Almy Earns Municipal Clerkâ€™s Certification

Tuesday, December 4th 2007, 1:56 pm

By: News On 6

Citizens only see her behind the scenes at City Council meetings, yet Janice Almyâ€™s job as Sand Springsâ€™ Deputy City Clerk is at the forefront of important governmental operations. Almy is the go to person for just about any Sand Springs official record. She maintains agendas and meeting minutes from 1943 through the present day, and keeps track of all ordinances, contracts and leases.

Almy handles subjects as diverse as City Council agendas to handling insurance claims on behalf of the city.

â€œI get to do a little bit of everything,â€ Janice Almy said. â€œI deal with everyday citizens, city staff and the City Council. I also spend a lot of quiet time with a lot of files.â€

Almy was recently recognized for completing her municipal clerk certification through the International Institute of Municipal Clerks. Her efforts involved eight years of classes and seminars through the Oklahoma Municipal Clerkâ€™s Institute. The certification involves coursework in public administration, interpersonal skills and other areas critical to the function of municipal governments. Additionally, she has networked with clerks in other cities and has learned how they deal with issues that arise from time to time.

Although her tenure with the City spans 17 years, she has held the deputy city clerkâ€™s position nine years. When she first came into the position, she found the City had been really good about retaining records â€“ perhaps too good.

â€œWe had boxes and boxes of reel-to-reel tapes of meetings that went back decades. Most of them were dry-rotted and not playable,â€ she said.

Storing documents electronically has revolutionized file systems in recent years. Everything from meeting agendas and minutes to contracts and leases are now scanned into electronic files. Ordinances are also stored electronically. With 1,153 ordinances to keep track off, the electronic search function is invaluable.

One of the most satisfying aspects of Almyâ€™s job is witnessing the governmental process in action. Although City Council meetings may sometimes look routine, thereâ€™s plenty of work that goes into them.

â€œItâ€™s rewarding to watch the process and see the results. Our Council members are very dedicated people, and they do their homework,â€ she said. â€œI always remember that since I live here, what they do affects me. I have a great respect for them.â€

Almy hopes to continue her education in years to come and receive advanced certifications. Her abilities and attitude toward her job are greatly appreciated, according to City Manager Douglas Enevoldsen.

â€œJanice is one of those unique individuals who can always be counted on to do things right virtually every time,â€ Douglas Enevoldsen said.

â€œTracking governmental activities is a huge task that requires a lot of precision. Janiceâ€™s skills make it look easy.â€