- National Association of Counties

Transcription

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES ■ WASHINGTON, D.C.
VOL. 41, NO. 7 ■ APRIL 6, 2009
DOE Energy
Efficiency
guidelines
go to print
County nears
100 percent
broadband
availability
BY JULIE
BY CHARLES TAYLOR
UFNER
ASSOCIATE LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The Department of Energy
(DOE) published formula grant
regulations March 26, governing the
Energy Efficiency and Conservation
Block Grant (EECBG) program.
The program provides federal
grants to local governments, states
and tribal governments to increase
energy efficiency usage while decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.
EECBG was funded through the
Ninety-five percent of residents
in Ottawa County, Mich. can now
access broadband Internet service
if they so choose — including
many rural areas were options
were limited or nonexistent. The
county recently announced nearcompletion of a wireless network
built with a commercial partner,
and at no cost to the county.
Rural broadband recently received a boost in the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act,
which includes $7.2 billion to
bring high-speed Internet access to
unserved, underserved and rural
areas of the country. Ottawa County
officials hope that such funding
could help bring service to its rural
broadband “dead zones,” where 5
percent of residents live.
“The second phase of deployment is to identify those remaining
See EECBG page 24
QuickTakes
Photo by David Hathcox
Top 5 Median Real Estate
Taxes Paid 2005–2007
Population 20,000 or more
1. Westchester County, N.Y.
2. Nassau County, N.Y.
3. Hunterdon County, N.J.
4. Bergen County, N.J.
5. Somerset County, N.J.
$7,908
$7,726
$7,708
$7,370
$7,201
Source: National Tax Foundation, December 2008
Jiang Ming, executive deputy mayor, City of Harbin People’s Government, China, and NACo President
Don Stapley, sign a friendship agreement at ceremonies during the Legislative Conference. Mayor Jiang
later addressed the Board of Directors. More conference coverage, including a photo review, begins on
page 9.
FY10 domestic spending
hovers in $1 trillion range
BY LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS STAFF
ED ROSADO
LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR
AT PRESS TIME: The House
and Senate passed the Obama
budget blueprint before recessing for the Easter season. The
major difference in the two
bills is the House contains
“reconciliation” language
which would allow some of
Obama’s policy agenda to
be considered in the Senate
filibuster-proof.
Congress will attempt to iron out
the differences after the recess in a
conference committee.
The House and Senate Budget
Committees began the FY10 budget
process by considering their concurrent budget resolutions.
A budget resolution differs from
other legislative measures in that it
does not become law. It serves as
the blueprint for the Appropriations
Committees and gives broad spending
parameters within budget functions
rather than specific program numbers.
The resolutions often include mention of reserved funding for specific
legislative initiatives, particularly if
there is a major piece of legislation
that needs to be reauthorized.
Additionally, budget resolutions
sometimes include reconciliation
instructions. This process directs
specific authorizing committees
to come up with deficit reduction
provisions by a given date.
Even though the concurrent
resolution does not become a law,
both chambers have a conference
meeting to agree on the spending
parameters and decide whether to
have a reconciliation process. If they
cannot agree, then each chamber
proceeds on its own set of spending
allocations, which cross over to the
Appropriations Committee.
Budget Overall
The House resolution would
provide $1.089 trillion and the
Senate would provide $1.08 trillion
in non-emergency discretionary
spending for FY10. The president’s
budget summary requested $1.096
trillion. Below are some highlights
relevant to county operations.
See BROADBAND page 5
INSIDE >>
Ellis County, Texas HR director goes
green in her commute >> Page 4
President Obama sets down his
criteria for stimulus spending
>> Page 2
Check out our chart for detailed
information on Recovery Act grants >>
Pages 6–8
Earth Day is April 22. See how
counties will celebrate
>> Page 16
See FY10 BUDGET page 3
2 April 6, 2009
CountyNews
County
News •
Recovery Act Implementation
Update: Presidential Memorandum
(Publisher’s Note:) On March
20, President Barack Obama issued a memorandum — which is
reprinted below — to all federal government agencies titled, “Ensuring
Responsible Spending of Recovery
Act Funds.” The president wants to
ensure that public funds are spent
responsibly and transparently.
To this end, his memorandum
outlines three basic points important
to counties as they look toward
receiving and spending recovery
funds:
1. Ensuring Merit-Based Decision
making for Grants and Other Forms
of Federal Financial Assistance Under
the Recovery Act. The president calls
on all departments and agencies to
develop transparent, merit-based
selection criteria that will guide
their available discretion in commit-
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release March 20, 2009
March 20, 2009
MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS
OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS
AND AGENCIES
SUBJECT: Ensuring Responsible Spending of Recovery
Act Funds
My Administration is committed to ensuring that public
funds are expended responsibly and in a transparent manner. Last month, I signed into law the “American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act of 2009,” Public Law 111-5 (the
“Recovery Act” or “Act”), an investment package designed
to provide a necessary boost to our economy in these difficult times and to create jobs, restore economic growth,
and strengthen America’s middle class. The Recovery Act is
designed to stimulate the economy through measures that,
among other things, modernize the Nation’s infrastructure,
jump start American energy independence, expand highquality educational opportunities, preserve and improve
access to affordable health care, provide middle-class tax
relief, and protect those in greatest need. It is not intended
to fund projects for special interests.
In implementing the Recovery Act, we have undertaken unprecedented efforts to ensure the responsible
distribution of funds for the Act’s purposes and to provide
public transparency and accountability of expenditures.
We must not allow Recovery Act funds to be distributed
on the basis of factors other than the merits of proposed
projects or in response to improper influence or pressure.
We must also empower executive department and agency
officials to exercise their available discretion and judgment
to help ensure that Recovery Act funds are expended for
projects that further the job creation, economic recovery,
and other purposes of the Recovery Act and are not used
for imprudent projects.
To these ends, I hereby direct that for any further commitments, obligations, or expenditures of funds under the
Recovery Act, the head of each executive department or
agency shall immediately take all necessary steps, to the
extent consistent with the Act and other applicable law, to
comply with this memorandum.
Section 1. Ensuring Merit-Based Decisionmaking for
Grants and Other Forms of Federal Financial Assistance
Under the Recovery Act. (a) Executive departments and
agencies shall develop transparent, merit-based selection
criteria that will guide their available discretion in committing, obligating, or expending funds under the Recovery Act
for grants and other forms of Federal financial assistance.
Such criteria shall be consistent with legal requirements,
ting, obligating or expending funds
under the Recovery Act for grants
and other forms of federal financial
assistance.
2. Avoiding Funding of Imprudent
Projects. The president makes it clear
that funds under the Recovery Act
shall not be committed, obligated or
expended by any executive department or agency, and shall not be used
by any state or local governmental or
private grantee or awardee, to support projects of the type described
in section 1604 of Division A of
the Recovery Act, which states that
“[n]one of the funds appropriated or
otherwise made available in this Act
may be used by any State or local
government, or any private entity,
for any casino or other gambling
establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf
course, or swimming pool.”
may be tailored to the particular funding activity, and shall
be formulated to ensure that the funding furthers the job
creation, economic recovery, and other purposes of the
Recovery Act. To this end, merit-based selection criteria
shall be designed to support particular projects, applications, or applicants for funding that have, to the greatest
extent, a demonstrated or potential ability to: (i) deliver
programmatic results; (ii) achieve economic stimulus by
optimizing economic activity and the number of jobs created or saved in relation to the Federal dollars obligated; (iii)
achieve long-term public benefits by, for example, investing
in technological advances in science and health to increase
economic efficiency and improve quality of life; investing
in transportation, environmental protection, and other
infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits;
fostering energy independence; or improving educational
quality; and (iv) satisfy the Recovery Act’s transparency
and accountability objectives.
(b) No considerations contained in oral or written
communications from any person or entity concerning
particular projects, applications, or applicants for funding
shall supersede or supplant consideration by executive
departments and agencies of such projects, applications, or
applicants for funding pursuant to applicable merit-based
criteria.
Sec. 2. Avoiding Funding of Imprudent Projects. (a)
Funds under the Recovery Act shall not be committed, obligated, or expended by any executive department or agency,
and shall not be used by any State or local governmental or
private grantee or awardee, to support projects of the type
described in section 1604 of Division A of the Recovery
Act, which states that “[n]one of the funds appropriated or
otherwise made available in this Act may be used by any
State or local government, or any private entity, for any
casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo,
golf course, or swimming pool.”
(b) In exercising their available discretion to commit,
obligate, or expend funds under the Recovery Act for grants
and other forms of Federal financial assistance, executive
departments and agencies, to the extent permitted by law,
shall not approve or otherwise support funding for projects
that are similar to those described in section 1604 of Division A of the Recovery Act.
(c) In exercising their available discretion to commit,
obligate, or expend funds under the Recovery Act for grants
and other forms of Federal financial assistance, executive
departments and agencies, to the extent permitted by law,
shall not approve or otherwise support any project, application, or applicant for funding that is imprudent or that does
not further the job creation, economic recovery, and other
purposes of the Act. To this end, executive departments and
agencies shall exercise their available discretion to decline
approving or otherwise supporting particular projects, applications, or applicants for funding unless the department
3. Ensuring Transparency of Registered Lobbyist Communications. The
president ordered that an executive
department or agency official shall
not consider the view of a registered
lobbyist concerning particular
projects, applications or applicants
for funding under the Recovery Act
unless such views are in writing.
Here is the full text of the president’s memorandum.
or agency has affirmatively determined, in advance, that the
project, application, or applicant has a demonstrated or potential ability to: (i) deliver programmatic results; (ii) achieve
economic stimulus by optimizing economic activity and the
number of jobs created or saved in relation to the Federal
dollars obligated; (iii) achieve long-term public benefits by,
for example, investing in technological advances in science
and health to increase economic efficiency and improve
quality of life; investing in transportation, environmental
protection, and other infrastructure that will provide longterm economic benefits; fostering energy independence; or
improving educational quality; or (iv) satisfy the Recovery
Act’s transparency and accountability objectives.
(d) Where executive departments or agencies lack discretion under the Recovery Act to refuse funding for projects
similar to those described in section 1604 of Division A
of the Act, or other projects that the executive department
or agency deems imprudent or as not furthering the job
creation, economic recovery, or other purposes of the Act,
the department or agency shall consult immediately with
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) about the
project and its funding requirements. Where legally permissible, the department or agency shall:
(i) delay funding of the project for 30 days, or the longest
period permitted by law if less than 30 days, in order to
ensure adequate opportunity for public scrutiny of the
project prior to commitment of funds; and
(ii) publish a description of the proposed project (or
project plan) and its funding requirements on the agency’s
recovery website as soon as practicable before or after
commitment, obligation, or expenditure of funds for the
project.
(e) Executive departments and agencies, including
their respective Offices of Inspector General, shall monitor
compliance with the prohibition in section 1604 of Division A of the Recovery Act, referenced in paragraph (a)
above, by contractors, grantees, and other recipients of
Federal financial assistance (recipients). If a department
or agency believes that a recipient has not complied
with section 1604, then the department or agency shall
(i) promptly notify the Recovery Accountability and
Transparency Board; and (ii) take appropriate corrective
action that may include, but not be limited to, disallowing or otherwise recovering improperly spent amounts,
imposing additional requirements on the recipient to
ensure compliance with section 1604 (and other applicable
prohibitions and obligations), initiating a proceeding for
administrative civil penalties, and initiating a proceeding
for suspension and debarment.
Sec. 3. Ensuring Transparency of Registered Lobbyist Communications. (a) An executive department or
agency official shall not consider the view of a lobbyist
See MEMORANDUM page 17
• County
CountyNews
News
April 6, 2009 3
Budget committees reject President Obama’s proposed cuts to farm subsidies
FY10 BUDGET from page 1
Health
The FY10 budget resolution
passed by the House Budget Committee included a “budget-neutral”
(paid for by increased revenue or
spending cuts) reserve fund for
health reform as requested by
President Obama. The resolution
prepared for the Senate Budget
Committee also included a budgetneutral health reform reserve fund.
Both would leave the work of
crafting health reform legislation —
including identifying offsets — to
the committees of jurisdiction.
tion instructions, and he and Senate
Finance Committee Chairman
Max Baucus (D-Mont.) are reported to oppose using reconciliation
for health reform, hoping instead to
move the issue through the Senate
in a bipartisan fashion.
The House version, on the
other hand, includes reconciliation
instructions that would require the
committees to draft reform legislation by Sept. 29.
Conrad’s budget version assumes that some up-front investments may be necessary and
that delivery system reforms or
potential revenue changes may
not reap immediate savings, permitting revenue neutrality over
11 years, rather than the five-year
horizon for the rest of the budget
resolution. It also includes a deficitneutral reserve fund to increase the
reimbursement rate for physician
services under Medicare Part B or
to encourage physicians to train in
primary care residencies and ensure
and recognize elected county officials an adequate supply of residents and
from NACo-member counties who physicians.
demonstrate innovative and effective
leadership to improve the quality of Agriculture and Rural
life of residents. One County Court- Affairs
house Award is presented each year
The Senate and House Budget
in three categories: rural, suburban Committees rejected President
and urban.
Obama’s proposed cuts to farm
The awards program provides subsidies. Instead, the Senate seeks
recognition for innovative county cuts in crop insurance, the Market
leaders and helps publicize their ef- Access Program — which develops
forts so that others can build upon the
good governance practices they have
initiated in their communities.
“As we move forward in these
testing times, good governance is
most important as we attempt to meet
the public safety, economic, environmental and technological challenges
facing America’s counties,” said
Don Stapley, NACo president. “As
a nation we are fortunate that so
many of our county leaders have
long since understood this, and have
the inquisitiveness to develop needed
solutions.”
Award winners receive an engraved hand-crafted plaque they can
display in their county, recognition at
the 2009 NACo Annual Conference
in Nashville/Davidson County,
Tenn. and a $5,000 college scholarship to present to a graduating high
school senior from their county.
Applications and information
about the 2009 NACo County Courthouse Awards are now available on
the NACo Web site at www.naco.org
under the “Awards” section. Applications must be received by May 9 to
be considered. If you have questions,
please contact NACo Associate
Legislative Directors Dalen Harris
or Erik Johnston at 202/393-6226
or by e-mail at dharris@naco.org or
ejohnston@naco.org.
Reconciliation has become the
center issue in the current budget
process because of health care reform. A strategic consideration for
accomplishing health care reform
is to use the reconciliation process,
which would not be subject to a
filibuster in the Senate. Reconciliation is a parliamentary maneuver
that allows budget measures to
pass the Senate by simple majority,
rather than the 60 votes required to
overcome a filibuster.
Senate Budget Committee
Chairman Kent Conrad’s (D-N.D.)
version did not include reconcilia-
Apply for NACo’s
County Courthouse
Awards by May 9
BY
ERIK JOHNSTON
ASSOCIATE LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR
NACo is now accepting applications for the 2009 County Courthouse
Awards. Established in 2001, the
awards are sponsored by Siemens
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/Classifieds representative
Christopher Johnson
National Accounts representative
Beverly Schlotterbeck
(202) 393-6226 • FAX (202) 393-2630
Published biweekly except August by:
National Association of Counties
Research Foundation, Inc.
25 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.,
Ste. 500, Washington, D.C. 20001
(202) 393-6226 | FAX (202) 393-2630
E-mail | cnews@naco.org
Online address | www.countynews.org
The appearance of paid advertisements in Coun ty
News in no way implies support or endorsement by the
National Association of Counties for any of the products,
services or messages advertised. Periodicals postage
paid at Washington D.C. and other offices.
Mail subscriptions are $100 per year for non-members.
$60 per year for non-members purchasing multiple copies. Educational institution rate, $50 per year. Member
county supplemental subscriptions are $20 each. Send
payment with order and address changes to NACo, 25
Massachusetts Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001.
POSTMASTER: send address changes to
County News, 25 Massachusetts Ave. N.W.,
Ste. 500, Washington, D.C. 20001
(USPS 704-620) ■ (ISSN: 0744-9798)
© National Association of Counties
Research Foundation, Inc.
agricultural export markets — and
the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which shares
the cost of controlling runoff from
fields and feedlots.
Debate over the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA)
portion of the budget has centered
on subsidy cuts, specifically the
president’s proposed phase-out of
direct payments over three years to
farmers with sales revenue of more
than $500,000 annually. NACo supports full funding for all titles of the
2008 Farm Bill including support
for family farms, EQIP and crop
insurance.
NACo’s priority programs
within USDA that provide funding
for renewable energy, rural development, and support for young and
beginning farmers are not singled
out for cuts or boosts in funding by
congressional budget committees.
However, the lower overall
discretionary funding levels for
domestic programs in the House
and Senate budget blueprints, lowers the likelihood of the president’s
proposed increases to USDA Rural
Development programs. The president’s budget included $26 billion
in discretionary funding for USDA,
a $2 billion increase.
The president’s proposed discretionary funding level for all agencies is cut by $7 billion in the House
and $15 billion in the Senate.
Employment and Training
Resolutions support the president’s
requests to fund employment and
training programs. Both resolutions
build on the investments made
in employment and training programs provided in the economic
recovery package, particularly in
high-growth industry sectors, such
as health care and green energy
technologies.
The House Budget Resolution
also includes funding for unemployment insurance claimants. The
chairman’s version includes a setaside of $10 million for FY10, and
provides additional appropriations
of up to $50 million for in-person
reemployment services and eligibility assessments for unemployment
insurance claimants.
Energy and Environment
The Senate bill has more detail
than the House bill and proposes
to fully fund the president’s request
for the Environmental Protection
Agency.
It specifically mentions $3.9
billion for the Clean Water and
Drinking Water State Revolving
Funds, and accommodates increases in Superfund, brownfields
and water infrastructure priorities
at the Army Corps of Engineers.
See FY10 BUDGET page 13
4 April 6, 2009
CountyNews
County
News •
County employee commutes to work ‘green-style’
BY
CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
In an era of global warming
and deteriorated air quality,
Diana Buckley is doing her part
to go green. Director of human
services in Ellis County, Texas,
Buckley doesn’t carpool or ride
mass transit to get to work. She
drives a golf cart.
“Last summer, when gas
reached $4 a gallon, my husband
Glyn and I started brainstorming
ideas to improve air quality while
saving money on fuel,” said Buckley. “After some extensive research,
we decided to put that money
towards buying a golf cart.”
With driving a golf cart that can
go up to 12 miles per hour, there
are certain laws one must follow.
First, you must post a slow moving
vehicle sign on the back of the cart
to alert other drivers. Second, the
cart does not have to be licensed
unless it has the ability to go over
20 miles per hour. Lastly, the cart
must only be driven on roads with
posted speed limits of 35 miles
per hour or less, unless a city or
county ordinance prohibits their
operation.
The reaction of the cart driving
through town has been positive.
From people in the McDonald’s
drive-thru to town residents, people
can’t get enough of the cart.
“Whether it’s going though the
drive-thru or going to garage sales,
everyone loves the cart,” Buckley
added. “This idea works because
of the support of the residents
and how we’re a small town, not
a metropolis.”
Buckley has a planned route so
that she is not on many busy streets
except for the necessity of traveling
down Main Street for about half
a block. The golf cart runs up to
eight hours per charge and is very
practical to use.
“The cart runs quiet and while
at a stoplight, I am not emitting any
exhaust fumes since it is electric,”
Buckley said.
Profiles in Service
» Rocky Lopes
Program Director
NACo Community Services
Living only a mile and half
away from the county courthouse
where she works, Buckley drives
her cart to work and around town
on a regular basis. Now instead
of filling up their car every other
week, the Buckleys only have to
fill it every other month.
Charging the cart is a breeze as
all it needs is to be plugged into an
outlet. According to Buckley, the
electric bill has not seen any fluctuation since purchasing the cart.
As for advice to counties and
their residents, “Pick something
sustainable that you can do to help
the environment. We’ve made huge
Photo courtesy of Ellis County, Texas
advances in air quality the last 30
years but we need to do more,” Director of human resources Diana Buckley drives her green-friendly golf
cart to the courthouse in Ellis County, Texas.
Buckley said.
UPDATE
GASB issues new accounting,
financial reporting standards
GASB Statement No. 54, Fund
Balance Reporting and Governmental
Fund Type Definitions, is designed
to improve this information by
providing clearer, more structured
fund balance classifications and by
clarifying the definitions of existing governmental fund types.
GASB developed Statement 54
The Government Accounting
Standards Board (GASB) has
issued new standards of accounting and financial reporting that
will affect all counties and are
intended to improve the clarity and
consistency of the fund balance
information provided to financial
report users.
Word Search
Number of years active in NACo: 3
Education: B.S. in microbiology, B.A. in education, and a master’s
in general administration, University of Maryland
The hardest thing I’ve ever done: help my uncle live with dignity
until his peaceful death
Three people (living or dead) I’d invite to dinner: Abraham
Lincoln, Carl Albert and Helen Keller
A dream I have is to: ride a Harley from the North to the South
Islands of New Zealand.
You’d be surprised to learn that I: won a national skydiving
championship.
The most adventurous thing I’ve ever done is: jumping out of a
perfectly good airplane at over 50,000 feet.
My favorite way to relax is: ride my Harley with my HOG
Chapter.
I’m most proud of: my parents and my other half.
Every morning I read: The Washington Post.
My favorite meal is: my own homemade ravioli.
My pet peeve is: abandoned shopping carts in handicapped parking places.
My motto is: Life is short; show those you love that you love
them.
The last book I read was: Andreotti, un misterio impenetrable by
Guilio Andreotti (in Italian).
My favorite movie is: It’s a Wonderful Life.
My favorite music is: anything on the piano.
My favorite president is: John F. Kennedy.
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OREGON
TEXAS
UTAH
WASHINGTON
WYOMING
Created by Christopher Johnson
to address the diversity of practice
and the resulting lack of consistency that has evolved in this widely
used area of state and local government financial reports. The new
standards establish a hierarchy of
fund balance classifications — how
resources reported in governmental
funds may be used.
Governments are required
to implement Statement 54 for
fiscal years beginning after June
15, 2010.
A news release, plain-language
article and fact sheet on Statement
54 may be accessed through the
GASB’s Web site. Statement 54
(product code GS54) can be ordered through the GASB’s order
department at 800/748-0659 or
online at www.gasb.org.
GASB Seeks information
from County OPEB
Implementers
The GASB has dedicated a portion of its Web site to its “other postemployment benefits” (OPEB)
standards. Choose “OPEB” on the
left side of the homepage to access
audits already available online.
This section of the Web site, the
Statements 43/45 Resource Center,
includes a list of governments
that have already implemented the
standards. There are currently no
county governments on the site.
If you have implemented statements 43 or 45, or both, you are
encouraged to include it on the
site, please notify the GASB by
contacting Kip Betz via e-mail at
jcbetz@gasb.org.
• County
CountyNews
News
April 6, 2009 5
FCC developing national strategy to bring broadband to rural areas
BROADBAND from page 1
That’s precisely what Ottawa
County did, working with iPCS
Wireless Inc., a Sprint affiliate.
As an incentive, county and
local officials — whenever possible
— expedited permitting, zoning
approvals and site assessments that
were needed for iPCS to upgrade
and expand its existing wireless
network. Local officials also helped
to identify public structures in the
county that could be used to install
broadband transmitters and assisted
in marketing the availability of the
network in underserved, rural areas.
“Sprint is offering a fair-market rate
for co-location, so the local units
of government are acquiring additional revenue off of that,” Sachs
explained.
“It was a win-win by the fact that
we weren’t expending any tax dollars
to provide that service to rural areas,
and Sprint was able to increase its
return because they’re hitting a whole
new demographic who they wouldn’t
have otherwise targeted without this
partnership,” he added.
As of last month, 30 tower sites
had been outfitted with an Evolution
Data Optimized (EVDO) mobile
broadband technology — which offers download speeds nearly 21 times
faster than dial-up. An unlimited-use
plan costs $59.99 per month, which
can seem steep to some.
“It does sound like a lot to some
folks,” Sachs said. “Other folks are
like, ‘I don’t care what I have to pay;
I need this.’ Subscribers receive an
“instant rebate” of up to $200 off the
cost of wireless access cards for their
computers and up to 20 percent off
the cost of optional equipment such
as wireless Internet routers.
“We have had people contact our
office who own businesses outside
of the state of Michigan, who have
heard about what we’re trying to
accomplish, and they’ve wanted to
relocate here because of the commitment that we have to provide
broadband services,” Sachs said.
areas still lacking broadband where
it’s a little more physically challenging to expand into those areas and
let’s see if the stimulus funding could
potentially help us fill this gap,” said
Paul Sachs, a management analyst
with the county.
The Recovery Act splits money
for broadband grants, loans and
loan guarantees between two federal agencies: The U.S. Commerce
Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will receive $4.7
billion, and the Rural Utility Service
(RUS), under the Department of
Agriculture, will receive $2.5 billion.
The NTIA money includes $350
million for broadband mapping.
Concurrent with the Recovery
Act’s broadband initiative, the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) is undertaking the task of
developing a national broadband
strategy over the next 12 months, as
required by the 2008 Farm Bill.
Thirty-eight percent of rural
Americans have broadband access
at home, according to a 2008 study
by the Pew Internet & American Life
Project. For all Americans, the figure
is 55 percent.
The FCC recently concluded a
series of nationwide roundtables
on NTIA/RUS coordination — in
Washington, D.C., Arizona and
Nevada — to receive public input
The meetings were webcast live
and are archived and transcribed
for continued access at www.ntia.doc.
gov/broadbandgrants/meetings.html.
NTIA and RUS are receiving
public comments through April 13,
and counties — which are eligible for
both programs — are encouraged to
give their feedback.
“Counties around the country
have a long-recognized the need for
broadband, and we really believe it
could be an economic engine for us,”
said Jeff Arnold, NACo’s deputy
legislative director, speaking at the
March 16 roundtable in Washington. Farm Bill Also Addresses
“We think public-private partner- Broadband
ships are a critical element of any
NACo along with the National
sort of process going forward.”
Association of Telecommunications
In Case You Missed It ...
News to Use from Past County News
X COPS Funding Applications due April 14
Of immediate importance to county officials is the announcement by the director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing
Services (COPS) program in the Department of Justice (DOJ) that
the DOJ released funding on March 16 for competitive grants.
Counties have until Tuesday, April 14, to request consideration
for funding. Counties can apply by going to the DOJ’s Web site:
www.cops.usdoj.gov.
Photo courtesy of Ottawa County, Mich.
This water tank in Ottawa County, Mich.’s Grand Haven Township is
among the public infrastructure used to expand broadband access in
the county.
Officers and Advisors (NATOA)
recently submitted comments to the
FCC, on implementation of the 2008
Farm Bill’s broadband provisions.
In the document, the commenters
urged the FCC to create a plan to
deploy broadband networks for rural
consumers that are comparable those
available in urban and suburban
areas.
“The farmer in Indiana selling
his commodities on the Chicago
Exchange via a satellite subscription
requires the same high level of service
as the stock market trader located
on the West Coast,” NACo and
NATOA wrote. “Simply because the
ends may differ from metropolitan
areas, the means by which rural
Americans stay connected are no
different, and citizens demand the
same level of connectivity and choice
regardless of where they live.”
The comments also quoted
Earl Fisher, a Columbia County,
Ore. commissioner as saying, “Our
economic development and maintenance of our rural communities
depend on the availability of up-todate technology.”
Fisher told County News about
a site on the Columbia River that
the county would like to develop
for industry, but it has no direct
high-speed Internet access. “Large
areas of the county do not have good
access to broadband and we believe
that’s holding back some economic
development,” he said in a telephone
interview. “Industry would have to
work at jury-rigging some kind of
arrangement.”
His county is exploring whether
stimulus funding might be an option.
“As we’ve looked through that,
trying to figure exactly how all that
might flow and where it might go to;
it appears there might be some possibilities,” he said. “But it seems to
be so fluid at the moment; it’s hard
to tell exactly how we could put
together a specific recommendation
or request. We’re working on that
as we speak.”
6 April 6, 2009
CountyNews
County
News •
Recovery Act Funding Guide
Federal Program / Web Info
Agriculture and Rural Affairs
USDA Rural Development
Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program
www.rurdev.usda.gov/recd_map.html
PREPARED BY NACO LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS STAFF
Purpose
Funding
Distribution
Rural Utilities Service’s Broadband Program
$968 million
grants, $2.8 billion
direct loans
Critical community facilities, such as healthcare, education,
$63 million grants,
fire and rescue, jails, day care, community centers and librar- $1.2 billion direct
ies
loans
To support grants, loans and loan guarantees for rural broad- $2.5 billion
band infrastructure
Business and Industry Loan Guarantee Program
Guaranteed loans to support and expand rural businesses of $3.0 billion
all sizes
Rural Business Enterprise Grant Program
Available to public bodies to help encourage the development of small and emerging private businesses
Rural Community Facilities Program
Rural water and wastewater infrastructure
Rural Housing Programs (Single Family Hous- Direct and Guaranteed single family housing loans to help
ing Loans)
rural families and individuals buy homes and bolster the rural
housing market.
USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)
Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations To purchase and restore floodplain easements and investProgram
ment in both structural and non-structural watershed infrahttp://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app
structure improvements
Watershed Rehabilitation Program
To rehabilitate aging flood control infrastructure
http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app
USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA)
Direct Operating Farm Loan Program
Provides direct loans to farmers and ranchers, especially behttp://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app
ginning farmers and socially disadvantaged producers. These
loans will be used to purchase items such as farm equipment,
feed, seed, fuel and other operating expenses.
Community and Economic Development
Community Development Block Grant
Community and econonic development projects
www.hud.gov/recovery
Neighborhood Stabilization Program
Purchase/rehab of vacant and abandoned properties
Homeless Assistance Emergency Grants
Short term rental assistance, housing relocation and stabilizawww.hud.gov/recovery
tion services
Public Housing Capital Fund
Building repair and construction projects in local communiwww.hud.gov/recovery
ties
Lead Paint Abatement
Eliminate lead poisoning as public health threat to children
Economic Development Assistance
Address economic dislocation and job loss in rural areas and
www.eda.gov
urban cores
Environment, Energy and Land Use
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block
Increase energy efficiency and conservation while reducing
Grant (EECBG) Program
greenhouse gas emissions
www.eecbg.energy.gov
Clean and Drinking Water State Revolving
Water/Wastewater improvements, green infrastructure water
Funds (SRF)
projects
www.epa.gov/water/eparecovery
Brownfields
www.epa.gov/brownfields
Diesel Emission Reduction Act
www.epa.gov/otaq/eparecovery/index.htm
Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs
Build America Bonds
www.treas.gov/recovery/programs.shtml
Cleaning up brownfields
Reducing diesel emissions through retrofitting vehicles
Any governmental purpose
Health
Medicaid: Federal Medical Assistance Percentage To reduce the non-federal share of Medicaid
www.hhs.gov/recovery/programs/
medicaidfmap.html
$20 million
$11.5 billion
Discretionary Competitive
through USDA Rural Development state office
Discretionary Competitive,
rulemaking for distribution is
still in process
through USDA Rural Development Partner Lenders
through USDA Rural Development Partner Lenders
$290 million
Funding is already allocated to
backlog projects
$50 million
Funding is already allocated to
backlog projects
$173 million
through FSA
$1.0 billion
Formula
$1.5 billion
$2.0 billion
Formula
$4.0 billion
Formula 3 B & discretionary 1 B
$100 million
$150 million
$3.2 overall,
$2.8 billion to formula grants
$4 billion for the
Clean Water SRF
and $2 billion for
the Drinking Water SRF
$100 million in
competitive grants
$300 million
Formula, however, all applicants must apply officially for
the funds
State determined
Unlimited amount Discretionary Competitive;
of BABs may be
Treasury has yet to issue guidissued in 2009 or
ance
2010
$87 billion
Formula
See FUNDING GUIDELINES page 7
• County
CountyNews
News
April 6, 2009 7
FUNDING GUIDELINES from page 6
Health Continued ...
Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH)
www.hhs.gov/recovery/cms/dsh.html
Health IT Implementation Grants
Health IT Incentive Payments
Community Health Centers
www.hhs.gov/recovery/hrsa/healthcentergrants.html
Public Health - Prevention and Wellness
Human Services and Education
Senior Nutrition
www.hhs.gov/recovery
Community Services Block Grant
Head Start
Early Head Start
Foster Care and Adoption Assistance
Purpose
Funding
Distribution
To help hospitals that serve a significantly disproportionate
number of low-income patients
$269 million
Formula
For a state or qualified state-designated entity to facilitate
and expand the electronic movement and use of health information among organizations
Encourage Medicare and Medicaid providers to adopt and
meaningfully use health information technology
To support renovations and repairs, investments in health
information technology, and critically needed health care
services in Federally Qualified Health Centers
To carry out evidence-based clinical and community-based
prevention and wellness strategies that deliver specific, measurable health outcomes that address chronic disease rates
$2 billion
$17 billion
Formula
$2 billion
$650 million
Increase the number of meals provided, which could increase $100 million: $65
equipment purchase if necessary.
million congregate
meals, $32 million
home-delivered
meals, $3 million
Tribal grantees
Can be used for current allowable activities, but program
$1 billion
instructions not out yet
Instructions not out yet
$1 billion
Formula, states must provide
98% to eligible CSBG agencies
Formula to current grantees
Instructions not out yet
$1 billion
Increase funding available for maintenance payments under $186 million
IV-E, but not administration. State must qualify for Medicaid
increase.
TANF emergency contingency funds
Very flexible, includes improving program access, short-term $5 billion
assistance, and subsidized employment. Instructions not out
yet.
Child Care Development Block Grant
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Administration
www.usda.gov
State Fiscal Stabilization Fund
www.ed.gov
Instructions not out yet, but includes a maintenance of effort $2 billion
provision
Increases in administrative costs due to higher caseloads
$300 million: $150
million each in FY
2009 and 2010
81.8% must be used to restore state education funds to
$53.6 billion; $48.6
their FY 08 or 09 levels through the regular elementary and billion by formula;
secondary education formula. Can be used to prevent layoffs. $5 billion competiRemaining funds can be used for public safety and other
tive
government services and distributed to local education agencies and can be used plus school modernization, renovation
and repair
Current usage, including school improvements. There are
$10 billion, $5 billimitations in use of funds for administration.
lion of which available at the end of
March
Current usage, including professional development, but
$11.3 billion for
there are limitations in use of funds for administration. Sec- Part B state grants,
retary has waiver authority
50% of which to
be awarded by the
end of March
Title I Elementary and Secondary Education
www.ed.gov
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
www.ed.gov
Justice and Public Safety
COPS Hiring
For hiring and rehiring of career law enforcement officers
$1 billion
www.cops.usdoj.gov
Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) JAG funds can be spent on law enforcement programs,
$2 billion
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/recovery
prosecution and court programs prevention and education
programs, corrections and community corrections, drug treatment, planning, evaluation and technology
To improve the functioning of the criminal justice system,
$225 million
Byrne Competitive Grant Program
youth mentoring, and victims of crime other than compensawww.ojp.usdoj.gov/recovery
tion)
Formula, based on current program and population over 60;
through the existing State and
Area Agencies on Aging System
Based on the Medicaid 6.2 percentage point formula increase,
but not the unemployment
increase. Locally administered
system pass through language
applies.
Based on increases in caseloads,
one-time non-recurring assistance, or subsidized employment. States must apply
Current formula
Formula to states based on
current share and increased
caseloads
61% based on state share of
individuals aged 5 to 24 and
39% on share of population.
To be awarded in two phases.
And includes a maintenance of
effort provision
Current formula
Current formula
n/a
See FUNDING GUIDELINES page 8
8 April 6, 2009
CountyNews
County
News •
FUNDING GUIDELINES from page 7
Purpose
Funding
Distribution
Justice and Public Safety Continued ...
Rural Law Enforcement
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/recovery
Labor and Employment
WIA Title I Adult and Employment Training
www.doleta.gov.programs/general_info.cfm
To prevent and combat crime, especially drug related.
$125 million
Formula
Funding to states to facilitate the increased training of individuals for high-demand occupations
$500 million
WIA Title I Youth Activities
www.doleta.gov/youth_services
Funds to create summer employment opportunities for
people under 24 years old
$1.2 billion
WIA Title I Dislocated Workers
www.doleta.gov/programs/ETA_default.cfm?#
Youthbuild
www.doleta.gov
Public Lands
Bureau of Land Management - Management
of Lands & Resources
www.doi.gov/recovery
Funds to provide quality employment and training services to $1.25 billion
assist individuals in finding gainful employment
Funds to provide education and employment skills to at risk $50 million
youth.
Formula to states with suballocation to local workforce
boards
Formula to states with suballocation to local workforce
boards
Formula to states with suballocation to local governments
Discretionary
Projects on all Bureau managed lands including deferred
maintenance, abandoned mine and well site remediation,
road and trail maintenance, watershed improvement, and
high priority habitat restoration
Bureau of Land Management - Contruction
Road, bridge and trail repair or decommissioning, critical
deferred maintenance projects, facilities construction and
renovation, and remediation of abandoned mine and well
sites on all Bureau managed lands
Fish and Wildlife - Resource Management
Deferred maintenance and capital improvement projects,
trail maintenance, and habitat restoration on National
Wildlife Refuges, National Fish Hatcheries, and other Service
properties
Fish and Wildlife - Construction
Construction, reconstruction and repair, critical deferred
maintenance and capital improvement projects, road maintenance, energy conservation projects and habitat restoration
on National Wildlife Refuges, National Fish Hatcheries and
other Service properties
National Park Service - Operation
Repair and rehabilitation of facilities and other infrastrucwww.doi.gov/recovery
ture, trail maintenance projects and other critical infrastructure needs
National Park Service - Construction & MainMajor facility construction, road maintenance, abandoned
tainance
mine cleanup, equipment replacement, and preservation and
rehabilitation of historic assets
Interior - Wildland Fire Management
High-priority hazardous fuels reduction projects on Federal
lands
USDA Fire Service - Wildland Fire Management Hazardous fuels reduction, forest health protection, rehabiliwww.fs.fed.us/recovery
tation and hazard mitigation activities on State, Private, and
Federal lands
USDA Fire Service - Capital Improvement &
Reconstruction, capital improvement, decommissioning, and
Maintainance
maintenance of forest roads, bridges and trails; alternative
www.fs.fed.us/recovery
energy technologies, and deferred maintenance at Federal
facilities; and remediation of abandoned mine sites, and
other related critical habitat, forest improvement and watershed enhancement projects
Telecommunications and Technology
NTIA Broadband Technologies Opportunity
Broadband deployment
Program
www.ntia.doc.gov/broadbandgrants/index.html
Rural Utilities Service
Broadband deployment
http://www.usda.gov/rus/
Transportation
Highway Infrastructure
General highway, bridge construction, through the state or
www.dot.gov/recovery
MPOs
Supplemental Discretionary Grants
Highways, rural roads, bridges, for projects between $20 milwww.dot.gov/recovery
lion and $300 million
Urbanized Area Formula Program
Transit in urban areas
Rural and Small Areas Formula Program
Transit in non-urban areas
New Starts Program
Commuter rail, light rail, bus transit
Fixed Guideways
Airport Improvement Program
$125 million
$180 million
$165 million
$115 million
$146 million
$589 million
$15 million
$650 million
Project Grants
$500 million
Project Grants
$4.7 billion
$2.5 billion
Discretionary Competitive,
loans and loan guarantees
$27.5 billion
Formula
$1.5 billion
$5.52 billion
Formula
$690 million
Formula
$750 million
Competitive for under construction or “shovel ready”
within 150 days
Transit
$750 million
Airports, runways, taxiways
$1.1 billion
(normally formula)
• County
CountyNews
News
April 6, 2009 13
Thomas Widener, Winnebago County, Wis., has a question Clayton County, Ga. public safety officials trade observations at the conference: (l-r) Sgt. Karimah Fanning; Lt. Shawn
during the workshop on immigration.
Johnson; and Sheriff Kem Kimbrough Sr.
Deficit-neutral reserve funds proposed for health care reform, child support
FY10 BUDGET from page 3
The House resolution does for education is not expected to be
not provide specifics on housing controversial.
Both bills include deficit-neutral functions.
reserve funds for energy legislation,
Justice, Public Safety (JPS)
including green jobs, renewable Human Services and
and Homeland Security
energy, conservation and efficiency, Education
There is very little detail to report
and modernizing the electric grid.
The House budget resolution on JPS programs. The Senate bill
has a deficit-neutral reserve fund for only mentions that the Community
Housing
child support legislation, including Oriented Policing Service (COPS)
The Senate budget resolution a “sense of Congress” amendment program and other local law enprovides increased funding for the stating that further legislation is forcement programs are a priority.
Community Development Block needed to ensure states’ ability to The House bill doesn’t give details
Grant (CDBG) program to support collect child support. The Senate on law enforcement, and neither bill
state and local government hous- doesn’t have this provision.
gives homeland security details.
ing and community development
Both the House and Senate
efforts. The resolution also includes reserve funds for reauthorization Public Lands and Interior
a deficit-neutral reserve fund that of the child nutrition programs and
would allow for additional invest- increases in the Pell Grant Program. Committees’ proposals are consistent
ments in housing assistance, and Both bills address the need for greater with the president’s FY10 budget
supports funding for Public Hous- investment in early childhood edu- request for the Department of the
ing, Hope VI Distressed Housing cation, but seem to take a slightly Interior (DOI) and the USDA ForProgram, Housing for Disabled different approach, with the Senate est Service. A key budget highlight
and Elderly, Section 8 tenant-based referring to Head Start and the includes USDA Forest Service and
voucher program and the project- House to home visitation programs. Department of the Interior full
based Section 8 program.
Additionally, the Senate calls for funding of the 10-year average for
The Senate proposal follows increased funding for elementary wildland fire suppression costs ($1.1
the president’s request, which and secondary education.
billion). In addition, the proposals
Both bills also propose further assume that an additional $357 milincluded $4.5 billion ($4.1 billion in formula) to fully fund the increases to the Low Income Home lion will be provided if appropriated
Community Development Block Energy Assistance Program. These funds are exhausted and the severity
Grants (CDBG), $1.97 billion for increases are in line with the presi- of the fire season requires additional
the HOME Investments Partner- dent’s budget request.
funding.
ship Program, and $1 billion to
The House budget resolution
Both House and Senate versions
fund the Affordable Housing Trust includes $1 billion in reconciliation assume increases for USDA Forest
Fund passed last year as part of the instructions to the Education and Service and DOI program areas
Housing and Economic Recovery Labor Committee for changes to including forest service operations,
Act of 2008 to finance, rehabilitate federal student aid programs, while funding for land acquisitions through
and preserve affordable housing for the Senate doesn’t. Unlike health the Land and Water Conservation
very low-income families.
care reform, however, reconciliation Fund (LWCF), water reclamation
projects, funding to assess and
respond to the impacts of climate
change on wildlife, and new reforms
for fee structure, royalties, and other
federal payments related to oil, gas
and other mineral development on
federal lands.
The most important highlight
for public land counties relates to
Secure Rural Schools and Payment
in Lieu of taxes programs. Conrad,
the senate budget chairman, included
a new reserve fund for deficit-neutral
legislation that would reauthorize
the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act of
2000 (Public Law 106–393) or make
changes to the Payments in Lieu
of Taxes Act of 1976 (Public Law
94–565), or both.
Tax Relief
The House budget chairman’s bill
includes a number of deficit-neutral
reserve funds, including one that
provides for tax relief that supports
working families, businesses, states
and communities. In general, reserve
funds are used to adjust a committee’s
spending allocation after the budget
resolution is adopted, providing
the committee with some spending
flexibility. However, deficit-neutral
reserve funds cannot be used if doing
so increases the deficit or decreases
any surplus. Deficit-neutral reserve
funds have also been proposed for
health care reform, increasing energy
independence and child support.
The Senate and House chairmens’
versions would extend through 2011
the deduction for state and local sales
taxes from federal returns. Currently,
the deduction is set to expire Dec.
31, 2009.
Transportation
For FY10, the transportation
function in the House budget
resolution calls for $73.9 billion in
budget authority and $88.1 billion
in outlays. The high outlay figure
is due to stimulus spending and the
lower budget authority number is
due to past rescissions of contract
authority. The bill does not include
extra funds for the reauthorization
of the highway and transit bill,
scheduled to occur this year. Rather
it is addressed in a deficit-neutral
reserve fund that allows for more
spending if additional funds are
raised and flow into the Highway
Trust Fund.
The Senate budget resolution
seems to follow the same path and
also creates a deficit-neutral reserve
fund to address future highway
and transit spending. The Senate
resolution also does not adopt the
Obama administration’s change
to how the transportation trust
funds would be handled in the
appropriations process. Finally,
the Senate includes $1 billion for
high-speed rail for 2010 on top
of the $8 billion included in the
stimulus legislation.
14 April 6, 2009
CountyNews
County
News •
2009 Legislative Conference Workshop Summaries
LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE
BONUS
REPORT
County officials who attended
NACo’s 2009 Legislative Conference had their pick of a variety of
meetings and educational sessions
geared to support their efforts as
local government leaders. The
following are some highlights of
those sessions.
March 9
Weathering the Financial
Storm: Ways to Keep
Your County Afloat
The “most buzz” has been about a
special type of Build America Bonds,
called Recovery Zone Bonds, which
can be used to finance economic
development in “distressed areas.”
Build America Bonds allow institutions and individuals to purchase
a type of bond that gives holders a
tax credit in addition to their bond
interest, or to get a higher interest rate
in exchange for allowing the issuer
to receive the tax credit.
Connolly said the municipal
bond market “must be revived.”
He’s hopeful that Congress will
introduce legislation later this year
to accomplish that and is working
toward that end.
Staff contact: Steve Traylor,
202/942-4254, straylor@naco.org
Who spoke?
• Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), Climate Change: Is the
U.S. House of Representatives
Clock Ticking in Your
• Thomas Lancto, investment County?
banker, Williams Blair and Co.,
Who spoke?
Chicago
• Vicki Arroyo, executive director,
Georgetown University Law
What participants learned:
Center,
Climate Resource Center
Lancto discussed the Recovery
•
Phyllis
Cuttino, Pew Center on
Act’s provisions that benefit municiGlobal
Climate
Change
pal bond issuers. He also serves as an
•
Kathleen
Hogan,
director,
advisor to the Government Finance
climate
protection
partnerships,
Officers Association.
“There are no silver bullets in this U.S. EPA
• Tom Mullikin, attorney, Moore
Recovery Act for municipal bonds,”
and
Van Allen, Charlotte, N.C.
he said. The IRS and the House
Ways and Means Committee “hate
tax-exempt bonds.” “There’s some What participants learned:
Arroyo said at least 23 states and
fear that some of the provisions in
more
than 800 localities have climate
the Recovery Act represent the first
action
plans to reduce greenhouse
step in limiting the availability of
the tax exemption for state and local gases. Businesses are concerned
about growing state action and
governments.”
However, he said, the Recovery whether it creates a patchwork of
Act contains a number of provisions laws. She said her center (www.
to help municipal bonds issuers law.georgetown.edu/gcc) exists as
to broaden the use of bonds for a resource for states and others,
economic development and green providing information on legislaprojects, and to broaden the investor tion, regulation, transportation and
base of buyers of counties’ bonds. land use, and other complementary
National Association of State
Energy Officials
• Chris Mele, legislative directorenergy, National Association of
Regulatory Utility Commissioners
(NARUC)
All photos by David Hathcox
Vicki Arroyo, executive director, Georgetown University Law Center, Climate Resource Center, says businesses are concerned that state-by-state
action to reduce greenhouse gases will create a patchwork of laws.
policies that are often handled at the
county, borough or parish level.
Cuttino said to expect a “more
frenzied” pace this year in Congress
regarding bills dealing with global
warming and energy. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)
wants a global warming and energy
bill by the end of the year, she
said. This is significant because
it bundles both issues; previously
Reid had considered dealing with
each issue separately. The House is
expected to adopt the same legislative strategy.
Mullikin cautioned local leaders
not to forget that global climate
change requires a global solution,
not only a domestic one. He said
U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are
eclipsed by the rest of the world’s.
“If we continue to give half the
world’s emitters a pass,” he said,
“point sources of emissions are
going to those areas of the world
where there is no regulation or scant
regulation”— which could hurt
U.S. jobs.
EPA has a variety of energyefficiency help available to local
governments, Hogan said, such as
technical resources, opportunities
for peer-to-peer exchanges and
best-practice documents. These
include information about the
transportation sector, urban planning, improving building efficiency
and tools for benchmarking energy
efficiency.
Staff contact: Julie Ufner,
202/942-4269, jufner@naco.org
Department of Housing and Urban
Development
• Sharon Price, director of policy,
National Housing Conference
The new housing stimulus
package (P.L. 110-289) includes
many provisions that will affect
county economic development. The
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes $13.61 billion for
projects and programs administered
by HUD, nearly 75 percent of which
was allocated to state and local
recipients on Feb. 25.
Stan Gilmont, director, Office
of Block Grant Assistance, U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban
Development, said that currently
27 percent of the $1 billion for the
Community Development Block
Grants (CDBG) for community and
economic development-related projects has been distributed through the
existing formula from FY08.
The bulk of the Recovery Act
is going towards helping to fix the
housing crisis fiscally by dealing
with foreclosures and physically
by retrofitting homes to make them
energy efficient, Price said.
For complete information on the
implementation of the Recovery
Act for housing, visit the HUD Web
site at www.hud.gov/recovery.
Staff Contact: Daria Daniel,
202/942-4212, ddaniel@naco.org
Bailey said $3.2 billion of
economic stimulus funding will
go to the Energy Efficiency and
Conservation Block Grant Program
(EECBG) for FY09. The program
will provide grants to states and local governments to decrease energy
consumption, increase energy efficiency, reduce fossil fuel emissions,
stimulate the economy and create
jobs. The top 10 most populous
counties in each state are eligible for
direct formula grants, those counties under 200,000 are eligible for
sub-grants. Bailey advised county
officials to partner with states, cities
and community organizations to
leverage funds and consider projects
that will keep going into the future,
such as financial incentive, green
energy and green building codes.
Genzer said local governments
might be tempted to plug budget
holes with the stimulus money, but
the new presidential administration
is watching. “If you do run-off
projects and you don’t do Energy
Star projects, we won’t get more
money in the future,” said Genzer.
Block grants include $5 billion for
weatherization programs, $4.5
billion for Smart Grid energy transmission system and $600 million
allocated for green jobs through
Smart Grid.
NARUC’s Mele said the Smart
Grid transmission system offers
positive technological advances,
but meters used with the system
have to last long enough to make
sure the new technology is transferrable.
Staff contact: Julie Ufner,
202/942-4269, jufner@naco.org
Impact of Mental Health
Parity Legislation
Who Spoke?
• Kevin Scalia, executive vicepresident of corporate development, Netsmart Technologies
The mental health parity legislaThe Future of Energy
tion, passed in October 2008, goes
Issues in the New
into effect in 2010 and updates the
Administration
1996 law, ensuring parity for mental
2008 Housing Stimulus
health and substance use disorder
and into the New
Who spoke?
treatment if individuals are also
Congress
• Mark Bailey, Office of Weath- getting physical health care. Scalia
erization and Intergovernmental said most states have strong parity
Who spoke?
Programs, U.S. Department of laws already, which include mental
U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) says he is hopeful that Congress will in• Stan Gilmont, director, Office Energy
troduce legislation later this year to revive the municipal bond market. of Block Grant Assistance, U.S.
See WORKSHOPS page 18
• Jeff Genzer, general counsel,
• County
CountyNews
News
April 6, 2009 15
Justice programs get good bump in Recovery Act
BONUS
REPORT
BY
CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
The American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 will inject $787 billion into the economy,
providing jobs and much needed
resources for states and local
communities.
Among these resources, $4 billion
will be for state and local law enforcement and other criminal and juvenile
justice activities. The Office of Justice
Programs (OJP) will administer
$2.76 billion of this funding.
Laurie O. Robinson, acting
attorney general, Office of Justice
Programs, U.S. Department of
Justice, spoke to Justice and Public
Safety Steering Committee members at their Legislative Conference
meeting last month about how the
stimulus package would be implemented throughout OJP.
“We estimate that there will be
12,000 additional grants beyond the
usual number,” Robinson said. “Our
goal is to use this money in a timely,
targeted and transparent fashion.”
The breakdown of the funding
is as follows:
• $2 billion – Edward Byrne
Memorial Justice Assistance Grant
(JAG) Program
The JAG Program, administered by the OJP’s Bureau of Justice
Assistance, allows states and local
governments to support a broad
range of activities to prevent and
control crime, and improve the
criminal justice system. The procedure for allocating JAG grants
is based on a formula of population and violent crime statistics,
in combination with a minimum
allocation to ensure that each state
and territory receives an appropriate share of funding.
Sixty percent of the allocation is
awarded to the state and 40 percent
is set aside for units of local governments.
• $225 Million – Edward Byrne
Competitive Grant Program
Byrne Competitive Grants are
similar to JAG grants and are focused
on ensuring job growth and job retention. Instead of providing grants
based on a formula, BJA administers
these funds based on a competitive
application process.
These grants help state and local
communities improve the capacity
of local justice systems and may be
used for efforts such as training or
technical assistance.
• $225 million – Assistance for
Tribal Law Enforcement (construction of jails on tribal lands)
Provides funding to help tribes
construct and renovate correctional
facilities on tribal lands used for the
incarceration of offenders subject to
tribal jurisdiction.
Rural Law Enforcement to combat
drug-related crime
Law Enforcement along the Southern Border and in High Intensity
Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA)
Some of this money will go to
the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
(ATF) agency and border patrols to
combat drug trafficking.
• $100 million – Grants for Victim Compensation and Assistance
The Recovery Act provides $100
million for victim compensation and
assistance. Of that, $47.5 million
in formula funding will be directed
to state agencies that administer
Victims of Crime Act (VOCA)
funded crime victim compensation
programs, and an additional $47.5
million in formula funding will
be directed to state agencies that
administer VOCA-funded crime
victim assistance programs.
• $50 million – Grants for
Internet Crimes Against Children
Initiatives.
Administered by the OJP’s Office
of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention Internet Crimes Against
Children (ICAC) Task Force
Program helps state and local law
enforcement agencies develop an effective response to cyber enticement
and child pornography cases. This
helps encompass forensic and investigative components, training and
technical assistance, victim services
and community education.
For a detailed breakdown of the
funding along with information on
how to apply, visit www.ojp.gov/
recovery.
Personalized E-mail Updates
Receive e-mail updates whenever
new information is posted on NACo's
Web site!
Just click on the “e-subscribe” icon
on the homepage or on one of the
many “E-mail Update” icons located
throughout the site.
www.naco.org
16 April 6, 2009
CountyNews
County
News •
Big plans underway for Earth Day 2009
BY
SUZANNE ANDREWS
ENVIRONMENTAL INTERN
It’s hard to deny: green is the new
black. It’s everywhere — in green
clothing lines, laundry detergents,
homes, roofs, cars and the government. Green is on America’s mind
and with millions of Americans
thinking green, plans are underway
to celebrate a big, yet sustainable,
Earth Day 2009 on April 22.
Broome County, N.Y. is hosting
its second annual Green Initiative
Contest to recognize businesses
with creative environmental programs that go above and beyond
regulations.
“It could be a recycling program; it could be the use of safe
chemicals; it could be anything that
has to do with pollution control or
waste management; it could have
to do with energy efficiency,” said
Broome County Legislature Chairman Daniel Reynolds.
Last year, businesses received
recognition for providing financial
incentives to consumers taking out
loans used to purchase environmentally preferable vehicles, transitioning to safer chemicals and nontoxic
cleaning products, using recycled
asphalt in road paving, hosting
a B-Green event and providing
services to improve home energy
efficiency.
Durham County, N.C. and Riley
County, Kan. are helping residents
save money by switching to energyefficient light bulbs. Both counties
were winners of last year’s County
Change the World, Start with Energy
Star Competition and will receive
1,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs
(CFLs) from Office Depot. Both
counties plan to distribute their CFLs
to low-income residents.
With volunteering and community service on the rise, counties
are asking their residents to take the
initiative. Montgomery County,
Md. is celebrating Earth Day with
volunteer projects throughout the
month of April. Already, Montgomery County Volunteer Services
has registered more than 35 projects
requesting volunteers to participate
in park and rivershed clean-ups,
monitor recycling at the Alexandria
Earth Day event or clear a local park
of invasive garlic mustard weeds.
In Onondaga County, N.Y.,
the County Resource Recovery
Agency hopes to collect 125,000
pounds of litter from public areas
for its annual Earth Day Clean-up.
But, the agency doesn’t plan on
accomplishing this alone. Last year
more than 9,800 people volunteered
and brought in more than 117,640
pounds of trash.
No stranger to volunteer cleanups, Bartow County, Ga. is inviting
residents to participate in one of nine
area clean-ups through its annual
Keep Bartow Beautiful Campaign.
Last year, more than 1,000 volunteers picked up 60,000 pounds of
litter, recycled 130,000 pounds of
paper, cans, bottles and electronics,
cleaned up 30 adopt-a-road sites,
Photo by Kane Photography
A friendly Ecostation volunteer helps attendees determine whether garbage is compostable or recyclable at
Earth Day 2008, Santa Cruz County, Calif.
and presented educational programs
throughout the community.
In Contra Costa County, Calif.
citizens are invited to join teams to
clean-up five county creeks. Following the clean-up, the county will host
an educational Earth Day festival
with tours of the recycling center,
landfill and municipal compost
facility, and wastewater treatment
plant.
Residents are not only asked to
pitch in hard labor this Earth Day,
they are also invited to party, with
Contaminated FEMA trailers sent
to county mobile home park
BY ELIZABETH PERRY
STAFF WRITER
Thirteen contaminated trailers
that were supposed to be only sold
for scrap were almost sold for housing after they ended up in a Jefferson
County, Mo. mobile home park last
month.
They were sold at a government
auction in Florida to a trucking
equipment company and then to
a mobile home park management
company that owns properties in Jefferson and in Bulloch County, Ga.
When 13 showed up in Jefferson,
Building Code Inspector John Webb
conducted a site inspection after a
mobile home park requested permisPhoto by Marvin Nauman, courtesy of FEMA
sion to use the trailers for housing.
That’s when he noticed something This 2006 photo shows a FEMA trailer park in Plaquemines Parish, located
near Port Sulphur, La. Trailers or mobile homes were provided to more
See FEMA page 24 than 140,000 families displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.
minimal environmental impact,
that is. Santa Cruz County, Calif.
is making its Earth Day celebration
a zero-waste event by recycling or
composting all waste. Attendees
are also encouraged to ride bikes
to the event and can take advantage
of free bike valet parking. The
event will feature food and wine
vendors, compost workshops,
raffles, electronic waste collection
and performances by the Singing
Scientist Peter Weiss, and Naomi
and the Curious Rudeboys.
Morris County, N.J. will also
pair live music and sustainability. Wreckin’ Ball Waldeck & the
Turtles, an environmental band
sponsored by Morris County Clean
Communities, is scheduled to perform for the county’s green celebration. Dozens of local environmental
organizations and businesses will be
available with interactive booths and
information on how to help preserve
New Jersey’s environment and live
a sustainable lifestyle.
Sustainability is also in style in
Fayette County, Ga. The county’s
festival will include presentations,
sustainability exhibits, and a green
market with eco-friendly products
and services. The county will also
provide special awards for schools
or organizations that have made
sustainability a priority.
Fayette County was also one
of 10 communities selected as
a Spotlight Conversation Com-
munity through the 2009 National
Conversation on Climate Action
event. The National Conversation
is designed to:
• spark or re-ignite community
engagement in their local government’s climate protection initiatives
• identify specific ways in which
every citizen, local business and
other key stakeholders can support
these initiatives
• chart a course of action for setting and meeting climate protection
goals, and
• elevate the collective voices of
local governments and their communities in national and international climate action dialogue.
Spotlight Conversation communities are part of an elite group that
will be highlighted nationally and
receive extensive support for Earth
Day event planning and promotion.
Other selected counties include
Sarasota County, Fla., Hennepin
County, Minn. and Los Angeles
County, Calif. Learn more at www.
climateconversation.org.
(Fortipsonhowtogreenyourcountyevents,
see NACo’s Greening County Events Tip
Sheet at www.greencounties.org. For
more information on NACo’s Green
Government Initiative please visit www.
greencounties.org or contact Kelly
Zonderwyk at kzonderwyk@naco.
org or 202/942-4224.)
Keep up with NACo online ...
www.naco.org
• County
CountyNews
News
April 6, 2009 17
MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND
AGENCIES CONTINUED ...
Todd: Forget the ‘first 50 days,’ Obama
has nine months to push initiatives
MEMORANDUM from page 2
registered under the Lobbying
Disclosure Act of 1995, 2 U.S.C.
1601 et seq.,
concerning particular projects, applications, or applicants
for funding under the Recovery
Act unless such views are in
writing.
(b) Upon the scheduling of,
and again at the outset of, any
oral communication (in-person
or telephonic) with any person or
entity concerning particular projects, applications, or applicants
for funding under the Recovery
Act, an executive department
or agency official shall inquire
whether any of the individuals
or parties appearing or communicating concerning such particular
project, application, or applicant
is a lobbyist registered under
the Lobbying Disclosure Act
of 1995. If so, the lobbyist may
not attend or participate in the
telephonic or in-person contact,
but may submit a communication
in writing.
(c) All written communications from a registered lobbyist
concerning the commitment,
obligation, or expenditure of
funds under the Recovery Act for
particular projects, applications,
or applicants shall be posted
publicly by the receiving agency
or governmental entity on its
recovery website within 3 business days after receipt of such
communication.
(d) An executive department
or agency official may communicate orally with registered
lobbyists concerning general
Recovery Act policy issues;
provided, however, that such oral
communications shall not extend
to or touch upon particular projects, applications, or applicants
for funding, and further that
the official must contemporaneously or immediately thereafter
document in writing: (i) the
date and time of the contact on
policy issues; (ii) the names of
the registered lobbyists and the
official(s) between whom the
contact took place; and (iii) a
short description of the substance
of the communication. This
writing must be posted publicly
by the executive department or
agency on its recovery website
within 3 business days of the
communication.
(e) Upon the scheduling of,
and again at the outset of, any
oral communications with any
person or entity concerning
general Recovery Act policy
issues, an executive department
or agency official shall inquire
whether any of the individuals
or parties appearing or communicating concerning such issues
is a lobbyist registered under the
Lobbying Disclosure Act. If so,
the official shall comply with
paragraph (d) above.
Sec. 4. General Provisions.
(a) The Director of OMB shall
assist and, as appropriate, issue
guidance to the heads of executive departments and agencies
to carry out their responsibilities
under this memorandum. Within
60 days of the date of this memorandum, the Director of OMB
shall review the implementation of this memorandum by
executive departments and
agencies and shall forward to
me any recommendations for
modifications or revisions to this
memorandum.
(b) This memorandum does
not apply to tax-related provisions in Division B of the
Recovery Act.
(c) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair
or otherwise affect: (i) authority
granted by law or Executive Order to an executive department,
agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) functions of the Director
of OMB relating to budgetary,
administrative, or legislative
proposals.
(d) This memorandum shall
be implemented consistent with
applicable law and all OMB
implementing guidance, and
shall be subject to the availability
of appropriations.
(e) This memorandum is not
intended to, and does not, create
any right or benefit, substantive
or procedural, enforceable at law
or in equity by any party against
the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its
officers, employees, or agents,
or any other person.
Sec. 5. Publication. The
Director of OMB is hereby authorized and directed to publish
this memorandum in the Federal
Register.
BARACK OBAMA
BONUS
REPORT
BY ELIZABETH PERRY
STAFF WRITER
In his address at the NACo
Legislative Conference, NBC News
White House Correspondent
Chuck Todd told county officials
the American public is following
the economic crisis with “extra
intensity.” He also said they are
looking to officials at all levels
of government and to the media
for answers as to how the broken
economy will be fixed.
“It’s easy to do this job when
times are good,” he said. “The
moments of test, when you
decided to run or you decided
you wanted to be appointed, was
because you thought you were
capable of handling a moment
of crisis. That is what I think
elected officials are facing, from
the president on down to folks in
local government.”
Todd said President Barack
Obama is already being critiqued
on his “first 50 days” in office, with
some critics saying he is doing too
much at once, and others saying
he is not doing enough. However,
Todd said the political reality is
that 70 percent of a president’s
accomplishments in the first year
come within nine months, while
the following four to eight years
are spent in “reactive mode.”
“Between now and Columbus
Day,” he said. “That is when you
are going to get the lion’s share of
the promises when you’re a first term
president. [That is when] you’re able
to control the situation and get to
be in charge of the initiatives you’re
pushing.”
Todd’s Observations on Obama’s
first 50 days:
• Don’t just deal with one big
issue; spread out. Todd said that
when then-first lady Hillary Clinton focused solely on health care
her opponents were given time to
organize and kill it, yet the Obama
administration is tackling health
care, the economy, the banking
crisis and energy all at once. “They
might not be able to get everything
they want to get done in his first
year,” he said. “But if they put
three or four items on the table
simultaneously, they think they
can get a lot done.”
• Look like you are trying to
build consensus. Todd said the
Obama administration is very
adept at looking as though they are
building consensus, while actually
“punting it down the road a little
bit.” One example is the closing of
Guantanamo Bay, which Obama
announced is closing in one year.
“When you read the fine print,
you find out they are not going to
release all of the prisoners; some
may never go on trial,” he said.
The first few months in office
are important for the president,
but what happens later this year is
also important for leaders in state
and local government. Todd said
the single most important number
over the next 18 months is going
to be the unemployment rate.
“What is going to happen by the
end of this summer, when I think
the unemployment rate is going
to be even higher?” he asked. “We
haven’t even seen the layoffs truly
kick in yet in a lot of places.”
He told the county officials they
would start to feel the pressure
as severance and unemployment
packages that went into effect
during the first quarter run out,
unemployment rates hit 11 percent
and the stock market continues to
slide downward.
“It’s an amazing challenge,” he
said. “I think the good news for
everybody in this room is: it was
dealing with a moment like this
that you all thought you should
be in public service — be in office
because you have the capability
of doing this at this time. People
rely on government during bad
times.”
18 April 6, 2009
CountyNews
County
News •
$17.2 billion Medicare/Medicaid incentives make electronic records
WORKSHOPS from page 14
March 10
health and substance use disorders
in private insurance plans, but
many others have no parity laws
or mandates.
While the law does cover Medicaid, Medicare is excluded because
it is included in the Medicare
Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA). Others who
are covered under the legislation
include private sector group plans,
church-sponsored plans, some
Implementing the
American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act
Who spoke?
• Dustin Brown, U.S. Office of
Management and Budget (OMB)
• David Buchanan, U.S. Justice
Department (DOJ)
• Joel Szabat, U.S. Department
of Transportation (DOT)
• Richard Turman, U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services
(HHS), deputy assistant secretary for
budget
projects, more than two-thirds
of it to be distributed as formula
funds, said Szabat, who heads
DOT’s “Tiger”— Transportation
Investment Generating Economic
Recovery Team. He said DOT has
some discretionary program grants,
including money for small shipyards and ferries. The secretary of
transportation also has $1.5 billion
for projects of national or regional
significance, especially multimodal
and intermodal projects. The
department will be developing for
eligibility guidelines for $8 billion in
high-speed rail projects within the
next one to three months, Szabat
said.
At HHS, Turman said $137 billion is available under the Recovery
Act. Among the grants directly
available to local communities are
$1 billion each for Head Start and
Early Head Start programs, and
about $1.5 billion for community
health centers. For health centers,
eligible activities include repair,
renovation and construction, as well
as additional services.
Staff contact: Ed Rosado,
202/942-4271, erosado@naco.org
What participants
Frank Sharry, executive director, America’s Voice, says the 2008 presidential
learned:
election was “a game-changer.” Latino voters’ overwhelming support of
The speakers proPresident Obama virtually obligates him to address immigration reform,
vided insights into elias his campaign promised.
gibility requirements
and application
obligated to tackle the issue. Jacoby far as I’m concerned, they haven’t
guidelines for various
said it could be in his first year, or lived up to their job, and you’re left
programs under the
his first term. Both speakers said holding the bag.”
Recovery Act. They
Obama virtually owes it to Latino
Staff contact: Stephanie Osalso stressed the “unvoters to address the issue.
born, 202/942-4235, sosborn@naco.
precedented” levels
“Election 2008 was a game- org, and Marilina Sanz, 202/942of accountability and
changer,” Sharry said. “Latino 4260, msanz@naco.org
transparency built What’s Going On with
voters, the so-called sleeping giant
the Immigration System? that never turns out, turned out and
into the legislation.
DOJ’s Buchanan
became a decisive factor. “
The Future of Health
said some of the Who spoke?
Jacoby said Obama campaigned Care: What’s On the
Kevin Scalia, executive vice-president of corporate stimulus funding is
• Tamar Jacoby, president and on doing something about immi- Horizon and How Will
development, Netsmart Technologies, updates funneled through CEO, ImmigrationWorks USA, gration reform, hence, “He’s got a You Cope With It?
workshop participants on mental health parity
the state or regional Washington, D.C.
promise, he got a constituency …
legislation.
• Frank Sharry, executive direc- and he’s got a deadline.” The last Who spoke?
planning organizaSCHIP, state and local health plans. tions. However, counties can apply tor, America’s Voice, Washington, of those being either his first year
• Dr. John E. McDonough,
Scalia said that as more people elect directly to the Justice Department’s D.C.
or his first term — if we wants to senior health policy advisor, Comto stay with private sector providers, COPS grant program. $1 billion is
carry Latino voters, should he seek mittee on Health Education Labor
it could mean lower client volume available to help local governments What participants learned:
a second term.
and Pensions
Sharry favors stronger enforcefor public health agencies. Now hire new law enforcement officers,
The nation’s economic issues
• Karen Lehman, senior directhat substance use disorders will be rehire those who have been laid off have pushed immigration reform ment against employers who hire tor, Global Public Policy, Eli Lilly
out of the foreground as a press- illegal immigrants. Jacoby works and Co.
subject to coverage, counties may or to prevent layoffs.
• Dr. Bob Coacher, National
find themselves having to shoulder
The Recovery Act includes ing issue. But Jacoby and Sharry with small and large business owna new expense.
$ 48.1 billion for transportation believe the Obama administration is ers who rely on immigrant labor. Economic Council, Obama adShe said enforcement ministration
The American Reinvestment and
designed to drive
Recovery Act will allocate $87 billion
people out is not What participants learned:
to Medicaid, with 65 percent evenly
working. Because of
Dr. McDonough gave a brief
distributed to states. The remaining
the recession, fewer overview on what the stimulus pack35 percent will go to states with the
people are coming age means to the health care system.
highest unemployment rates due to
because the work In his address to the county officials,
the recession. It will also include
isn’t there. But as the he referred to three “buckets” that
more than $20 billion for Health
economy rebounds, health organizations are looking at
Information Technology and the
“the flow is going to to bring health care reform:
development of a national infrapick up again.”
• Coverage for all Americans —
structure to communicate health
Sharr y said a even the uninsured and poor
information. Some $17.2 billion in
national solution is
• Delivery System Reform —
incentives through Medicare and
required,
not
a
local
how
to provide care, quality of
Medicaid reimbursement will enone,
and
that
overcare,
etc.,
and
able providers to adopt electronic
whelmingly,
local
•
Prevention
— find ways to
health records and the development
inform
the
public
and give prevenpolice don’t want to
of a national infrastructure to comtative
care
so
that
many
would not
do Section 287(g)
municate health information. Some
enforcement. “The need to seek medical attention.
$17.2 billion in incentives through
Founding Fathers
McDonough talked about how
Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement will enable providers to adopt Dustin Brown (l), U.S. Office of Management and Budget, gives an overview of his said Congress shall to look at the financing of such
electronic health records.
agency’s role in tracking stimulus funds. Seated are the session’s other speakers (l-r): have the responsibil- a huge overhaul and stated that
Staff contact: Bert Jarreau, David Buchanan, U.S. Justice Department; Joel Szabat, U.S. Department of Transporta- ity to regulate imSee WORKSHOPS page 19
tion; and Richard Turman, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
migration. And as
202/942-4248, bjarreau@naco.org
• County
CountyNews
News
April 6, 2009 19
Farm Bill Title IX alloted $905 million for rural energy programs
WORKSHOPS from page 18
President Obama has taken the first
step in implementing this in his first
budget outline. The U.S. Senate has
been a hub of activity over the past
eight months and is hoping to have
legislation ready this spring. “At no
point in the last 50 years has there
been such a strong alliance of leaders
working toward a common goal,”
McDonough added.
Lehman touched on health care
costs skyrocketing to where people
are forced to choose between food
and health care. “With the cost of
health care increasing, the quality
has not,” she said. “The uninsured
number in this country will surely
rise if we don’t do something about
lowering the health care cost.”
Dr. Coacher seemed optimistic
that by this time next year, Americans
will be talking about the execution of
these programs. He added that this
is a crucial time for health care and
that if nothing is done soon, it will
only be that much more difficult to
implement policy changes.
The panel closed the session by
taking numerous questions on how
the government will reform health
care so it could work like in Canada
or England.
Staff Contact: Paul Beddoe,
202/942-4234, pbeddoe@naco.org
Michael Talbett, board member, Lake County, Ill., gives an overview of how the $7.2
billion in stimulus funds will be distributed and used to speed up the development of
broadband access in unserved and underserved areas. Also pictured are Larry Whitaker,
county judge executive, McLean County, Ky., and Graham Richard, Graham Richard
Associates, LLC, mayor, Fort Wayne, Ind.
and to expand public computer center
capacity in libraries and colleges.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will receive $2.5 billion for
Rural Utility Service (RUS) funding,
which will be distributed in the form
of grants, loans and loan guarantees.
He said 75 percent of the funding
would go to rural areas without sufficient broadband speed for economic
development. Areas eligible for RUS
funding will not be eligible for NTIA
funds.
Whitaker told participants the
concerns
of counties will not be heard
Connected County: What
unless
they
are able to push their
the Recent Broadband
needs
up
to
the
state level by fostering
Legislation Means
partnerships
between
county and
to County Economic
state
associations.
Development
“If your state senator is not on
Who spoke?
board, you won’t see a nickel of that
• Michael Talbett, board mem- money,” he said.
Counties are at a disadvantage
ber, Lake County, Ill.
since
they have such a short time
• Larry Whitaker, county judge
period
to build partnerships and
executive, McLean County, Ky.
• Graham Richard, Graham write grants to access funds, but
Richard Associates, LLC, mayor,
Fort Wayne, Ind.
Talbett gave an overview of how
the $7.2 billion in economic stimulus
funds will be distributed and used
to speed up the development of
broadband access in unserved and
underserved areas. Stimulus money
will also provide $650 million for
television converter boxes.
The U.S. Department of Commerce will receive $4.7 billion, which
will go to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Broadband
Technologies Opportunities Program
(BTOP).
Funds will be available in the form
of competitive grants to be used for
infrastructure, broadband mapping,
innovative programs to create sustainable adoption of broadband services,
NACo can help them create strategy,
he added.
Richard said broadband availability was not in the top 20 reasons to
grow a business in Fort Wayne nine
years ago, but it has been the number
two reason for the past two years.
Broadband became available in 2004,
the result of meetings between public
safety officials, superintendents of
school and economic development
professionals interested in technology
to deliver services faster and more
efficiently.
Some of the ways the technology
is used include:
• remote learning — Virtual
college classrooms enable students
to learn online,
• faster access to medical records,
and
• creation of jobs through implementation of broadband infrastructure.
He told the officials that if their
counties do not have high-speed
Bert Jarreau,
reau@naco.org
broadband capability, it is like having
a flat tire on the
information superhighway.
“In your community your convening power is to get
this in place,” he
said. “Nonprofits
and for-profit companies need to help
get this up and running. This (stimulus)
money is just the
down payment on
getting broadband
up and running in
the county. It is the
largest private-sector
investment in the
country.”
Staff contact:
202/942-4248, bjar-
Maximizing Funding
Opportunities for Your
County in the New Farm
Bill
Who spoke?
• Bill Hagy, acting under secretary,
deputy administrator, Business Programs, USDA Rural Development
• Anna Pavlova, policy liaison,
25 x ‘25 Alliance
• Aleta Botts, majority staff director, Subcommittee on Specialty
Crops, Rural Development, and
Foreign Agriculture, Agriculture
Committee, U.S. House of Representatives
Hagy gave participants an
overview of the 2008 Farm Bill’s
rural development and energy provisions. He said the farm bill includes
two titles affecting
rural development.
Title VI was allotted $150 million in
mandatory funding
for traditional provisions, including
broadband, housing
and community programs, and business
programs. Title IX
received $905 million in mandatory
funding for energy
programs including
rural micro program
loans, biorefinery
assistance, repowering, bioenergy and
Rural Energy for
William F. Hagy III, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, gives county
officials an overview of what they can expect in ARRA funding. Also pictured are: America programs
(left) Anna Palova, 25 x ‘25 Alliance, and Aleta Botts (right), staff director, Subcom- to be administered
mittee on Specialty Crops, Rural Development and Foreign Agriculture, U.S. House of by the USDA Rural
Development.
Representatives.
Hagy said the USDA received
$28 billion in ARRA funding to
stimulate local economies and create
jobs, with $4.36 billion going to rural
development. Initiatives covered
include expansion of broadband
service into rural areas, business
and industry loan guarantees, rural
business enterprise grants, community facilities grants and loans,
infrastructure and housing.
The mission of 25 x ‘25 Alliance
states that by 2025 farmland, ranches
and forests in the U.S. will provide
25 percent of total energy consumed,
while producing safe and affordable
food, feed and fiber.
Pavlova said the organization
intends to meet this goal by producing transportation fuels; using solar,
wind and hydro energy; converting
biogas emissions and providing biomass to generate heat and power.
Local and state energy programs
funded through the Farm Bill
include:
• Biodiesel Fuel Education —
Competitive grants to government
and private entities to educate about
the benefits of biodiesel fuels,
• Rural Energy for America —
Existing program features loans
and grants for renewable energy
and efficiency projects by agricultural producers and rural small
businesses,
• Community Wood Energy —
Grants to states and local governments to develop community wood
energy plans, start/upgrade wood
energy systems, and
• Rural Energy Self-Sufficiency
Initiative — Grants to rural communities to increase energy selfsufficiency.
Botts said the biggest regulatory
hurdle is getting the money from
the Farm Bill and the economic
stimulus out the door in an efficient
manner. “At the same time, we
have an interest in making sure the
agency’s money is spent wisely so it
stimulates the economy and creates
jobs,” she said.
She updated participants on the
Agriculture Committee’s priorities
for the implementation of rural development and energy provisions:
• Oversight over billions of dollars
provided for rural development,
• Opportunities for the next farm
bill, because “there will be problems
with some of the new ideas,” and
• Trying to help deliver better
programs by staying in touch with
elected officials.
Staff contact: Erik Johnston,
202/942-4230, ejohnston@naco.org
(Charles Taylor, senior writer, Elizabeth
Perry, writer, and Chris Johnson,
editorial assistant contributed to this
report.)
20 April 6, 2009
CountyNews
County
News •
News From the Nation’s Counties
XFLORIDA
HERNANDO COUNTY commissioners approved a plan to sell
alcohol at specific events in its parks,
the St. Petersburg Times reported. The
first event will be a Reggae Fest at
Linda Pedersen Park in Hernando
Beach later this month, where beer
and wine will be sold in an attempt
to generate revenue for the county.
The officials voiced concern over
whether the sales revenue would
offset the extra costs of security and
liability insurance at the event.
XGEORGIA
The inventory will track everything worth at least $250 and is
expected to take a year. “In a county
government this big, you know you
are going to lose some things,” Commissioner Bill Edwards said. “It’s
just too massive. But you should
have a pretty good idea where the
majority of your stuff is.”
• FORSYTH COUNTY Manor
Water Reclamation Facility (WRF)
was named a winner of the Environmental Protection Agency’s
2008 Regional Clean Water Act
Recognition Award. It is one of six
facilities recognized in the Southeast
and one of 24 national winners. The
facility received first place regionally
and nationally for operations and
maintenance in the small discharging plant subcategory.
• FULTON COUNTY is embarking on a plan to inventory
everything it owns. While it’s difficult to overlook land or a fleet of
trucks, officials are not completely
sure what else they have or where
it is. The Atlanta Journal Constitution XKENTUCKY
reported that the job will be huge, be• PULASKI and MCCREARY
cause the county owns or rents 500 counties recently lost a decade-long
properties and has a payroll of more court battle with the American Civil
than 5,400 full-time employees.
Liberties Union of Kentucky over
the constitutionality of posting
stand-alone copies of the Ten Commandments in their courthouses.
Now, they find themselves waging
a new fight over the attorney fees,
which total $393,000. The Lexington
Herald-Leader reported that the
attorney for the two counties said
they do not have to pay the amount
specified to the ACLU lawyers yet
because parts of the lawsuit are on
appeal.
• MASON COUNTY is partnering with East Kentucky Power
Cooperative to convert landfill gas
into electricity. The county Fiscal
Court recently signed a 20-year
contract with the energy services
cooperative to lease a part of the
Maysville/Mason County Landfill,
which will use its methane gas
emissions to produce electricity.
In return, the cooperative will pay
the county $50,000 a year. The
facility will be able to generate 1.6
megawatts of energy — enough to
power 1,000 or more homes.
Financial Services News
Finding Money Made Simple
Tuscarawas County, Ohio recovered and saved nearly $40,000.
Solano County, Calif. ended up
with $169,000 in refunds and firstyear savings. Dallas County, Texas
saved nearly $100,000 in telephone
costs.
More than 50 counties — large
and small, urban and rural — have
saved more than $2 million by
simply reviewing their energy and
telecom bills.
These counties used NACo’s
contingency fee-based program to
analyze energy and telecom billing.
The program, provided by Cost
Control Associates, Inc. (CCA),
requires no up-front costs to review
and analyze cellular, local and long
distance phone bills, and electric
and gas bills. There is absolutely no
risk for a county to use the program
either; fees for services are not
collected unless savings or refunds
are found.
Dallas County, a large urban
county, published an RFP to develop
a national contract for these services
that could help it and other counties throughout the country reduce
energy and telecom costs. After the
national award was made, CCA
reviewed Dallas County’s telecom
costs and provided the county with
$98,758 in refunds and first-year
cost savings.
“Dallas County decided to
begin using the Cost Recovery and
Reduction Program by analyzing
our telecom services first. The
almost $100,000 in refunds and
savings that Cost Control Associates obtained for us has made a
difference in a tight budget year for
the county,” said Chris Thompson,
director of communications and
central services. The county was
so pleased with the telecom results
that it expects to perform a review
of its energy bills.
Because Dallas County bid for
the services on behalf of all state
and local governments, many other
counties have been able to piggyback
onto the award and begin using the
services without bidding the services
themselves.
Rural Tuscarawas County discovered $39,385 in refunds and
first-year cost savings after a thorough review of energy and telecom
costs. “We were very pleased with
our Energy and Telecom Cost
Recovery and Reduction Review,”
said Crystal DiGenova, supervisor
of maintenance, buildings and
grounds. “CCA’s efforts reduced
county telecommunication costs
by almost $40,000.”
Solano County, a mid-sized
suburban county, established two
goals when reviewing its energy
and telecom costs: identify and
obtain all refunds, and help put in
place any cost-saving measures that
might be available through rate and
other reductions.
“The county is constantly looking for innovative ways to improve
our day-to-day processes, enhance
customer service and lower the cost
of doing business,” said Solano
County Administrator Michael
Johnson. “This public-private
partnership has given us more than
$169,000 in refunds and annual
savings — all without any up-front
risk.”
CCA has experience in reviewing
bills with nearly all major telecom
and utility providers. Through its
relationship with NACo and the
Dallas County national award,
CCA offers these services to all state
and local governments at a discount
from their normal fee structure.
To learn more about the telecom and energy analysis program, contact Jim Sawyer with
NACo’s Financial Services Center
at 202/661-8868 or by e-mail at
jsawyer@naco.org.
(Financial Services News was written by Jim Sawyer, director, NACo
Financial Services Corp. NACo FSC
intern Stephanie Raphael contributed
to this article.)
XMARYLAND
T h e A N N E A RU N D E L
COUNTY Council is split over
whether to allow a gambling parlor
next to a family-oriented shopping
mall. The Washington Post reported
the decision by the seven-member
council could determine the future
of slot machines in the state, including how much money the county
and state will receive.
Three members of the council
approve of the proposal, two oppose it and two are undecided. The
council’s vote matters because of a
provision in the 2007 state slots bill
requiring facilities to be in compliance with local zoning laws.
XMINNESOTA
The fictional town of Lake
Wobegon, the creation of writer
Garrison Keillor for his Prairie
Home Companion radio program,
could someday be a real county
if state lawmakers get their way,
according to twincities.com. They
are floating around a proposal to
merge BENTON and STEARNS
counties with a portion of SHERBURNE COUNTY in an effort to
consolidate services.
However, they advise residents
not to get too attached to the draft
name of what would be the seventh-
largest county in the state. The
name, Lake Wobegon, is a registered
trademark and is not available, according to David O’Neill, marketing
director for the show.
XNEW JERSEY
GLOUCESTER COUNTY
will save $1.7 million annually
by closing its juvenile detention
center and housing young offenders
at a facility in neighboring CAMDEN COUNTY, according to the
Gloucester County Times. This comes
at a time when the state’s juvenile
detention population already was
declining.
Ronald Chen, the state’s acting
child advocate, said counties should
use savings from reduced juvenile
center populations as “an opportunity to reinvest dollars [into] juvenile
crime prevention and treatment of
at-risk youth.”
XNEW YORK
The NEW YORK STATE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES
(NYSAC) is calling for stimulus
funds to be used to help counties and
regions achieve the interoperable
communications goals imposed by
the federal government.
See NEWS FROM page 21
NACo on the Move
»In the News
• NACo President-elect Valerie Brown was
featured on National Public Radio’s (NPR) Morning
Edition about “Local Governments Tackle Federal
Grants,” related to the Recovery Act March 23.
• NACo Legislative Director Ed Rosado was
featured in a sound bite on the stimulus bill on the
Marketplace Morning program March 13.
Valerie Brown
»NACo Officers and Elected Officials
NACo President-elect Valerie Brown spoke at the general session
of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP)
Spring Conference in Dauphin County (Harrisburg), Pa. about NACo’s
membership benefits March 30.
»NACo Staff
• Anita Cardwell has joined the NACo staff as
senior associate, Community Services. Cardwell
earned a Master’s in public policy from Johns
Hopkins University in 2008, concentrating on social
and health policy. She will work on grant-funded
projects in the health and human services field.
Anita Cardwell
• Jeff Arnold, deputy legislative director, briefed
the ICMA Government Affairs Committee on the stimulus bill in
Washington, D.C. and briefed the National Telecommunications
and Information Administration and the Rural Utilities Service at a
national meeting in Washington, D.C. on NACo’s view of the $7.2
billion in stimulus funds for broadband deployment on March 14.
On the Move is compiled by Christopher Johnson.
• County
CountyNews
News
April 6, 2009 21
Research News
Census of Agriculture Data Reveals Growth and Change
The newly released 2007 Census
of Agriculture shows there is a new
kind of farm and a new breed of
farmers across the United States.
The latest data shows there are
more than 2.2 million farms in the
United States, which is a net increase
of 75,810 farms or 4 percent as
compared to 2002.
Most new farms are smaller in
size. They have fewer acres, lower
sales and a more diversified product
than more established farms. They
also have younger operators.
Farms operated by women
increased by 30 percent and those
operated by Hispanics increased by
10 percent. The number of Black,
Asian and American Indian farm
operators also increased since
2002.
Other data shows that 36 percent
of all farms are classified as “family”
or “residential.” The Census Bureau
defines “family” or “residential”
as those families where operators
report a primary job outside of
farming.
Internet access also increased
for farmers. Fifty-seven percent of
all respondents to the Census of
Agriculture reported having Internet
access, an increase of 7 percent
from 2002. Of those with access, 58
percent reported having high-speed
access on the farm.
The new report also provides
county profiles that rank each
county by state and nationally on
key statistics.
For example, Fresno County,
Calif. was the top value-producing
county in the country with the total
value of agricultural products sold
pegged at over $3.7 billion, a 35
percent increase from 2002. The top
crops by acre in the county include
grapes, cotton and tomatoes.
Denver County, Colo. experienced the largest percentage growth
in farm land from 2002 to 2007,
going from 40 acres to 609 acres.
The number of farms also increased
from 10 to 24, and the average size
of farms increased from four acres
to 25 acres. About 60 percent of
this farm land is used for pasture as
compared to about 40 percent for
crop land.
With more than 6 million acres,
Coconino County, Ariz. has the
most farm land overall in the United
States. Almost all of this land is
used for pastures. Navajo County,
Ariz. and Cherry County, Neb. are
second and third, respectively, in
Va. county offers online video, DVD
on transit-oriented development
Reading. It would require a change
in state law.
County commissioners held a
hearing recently to get feedback
from residents, local police and
elected officials, The Mercury reported.
Berks County District Attorney
John Adams said a regional approach could work if legal hurdles
are overcome. “I think the regional
approach is much more feasible and
that, at the very least, should take
place.” The study results are expected to be released next month.
• CARBON COUNTY is using
inmate labor to save money on
spring cleaning this year. In past
years, the county paid employees
to do jobs like roadside cleanup.
PAHomepage.com reported that this
year, a crew of four work-release inmates will do that job and others.
The county also benefits by
knocking time off of inmates’
sentences — one day for every
three days they work — which
helps with jail overcrowding and
lowers costs.
“Right now we’re suffering from
overcrowding so this is helping
alleviate some of that burden,”
said Frank Shubeck, work release
treatment director.
They may be gone but they
were not forgotten. The KING
COUNTY Medical Examiner’s
Office recently held a service to
remember 208 people who died
without known next of kin.
Gary Johnson, a Medical Examiner’s Office spokesman, said,
“These members of our community
were more like us than not. They
deserve to be remembered,” the
Seattle Times reported.
Some of the deceased persons
had been homeless; others’ remains
were unclaimed. Their ashes were
buried in a grave marked with a
headstone reading: “Gone but not
forgotten these people of Seattle.”
• There could be a regional
police force in BERKS COUNTY’s XVIRGINIA
future. The county used a $96,984
ARLINGTON COUNTY has
state grant to study the pros and produced a 53-minute documentary,
cons of a single police force for all Arlington’s Smart Growth Journey,
of its cities and towns, excluding tracing the 50-year planning history
(News From the Nation’s Counties is
compiled by CharlesTaylor and Elizabeth
Perry, staff writers. If you have an item
for News From, please e-mail ctaylor@
naco.org or eperry@naco.org.)
NEWS FROM from page 20
As of January 1, 2012, all states
and municipalities must convert
public safety communication systems from analog to digital.
The American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act provides more
than $2.5 billion for infrastructure
and interoperable communication
equipment. NYSAC submitted 16
county-led projects that would be
eligible for funding.
XOHIO
The rate of uninsured adults
in SUMMIT COUNTY is nearly
twice the statewide level, according to the Summit County Health
District (SCHD). Between 2008 and
2009, 25 percent of adults lacked
health coverage, compared to 13
percent throughout the state.
SCHD said this suggests that
Summit County may be bearing a
greater burden of economic stress
than other Ohio counties.
On the plus side, the number
of children in the county without
health insurance decreased during
the same period, according to the
Ohio Family Health Survey.
XPENNSYLVANIA
of transit-oriented development in
the county.
In the 1960s, the county used
the siting of a subway line to guide
desired development along the
corridor. Arlington won the EPA’s
first-ever Smart Growth award in
2002.
Streaming video is available
on the county’s Web site, www.
arlingtonva.us. County governments
interested in obtaining a DVD of
the video may request one through
the county’s Web site.
both overall farm land and farm land
used for pasture. Chouteau County,
Mont. has the most farm land used
for crops with more than 1.3 million
acres. Close behind are Hill County,
Mont. and Fresno County, Calif.
Tulare County, Calif. ranks first
in the number of cattle in inventory
with just over 1 million. Deaf Smith
County, Texas was second in head
of cattle in inventory with just over
614,000.
Although Iowa was the top state
in production of corn for grain, the
top three counties were in Illinois.
La Salle County led the pack with
about 397,000 acres of corn harvested for grain. McLean County
came in second with about 393,000
acres and Iroquois County was
third with about 392,000 acres.
Of counties that have at least
100 farms, Monroe County, Fla.
has the highest percentage of
women-operated farms with 58.8
percent. DeKalb County, Ga.
is second with 58.3 percent and
Glynn County, Ga. is third with
57. 6 percent.
For more information about your
county, please visit www.agcensus.
usda.gov and click on “State and
County Profiles.”
(Research News was written by Kathryn
Murphy, research associate.)
NACo
Rural Road
Safety Project
Building county
solutions to reduce the
number of highway
fatalities on rural
and isolated roads.
XWASHINGTON
For more information, please contact
James Davenport at jdavenport@naco.org
or 202.661.8807.
22 April 6, 2009
CountyNews
County
News •
Model Programs FROM THE NATION'S COUNTIES
Texas County Categorizes Felony Cases,
Streamlines Court Process
BY ELIZABETH PERRY
STAFF WRITER
Before Tarrant County, Texas
implemented its new Differentiated
Felony Case Management (DFCM)
program in 2004, its nine felony
courts were backlogged with slowmoving cases and the jails were full.
Courts operated autonomously and
all felony cases were treated the same,
regardless of the type of offense.
“The jail was packed and we
weren’t getting any new resources
as far as judges,” said Judge Sharen
Wilson, with Criminal District Court
No. 1.
“We had to find a way to be
smarter, because working harder
wasn’t helping. Everybody was doing
it the way we always did it, as fast and
as hard as we could, but we could not
get ahead.”
Today, Texas Office of Court Administration figures show the number
of cases filed in the county increased
from 12,445 in 2001 to 18,727 in
2007, along with the population,
which increased from 1.4 million in
2000 to 1.7 million, yet its jails are no
longer crowded. Wilson, said Tarrant
is now the only large urban county in
the state with “no jail problems,” as a
result of the DFCM program.
“Our jail population today is
76 percent and it is never over 80
percent,” she said. “At the time we
started doing this we were darn near
full — it’s made a huge impact.”
The previous system churned all
of the 18,000 cases filed annually
through the system every 30 days until
the cases were disposed of. Wilson
said there were a limited number
of defense attorneys who were set
in various cases in different courts –
sometimes at the same time.
DFCM uses computer technology
and case management techniques to
speed up the progress of felony cases
through the court system and is part
of the county’s Integrated Criminal
Justice Information System (ICJIS).
The technology is innovative for the
county and the state; however it has
been in use at the federal level and in
other states and counties.
The county paid for the National
Center for State Courts to send out a
consultant to work with the judges,
court coordinators, district attorney,
law enforcement, corrections and
Information Technology departments to draft a new customized
case management system. Startup
costs for the DFCM system were
$307,000 for modifying computer
applications, and maintenance fees
were absorbed into the operating
costs of the ICJIS budget. Consulting
costs were $8,401.
All felony cases begin their processing with the initial appearance
setting, to make sure a defendant
has a lawyer. During each setting,
defendants have the option to plead
guilty, otherwise the process continues through five settings, depending
on the severity of the felony. Wilson
said most cases throughout the U.S.
are disposed of before they get near
a jury.
The system automatically
notifies everyone involved in
every case of court settings,
and gauges the progress of
each case.
During the consultation setting,
prosecution and defense attorney
review evidence, consult with the
defendant. The case proceeds to the
evidence exchange setting, where
drug, DNA and other lab report
information is exchanged. At the motion setting, the trial court conducts
a hearing on all motions. The status
conference is the last setting before
trial, where the defendant has a last
chance to plead if the judge allows it.
Then the case is set for trial.
Judges use the DFCM computer “dashboard,” standardized
throughout the courts, to assign
cases to specific categories based on
complexity, which determines how
much time and attention they are
given. The system automatically
notifies everyone involved in every
case of court settings, and gauges
the progress of each case. The three
case tracks, or categories are:
• Expedited – Misdemeanors,
prostitution, theft under $1,500, welfare fraud. Cases are usually disposed
before they reach the consultation
setting,
• Basic – Murder, burglary, drugs,
aggravated assault, cases that can
be resolved in a reasonable time
period, and
• Complex – Capital murder, aggravated sexual assault, child victim
cases, cases that require a great deal
of time and legal resources.
Wilson said one of the benefits
of the DFCM system is being able
to keep track of everyone involved
in cases throughout the criminal
court. She said it enables them to
coordinate schedules and collaborate
on caseloads. She advises counties
considering the implementation of
similar programs to make sure the
lines of communication are open
to everyone involved in the court
system.
“The reason we’ve been successful is by making sure everybody got
some of their needs met,” she said.
“I would also tell them that change
is difficult. Even when it’s going to
turn out well, it’s just difficult.”
For more information on the
DFCM program, contact Judge
Sharen Wilson at 817/884-1350.
(Model Programs from the Nation’s
Counties highlights Achievement Awardwinning programs. For more information
on this and other NACo Achievement
Award winners, visit NACo’s Web site,
www.naco.org X Resource Library
X Model County Programs.)
The H.R. Doctor Is In
Who Pays – Who Benefits
IPMA-HR, the International
Public Management Association for
Human Resources, is the nation’s
premier professional association in
public sector human resources. It
has hundreds of members all over
the country and publishes a regular
newsletter under the very able
leadership of Executive Director
Neil Reichenberg.
A recent issue includes an
article looking at public employee
compensation versus that in the
private sector. It cites information
contained in a newly published
study by the independent Employee
Benefit Research Institute.
One of the subplots in the increasingly vocal discussion about
cutting taxes and reducing the costs
of government is the persistent echo
that public employees are paid too
much. The ammunition for this
attitude often comes when we read
about the tens or even hundreds
of thousands of dollars of pay for
time not worked, such as accrued
vacation or sick leave, which is given
to retiring employees, often fire and
police personnel, when they leave
an organization.
The chorus strains for the low
notes when we read about the
severance pay that may have been
negotiated years earlier by a nowdeparting county or city manager.
The theme also has a ring of truth
to it when comparing entry-level
positions in service industry clerical
or blue-collar work in private versus
public employment.
Where else in the known universe
does the highest court in the land,
the U.S. Supreme, rule that a public
employee owns her job as a matter
of personal property, which can only
be taken away under the Constitution with due process? Property
right entitlement is widespread in
government and hardly present at
all in the private sector.
In the past, there have also been
relatively few occasions when the
words “lay-off ” or “downsizing”
have been heard in the public sector.
Public employees have had little
need to worry that one day they
would all be called into a meeting
See H.R. DOC page 23
What’s
in a
Seal?
»www.chesterfi
Chesterfield County, Va.
eld.gov
Although English colonists began moving into the area within
four years of Jamestown’s founding in 1607, Chesterfield County,
Va. was not created until May 25, 1749. Formed from the southern
half of Henrico County, one of Virginia’s several original shires,
Chesterfield took the name of the celebrated litterateur and politician,
Philip Dormer Stanhope, Fourth Earl of Chesterfield.
In 1870, the first action of the first Chesterfield County Board of
Supervisors was to direct a seal to be created: “to wit: a coal miner
leaning on his pick under a pine tree with a flowing river at his feet.”
This was chosen because it was the first place in the nation where
coal was mined commercially.
Chesterfield straddles two major topographic regions. Most of the
county lies in the Piedmont, a region of gently rolling hills stretching
between the Appalachian Mountains and the Atlantic coastal plain.
The pine tree on the seal represents the timber associated with the
rolling hills of the area.
Although Chesterfield is laced by streams, most are too narrow
or shallow to use as waterways. The James and Appomattox rivers,
though, served as major commercial corridors from the first period
of European settlement. Thus, the river depicted on the seal.
(If you would like your county’s seal featured, please contact Christopher
Johnson at 202/942-4256 or cjohnson@naco.org.)
• County
CountyNews
News
April 6, 2009 23
Public employees 51 percent more costly than private-sector employees
H.R. DOC from page 22
and told that City Hall is being
outsourced to India. They don’t
expect to be told to pick up their
personal effects from the office and
follow the nice security guard out
to the parking lot.
In many cases, this lack of worry
is generated by the fact that public
employees work in monopolies.
When you dial 9-1-1 you are not in
a position to ask the dispatcher to
send a particular police department
to your house rather than the one
working in your own jurisdiction.
You’re unable to choose which
waste water utility should receive
the waste regularly generated in
your house.
And so over time, the folklore
has been developed around the
conversation about why you work
for government rather than the
private sector. The classic answer
by the public employee has been,
“I’m paid less, but the benefits and
the stability are better.” There are,
of course, other much more compelling reasons. The HR Doctor’s personal favorite is that I get to see my
work make a difference in my own
community everyday. Why should
I work for a company when I can
work for my own community?
The Benefit Research Institute
study confirms the latter points
about stability and better benefits.
It also provides very compelling
information in support of part of
what the “tax watchers” have argued
Most American corporations
no longer offer postemployment health
insurance to retirees.
about the cost of public employment. According to the article, it is
generally 51 percent more costly to
pay for the average public employee
versus the average private sector
one. That is a gigantic amount. It
would drive a small business owner
to immediately close up shop and
move as far away as possible from
their business if they had to pay
that additional cost.
In terms of both salary and
benefits the difference is clear.
Wages and salaries, the study
reports, are 42.6 percent higher in
the public sector. Benefits were an
astronomical 72.8 percent greater.
As of late 2007, it cost a privatesector employer $26.09 per hour to
pay the total compensation of an
employee. State and local public
employers spend $39.50 for that
hour.
It is the huge and growing costs
of public-sector, defined-benefit
pension plans and health insurance
benefits that account for much of
the benefit difference. Most American corporations no longer offer
post-employment health insurance
to retirees. Most governments do
provide it. Health care costs are
amazingly expensive and unaffordable for a great many people.
This growing problem represents serious unfinished public
policy failures throughout the
United States. It cannot be addressed by insurance companies
alone — apparently, since it hasn’t
happened in decades. It certainly
can’t be handled by government
alone, and it can’t happen in a
world dominated by procedures,
lawyers, and many other barriers
which prevent an individual from
getting timely and effective health
care.
Public pensions are guarantees
Job Market / Classifieds
XDIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS –
RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C.
Salary: DOQ.
Richland County Public Works Department is currently seeking a Director
of Public Works. This position plans,
directs, and supervises all programs
and operations of the Public Works
Department, including the management
of County infrastructure, roads and
drainage, storm water, engineering and
capital improvement programs; to direct
Public Work’s support of emergency and
disaster response, and to perform other
professional, administrative and supervisory work as required. Educational
Requirements/or Equivalents: Requires
a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent/experience) in Civil Engineering. Requires
6 to 10 years’ experience planning,
organizing, and directing all programs
and operations of the Public Works
Department including the management
of County infrastructure, storm water,
engineering and capital improvement
programs. Must possess and maintain
designation as Registered Professional
Engineer; South Carolina certification
required within 6 months of employment. Must possess a valid state driver’s
license. Excellent benefits. Qualified
Applicants may forward application to:
Richland County Human Resources,
2020 Hampton Street, Room 3058, Columbia, SC 29204 Applications may be
downloaded online at www.rcgov.us.
XAIRPORT MANAGER – RICHLAND
COUNTY, S.C.
Salary: DOQ.
Richland County, S.C. is currently
seeking an Airport Manager for the Jim
Hamilton-L.B. Owens Airport (KCUB)
in Columbia, S.C. The incumbent will
plan and implement the operation,
maintenance security, and development
of the County’s airport and ensure the
quality of aviation and air service to the
County. The incumbent will provide
expert advice and make recommendations to the County Administrator,
Richland County Airport Commission,
and Richland County Council regarding
the long term planning and development of the Airport, compliance with
state and federal aviation regulations,
airport security and emergency planning, community relations, marketing
of services, contractual negotiations, and
grants administration. Requires 5 years
or equivalent of experience overseeing
airport operations and development,
including 3 years as director/manager
of a general aviation airport. Requires
Bachelor’s degree in airport/aviation
management, business or related field.
Master’s Degree is preferred. Private
Pilot’s License is required. Certification with the American Association of
Airport Executives or ability to obtain
certification within 18 months of hire.
Salary depends on qualifications and
experience. To apply for this position,
an application with Richland County
must be completed and received to Human Resources by Friday, May 8. An
application can be obtained by visiting
www.richlandonline.com or by phone at
803/576-2111. Qualified Applicants
may forward application to: Richland
County Human Resources, 2020 Hampton Street, Room 3058, Columbia, SC
29204. Applications may be downloaded
online at www.rcgov.us.
based on the future full faith and
credit of a public agency. As life
spans grow longer, and as benefits
become enriched, the growing postemployment cost of maintaining
these benefits is vast.
The pension plans are to be
administered, we like to think, on
an actuarially sound basis. But
the reality is that many of these
programs are under-funded. The
cost of “cashing the check” made
out to “the future” will require
increasing contributions by government entities as well as employees
— primarily the former.
A significant part of this bad
business spiraling is the result of
the legislatures of America having
an almost unbridled lust to pose
for high-resolution digital photos
with police and fire union officials.
The workers’ compensation “presumption” laws stating almost uncategorically that coronary artery
or cancer illnesses are the result
of being a public employee are
one well known example. Pension
enhancements mandated by the
states are another. The cost burdens
of the taxpayers of the future once
again link directly to legislative
willingness to create long-term
burdens for others in the name of
short-term advantage.
When all that is combined, the
conclusions reported in the IPMA
article ring true. It is considerably
more costly to employ a clerk or
a maintenance worker or most
professionals in government than
it is in the private sector.
Of course it may seem ironic that
these words are written by the HR
Doctor — a career public employee.
That’s true. However, this author
is also a career observer and critic
of many of the practices that have
persisted in ways which are inflexible, excessively costly and overly
complicated in government.
Despite the conclusion of the
compensation study, there is an
ironic area in which one of the
conclusions can be challenged.
Hopefully, the same tax-watch,
slash and burn people who may
read this HR Doctor article and
break out in a smile will be equally
willing to listen to another side of
the argument.
Years ago, I gave a speech to
a Rotary Club as a county chief
administrative officer. I was introduced by a good friend who was
then an executive with Procter &
Gamble. His kind but inaccurate
introduction of me included the
phrase, “he is twice as smart as I am,
but earns half as much.” My good
friend Mike was wrong on both
counts! Mike was and remains very
smart and very business savvy. He
was also wrong about the earnings.
I probably earned much less than
half of the salary he did.
Imagine that you preside over a
$200 million corporation as CEO
or as a very top level management
employee and earn an annual salary
considerably less than $200,000.
Further, imagine that it is not likely
to get much higher than that, other
than over time by inflation, because
of a number of factors including
political reasons, perceptions of
press scrutiny, and “folklore” about
public-sector salaries.
Being a spectacular scientist,
physician or top executive in a
government entity will not bring
with it the financial rewards that
can be found in many other places
in the private sector. This problem
apparently does not exist with even
public university football coaches,
however. So, how will we attract
and retain ethical and innovative
top management and specialists
into future public service?
That key question will be
answered in one small part by
another reform, over time in the
employment of this portion of the
executive management group. It is
really part of the larger revolution in
government personnel costs similar
to civil service reform, pension
reform and the health insurance
struggle. Increasingly, it will be
necessary to avoid the employment
of top executives or esoteric specialists altogether. Increasingly, their
engagement will be on contracts,
or on a consulting basis, rather
than in a classic model of employment. It looks increasingly likely
that department heads and city or
county managers will find themselves providing their professional
service “deliverables” as part of a
consultancy rather than in a more
classic form of employment.
We owe a debt to IPMA-HR
for highlighting something which
otherwise might only get whispered
about in the corridors of city halls
and county administration buildings — not to mention school
boards buildings.
What was not considered in the
past will be considered in the future,
and will increasingly become the
norm. Change in employment
philosophies and realities are no
different than change in any other
aspect of our lives or even of our
physical environment. Change in
this part of HR is inevitable, even
if it appears to move at a glacial
pace.
Phil Rosenberg
The HR Doctor • www.hrdr.net
24 April 6, 2009
CountyNews
County
News •
DOE energy efficiency block grant application deadline June 25
EECBG from page 1
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 to the
tune of $3.2 billion, with most of
the money slated to be awarded as
formula grants to eligible units of
government.
Nearly $1.9 billion will be available for eligible cities and counties.
More than $770 million is allotted for
the states, territories and the District
of Columbia, and close to $54 million is available to tribes. The rest
of the money, approximately $455
million, will be awarded through a
separate competitive grant program
(guidelines yet to be published).
In addition, each state is required
to use 60 percent of its allotted funds
for sub-grants to non-eligible units
of government. The criteria govern-
ing the sub-grants will be decided
individually by each state.
For the purpose of the EECBG
program, an “eligible” county has
a minimum population of at least
200,000 or is one of the 10 most
populated counties in its state. Eligible cities are those with populations
above 35,000 or one of the 10 most
populated cities in the state. The 2007
U.S. Census population data is used
to calculate population. Eligible units
of governments apply directly to the
DOE for funding.
According to the DOE, eligible
city populations within a county
cannot be included in a county’s
population numbers. In other words,
eligible city numbers are subtracted
from the overall population numbers
of a county. Additionally, the DOE
considered two equally weighted
Scrap FEMA trailers contained
formaldehyde residue
FEMA from page 16
wasn’t quite right. The homes had
HUD certification stickers on them,
a sign that shows they comply with
building codes, but Webb wasn’t
convinced.
“I remembered reading a story
about contaminated FEMA trailers
after Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana,” he said. “Some of these trailers
were beat up; one had a hole in the
roof and damage to the siding. The
manager had affidavits on her desk
and she gave them to me when I
asked. That’s when I started my
investigation.”
Thousands of trailers that were
used for housing after Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita in 2005 were
found to have elevated levels of
formaldehyde, the airborne form
of a chemical used in composite
wood and plywood panels in trailers
purchased by FEMA after Katrina.
It is considered a human carcinogen
by the EPA. FEMA spokesperson
Alexandra Kirin told the Associated
Press 1,100 trailers have been sold as
scrap in the past six months because
all of them had physical damage, not
just because they showed elevated
levels of formaldehyde.
Webb said he talked to FEMA
and the General Services Administration, who confirmed the trailers
were supposed to be sold for scrap
only. He said a total of 23 trailers
were to be placed in Jefferson and
another 15 went to East Village
Trailer Park in Statesboro, Ga.
Martin Toma, director of the Jefferson County Code Enforcement
Division, told County News the HUD
labels have been removed. He said
that while his agency does not have
control over the quality or construction of mobile homes and trailers,
when a properly HUD-certified
home is delivered to the county, the
agency does have a say over where
it is placed.
“The State Public Service Commission removed the HUD stickers
because they were to be sold as scrap
and they didn’t want them occupied
as homes,” he said. “They don’t
have proper wiring or plumbing and
they are not consistent with code,
so they can’t be placed or occupied
in Jefferson County. The only way
that would happen is if HUD put
the stickers back on.”
Chuck Banks, county executive, said the goal is to have the
contaminated trailers removed from
the property and dismantled or used
for farm storage. If they remain, a
legal battle could be in the works,
something that could pose a burden
to the county.
“If we have to file suit it will be a
cost,” Banks said. “We would have to
have a special tax on property to pay
for the cost and place a lien on the
land on which they are sitting.”
Robert Clayton, Missouri Public
Service Commission chair, and
Ron Pleus, manufactured housing
program director for the commission, told the Associated Press the
contaminated trailers in Jefferson
County appear be a one-time incident. To ensure none of the FEMA
trailers are used as housing, Pleus
said the first buyer must sign a
scrap-only agreement and share the
information with future buyers.
factors: resident and daytime (commuter) population to come up with the
list of eligible units of government.
Non-eligible units of government
can access EECBG money either
through their state energy offices or
through a DOE EECBG competitive
grant process, yet to be determined.
To see a list of entities eligible
for formula grants and allocation
amounts; visit www.eecbg.energy.gov/
grantalloc.html. Counties in seven
states — Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Delaware,
Kansas and Louisiana — are missing
direct allocation numbers. This will
be explained in a DOE funding allocation document “coming soon.”
Application Tips
Applications for eligible cities and
counties must be submitted no later
than June 25 at 8 p.m. EDT.
Eligible units of government must
follow several procedures before they
can access this money:
• Register
In order to do business with the
federal government, a three-step
registration process is required of all
applicants. Please allow 21 days to
complete the registration process.
Step 1: Request a DUNS
Number at http://fedgov.dnb.com/
webform/displayHomePage.do.
Step 2: Register with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR) at
www.ccr.gov.
Step 3: E-Business Point of Contact must register in FedConnect at
www.fedconnect.net/FedConnect.
• Apply
For complete application instructions and program information, go
to www.fedconnect.net/FedConnect
and search for Reference Number
DE-FOA-0000013.
• Submit
An Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy (EECS) is
required either with the application
or within 120 days of the award. This
detailed report will list baseline and
current greenhouse gas emissions,
goals and implementation strategies
for the county, and include a proposed
budget for the proposed projects.
• Reporting Requirements
Additionally, there are a number
of reporting requirements attached to
these formula grant funds. They include, but are not limited to, quarterly
financial reports, unexpected incident
reports, quarterly performance progress reports and annual reports.
The EECBG Program is administered by the Office of Weatherization
and Intergovernmental Programs in
the Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy at DOE.
For a list of frequently asked questions and a summary of the program,
go to www.eecbg.energy.gov.
NACo Webinar
Understanding Funding Opportunities in the Energy
Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program
Thursday, April 16, 2 p.m. (EDT)
The EECBG program provides federal grants to local governments, states and tribal governments to increase energy efficiency
usage while decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. Applications for
eligible counties are due to DOE by June 25, 2009.
Is your county eligible for direct formula grants or do you need to
apply for funds through your state energy office or the competitive
grant process?
This webinar will explore eligibility determinations, funding
allocations, application requirements, eligible projects and reporting measurements. Participants will participate in an interactive
question-and-answer period with speakers.
Register at www2.gotomeeting.com/join/197096431/106280133
May 3–9, 2009
The theme for the 2009 celebration of National
County Government Week is “Greening
Our Future.” All counties are encouraged to
participate, especially those that are pursuing
green government initiatives. They should
tell their residents about what they are doing
to conserve energy, protect the environment
and save taxpayers’ dollars. A comprehensive
booklet of ideas on ways to celebrate NCGW,
including draft proclamations and news releases,
is available. Promotional kits are also available
for download at www.naco.org/ncgw.
Visit NACo’s Web site at www.naco.org for
more information or contact Tom Goodman at
202/942-4222 or tgoodman@naco.org.
NATIONAL COUNTY GOVERNMENT WEEK
• MAY 3–9, 2009 •

- National Association of Counties

Transcription

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