NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES ■ WASHINGTON, D.C. VOL. 41, NO. 11 ■ JUNE 1, 2009

See WIR page 2

See BOARD MEETING page 6

QuickTakes

Source: Forbes Magazine, May 2009

1. Montgomery County, Pa.2. Nassau County, N.Y.3. Pima County, Ariz.4. Palm Beach County, Fla.5. Honolulu County, Hawaii

Best Counties to Grow Old In

Best Counties to Grow Old In

See REFORM page 3

Mortgage reform legislationgets president’s signatureBY DARIA DANIEL ASSOCIATE LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR

President Barack Obama re-cently signed the Help Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009, a mortgage reform bill adopted earlier by Congress to help homeowners prevent foreclosure and curb preda-tory lending practices.

The legislation expands eligibil-ity for the Hope for Homeowners program, which was created last year

INSIDE >>“Sleek and modern” describe Blue Earth County, Minn.’s new “green” Justice Center >> Page 6

to help at-risk borrowers refi nance into more stable loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration.

It tightens standards for mort-gage lending and curbs abuses that encouraged borrowers to take out mortgage loans they could not repay. It increases the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s borrowing authority to $100 billion. It also gives renters new protections

county, and President Don Stapley swore in the executive committee.

Serving with Josi are: Mike Murray, fi rst vice president and com-missioner, Lewis and Clark County, Mont.; Ron Walter, commissioner Chelan County, Wash., who was elected second vice president, and Im-mediate Past President Brian Dahle, a Lassen County, Calif. supervisor.

It will be a busy year for Josi. In addition to presiding over WIR, he is chair of the Tillamook Board of Commissioners, Oregon’s Coastal

BY TOM GOODMAN

PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIRECTOR

The NACo Board of Directors, meeting at the Western Interstate Region Conference in Umatilla County, Ore. May 21, made sig-nifi cant changes in the association’s governance structure, approved a dental discount pilot program, and chose three sites for future Annual Conferences.

The changes in the governance structure included reducing the number of elected offi cers from fi ve

Energy bill hot topic at 2009 WIR conference in OregonBY CHARLES TAYLOR

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Tim Josi, the new president of NACo’s Western Interstate Region, hails from “The Land of Cheese, Trees and Ocean Breeze” — a trio

that also gives a hint to some of the issues on his plate this next year.

Agriculture, forestry and natu-ral resources will fi gure heavily into the Tillamook County, Ore. commissioner and dairy farmer’s portfolio as he leads WIR through mid-2010.

“The fi rst thing I’m going to do is represent you and do your bid-ding,” Josi told his colleagues at the WIR offi cers’ installation banquet in Pendleton, Ore. May 22. Former NACo President Bill Hansell, a Umatilla County commissioner, welcomed attendees to the host

Board approves changes Board approves changes to governance structureto governance structure Would eliminate offi cer, add regional representatives to executive committee

to four and adding four regional representatives to the NACo Ex-ecutive Committee. The changes, which were recommended by the NACo Task Force on Governance and Structure after a nine-month review, also included guidelines for the election of offi cers.

Some of the 11 recommenda-tions can be implemented immedi-ately. Others require amending the bylaws and must be approved by the NACo membership in a vote at the Annual Conference.

The three sites chosen for future Annual Conferences are Tarrant County (Ft. Worth), Texas for 2013; Orleans Parish (New Orleans), La. for 2014; and Mecklenburg County (Charlotte), N.C. for 2015.

Dental PlanThe Board chose Careington

as the vendor to partner with NACo to offer the discount dental program to member counties and their residents. Careington was selected for its combination of discounts, the size of its network of dentists and its track record of

Photo by Charles Taylor

The 2009 Western Interstate Region executive committee members pause for a photo before their installa-tion at the WIR conference in Pendleton, Ore. May 22: (l-r) Ron Walter, commissioner Chelan County, Wash., who was elected second vice president at the conference; Mike Murray, fi rst vice president and commissioner, Lewis and Clark County, Mont.; Tim Josi, president and commissioner, Tillamook County, Ore.; and Brian Dahle, immediate past president, a Lassen County, Calif. supervisor.

New FEMA administrator confi rmed >> Page 4

Get the latest news on Recovery Act funding in Leading in Tough Times >> Page 5

The administration plans to expand its Secure Communities program to all the nation’s jails. >> Page 5

2 June 1, 2009 CountyCountyNews News •

Health Briefi ng on Capitol Hill June 8 NACo will host a series of Congressional Briefi ngs on Capitol Hill

as part of its Restore the Partnership Campaign. NACo is asking for your help to ensure the fi rst briefi ng on June 8 is a success. The goal is to educate congressional staff on the important role counties share in the health system debate. Invite your congressman or a member of his or her staff to attend.

For more information, contact Kasia Witkowski at 202/942-4225, kwitkowski@naco.org, or Paul Beddoe at 202/942-4234, pbeddoe@naco.org.

Silver Star Families Still Accepting Proclamations Due to the high demand, the Silver Star Families of America

(SSFOA) will be accepting proclamations year-round. Please note, if you have signed a “permanent” proclamation you do not need to send in another each year.

More than 1,000 cities and counties have signed so far in support of setting aside a day to honor wounded and ill veterans of all wars.

Please join the entire nation as SSFOA moves forward to see 5,000 cities and counties honor all wounded and ill veterans every year on May 1.

For more information on proclamations or to sign the petition, visit www.silverstarfamilies.org.

In Case You Missed It ...News to Use from Past County News

Zone Management Association and the state’s Council of Forest Trust Land Counties. As one observer noted during dinner, “If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it.”

The banquet capped three days of committee meetings, workshops and a NACo Board of Directors meeting, as well as opportunities to explore Pendleton’s Wild West heritage and Native American culture.

One dominant theme during the three-day conference, May 20–22, was the energy and climate bill making its way through Congress. Public lands counties want biomass from federal forests included in the legislation as a renewable en-ergy source. Proponents argue that harvesting forest biomass results in thinned, healthier forests that are less prone to fi res and help store carbon dioxide — a greenhouse gas — and can provide a boost to local economies.

Among Josi’s priorities for the year will be lowering the tempera-ture of the debate between public lands counties and environmental-ists over energy and climate change issues. During the conference, he said he had “lashed out” at envi-ronmental extremists, but a more “diplomatic” approach is needed. “The Nature Conservancy gets it and they’re the white hats,” he said. “And if we’re going to be successful at what we do, we need to partner with organizations like that so that

we can get this done and get biomass in the energy bill.”

As a Democrat, he said, “Maybe I can talk some sense into some Democrats on the Hill.”

Former Oregon U.S. Senator Gordon Smith (R) addressed the energy bill in his keynote speech May 22. A Pendleton native, he served on the Senate Energy Committee during his two terms in offi ce.

The American Climate and Energy Act of 2009 (ACES) re-cently cleared the House Energy and Commerce Committee. But Smith cautioned that its future remains uncertain.

“My experience is that, what barely passes the House of Rep-resentatives will never pass in the United States Senate,” he said, because the House is “majoritar-ian” while the Senate’s rules are designed to protect minority rights and small states.

Efforts to lower greenhouse gas emissions and generate more renewable energy will come at a high cost, Smith said.

“There is a long way to go until we have renewable resources that are cost-competitive, that are constant and that meet the load or growth that all of you hope to have in your counties.” He said renewable energy sources — such as wind — are intermittent. Cit-ing a local example, he noted that windmills in the best wind corridors in Umatilla County turn only 38 percent of the time.

“The public generally doesn’t know that if you create electricity,

you either use it or you lose it,” he continued. Intermittent generation is diffi cult to schedule on the grid and many renewable resources “are not where the grid exists.”

Beyond energy, Smith ques-tioned the sustainability of federal government spending. “Our en-titlements are on cruise control,” he said.

“When you add up the un-funded liability of Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, it adds up to something north of 60 trillion dollars” — a fi gure greater than the net worth of the United States. Federal spending is starting to make those fabled spendthrifts “drunken sailors look good,” he said.

Other speakers during the con-ference included Victor Vasquez, deputy undersecretary for rural development at the U.S. Depart-ment of Agriculture, Idaho Lt.

Gov. Brad Little (R) and Russell Hoeflich, Oregon director, the Nature Conservancy.

Less than two weeks into his job, Vasquez — a Hermiston, Ore. native — was interested in listening to county offi cials’ concerns to take back to Washington. During the Clinton administration, he served as USDA assistant administrator in the Offi ce of Community Develop-ment, where he helped launch the Rural Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community program.

New WIR president calls for more diplomacy in engaging environmentalistsWIR from page 1

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Vasquez discussed the $4.36 bil-lion in the Recovery Act for rural development programs and the challenge in getting the funds out quickly and “smartly.”

In response to a question, Vasquez said: “Part of why I came on board is to look at how we can develop and put together a com-munity development component in rural development specifi cally geared toward smaller communi-ties that don’t have the capacity.” He said one way to assist localities with limited resources will be to increase USDA field staff ’s knowledge about community development — and to provide direct training and assistance to communities.

“It will take time, but we’re walking in the door with that goal in mind,” he said.

Conference educational sessions included Delivery of Quality Health Care in Rural Western Counties, Western Interests in the Federal Transportation and Highway Bill Reauthorization, Forging Tribal-County Partnerships and Sustain-able Relationships, and Sustain-ing Your County’s Agricultural Economy.

Josi said WIR will also continue to focus on rural health care, working to keep the word “navigable” in the Clean Water Act and transportation issues, with the transportation and highway bill up for reauthorization this year. Continuing Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding beyond its 2012 expiration is also a priority.

As is customary, the winner of this year’s Dale Sowards Award was announced during the con-ference — Mike Anaya, a Santa Fe County, N.M., commissioner, who was unable to attend. The award honors individuals who demonstrate outstanding service to public lands counties and draws attention to their accomplishments and the public policies they repre-sent. It was named after the late Dale Sowards, a former Conejos County, Colo. commissioner, who was instrumental in the creation of WIR and was a tireless advocate for public lands counties. Anaya will receive his award at a later date.

Next year’s conference will be held May 19–21 in Yellowstone County (Billings), Mont.

Photos by Charles Taylor

Former Oregon U.S. Senator Gordon Smith (R) questions the sustainability of federal spending, which he likened to that of “drunken sailors.” He says entitlement spending is on “cruise control.”

Environmental attorney Tom Mullikin points out agriculture’s contribution to U.S. greenhouse gas emissions during his general session presentation May 22.

• County CountyNewsNews June 1, 2009 3

President | Don Stapley

Publisher | Larry Naake

Public Affairs Director | Tom Goodman

Executive Editor | Beverly Anne Schlotterbeck

Senior Staff Writer | Charles Taylor

Staff Writer | Elizabeth Perry

Graphic Artist | Jack Hernandez

Editorial Assistant | Christopher Johnson

ADVERTISING STAFF

Job Market/Classifi eds representativeChristopher Johnson

National Accounts representativeBeverly Schlotterbeck

(202) 393-6226 • FAX (202) 393-2630

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BY CARRIE CLINGAN

COMMUNITY SERVICES ASSOCIATE

NACo recently announced the recipients of the 2009 Five Star Restoration Program grants. NACo and its partners will award a total of more than $765,420 to high-quality, community-based projects to support habitat and wetlands restoration in counties across the nation. This year’s NACo-managed grants are going to the following organizations and local governments:

• The Lucas County Conser-vation Board in Lucas County, Iowa

• The Lamoille County Natural Resources Conservation District and Nature Center, Lamoille County, Vt.

• The City of Gladstone in Delta County, Mich.

• The Elachee Nature Science Center in Hall County, Ga.

The Five Star Restoration Pro-gram funds projects involving a high degree of cooperation with lo-cal governmental agencies, elected offi cials, community groups, busi-nesses, schools and environmental organizations. These groups work together to improve local water

NACo awards $80,000 in grants to wetland restoration projectsquality, reduce fl ood damage and restore important fi sh and wildlife habitats. The program is a partner-ship between NACo, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Wildlife Habitat Council, and corporate sponsors Southern Company, and Pacifi c Gas and Electric.

This year, as a part of the Five

Star Partnership, NACo will award $80,000 in grants that will sup-port four projects, located in four counties across the country to help implement locally driven wetland and watershed restoration projects. The Five Star funds that are made available act as seed money that leverages additional funds and services. On average, for each dol-lar of Five Star-sponsored funds,

four additional dollars in matching contributions will be provided by local restoration partners in the form of funding, labor, materials, equipment or in-kind services. As of this year, communities have committed more than $28 million in matching contributions to these projects. Since 1997, NACo has helped fund projects in counties across the country, providing a

total of more than $1,276,000 for community-based environmental restoration and education.

(For more information about the Five Star Program and the Coastal Coun-ties Restoration Initiative and how to apply, please contact Carrie Clingan, NACo community services associate, at 202/942-4246 or CClingan@naco.org.)

from eviction when landlords go into foreclosure, allowing tenants with fi xed-term leases to remain in their homes for the duration of their lease and providing tenants without fi xed-term leases 90 days’ notice before eviction. The legislation has a 5 percent stake provision for mortgages bundled into securities and sold to investors in secondary markets.

The act provides for the establish-ment of a Nationwide Mortgage Fraud Task Force within the Depart-ment of Justice to combat mortgage fraud, which NACo supported via a resolution adopted by the NACo Board of Directors at the March 2009 Legislative Conference.

The act requires the task force to:

1) establish federal, state, and local coordinating entities to orga-nize initiatives to address mortgage fraud

2) provide training to federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies with respect to mortgage fraud

3) collect and disseminate data with respect to mortgage fraud and

4) perform other functions de-termined by the attorney general to enhance the detection of, prevention of and response to mortgage fraud in the United States.

It authorizes the task force to: 1) initiate and coordinate federal

mortgage fraud investigations and, through the coordinating entities, state and local investigations

2) establish a toll-free hotline for reporting mortgage fraud and providing the public with access to

related information and resources 3) create a database about suspen-

sions and revocations of mortgage industry licenses and certifi cations to facilitate the sharing of such information by states, and

4) make recommendations and propose federal, state and local government legislation.

Homeless Assistance Gets Boost

The act also includes reautho-rization of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which increases the amount of funding available for homelessness preven-tion. The legislation consolidates the Supportive Housing, Shelter Plus Care and Section 8 moder-ate rehabilitation/single-room occupancy programs into a single grant program to assist homeless persons.

The Emergency Shelter Grant program is renamed the New Emer-gency Solutions Grant program uti-lizing existing formula. It adds to the current defi nition of homelessness to include those at imminent risk of becoming homeless, and families or independent youth who are living in unstable conditions.

It increases from 5 percent to 7.5 percent the amount an emergency solutions grant recipient may use for administrative costs. A total of $2.2 billion is authorized for FY10. NACo supported the in-clusion of the McKinney-Vento amendment.

The mortgage reform law also eliminates a requirement under the HUD Neighborhood Stabi-lization Program that properties purchased under the program must be bought for less than their appraised value.

The act does not include the controversial “cram down” provi-sion permitting bankruptcy judges to modify terms and payments of homeowner loan agreements.

For more information, con-tact Daria Daniel at 202/942-4212 or e-mail ddaniel@naco.org.

Mortgage Fraud Task Force to form within DOJREFORM from page 1

In the Profi les in Service sec-tion of the May 18 issue of County News, Dale Pinkerton, chairman, Board of Commis-sioners in Butler County, Pa. was incorrectly identifi ed as being on the NACo Board of Directors.

CORRECTION

SpeedRead »»»

» Tightens mortgage lending stan-dards and curbs abuses

» Increases FDIC borrowing author-ity to $100 billion

» Establishes Nationwide Mort-gage Fraud Task Force in Justice Department

» Reauthorizes homeless assistance legislation

4 June 1, 2009 CountyCountyNews News •

Number of years active in NACo: 10 years

Years in public service: 10 years

Occupation: Cattle rancher

The hardest thing I’ve ever done: as a station captain, telling a volunteer fi refi ghter on the front line that one of his family members got trapped in a structural fi re and died. He now dedicates his life to working for the fi re department.

Three people (living or dead) I’d invite to dinner: my father, grand-father and uncle

A dream I have is to: be the person my family and friends can look up to.

You’d be surprised to learn that I: hate public speaking.

The most adventurous thing I’ve ever done is: drive race cars for 13 years.

My favorite way to relax is: on the ranch with family and cattle.

I’m most proud of: my wife and children.

Every morning I read: local newspapers.

My favorite meal is: turkey dinner with all the fi xings.

My pet peeve is: lack of accountability.

My motto is: “Every day is a good day. Some are just better than others.”

The last book I read was: The Bible.

My favorite movie is: The Sound of Music.

My favorite music is: country music and classical music.

My favorite president is: soon-to-be NACo President Valerie Brown.

» Frank BigelowSupervisorMadera County, Calif.

NACo Board of Directors

Profi fi leles in Service

BY ANITA CARDWELL

SENIOR ASSOCIATE

A number of NACo county offi -cials from across the country recently attended Leadership for Healthy Communities’ (LHC) Childhood Obesity Prevention Summit, “Build-ing a Bridge to Policy Action,” in Washington, D.C.

NACo is one of 11 national groups working in partnership with LHC, a program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation which helps local and state government leaders promote healthy eating and active living policies to prevent and reduce childhood obesity.

The summit provided partici-pants, the majority of whom were policymakers, an opportunity to share ideas and learn about a range

Administrator Fugate confi rmed; FEMA’s future debatedBY DALEN A. HARRIS

ASSOCIATE LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR

After some delay, the full Senate confi rmed by voice vote W. Craig Fugate as the new administrator of the Department of Homeland Se-curity’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Fugate has a long history of working with county governments, and is expected to understand the importance of strong federal, state and local government partnerships for disaster management. NACo supported his nomination.

Fugate hails from state and local emergency management. He began his emergency management career as a volunteer fi refi ghter, became a paramedic and a fi re department lieu-tenant, and advanced to the position of emergency manager of Alachua County, Fla. In 2001, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush appointed Fugate as

the state’s director of emergency management, and held the position until President Barack Obama nomi-nated him to lead FEMA.

He comes to the agency prior to the start of the Atlantic hur-ricane season, which officially begins on June 1 and ends Nov. 30. Since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, FEMA has faced increased scrutiny while many initiatives have been enacted to increase the nation’s planning, preparedness, response and recovery from all-hazard future disasters.

However, some concerned law-makers and local emergency man-agers have called for the removal of FEMA from DHS because the agency’s disaster response and recov-ery efforts have been reduced within the large federal department.

In February 2009, House Trans-portation Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.) and

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) intro-duced bills (H.R. 1174 and S. 412 respectively) removing FEMA from DHS.

The legislation proposes to return FEMA to a Cabinet-level independent agency, with the FEMA administrator reporting directly to the president during a presidential disaster declaration. But, Senate Homeland Security

and Government Affairs Commit-tee Chairman Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), House Homeland Secu-rity Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), President Obama, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and Fugate have shown staunch opposition to this proposal and have vowed to fi ght any effort to remove the agency from DHS.

NACo has not weighed in on

this issue, but has worked closely in the past with Congress in enact-ing P.L. 109-295, the Post-Katrina Emergency Reform Act (PKERA) in 2006. This comprehensive legislation strengthened FEMA management, increased operational support for federal, state and local governments, and provided sus-tained funding for FEMA programs important to counties.

County leaders attend D.C. childhood obesity summit

Photo by Stephen Voss

Mayor Claude Ramsey, Hamilton County, Tenn. (second from right) shows off his Healthy Communities Leader-ship Award presented during the Childhood Obesity Prevention Summit held in Washington, D.C. in early May. Also pictured are: (l-r) Maya Rockeymoore, director, Leadership for Healthy Communities; Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; Ramsey and Larry Naake, NACo executive director.

of local efforts to reduce and prevent childhood obesity. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) provided the opening day remarks and spoke about his recently proposed legislation to establish federal school nutrition standards for all foods sold on school grounds, as well as the increase in funding for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.

Other sessions at the summit focused on community partnerships to address childhood obesity, the economic benefi ts associated with promoting healthy communities, and perspectives from a panel of youth who shared their ideas about effective ways to encourage children to be active and eat healthily.

Attendees also had the oppor-tunity to interact with each other in smaller workshops where topics

were discussed such as ways that rural areas can address childhood obesity, barriers to healthy living in racial and ethnic minority com-munities, and how policymakers can promote healthy behavior and active environments in their localities.

Mayor Claude Ramsey of Hamilton County, Tenn. was one of the fi ve local leaders who received the Healthy Communities Leadership Award in recognition of their efforts to address childhood obesity in their communities. In 2003 Mayor Ramsey initiated the creation of a program called Step ONE (Optimize with Nutrition and Exercise), which promotes healthy living policies such as joint-use agreements with local schools

See SUMMIT page 5

• County CountyNewsNews June 1, 2009 5

Neighborhood Stabilization Program II Funding Available

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has released a notice of funding availability for the second round of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, funded by the Recovery Act. NSP II funds will be issued on a competitive basis, unlike NSP I. States, localities, and nonprofi t organizations will be eligible for grants. HUD has established a $5 million minimum threshold for application. The application deadline is July 17. Visit www.hud.gov Community Development Programs.

Transportation Stimulus Funds AvailableCompetitive funds of $1.5 billion are now available from the

U.S. Department of Transportation under the Transportation In-vestment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grants Program. A broad array of transportation investments by state and local governments are eligible. Applications are due Sept. 15. For more information, visit www.dot.gov/recovery.

Broadband Stimulus Grants Coming SoonWhite House and USDA offi cials have told NACo that guid-

ance for Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP) grants, funded through the Recovery Act, will be available June 22. The BTOP program, administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), has $7.2 billion to deploy broadband to unserved and underserved areas of the country. NACo will provide counties with the appropriate information when it becomes available.

BY MARILINA SANZ

ASSOCIATE LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR

At the same time the Obama administration has proposed eliminating the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, which reimburses state and local govern-ments for the cost of incarcerating criminal aliens, it is planning to expand the Secure Communities Program, which uses technology to identify and deport high-risk criminal aliens.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, an arm of the Depart-ment of Homeland Security (DHS), began Secure Communi-ties as a pilot project in 2008. The program is currently in 48 jurisdictions in seven states. The Obama administration has set a goal of expanding the program nationwide by 2012.

Secure Communities uses bio-metric technology and conducts integrated DHS and Department of Justice record checks on all arrested and incarcerated persons,

as well as criminals previously released from custody.

Currently, local law enforce-ment submits fi ngerprints through the Federal Bureau of Investigation to check criminal history. Under the secure communities process, the information submitted to the FBI would be automatically checked against the DHS database to access immigration information.

Secure Communities sets three priority levels for the types of criminals that will be identifi ed, detained and deported. Level 1 includes individuals who have been convicted of major drug of-fenses and violent offenses such as murder, manslaughter, rape, rob-bery and kidnapping. Level 2 in-cludes individuals who have been convicted of minor drug offenses, property offenses, larceny, fraud and money laundering. Level 3 includes individuals convicted of other offenses.

From October 2008 to April 2009, ICE deported 2,500 Level 1 individuals using the Secure Communities process.

State, local government plan to expand Secure Communities Program that allow children and families

greater use of school facilities for physical activity.

He has also initiated a com-munity gardening program, partnered with schools, restau-rants and community groups to develop a campaign that pro-motes healthy food choices, and has established plans to develop multi-use trails to encourage walking and biking.

Thirty-three percent of chil-dren and adolescents in the U.S. are considered overweight or obese. Obesity increases the chance that individuals will develop serious health problems, such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease or other chronic health

issues. Additionally, studies assess-ing the broader economic effects associated with rising obesity rates show that nationwide more than $117 billion is spent annually to pay for obesity-related medical expenses and other costs related to reduced productivity and absenteeism.

As part of the childhood obesity prevention grant, NACo is provid-ing direct technical assistance to four counties and convening com-munity dialogues that bring local stakeholders together to develop a childhood obesity community-wide action plan.

A monthly newsletter is sent to NACo’s Healthy Communities Network and provides program highlights, grant opportunities and updates on childhood obesity preven-tion efforts around the country.

Additionally, at NACo’s 2009 Annual Conference July 24–28 in Nashville, Tenn., two workshops will focus on the issue of child-hood obesity.

One workshop will highlight creative and comprehensive childhood obesity prevention and reduction programs developed by particular counties and the other will allow participants to visit to the Nashville Collaborative, a part-nership to reduce pediatric obesity between the Metro Nashville Parks and Recreation Department and Vanderbilt University’s Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital.

For more information on NACo’s childhood obesity preven-tion program, please contact Anita Cardwell, acardwell@naco.org or 202/942-4267.

Two workshops at NACo Annual Conference to focus on childhood obesitySUMMIT from page 4

Change the World, Start with Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR CampaignENERGY STAR Campaignand Drive $marter ChallengeDrive $marter Challenge

Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR Campaignand Drive $marter Challenge

Two Competitions, Two Ways to…• Go Green • Save Money• Help the Environment • Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions• Improve Air Quality • Promote Energy Independence

New this Year ... Win $5,000 or $3,500 Grants!Courtesy of Wal-Mart and AutoZone

These annual competitions will run July 1 through November 30. Counties must be registered in order to participate. To register your county visit: www.naco.org/competitionregistration.

• Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR Campaign – through this competition, counties collect pledges from county employees and residents to change a light in their home to an energy-effi cient one and choose among a variety of other actions they can take to help save energy.

• Drive $marter Challenge – counties motivate and empower county employees and residents to educate themselves on how to reduce gasoline use by keeping their cars in good working order, driving less, and driving more fuel effi ciently.

For more information contact Kelly Zonderwyk at kzonderwyk@naco.org.

Register now for NACo Green Competitions ...

6 June 1, 2009 CountyCountyNews News •

administering discount dental pro-grams. The founder of the network is a dentist.

The Careington program offers an average discount on dental services of 38 percent through a network of 62,000 dentists. The fi rm can include another 18,000 dentists by adding another network with which it is associated. Careington has dentists in all but two states — Vermont and Montana — and has expressed a willingness to recruit dentists in Montana for its network with NACo’s assistance.

The program will work differ-ently than NACo’s free prescription drug card program. An individual would pay an annual fee of $59 for the discount card. With the card, the individual gets a discount on a full schedule of services. A consultant, working with NACo on the program, determined that if the individual spends $170 on dental services in a year, then the card would pay for itself through the savings. The fee for a family of two or more people would be $69 per year.

Careington was recommended by a task force of county offi cials, chaired by Kent County, Del. Commissioner Alan Angel, fol-lowing a bid and review process

and the assistance of an outside consultant. The Board authorized NACo staff to negotiate a contract with Careington to launch the program. NACo will begin the one-year pilot program with 30–35 counties participating.

NACo President Don Stapley, who appointed the task force to review NACo’s governance and structure, supported the 11 recom-mendations saying he believes they will make the association stronger. Stapley and Greg Cox, task force chair and supervisor from San Diego County, Calif., led a forum for Board members prior to the meeting to explain and discuss the recommendations.

Governance ChangesAt the Board meeting, Cox

presented the 11 recommendations. Several Board members opposed an initial effort by former NACo President Bill Hansell, to have all recommendations adopted in the same motion. “There are many things on the table,” said Kathay Rennels, Larimer County, Colo. commissioner. “I hate to see the work of the task force be lost be-cause of voting all at once.”

Rennels successfully called for a substitute motion that allowed a separate vote on each recommen-dation. Subsequently, the Board

approved all 11 recommenda-tions with three amendments. The fi rst amendment applied to Recommendation 1 and suggested that candidates for second vice president voluntarily limit travel to states that decide which candidate to support at in-state meetings. A second amendment affected Recommendation 2 and would require states to submit in writing their votes for second vice president at the Annual Conference.

The third amendment con-cerned Recommendation 8 and the selection of regional representa-tives to the Executive Committee. It would give each state one vote when the regions caucus to choose representatives.

Some Board members ques-tioned the state make-up of the four regions. Former NACo President Karen Miller, who had offered the amendments, accepted a friendly amendment that would require staff to produce three options of the regional divisions of the country for the Board to consider.

Governance Recommendations

The fi rst seven recommenda-tions can be implemented im-mediately. The last four require bylaws changes. Following are the recommendations:

1. Duration and Costs of Cam-paigns for NACo Vice President: The task force recommends that candidates for the position of second vice president:

• notify the NACo president in writing of his or her intent to run for NACo second vice president between Jan. 1 and Jan. 31 of the year of the election

• include in that letter a resume or other description stating how the candidate’s background and experience meets or exceeds the certifi cation requirements estab-lished by the Board of Directors

• voluntarily agree to limit non-travel-related campaign expenses to no more than $25,000

• agree to complete a candidate certifi cation questionnaire as ad-opted by the Board of Directors, and

• agree that campaigning, and spending campaign funds, would be restricted to the period begin-ning on the fi rst day the Legislative Conference and ending on the day of the election at the Annual Conference.

The Task Force also recom-mends that

• all candidates’ letters of in-tent and completed questionnaires be published in a February edition of County News and posted on the NACo Web site, and

• each candidate for NACo sec-ond vice president be introduced at a Legislative Conference general session and be allowed to briefl y address the delegates.

2. Election Challenges: Specify the procedure for challenging an election at the Annual Conference Business meeting.

A simple procedure for chal-lenging an election at the An-nual Conference Business Meeting would be to require a time interval of at least 30 minutes between the time the last state’s member counties cast their votes and the time the results of the election are announced. The president would ask if there are any objections or challenges, and then require the challenger (a voting delegate) to state the reasons for such objection or challenge.

3. NACo Affi liate Organiza-tions: Review the current criteria established for recognizing affi li-ate organizations.

4. Steering Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs: Develop guide-lines, to be approved by the Board of Directors, for the presidential appointments of steering commit-tee chairs and vice chairs.

5. Administrative Procedures Manual: Direct NACo staff to com-pile and publish an Administrative Procedures Manual for adoption by the Board of Directors. Procedures for applying for an appointment to a NACo steering or standing committee, credentials procedures, voting procedures and the NACo policy process currently are found in separate documents. They should be restated and published in an Administrative Procedures Manual.

6. Board of Directors Respon-sibilities: The Board of Directors should review the existing guide-lines, expectations and responsi-bilities for members of the NACo Board of Directors, modify them as necessary, and reaffi rm them.

7. Steering Committee Action and Votes: Revise the process for reporting actions and votes taken by steering committees, to require that minority votes be reported to the Board of Directors sitting as a resolutions committee, and permitting a minority report if there is a “substantial voting minority.” A “substantial voting minority” is defi ned as 25 percent of those present and voting.

8. NACo Offi cers: Reduce the number of elected offi cers of NACo to four: the President, First Vice President, Second Vice President and Immediate Past President. The primary reason for this rec-ommendation is the belief that many persons are unable to make the current fi ve-year commitment necessary to move up the chairs in the leadership structure, especially for county offi cials in counties with term limits.

NACo Offi cer Responsibilities: The responsibilities of the NACo of-fi cers shall be the same as stated in the existing bylaws for the existing Executive Committee. These re-sponsibilities include: responsible for the property, funds and business affairs of the association in the absence of the Board of Directors; have and exercise all powers of authority granted by the Board of Directors; establish such positions and salary schedules as necessary to conduct the affairs of the associa-tion subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.

The other responsibility in the existing bylaws relating to “recom-mending the appointment and compensation of the Executive Director to the Board of Direc-tors” would, in part, become the

NACo board recommends eliminating president-elect positionBOARD MEETING from page 1

See BOARD MEETING page 7

Photo courtesy of Blue Earth County, Minn.

(l-r) Will Purvis, Mark Piepho, Tom McLaughlin (with the scissors), Kip Bruender and former NACo President Colleen Landkamer along with Greater Mankato Ambassadors celebrate the ribbon-cutting at the new Blue Earth County Justice Center on May 15 ex-actly two years to the date from when the ground-breaking ceremony took place.The Justice Center is the fi rst public LEED-certifi ed green building in south-central Minnesota and the largest project in the county’s history. All justice operations are housed in the 172,000 square-foot facility: Sheriff’s Offi ce, County Attorney’s Offi ce, Probation, Courts and Jail.

• County CountyNewsNews June 1, 2009 7

responsibility of the new, expanded Executive Committee as outlined in Recommendation 9.

9. NACo Executive Com-mittee: Increase the size of the Executive Committee by adding four regional (geographic) members from among the members of the Board of Directors and defi ne their responsibilities.

An expanded Executive Com-mittee would provide closer contact with counties within each region, keep members in those regions better informed, and allow for membership recruitment activities and appropriate visits to in-district state association meetings by the geographic representatives. The four new members of the Executive Committee would help bridge the gap between the relatively small number of offi cers (four) and the large number of members of the Board of Directors (131).

Although not having respon-sibility for the day-to-day policy matters of the association, the new Executive Committee members could provide input to the president

and the other offi cers with respect to policy and business matters on behalf of their regional members between Board meetings. They would meet with the offi cers at the Legislative Conference, the West-ern Interstate Region Conference, the Annual Conference and the fall Board meeting. This would not be an additional expense to NACo, since they would be attending the Board of Directors meetings.

The new Executive Committee would recommend the appoint-ment of the executive director to the Board of Directors. Rather than recommending the compen-sation of the executive director to the Board of Directors, the new Executive Committee would act as a “compensation committee” that would review and set, sub-ject to budgetary approval, the compensation of the Executive Director each year. This practice is in keeping with practices in other associations that have large boards like NACo’s.

Election of Regional Executive Committee Members: The regional members of the Executive Commit-tee would be elected by caucuses of members of the Board of Directors

from each of the four geographic regions. A past president of NACo would not be eligible for election as a regional member of the Executive Committee, but would be eligible to caucus with his or her respective region.

The Regional Executive Com-mittee election process would be as follows:

• The Board members from the states comprising each region would caucus immediately fol-lowing the conclusion of the or-ganizational meeting of the Board of Directors at the 2010 Annual Conference.

• Each Board member from a region is entitled to vote for their regional representative on the Executive Committee.

• Any Board member from the region may nominate any other Board member from the region who is an elected offi cial (except current offi cers and NACo Past Presidents).

• If there are more than two nominees, the nominee with the lowest number of votes will be dropped from subsequent ballots.

• Voting will be by secret ballot.• Election is by majority vote

of the board members present and voting.

• Terms of regional executive committee members are for one year.

• There are no limits on the number of terms regional executive committee members may serve.

Composition of the Four Regions: The Board of Directors will make the fi nal determination of the states that comprise the four regions, a de-cision that must be made prior to the organizational meeting of the Board of Directors at the 2010 Annual Conference. The task force made no recommendation on regional state composition, but suggests that several factors could be considered, including the population of the states, the number of member counties per state, the population of member counties in each state and the number of Board members that represent each state.

10. Candidate Certification Requirements: The NACo Board of Directors should establish the certifi cation requirements for po-tential candidates for NACo offi ce. This recommendation would apply to candidates for second vice presi-

dent. The Task Force recommends that the Board establish objective candidate certifi cation requirements that refl ect such matters as each candidate’s prior service with NACo and whether the candidate has the support of his or her home county board and/or state association.

A candidate questionnaire should be developed and used as a method for assembling this information. The Nominating Committee would review candi-dates’ completed questionnaires after receipt of candidates’ letters of intent, which must be submitted prior to the Legislative Conference each year. Nominations could still be made from the fl oor at the An-nual Conference. If the Nominat-ing Committee determined that a candidate did not meet all of the certification requirements that would not prevent a candidate from continuing to seek election.

11. Chief Elected Offi cer and Chief Executive Offi cer: Amend the NACo bylaws to indicate that the president is the chief elected offi cer of the organization and that the executive director is the chief executive offi cer.

Four regional members proposed for NACo board of directorsBOARD MEETING from page 6

8 June 1, 2009 CountyCountyNews News •

Research News

In the face of dwindling revenues and rising unemployment, county offi cials have stepped up their efforts to recruit or retain businesses in their communities. The following is a snapshot of their endeavors.

Fairfield County, OhioFairfield County hosted an

Economic Development Summit with about 70 business leaders from throughout the county. In conjunction with the Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce, the Fairfi eld County Economic De-velopment Department organized the summit with representatives from state and local agencies to discuss the resources available for area businesses, such as funding for training, workforce development, and creating business strategies. Representatives from Ohio Univer-sity also highlighted funding avail-able for businesses to participate in the university’s employee training program.

Monmouth County, N.J. After meeting with about 100

business owners, leaders in Mon-mouth County, N.J. created a new program to help business leaders

navigate the numerous government incentives for job creation and growth. The new program, called BizConnect, is a one-stop location for current fi nancial information and for resources to fi nd qualifi ed workers. For those owners who can-not stop by the location, the program also has a telephone hotline where owners can leave messages. Most inquires are responded to within 24 hours.

El Dorado County, Colo.The Board of Supervisors in El

Dorado County, Colo. helped spon-sor a summit for business leaders to discuss opportunities for local businesses and provide informa-tion regarding how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act applies to county businesses. The summit explained the funding opportunities provided by the act and the reporting requirements at-tached to the funding. The summit also provided an opportunity to discuss local projects and workforce resources in the county with other business leaders.

Oakland County, Mich.A new tool kit developed by

Oakland County, Mich. seeks to collaborate with its municipalities in attracting new technology based businesses. The Technology Plan-ning tool kit contains suggestions for local governments to modify ordinances, modernize master plans and other proposals in order to be more fl exible to the needs of technology-driven businesses. The county hopes to work with all the local communities in order to make Oakland County an attractive place for potential employers.

L.A. CountyA small-business development

program provided by Los Angeles County is the Business Technol-ogy Center incubator run by the county’s Community Economic Commission. The self-supporting program provides below-market rent for offi ce space, free mentoring and consulting and some fee-based services for start-up companies. The center also offers resources on federal funding opportunities available, including grants through the Recovery Act.

(Research News was written by Kathryn Murphy, research associate.)

County Programs Promote Business Incentives

Financial Services News

For the fourth year in a row, Nationwide and NACo teamed up to encourage high-school seniors to think about retirement through the annual NACo-Nationwide scholarship. Graduating high school seniors whose parent or grandpar-ent contributes to the NACo 457 Deferred Compensation Plan were eligible.

They were asked to write a short essay describing the most important actions a public sector employee or the new president and Congress can take in 2009 concerning retirement savings. Not an easy question given the state of the fi nancial industry.

Lisa Cole, director of the NACo Financial Services Corporation, said this year’s entries were strong. “Nearly 600 students responded and the answers they gave devel-oped an impressive list of actions and strategies to help Americans

NACo Scholarship Winners Offer Retirement Insights

to take responsibility for their retirement.”

Louie Watson, Nationwide’s vice president of strategic relation-ships, agreed: “If these entries rep-resent a sample of how America’s high-school seniors are thinking, our country has a bright future ahead,” he said.

A Larger Field Produces Quality Submissions

Four entries were selected by Na-tionwide and NACo to receive the $2,000 scholarship. Many entries

focused on personal accountability, as did the winners.

The opening statement, written by Ciara Brown from Haralson County, Ga., captures a theme of many submissions. She wrote, “In light of today’s economy, the most important action for the public sec-tor employee to take is to become active in their own retirement invest-ment decisions.”

Sara Jones from Orange County, Calif. offered similar thoughts: “The single most important action that a public sector employee can take in 2009 in order to prepare for retirement is to be proactive about educating themselves about their retirement.”

Other entries also looked at ac-tions the government should take to help improve Americans’ retirement futures.

Allan Faircloth from Durham County, N.C. felt leaders in Wash-

ington should be proactive and “develop policies to resuscitate the economy and bring back consumer confi dence … pass a bill that en-forces all high school students to pass a personal fi nance course, to meet graduation requirements… [and require] automatic enrollment and payroll-deduction [in retirement plans].”

Retirement plan auto-enrollment led a list of “fi ve areas in which the government could encourage education and participation” sug-gested by Matthew Khosropour from Lafayette, La. He also called for increased employer education, mandatory retirement plan avail-ability, and more matching funds both from employers and the government, especially for lower-income employees.

About the WinnersThis year’s scholarship winners

are winners in the classroom and in their communities as well.

Ciara Alexandra Brown, a senior at Haralson County High School in Tallapoosa, Ga., has participated in volleyball, serving two years as captain, and earned recognition as All-Region following her senior-year season. She also participated in track and fi eld, throwing the shot put and discus; has been a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, BETA Club, and Span-ish Club serving as president her junior year.

Brown has also been active in student government, having served as president of the junior class and as president of the Student Government Organization during her senior year. She plans to attend West Central Technical College pursuing a degree in dental hygiene. Her grandmother, Carol Brown, is employed by Haralson County.

Allan Faircloth, whose mother is employed by Durham County, is a senior at East Chapel Hill High School. Apart from academics, he enjoys spending time outdoors and maintaining a healthy lifestyle through daily exercise. He plays fl ute in the high school’s symphonic band and has been making music with a friend who plays the guitar.

He will attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he plans to major in biology through the UNC pre-medical track. He is interested in the study of living organisms, as well as pathology, the study of the effects of diseases upon living animals.

Sara Jones, a senior at Aliso

Niguel High School in Aliso Viejo, Calif. has consistently made the Principal’s Honor Roll while com-peting with the school’s soccer, cross country, track and fi eld, lacrosse and surf teams, earning 12 junior varsity and varsity letters and three special honors: Rookie of the Year, Scholar Athlete and the highly coveted Tri-Sport Varsity Athlete awards.

While at Manhattan College in Riverdale, N.Y., she will pursue a degree in chemical engineering. “It is my dream to work in the cosmetics and/or pharmaceuticals industry,” Jones said. Her father, Jon Jones, serves as battalion chief for the Orange County Fire Authority, which sponsors the NACo deferred compensation program for its employees.

Throughout his life Matthew Tyler Khosropour has pursued two passions: sports and medicine. He has played competitive sports including hockey, baseball, football, basketball and tennis. A recent graduate of Catholic High School in New Iberia, La., he will enroll in the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s nursing program. He is especially interested in the fi elds of trauma, emergency room and orthopedic care.

Khosropour is the son of Tonia Khosropour, who is employed by the Lafayette Consolidated Govern-ment in Louisiana.

Scholarship Honors 29 Years of Partnership

Nationwide sponsors the Na-tionwide-NACo Scholarship to recognize its nearly three-decade continuing partnership with NACo and its member counties. As provider of the NACo deferred compensation program, Nation-wide regularly reports to the NACo Deferred Compensation Advisory Committee on industry trends, up-dates statistics on the program and provides ongoing education on retirement issues.

NACo receives from Nationwide payment for NACo’s endorsement and license of its name and logo for use by Nationwide in connection with the NACo Deferred Compen-sation Plan and related products and services. These funds are used by NACo to enhance programs and services for the benefi t of its members.

(Financial Services News was writ-ten by Bob Beasley, communications consultant, Nationwide Retirement Solutions.)

“If these entries represent a sample of how America’s

high-school seniors are thinking, our country has a

bright future ahead...”

• County CountyNewsNews June 1, 2009 9

Model Programs FROM THE NATION'S COUNTIES

BY ELIZABETH PERRY

STAFF WRITER

It wasn’t long ago that visitors to Santa Clara County, Calif. Depart-ment of Corrections could only see inmates on weekends, if they could get an appointment over the phone, or were among the lucky few to get to the jail early enough in the morning to get place in line.

Joyce Wing, chief informa-tion offi cer, Information Services Department, said the process was similar to that of many other county correctional facilities.

“It was weekends only, fi rst come, fi rst serve,” she said. The tension level was extremely high for the visitors, inmates and staff. An inmate would know he had visitors, but he wasn’t allowed to see them.

A Web-based application de-veloped by the Corrections and Information Services departments speeded up the jail visitation process, allowing visitors to be pre-screened, schedule visits, and obtain book-ing and bail information via the county’s Web site. The program was recently named one of 16 fi nalists for the Harvard Kennedy School of

Government’s 2009 Innovations in Government Awards.

“What it has provided is a more dignifi ed, humanized process so that the visitors are treated with much more dignity and respect,” Wing said. “They were so grateful.”

Potential visitors register online, automated warrant and background checks are conducted and requests for visits are approved or denied via e-mail. Once approved, visits can be scheduled online as far as three weeks in advance. The system also coordinates with the county’s Crimi-nal Justice Information Control System, sending out alerts if visits need to be rescheduled or canceled, and tracking inmate information, including number of visits and status of incarceration, hearings, booking and bail information. If an inmate is released before a scheduled visit, it is automatically canceled and the visitor is notifi ed.

The idea for the online reser-vation system came about when representatives from 37 county departments met with offi cials to incorporate the Web into improving county services. It became part of the county’s 2002 e-Government

Strategic Plan, a detailed plan for Internet and intranet services.

The system began Jan. 30, 2004 at the men’s facility and expanded to the women’s facility and the main jail two years later. Implementation costs were $384,000. The current operat-ing budget is $726,000, including corrections and technical staff, as well as infrastructure and support.

According to fi gures from the Department of Corrections, the jail is one of the 20 largest systems in the United States, housing an average of 4,632 inmates per day. The number of inmates booked through the system every year is approximately 65,000 in the three facilities. Most of the inmates stay 110 days and a majority of the inmate population has a history of drug and alcohol problems. The total number of in-mates with information in the online system equals more than 26,000 and the number of visits from July 2007 to June 2008 was 121,305.

There was concern initially that visitors would not be able to use the new system, since many visitors did not have access to computers in their homes.

This meant they had to access the Web site from computer kiosks set up at the front desk at the Department of Corrections or fi nd a computer at a public library. In the end, computer access appeared to be no problem. Wing said public response to the system was immediate, with a spike of more than 1,000 new registrants in one month when it debuted online in January 2006, and the number of visits scheduled went from 6,000 to 10,000. Today, more than half of all visits scheduled online.

“It has been one of our top used applications,” she said. “We were very pleasantly surprised that it was accepted so quickly. The Department of Corrections was thrilled because the amount of calls coming to them reduced incredibly.”

Wing said staff and administra-tors were able to increase the number of possible visitation days from two to six, and visitors to the jail have expressed enthusiasm at the conve-nience of use, notifi cation of schedule changes, and increased frequency of visits. She said some of the visitors coming from a distance are glad to be able to visit with friends and loved ones more than once a week.

“It’s very rewarding because, as far as the technology side goes, we don’t always get to see that,” she

NACo member counties are invited to participate in the 2nd Annual Poster Session at the 2009 NACo Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, July 24 – 28. The poster session is designed to showcase how counties are transforming health care delivery and coverage options at the local level. It will feature innovative success stories, tools, lessons learned, and how-to’s of county health programs and policies that may be replicated throughout the country.

Suggested topic ideas:

County health coverage programs to increase access to primary and/or behavioral health care

Prevention and wellness programs Long term and chronic care programs Health information technology programs Innovative county employee health programs Health indicator mapping projects to assess county health needs

Health care safety net delivery system innovations

There is no fee to display a poster; however you are responsible for getting your poster materials to the conference and at least one person from each participating county must be registered to attend the conference. Detailed information on poster size, content and setup will be emailed to you upon receipt of your registration.

Space is limited. Take advantage of this opportunity to showcase your county’s health work by registering as a par-ticipant no later than June 11, 2009. To register or for more information about the poster session, please visit www.naco.org/healthyposters or contact Anita Cardwell at 202-942-4267 or acardwell@naco.org.

Innovations in Innovations in County Health County Health

SystemsSystems

2nd Annual Poster Session:

Innovations in County Health

Systems

said. “It makes you feel like you made a difference, and that’s what it’s about.”

Wing said the program remains the only one of its kind to her knowl-edge has an “end-to-end system sup-porting the visit scheduling process,” but many other jurisdictions have come calling, interested in creating their own systems, including several county sheriff ’s offi ces in the state.

She advised counties interested in creating similar programs to look at how willing they are to change their processes. She said members

of the Department of Corrections staff who were used to working with paper log books and records were “a little concerned” about relying so heavily on computer technology in the visitation process.

“When we made it really user-friendly and they started to see how it works, they changed, too. The administrative staff started embrac-ing it.”

For more information about the program, contact Joyce Wing at 408/918-7001 or e-mail Joyce.Wing@sccgov.org.

County Uses Internet to Streamline Inmate Visitation

Word SearchCounties with First Names

Created by Christopher Johnson

C P Y O Q T D M M C P W K Y P X K V N OA L A C E E R C P O J G H P X A W E G ZR Z X T W D J D A L M F R E D E R I C KO P W I R O J F R L X S Z X W A W F N XL O T E Y I L O U I G M Q Z A E Y F Z UI T V R N O C P S N S A M H S K I I B LN I N A R I K K P E N I L K N A R F I LE E A E L N U I L S P R X L K N L C S AH F N T I H Z R X H H H M G E A Z B Y HB C W S C F A A D A R W I I V B T G O SE D F B E H A N X J U B U N J D A J C RB K S Z C V E N K Q Y V A D E M K S V AJ D S L F T J B X J U M S Q A Q A C I MA U M D V S S O M P Z E P A L D Z U O ZB W M T H Q A Y X I R N C O S K O L J SR C N J O X W C G P D Z O T V I H U X YM Y M M I A K L P E L A I F W Z U V R WM I L L A R D E M O R E J C M X T O X UB J D I V Y Y L W Y B Y J Y Y Z F O L PO C E F X Z F H F S J B S D L W Z E B H

ADA (Idaho)CAROLINE (Md.)CECIL (Md.)CHARLES (Md.)COLLIN (Texas)DEWITT (Ill.)

FLORENCE (S.C.)FRANKLIN (Idaho)FREDERICK (Md.)HENRY (Iowa)IDA (Iowa)ISABELLA (Mich.)

JEROME (Idaho)JOSEPHINE (Ore.)LOUISA (Iowa)MARSHALL (S.D.)MILLARD (Utah)PATRICK (Va.)

10 June 1, 2009 CountyCountyNews News •

News From the Nation’s Counties

See NEWS FROM page 11

CALIFORNIAThe U.S. Supreme Court refused

to review a lawsuit brought by SAN BERNARDINO and SAN DIEGO counties, challenging a California law that requires counties to issue medical marijuana IDs. According to the Oakland Tribune, the lawsuit fi led in 2006 argues the federal ban on marijuana trumps the state Medical Marijuana Act, so counties did not have to comply. Several other counties also opted not to issue the cards until a Supreme Court decision was rendered. Di-anne Jacob, chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, said the board was hoping for a resolu-tion to what they saw as a confl ict between state and local law. “In my opinion, there remains a gray area that will continue to pose challenges for law enforcement and users,” she told the Tribune.

FLORIDAST. LUCIE COUNTY is lob-

bying the state to get hospitals to charge Medicaid rates for inmate care. County commissioners say a large portion of hospital expenses for walk-in indigent patients is covered under Medicaid, but since inmate patients do not receive Medicaid, their bills are much higher. According to tcpalm.com, the county housed 1,484 inmates a day in 2008, and paid more than $1.6 million to cover inmate hospital expenses.

INDIANA Approximately 1,092 meth

labs were found in counties across the state last year, indystar.com reported. The majority of the labs were found in abandoned houses, trailers and apartments in NOBLE and ELKHART counties.

Health offi cials are fi nding it diffi cult enforce state regulations requiring property owners to pay for cleanup, especially when it costs at least $1,300 for a contamination test and much more to decontaminate an apartment. Cleanup of contami-nated buildings is important because

meth residue and contaminants can cause health problems and be detected for more than 10 years.

JEFFERSON COUNTY offi cials are worried a cache of deeds, marriage certifi cates, adop-tion records and other documents dating back to the early 1800s were destroyed in a fi re that damaged the 154-year-old courthouse.

The Courier-Journal reported there was no loss of life, but dam-ages to the three-story wood and brick building included the newly renovated gold dome bell and clock tower and the roof. Workers put the fi nishing touches on the building just hours before the fi re broke out.

KANSASYou’ll fi nd the latest majority-

minority county not in California, Florida or Texas, but in the heartland of America. FINNEY COUNTY is one of six counties across the na-tion that became majority-minority between 2007 and 2008, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Census Bureau defines majority-minority as a county where more than half the population is made up of a group that is not single-race, non-Hispanic white.

The fi ve other counties are: Or-ange County, Fla., the nation’s 35th most populous county; Stanislaus County, Calif.; Warren County, Miss.; and Edwards and Schleicher counties in Texas.

Nearly 10 percent (309) of the nation’s counties were majority-minority as of July 1, 2008.

MARYLAND In some counties the Civil War

is never far away. A ST. MARY’S COUNTY landfi ll employee who was rummaging through the trash recently on a search for recyclable materials came across a Civil War-era projectile, The Washington Post reported.

The bullet-shaped 16-inch piece of metal was taken to an undis-closed location in the county and destroyed. No one knows how it got to the landfi ll.

MONTGOMERY and PRINCE GEORGE’S counties were hoping to balance their bud-gets by cutting education funding below the state minimum, but the Maryland Board of Education rejected the move, The Washing-ton Post reported. Montgomery County offi cials were trying to plug a $79.5 million hole in the budget, and Prince George’s officials wanted to save $23.6 million. The state also rejected a similar request from WICOMICO COUNTY, saying that the other 24 counties in Maryland have paid their share.

MINNESOTADAKOTA COUNTY Finance

Director Matt Smith said the county’s checkbook program

should be phased out “as quickly as practicable to minimize risks to the county, taxpayers and clients.”

The program consists of check-ing accounts for families of people with disabilities, where they can access a $15 million common fund of state and federal grant money, to purchase goods and services for their disabled loved ones.

The Star Tribune reported almost 700 families use the checkbooks.

County staff members say there isn’t enough oversight of the fund and that Dakota should use a third-party administrator system.

OREGONIt’s a conundrum faced by coun-

ties everywhere: whether to restore service with funding that may or may not be available down the road, or

continue with the status quo. That’s the choice LANE COUNTY faces as it debates increasing capacity at its already strained county jail. The jail has made more than 3,700 early releases since July.

Lane County commissioners are debating whether to increase capacity in the fi scal year starting July 1 by spending $3.2 million in federal timber payments, according to The Register-Guard in an online report.

Pending more information on the state’s 2010 budget, Board Chairman Pete Sorenson and oth-ers are opposed to the proposal. Sorenson said he does not want to fund projects that could eventually result in new taxes or deep cuts in other services because the project’s funding source is not assured beyond a few years. And that is the case with the timber payments, won last year in a hard-fought battle at the federal level, but only guaranteed until 2012.

The controversy needs to be resolved by July 1 when the new fi scal year begins.

TEXASIt’s gotten hog wild in PALO

PINTO COUNTY — so much so that the county commission-ers took steps last month toward re-implementing a governmental trapper program.

The goal of the program is to reduce or eliminate damage caused by wildlife, particularly feral hogs and coyotes, according to county offi cials.

“We need it very badly because the hogs are a big problem in our area,” said Palo Pinto County Texas Agrilife Service Extension Agent Scott Mauney.

County Judge Mike Smiddy said an earlier public hearing paved the way for the county to seek reinstatement of the trapper program. “After the public meeting the evening of May 14, which was attended by more than 25 interested persons, it became clear that we needed to act to re-join the trapper program,” Smiddy said.

The federal government trapper program would cost the county $2,200 per month.

UTAHTransmitters that track and

report a car’s emissions could help DAVIS COUNTY clean up its air. The county has outfi tted 15 of its vehicles with the devices, which plug into onboard diagnostics chips, or OBDs.

Photo courtesy of Oakland County, Mich.

(l-r) Oakland County, Mich. Clerk Ruth Johnson; Jerry Guest, vice presi-dent, Oakland County Veterans Group; Jack Bressler, former president, Oakland County Veterans Group; and Diana Calvin, manager, Oakland County Veterans’ Services show off the new fl ags and fl ag holders adorn-ing the graves of nearly 1,600 Oakland County veterans.

The fl ags, held aloft in special new holders, were placed on the graves this Memorial Day, thanks in part to a donation from the employees of the Oakland County Clerk and Register of Deeds Offi ce. They had donated $500 to the Oakland County Veterans Group two years ago to help get the project off the ground.

Flags were placed on veterans’ graves dating back to the War of Inde-pendence, the War of 1812 and the Civil War, as well as those who died after serving in World War I, World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam, and the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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• County CountyNewsNews June 1, 2009 11

us that the marriage license was a requirement, because, after all, we may be claiming the $255 for a 65-year marriage that never really existed. After all, an affi davit signed under penalty of perjury, on behalf of a grieving 87-year-old widower was not enough.

Yet again, we journeyed to the Social Security offi ce, marriage license in hand and presented it for the necessary processing. I am sure that the death benefi t will appear in a timely manner and that my father will come to forget the memories of our encounter, as well as my re-peated offer to reduce the intentional infl iction of pain and suffering by paying the $255 myself.

I do have another well-intended suggestion, dear commissioner, besides the automated processing option, to help make my father’s and my experience one of the last such painful ones in Social Secu-rity’s long history. It would be a recommendation that rules and processes be better mixed with the need for simplicity, tolerance and understanding.

Perhaps a “process improvement seminar” could be held to review this kind of experience and look for ways to make it simpler — such as submitting online claims for the $255. Perhaps accepting a sworn affidavit, even one signed off electronically, would be within the realm of scientifi c and bureaucratic possibility. I would recommend that the facilitator of the session, which should be mandatory for all higher-level Social Security administrators, be at least 87 years old. I further recommend that the seminar last several days and that it begin with an unanticipated two-hour period of waiting before anything happens.

Finally, to get credit for atten-dance at this mandatory seminar, perhaps connected to any pay increases, all attendees should be required to return after several days with an original or certifi ed copy of their birth certifi cate and a physician’s note to establish that they were actually alive. Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,A friend of the HR Doctor’s

In life, and even in bureaucracies, be at your best when things are at their worst.

Phil RosenbergThe HR Doctor • www.hrdr.net

The H.R. Doctor Is In

Utah county’s emissions program could help clear airNEWS FROM from page 10

My very deepest sympathies go to my friend Neil on the death of his mother, who was 87 years old. Losing a loved one is a traumatic event. It is a time when memories of a life well lived keep jumping out at us at unexpected times and places. We may walk into a closet and fi nd an article of clothing that belonged to our mom. We may have to stop and deal with the fl ood of memories of seeing that old dress or pair of shoes.

We seek “closure” as the counselor would say but it never quite comes. Over time, however, grief turns to good memories of great times and sometimes of diffi cult times. Memories evolve into thoughts of legacy and how a departed loved one affected our lives.

The immediate weeks and months after the death of a loved one should be a time of remem-brance and a time for peaceful coming to grips with what has happened. It is of course a time to deal with the inevitable crop of end-of-life issues, often involving insurance companies, real-estate transactions, the inevitable horde of orbiting lawyers, and, yes, gov-ernment agencies.

This article, however, is about one government agency encounter following the death of my friend’s

loved one. It is really about a double death — the death of person we love, known in Social Security parlance as a “recipient,” and the death of common sense which re-sults from the blunt trauma injury of crashing into a bureaucracy. It could take the form of a letter to the Com-missioner of Social Security which might read something like this:

Dear Commissioner, I want to share with you the story of my recent encounter with the Social Security Administration over the matter of the $255 death benefi t claimed as a result of the death of my beloved mother. Mother was many things in life, but you may know her best perhaps as a “recipient.” She was a client of the Social Security Administration, arguably a “customer.” So is my father who is now 90. In the worst of all possible times, immediately following the death of a loved one, our encounter with Social Security required crawling over broken glass. It required an “encounter of the bureaucratic type” which should hardly be cause for additional grief. This is especially true since many of the claimants of the $255 death benefi t are themselves frail senior citizens, perhaps with reduced or impaired cognitive abilities.

When things are at their worst for a customer, organizations should

be at their very best, at their most sympathetic, and at their greatest simplicity in terms of transactions. Bearing all that in mind, here is what happened when I fl ew across the country to help my father cope with the many matters resulting from the death of his wife of 65 years. One of those was the Social Security death benefi t claim.

First, we found out that a claim had to be made in person. It could not be made online. We noted, ironically, that you could apply for Social Security pension benefi ts online without ever stepping into the offi ce. We noted that the pension benefi ts may pay out thousands of dollars a month for decades and it can be done online, at home. For the $255 benefi t, however, the process required a personal visit to the So-cial Security offi ce. Surely, the full weight of the federal government could be somehow brought to bear to make it possible for this claim to be made from the quiet solitude of a grieving person’s home.

In any event, I drove my father to the offi ce where we had the pleasure and privilege of waiting for more than two hours to be helped. Of course during these two hours there were many other

people in the offi ce frustrated, sad and worried about the impact of the death of their loved one on benefi ts. During this period my father and I overheard many people sharing their tragic stories, which of course we found neither therapeutic nor desirable at this particular time.

In any event, after our enjoyable wait we were seen by a very helpful person. She was so helpful that she told us, after various forms were fi lled out, that we had to come back and visit again. This time we had to bring an original or certifi ed copy of the marriage license back to the Social Security offi ce in order to claim the $255.

Needless to say a marriage of 65 years’ duration, complete with migration from the “old country” to America, is not amenable or consistent with a modern electronic home fi ling system. After all of that effort, I drove my father back home amidst head shaking and consider-able moaning and groaning. Later, while going through a box of photos, I found a weathered original mar-riage license now in three different pieces refl ecting the obvious signs of being 65 years of age.

This was more than twice the age of the very nice clerk. She informed

Take My $255, Please

The transmitters constantly broadcast emission data, effectively making sure the vehicle is always being tested. Once the OBD catches a problem, the transmitter sends the data to the county, which can notify the vehicle owner that the car needs to be checked.

According to the Deseret News, Health Department Director Lewis Garrett said he’s confident the technology works well, but the challenge will come once his de-partment begins planning how the transmitters could be implemented for private vehicles. That should be in 18 months to two years, he said. Right now the program is in the pilot stage on county cars.

WISCONSINLA CROSSE COUNTY of-

ficials are taking a little heat

over their support for a homeless shelter operated by the Salvation Army.

According to KXnet.com, Amer-icans United for Separation of Church and State want the county to investigate complaints that residents of the homeless shelter are required to participate in prayer and religious services.

The county pays the Salvation Army $50,000 a year to operate the shelter. The Salvation Army denies that it requires shelter residents to participate in religious services or activities. County and Salvation Army offi cials plan to meet soon to discuss the concerns.

(News From the Nation’s Counties was compiled by Elizabeth Perry, staff writer, and Beverly Schlotterbeck, executive editor. If you have an item for News From, please e-mail ctaylor@naco.org or eperry@naco.org.)

NACo on the Move»In the News

Steve Traylor, NACo associate legislative director for fi nance and intergovernmental affairs, was quoted in a May 20 article, “U.S. tackles municipal bond failings” in London’s Financial Times newspaper. Traylor was interviewed about U.S. state and local governments’ access to credit markets.

»NACo Officers and Elected Officials• Manus O’Donnell, NACo board member and Hillsborough

County, Fla. human services administrator, recently received the 2009 Picot B. Floyd Public Service Leadership Award presented by American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) Suncoast Chapter. The award is presented every year to a public administrator who demonstrates excellence in government.

• David E. Sundstrom, Orange County, Calif. auditor-controller, has been named to the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). The appointment was made by the Financial Accounting Foundation Board of Trustees, which oversees the activities of the GASB and Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). Sundstrom begins his six-year term on the GASB on July 1.

»Coming UpAndrew Goldschimidt, membership marketing director, will

be giving a speech on the NACo Prescription Drug Discount Card Program and staffi ng an informational table on NACo at the Colorado Counties Inc. (CCI) annual summer conference June 8–10 in Eagle County, Colo.

On the Move is compiled by Christopher Johnson.

12 June 1, 2009 CountyCountyNews News •

Job Market / Classifi edsCOUNTY ADMINISTRATOR –

ALLEGANY COUNTY, MD.Salary: DOQ. Chief Administrative Offi cer of the

County responsible to the Board of County Commissioners for the admin-istration of all County affairs placed in the Administrator’s charge by or under the County code or other applicable law. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: Considerable knowledge of: the principles and practices of public administration; county government or-ganization; and management decision-making principles. Strong fi nancial and strategic planning skills and experience. Demonstrated ability in: oral and writ-ten communication; development of policies and programs for public ad-ministration; and supervision of a staff of professionals. Strong interpersonal skills. Ability to be proactive, question-ing, insightful and innovative; to deal with sensitive information and issues; and to negotiate agreements. (Reason-able accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential tasks.) QUALI-FICATIONS: Bachelor’s Degree in Public or Business Administration or related fi eld from an accredited college or university and at least six years of experience in public administration/government service. A Master’s Degree in Business or Public Administration or related fi eld preferred. (A comparable amount of training and experience may be substituted for the minimum qualifi -cations.) SALARY AND BENEFITS: Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications; comprehensive County benefi ts package including health and life insurance, paid leave and pension/retirement. Allegany County is classifi ed as a “code home

rule” county under Article XI-F of the Constitution of Maryland, with an an-nual budget (FY09) of $129,137,765, and approximately 600 full-time em-ployees. Allegany County is situated in the heart of Western Md. equidistant from Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Pittsburgh, Pa. with a total popula-tion of 73,000. The County’s diverse businesses and industries produce a myriad of different products includ-ing high-quality paper and packaging, raw resources for energy, and national defense equipment and materials, and employ approximately 35,000. The terrain of Allegany County is predominately rolling hills with rich forestation and open pastures. Long known for its heritage as a transporta-tion hub, Allegany County offers an enviable quality of life, with low cost of living, good schools, low crime rates, and numerous cultural and recreational activities. Please visit our Web site at: www.gov.allconet.org/ for informa-tion on governmental structure and links to community, educational, and recreational resources. Applications and Complete Job Description may be obtained from: Allegany County Offi ce Complex, 701 Kelly Road Cum-berland, MD 21502-2803 or from our website: www.gov.allconet.org/hrps/jobs.html Please submit application, resume, and letter of interest to the Director of Human Resources at the above ad-dress. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION IS JUNE 26. ALLEGANY COUNTY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

BUREAU CHIEF OF PUBLIC SAFETY – ESCAMBIA COUNTY, FLA.

Salary: $88,313 – $101,500; DOQ.

Escambia County, Fla. seeks a professional, experienced Bureau Chief of Public Safety. The position directs the activities of a large, multi-faceted bureau and performs highly responsible managerial work oversee-ing and directing, through subordinate managers, multiple functional sections, divisions, and programs within the County, which include Fire, Emer-gency Medical Services, Training and Quality Assurance, Communications, Emergency Management and Resource Management. The work is performed under the administrative direction of the Deputy/County Administrator. Benefi ts: Relocation Package, Florida Retirement System, Comprehensive Benefi t Package, County Vehicle, PTO and Executive Leave.

QUALIFICATIONS: Bachelor’s Degree relevant to the area of specialty (Public Safety), or in Public Adminis-tration, or Business Administration, or related fi eld and a minimum of ten (10) years of upper level management experience in area of Public Safety, or, an equivalent combination of educa-tion and experience suffi cient to suc-cessfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above. Master’s Degree in Public or Business Administration or directly related fi eld is highly desirable. Certifi cation as an Emergency Manager by the International Association of Emer-gency Managers, Florida Emergency Preparedness Association or similarly recognized organization is preferred.

WATER WASTEWATER DIVISION DIRECTOR – SANTA FE, N.M.

Salary: $83,200 annually ($3,200 biweekly); DOQ.

Santa Fe County is seeking ap-plicants for the position of Water and Wastewater Division Director. The primary purpose of this position is: Management, Operation, and super-vision of the Water and Wastewater Division. The minimum qualifi cations for this position include: A Bachelor’s degree in engineering or other technical fi elds and a combination of education and experience totaling an additional (8) eight year’s experience in water and wastewater system operations and maintenance, engineering, utility administration and operations, water resource planning/management, and business operations and management. The biweekly rate for this position is $3,200. For a full job description visit our Web site at www.santafecounty.org. Interested parties may apply on line at www.santafecounty.org/about_us/employment_applications.php. If you have any questions you can contact the Human Resources Division at 505/992-9880.

CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER – COUNTY OF BERKS, PA.

Salary: $85,401–$115,542; DOQ.The County of Berks, located in

Southeastern Pennsylvania, is seeking qualifi ed candidates for the position of Chief Operations offi cer. We are searching for a candidate with an in-

novative style to help meet the exciting challenges of our 3rd class County with approximately 2,600 employees and a $472 million budget. This position serves at the discretion of the Board of Commissioners and is responsible for the administration and management of all departments under the authority of the Board of Commissioners. Ad-ditional areas of responsibility include but are not limited to budgetary and fi scal operations, general administra-tive duties, purchasing, and liaison support to the court system, row of-fi cers, boards, and commissions of the County. Position requires a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, or related fi eld with 10 years of progressively responsible managerial experience with previous experience in govern-ment preferred. Successful candidates will have executive level experience

managing an organization of similar size/scope with an understanding of the function/organization of County government and thorough knowledge of public administration principles/practices. Position requires a high level of written/oral communication skills to interact and develop effective relationships with department heads, agency directors, elected officials, private contractors, media represen-tatives, and the public. The ability to lead, organize, direct, coordinate, and mediate the activities of 50 plus diverse departments is essential. Salary includes an excellent benefi ts package including retirement plans and tuition reimbursement. Interested candidates should submit a confi dential resume with salary requirements to: County of Berks, 633 Court Street, 8th Floor, Reading, PA 19601. Attention: Chief Operations Offi cer E.O.E.M/F/D/V

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networking updates and solutions related to stimulus funds being distributed to counties through 2010expert educational speakers business solutions and services and much more.

»Loudoun County, Va. www.loudoun.gov

What’s in a Seal?

The Loudoun County seal is a genuine coat-of-arms devised in 1968 by the College of Arms in London. Based on the coat-of-arms of the Earl of Loudoun, for whom the county was named, it was the fi rst offi cial seal accorded by the College of Arms to an American county.

The coat-of-arms, attendant fl ag and a 300-pound stone from Loudoun Castle in Scotland were presented to the county by the Countess of Loudoun and the queen’s representative, the Rouge Dragon, in a ceremony never before held in the United States.

More information about the Loudoun County coat of arms can be found at www.loudoun.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=545.

(If you would like your county’s seal featured, please contact Christopher Johnson at 202/942-4256 or cjohnson@naco.org.)