and Towns Campaign. The HEAL campaign is aimed at helping municipalities increase access to healthy foods and active living through no- and low-cost policy changes. CML and LiveWell Colorado believe that mayors, city/town councilmembers, and city/town managers are uniquely positioned to help stem obesity in Colorado by considering healthy living when making policy decisions.
For more information, contact Julie George.
Mountain States Employers Council
Through membership with CML, municipalities with 10 or fewer employees can take advantage of human resource consulting services through the Mountain States Employers Council small employer program. MSEC is a nonprofit membership organization which partners with public and private sector employers to maintain effective employer—employee relationships. The small employer consulting service allows you to receive levels of service from the Council at a substantially reduced membership fee.
For more information about the CML small employers program, contact Lorrie Ray at 303-839-5177 or 800-884-1328.
Red Rocks Community College Physician Assistant Program
The mission of the Red Rocks Physician Assistant Program is to train physician assistants to provide primary care to the medically underserved. Physician Assistants provide a full range of medical care under the supervision of a licensed physician. The Red Rocks PA program trains PAs to work as part of a physician-PA team.
There is a growing concern about the increasing shortage of primary care providers in rural Colorado. In response to the projected shortage, the Red Rocks PA Program was selected to receive a $300,000 grant from the Colorado Health Foundation. Building Rural Colorado’s Primary Care Workforce: a multidimensional approach is a collaborative effort between Red Rocks Community College, Colorado Counties Incorporated, Colorado Municipal League, and the Special District Association of Colorado, who together make up the Colorado Collaboration for Rural Healthcare Access (CCRHA).
CCRHA was formed in response to the existing and projected shortages of primary care providers in Colorado, felt acutely in rural areas. CCRHA will work with Colorado Rural Health Center, Colorado Community Healthcare Network, and Colorado Area Health Education Centers.
For more information contact Erika Iverson, project coordinator.
U.S. Communities Purchasing Program
CML members have the opportunity to participate in the U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance, a nonprofit established by public agencies to reduce the cost of purchased goods and to streamline the purchasing process.
There is no cost to participate in this program, and it is ideal for municipalities of all sizes because there is no minimum or maximum number of dollars that must be spent. Additionally, there is no purchasing obligation – municipal officials can simply view products on the site as a way to compare costs and evaluate different options. It conveniently saves purchasing managers (or those who fulfill those duties for their municipality) time and resources because there is no need to go out to bid for products and services. They have also developed a Web site dedicated to the purchase of "green" resources and services.
Many municipalities are using U.S. Communities as a way to save money especially during these difficult economic times. Colorado municipalities purchased over $1.2 million through U.S. Communities contracts just in the first quarter of 2009.
To learn more about U.S. Communities, contact Corey Imhoff, U.S. Communities program manager, and watch this Webinar on U.S. Communities.