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2007-396-Minutes for Meeting March 05,2007 Recorded 3/29/2007COUNTY OFFICIAL NANCYUBLANKENSHIP, COUNTY CLERKDS U VMS COMMISSIONERS' JOURNAL 03/2912007 04;27;19 PM 11111111111111111111111111111 2007-3 Do not remove this page from original document. Deschutes County Clerk Certificate Page If this instrument is being re-recorded, please complete the following statement, in accordance with ORS 205.244: Re-recorded to correct [give reason] previously recorded in Book or as Fee Number and Page "A' v1t~S 4 02 o ~ Deschutes County Board of Commissioners 1300 NW Wall St., Suite 200, Bend, OR 97701-1960 (541) 388-6570 - Fax (541) 385-3202 - www.deschutes.orc MINUTES OF WORK SESSION DESCHUTES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MONDAY, MARCH 5, 2007 Present were Commissioners Dennis R. Luke and Tammy Baney; also present were Dave Kanner, County Administrator; and Susan Ross and Anna Johnson, Commissioner's Office. No media representatives or other citizens were present. The meeting began at 1: 30 p.m. 1. Approval of County Communications Policy. Changes were made per the Commissioners' request. A discussion took place regarding a few minor changes that were already made and that should be made. Commissioner Luke asked if having the Communications Coordinator review everything is necessary, given her limited amount time and availability. He also questioned the clause that states the Board has to be notified prior to department heads scheduling meetings with editorial boards and other media. This will be addressed further at the Wednesday, March 7 work session. 2. Economic Development Grant Requests. Commissioner Baney granted $500 towards Coyote Trails' "Women Making Change" to use for speaker fees. 3. Update of Commissioners' Schedules; Meeting Details. Commissioner Luke said the Director of ODOT will be here on March 13 for a meeting to discuss Juniper Ridge and traffic issues in that area. The Mayor of La Pine chastised the Governor in public for not offering more help to the new City. The Governor's Office was not pleased with this opinion being expressed in public. Minutes of Administrative Work Session Monday, March 5, 2007 Page 1 of 3 Pages Commissioner Baney said that there is a lot of interest in the upcoming public hearings in La Pine in regard to groundwater issues. It will be a lively discussion. 4. Other Items. The group briefly discussed naming the Juvenile Community Justice Building for Dennis Maloney; and providing a plaque at the volunteer desk for Loismae Benson for her work for the community. This will be addressed again in the near future. Concerning the vacancy on the Budget Committee, several more applications have been received. Dave Kanner said he assumes the Board will want to interview all six, since they are all strong candidates. Commissioner Luke said he would be out of the office the last week of April into the first part of May. Mr. Kanner asked if the Commissioners would be attending the annual NACo Convention to be held in June. If more than one plans to attend, meetings will have to be rescheduled. Commissioners Luke and Baney said they would not attend this year, although they will be involved in various AOC meetings on an ongoing basis. Susan Ross brought up requests she has received to use County-owned building space. She cautioned the Board about outside agencies using up all of the available space, when there are County departments needing more room on an ongoing basis. Also, many agencies want to use County space without paying for it, with no plans of their own to seek other space for their future needs. Being no further discussion, the meeting adjourned at 2:15 p. m. Minutes of Administrative Work Session Monday, March 5, 2007 Page 2 of 3 Pages DATED this 5th Day of March 2007 for the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners. ~ a6zC--+-- Michael M. Da Chair Dennis R. Luke, Vice Chair, ATTEST: 6WU~60A- Recording Secretary ,C Minutes of Administrative Work Session Monday, March 5, 2007 Page 3 of 3 Pages ~.,>It~sc G ,0 { Deschutes County Board of Commissioners 1300 NW Wall St., Suite 200, Bend, OR 97701-1960 (541) 388-6570 - Fax (541) 385-3202 - www.deschutes.org WORK SESSION AGENDA DESCHUTES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 1:30 P.M., MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2007 1. Update on Status of Old Fairgrounds Water Rights Project - Teresa Rozic 2. Discussion of La Pine Community Cemetery - Teresa Rozic 3. Discussion of Communications Policy #GA-3 4. Discussion of Procedure for Department Head Hiring 5. Economic Development Grant Request(s) - Susan Ross 6. Overview of Office Space Options 7. Discussion of Request for a Letter of Support Letter regarding Rail Shipping - City of Prineville 8. Discussion of Proposed Board Vacancy Ordinance (scheduled for action on February 7) 9. Update of Commissioners' Schedules; Meeting Details 10. Other Items Executive Session, called under ORS 192.660(2)(h), Litigation - Mark Amberg PLEASE NOTE: At any time during this meeting, an executive session could be called to address issues relating to: ORS 192.660(2) (e), real property negotiations; ORS 192.660(2) (h), pending or threatened litigation; or ORS 192.660(2) (b), personnel issues Meeting dates, times and discussion items are subject to change. All meetings are conducted in the Board of Commissioners' meeting rooms at 1300 NW Wall St., Bend, unless otherwise indicated. If you have questions regarding a meeting, please call 388-6572. Deschutes County meeting locations are wheelchair accessible. Deschutes County provides reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. For deaf, hearing impaired or speech disabled, dial 7-1-1 to access the state transfer relay service for TTY. Please call (541) 388-6571 regarding alternative formats or for further information. Deschutes County Commissioners Deschutes County Administration 1300 NW Wall Street, Suite 200 Bend, Oregon 97701-1960 Dear Commissioners: I'd like to update you on The Nature of Words 2006 and invite the Deschutes County Commission to consider an Economic Development Fund discretionary grant to The Nature of Words 2007, November 1-4. It is our goal that. The Nature of Words. becomes an established, annual literary celebration in Central Oregon one that adds to the rich and varied cultural offerings of Central Oregon as well as provides an economic stimulus for the region. In this, the third year of The Nature of Words, an Economic Development Fund grant would help us in achieving that goal.--Thank you for considering this request. SPONSORING 501(c)(3): The Nature of Words, Bend, Oregon PROJECT DIRECTOR: Ellen Waterston P.O. Box 640 Bend, Oregon 97709 TEL: 541.385.7025 CELL: 541.480.3933 FAX- 541.385.5459 info ac thenatureofwords.org www.thenatureofwords.or ~wr PROJECT TITLE: THE NATURE OF WORDS 2006 Central Oregon's Premier Literary Event Featuring seven nationally recognized authors in readings, workshops andpanel discussions on topics relating to the historic, present and future American.West. November 1-4, 2007 Bend, Oregon . MISSION: The Nature of Words seeks to foster an appreciation of the literary arts and to promote discussion and debate about the historic,..present and future West by annually showcasing acclaimed authors and poets through readings, workshops qp panel discussions who, in their work, address issues facing the literal-and metaphorical western landscape; and through writing competitions that encourage emerging writers. PROJECT COST AND REQUEST AMOUNT: Project cost estimate: $132,000 Amount being requested: $2,500 BACKGROUND: In 2001 and 2002 Bend author Ellen Waterston, the founder and president of the Writing Ranch, organized The Music of Words, a one-day gathering featuring readings.by a nationally acclaimed poet, fiction writer and creative non-fiction writer and held in the Cascade Festival of Music tent in Bend. The second year, writing workshops were added. The event was enthusiastically received and those who attended repeatedly asked that the concept be revived and expanded. In 2005, The Nature of Words made its debut,. thanks to the . support of both the High Desert Museum, the non-profit umbrella for The Nature of Words, and OSU/Cascades THIGH SPONSORED BY DESERT Oregon StateOV~Cas~ades MUSEUM V www.thenatureofwords.com • P.O. Box 644 • Bend, Oregon 97709 • Tel: 541.385-7025 • Cell: 541/480-3933 Fax: 541/385-5459 Campus, along with the Writing Ranch as event coordinator. With this triumvirate, the in-kind, cash and collaborative partnership necessary to make The Nature of Words a success was in place. THE NATURE OF WORDS 2005: The mission of the expanded 2005 event was to foster an appreciation of the literary arts in the region through readings, workshops and panel discussions conducted by nationally and internationally recognized writers; and that the authors and poets address the literal and metaphorical western landscape through their writing as a means of encouraging debate and discussion about the historical, present and future west. The first year attracted an exciting line-up of authors and poets who represented some of the best of contemporary Western literary writing. In fiction: Annie Proulx, Kent Nelson and Phil Condon; in literary non- fiction: Kim Barnes and John Daniel; and in poetry: Clemens Starck, Frank X. Walker and Elizabeth Woody. The readings took place at the.Tower Theatre in downtown Bend on Thursday and Saturday nights, emceed respectively by regional authors Jane Kirkpatrick and Rick Steber. Writing workshops, conducted by the featured authors, were held at the OSU/Cascades campus on Friday and Saturday mornings and afternoons. The dinner/author panel discussion was held Friday evening at the High Desert Museum, emceed by author Jarold Ramsey. The weekend concluded with an open mike event, featuring emerging regional writers with the featured authors in the audience, held at the Deschutes Public Library, a strong supporter of The Nature of Words. The event's resounding success was reflected in the unanimous call for an annual encore by all those who attended as well as the enthusiastic feedback from the eight featured authors who echoed Annie Proulx's endorsement: "Congratulations to The Nature of Words for an excellent and flawless literary gathering." THE NATURE OF WORDS 2006: In 2006 there was greater awareness of the success of the first year of this event resulting in broader support. The author line-up easily rivaled that of 2005 with David Guterson and James Galvin in fiction; Alexandra Fuller, Robert Michael Pyle and Craig Lesley in creative nonfiction; Oregon Poet Laureate Lawson Inada, Linda Hussa and Robert Wrigley in poetry. Funds raised in foundation support and individual and business donations addressed higher author fees, audience development, expanded workshop offerings and the addition of a June fundraiser, featuring Sm Waterston in 2006, and the Rising Star Writing Competition which identifies and supports emerging writers in two age groups: 15 ro 18 and 19 to 25. The event's success was gauged not only by enthusiastic exit surveys but by numbers with over 1,500 people attending the four-day celebration, a 30% increase from 2005. The aim of making this a venture that embraced all of Central Oregon's literary interests was achieved in both 2005 and 2006 as The Nature of Words worked with outlying communities and their libraries, with the High Desert Journal where selections of participating authors' work were showcased; and with other regional literary and arts events such Fishtrap, Wordstock, Caldera, and Literary Arts, Inc. 2007 GOALS: The Nature of Words, as it enters its third year, is showing signs of maturity. A full board is in place and operative. Our own 501(c)3 is due soon (see attached). Thanks to the willingness of the High Desert Museum to serve as an umbrella for the first two years, we were able to demonstrate that Central Oregon welcomed a non-profit specializing in the literary arts. The Rising Star Writing Competition is clearly an important new feature. The challenges in 2007 are continuing to meet the expectations of our audience in terms of the June benefit event and the caliber of authors in November 2007; increasing event revenue; expanding promotion of the event out-of-area as well as to the student and elderly audience; and improving data management and professional efficiency through software purchases and securing an office space. And doing all this while not compromising the original vision of the event - an intimate opportunity to listen to, work alongside, discuss and debate with outstanding authors writing about issues that effect this region and the West as a whole. Thank you for considering The Nature of Words 2006 as a candidate for an Economic Development Fund grant of $2,500. Sincerely, {f a ~ Ellen Waterston, Director Enc. .f (the NatureofWords) TES W~ 2-1 D a! Au ~ February 5, 2007 Board of Commissioners 1300 NW Wall St, Suite 200, Bend, OR 97701-1960 (541) 388-6570 - Fax (541) 385-3202 www.co.deschutes.or.us board@co.deschutes.or.us Tammy Baney Michael M. Daly Dennis R. Luke To Whom It May Concern: RE: Jefferson County/NeighborImpact's CDBG Application for Regional Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners is supportive of Jefferson County's application for the State of Oregon Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for the Regional Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program. This program allows a good opportunity for residents in the area to obtain assistance in preserving their homes. The regional approach to the Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program ensures that all of Central Oregon receives continuous assistance. Sincerely, DESCHUTES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Michael M. Daly, Chair Dennis R. Luke, Commissioner Tammy Baney, Commissioner Enhancing the Lives of Citizens by Delivering Quality Services in a Cost-Effective Manner Date Corky Senecal, Housing and Emergency Services Director NeighborImpact 2303 SW First St Redmond, OR 97756 RE: Jefferson County/NeighborImpact's CDBG Application for Regional Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program To Whom It May Concern, Partner's Naine is in support of Jefferson County's application for the State of Oregon Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for the Regional Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program. This is a good opportunity for residents in Jurisdictions Name to receive assistance in preserving their homes. The regional approach to Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program ensures that all of Central Oregon receives continuous assistance. Sincerely, Deschutes County Administrative Policy No: GA-3 Effective Date: DESCHUTES COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS POLICY STATEMENT OF POLICY It is the policy of Deschutes County to deliver messages to the public, the media and to each other in a manner that is consistent, effective and accurate. APPLICABILITY This policy applies to all Deschutes County employees. Adherence to certain portions of this policy, including but not limited to notice, representation of personal opinions, media conferences and releases, spokespersons and statements, is not required of elected officials, although elected officials are encouraged to use this policy as a guideline. In addition, this policy recognizes that the provisions of ORS 260.432 regarding advocacy of political positions during working hours does not apply to elected officialsT"is pelie , applies to all Deschutes County empleyees. POLICY AND PROCEDURE In General All employees shall inform the Public Communications Coordinator of all media contacts, and opportunities for media interaction. Departments with internal public information or marketing functions/staff shall coordinate their efforts with the Public Communications Coordinator to ensure consistent and coordinated public messages. These departmental staff positions, while reporting directly to the respective department head or supervisor, shall inform the Public Communications Coordinator of all media and marketing projects/campaigns prior to their execution. The Public Communications Coordinator will assist in the stages of coordination and proofing of County publications and communication projects. Incidents To the best of their ability and in as timely a manner as possible, Departments will notify the County Administrator and/or4he Public Communications Coordinator f-of-afty incidents be n _ er-th y that may receive media attention, prior to these items becoming public knowledge. Minor inquiries (for example: spelling of an employee's name, the date and time of a meeting, etc.) do not require Administration notification. The County Administrator and the Public Communications Coordinator will notify the Board of County Commissioners and department managers as necessary. Newsworthy events are those that have received or are likely to receive media interest. Examples include employee arrests, significant accidents on the job, investigations, and other events of similar importance. Notification must occur as promptly as possible, and may be through an email or phone call to the County Administrator and Public Communications Coordinator concurrently. Departments must provide notification when media coverage is known to have occurred about the incident. Policy No. GA-3, Communications Page I Media Advisories All departments will notify the County Administrator and Public Communications Coordinator prior to issuing media advisories. Examples: health related media advisories, and Parole & Probation sex offender absconder notices. The County Administrator and the Public Communications Coordinator will notify the Board of County Commissioners and other key staff as necessary. A copy of the media advisory shall be provided to the Public Communications Coordinator and the County Administrator to ensure that administrative staff and the Board can respond appropriately if there are any media or public inquiries relating to the advisory. Media Inquiries Department staff shall notify the County Administrator and/or the Public Communications Coordinator of all inquiries from the media. The County Administrator and/or the Public Communications Coordinator will notify the Board of County Commissioners and other key staff as necessary. Inquiries may include requests for interviews or requests for information. Notification shall occur promptly, preferably prior to media interviews of County staff, and prior to giving media access to County information or buildings. In the event that an interview, information or access is provided prior to notification to the County Administrator and the Public Communications Coordinator, every effort should be made to contact both as soon as possible thereafter. All employees are expected to practice common sense and professionalism in interactions with media representatives and in determining the appropriate response to media inquiries. All employees are to practice open, honest and factual communications without guessing or making assumptions when responding to the media. If in doubt on how to respond to media inquiries, employees shall refer to their supervisor or department head. Departments are encouraged to contact the Public Communications Coordinator for media guidance, media training and/or advice, if needed. When speaking to the media or members of the public, employees shall not, under any circumstances, predict or state the certainty of future Board of Commissioners' action on any matter. Countywide rEmails All employees will contact the Public Communications Coordinator prior to sending " sta€€countywide-' email messages except as provided for herein. All staff email messages will be considered on a case-by-case basis for message urgency and topic. All staff messages may be sent without prior approval in cases of Personnel and Risk Management Department trainings and Depaftment announcements,-, countywide outages of telephone, HVAC or other support systems, or in cases of scheduled computer maintenance that will limit access to programs and applications. Please refer to Policy #IT-1, Computer Usage for further details. Branding It is each department's responsibility to create increased awareness of Deschutes County's image and services by using the approved County logo on all internal and external materials for distribution. Custom printed materials already ordered and in-house should be depleted before implementing this branding policy on new printing orders. Policy No. GA-3, Communications Page 2 J Marketing Campaigns Department staff will inform the Public Communications Coordinator prior to launching any marketing initiative to ensure consistent County-wide design and quality. *Advertising All advertising for county programs and services, whether paid or unpaid, will identify the County with the words "Deschutes County" and one of the approved County logos. Departments that coordinate their own ad placement shall have all ads approved by the Public Communications Coordinator at least one week prior to the use of the ad and at least one week prior to the start of an advertising campaign. This provision is intended to complement and not conflict with Policy #GA-5, "Advertising (at Knott Landfill)." Conflicts between these two policies shall be referred to the County Administrator for resolution. Collateral Materials (brochures, annual reports, newsletters, vinyl banners, flyers, etc.) Departments will develop materials as necessary to support their communications goals and strategies. All collateral materials will appropriately identify the County and will always include one of the approved Deschutes County logos and the name "Deschutes County" on the face of the brochure/flyer or other materials. All collateral materials developed by departments must be approved by the Public Communications Coordinator at least one week prior to distribution. The development of new department logos is discouraged. If a department has its own County logo design (prior to the approval date on this policy), it shall adhere to the following guidelines. If the collateral is a brochure: 1) The department logo will be placed on the first page; and 2) The name "Deschutes County" shall appear on the first page. 3) The approved Deschutes County logo must appear on the final page at the bottom of the collateral. 4) If the collateral material is in 'a format other than a brochure, both logos must appear on the front page. Deschutes County's color logo shall be used on all color collateral materials. Representation of County Positions and Personal Opinions No County employee, or advis ry board member, when acting in their official capacity, shall submit a letter to the editor or opinion piece to any newspaper, periodical or online forum that has not been approved in advance by the County Administrator or the Administrator's designee. The County Administrator and/or the Public Communications Coordinator will notify the Board of County Commissioners and department managers as necessary. In no event shall meetings with editorial boards of any news organization be scheduled without the prior notification of the County Administrator and/or Public Communications Coordinator. Correspondence to media shall reflect strategic alignment between employees and Department management. Staff is welcome to consult with the Public Communications Coordinator in advance for advice on these types of media correspondence. Failure to adhere to the provisions of this section of this policy shall be grounds for disciplinary action. Consistent with the provisions of ORS 260 as it currently exists or may from time to time be amended, this policy is not intended to restrict an employee's first amendment right to freely express their personal opinions in print or electronic media or other public forum. Policy No. GA-3, Communications Page 3 However, when commenting on County issues as a private citizen, such expression should clearly state that the employee is offering his or her personal view and is not speaking on behalf of the County. When speaking to the public or the news media in their official capacity as a county employee, employees should offer only the officially adopted positions, policies and staff recommendations of the County. Media Conferences Departments are encouraged to plan media conferences with the assistance of the Public Communications Coordinator. Departments shall notify the Public Communications Coordinator and County Administrator of their intention to hold a media conference prior to scheduling the media event. The County Administrator and the Public Communications Coordinator will notify the Board of County Commissioners and department managers as necessary. The Public Communications Coordinator can assist departments with media conference planning details, speech writing, talking points, inviting speakers and/or dignitaries, developing an agenda/program, preparation of media releases/media kits and more. Media (Press) Releases All media releases shall be prepared using the approved template which can be obtained from the Public Communications Coordinator for future use. County employees shall have media releases approved by the Public Communications Coordinator at least one week prior to media release distribution possible. whenever Media releases concerning emergency situations, breaking news, crime scenes and fires may be sent without *+s-prior approval. Departments are responsible for notifying community partners or agencies mentioned in media releases. All media releases shall include a County contact that is immediately available to media representatives at the time the media release is distributed. Spokespersons Departments are encouraged to identify a spokesperson that is authorized to speak on behalf of the department. The authorized spokesperson may be the department head or any other person designated by the director. No one will speak on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners or on behalf of the County Administrator unless expressly authorized to do so by the individuals themselves. If an employee speaks to the media, they shall speak truthfully and factually; not repeating rumors or hearsay. Employees shall not speculate about other's motives or thoughts, and may speak only on actions that have been taken. At all times, employees shall be aware if they speak untruthfully (even if the item was heard from someone else), the employee may be subject to a defamation claim. The County is not required to defend or indemnify an employee who makes allegedly defamatory statements, if the employee was not speaking in the course and scope of their employment or if the statement constituted malfeasance in office or willful or wanton neglect of duty. The employee may be required to pay for their own legal expenses if a legal action is filed as a result of their conversation with the media. So as to avoid prejudicing the outcome of an investigation or official proceeding by having it "tried in the media," employees should refrain from talking to the news media about personnel and legal matters or claims under investigation by the County or about the investigative proceedings themselves during the course of an ongoing County investigation. Employees shall Policy No. GA-3, Communications Page 4 4 refer media inquiries to County Legal Counsel if questions arise regarding a County investigation or other official proceeding. Employees shall not provide to the media any information that is protected from disclosure under local, state and federal regulations. If employees are uncertain about speaking to the media, they may refer the media contact to the department spokesperson. If that contact is not available, the media representative can be referred to the County Public Communications Coordinator, County Administrator or to Legal Counsel. Written Statements Written statements to the media are appropriate when a one-on-one interview is not possible or appropriate. Departments shall have the Public Communications Coordinator and/or the County Administrator approve written statements at least one week prior to sending it to the media. *AT4e--approved Deschutes County logos can be obtained from the County's Pubic Communications Coordinator or Website Manager. Approved by the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners (Date) Dave Kanner County Administrator Policy No. GA-3, Communications Page 5 JTes Q~ Z1 ❑ { Deschutes County Administrative Policy No: GA-3 Effective Date: DESCHUTES COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS POLICY STATEMENT OF POLICY It is the policy of Deschutes County to deliver messages to the public, the media and to each other in a manner that is consistent, effective and accurate. APPLICABILITY This policy applies to all Deschutes County employees. Adherence to certain portions of this policy, including but not limited to notice, representation of personal opinions, media conferences and releases, spokespersons and statements, is not required of elected officials, although elected officials are encouraged to use this policy as a guideline. In addition, this policy recognizes that the provisions of ORS 260.432 regarding advocacy of political positions during working hours does not apply to elected officials. POLICY AND PROCEDURE In General All employees shall inform the Public Communications Coordinator of all media contacts, and opportunities for media interaction. Departments with internal public information or marketing functions/staff shall coordinate their efforts with the Public Communications Coordinator to ensure consistent and coordinated public messages. These departmental staff positions, while reporting directly to the respective department head or supervisor, shall inform the Public Communications Coordinator of all media and marketing projects/campaigns prior to their execution. The Public Communications Coordinator will assist in the stages of coordination and proofing of County publications and communication projects. Incidents To the best of their ability and in as timely a manner as possible, Departments will notify the County Administrator and/or Public Communications Coordinator of incidents that may receive media attention, prior to these items becoming public knowledge. Minor inquiries (for example: spelling of an employee's name, the date and time of a meeting, etc.) do not require Administration notification. The County Administrator and the Public Communications Coordinator will notify the Board of County Commissioners and department managers as necessary. Newsworthy events are those that have received or are likely to receive media interest. Examples include employee arrests, significant accidents on the job, investigations, and other events of similar importance. Notification must occur as promptly as possible, and may be through an email or phone call to the County Administrator and Public Communications Coordinator concurrently. Departments must provide notification when media coverage is known to have occurred about the incident. Media Advisories All departments will notify the County Administrator and Public Communications Coordinator prior to issuing media advisories. Examples: health related media advisories, and Parole & Probation sex offender absconder notices. The County Administrator and the Public Communications Coordinator will notify the Board of County Commissioners and other key staff as necessary. A copy of the media advisory shall be provided to the Public Communications Coordinator and the County Administrator to ensure that administrative staff and the Board can respond appropriately if there are any media or public inquiries relating to the advisory. Policy No. GA-3, Communications Page 1 Media Inquiries Department staff shall notify the County Administrator and/or the Public Communications Coordinator of all inquiries from the media. The County Administrator and/or the Public Communications Coordinator will notify the Board of County Commissioners and other key staff as necessary. Inquiries may include requests for interviews or requests for information. Notification shall occur promptly, preferably prior to media interviews of County staff, and prior to giving media access to County information or buildings. In the event that an interview, information or access is provided prior to notification to the County Administrator and the Public Communications Coordinator, every effort should be made to contact both as soon as possible thereafter. All employees are expected to practice common sense and professionalism in interactions with media representatives and in determining the appropriate response to media inquiries. All employees are to practice open, honest and factual communications without guessing or making assumptions when responding to the media. If in doubt on how to respond to media inquiries, employees shall refer to their supervisor or department head. Departments are encouraged to contact the Public Communications Coordinator for media guidance, media training and/or advice, if needed. When speaking to the media or members of the public, employees shall not, under any circumstances, predict or state the certainty offuture Board of Commissioners' action on any matter. Countywide Emails All employees will contact the Public Communications Coordinator prior to sending countywide email messages except as provided for herein. All staff email messages will be considered on a case-by-case basis for message urgency and topic. All staff messages may be sent without prior approval in cases of Personnel and Risk Management Department trainings and announcements, countywide outages of telephone, HVAC or other support systems, or in cases of scheduled computer maintenance that will limit access to programs and applications. Please refer to Policy #IT-1, Computer Usage for further details. Branding ft is each department's responsibility to create increased awareness of Deschutes County's image and services by using the approved County logo on all internal and external materials for distribution. Custom printed materials already ordered and in-house should be depleted before implementing this branding policy on new printing orders. Marketing Campaigns Department staff will inform the Public Communications Coordinator prior to launching any marketing initiative to ensure consistent County-wide design and quality. *Advertising All advertising for county programs and services, whether paid or unpaid, will identify the County with the words "Deschutes County" and one of the approved County logos. Departments that coordinate their own ad placement shall have all ads approved by the Public Communications Coordinator at least one week prior to the use of the ad and at least one week prior to the start of an advertising campaign. This provision is intended to complement and not conflict with Policy #GA-5, "Advertising (at Knott Landfill)." Conflicts between these two policies shall be referred to the County Administrator for resolution. Collateral Materials (brochures, annual reports, newsletters, vinyl banners, flyers, etc.) Departments will develop materials as necessary to support their communications goals and strategies. All collateral materials will appropriately identify the County and will always include one of the approved Deschutes County logos and the name "Deschutes County" on the face of the brochure/flyer or other materials. All collateral materials developed by departments must be approved by the Public Communications Coordinator at least one week prior to distribution. Policy No. GA-3, Communications Page 2 The development of new department logos is discouraged. If a department has its own County logo design (prior to the approval date on this policy), it shall adhere to the following guidelines. If the collateral is a brochure: 1) The department logo will be placed on the first page and 2) The name "Deschutes County" shall appear on the first page 2) The approved Deschutes County logo must appear on the final page-at the bottom of the collateral. 3) If the collateral material is in a format other than a brochure, both logos must appear on the front page. Deschutes County's color logo shall be used on all color collateral materials. Representation of County Positions and Personal Opinions No County employee, when acting in phis or her official capacity, shall submit a letter to the editor or opinion piece to any newspaper, periodical or online forum that has not been approved in advance by the County Administrator or the Administrator's designee. The County Administrator and/or the Public Communications Coordinator will notify the Board of County Commissioners and department managers as necessary. In no event shall meetings with editorial boards of any news organization be scheduled without the prior notification of the County Administrator and/or Public Communications Coordinator. Correspondence to media shall reflect strategic alignment between employees and Department management. Staff is welcome to consult with the Public Communications Coordinator in advance for advice on these types of media correspondence. Failure to adhere to the provisions of this section of this policy shall be grounds for disciplinary action. Consistent with the provisions of ORS 260 as it currently exists or may from time to time be amended, this policy is not intended to restrict an employee's first amendment right to freely express their personal opinions in print or electronic media or other public forum. However, when commenting on County issues as a private citizen, such expression should clearly state that the employee is offering his or her personal view and is not speaking on behalf of the County. When speaking to the public or the news media in their official capacity as a county employee, employees should offer only the officially adopted positions, policies and staff recommendations of the County. Media Conferences Departments are encouraged to plan media conferences with the assistance of the Public Communications Coordinator. Departments shall notify the Public Communications Coordinator and County Administrator of their intention to hold a media conference prior to scheduling the media event. The County Administrator and the Public Communications Coordinator will notify the Board of County Commissioners and department managers as necessary. The Public Communications Coordinator can assist departments with media conference planning details, speech writing, talking points, inviting speakers and/or dignitaries, developing an agenda/program, preparation of media releases/media kits and more. Media (Press) Releases All media releases shall be prepared using the approved template which can be obtained from the Public Communications Coordinator for future use. County employees shall have media releases approved by the Public Communications Coordinator at least one week prior to media release distribution. Media releases concerning emergency situations, breaking news, crime scenes and fires may be sent without prior approval. Departments are responsible for notifying community partners or agencies mentioned in media releases. All media releases shall include a County contact that is immediately available to media representatives at the time the media release is distributed. Policy No. GA-3, Communications Page 3 Spokespersons Departments are encouraged to identify a spokesperson that is authorized to speak on behalf of the department. The authorized spokesperson may be the department head or any other person designated by the director. No one will speak on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners or on behalf of the County Administrator unless expressly authorized to do so by the individuals themselves. If an employee speaks to the media, they shall speak truthfully and factually; not repeating rumors or hearsay. Employees shall not speculate about other's motives or thoughts, and may speak only on actions that have been taken. At all times, employees shall be aware if they speak untruthfully (even if the item was heard from someone else), the employee may be subject to a defamation claim. The County is not required to defend or indemnify an employee who makes allegedly defamatory statements, if the employee was not speaking in the course and scope of their employment or if the statement constituted malfeasance in office or willful or wanton neglect of duty. The employee may be required to pay for their own legal expenses if a legal action is filed as a result of their conversation with the media. So as to avoid prejudicing the outcome of an investigation or official proceeding by having it "tried in the media," employees should refrain from talking to the news media about personnel and legal matters or claims under investigation by the County or about the investigative proceedings themselves during the course of an ongoing County investigation. Employees shall refer media inquiries to County Legal Counsel if questions arise regarding a County investigation or other official proceeding. Employees shall not provide to the media any information that is protected from disclosure under local, state and federal regulations. If employees are uncertain about speaking to the media, they may refer the media contact to the department spokesperson. If that contact is not available, the media representative can be referred to the County Public Communications Coordinator, County Administrator or to Legal Counsel. Written Statements Written statements to the media are appropriate when a one-on-one interview is not possible or appropriate. Departments shall have the Public Communications Coordinator and/or the County Administrator approve written statements at least one week prior to sending it to the media. *Approved Deschutes County logos can be obtained from the County's Pubic Communications Coordinator or Website Manager. Approved by the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners on Dave Kanner County Administrator Policy No. GA-3, Communications Page 4 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING LAS VEGAS, NEVADA JANUARY 17 - 20, 2007 REPORT TO COMMISSIONERS BY COMMISSIONER MIKE DALY On January 17 - 20, I attended the NACO Justice and public safety committee meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. I know how we all hate to get stacks of paper to read and most does not get read anyway, so I will try to be brief and touch on the high lights of some of the things I learned that might apply to our County. The first topic on the agenda was MAINTAINING GOVERNMENT AND OPERATIONS DURING TIMES OF CRISIS. Most of the lessens learned are from government experiences during Katrina, and 9-11. Things to think about. In an emergency where you have to evacuate the Court House. Records, evidence in criminal cases, where is this stored? Is there back- up. During Katrina, Courthouses were completely destroyed and every thing in them was lost. The need to back up the public documents in a location hundreds of miles away was made very apparent during Katrina. Credit Cards: During emergencies governments need for Credit Cards became very apparent. The need to purchase small items for emergency services would have been much easier if there were credit cards available. They could be stored in a secured location until needed but they need to be available. Pandemic Planning The need to cross train employees to do each others job is important during a Pandemic. Something to think about. Train Wrecks or Tanker Truck Wrecks next to Government Buildings. Toxic Chemicals in these vehicles could cause us to evacuate our buildings. We have a Parkway next to our building and the RR Tracks are just the other side of that. Question: Where do we go to continue operations of the Government? This Happened in Kentucky Recently. CELL PHONES, Communications during an emergency. Lessons learned: During Katrina, Cell phone service was overloaded but they found that text messages would work. The text message when sent just sits there until there is an opening and is then sent where voice phone calls just had a busy signal. Question: Should Department heads cell phones have text message capability? Also, during 9-11, all cell service ceased because of overload of the system. They discovered that the only thing that continued to work was the Nextel walkie talkie function on the Nextel Cell phones. During the Pentagon crisis on 9-11, they actually went into a neighboring county who had a number of Nextel Cell phones and distributed them to their emergency operations personnel. Question: Deschutes County thanks to the Sheriff, now has the capability of the Nextel Walkie Talkie cell phones. The Sheriffs office has most of their personnel equipped with them, and in our office, myself and Commissioner Baney. We can communicate with each other and the Sheriff and Under Sheriff. We can't talk to our County Administrator or fellow Commissioner Luke or Department heads. We need to talk about this. EVACUATION OF CITIES: Lessons Learned: Many cars evacuating cities ran out of gas only causing more gridlock. Need to plan for Fuel Trucks to gas up these cars in the event of evacuation of a city. Government vehicles need to function. Need to work with fuel suppliers to ensure there is adequate fuel saved back for Government vehicles. Local Ham Radio Operators are an invaluable asset to any community or government in the event of a disaster. Learn who and where they are in your community so Government can use them when all other communications fail. They were invaluable during Katrina. THE CONCEPT OF INTEROPERABILITY: (Government agencies need to be able to communicate with each other) LESSONS LEARNED; \ The biggest stumbling block in an emergency seems to be turf battles, WHO IS IN CHARGE???? Need to plan ahead. In emergencies that last more than a couple of days, those in charge need to hand over Authority to a second in command and get some rest. VERY BAD DECISION ARE MADE WHEN PEOPLE GET OVER TIRED. COMPATABILITY IN COMMUNICATIONS: Mike Sumnicht, systems engineering manager for Motorola, Says there is new Federal Grant money with over 1 billion dollars available to improve interoperability. This is for frequencies in the 700 MH range with a 20% match required. (Need to check into this) ARE WE READY FOR A NATURAL CATASTROPHE IN OUR COUNTY? One of the most interesting speakers during this meeting was Mr. Manly Barton, County Supervisor of Jackson County, MS. The following is some of the things he talked about when Katrina hit his County. To compare this to our County, Jackson County MS has a population of 140,000. Every public facility was completely destroyed. 40% of all public employees lost every thing they had. 20,000 families in his county lost everything. 90% of every road in the County was impassable 41000 power poles were down on the ground They lost 10,000 houses in the County As of last week, they still had 7000 families living in temp. Trailers. They lost over 100,000 vehicles in the county. The biggest problem was the lack of power. Most Government employees could not get to work. The Chevron Corp. provided 300,000 gallons of fuel to County and emergency vehicles for FREE. All day care centers were totally destroyed, Chevron Corporation brought in crews from California and repaired all day care centers so employees to go back to work. There were distribution centers for emergency food and water but nobody had vehicles to get there. They had to go out into the community to distribute the supplies. FEMA did not show up in his County for two months. Most FEMA employees had no sense of urgency. FEMA Corp. of Engineers had lots of people there, nobody had authority to make any decisions, most were only there for 30 days and then left. They had over 7 million Cubic Yards of Debris to remove. It is still a work in progress. Another speaker Mr. Joel Yelverton, Asst. executive director, Mississippi assoc. of Supervisors, Jackson Miss. Had the following to say. His County was 175 miles from the Coast, they had many trees down, and roads were blocked. All 23 law enforcement officers in one town lost everything they had. They could not respond. When outside police agencies send in help, put local people who know the area with them. Most police from outside agencies came unprepared. They had no provisions, no place to stay. Need a plan to take care of Helpers who arrive. Again, Ham Operators were the most help of all during this type of crisis. Know who they are, and how to contact them. They are invaluable. When receiving help from Federal Agencies, document everything, auditors will show up two years later to look at your records. Friday Jan. 191h. The second day of the conference was devoted to talking about THE GREAT PROMISE OF LOWERING JAIL RECIDIVISM) I will not go into detail on every speaker on this subject as we all have reams of documents devoted to this subject. I was particularly interested in a CD I picked up at the conference put out by BI Incorporated; BI Stands for (Behavioral Interventions). Their web site is www.bi.com. They are a private company who have a number of operations going on in different states, day reporting, alcohol monitoring all using the new Electronic Monitoring technology designed to reduce the need for jail beds. I would encourage all of you to browse the web site and read about some of the possibilities. I am working with Becky Wanless to maybe get one of there people to come here and give us a presentation on all of the things that are available out there. Becky currently I-_ contracts with BI for our electronic monitoring program we have in Deschutes County. Another thing of interest is that it could be very advantageous for us to contract with the local FQHC, (federally qualified health clinic) for health care services in the jail. The drug costs are much cheaper, and when sued, the Department of Justice defends us, and there is a $100,000 cap on damages. I have given this information to Sheriff Stiles and he will follow up with our local FQHC. Dan Peddycord and I are both on the local FQHC board of directors. This will conclude my report on this meeting. I was trying to get this on a couple of pages but it did not work. Hope it was interesting reading anyway. Thank you for your interest. Mike Daly Deschutes County Commissioner. Sick and in jail? No more Medicare taffribunexom i MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL MINNESOTA Last update: January 07, 2007 - 8:38 PM Sick and in jail? No more Medicare An obscure federal rule means that counties must pay once someone lands behind bars regardless of guilt or innocence. By Her6n Marquez Estrada, Star Tribune As soon as the cell door at any county jail across the country closes on a prisoner receiving federal medical benefits, rule 435.1008 automatically clicks into place. Page 1 of 3 The little-known federal regulation which bars anyone in jail from receiving any type of federal medical assistance is giving elected officials around the country million-dollar headaches. The reason: The roughly 3,000 counties in the United States must pay the medical costs of these prisoners until federal benefits are restored, which can take up to three months after their release. What has local officials most upset is that the benefits are terminated regardless of a person's guilt or innocence. Even if a person is released and not charged, or charged and later acquitted, the federal medical benefits are terminated. The reasoning seems to be that the person wouldn't be in jail unless he or she had done something wrong. "It doesn't make a lot of common sense," said Jim McDonough, a Ramsey County commissioner who recently got that board to pass a resolution urging the federal government to change the policy. He estimates that the policy is costing Ramsey County almost $3 million a year. The problem is even larger in Hennepin County, where the cost is as much $7 million a year, said Ron Wiborg of the Hennepin County Community Corrections Department. Extrapolated nationwide, the total costs to counties run into the hundreds of millions of dollars each year, said Wiborg and officials with the National Association of Counties (NACo). "It is absolutely outrageous," Wiborg said. "This is a huge issue. It affects every county in the nation....We have to eat the entire cost. We can't deny that medical treatment." Wiborg, a member of the national group's Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee, said the Hennepin County Board is expected to pass a resolution this month similar to the one Ramsey County passed in late December. http://www.startribune.com/462/v-print/story/921341.html 1/16/2007 Sick and in Jail? No more Medicare Page 2 of 3 The resolutions are part of a national effort by the organization of counties and the 200 largest counties to get Congress to overturn 453.1008, which refers to the section of the code of federal regulations that outlines the policy prohibiting medical benefits to any institutionalized person. "We think there is an equity issue," said Colleen Landkamer, the group's president and a Blue Earth County commissioner. "We think this is extremely unfair to people. The Constitution says you are innocent until proven guilty." A matter of interpretation Officials with the federal and state governments, which jointly administer and pay for Medicaid benefits, say there is nothing they can do because of the policy's wording. The policy, officials with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) point out, does not differentiate between guilt, innocence or reason for incarceration. It says benefits are not available for "individuals who are inmates of public institutions," which includes jails, mental hospitals and other state institutions. "Conviction isn't the key; the key is incarceration," said Mary Kahn, a spokeswoman for CMS. "There's no practical difference. You're in jail. You're the state's responsibility. They're housing you, feeding you, taking care of you." Kahn and Kathleen Henry of the state Department of Human Services, point out that people whose benefits have been terminated are still eligible to have them restored as soon as they get out of jail. And medical coverage can often be made retroactive to the date of application. The problem, Hennepin County's Wiborg and others say, is that it can take months for an application to be processed and approved. Also, many of those affected have mental health issues and often cannot be counted on to reapply in a timely manner, Association of Counties officials say. Until the feds pick up coverage, counties must bear the costs, which only increases the financial burden on local jurisdictions, Landkamer said. Henry said Minnesota is trying to address this gap by allowing inmates to apply for reinstatement of benefits up to 45 days before release. A delicate operation? Wiborg said no one from the nation's counties is arguing that prisoners should get these benefits after they have been convicted. What concerns the local officials, he said, is the blanket nature of the ban and the fact that it often hurts the very people for whom programs such as Medicaid are designed to help. http://www.stuffibune.com/462/v-print/story/921341.html 1/16/2007 Sick and in jail? No more Medicare Page 3 of 3 `I "This is a basic civil rights issue," he said. "Who suffers the most because of this? The poor and minorities." Wiborg said the provision has been around for decades. It has been around so long that no one even the people empowered to enforce it is really sure how it came about, people on both sides of the issue say. His best guess, he said, is that it was initiated during the 1960s or 1970s when members of Congress discovered that some prison inmates, including some on death row, were getting federal SSI payments. "They found this problem," Wiborg said, "and instead of taking a scalpel to it they took a meat cleaver to it and chopped away everything." Her6n Marquez Estrada - 651-298-1554 - hme(@startribune.com ©2007 Star Tribune. All rights reserved. http://www.startribune.com/462/v-print/story/921341.html 11 Lessons That Katrina Taught Me by David W. Carmicheal Director, Georgia Archives, Office of the Secretary of State President, Council ofStaEe Archivists On September 21, 2005, representatives of the Council of State Archivists (CoSA), the Society of American Archivists (SAA), and Heritage Preservation, toured the Gulf Coast area of Mississippi to assess the impact of Hurricane Katrina on record-keeping facilities in the region. The group traveled from Waveland in the west to Biloxi in the east and viewed the impact of the disaster on public buildings (city halls, county courthouses, local historical societies, historic sites, and public libraries) and private facilities (church and college buildings). In November, Carmicheal met with representatives of Georgia' municipal and court associations to discuss lessons learned. 1. Disasters aren't always localized Emergency response plans are often built on a hidden assumption: that any disaster will be localized, striking a single building or, at most, a small geographic area. On that assumption, available resources will be marshaled and concentrated in the affected area. Hurricane Katrina demonstrated conclusively that disasters may occur over a very wide geographic area. When the storm reached Jackson, Mississippi-150 miles from the Gulf Coast-it was a Category 3 storm, powerful enough to severely damage buildings and record repositories. Even those who live far from hurricane centers cannot be complacent; other disasters can affect large geographic areas: wild fires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and terrorist attacks. Our disaster planning must eliminate the hidden assumption that disasters will be localized. 2. Government buildings are not immune On the face of it, no one believes that government buildings are immune from disasters, but citizens often assume that their most vital records are safe from destruction because they are in the care of the government. The loss of government buildings means the loss of identity for citizens. Government records prove when and where people were born, when and whom they married, what property they own, what crimes they have committed. Government buildings in particular must be protected from catastrophic disaster in order to protect the public trust. Remains of Waveland, MS CityHall. (David Carmicheal, Georgia Archives) h this scenario into account. The people who respond may have no familiarity with the facility or the collection. 7. Prevention is chea1ier-t6n recovery Jackson County, Mississippi, estimated that they would spend at least $2 million to recover court records and meeting minutes damaged by Hurricane Katrina. A systematic program of producing microfilm or some other form of backup would have eliminated the need for such recovery and probably would have proved far less expensive. In addition to the actual costs of recovery (if such recovery is possible), governments need to consider the 'lost opportunity' costs to their citizens while they wait for records to be recovered. Lengthy restoration projects can delay court dates and property sales, and otherwise interrupt the lives of citizens who depend on vital records. 8. FEMA's responsibility extends to historic buildings, not records The legislation that authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) specifically charges them with securing and protecting historic sites, but not historic or vital records. While FEMA often assisted with the recovery of government records in the aftermath of Katrina, records were not their first priority. Until the federal legislation can be amended, state and local governments should expect little assistance with records issues during major disasters. 9. Vital records must be identified before a disaster occurs At one site I visited after Katrina, staff were trying to deal with the loss of their accession records. Most of the site's historic artifacts had vanished in the storm, and the accession records were needed to determine what the collection had once held. The staff had carefully removed rare books and other documents before the hurricane, but in the frantic days leading up to the storm the accession records were overlooked. Disaster plans must identify key records before a disaster strikes. When staff have only days-or even hours-to locate and remove records, it is essential that they have a clear guide to the agency's most important records and their priority for rescue. 10..Vital records must be systematically and comprehensively duplicated. Perhaps the greatest lesson to be learned from Katrina is this: the only guarantee against catastrophic loss is duplication. Government agencies must review their records systematically, identify the ones that are vital to protect their citizens, and then duplicate them. Anything less is a violation of the public trust. Damaged legal agreements, Beauvoir, MS. (David Carmicheal, Georgia Archives) Page 1 of 1 Mike Daly From: Sean Morgan [smorgan@tfgnet.com] Sent: Monday, February 05, 2007 12:06 PM To: Mike Daly Cc: Bill Hanka Subject: Federal Agenda Priority Hello Commissioner Daly, I am preparing the FY 08 federal agenda for the County and wanted to check with you regarding priority order. Is the following correct: 1. 19th St. Extension -1 2.9-11 Center 3. FAN 4. Homelessness project 5. Jail Funding Thanks, Sean Sean Morgan The Ferguson Group 1130 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 300 Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 331-8500 (202) 331-1598 (facsimile) smorgan@Lfgnet.com Website: www.FERGUSONGROUP.US Confidentiality Notice: This electronic mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. 2/5/2007