Loading...
2003-135-Minutes for Meeting February 12,2003 Recorded 2/26/2003COUNTY OFFICIAL TES /NANCYUBLANKENSHIP, COUNTY CLERKDS CJ Z003'+35 COMMISSIONERS' JOURNAL Z OZ�Z6/Z003 04;30;05 PM II I II I II IIIIIIIIII I VIII III - 0 1 '3 DESCHUTES COUNTY CLERK CERTIFICATE PAGE This page must be included if document is re-recorded. Do Not remove from original document. Deschutes County Board of Commissioners 1130 NW Harriman St., Bend, OR 97701-1947 (541) 388-6570 - Fax (541) 388-4752 - www.deschutes.orQ MINUTES OF MEETING BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS & DEPARTMENT HEADS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 129 2003 Chair Dennis Luke opened the meeting at 12:05 p.m. 1. Introductions Those attending the meeting introduced themselves. Present were Scot Langton, Assessor; Mark Amberg and Rick Isham, Legal Counsel; Dan Despotopulos and Kathy Herringer, Fair & Expo; Tom Blust, Road; George Read, Community Development; Debi Harr, Commission on Children & Families; Debbie Legg, Personnel; Bob LaCombe and Monique McCleary, Juvenile Justice; Anna Johnson, David Givans and Bonnie Baker, Commissioners' Office; Marty Wynne, Finance; and Gary Smith, Mental Health. Also present were Commissioners Tom DeWolf, Mike Daly and Dennis Luke; Les Stiles and Jim Ross, Sheriff s Office; Mike Dugan, District Attorney; Nancy Blankenship, Clerk; Pat Ross, Veterans' Services; Renee Warner, Building Services; Timm Schimke, Solid Waste; Becky Jackson, Parole & Probation; Dan Peddycord, Health; Tom Cornelliac, Bob Haas and Becky McElrath, Information Technologies; Jeff Kern, Surveyor; Dave Malkin, 9-1-1; Steve Forte, Justice Court; and Mike Viegas, Risk Management. No representatives of the media or other citizens were present. Minutes of Meeting Wednesday, February 12, 2003 Commissioners & Department Heads Page 1 of 7 Pages 2. Presentation of New Fairgrounds & Expo Center Website Becky McElrath walked the audience through an on-line presentation of the new Fairgrounds & Expo Center website. This site details more than upcoming events; it also links to a variety of County and Central Oregon informational sites, provides data on Fairgrounds facilities (floor plans, room configurations, etc.), and allows people to purchase tickets on-line. Additionally, it provides information on available lodging, maps, recreation, transportation, and much more. Dan Despotopulos said that in the four weeks the site has been running, his office has had eleven serious inquiries regarding the use of the facilities, which has resulted in four bookings. 3. Update of Public Records Request Policy Mark Amberg distributed a final draft of the policy, and asked that department heads contact him as soon as possible if they have any comments or suggestions. The final document should be presented at a Board meeting in two weeks for the Commissioners' review and consideration of approval. 4. Other Items A. Commissioner Luke told those at the meeting that the Commissioners unanimously support the upcoming 9-1-1 serial levy. At a cost of 9 cents per thousand, the passage of this levy would add a tax amount of about $13 per year to a property valued at $150,000. The last 9-1-1 levy lost by only about 900 votes. He reminded the group that this is a "double majority" issue that requires a 50% voter turnout, and encouraged everyone to be sure to vote. B. Commissioner DeWolf said that the meeting with a federal lobbyist that was originally scheduled for the afternoon had been rescheduled to the next day at 10:00 a.m. He encouraged any department heads whose department might benefit from lobbying efforts at a national level to attend. C. At this time, Commissioner Luke asked that each department representative briefly state the good things that are going on within his or her department. Minutes of Meeting Wednesday, February 12, 2003 Commissioners & Department Heads Page 2 of 7 Pages Timm Schimke, Solid Waste, said that plans are being addressed for the development of a 70 -acre parcel that will become a materials recovery facility. This will enable self -haulers to drop off solid waste and recycling in a safe area, away from landfill equipment and the "pit". This will also give recyclers a better way to separate out items. This facility will be a dramatic improvement in public safety, and will help the County in its continuing efforts to recycle a greater portion of the solid waste generated by the public. Dave Givans, Internal Auditor, explained that he has been working on audits of the two humane societies and the Sheriffs Office, and has been involved in other special projects. An Audit Committee has been recently formed that will identify potential problem areas needing further review. Eventually he will visit all County departments. Renee Warner, Building Services, is now negotiating with Cellular One regarding cell phone service, and hopes to have multiple calling plans available at a competitive price in the near future. Pat Ross, Veterans' Services, told the others that she and her staff are keeping very busy, as they have about 23,000 active records at this time. Mark Amberg, Legal Counsel, reminded the attendees that Rick Isham will be formally retiring on February 28, but will continue to work for the County on a contract basis for a few months afterwards. Dave Peterson, Information Technologies, advised that he and the Assessor's Office are working on the new assessment and tax system conversion. This includes the required HIPAA programming. He added that his department is also involved in the court technologies project, which involves the Courts, the Sheriffs Office, Parole & Probation and Juvenile Community Justice. Marty Wynne, Finance, said that the County is close to offering the sale of the $32 million COPS bond. Rates are low, so it is a good time to sell bonds; this sale is planned for February. Commissioner Luke added that there is no increase in property taxes for this bond, as the funds were set aside gradually for future long-term capital construction projects. Minutes of Meeting Wednesday, February 12, 2003 Commissioners & Department Heads Page 3 of 7 Pages Mr. Wynne also said that his office is completing an inventory of assets, a copy of which will be provided to departments within a few months. In regard to PERS, he said that he is struggling to find out what is going on at the State level; even the legislators don't know yet. He has been notified that the County's PERS liability for one year is $18 million; and it appears that fiscal year 2001-02 will be worse. However, the County is better off than other agencies, such as Redmond, which has experienced a 70% cost increase from the previous year. Dan Despotopulos said that the Fairgrounds & Expo Center has a busy schedule for the year, and 42 weekends are already booked in the event center. Tom Blust, Road Department, said that since there is little snow this year, his crew has been keeping busy doing road maintenance of gravel roads, culverts, and so on. A big project involving the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Forest Service is coming up, which is the revamping of the Sunriver/Highway 97 interchange. The Sunriver-Mt. Bachelor highway will also be improved, and for the most part this project is federally funded. His department is also involved in the Prineville/West Butte Road project (Millican Highway), along with Crook County, as the road runs through both counties. Les Stiles, Sheriff, explained that the Board unanimously approved the addition of radio systems equipment to the COPS bond. This will keep available and utilize additional FCC channels in the area for all local agencies to use as the population expands. If the purchase of these additional channels and equipment did not occur, there was a strong possibility the channels would be purchased by a telecommunications company, leaving local law enforcement agencies with a gap in their communications abilities in the future. He added that Undersheriff Larry Blanton is at the FBI Academy, and is finding it very challenging. He also said that the popular Citizens Academy and Family Academy will be coming up again soon. Minutes of Meeting Wednesday, February 12, 2003 Commissioners & Department Heads Page 4 of 7 Pages Gary Smith, Mental Health, said that the employees in his department are doing a good job, even though they have been severely affected by state budget cuts. He also said that his department recently was provided with a new Honda hybrid four -door sedan that is getting lots of attention, as it should get over 45 miles per gallon. He added that the Twin Lakes meeting room in the Human Services building is being renamed in honor of Stan Owen, because of the extensive volunteer efforts of Mr. Owen, who is now deceased. Debbie Legg, Personnel, advised that the three union contracts are coming up for renewal, and some challenging negotiations are now taking place on one of them. Her department also will be sending out "use it or lose it" letters to those employees who have accumulated too much vacation time. She also said that there is a meeting of the Training Committee scheduled for Friday, to further discuss the types of training that is felt to be necessary and appropriate for employees. Anna Johnson, Communications Coordinator, thanked everyone for their media and training ideas. She also said that a plaque is being presented this week to Don Miltenberger, who is now retiring after doing volunteer work for the Fairgrounds for over forty years. Becky Jackson, Parole & Probation, stated that she is pleased that the Elks Club is having another Law Enforcement Appreciation Dinner for Parole & Probation, the District Attorney's Office, and other law enforcement agencies, to recognize special achievements in the law enforcement field. Dan Peddycord, Health Department, said that his department is working with the "Volunteers in Medicine" group of physicians and other medical personnel in their efforts to open a building in November that will serve the needs of children and some adults. Minutes of Meeting Wednesday, February 12, 2003 Commissioners & Department Heads Page 5 of 7 Pages Bob LaCombe, Juvenile Justice, reported that the last of the girls who had been arrested in the Thomas murder case has been moved out of the facility, which helps the department a lot. The housing of these girls for an extended period of time put the department over budget. He added that the CYIP (Community Youth Investment Program) has recently started building another Habitat for Humanity home. Nancy Blankenship, Clerk, stated that her first election went well, and she is enjoying her new position. Debi Harr, Commission on Children & Families, said that her department is now streamlining work as much as possible due to budget cuts. A majority of the department's funding comes from the State. The District Attorney's Office has been hit hard by the stork, as two Deputy District Attorneys and a receptionist are all expecting babies in the near future. George Read, Community Development, explained that even with the poor national and state economy, development is still up about 12 to 14% in the City of Bend and within the County. His department is in the process of adopting a comprehensive coordinated population forecast that addresses population growth in the cities and County through 2025. He also noted that the Central Oregon Business Journal recently recognized the County's Building Department as one of the ten most citizen -friendly services in the area. He added that his department is assisting the City of Redmond with their building permit process. Steve Forte said that Justice Courts are still operating five days a week, even though the State Courts are going to a four-day work week. His office will also be handling small claims cases beginning March 1. In addition, the County is trying to expand the jurisdiction of the Justice Courts. Minutes of Meeting Wednesday, February 12, 2003 Commissioners & Department Heads Page 6 of 7 Pages Jeff Kern, Surveyor, said his department is involved in a pilot project to convert G.I.S. information, which will be a valuable research tool. Mike Viegas, Risk Management, stated that his department is working with Personnel and the Communications Coordinator in the development of a County -wide training program. He added that required HIPAA compliance work should be done within a month. Commissioner Luke explained that he has been working with other representatives of AOC (Association of Oregon Counties) who are following the activities of the State legislature. At this time it is uncertain what the legislature will do in regard to PERS and the current budget crisis, but there will probably be no additional mandates passed on to local governments. Commissioner Daly stated that the cities of Redmond and Sisters have agreed to participate in the cost of research regarding identifying mosquitoes that could carry the West Nile virus in this area. On February 28 the City of Bend Council is supposed to make a decision on its participation. He also said he is working with Klamath County Commissioners and the Health Department in regard to a possible federally funded health clinic to serve citizens in the greater La Pine area. He added that he is also interested in having a portable defibrillator placed in each County building in the near future, with at least two employees in each location to be trained on its use. He is looking into finding possible grant funding for this purpose. Being no further items brought before the group, the meeting adjourned at 1: 05 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Recording Secretary Minutes of Meeting Wednesday, February 12, 2003 Commissioners & Department Heads Page 7 of 7 Pages