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2002-6-Minutes for Meeting December 17,2001 Recorded 1/4/2002-f ES DESCHUTES COUNTY OFFICIAL RECORDS CJ 2002.6 MARY SUE PENHOLLOW, COUNTY CLERK COMMISSIONERS' JOURNAL 01/04/2002 02;59;34 PM pAt �� Board of Commissioners 1130 N.W. Harriman St., Bend, Oregon 97701-1947 (541) 388-6570 • Fax (541) 388-4752 www.deschutes.org Tom De Wolf MINUTES OF MEETING Dennis R. Luke Mike Daly OF DEPARTMENT HEADS AND BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2001 Present were Commissioners Tom De Wolf, Dennis R. Luke and Michael M. Daly. Also present were George Read, Community Development; Scot Langton, Assessor; Clint Jacks, OSU 4-H/Extension; Marty Wynne, Finance; Dave Peterson, Information Technologies; and Tom Blust, Road Department. Also in attendance were Tammy Credicott, Property Management; Renee Warner, Building Services; Dan Peddycord, Health Department; Mike Viegas, Risk Management; Pat Ross, Veterans' Services; Debbie Legg, Personnel; Dave Malkin, 9-1-1; and Stephen Forte, Justice Court. Also present were Dan Despotopulos and Kathy Herringer, Fair & Expo Center; Rick Isham and Mark Amberg, Legal Counsel; Suzanne Donovan and Gary Smith, Mental Health Department; Les Stiles, Sheriff; Susie Penhollow, County Clerk; Scott Johnson, Commission on Children & Families; and Susan Mayea Ross and Jenny Scanlon, Commissioners' Office. Chair Tom De Wolf opened the meeting at 12:10 p.m. I. Discussion regarding Payment of County Fees with Credit Cards. Marty Wynne said that some departments wish to start accepting credit cards from clients, but that it is very difficult to find a one -size -fits -all for all departments. He explained that the Association of Oregon Counties is presently studying this issue and hopes to be able to present some results of their investigation this spring. The proposal they are researching relates to a company that arranges to .charge the client for the extra cost of their use of their credit card. minuies or t5000/1)epartment Heads Meeting Page 1 of 5 Pages Monday, December 17, 2001 Quality Services Performed with Pride He further stated that this is an issue that needs to be analyzed department by department. If a case can be made to justify the acceptance of credit card payments, a recommendation would be made to the Board. He reminded the group that there are expenses tied to this, such as the cost of the machines and administrative costs. He said that some departments, such as Justice Court, Solid Waste and the Fair & Expo Center, already accept credit cards for some purposes. He offered to help the other department gather in the information they need and develop an appropriate recommendation for each. 2. Budget Discussion. Commissioner DeWolf gave an overview of the status of the Legislative Special Session, which will soon convene to address state budget shortfalls. The Special Session is proposed to begin in January, but hearings have already begun. They expect an overall budget shortfall of about 6%, but project that it may get much worse, possibly up to a full 10% cut. Suzanne Donovan stated that Gary Smith has asked what could be done now to address this expected shortfall. Commissioner DeWolf suggested that the departments could begin with holding off on filling vacant positions, or moving employees around within the department to leave a position unfilled. He also suggested delaying, if possible, capital outlays. He explained there has been on discussion of shutting down one department and not another; he asked that departments simply watch their budgets very carefully at this time. He said obviously some departments - notably Health, Mental Health, the Commission on Children & Families, and Corrections - are more affected by state budget shortfalls than others. Unfortunately, the need for the services that these departments provide grows as the economy worsens. Some departments, such as Solid Waste and Road, are probably minimally affected. Community Development is already feeling the impact of less building in the area. Sheriff Les Stiles asked if the departments make cuts, whether the cost for indirects would go down. Commissioner Luke responded that unfortunately the departments that provide internal support, such as I.T., Personnel and Risk Management, can not be cut back any further than they are; these departments are run pretty lean. Minutes of BOCC/Department Heads Meeting Page 2 of 5 Pages Monday, December 17, 2001 Commissioner Luke also stated that COVA (Central Oregon Visitors Association) recently met, and unfortunately indicate that there has been a $450,000 decrease in room taxes. On behalf of Gary Smith, Suzanne Donovan said that some of the Mental Health employees have indicated a willingness to take time off, which would be structured that services would not unduly suffer. Some employees are willing to take off a month or two, or a day here and there, or take off part of a day occasionally. The consensus in her department seems to be that they would rather work it out this way than to impact everyone, especially those who can't afford to miss work, by shutting down one day a week. She further indicated that the clients they serve need the types of services they provide nearly every day. She emphasized that one of the biggest concerns of those who are willing to take off time without pay is how this could impact their insurance coverage. Commissioner Luke explained that decisions like these are not made in a vacuum; that the departments have different clients, needs and impacts. The Board doesn't want anyone to be surprised by actions that are taken. Commissioner DeWolf stated that any changes need to be done in a methodical and thorough fashion. Communications need to be kept open both directions, and of course the union representatives would be involved. He said that departments need to start thinking about prioritizing now, and deciding where cuts can be done. He and Commissioner Luke suggested that department heads review their situation and advise the Board and Mike Maier of any ideas that might work for their departments or the County as a whole in making these anticipated budget shortfalls as painless as possible. Commissioner DeWolf indicated that no decisions would be made before the first of the year in any case. Dan Peddycord suggested that when these decisions are made, the public should be fully aware of what is happening in regard to hours of operation, delays in service, and so on. 3. Discussion regarding the handling of Contracts and Other Agreements. Rick Isham explained that he distributed copies of "Basic Contract Principles" to departments recently, but wanted to reiterate the procedures for handling contracts. Minutes of BOCC/Department Heads Meeting Page 3 of 5 Pages Monday, December 17, 2001 He distributed the information sheets again (copies attached), and asked that these sheets be given to anyone in the departments who may be handling contracts and other agreements. He said it is important to follow the contractor selection process. He stressed that Finance also needs to know right away if a contract with automatic payment provisions is not renewed so that they will discontinue sending out payments. Also, he explained that his department is developing intranet sites which will include standard legal forms, the principles of contracting, frequently asked questions and more, which he hopes will assist departments in becoming more consistent when handling contracts and other agreements. 4. Bulletin Insert and Newsletter Story Ideas. Jenny Scanlon stated that an 8 -page insert in the Bulletin will be printed soon, and she is looking for more story ideas, such as new services or current events happening in the departments. It is to be published the first week of February, and the cut-off date for new information is January 11. This is to be done on a quarterly basis. She also said that she is looking for ideas for the County employee newsletter and the monthly Inside Deschutes County videomagazine. 5. Other Items. Commissioner Luke told the audience that Portland State University offers some classes here, and the next one is on Finance/Auditing - cash management and budgeting. He said three slots are open at this time, and if a department head wishes to attend, or has an employee who might benefit, to contact Jenny Scanlon right away. Classes are scheduled for January, February and March, and are held on weekends. Marty Wynne advised that the County is on budget with the new health plan. Minutes of BOCC/Department Heads Meeting Page 4 of 5 Pages Monday, December 17, 2001 Commissioner DeWolf asked that those people submitting agenda requests be more specific on detailing the who, what, where, why and how, and to use an additional sheet if the form doesn't allow enough room for this. This is in an effort to avoid having to make copies of contracts and other documents, some of which are very large, and to help the Commissioners avoid having to search through the contracts for basic information. He further said that the Board would be meeting with Dave Peterson and his department regarding the purchasing, use and I.T. support of Palm Pilots and other hand-held planners. George Read informed the audience that the County grew by 2,000 people this week. The County had challenged the population numbers published by Portland State University. Based on the number of new residences built, the previous population numbers didn't make sense. The official population of the County is now around 122,000. Being no further items brought before the group, the meeting adjourned at 1:10 p.m. DATED this 17th Day of November 2001 for the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners. t - Tom DeWolf, air is R. Luke, Commissioner ATTEST: Michael M. Daly, mmissioner Recording Secretary Minutes of BOCC/Department Heads Meeting Page 5 of 5 Pages Monday, December 17, 2001 BASIC COUNTY CONTRACT PRINCIPLES 1. All contracts (including amendments to contracts) must be in writing. 2. No work can be performed before all parties sign the contract. 3. All contracts must be reviewed by Legal Counsel. 4. All contracts must be filed with the County Clerk. 5. No contract can be signed without a budget appropriation and cash available to pay the contractor. 6. Only the Board of Commissioners can sign an agreement with a governmental entity (intergovernmental agreement) or grant agreement. No grant application may be made without Board approval. 7. Only Risk Management can waive insurance requirements. 8. Each Department is responsible for the management of its contracts. 9. Plan ahead. It may take weeks to get a contract completed. Start the renewal process for July 1 (fiscal year) contracts in April. 10. Independent contractors are not favored in the law. An independent contractor may later be deemed an employee of the County. 11. When a contract is terminated, renewed or amended, notify Finance if the contract has recurring payments. 12. Follow the contractor selection process applicable to the contract. MORE BASIC CONTRACT PRINCIPLES 1. All contracts are numbered by Bonnie Baker, the Recording Secretary. 2. The Recording Secretary files all contracts with the Clerk. 3. County employees may not play any role in the award of a contract to a relative. 4. Contracts under $5,000 need not be awarded competitively. The maximum under this category (for the whole County) in any one fiscal year is $25,000 for any one contractor. 5. Contracts between $5,000 and $10,000 must be awarded competitively if it is practical. 6. Contracts between $10,000 and $75,000 must be awarded competitively based on written specifications. Quotes must be in writing. 7. RFP's for personal services need not be awarded to the lowest bidder. 8. Deschutes County uses the Model Rules for public contracting adopted by the Oregon Attorney General. These are available on line. 9. Competitive bidding is required for all contracts, other than personal services contracts, over $75,000. 10. Any contractor doing business with the County must maintain current registrations with the Secretary of State and, if applicable, the Construction Contractors Board. 11. Some classes of contracts require a notice of intent to award contract be sent to all bidders or proposers. 12. The award of all contracts by the County may be protested. The Board of County Commissioners hears protests.