Vol.
32 No. 5 MAY 2003
58th LEGISLATIVE
ASSEMBLY
HOW DID COUNTIES
FARE?
It is Friday, April 25, 2003, the 88th
legislative day, and for all intents and purposes the session is done! Let me begin
by thanking everyone for the contribution made in calling, writing, emailing,
faxing, etc. to the legislators when asked. You were immensely helpful and
contributed to what I conclude was a very good session for counties.
With help from all of you, we were
successful in getting SB 46 passed by overriding the Governor’s veto. Senator Gebhardt was a champion and deserves
our sincere thanks. While the legislation will restore the law to the pre-1999
status, we all need to work with our contractors and not undertake projects and
activities that would be better left to the private sector and the competitive
bid process. I know Senator Gebhardt would like to see an effort to address the
issues that drove the contractors’ position and I think MACo should commit to
this. These issues are better dealt with at home rather than in Helena.
In general, the session was
successful. My personal assessment is
that it was “great.” My only
disappointment was the loss of the public defender bill (SB 218). That loss
may very well be rectified with the court case. The Senators who worked
with us during the session are committed to coming back next session to “get
the job done.”
SB 490 passed, which will
significantly improve the entire court reimbursement process. We are working on a workshop for Clerks of
Court to address uniformity and consistency in reporting the
reimbursements. (“We” consists of
myself, the lobbyist for the Clerks of Court, and Nancy Sweeney, Lewis and Clark
County Clerk of Court.) In addition, on
April 18, the District Court Council
approved paying the reimbursements at 100% for FY 2003.
While I say we had a successful
session, I would be remiss if I did not comment that the State, on the other
hand, is worse off in general terms. The revenue projections are dismal. Human
services are impacted to an extent that will extend the pain across the state.
Long-term solutions still allude us. There were seven bills introduced dealing
with sales tax and tax reform. They all had elements that we supported based
upon our efforts in prior sessions, but the one that finally emerged, SB 470,
died on the floor of the House. For
State fiscal purposes special tax increases associated with rental vehicles,
cigarettes and hotels are the fix. (See
SB 407) The financial outlook for the
State is not good.
District meetings will begin in two
weeks and I am looking forward to seeing everyone. I know there will be many
questions about the session. Both Harold and I be there to try to answer them.
Again, MACo’s efforts have been
successful, thanks to all of you.
See you soon.
NOTE: Montana’s 58th Legislative Session proposed 1,359
bills and resolutions. MACo identified
437 Senate and House bills to watch and support or oppose. Of these, 32 bills were developed by MACo as
a result of Annual Conference resolutions.
MACo RESOLUTIONS
LEGISLATION
RESULTS
PASSED; BECAME LAW
Resolution Bill Title
2002-3 HB
42 Wildlife Management / Protect
Crops
2002-9 HB
238 Exemption from water requirements
2002-10 HB
408 Non-paid County Registrars
2002-11 HB
151 Compensation of Election Judges
2002-12 SB
45 Increase limits for service
contracts
2002-14 SB
89 Amend Unclaimed Property Act
2002-16 SB
46 Revise Bidding requirements
2002-17 SB
136 Public Officer in Organizations
2002-18 SB
7 Exempt Elected Officials—lobby
fees
2002-23 SB
370 Prison Medical Expenses
2002-27 SB
168 Annexation includes streets &
roads
2002-30 HB
298 Fees for Exemption Applications
2002-31 SB
197 County Appointments to City
Planning
2002-32 HB
512 Annexation next to zoning districts
2002-33 SB
24 E-government convenience fees
2002-34 HB
272 Prevent deductions from County
share
2002-35 SB
218 State Public Defender System
2002-39 HB
142 County role with state/federal
agencies
2002-40 HB
333 Interest credited to individual
funds
2002-42 SB
163 Payments by credit card
2002-43 HB
339 Create county auditor in small
counties
2000-11 SB
47 Bidding requirements
2000-13 HB
264 Complying with Personnel Policies
1999-8 HB
232 Revise Capital Improvement Program
TABLED, DEFEATED, NO ACTION
2002-1 SB
198 Wireless Communication Regulations
2002-2
—— Online motor vehicle
registrations
2002-8 LC
1773 Indigent Defense; Youth needing Care
2002-15 SB
158 Exempt Indebtedness Levies
2002-19
—— Mental Health Service in
Communities
2002-21 HB
291 Retain Substance Abuse Funds
2002-22 HB
273 Reimburse Increased Indirect Costs
2002-24 SB
170 Involuntary Commitment Expenses
2002-25 HB
279 Mental Health Pre-Commitment Costs
2002-41
—— County Extension Agent
funding
2000-10 LC
579 Prevailing Wage Requirements
2000-16 LC
641 Counsel in Paternity Cases
2000-25 HB
418 County Costs for State Inmates
2000-29
—— Regional Mental Health
Centers
2000-32 LC
580 Road/Bridge Depreciation Reserves
1999-7 —— County
Treasurer Duties
1998-18
—— County Interest Income
(Resolutions not listed were defeated at MACo
Conference, were federal issues, or were for individual county
action—consequently there was no State Legislative action taken.)
LAKE COUNTY RESOLUTION 03-12
WHEREAS, Recent world events have brought Americans
together, while reinvigorating our patriotism, reminding us of our precious
liberties and freedoms and giving us a greater appreciation for the men and
women of our Armed Forces, and
WHEREAS, The nation, Montana and Lake County owe a
debt of gratitude to these patriots and their families for their courage,
heroism and exemplary service,
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT
Lake County, Montana
hereby expresses its deepest gratitude for the courage and sacrifice of the
brave members of the United State Armed Forces, and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT
Lake County Commission
hereby adopts the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN75)/Carrier Air Wing Three (CVW3) and
the Harry S. Truman Battleship Group consisting of twelve surface ships and
submarines and eight aircraft squadrons as the official Lake County Armed
Forces Group.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT
Lake County urges other
counties throughout America to adopt groups of our Armed Forces to honor their
courage and sacrifice with appropriate resolutions.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT
Lake County invites all members of the Harry S. Truman Battle Group to come to Lake County, Montana with their families and friends, as well as all men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces, to visit and enjoy Montana.
PASSED
AND ADOPTED this 10th day of April, 2003.
FURTHER INFORMATION
REGARDING
LAKE COUNTY RESOLUTION 03-12
The Harry S. Truman Battleship Group
consists of over 5,000 military personnel, of which 17% are women. Harry S.Truman Ship Captain is Michael
Groothousen; Commander of the Airgroup is Captain Cyrus Vance.
On April 9, through a satellite
phone feed from the Harry S. Truman (located in the Mediterranean and
conducting Iraqi war maneuvers), Captain Groothousen was interviewed and
discussed the Lake County Resolution with John Stokes, radio station KGEZ
owner, and Mike Hutchin, Lake County Commissioner.
Captain Groothousen was ecstatic
that a county would “adopt” the Battleship Group. He plans to send a colored photo and a flag from the Harry S.
Truman for display in Lake County Courthouse.
He agreed that when the Lake County Veterans Memorial is completed in
2004, he and/or personnel from the Group would attend the dedication.
Lake County’s basis for passing the
resolution was to support US troops, to feature the Harry S. Truman Battleship
Group, to invite the 5,000+ troops to Lake County, and to promote Montana as a
tourist location.
SPRING DISTRICT
MEETINGS
District meetings are planned and
conducted by the districts.
Traditionally, combinations of the twelve districts have met together,
so that a total of five district meetings occur across the state. The chairs in the combining districts
identify the location for the meeting and the host county arranges a
luncheon.
May 7 Districts 8, 9, &12 , Townsend
May 13 Districts
10 & 11, Polson
May 19 Districts
4 & 5, Havre
May 21 Districts
1, 2, & 3, Miles City
May 22 Districts
6 & 7, Roundup
Chairs
of each district contact their member counties to ask for agenda items and work
with the other chairs to set the agenda for the meeting.
All county officials are encouraged to attend district meetings.
MONTANA COUNTY
POPULATION ESTIMATES
July 2002
COUNTY POPULATION # CHANGE
FROM 2001
Anaconda-Deer Lodge.............. 9,069........................... -143
Beaverhead.................................. 9,009.............................. -86
Big Horn...................................... 12,886............................. +30
Blaine............................................ 6,895............................. +46
Broadwater................................... 4,366.............................. -38
Butte-Silver Bow........................ 33,403........................... -356
Carbon.......................................... 9,675............................. +31
Carter............................................. 1,343.............................. -11
Cascade..................................... 79,389........................... -255
Chouteau...................................... 5,566........................... -185
Custer.......................................... 11,341.............................. -76
Daniels.......................................... 1,967.............................. -56
Dawson......................................... 8,713........................... -193
Fallon............................................ 2,715.............................. -28
Fergus......................................... 11,678.............................. -83
Flathead..................................... 77,240....................... +1,257
Gallatin....................................... 71,206....................... +1,359
Garfield......................................... 1,230.............................. -20
Glacier........................................ 13,085............................. +21
Golden Valley............................... 1,063............................. +50
Granite.......................................... 2,863................................ -8
Hill................................................ 16,372........................... -180
Jefferson..................................... 10,424.......................... +201
Judith Basin.................................. 2,273.............................. -12
Lake............................................. 26,908............................. +55
Lewis and Clark........................ 56,554.......................... +273
Liberty............................................ 2,037.............................. -73
Lincoln........................................ 18,665.............................. -26
Madison........................................ 7,005............................. +81
McCone........................................ 1,827.............................. -62
Meagher....................................... 1,941.............................. -10
Mineral.......................................... 3,803.............................. -35
Missoula..................................... 96,102....................... +1,342
Musselshell.................................. 4,410.............................. -18
Park............................................. 15,767............................. +74
Petroleum........................................ 500............................. +11
Phillips........................................... 4,321........................... -101
Pondera........................................ 6,232........................... -114
Powder River................................ 1,829............................. +11
Powell............................................ 7,045.............................. -28
Prairie............................................ 1,190.............................. -18
Ravalli......................................... 37,868.......................... +886
Richland....................................... 9,265........................... -183
Roosevelt.................................... 10,494........................... -123
Rosebud....................................... 9,276................................ -2
Sanders...................................... 10,367.............................. -32
Sheridan....................................... 3,798........................... -137
Stillwater....................................... 8,420............................. +46
Sweet Grass................................. 3,623............................. +13
Teton............................................. 6,315.............................. -81
Toole............................................. 5,103.............................. -83
Treasure.......................................... 785.............................. -31
Valley............................................. 7,382........................... -134
Wheatland.................................... 2,164............................... +2
Wibaux.......................................... 1,046............................... +7
Yellowstone............................. 131,622................. +1,286
RE-ACTIVATE COUNTY
COMPENSATION BOARD
MCA
7-4-2503(4)(a) “The county
compensation board shall hold hearings annually for the purpose of reviewing
the compensation paid to county officers.
The compensation board may consider the compensation paid to comparable
officials in other Montana counties, other states, state government, federal
government and private enterprise.”
Population may be used in Compensation Board deliberations. More population information can be found at http://ceic.commerce.state.mt.us/EstimatesCntyPop.html .
The cost-of-living adjustment factor
effective July 1, 2003, is 1.6%. The
mileage reimbursement rate is 36¢ per mile up to 1,000 miles; then it becomes
33¢ per mile. (MCA 2-18-503)
MACo has various salary publications
available online and in hard copy.
Past
President Gary Fjelstad convened the Board of Directors and rendered oaths of
office to MACo President Carol Brooker and Second Vice President Doug Kaercher.
Legislative
Update
Resolutions Committee Chair Mike Murray, MACo Executive Director Gordon Morris and Assistant Director Harold Blattie reported on the status of legislation. Handouts were distributed which showed the up-to-date status of MACo legislation and how to testify before a legislative committee.
GIS/GPS
Report
Gordon Morris reported that the
project has been completed with the exception of Lake County, which had been
granted an extension. To date 51,938 miles have been driven, for which counties
were paid $543,442.
Other
Business
Ron Alles, Lewis & Clark County Chief Executive Officer, discussed
an effort with the League of Cities & Towns to explore a group health
insurance program. The group is proposing to conduct a needs inventory and a
feasibility study, with estimated cost between $20,000 to $25,000. After
several questions, Alles agreed to keep counties involved.
President Brooker reported that only 30 Executive Director evaluations had been returned. She indicated she was disappointed in the response, but she would report at the next Board meeting.
MACo
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
COMMITTEE MEETING
FEBRUARY 18, 2003
Chair Anita Varone, Lewis and Clark
County, stated that the Committee and MACo should encourage participation of all
counties, support the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and network
with other groups and associations.
Paul Tuss, Bear Paw Economic Development
Corporation, focused his remarks on “Ten Steps to a Stronger, More Sustainable
Rural Economy.” He cited the need to
work to overcome the objections of CAVE people—citizens against virtually
everything.
Sheldon Bartel, Gateway Economic Development
Corporation, has initiated a loan program and is exploring managing a state
program. He feels that Montana
demographics are in flux—there is growth in the west, but the east is losing
population. Committee member Joann
Huffsmith noted that Granite County worked with Helena College of
Technology to provide online job
training opportunities. She suggested that the Committee may wish to discuss
this at the next meeting.
Final comments by the committee included:
Economic development
happens because of local government involvement. The Committee should write to the State’s program for not
involving local government.
We need to utilize
established resources such as SCBD, the Montana Ambassadors and MEDA.
MACo
RESERVATION COUNTIES
MEETING
FEBRUARY 20, 2003
The Association passed a Dues
Committee recommendation to reduce membership dues to one-half the current
amount and also approved policy to pay for membership expenses incurred to
attend special meetings on behalf of the entire membership.
Three Native American State
Legislators attended—Carol Juneau, Veronica Small-Eastman and Jonathan Windy
Boy.
Thane Johnson, Attorney, provided
information and definitions of “Indian” (must have significant amount of Indian
blood and must have federal or tribal recognition) and “Indian Country” (land within the limits of any Indian
Reservation under the jurisdiction of the United States). Johnson also discussed serving legal papers
on reservations. At issue is whether or
not the tribe recognizes the legal document.
The Association agreed to host a
workshop presented by Larry Keown, “Developing Effective Working Relationships
with Indian Tribes and Organizations”. The
workshop will be held at the 2004 Midwinter Conference. All Montana tribes will be invited to
participate.
ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT
MSU-Billings is the site of the 2003
Montana Economic Development Summit, May 28-29. The Summit is sponsored by Montana Congressional representatives,
MT-WY Tribal Leaders Council, Economic Developers Association, MACo, League of
Cities & Towns, AFL-CIO, Montana Chamber of Commerce and others.
Registration is at http://www.montanajobs.org
or by contacting 406-256-6871. There is
no fee for participation, but each person must pre-register.
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
MAKE MOTEL ROOM
RESERVATIONS NOW
MACo Annual Conference is scheduled
for September 21-24 in Lewistown. Motels
are willing to set aside only a limited number of rooms in each complex for
MACo guests.
However, if we make reservations
early and the motels realize we need more rooms, they may open more rooms to
accommodate MACo delegates.
Please make your reservations as
soon as possible. Be sure to ask for
rooms set aside for MACo. The motels
which currently have MACo rooms set aside are:
Yogo
Inn
(conference center)
NO MORE ROOMS AVAILABLE
Mountain
View
538-3457 (Ilene)
Continental
breakfast
Single $32.25
Double $42.65
Super
8
538-3581 (Annette)
State summer
rate $55 + tax
B
& B Motel
538-5496
Single $45
Double $50
Sunset
Motel
538-8741 (Candy)
Single $34.32
Double $43.68
Trails
End Motel
538-5468 (Julie)
Single $38
Double $43
No MACo
set-aside
Willow Tree Bed
& Breakfast
538-8844 Double
$75
Symmes/Wicks
House Bed & Breakfast
538-9068 Single
$45 to $75
ERGONOMICS FOR
ROAD CREWS, LAW ENFORCEMENT and FIREFIGHTERS
By Emelia McEwen, MACo Assistant Risk
Manager
Ergonomics
is not just for office and computer stations.
Service departments can also design
safe and comfortable work areas and work habits.
Road
departments are turning in reports of carpal tunnel problems. High vibration levels in heavy equipment,
repeated impact of power tools, and repetitive material handling can injure
wrists and hands. Recently an employee
from Yellowstone County Road Department was diagnosed with severe carpal tunnel
injury. The doctor elected physical
therapy before considering surgery.
After three months of therapy, stretching exercises and using impact
mitts, the employee was back to work full-time, driving the road grader.
In law enforcement departments,
musculoskeletal injuries have been reported as a result of using force to
detain suspects. A non-lethal
alternative, electronic stun guns, temporarily disables violent suspects. This use reduced deputy injury rates by 80%
in one Florida county.
Firefighters
need fast access to equipment in fire trucks, which may be awkward to reach
(power saws, took kits, first aid supplies, jaws of life, etc.). New fire trucks come with pullout shelves
within the storage compartments. The
shelves provide access to both sides of the equipment for safer lifting.
COUNTY NEWS
OFFICIALS
DAWSON
COUNTY Clerk
of District Court Ardelle Adams and Sheriff John Kahl both retired from their
elected offices. Planner Ellen Woodbury
resigned her position.
MAIL VOTES
STILLWATER
COUNTY
voters (62%) approved the new Beartooth Park and Recreation District. A levy to support the District was not part
of the vote.
BROADWATER
COUNTY
voters (52%) approved a 5-mill levy for weed control during the next three
years.
ROADS
JEFFERSON
COUNTY
property owners feel there is a need to clarify what a ‘non-maintained county
road’ really means, when it comes to levels of service.
CARTER
COUNTY
Commission has contracted with a Washington DC law firm to assist in obtaining
federal funding for paving Route 323 between Ekalaka and Alzada.
PUBLIC OPINION SURVEYS
ROOSEVELT
COUNTY
held public hearings to gahter comments on floating a 3-mill levy to cover the
increased costs for county employee medical insurance.
CASCADE
COUNTY randomly
selected 2,000 residents to receive a 10-page survey covering the most
important issues and ways to make the area a better place to live.
HEALTH
GLACIER
COUNTY’s
medical center received donated x-ray equipment from Malmstrom Air Force Base.
POWDER
RIVER COUNTY
is comparing the wages between contract registered nurses and county-employee
registered nurses, following a recommendation for increasing wages as a method
of attracting employees.
GRANITE
COUNTY Medical
Center continues to function in spite of a large cash deficit. The Administrator resigned in March.
TETON
COUNTY
Commission will conduct a mail ballot vote for a 10-mill levy authority for the
county nursing home. In addition, a
county task force is to make long-range recommendations for future operations
and funding by end of May.
WELFARE
LINCOLN
COUNTY has
directed the county indigent services to stop disbursing money until
reimbursements and donations cover a $20,000 deficit.
GLACIER
COUNTY
Public Assistance Office was seeking donations to cover costs during the
remaining five months of the fiscal year.
GROWTH POLICY
FERGUS
COUNTY
Commission approved a resolution rejecting the Lewistown-area growth
policy. At issue was the 4½ mile area
surrounding the community.
POLLUTION
RAVALLI
COUNTY is considering
a light ordinance to reduce light pollution from outside lighting. Public comments are being solicited.
ANIMALS
YELLOWSTONE
COUNTY has
found that the owls aren’t working as well as hoped in discouraging crows from
perching around the courthouse.
However, the crows do seem to have discouraged folks who used to sleep
on the courthouse lawn.
CARBON
COUNTY
public nurse reported that three residents had been bitten or scratched by an
otter, causing concern for rabies.
LAW ENFORCEMENT
CASCADE,
FLATHEAD, LEWIS & CLARK, MISSOULA and YELLOWSTONE COUNTIES are designated as High
Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas and share in a $1 million grant from the
Office of National Drug Control Center.
LAND USE
GALLATIN
COUNTY
approved $4 million bond sale for Open Space program.
RAVALLI
COUNTY
subdivision approval was overturned by local court because the commission
bypassed the Planning Board, failed to follow subdivision regulations and
usurped the public’s right to comment in public hearing.
OLD COMPUTERS and SECURITY
RISKS
Disposing of old computers is a
problem. Many organizations sell used
computers to recyclers or donate them to schools or charities, not realizing
the security risks for information contained on the hard drives.
One second-hand computer shop
received a computer containing confidential records from a health insurance
company. Another used-computer shop
acquired a hard drive from a county which contained confidential data on law
enforcement investigations.
Many people do not believe that data
can be recovered from hard drives if the files or directories have been
deleted. However, with special software
and sometimes even with just the utilities that come with the operating system
or the machine, deleted data can be recovered.
The security implications can be serious. Malicious parties could use data and addresses for illegal or
unscrupulous purposes. Passwords and
codes could be used to crack computer networks.
When your county gets rid of old
PCs, you should be sure that no recoverable data remains. Deleting files and even reformatting the
hard drive is not sufficient to ensure security. The National Security Agency (NSA) recommends overwriting the
hard drive with random numbers. This
process should be repeated four times to assure security. Although this process may be time-consuming,
it is worthwhile, considering the possible consequences of security breaches.
One way to speed up the process of
securely removing old files and data is to use a program specifically designed
for that purpose. “File Shredder” is
distributed as shareware ($25 registration costs) and can be downloaded
from: www.gregorybraun.com/Shredder.html.
Another
downloadable program is “Eraser 5.3”, free at www.tolvanen.com/. Both programs make data on your hard drive
unrecoverable by repeatedly overwriting and then deleting selected files. Each provides a high level of security.
COMMON EMAIL MISTAKES
1. Ignoring email etiquette
Don’t write when you are angry. Don’t use sarcasm. These types of sentences are most-often completely misunderstood.
DON’T USE ALL UPPERCASE! That is the email equivalent of yelling.
Use clear subject lines. This will help the reader be ready for your
message.
Keep it short—If your email is more
than two paragraphs, maybe you should use the phone.
Don’t forward other email, poems,
jokes, virus warnings, etc., unless the recipient has previously agreed.
2. Thinking you are anonymous
Even if you set up a phony email
address, the header on the message contains information about the sender, some
of it invisible. You may be less
anonymous than you think.
3. Sending email to the wrong
person
When you respond to an email, the
“To” field may already have addresses in it.
Be careful that the address is the same one you intend to contact.
4. Using one email address for
everything
As businesses get more assertive in emailing
prospective customers, you may find a single email box overloaded. Establish separate email addresses for private,
public, shopping, information requests.
Each will attract mail for those specific areas.
5. Not checking all your email boxes
Checking different mail boxes can be
a chore. “ePrompter” can check up to
sixteen password-protected accounts.
ePrompter is free.
6. Sending mail before
checking it over
Re-read every email before you send it
out. You will want to correct a word
that is spelled correctly but is the wrong word and insert words you didn’t
type in the first time. People will
judge you subconsciously on mistakes.
You can catch them if you take a minute and re-read.
7. Forgetting the attachment
We all do this occasionally. Re-reading your message before you send it will help correct this problem.
NACo
Community and Economic
Development Steering Committee
Synopsis of Report
by Anita Varone, Lewis and
Clark County
The Committee is supporting three
legislative priorities:
1. Increase appropriations for the Community Development Block Grants
and the HOME Investment Partnerships Program
2.
Maintain funding or provide tax incentives for federal programs that
assist local governments in investing in economic development opportunities
3. Provide funding or tax
incentives for programs that provide housing and services to move families and
individuals towards independence and self-sufficiency.
During discussion on regional
approaches to economic development, several attendees voiced their concern
regarding rural economic development.
This track of the conference was geared toward urban economic
development with little or no consideration for rural economic development
needs. This discussion became the heart
of the presentation and, as a result, a sub-committee was formed to address
rural economic development needs. I volunteered
to be a member on that sub-committee, which is expected to meet via telephone
conferencing and e-mailing during the next six months. The intent is to address problems, develop a
program and present it at the fall conference.
Montana will be in on the ground floor of whatever results.
“An Economic Development Handbook for County Officials” is the result of the appointment of a Presidential Task Force on Economic Development. It addresses “counties that were being left behind.” The booklet discusses how to get started, strategic planning, preparing a qualified workforce, information technology, unique challenges facing rural areas, and financing economic development. If you’re interested in obtaining a copy, you can contact NACo at 440 First St. NW., Washington, D.C 20001, call them at 202-393-6226, fax them at 202-393-2630, or e-mail them at www.naco.org.
NACo
Environment, Energy, Land
Use Planning Steering Committee
Synopsis of Report
by John Prinkki, Carbon
County
Five sub-committees met before the full Committee gathered.
Solid and Hazardous Waste: Robert Springer, Director of EPA Office of Solid Waste, discussed innovations such as biomass and recovery of methane from landfills. The Committee passed a resolution to encourage manufacturing of products less problematic for landfills.
Land Use: Charles Baker, Land Use Manager, New Castle County, Delaware, discussed relationships between planners and elected officials. The Committee passed a resolution for coordination among government levels and how decisions affect housing costs.
Water and Watersheds: Tracy Mehan, Assistant Director, EPA Water Division, discussed the Water Pollution Trading Credits and the proposed Clear Skies Act, as it addresses chemicals from coal-fired generation which end up in drinking water. I expressed concerns with the mercury cap and trade aspects of the Act.
Energy: Robert Rose, Executive Director of U.S. Fuel Cell Council, discussed advantages of fuel cell technology and the status of production models being available to the public.
Air Quality: Donna DeLeoni, EPA Governmental Affairs Director, discussed the Clear Skies Act’s 70% reduction in chemical emissions through a “cap and trade” system. The Committee passed resolutions to support multi-emissions, the Clear Skies Act and to expand eligibility for Congestion Mitigation Air Quality.
Energy,
Environment and Land Use: The full
Steering Committee heard two speakers.
Kevin Braun, Editor of ‘Environment & Energy Publishing’, spoke on
environment and energy issues. Jim
Connaughton, Chair of White House Council on Environmental Quality, spoke on
the Clear Skies Act and explained that it would provide for cleaner air sooner
than the existing Clean Air Act. The
Steering Committee reaffirmed all resolutions after heated discussion over CMAQ
and the Clear Skies Act. Julie Ufner,
NACo Associate Legislative Director, gave a brief update on other congressional
issues.
There are at least ten
reasons why NACo Membership is a tremendous value.
#1:
Lobbying
NACo
represents counties nationwide. NACo
presents the county view for issues such as Payment in Lieu of Taxes
(PILT), TEA-21, airport improvement, homeland security, community/rural development,
juvenile justice, etc.. NACo was recently rated in the top 100 of lobbying
organizations by Fortune Magazine.
#2:
Conferences
The NACo Legislative and Annual Conferences are still the best place to acquire
information to make "informed decisions." NACo also offers the
Western Interstate Region Meeting and the Employment Policy and Human Services
Conference.
#3:
County News
County News is the premier publication for counties. The bi-weekly issues keep
on top of the latest developments in Washington, the nation and in NACo.
#4: Financial
Benefits
Deferred Compensation Program
Is a partnership of NACo and Nationwide Insurance, adopted by more than 2,100
counties, and provides retirement benefits for county employees.
Financial Services Center (FSC)
Offers enhanced financial services to member counties, large discounts on office supplies,
computers and so much more. Your county could easily save more than your
membership dues just by participating in one of these programs.
#5:
Networking
Whether you attend conferences or participate on one of NACo's many steering
committees, the interaction with other county officials is invaluable.
#6:
Training and Workshops
NACo offers several satellite broadcast training programs that bring the
training to you. Our conferences are
always filled with programs to keep you up with the latest issues to help you
be the best county official you can be.
#7:
Research and Information
NACo conducts research and provides statistics on a variety of subject areas
such as environmental programs, welfare-to-work initiatives. The NACo staff
"goes to work for you" so your staff doesn't have to divert their
time.
#8:
Access to national leaders
Key national leaders from the Administration and Congress participate in all
NACo events and NACo can assist with meetings with key lawmakers.
#9:
Promotions
National County Government Week and Counties Serve America are just two of the
premier campaigns. NACo also ensures that the media is aware of the importance
of counties through press releases and public relations activities.
#10:
Web Site & Publications
The NACo website offers research and publications to help counties improve
services:
·
Aging and Children's Issues
·
Coastal Watershed Management
·
Pollution Prevention
·
Radon/Indoor Air Program
·
Solid Waste Management
·
Source Water Protection
·
Sustainable Development
·
Volunteerism
Two
of the newest publications coming this year are in land use and planning:
1. Community Planning
Guidebook
(July 2003) is a technical assistance tool to help manage growth in ways to
promote healthy economies, preserve local identity and safeguard natural and
cultural resources.
2. Local Greenprinting for
Growth
(Spring 2003) is to assist with open space protection and conservation:
a) Overview
b) Conservation Vision