Next week is Municipal Courts Week! The 88th Texas Legislature designated the first week of November as Municipal Courts Week each year from 2023 through 2032 via House Concurrent Resolution 75. “First Week” means the first full Monday through Friday of November. This year, that’s November 6-10.
See House Concurrent Resolution 75 here.
TMCEC General Counsel and Director of Education Mark Goodner sat down with Ned Minevitz and Liz De La Garza to discuss what cities are doing and can do for this event.
Mark Goodner (MG): Good afternoon, Ned and Liz. It’s hard to believe that it’s already been well over a month since we chatted about Municipal Courts Week on our webinar (Municipal Courts Week, H.C.R. 75, and Community Engagement) https://tmcec.brightspace.com/d2l/home/6914). Now, Municipal Courts Week is next week! What have you seen and heard about what municipal courts are doing next week to mark the occasion?
Ned Minevitz (NM): Hello, Mark. That was a fun webinar! This year a lot of mayors have already passed a resolution officially designating November 6-10 as Municipal Courts Week. I have also seen many courts promoting Municipal Courts Week through social media to inform the public about any open events. Municipal Courts Week is a perfect time for judges and court staff to engage with members of their communities in a positive way.
Liz De La Garza (LDLG): Hey Mark! We always have an enjoyable time talking about what courts can do to reach out to their communities, and Municipal Courts Week is a great time to do this! Courts have responded to this opportunity by contacting us and letting us help them find ways to celebrate their courts! Courts are opening their doors to their communities with open houses and honoring the hard work of their staffs with breakfasts and little tokens of appreciation.
MG: I’m glad you mentioned passing a local resolution and/or proclamation. I think that’s a great and “official” option to celebrate courts. We even have a sample template (see link below) to assist cities that would like to do that. Additionally, we have a press release template that cities can use to report to local media about Municipal Courts Week events. Are there any other resources available that could help courts with last-minute plans?
LDLG: Courts using their local papers and social media to announce Municipal Court Week to their communities is a great idea! Local papers are always looking for ways to highlight their cities. The demanding work that city staff and municipal courts do daily is often unheralded. Putting an article in the community paper is an awesome way to shed light on this important work! Social media is another even quicker way to do this same thing, and its effect is immediate! Most citizens under the age of 40 usually do not read the local paper in its hard form, but they will read that exact same news presented on an online version!
NM: If a court has never celebrated Municipal Courts Week but would like to, they can give me a call at 512-320-8274 and I am happy to assist in coming up with a plan that could be implemented quickly and with relative ease. While it is too late to order physical traffic safety materials from TMCEC, check out TMCEC’s Municipal Courts Week and Traffic Safety Resources webpages for inspiration and ideas on how to make the most of Municipal Courts Week. The proclamation and press release templates you referenced are both available on the Municipal Courts Week webpage.
MG: Thank you. Municipal Courts Week is a great opportunity to show appreciation to court staff as well as to host a public event. Are there any events from years past that stick out in your mind as being especially effective or memorable?
NM: Over the years a few courts have hosted a traffic safety coloring contest for kids. I have always found this super effective because the children not only have a blast, but they also think about safe practices such as wearing a seatbelt and looking both ways before crossing the street. It also does not hit the city’s pocketbook very hard: all that is needed is some paper and crayons! Another place to see some of the exemplary events courts have recently hosted is TMCEC’s 2023 Best Practices Brochure.
LDLG: As a retired teacher, I know how important even little accolades are for staff, especially workers who do important, yet not very visible, work that keeps their cities safe and humming along. We saw one city where the administrative staff put a little something (a small candy bar or a small funny gift) with an encouraging note on each person’s desk every morning of Municipal Courts Week. At the end of the week, they hosted a breakfast where staff were celebrated as individuals and as a team. Seeing the pictures of the breakfast was great – everyone looked so happy and collegial. A little encouragement goes a long way in keeping staff at their best!
MG: I should also mention that this could be a chance to connect with and inform city hall, as well. Our C3 public information and education campaign is designed to fill the information gap between city halls and municipal courts in Texas. Municipal Court personnel should check out issues of The Brief available online as well as videos such as The Role of Municipal Court in City Government. Thanks for your time, Ned and Liz!
Please share in a comment below what you plan to do for Municipal Courts Week!
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