CCommission approves more than ommission approves more …program was expanded to include sex...

“The wisdom to know and the courage to defend the

public interest”

National Association of Counties • Washington, D.C. www.naco.org • www.countynews.org

Vol. 37 No. 16 • September 5, 2005

Quik Takes

Attenion Readers ...

■ See MEDICAID on page 10

Connecticut $57,337District of Columbia $57,009California $56,444New Jersey $55,592New York $55,181

Average Top Average Top SalariesSalariesfor Public for Public School TeachersSchool Teachers

Source: National Education Association

BY JENNIFER WILSON

ASSOCIATE LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR

The federal Medicaid Commis-sion held its second meeting within a two-day period, the third week of August. This meeting was the group’s last before the completion of their

fi rst assignment to submit a proposal by Sept. 1 to Health and Human Ser-vices Secretary Mike Leavitt and the Congress that would cut $10 billion over fi ve years from the Medicaid program.

The commission considered

26 different policy options from a total of 33. Seven were eliminated because the Congressional Budget Offi ce (CBO) could not “score,” or estimate, the cost of these proposals. Since the process was open to the public, policy options were submitted by various organizations.

Day one of the meeting consisted of a brief summary/explanation of each option by HHS staff with ad-ditional assistance from the option’s submitter if needed.

After much discussion, Governor Donald Sundquist, former governor of Tennessee and chair of the commis-sion, announced his intent to submit a “Chairman’s Mark” the following

Commission approves more than Commission approves more than $10 billion in Medicaid cuts$10 billion in Medicaid cuts

As Congress comes back from its summer recess, County News and NACo’s Legislative Affairs Depart-ment take a look at how county issues have fared and what’s ahead for the remainder of the year.

NACo has been successful in lob-bying on a number of issues during the fi rst half of the fi rst session of the 109th Congress, including transpor-tation and energy bills, obtaining a $9 million increase in PILT funding, saving the CDBG program and awak-ening the nation’s consciousness to the methamphetamine crisis.

TEA-21 Reauthorization (TEA-LU)

After two years and 12 extensions, the House and Senate passed a six-year $286.4 billion reauthorization of the federal highway and transit programs July 29. The bill provides $228 billion for highways, $52 billion for transit and $6 billion for safety. Overall guaranteed spending will be 38 percent higher that in TEA-21.

On the donor-donee issue, the rate of return to donor states will remain

Counties see success in 109th’s fi rst half

The County of Santa Clara, Calif. has fi led a lawsuit against a number of pharmaceutical manufacturers alleging that the drug companies failed to provide the county with discounts on drug purchases, as required by law.

The discounts are required as a condition of participating in the Med-icaid program.Sales of pharmaceuti-cal products to Medicaid cannot be made unless the manufacturer agrees to provide discounts, for prescription and over-the-counter drugs used in the outpatient context, to county-funded public hospitals, pharmacies and community clinics.

In 2004, the Offi ce of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reviewed the September 2002 pharmaceutical sales and issued a report on its fi nd-ings. The report concluded that in that single month alone, the drug companies overcharged counties or other entities paying for the drugs by approximately $41 million. This

report provided the basis for the Santa Clara lawsuit.

“It is diffi cult to determine the full extent of the overcharges be-cause the drug manufacturers insist that their pricing information remain confi dential,” said County Counsel Ann Ravel.

The lawsuit also alleges that the federal government lacks the resourc-es to monitor the prices charged by the pharmaceutical manufacturers and requests an independent audit to determine whether the manufacturers have provided the discounts required by the Public Health Act of 1992.

The lawsuit has been fi led in Alameda County on behalf of Santa Clara County as well as other simi-larly situated cities and counties in California. The companies that have been named in the lawsuit are Astrazeneca, Aventis, Bayer, Bristol-MyerSquibb, Burroughs Wellcome, Glaxo Wellcom, Pfizer, Scher-ing-Plough, TAP Pharmaceuticals, Wyeth-Aerst and Behring.

Drug companies sued for failing to provide county with discounts

■ See CONGRESS on page 6

NACo is working with the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development to fi nd

temporary housing for the thousands of Gulf Coast residents that were displaced by Hurricane

Katrina. The search includes sites where temporary structures can be placed as well as

existing structures where people can be housed.

If your county would like to help with this effort, go to the NACo Web site, www.naco.org/katrina.

Photo courtesy of NOAA

Hurricane Katrina made landfall in south Plaquemines Parish, La., south of Orleans Parish, Aug. 29 at approxi-mately 7:10 a.m. The vessel pushed on shore demonstrates Katrina’s punch. NACo is compiling names of member counties that can provide temporary housing or shelter for Katrina refugees, or who wish to help the parish and county governments in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama recover from Hurricane Katrina. If your county can assist, please sign up on NACo’s Web site: www.naco.org/katrina.

2 County News, September 5, 2005

Michigan Department of Corrections Parole Agent Eric Isele knocks on the door of a registered sex offender’s home as part of Wayne County’s Spot Check Unit. He is accompanied by Korey Rowe, Michigan state police trooper (l) and Offi cer Ryan Landry (r), sheriff’s deputy.

BY NACO PRESIDENT BILL HANSELL

Wasn’t the conference in Ha-waii an outstanding one? My hat is off to our hard working Hawaiian colleagues and their staff for host-ing such a marvelous conference. Those of you who were unable to attend missed a very productive time. The speakers, seminars, work sessions, general sessions and all other aspects of the conference went very well.

I know there was what I call “much ado about nothing” con-cerning the conference location from some newspapers including my own. But, without apology, we had one of the most produc-tive annual conferences ever, and we owe our Hawaiian hosts

BY M. MINDY MORETTI

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The U.S. Elections Assistance Commission (EAC) recently ad-opted the initial framework for the country’s fi rst federal voting system certifi cation and laboratory accreditation programs. This is the fi rst step in the transition of these programs from the National Asso-ciation of State Election Directors (NASED).

“EAC has adopted procedures at the onset to ensure that election offi cials and voters use voting sys-tems that are accurate and reliable,” EAC Chair Gracia Hillman said in a statement. “The goal to make sure that every vote is counted accurately and fairly begins here, and we will make sure this process is transparent

every step of the way.”One of the mandates of the Help

America Vote Act (HAVA) requires that the EAC provide for the testing, certifi cation, decertifi cation and re-certifi cation of voting systems. This marks the fi rst time these activities have been the responsibility of a fed-eral agency. The initial framework will require the EAC to:

• develop an interim accredita-tion program for testing laboratories currently accredited by NASED to ensure that the process is not inter-rupted

• develop procedures for EAC accreditation for Voting System Test Laboratories, and

• create procedures for EAC

New certifi cation for New certifi cation for voting systems beginsvoting systems begins

our deepest gratitude for putting on an outstanding conference.Angelo Kyle is another person who deserves a big thank you. His year as NACo President was one of ac-complishment and achievement. I am just now beginning to under-stand the time demands that are on a NACo President. The fact that Angelo’s commissioner position is part time, makes what he did all the more remarkable.

He led our organization with dedication, vision and what I call class. He leaves big shoes for me to fi ll, and I am thankful he is still around to both advise and help me.

Lastly I am honored to serve with the great group of individu-als on the executive committee. My leadership philosophy is that of teamwork, and that of servant leadership. What leadership skills I may or may not have, are there to serve you and the people you serve.

The NACo executive com-mittee is comprised of talented and dedicated individuals, and we are a team. I am honored to serve with Colleen, Eric, Don and An-gelo. Together with Larry Naake, we are looking forward to a great year. Thank you for giving us this opportunity to serve you.

Congratulations to the 12 new counties that have joined the NACo ENERGY STAR® Courthouse Cam-paign. Forty-three counties across the nation now participate in this volun-tary program that assists counties in identifying ways to reduce energy usage and costs, save taxpayer dol-lars and help the environment.

NACo will work with participat-ing counties by providing training and educational resources to help them assess the current energy usage of county facilities and make sound energy upgrades.

Congratulations to the following new county participants:

• Alachua County, Fla.• Blaine County, Idaho

• Calvert County, Md.*• Clark County, Wash.*• Cochise County, Ariz.• Jackson County, Texas*• Matanuska-Susitna Borough,

Alaska*• Orangeburg County, S.C.*• Pitt County, N.C.• Price County, Wis.• Racine County, Wis.• Upshur County, W.Va.**First county in state to join the

Courthouse Campaign.

(To learn how your county can participate in the NACo ENERGY STAR Courthouse Campaign, contact Kelly Zonderwyk at 202/942-4224 or [email protected].)

More counties join NACo Courthouse Campaign

BY DAN MILLER

STAFF WRITER

As teachers prepared their class-rooms in anticipation of the new of the school year, in Wayne County, Mich., the Sheriff’s Department prepared for the return to classes by making its streets safer.

From Aug. 24–26, Wayne County Sheriff Warren Evans and his Spot Check Unit conducted an unan-nounced sweep of the homes of sex offenders on parole or probation. State and local offi cers checked about half of the homes of the county’s 400 individuals on parole or probation, specifi cally those who lived a close distance to a school.

“Statistics show that, because of the compulsive nature of many sex crimes, these individuals re-offend at a high rate,” Evans said. “We want local parents to feel confi dent sending their children to school and to know that the local law enforcement com-munity is keeping a watchful eye on people who pose a higher risk to their kids’ safety.”

According to John Roach, press secretary for the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, the results of the checks were good from a public safety standpoint. Only four parolees were found to be in violation, one of them for possession of video equipment.

The Spot Check Unit is a grant-funded unit that began in October of last year. Originally, it was intended to only monitor gun offenders, but the program was expanded to include sex offenders.

Evans and the Michigan Depart-ment of Corrections created the unit,

which has conducted 2,500 home checks, and found nearly 300 people in violation and sent 25 parolees back to prison.

The program is the only one of its kind in Michigan.

“From our perspective, the thing we like to promote is a proactive approach in dealing with people on parole and probation,” Roach said. “Too often, being on probation can be too much like being free without any great deal of supervision. This helps keep people honest.”

During the checks, there was at least a cursory search of the offender’s home. For example, if individual’s

From the From the

PDAWayne County, Mich. keeps close eye on sex offenders

original conviction was related to the Internet, and the terms of his probation or parole restricted Internet access, the offi cers would check to see if he had a connection.

According to Roach, the unit focuses on parolees and probation-ers, rather than all registered sex offenders.

“A lot of people have concerns over us harassing people who are registered sex offenders,” Roach said. “This unit does not get involved with people who are not under a state sentence. If someone has served their debt to society but is still on the registry, we don’t go to their homes.”

■ See CERTIFICATION on page 3

NACo PresidentBill Hansell

County News, September 5, 2005 3

certification, decertification and recertifi cation of voting systems.

Statewide voter registration lists

Also in early August, the EAC issued voluntary guidance on the implementation of statewide voter registration lists. Although these guidelines are only voluntary, the EAC believes they will help states make sure voter registration informa-tion is accurate, secure and updated on a regular basis. The guidelines should help states make informed decisions about the best way to manage and maintain these lists.

To formulate the voluntary guid-ance, the EAC consulted with elec-tion offi cials, including those who were already using statewide voter registration lists. In May, the EAC released draft guidance and received more than 300 comments from elec-tion offi cials, public interest groups and the general public. As a result of the public comment period, the original document was reorganized to improve readability, defi nitions were expanded and guidance about secu-rity, registration coordination and list maintenance was expanded.

HAVA requires that each state develop, maintain and administer a single, statewide list of registered voters, and the law directs the EAC to issue voluntary guidance to assist the states. The 19-page document is available on the EAC’s Web site (www.eac.gov). Although the guid-ance has now been issued, the EAC and a working group of state and lo-cal election offi cials will continue to explore technical issues related to the maintenance and upgrade of these database systems.

New EAC commissioner sworn in

In other EAC news, in early August, Donetta Davidson, former Colorado secretary of state, was sworn in as a member of the commission. Davidson began her elections career with her election in 1978 as the Bent County (Colo.) clerk and recorder, a position she held until 1986. In 1994 she was elected Arapahoe County (Colo.) clerk and recorder and reelected to a second term in 1998. In 1999, Davidson was appointed as the Colorado secretary of state, and she was elected to that offi ce in 2000 and reelected in 2002 for a four-year term.

She has served on the Federal Elec-tion Commission Advisory Panel, the board of directors of the Help America Vote Foundation, and was president of the National Association of Secretaries of State. She is the former president of the National Association of State Elections Directors (NASED), and prior to her EAC appointment, Da-vidson served on EAC’s Technical Guidelines Development Committee (TGDC).

Davidson will serve until Decem-ber 2007, fi lling the remaining term of DeForest B. Soaries, Jr., who resigned in April 2005.

The EAC is an independent, bi-partisan commission created by the Help America Vote Act. It is charged with administering payments to states and developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, implementing election administration improve-ments, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines and serving as a national clearinghouse and resource of information regarding election administration.

(For more information about the EAC visit www.eac.gov.)

■ CERTIFICATION from page 2

New EAC commissioner sworn into offi ce

BY ALLISON MALL

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Health literacy is a problem that most people don’t know exists, even though it’s an issue which affects ev-eryone who has ever been sick. You or someone you know may have experienced diffi culty understand-ing a doctor’s orders or prescription directions, and you are not alone in this experience — 90 million Americans have diffi culty understanding com-plex medical texts.

Recently, teens from Pinellas County, Fla. teamed up with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (IOM) and the Academy for Educational Development (AED)

Teens tackle health literacy in Pinellas County, Fla.Teens tackle health literacy in Pinellas County, Fla.to explore the problem of health liter-acy in their community and help with the effort to make health literacy an issue of national concern.

Pinellas County was one of two sites (Harlem, N.Y. was the other.) chosen for the study, which was funded by a grant from the Kellog Foundation.

Beth Tobias, 4-H Youth as Re-sources volunteer outreach coordi-nator in Pinellas County, explained that the group’s mission is to develop life skills and connect youth positively to resources available to them in their communities — which they were able to do with the health literacy project. Seventeen youths, ages 14–16, whom

Tobias described as “a diverse group of kids that we have had experience with and trust, and who would not otherwise have the opportunity for a job working for the Pinellas County government,” were selected from around the county.

Their job was to assess the health literacy of the community using a process called resource mapping. The youth, or “mappers,” surveyed 300-plus people and 90 organizations, including hospitals, clinics, health fairs, doctors’ offi ces and pharma-cies. Their fi ndings were presented to IOM, local hospitals, the American Medical Association and Partnership for a Healthier Pinellas.

The mapping project showed that more than half of the organizations surveyed and 212 people said health literacy was a “serious or very serious” problem. People reported having the

most problems understanding doc-tors’ conversations (55 people) and prescription instructions (44 people). Many felt they did not have the right to ask doctor’s questions if they don’t understand medical procedures or in-structions.

On the institutional side, nearly one-third of the organizations surveyed did not test their written materials with intended audiences for clarity, and the same percentage did not know of places in the com-munity to help people understand health paperwork.

“The mapping project concluded that health literacy isn’t widely under-stood. But health literacy is a critical issue affecting all of us, not just low income, non-English speaking people. We must ensure that everyone gets proper preventative health care and does not harm themselves because

they are not following directions properly or do not understand how to take medicines,” said Susanne Stoiber, IOM executive offi cer.

The survey results will be used to underscore the need for clear, con-sistent information in the literature available at pharmacies and doctors’ offi ces, and the need for national policy that promotes health literacy.

“All communities are structured differently but they all have the need for better health literacy. We need to take the concepts learned in Pinellas County to a national level,” Stoiber said.

Quick Fact: Sevier County, Utah was named after the Sevier River. Early Spanish explorers called the river Rio Severo, but some historians believe they may have confused it with the much more “severe” Virgin River.


Lee Kyle AllenCommissioner

and President-elect,National Association

of Local Boards of Health Craven County, N.C.

NACo Board of Directors

PRO FILESIn Service...

“The wisdom to know and the courage to defend the public interest”

President: Bill Hansell • Publisher: Larry NaakePublic Affairs Director: Tom Goodman • Executive Editor: Beverly Anne Schlotterbeck

Senior Staff Writer: M. Mindy Moretti • Staff Writer: Dan MillerGraphic Artist: Jack Hernandez • Editorial Assistant: Allison Mall

Advertising Staff:Allison Mall: Job Market/Classifi eds representative

Beverly Schlotterbeck: national accounts representative

(202) 393-6226 • FAX (202) 393-2630

Published biweekly except August by: National Association of Counties Research Foundation, Inc.440 First Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001

(202) 393-6226 • FAX (202) 393-2630E-mail: [email protected] • Online address: www.countynews.org

The appearance of paid advertisements in Coun ty News in no way implies support or en dorse ment by the National As- so ci a tion of Counties for any of the products, services or messages advertised. Pe ri od i cals post age paid at Wash ing ton D.C. and other offi ces.

Mail subscriptions are $100 per year for non-mem bers. $60 per year for non-members pur chas ing mul ti ple cop ies. Ed u ca tion al in sti tu tion rate, $50 per year. Member county sup ple men tal sub scrip tions are $20 each. Send pay ment with order and address chang es to NACo, 440 First St. N.W., Wash ing ton, D.C. 20001.

POSTMASTER: send address changes to Coun ty News, 440 First St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001(USPS 704-620) • (ISSN: 0744-9798)

© National Association of Counties Research Foundation, Inc.

If you have a com pli ment, com plaint or dif fer ent point of view, let us know.

County News invites Letters to the

EditorPlease in clude a phone num ber with your letter. Mail, fax or

e-mail to: Coun ty News, NACo, 440 First St., N.W., Wash ing ton, DC 20001-2080; (202) 393-2630; [email protected].

Number of years active in NACo: 11

Years in Public Service: 22

Occupation: Retired U.S. Navy (30 years, 22 active); elec-trical contractor 27 years

Education: Community College (honors)

The hardest thing I’ve ever done: Experience war up front and close.

Three people (living or dead) I’d invite to dinner: Jesus, George Washington and Ronald Reagan.

A dream I have is to: Make a difference in public health.

You’d be surprised to learn that I: Play the trombone.

The most adventurous thing I’ve ever done is: Sail through the Panama Canal on a Navy ship.

My favorite way to relax is: Cutting the grass on a riding lawnmower.

I’m most proud of: My work in my church and the Ma-sonic Lodge.

Every morning I read: The obituaries and then the comics.

My favorite meal is: Hot dogs and fried chicken.

My pet peeve is: Disrespect for our fl ag.

My motto is: Anticipate – improvise – overcome – adapt.

The last book I read was: Robert’s Rules of Order 10th edition, by Henry M. Robert III.

My favorite movie is: The Lion King.

My favorite music is: Swing.

My favorite president is: Ronald Reagan.

At NACo’s 2005 Annual Con-ference, County News reporters Mindy Moretti and Dan Miller, asked conference attendees about the greatest challenges facing their counties. Here’s a snapshot of the responses.

Janet TaylorCommissionerHendry County, Fla.

With Hendry County’s recent spurt of development, the small rural county is struggling to provide the appropriate infrastructure. “We’re trying to fi gure out how we’re going to manage the growth and provide the infrastructure for it,” Taylor said. The development, mostly residential buildings, requires fi re departments, water and roads and has taxed the county’s resources.

Orleans, has been having problems keeping up with the infrastructure necessary to support its recent de-velopment. “We’ve become one of the fastest-growing parishes in Louisiana,” Lee said. He claims the parish has been especially challenged by providing water and wastewater services.

Christene EndersenCommissionerKitsap County, Wash.

Two of the big issues currently facing Kitsap County — a suburb of Seattle — are long-term sustained funding and NASCAR.

“Our property tax is capped at 1 percent and we’re becoming more and more reliant on our sales tax,” Endersen said. “This sets us up for potential problems.”

A proposed NASCAR track also has folks in the county talking. Ender-sen said many in the county fear that the noise and traffi c associated with the proposed track would far outweigh any positive impacts it may have. The proposal is currently in the land-use review stage.

Wayne ClintonSupervisorStory County, Iowa

Like many counties throughout the country, Story County is grap-pling with the issue of methamphet-amines.

“There is no question about it, our biggest issue right now is meth,” Clinton said.

Although Story County has been extremely proactive in fi ghting meth — passing an ordinance limiting the sale of blister packs for instance — Clinton said there is still so much more the county must do.

Clinton also discussed his con-cerns about funding from the federal government.

“The issue is the feds begin a pro-gram, but then when the money is gone, what happens to the program?”

Calvin NewsomSupervisorMarion County, Miss.

According to Newsom, the big-gest problem currently facing rural Marion County is funding for inmate prescriptions.

“The cost of the medications for inmates has become diffi cult to keep up with,” Newsom said. “We are in the process of searching for the means to offset that cost.”

Fortunately for Marion County, Newsom had just left a workshop on NACo’s prescription drug program and Newsom was optimistic that the program could be the answer to the county’s problems.

Cynthia MitchellClerkDenton County, Texas

Denton County is on the northern edge of the Dallas-Ft. Worth metro-politan area which means, according to Mitchell, the county struggles with issues of growth and transportation.

“Our commissioners are very proactive and do what they can, but there are just a lot of people moving to this area,” Mitchell said.

The county has hired a transpor-tation consultant in an effort to try and deal with many of the problems Denton is currently facing.

And for the record, Mitchell pointed out that Denton County is completely ready for the requirements of the Help America Vote Act with no impact on county taxpayers.

“People On the Street” ...“People On the Street” ...

Sheryl AyersCommissionerLa Plata County, Colo.

La Plata County has felt the effects of the nation’s methamphetamine epi-demic, causing problems for the jail and human services department. The county has addressed the problem by creating a locally produced video on the crises and creating a task force to combat meth use. “We’re trying to do the same thing everyone else is, trying to convince teenagers not to start,” Ayers said.

Todd ApoCouncil MemberCity and County of Honolulu

The growing city and county of Honolulu continues to try and improve its public transportation system. “We’re an island so there’s not a lot of room to expand in any direction.” The county has contem-plated raising excise taxes to benefi t the county’s bus system, as well as installing a rail system.

Steve LeeCouncilmanSt. John the Baptist Parish, La.

St. John the Baptist Parish, La., which is 25 minutes away from New

Janet TaylorHendry County Commissioner


The Pubic Entity Risk Institute’s Data Exchange is growing ahead of expectations and PERI expects this trend to continue for the remainder of the year.

As of July 1, more than 2,200 public entities in 17 states are pro-viding data to the Data Exchange, either directly or through the risk pools and third-party administrators (TPAs) that handle their claims.

The most impressive growth has been on the workers’ compensation side. The Data Exchange now con-tains more than 900,000 workers’ compensation claims, from more than 1,900 public entities.

benchmark against the experiences of other jurisdictions.

Reports accessible via the Internet

Participating public entities and risk pools voluntarily contribute claims data to the Data Exchange. In return, they receive a free set of benchmarking reports known as “Prime Reports.” Par-ticipating entities can access the reports via the Internet.

Sample benchmarking reports designed for public entities and risk pools are available in the Data Exchange section of PERI’s Web site, www.riskinstitute.org. Descriptions

Risk data exchange grows beyond expectations

BY JUSTIN CARMODY

COMMUNITY SERVICES INTERN

It’s that time of year again when schools get ready for the reluctant return of students to the classroom. But an issue that often remains over-looked every fall is the quality of the air in the classrooms. Poor indoor air quality can affect a student’s desire and ability to learn, can trigger asthma and can lead to adverse health effects for both students and faculty.

A study published by the De-partment of Health and Human Services estimates that nearly nine million students across the country attend a school with poor indoor air quality. School buildings contain a higher number of people in a smaller space than most other indoor spaces. These buildings are often old and in poor condition, in some cases with environmental conditions that may pose harm to both the students and the faculty that occupy them.

Children are also more sensitive to air pollution than adults, so the ramifi cations of poor air quality are even more exaggerated in terms of health. Studies have shown that one half of the nation’s elementary and secondary schools — nearly 115,000

schools — have problems linked to air quality.

One of the key air quality issue areas in schools is asthma. A school with poor indoor air quality is likely to contain one or more asthma trig-gers like mold, dust mites, ozone or cockroaches that can cause asthma in children or set off asthma attacks.

Asthma is the most common

chronic health disorder in children affecting over 6 million under 18 years of age according to a recent study conducted by the Environmen-tal Protection Agency. It is estimated that asthma causes up to 14 million school absences a year.

Because there is no federal legis-lation regarding air quality in schools, it is crucial the issue be addressed

at the local level. Some counties are becoming more involved in trying to improve upon their school districts indoor air quality. With a grant from NACo’s Indoor Air Quality Model County Program, Boulder County, Colo. has continued its Healthy Indoor Air Project.

Boulder County focused on an education and outreach component

Back to school: air quality in the classroom criticalby covering indoor air quality in middle school health classes. Stu-dents learned about radon, bio-logical pollutants, environmental tobacco smoke, carbon monoxide and asbestos. The students also sub-mitted public service announcements for a newspaper ad contest, and the

“As the collection of claims data continues to grow in the database, participating local governments and pools will start seeing the benchmarking information they need to analyze their programs,” said Gerry Hoetmer, PERI’s ex-ecutive director. “The PERI Data Exchange will be able to deliver analytical information that isn’t available to local governments from any other source.”

The PERI Data Exchange is a national database of public sector liability and workers’ compensation claims that allows public entities to compare their loss performance and

of the full set of Prime Reports that will be offered initially in the liability and workers’ compensation report libraries are also available. Public entities and pools that provide data receive Prime Reports at no cost.

“The sample reports and descrip-tions show the value of the informa-tion the Data Exchange provides,” said Stewart. “And the value will continue to rise as the number of participants grows.”

(For information on how to partici-pate in the PERI Data Exchange, please visit the Data Exchange section of PERI’s Web site, www.riskinstitute.org or call 703/352-1846.)

■ See IAQ on page 8


at 90.5 percent for FY05 and FY06, go to 91.5 percent for FY07, and in-crease to 92 percent for FY08 and FY09. All donee states were assured that every state would receive at least 19 percent more in highway funds that they did under TEA-21.

“We’re pleased that the legisla-tion has fi nally been passed, allowing needed county highway and transit projects to be able to proceed in our counties. We will immediately begin to work on implementation and regu-latory issues,” said NACo Executive Director Larry Naake.

CDBG The Community Development

Block Grant (CDBG) Program was successfully saved from elimina-tion after a massive lobbying effort mounted by NACo and other local interest groups. Both the House and the Senate declined to take any action with respect to the administration’s proposal to eliminate and consolidate the program with other economic development programs and will continue to fund CDBG through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Immediately after the release of the budget, NACo held a press conference with coalition members at the National Press Club question-ing the administration’s elimination of CDBG receiving national cover-age.

On March 1, NACo President An-gelo Kyle testifi ed before the House Government Reform Committee. He was among the fi rst to be heard on the Hill. During NACo’s Legislative Conference, members, armed with NACo’s policy positions headed to the Hill to voice strong support for saving the program. On March 15, NACo participated in a second press event in conjunction with the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities in support of the program.

During consideration of the Senate Budget resolution in March, NACo successfully lob-bied the Senate obtaining a 68-31 super majority vote in support of the program demonstrating to appropriators the Senate’s broad support. NACo’s success hinged upon the grassroots efforts of its members who called their respec-tive congressional delegations.

The House passed the HUD Appropriations bill recommending 6 percent cut in the program providing $4.2 billion for CDBG overall. This represents a $250 million reduction in funding but stymies efforts to zero it out. The Senate Appropria-tions Committee marked up its bill

recommending an overall amount of $4.3 billion for CDBG.

In FY05, CDBG was funded at $4.7 overall, with $4.1 billion for CDBG formula grants. NACo’s po-sition is to urge Congress to provide $4.7 billion for CDBG.

Methamphetamine issue

Focusing the national spotlight on the methamphetamine issue has been one of NACo’s biggest accomplishments. NACo secured broad news media coverage, which has affected public opinion and in-fl uenced the development of federal policy. Legislation to assist counties in battling this epidemic is working its way through Capitol Hill.

At the 2005 NACo Annual Con-ference, President Bill Hansell ap-pointed a NACo Methamphetamine Action Group. The purpose of the group is to develop a coordinated national policy agenda to fi ght meth abuse, educate fellow county offi cials on the dangers of the drug, assess the impacts of meth on county governments, interact with external organizations and identify local best practices that can be replicated.

Immediately following the an-nual conference, Sonoma County, Calif. Supervisor Valerie Brown, a member of the Meth Action Group, testifi ed on NACo’s two recent sur-veys on methamphetamine abuse to the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources. NACo called for a comprehensive and intergovernmental approach to fi ght the methamphetamine epidemic and urged Congress to restore funding for existing federal resources, such as the Justice Assistance Grant program. Necessary components to a compre-hensive strategy must include pre-vention, education, law enforcement, treatment, public health, research and precursor control.

On Sept. 14, NACo will brief staff members of the House Methamphet-amine Caucus on its two recent meth surveys. The House Meth Caucus is a bi-partisan group of 111 members of Congress co-chaired by Reps. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), Chris Cannon (R-Utah), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) and Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa).

Legislation on the meth issue has been introduced focusing on specifi c ways to deal with the problem. NACo supports these bills:

The bi-partisan Combat Meth Act (S. 103), sponsored by Sens. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) and Dianne Fein-stein (D-Calif.), was unanimously approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee July 28. The bill would restrict pseudoephedrine — a key ingredient to manufacturing meth-amphetamine— on a national level.

A companion House measure is sponsored by Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.). Other bills that NACo supports are: HR 798, H.R. 1350 and H.R. 13.

Energy bill The energy bill had languished

in congressional limbo for several years, after several unsuccessful attempts at passage, due to contro-versial language on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which NACo supports, and safe harbor provisions for producers of MTBE, which NACo opposes.

It was passed by both chambers and sent to the president for signing in the last days before the August re-cess. The bill does not include either of these controversial issues.

After much work by NACo and other advocates the Senate budget resolution passed with no cuts to the Medicaid program, however our efforts didn’t succeed in the House which maintained their $20 billion amount. With lots of hard work and dedication we were successful in get-ting that cut down to $10 billion in the fi nal budget resolution.

Telecommunications issuesThe communications tax debate

is ongoing, and state and local gov-ernment associations, including NACo, continue to negotiate with industry over the future of telecomm taxes. NACo so far has prevented the communications industry from co-opting the Streamlined Sales Tax Act to require states to amend tax

begin providing new video services without signing a contract with the local community. NACo opposes both bills, and passed a resolution at the Annual Conference opposing national franchising.

Legislation (S. 1294) has been introduced by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) that would specifi cally al-low municipal broadband networks under certain conditions. Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) has introduced legislation which would specifi -cally prevent municipal broadband networks. NACo opposes this leg-islation as well.

Justice and Public SafetyNACo was successful in derailing

the administration’s request to elimi-nate the Justice Assistance Grant Program (JAG), the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP), and the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Program (JABG). The Senate Appropriations Committee marked JAG at $625 million plus an additional $177 million for Byrne Discretionary Programs for a total of $802 million or $2 million less than the FY05 fi gure. The house increased SCAAP funding by $100 million for a total of $405 million and raised JABG to $60 million.

NACo has successfully outlined the importance of JAG funding in creating a comprehensive com-munity effort to combat meth. JAG monies can be spent on drug task forces, law enforcement, courts and corrections. They can also be used for drug treatment and prevention.

NACo was successful in creating a strong county and local government focus on the prisoner reentry issue through the development of the Sec-ond Chance Act which was recently introduced in the House with strong bipartisan support. A more expan-sive Senate bill that also includes counties as being eligible for direct funding will soon be introduced in the Senate.

Homeland SecuritySince Sept. 11, the amount of

funding Congress has appropri-ated for Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’ Offi ce of Domestic Preparedness (ODP) grant programs has seen signifi cant reductions.

In the president’s FY06 budget request, ODP’s State Homeland Security Grant Program, Urban Area Security Initiative and Local Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Grant received $345 million less than what was provided in the current fi scal year. NACo has worked with House and Senate appropriators to

■ CONGRESS from page 1

NACo successfully lobbies Congress to save CDBG funding

Included in the energy bill is a 10-year, $14.6 billion energy tax package, with $3.1 billion in spending offsets. A most notable compromise was the $4.5 billion cost of the Senate’s three-year extension of the renewable energy production tax credit, which was reduced to $2.7 billion by reauthorizing the program for two years. It is used for electric-ity produced from wind, closed- and open-loop biomass, geothermal, small irrigation power, landfi ll gas and trash combustion facilities over a 10-year period.

MedicaidNACo successfully lobbied to

reduce the amount of the fi nal cut made to the Medicaid program in the budget resolution. The president’s budget proposed a $60 billion cut or “savings” to the Medicaid program over 10 years. The House and Senate budget cuts were proposed over fi ve years with budget instructions for the House Energy and Commerce Committee to cut approximately $20 billion from the program and the Senate Finance Committee to cut $15 billion.

laws unrelated to sales taxes. Currently introduced legislation,

if passed, would severely hamper a county’s ability to negotiate fran-chise agreements or substantially reduce revenue streams. All these bills are bad for local government.

Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) has introduced S. 1504, which is the fi rst “shot across the bow” in the telecomm rewrite process. NACo opposes this legislation because it would preempt local authority on franchising. It would limit local governments from provisioning broadband, among other onerous provisions.

Reps. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Albert Wynn (D-Md.) have introduced H.R. 3146, and Sens. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) and Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) have introduced S. 1349, that would allow new video providers to use local rights of way without fi rst ob-taining a franchise from the local franchising authority. The bills are similar, but not identical. Providers that already have a right to be in the right of way – read this to mean primarily telephone companies – can ■ See CONGRESS on page 7

Photo by Tom Goodman

Representing NACo, Doug Duncan, executive of Montgomery County, Md., speaks at a conference held by NACo, the National League of Cities and the United States Conference of Mayors — condemning the removal of CDBG funding.


restore more than $300 million of those grant funds to state and local governments for their terrorism preparedness, prevention, response and recovery activities.

NACo has also been at the forefront of increased funding for DHS’ Emergency Management Performance Grant Program. The program was traditionally funded at around $30 million. Due to NACo efforts with other interest groups we have achieved steady increases and

is included in the President’s 2007 Budget request.

TANF Reauthorization TANF is in its 10th short-term

extension until the end of September. NACo is focusing on getting TANF passed as a separate piece of legis-lation and not as an amendment to the budget reconciliation bill. The Senate bill is particularly good for counties. It requires fewer hours of work, increases program fl exibil-ity, provides additional entitlement funding for the Social Services Block

tance, Vocational Rehabilitation, Adult Education and Food Stamp Employment and Training fund-ing in a block grant along with the basic Adults, Dislocated Workers, Employment Services and Youth training programs.

NACo continues to work with other local workforce partners to ensure WIA reauthorization main-tains the importance of the local role in the nation’s workforce system.

Interior Appropriations

The Interior appropriations bill is the only appropriations legislation that was fi nalized before recess. NACo lobbied heavily to obtain an increase to the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program (PILT) to $236 mil-lion from last year’s $227 million.

The EPA section of the bill suf-fered a $295 million cut from its current level and would receive $7.9 billion. One of the most notable cuts was to the U.S. EPA’s Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund (SRF), a major source for state wastewater infrastructure projects. The program received a $190 million cut, down to $900 million. EPA’s drinking water infrastructure program, also a state revolving loan fund, is set to receive $850 million, a $7 million increase from FY05.

Appropriators also approved a $13 billion increase for Superfund cleanups over FY05 levels to $1.26 billion.

The bill provides $115 million for federal land acquisition projects. This is a decrease of $50 million from FY05 but was a compromise between the Senate language that al-lotted $161 million versus the House which provided no new money for projects.

Election ReformNACo worked with Rep. Virgil

Goode (R-Va.) to introduce H.R. 3163, legislation providing a clean, four-year extension of the dead-lines for compliance with the Help America Vote Act.

NACo helped spur the Election Assistance Commission to issue supplementary guidance to assist states and counties in complying with HAVA despite the fact that federal voting systems standards are still under development. NACo also co-hosted a summit that brought together state and local election of-fi cials, state legislators and county elected offi cials together to discuss implementing the Help America Vote Act.

Tax IssuesNACo has urged the President’s

Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform to avoid preemption of

So What’s Next in the 109th Congress?

For the balance of the fi rst session of the 109th Congress NACo will pursue:

• passage of relevant appropriations bills with the highest fi gures possible for county government programs.

• passage of methamphetamine legislation and increased funding to combat the meth crisis.

• stopping any telecommunications legislation that negatively af-fects our counties abilities to protect revenue streams and local franchising authority.

• stopping legislation that may preempt local government’s ability to address land use planning.

• protecting local government taxing authority as part of the President’s Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform.

• securing introduction of a bill that strengthens unfunded mandates.

• passage of legislation extending the deadlines for the Help America Vote Act (HR 3161).

• passage of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Deter-mination Reauthorization Act of 2005.

• securing fi nal reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act.

• securing stand alone reauthorization of the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Act (TANF).

county taxing authority, preserve the deductibility of state and local taxes, preserve the tax-exempt status of county debt instruments and sim-plify tax-exempt bond fi nancing. The panel is scheduled to issue a report on options for federal tax reform in September.

NACo has ensured that county offi cials’ concerns are represented in multi-state negotiations on sim-plifying sales tax laws by securing representation on an advisory panel to the governing board of the Stream-lined Sales Tax Agreement.

NACo worked with Representa-tive Mike Turner to introduce H.R. 3498, legislation to intercept federal tax refunds to pay outstanding county tax debts.

NACo is working against pro-posals in upcoming tax legislation that would increase federal rev-enue by restricting access to tax-exempt bonds and has launched a coordinated online lobbying campaign with allied organizations (www.builtbybonds.org).

Unfunded MandatesNACo has testifi ed in both the

House and the Senate on strength-ening the Unfunded Mandates Re-form Act and is working with Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) and

Rep. Michael Turner (R-Ohio) to introduce legislation this fall.

Amtrak The House, in its transportation

appropriations bill, has funded Am-trak at approximately $1.2 billion, the same level as this year. The Senate Appropriations Committee went further and provides $1.45 bil-lion for Amtrak. There are several Amtrak reform bills pending so September will provide a clearer picture on the future of the national passenger rail system.

Social Security/ Pensions Summary

NACo continues to oppose Mandatory Social Security cover-age to state and local governments in any Social Security reform pack-age. NACo passed a resolution on Social Security at the Annual Con-ference addressing this issue and the need to work on the solvency of the program. NACo also continues to support maximum fl exibility in public sector pension plans, but not at the expense of a bad Social Security bill.

(NACo Legislative Affairs Di-rector Ed Rosado compiled this report.)

■ CONGRESS from page 6

NACo lobbying efforts help increase PILT funding to $236 million

this year we have obtained a total of at least $190 million for 2006, a historical high.

NACo continues to work with Congress and DHS to emphasis regional collaboration in preparing for terrorist threats. As a result, the administration, Congress and DHS have continued their support for this approach either through legislation or in public testimony.

NACo has also continued to work closely with the House and Senate on legislative proposals to revise the distribution of DHS’ Homeland Security Grants. As a result, key leg-islation to revise the current grant structure has included provisions to ensure that all counties are eligible for future awards.

Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Reauthorization Act of 2005

NACo has been lobbying heav-ily to obtain a reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Reauthorization Act. Working with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), NACo se-cured introduction of this important legislation (S.267 and H.R. 517) and is now working on obtaining ad-ditional sponsors, which continue to grow, and to ensure that funding

Grant and child care, and extends transitional Medicaid longer than the House bill.

On the appropriations side, the Senate fully restored the Commu-nity Services Block Grant to its $637 million level. CSBG is one of the programs that the president’s budget proposed to eliminate. The House did a partial restoration of $320 million.

Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Reauthorization

The House passed H.R. 27, the Job Training Improvement Act of 2005. However, no fl oor action has been scheduled by the Senate on S.1021, the Workforce Investment Act Amendments of 2005 nor is there any tentative timeframe for fl oor action.

What continues to be the major differences between the House and Senate bills is the House bill’s inclu-sion of the funding consolidation of the Adults, Dislocated Workers and Employment Services programs as well as the provision allowing faith-based groups to discriminate in their hiring practices, which are not in the Senate version.

Neither bill includes the admin-istration’s WIA Plus proposal that would give governors the option to include Veterans Employment and Training, Trade Adjustment Assis-

Photo by Alysoun McLaughlin

NACo Past President Angelo Kyle (l) testifi es on unfunded mandates before the House Government Reform Committee.


Mark Your Calendars: October Is Children’s Health Month

It’s not too early to begin planning your county’s activities for Children’s Health Month, which occurs every October. The overall theme for 2005 is “Healthy School Environments.”

The EPA has provided information on a specifi c health or en-vironmental issue that affects children for every day of the month of October. You can visit the following the site for details at http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/content/calendar.htm. Counties may choose to plan an activity that raises awareness in their community about one of the NACo IAQ priority areas, for which the EPA has designated themes on the following October dates:

Oct. 17: Test your home for radonTest your home for radon with a home test kit. For more information,

call your state radon offi ce or 800/SOS-RADON (800/767-7236).

Oct. 21: Reduce indoor asthma triggersKeep homes, schools and child care centers clean. Use dustproof,

zippered bedding covers. Control triggers such as cockroaches, pet dander, dust mites, mold and secondhand smoke. Call 866/NO-ATTACKS (800/662-8822).

Oct.22: Protect children from secondhand smokeDon’t smoke or let others smoke in your home or car. Take the Smoke-

Free Home Pledge by calling 866/SMOKE-FREE (800/766-5337).

Oct. 30: Improve indoor air quality in schoolsMake sure school heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems

are working properly. Implement the IAQ Tools for Schools program in your school to improve indoor air quality.

Oct. 31: Protect children from moldFix moisture problems and thoroughly dry wet areas such as carpets,

walls and ceiling tiles within 24 hours – 48 hours to prevent mold growth. Fix leaky plumbing and other water problems in your home.

The Nationwide Retirement Education Institute has announced several ways to help plan sponsors increase employee participation in 457 retirement plans. The institute, sponsored by Nationwide Retirement Solutions, is a think tank of industry experts devoted to understanding and addressing issues that affect govern-ment retirement plans. The proposals are the outcome of a brainstorming session held at the institute’s 2005 semi-annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

According to the institute panel members, tactics plan sponsors

should consider adopting to increase participation in 457 retirement plans are:

• Automatic approaches for en-rollment, contribution increases and investment management, similar to the proposals being discussed in the 401(k) marketplace.

• Employer branding and owner-ship of the plan. These features iden-tify the plan as a company-sponsored benefi t instead of refl ecting the name of an outsourced provider.

• Employee incentives, such as employer matching contributions. These are proven motivators to

encourage participation, but tactics like signing bonuses, performance bonuses and annual “stay” bonuses can be equally effective tools.

• Simplifi ed enrollment process, such as a “check the box” design to select a standard deferral amount.

• Simplifi ed plan design, par-ticularly in regard to investment menus. For example, investment options could be tiered by level of investment experience and sophisti-cation. The fi rst tier could be tailored toward the “do-it-for me” investor us-ing lifecycle, lifestyle and managed accounts, and last tier could appeal to more experienced investors and include a self-directed brokerage option.

• Peer advocates for the plan within the workforce can be valu-able assets to promote employee participation, and

• Benefi ts advisors who are avail-able to employees to provide personal counseling on their total retirement benefi ts.

“The key to success with these strategies is having plan sponsors who are committed to making their supplemental retirement plans an important part of employees’ total benefi ts package,” said Mary Wil-lett, institute panel chair.

“There is a common mispercep-tion that to be effective, tactics that increase plan participation must also be expensive. There are many effec-tive approaches that don’t impact the employer’s budget. They just need to be backed by a commitment to take ownership of this benefi t, be creative yet easily understood, and be undertaken with the desire to see them through.”

The institute’s fi ndings were supported and validated by guest plan sponsors as well as panel members who have achieved well above the typical industry range of 30 percent–50 percent participation rates in their supplemental retire-ment plans.

Panel members concurred that

Identifying ways to improve retirement plan participation

■ IAQ from page 5

EPA’s IAQ symposium set for January 2006

simplifying employee decisions and making some decisions for them, such as through automatic enroll-ment, has the most immediate po-tential to positively impact 457 plan participation. “In the private sector, a great deal of attention has recently focused on the benefi ts of automatic enrollment, contribution increases and default investment options,” said Matthew Riebel, president of Nationwide Retirement Solutions, sponsor of the Nationwide Retire-ment Education Institute.

Riebel continued, “As stakehold-ers in the public sector, we need to add our voice and support to en-courage the concept of automation in the 457 arena. We know personal savings is playing an increasingly important role in consumers’ retire-ment security. Automatic enrollment could be the catalyst that moves more people to participate and to adopt the investment management practices that will help them be more fi nancially secure in retirement.”

two winners had their ads printed in the two largest Boulder County newspapers, reaching an estimated audience of 59,000 people.

EPA also offers a number of ser-vices ideal for addressing air quality in schools at the school district, system or individual building level. EPA’s Tools for Schools program is an ini-tiative to help school offi cials assess and prevent indoor air contaminants, thereby reducing exposure to asthma triggers in school facilities.

Through this program, the EPA offers free publications on indoor air in schools and has just recently announced the release — in October — of Healthy School Environments Assessment Tool. EPA developed the assessment tool so states and school districts could conduct ba-sic self-assessments on the status of environmental hazards in each of their school facilities. For more information on this tool visit EPA’s Healthy School Environments Page at www.epa.gov/schools.

The EPA has also announced its Tool for Schools Symposium Jan. 12–14, 2006 in Washington, D.C. The symposium will cover an array of topics relating to indoor air qual-ity in schools and will bring together school board offi cials, administrators, school nurses, teachers and facility managers. For more information, or to register for the symposium, go to www.iaqsymposium.com.


BY TATIANA BURN

Many counties and municipalities are taking advantage of Citizen Self Service portals to deliver informa-tion and services, via the Internet, to their citizens. Jefferson County, Colo. is one example of how build-ing a citizen self-service portal also reaped big benefi ts for its internal operations, as well.

The ChallengeJefferson County, Colo., located

just west of Denver, is a thriving business, industrial and residen-tial community spread across 774 square miles with more than 529,000 residents. Parcel data are core to the public operations of the county.

Every parcel of the 774-square mile county is mapped and photo-graphed with satellite imagery. Infor-mation about everything from zoning and tax collection to snow plowing and fi re fi ghting is tied to a parcel of land. An address management system links all county addresses to this rich set of parcel information. If a citizen receives a parking ticket, that event is tied to an address associated with a parcel of land. The Sheriff’s offi ce uses the parcel information for law enforcement and analysis of crime patterns. Even voter registration is based on parcel data.

All the information that moves through other county systems and applications is tied to parcel ad-dresses, making the address man-agement system critical to the day-to-day operations of the county and the centerpiece of Jefferson County’s technology infrastructure.

The major challenge was to inte-grate all the disparate systems and fi nd a cost-effective solution that actually enabled the systems to talk to each other and share information with the citizens.

Throughout the years, the ad-dress management system suffered from intermittent failures, such as improperly handling data leading to incorrect or invalid information. When data were not propagated automatically, it required manual entry. The aging of legacy systems, addition of new systems over time and the lack of integration between them caused errors in data processing. These events resulted in unforeseen expenditures for staff to research and fi x data problems.

The solutionThe county chose an open, stan-

dards-based enterprise platform as a common framework to ease inte-gration and simplify business pro-cesses. The county unifi ed enterprise

Citizen self-service portals stretch taxpayers’ dollarsarchitecture for 160 applications, retired its legacy applications, and built a robust e-government platform to enhance public services while containing spending and employee headcount.

In the end, the county’s main re-turns came from improved technology management, automation of business processes and redeployment of IT staff to more productive activities.

The resultsJefferson County realized a num-

ber of direct and indirect benefi ts by using a solution that standardized its technology environment and ac-celerated migration to more modern technology solutions. Key return areas include the following:

• Reduced support costs — by standardizing its technology environ-ment and retiring its old systems. This

has allowed the county to redeploy developers to other, more value-added tasks. The county has committed to making every application work on the Web, thus looking at even further re-ducing administration costs.

• Increased employee productiv-ity — by enabling seamless fl ow of data between the county’s proprietary software packages, the county elimi-nated the risk of incorrect data entry when transferring data from one inter-face to another and reduced the time spent by reviewers on corrections.

• Signifi cant savings on integra-tion costs — the county reduced the cost of integrating its ERP system with their Oracle-based application by 65 percent. Furthermore, inte-grating the ERP system with legacy mainframe-based applications took less than 30 days.

• Sharing information with

citizens, businesses and employees — Information provided online reduced visit time to county offi ces. The linking of all information to the address-management system, and augmenting that information with historical data, also presents new op-portunities for county planning. The entire history of any parcel helps in building predictive models based on what happened in the past. Citizens can go back and look at the history of any parcel before buying it. Police can look into the histories of parcels adjacent to parcels where crimes were committed.

(Burn is the marketing pro-grams director for GTST, Inc. For more information about this pro-gram, contact Steve Swendiman at [email protected] or visit www.uscommunities.org.)

NACo Past PresidentsWord Search

Created by Allison Mall

ALDEMEYERBOVINBRAATENFRANKEGONZALESGRAYHAGUE

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■ Report Examines Gender in Corrections

A recent publication by the National Institute of Corrections examines information on gender-specifi c policies, programs and services in corrections. Topics covered by this bulletin include

the Gender-Responsive Strategies Project, a national profi le of women offenders and gender-responsive policy elements. The report is avail-able in PDF format at www.nicic.org/Library/020418.

■ New Food Pyramids Explained on USDA Site

The new Department of Ag-riculture food pyramids provide different nutritional require-ments based on age, gender and activity level. To fi nd out what the new recommendations are, as well as download a mini-poster and fi nd other tips, visit www.mypyramid.gov.

■ Web Site Shows Ways for Visitors to Support Troops

The Department of Defense has a Web site designed to spotlight the efforts of everyday Americans who are supporting the men and women in the United States mili-

tary. Located at www.americasupportsyou.mil, the site includes links to pages showing ways to support the troops as well as a page where visitors can write messages to them.

(Web Watch is compiled by Dan Miller, staff writer. If you have an item you would like featured, please e-mail it to him at [email protected].)

Financial Services News is on vacation. Th e column will resume in the September 19 issue of County News.

■ MEDICAID from page 1

Administration Medicaid reform proposals raise questions, concerns

morning. The “Chairman’s Mark,” or the chairman’s proposal, consisted of six options which were open to discussion and amendment, and were the fi nal options presented for consid-eration to Congress and Leavitt.

They include:• Prescription drug reim-

bursement formula reform — This option would allow states to negoti-ate drug prices based on the average

manufacturer price (AMP) rather than the average wholesale price (AWP), which is currently used. The AWP appears to be an infl ated number, which does not accurately refl ect valid pricing. Reforms would also be implemented to ensure that manufacturers are appropriately reporting data. This proposal was submitted by the National Gov-ernors Association (NGA) and is estimated to save approximately $4.3 billion over fi ve years.

• Extension of the Medicaid drug rebate program to Medicaid managed care — This option gives Medicaid managed-care plans access to the pharmaceutical manufacturers’ rebate programs, currently only avail-able for outpatient drugs dispensed by Medicaid fee-for-service programs. This option was submitted by the Association for Community Affi li-ated Plans and is estimated to save $2 billion over fi ve years.

• Change the start date of pen-alty period for persons transfer-ring assets for Medicaid eligibility — This option proposes to move the start date of the penalty period from the date of the transfer to the date of application for Medicaid. This change will extend the time a Med-icaid applicant who made transfers is fi nancially responsible for the cost of their care. This option was part of the president’s FY06 budget and is expected to save $1.5 billion over fi ve years.

• Increase “look-back” period from three to fi ve years — This option changes the period of time in which fi nancial eligibility screen-ers “look back” for personal asset transfers of Medicaid applicants made during a period of time prior to application, that appear to have been made for the purpose of obtain-ing Medicaid eligibility. Applicants are prohibited from transferring re-sources during the look-back period for less than fair market value. This option was submitted by the NGA and is expected to save less than $100 million over fi ve years.

• Tiered co-payments for prescription drugs – This option would encourage benefi ciaries to fi ll the least-costly effective pre-scription for treatment by allowing states the option to increase co-pays on non-preferred drugs beyond nominal amounts when a preferred drug is available. Co-pays would remain nominal for benefi ciaries at or below the federal poverty line but co-pays would become enforceable. States would also be given authority to waive co-pays in cases of true hard-ship or where serious health effects may exist. This option was submitted by the NGA and is expected to save $2 billion over years.

• Reform of the Medicaid-Managed Care Organization (MCO) provider tax requirement — This option would require that MCOs be treated the same as other classes of health care providers with respect to uniformity requirements. This proposal prevents states from guaranteeing that tax revenues paid to states by MCOs would be returned. This option was included in the president’s FY06 budget and is expected to save $399 million over

to Countiesto CountiesElection Systems & Software, Inc. (ES&S)

Corporate Member

Location/HQ: Omaha, Neb.

Primary Business: Provider of total election management solutions.

CEO: Aldo Tesi

Name of NACo Representative: Matt Nelson, senior vice presi-dent, sales

Why we joined NACo: NACo is the one organization in the U.S. devoted specifi cally to counties. As the largest and most experienced provider of total election management solutions, ES&S enjoys the opportunity, through NACo, to connect directly with our customers. These customers are the offi cials at the local level who are making election decisions for their individual counties.

What we can do for counties: Election Systems & Software, Inc. (ES&S) is the world’s largest and most experienced provider of in-novative total election management solutions. For more than three decades, ES&S, as an election-only company and the industry leader, has grown to support a customer base of more than 2,100 jurisdictions in the U.S. Based on the primary voting tabulation system installed within the United States, ES&S customers repre-sent approximately 42 percent of the precincts and registered voters in the U.S. ES&S has printed more than 100 million ballots in the 2004 general election.

(For more information, contact Rob Palmer, director of marketing and communications, 402/970-1100, [email protected].)

fi ve years according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Offi ce of the Actuary, or $1.2 billion over fi ve years, according to the CBO.

• HHS proposals to reduce Medicaid spending — While the Medicaid Commission was hard at work, Secretary Leavitt also submit-ted the department’s own reform pro-posals to Congress. These proposals consist of:

• Restructure Medicaid Drug Reimbursement: The administra-tion agrees that Medicaid is over-paying for prescription drugs, but unlike the AMP which the commis-sion is proposing, the administration is proposing to use the average sales price (ASP) formula which it claims more closely aligns with pharmacy acquisition costs.

• Reform Transfer of Assets

Requirements: This is similar to what the commission proposed.

• Strengthen Medicaid Financial Integrity: This proposal would restrict intergovernmental transfers (IGTs), close loopholes in providers’ tax provi-sions, clarify the defi nition of targeted case management (TCM), reimburse TCM at the 50 percent administrative rate; and replace the matching formula for administrative costs with a “state-specifi c” amount. This essentially means a block grant.

The fact that the administration has submitted its own Medicaid reform proposals to Congress in the face of the very commission it ap-pointed has raised lots of questions and concerns among advocacy groups, including NACo. The next few weeks will be crucial weeks in determining the immediate future of the Medicaid program.

ON THE LOOK-OUT FOR GRANTS??

Look no further ...

GrantsClearinghouse

National Association of Counties

Members Only ... www.naco.org


change will be an ongoing struggle. In the House, Rep. Ralph Regula (R-Ohio) has been a strong champion of investing in a skilled workforce, while in the Senate, Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) has also strongly supported adequate funding to build a globally competitive workforce. The National Workforce Association Board will be meeting Sept. 11 in Michigan in con-junction with the Michigan Works! Conference.

Leaders from the NWA Board are working with the NACo Labor and Employment Steering Committee on the content for a special pre-day ses-sion on best practices in workforce development to be delivered at the NACo Human Services Conference in New Orleans in November.

If you have questions or would like more information on NWA, please contact NWA at 202/842-4004 or go to www.nwaonline.org.

(John Twomey, NWA president, wrote this issue’s Affi liate News.)

AFFILIATE NEWSAFFILIATE NEWS

The National Workforce Associa-tion (NWA), dedicated to strength-ening the nation’s workforce devel-opment system, is one of NACo’s largest affi liates. NWA provides ex-pertise and input to federal, state and local elected offi cials to help them make sound policy decisions about the workforce system. NWA also promotes innovation and excellent performance in locally-based work-force programs through conferences, training sessions, publications and peer-to-peer exchanges.

NWA members are directors and staff of workforce investment areas, One-Stop Centers, service providers, educational institutions, state associations representing work-force professionals and corporations. Anyone is welcome to join. All that’s needed is an interest in workforce issues. NWA brings workforce de-velopment partners together.

Now more than ever, anyone with a stake in the nation’s workforce de-velopment system should participate

with NWA in shaping the future and direction of policy relating to em-ployment and training initiatives at local, state and national levels.

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) is changing the way the industry functions in a variety of signifi cant ways. NWA members are working to strengthen the image and impact workforce development professionals have on policy makers at all levels.

However, the Reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act has stalled in the Senate. It now seems unlikely that WIA will be reautho-rized this year.

On the workforce funding front, up to this point in the Congressional appropriations process, WIA has been maintaining proposed fi nancial sup-port at close to level funded amounts. However, in this diffi cult fi scal en-vironment, securing the funds to meet the complicated workforce challenges brought about by global competition and technological

Th e National Workforce Association

THE H.R. DOCTOR IS INTHE H.R. DOCTOR IS IN

It’s very important to play with new toys — no matter how old you are! Many of the HR Doctor’s favorite toys involve electronics. Of course, it helps to be alive in the 21st cen-tury when there is both electricity and an ample supply of computer, audio and video gadgets emerging almost weekly. The penchant some of us display for early adoption of technology is expensive of course, but also enjoyable.

Personal and professional produc-tivity can be enhanced by being able to sit at a desk during a “meeting” while communicating with people you care about in the family or are colleagues within the work family from hundreds or thousands of miles away. It is great to be able to log into the BBC World News on a “smart” phone or a computer any time to see what’s going on in nearly every corner of the world. What a powerful education tool for all of us to embrace and to share with our children!

There are at least four major caveats and dangers which come right along with being a techno-phile. The fi rst is that spending so much time with excited electrons inevitably reduces the amount of time that you spend with excited human beings. The hours a day spent watching television, playing video games, logging into the Internet or watching DVDs takes away hours that could be spent interacting with others during quiet dinners with the neighbors, being part of a charitable organization like a Rotary Club, go-ing to concerts or, primitive though it may seem, actually reading one of the small rectangular paper objects known as books.

The second danger is that gad-getry can be addictive. The compul-sion to bid on everything remotely interesting on e-Bay, or the lure of the “one click” purchase icon on amazon.com, can be overwhelming. It will likely result in large federal grants in the future, probably through

the Department of Homeland Security, to create thera-peutic organizations throughout the nation known as “AA” (“Am-azon Anonymous”) or “e-Bay anonymous.”

The third caveat is expense. At the individual level, trying to keep up with the “chip of the week” is unaffordable. Even Bill Gates might have a problem keeping us if his R&D endeavors weren’t tax deductible!

The conundrum is that keeping up with technology in the modern world and being comfortable with it is necessary for our kids’ success, our own positive work, retirement, life experiences, and understanding what is happening in the world. On the other hand, the cost can swamp a personal budget, and send precious organiza-tional resources down a frustrating and highly expensive black hole.

Admit it colleagues, when was the last time you or the agency were satisfi ed with the outcomes prom-ised by marketing vendors when a large information system change occurred? When was the last time the project came in on time and on budget?

Beyond the expense and the risk of addiction lurks a fourth caveat. This one actually is both a danger and great opportunity. It is the rising expectations which go along with technology’s forward leaps. With a greater speed of communication comes an expectation that we will always be able to communicate! Re-member the fi rst days of the dial-up modem, when we would sit patiently for perhaps hours listening to strange electronic noises while telephone dial-up connections were made and small fi les were downloaded or transferred in geologic time?

Today, however, when the cable TV goes out even for a few minutes, when the satellite antenna is blocked

by the frequent Florida monsoons, or when the “network is down,” we get exasperated and impatient. We demand a higher level of service tai-lored to meet our expectations that everything be “on demand.”

The revolution in rising expecta-tions means that people may forget how to do research, may rely on Web sites that are of questionable accuracy, and may have expecta-tions at work and at home that are unrealistic. With the greater speed

of communications comes spam, telemarketers, pop-up ads and

junk mail. With the wonders of Internet access come greater risks of identity theft or pedophile access to our children through chat rooms.

We sacrifice privacy and calm refl ection for the capability of having the phone ring in the middle of a library or even in a pristine

redwood forest. The substitu-tion of intrusion on demand or

not on demand is hardly a victory when the “loser” is our privacy and our ability to be undisturbed.

The conundrum of technology in our lives increases the volume of whining at work and at home. It con-tributes to many diffi cult days ahead in trying to run a school system, a hospital, a city, county, state or nation. The MP3 player or cell phone stuck in our ears blocks out learning, listen-ing and, in effect, “living!” That’s the disease… what’s the treatment?

Resist technology for its own sake. Resist the temptation to upgrade the “system” or to acquire one in the fi rst place without an “environmental” im-pact review. That assessment of the

work environment with and without the changes will look at the likelihood of over-expenditure, system delays and staff frustrations.

It will weigh these against the value of the venture and any other reasonable alternatives, such as cost sharing/system sharing with another local agency. Yes, sharing our toys can be a very good thing to do! At least that way the decision can be made based upon a more full disclosure and consideration of the risks.

There is a fi nal treatment recom-mendation from the HR Doctor’s experience and from the pages of the author’s new book, Don’t Walk by Something Wrong! (available through Amazon.com, ironically enough). This recommendation is emphatic! When a technology deci-sion is pending — at your home or at the offi ce — don’t make the deci-sion without fi rst going for a walk in a forest. Make that a walk with the cell phone turned off!

May all your beeps and ring tones bring you joy!

Phil RosenbergThe HR Doctorwww.hrdr.net

Buzzes, Beeps and Ring Tones

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NEWS FROM THE NATION'S COUNTIESNEWS FROM THE NATION'S COUNTIES

■ See NEWS on page 13

ALASKAHeavy smoke from a fi re that

burned more than 85,000 acres of land forced offi cials in FAIR-BANKS NORTH STAR BOR-OUGH to open a respite center and warn residents to remain inside and avoid strenuous activity.

The respite room was opened at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. Peo-ple with health conditions, breathing problems or the need for a breath of fresh air were welcomed. Offi cials also suggested taking a breathing break at the borough’s main li-brary, according to the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Smoke has been worse than usual due to recent hot weather.

CALIFORNIA• Approximately 12,000 govern-

ment computers in SAN DIEGO COUNTY’s were affected by a recent worm attack.

The worldwide attack began shutting down county computers around 11 a.m. on Aug. 16. The worm attack limited access to the county computer network.

According to a county spokesper-son, the county took steps to protect residents’ personal information, and no public or personal information had been breached.

It took about 200 county and private computer experts and a special patch from Microsoft to fi x the problem.

• A program designed to iden-tify illegal immigrants booked into SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY jails and turn them over to federal immigration authorities was okayed by county supervisors.

The county plans to arrange an agreement with the federal govern-ment to have immigration agents train nine jail staff members to interview all inmates and mark those here illegally for immigra-tion violations.

Supervisors expect to spend $600,000 on the program within a month, and it could be implemented as soon as November.

The program, which would allow the immigrants to be deported, is simi-lar to one that passed despite strong opposition in Los Angeles County earlier this year. If funding goes as planned, Los Angeles and San Ber-nardino would be the only counties in California with such programs.

San Bernardino County estimates

that about 15 percent of its daily jail population of nearly 5,500 is in the country illegally, and many aren’t fl agged for immigration violations, according to the Los Angeles Times.

FLORIDAMIAMI-DADE COUNTY now

offers family pets their own place of refuge in the event of a hurricane evacuation.

Offi ce of Emergency Manage-ment Director Chief Carlos Castillo and Animal Services Director Dr. Sara Pizano joined with pet-friendly advocates on the Board of County Commissioners to announce that the county’s fi rst-ever Pet-Friendly Hurricane Evacuation Center will be activated in the event of an evacu-ation due to an approaching storm.

The shelter will be open to residents living in evacuation zones who pre-register their household pets. The shelter would have been operational if Hurricane Katrina forced an evacuation.

“Miami-Dade residents who live in an evacuation zone and have no other option during a hurricane threat, will now be able to seek safety in a pet-friendly county shelter,” said Pizano. “However, this should be considered only as a last resort option - residents who have other options, including staying with friends and family outside the evacuation zone should do so.”

GEORGIAA new shelter for boys will soon

get underway following the GWIN-NETT COUNTY Board of Com-missioners’ approval of $146,000 in Community Development Block Grand funds for the construction. The new building will be located at Gwinnett County’s only shelter for abused and neglected children.

“The Gwinnett Children’s Shelter provides a place where the most vulnerable children are safe and where a caring staff provides support, counseling and a place free from vio-lence and neglect,” said Commission Chairman Charles Bannister.

Construction of the project is ex-pected to begin in the early fall and the shelter is expected to be open for occupation by the fall of 2006.

MAINEThe widow of a YORK

COUNTY commissioner will as-sume her husband’s role after his recent death.

Gloria Layman, 73, will serve as commissioner until 2007. Her husband, William, died of cancer in July after serving on the Board of Commissioners for nearly nine years. He was the board’s chairman at the time of his death.

Layman is not a newcomer to politics, having been involved in the Democratic party for many years, according to the Portland Press Herald. She told the news-paper that she became acquainted with county government during her husband’s tenure and expects a quick transition.

MARYLANDMONTGOMERY COUNTY

parents have a new resource to consult in their efforts to prevent their children from becoming in-volved in gangs.

The county is launching a hotline that connects parents with gang pre-vention experts who can give them advice on steering the youth away from gangs. Staffers will speak mul-tiple languages, including English and Spanish.

Specialists will introduce callers to mentoring programs, counseling, homework help resources and orga-nized sports activities.

“We need to attack the gang prob-lem from every angle,” Montgomery County Executive Douglas Duncan told NBC4-TV. “Providing informa-tion to parents and students about where to turn for help is an important part of our anti-gang strategy.”

In addition to helping concerned parents, the hotline will be available to children who have been ap-proached about joining a gang.

NEW YORKThe fallout from ERIE COUN-

TY’s budget woes may have an impact on the upcoming primary election on Sept. 13.

Because the Board of Elections had to layoff 28 workers, Elections Commissioner Dennis Ward is cau-tioning voters that voting machines cannot possibly be set up in time for the primary, so voters in 14 Erie County towns will have to cast their ballots the old fashioned way — on paper.

Ward told The Buffalo News that he’s confi dent the election will be conducted in a fair manner, but he cautioned that the process of count-ing the paper ballots may prove slow and tedious.

“I’m sure we’ll have a fair elec-tion,” Ward told the paper. “But whether we’ll have expeditious results will be another question.”

TENNESSEEIn WASHINGTON COUNTY,

the county fair isn’t just a time for folks to get their fi ll of fried dough and rides; it’s also a time for crime solving.

According to a local television station, dozens of county deputies

who are providing security for the fair are also using the six-day event to get some good leads.

Last year, the sheriff’s deputies arrested a county man and confi s-cated 30 marijuana plants, 200 guns and several gambling machines after they received a tip during the fair.

This year, Sheriff Ed Graybeal says that in just the fi rst three days of the fair, he has already received three good drug tips.

TEXASECTOR COUNTY dodged a

courtroom bullet recently when it settled out of court with the U.S. Department of Justice over elec-tion issues.

The department sued the county for failing to hire enough Spanish-speaking translators for the fall 2004 election. The suit was settled the same day after offi cials in the county agreed to hire a bilingual elections coordinator at the county’s expense.

County Attorney Cathy Linch told the Odessa American that the federal lawsuit was not prompted by complaints from non-English speak-ing voters experiencing problems at the polls, but it was part of a two-year project by the Department of Justice to look into bilingual voting practices across the country.

Following a federal formula, Ector County should have had 62 bilingual poll workers in the 2004 General Election; however the county only had 21. According to elections staff, the federally man-dated 62 bilingual workers would have represented about 57.5 per-cent of the maximum number of poll workers.

“The truth is, we’ve never had to translate for anybody,” Mitzi Scheible, assistant elections ad-ministrator told the paper.

In addition to hiring a full-time bilingual coordinator, the county is also appointing a communitywide advisory board to deal with bilin-gual issues.

UTAHOffi cials from the WASHING-

TON COUNTY Sheriff’s Offi ce are working in conjunction with the county attorney’s offi ce to re-coup some of the costs spent on a search for a man who wasn’t really missing after all.

In addition to being charged with insurance fraud, Bryan Butas, who disappeared without a trace but even-tually turned up in Australia with a new identity, is also facing additional criminal or possible civil action in

What's In a Seal?

Vance County, N.C. County Seal

• The Vance County, N.C. seal was adopted by the Vance County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 5, 1995. Recommended by a com-mittee comprised of representa-tives from various segments of Vance County community life, the seal is unique to the county and incorporates various symbols and pieces of information:

• “1881” signifi es the year Vance County was formed.

• The three stars on the seal are taken from the banner of the crest of the family of Zebulon Vance, the 10th and the 16th governor of North Carolina.

• The word “vision” signifi es the new movement of looking to the future.

• The word “vitality” refl ects a renewed progressive spirit.

• The word “variety” ad-dresses the diversity of resources, opportunities and people in Vance County.

• The gold roping encircling the seal is consistent with the gold roping on the Great Seal of the state of North Carolina and highlights the relationship between the state and Vance County.

(If you would like your coun-ty’s seal featured, please contact Allison Mall at [email protected] or 202/942-4256.)


IN THE NEWS

• A USA Today story, Aug. 25, on the effects of rising fuel costs on local governments featured a quote from NACo spokesman Tom Goodman, director of public affairs.

• NACo Executive Director Larry Naake was interviewed on Na-tional Public Radio’s Morning Edition Aug. 11 about the alarming increase in methamphetamine abuse. Naake expressed NACo’s desire to have greater awareness of the danger the drug poses.

NACO OFFICERS AND COUNTY OFFICIALS

• President Bill Hansell attended several state association meetings in August. He attended the North Carolina Association of County Commis-sioners annual meeting in Mecklenburg County (Charlotte) Aug. 25–28, where retiring NCACC Executive Director Ron Aycock was honored. He attended the Association of County Commissions of Alabama annual convention in Baldwin County,

(Orange Beach) Aug. 23–25, and he also gave a report on NACo’s prescription drug program and the meth survey at the Association of Arkansas Counties annual conference in Pulaski County (Little Rock) Aug. 17–19.

• President-elect Colleen Landkamer attended the Maryland Association of Counties summer con-ference in Worcester County (Ocean City) Aug. 19, and spoke about what NACo has done to promote county government to the public.

NACO STAFF

• Executive Director Larry Naake attended the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners annual conference in Meck-lenburg County (Charlotte) Aug. 25–28, as well as the Michigan Association of Counties annual conference in Mackinac County (Mackinac Island) Aug. 16 to give a NACo update.

• Steve Swendiman, managing director and CEO of the NACo FSC, made a presentation on the deferred compensation programs and cost saving opportunities offered by the FSC at the Association of Arkansas Counties annual conference in Pulaski County, (Little Rock) Aug.17–19.

• Andrew Goldschmidt, membership/marketing director, attended the Maryland Association of Counties summer conference in Worces-ter County (Ocean City) Aug. 17–20, and the Michigan Association

of Counties annual conference in Mackinac County (Mackinac Island) Mich. Aug. 14–16 to discuss the benefi ts of NACo membership.

• Kevin Neimond, GIS specialist, spoke at the National Science Foundation’s Geospatial Educa-tion Workshop on Workforce Training at Two Year Colleges, in Arlington County, Va. Aug. 15–16. His talk addressed the current trends in GIS usage at the county level and how these trends impact the

future technical resource needs of counties.• Joe Dunn, associate legislative director, spoke

at the Virginia Association of Counties summer conference in Charlottesville Aug. 13. His speech focused the development of NACo’s Rural Action Caucus and its legislative priorities for 2005.

• Paul Beddoe, associate legislative director, made a presentation at a seminar on PILT hosted

by the North Carolina Associa-tion of County Commissioners in Jackson County (Cullowhee), N.C. Aug. 12. He also represented NACo and WIR at the White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation in St. Louis County, Mo. Aug. 28–31.

(On the Move is compiled by Dan Miller, staff writer, and Allison Mall, editorial assistant.)

FOCUS ON ACHIEVEMENTFOCUS ON ACHIEVEMENT

Colleen Landkamer

NACO ON THE MOVENACO ON THE MOVE

Kevin Neimond

Joe Dunn

Bill Hansell

Paul Beddoe

the county’s efforts to recoup their losses.

After Butas was reported missing on Aug. 2, more than 100 county Search and Rescue members and volunteers began a nearly weeklong search for the 35-year old man.

Sgt. Jake Adams, the detective on the case, told the St. George Spectrum that the county spent an estimated $13,000 in man hours, food and fuel costs in the search for Butas.

VIRGINIAThere’s a new sheriff in town in

BEDFORD COUNTY, and he’s known for his smash mouth dunk-ing. Okay, so he’s not really the new sheriff, but NBA All-star Shaquille O’Neal recently reported for duty with the Bedford County Sheriff’s Department.

O’Neal, who was a reserve of-fi cer for the L.A. County Sheriff’s department when he played for the Lakers, will receive specialized training while in Bedford County as part of his duties as spokesman for the Safe Surfi n’ Foundation, which teaches children and parents about online predators.

According to a local television station, while training with the coun-ty, O’Neal will spend time learning how to patrol the Internet and shoot a gun and shotgun. He is working toward his Virginia certifi cation as a law enforcement offi cer.

WASHINGTONA map used to educate citizens

about PIERCE COUNTY’s salmon recovery efforts has received na-tional recognition.

The map received the fi rst place award in the Specifi c Field category at the 2005 URISA (Urban and Re-gional Information Systems Associa-tion) conference.

Created as a public education poster by an environmental biolo-gist in the county’s special projects department, the map displays im-portant salmon data and the area’s cartography.

The map/poster is used at public education and outreach events to show how the county is relying on a combination of science-based, regulatory, administrative and fund-ing tools in its efforts to coordinate salmon recovery efforts.

WISCONSINTwo years after it was created by

the County Board, the PORTAGE COUNTY Land Preservation Fund recently made its fi rst land acquisi-tion in an effort to conserve green space.

The fund purchased 84 acres of land that features a wooded area, wet-lands and a pair of nesting osprey.

“It wasn’t purchased to develop a park or anything,” Gary Speck-mann, county park’s director told the Stevens Point Journal. “It was just purchased to preserve the green space quality of the land there.”

Half the of the $126,000 price will be paid by the county’s land preservation fund while a green space grant from the state will cover the other half. The deal took more than two years to complete because the county was waiting on approval of the state grant and subsequent appraisals and negotiations.

The Land Preservation Fund is funded through money not used by county departments.

(News From the Nation’s Coun-ties is written by Dan Miller, staff writer, and M. Mindy Moretti, senior staff writer. If you have news about your county, please e-mail them at [email protected] or [email protected].)

BY M. MINDY MORETTI

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Faced with a tremendous volume of organic waste that ends up in the landfi ll each year, Montgomery Coun-ty, Ohio set out to educate residents about composting and recycling.

In addition to a variety of pub-lic service programs and workshops that date back to the mid-1990s, the county also established the Compost Kitchen project in conjunction with the Cox Arboretum and Gardens.

The Compost Kitchen is a hands-on learning site that promotes the message of resource conservation and stewardship. Because people often use the excuse that recycling is not easy, the Compost Kitchen stresses the ease of implementing a composting program at home.

The kitchen, part of the arbore-tum’s Edible Landscape Garden, highlights six composting units that range in price, capacity, effi ciency and practicality. Descriptive signage

at each method discusses the pros and cons of choosing that type of composting. There is also interpre-tive signage at the entry kiosk and a series of three brochures available at the site and in the visitor’s cen-ter. The Montgomery County Solid Waste District (MCSWD) also hosts composting workshops each spring and fall at the site.

Prior to launching the program for the public, the arboretum staff spent the summer of 2004 using the program and reporting back to the program coordinator. Before the creation of the Compost Kitchen, the arboretum did not actively com-post their organic materials, so the programs installation was a benefi t not only to the community but also to the arboretum.

The arboretum receives more than a quarter of a million visi-tors per year and based on early reaction from three pre-opening workshops and the crowds at the

offi cial opening on Earth Day this year, MCSWD is anticipating a very successful program.

The project, with a cost of about $12,000, was funded by a grant from the Ohio Environmental Education Fund. Costs included supplies and equipment, printing of brochures, site preparation and staff time.

For more information about Montgomery County’s Compost Kitchen, please contact Daniel Graeter, assistant manager of solid waste, at 937/224-3734 or via e-mail at [email protected].

(Focus on Achievement high-lights NACo’s 2005 Achievement Award Winners. To learn more about other winners, the program or how to submit your county pro-gram for an award visit the NACo Web site at www.naco.org/awards or contact Jackie Byers, research director at [email protected] or 202/942-4285.)

The Compost Kitchen Is Open for Business in Montgomery County, Ohio

NBA All-Star teams with county sheriff■ NEWS from page 12


NOTICESNOTICES

■ Award• Nominations are now being accepted for American Farmland Trust’s

2006 Steward of the Land Award. The $10,000 prize is presented annually to a farmer or rancher that best exemplifi es AFT’s mission of stopping the loss of productive farmland and promoting farming practices that lead to a healthy environment. Entering a landmark tenth anniversary year, the Steward of the Land Award is also working to raise awareness of the public benefi ts agriculture provides. Nominations are due Nov. 1, and kits can be downloaded at www.farmland.org or requested by calling 800/886-5170 x3011.

■ Conferences• NACo, the National Association of Development Organizations and the

Development District Association of Appalachia (with support from the Federal Highway Administration) are co-sponsoring the National Rural Transporta-tion Peer Learning Conference, in Louisville Jefferson County Metro Gov-ernment, Ky. Sept. 21–23. This second annual conference will bring together the nation’s rural transportation planning professionals, policymakers and stakeholders with the objective of exploring models for rural transportation planning partnerships and examining emerging trends and opportunities in rural transportation. The ultimate goal of the conference is to build a national peer network of rural transportation planners, practitioners and offi cials. More information is available at www.ruraltransportation.org or by contacting James Davenport of NACo at [email protected] or 202/661-8807.

• The 23rd Annual Governor’s Conference on Workforce Development will be in Camden County (Osage Beach), Mo. Oct. 12–14. The theme is: Open for Business, Preparing a Competitive Workplace. For more information and to register, go to www.ded.mo.gov/dwdgovconf2005.

■ Videostream Conference• The Stormwater Management from a Watershed Perspective Vid-

eostream Conference will broadcast to County Extension offi ces across the country Oct. 11 from 9:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. (PDT). This WSU Extension offi ce program is made available through an USDA-CSREES Section 406 water quality grant. Call your local County Extension offi ce and request to reserve their satellite facilities for Oct. 11. Further information is available at http://wawater.wsu.edu or by calling Jan Seago at 509/574-1584.

(If you have an event or publication or conference that you would like to be featured in Notices, please e-mail [email protected].)

JOB MARKET/CLASSIFIEDSJOB MARKET/CLASSIFIEDS

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS & ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES STORMWATER PROGRAM — FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA.

Salary: $79,396 to $132,326 The Assistant Director for Stormwater

is an integral member of the Department of Public Works and Environmental Ser-vices (DPWES) management team and is responsible for planning, coordinat-ing and directing the operations of the Fairfax County Stormwater program. This program area is responsible for developing and maintaining a compre-hensive watershed and stormwater in-frastructure program to protect property, health, and safety, to enhance the quality of life, and to preserve and improve the environment for the benefi t of the public. Oversees staff activities related to human resources, fi nance, and information tech-nology. Provides leadership in developing goals, strategies, and a work culture that enables the organization to meet both their tactical/short term and long term strategic objectives. Promotes effective team inter-action and collaboration and inspires and motivates staff to perform at a high per-formance level. Promotes interaction and collaboration with other organizational components and works with the County Executive and the Board of Supervisors and represents the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services on various committees and commissions within the county government and in the public arena. Requires a degree in engi-neering and seven years of progressively responsible public works management experience, three of which must have been in a supervisory capacity.

We prefer a demonstrated ability to manage and lead a large department dealing with multi-faceted technical issues. Experience dealing with local and regional jurisdictions on programs originating from the Clean Water Act, state related programs and initiatives, and other stormwater related issues. Demonstrated ability working with diverse groups with competing interests such as environmental and industry groups. Demonstrated skills in implementation of complex public pro-grams in the Public Works fi eld, with a specialty in stormwater management. Good communicator. Professional en-gineer license. Apply online by 9/30/05 at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/jobs and refer to Job# 05-1875. EEO/Reasonable Ac-commodation. TTY 703/ 222-7314.

BUILDING DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR — OSCEOLA COUNTY, FLA.

Salary: $63,000–$94,000, DOQ. Osceola County is located in Cen-

tral Florida, covering 1,506 square miles and with a population of 235,000. The population is projected to reach 525,000 by 2025.

Within the building department are four units: permitting, contractor licens-ing, plan review and building inspections. The building department has 70 employ-ees and a budget of $5 million.

Prefer bachelor’s degree in building construction management or technology, architecture, engineering, or related fi eld. Ten years combined experience as an ar-chitect, engineer, plans examiner, build-ing code inspector, registered or certifi ed contractor, or construction superinten-dent, with fi ve years in a supervisory position. Ideally, the candidate will have at least ten years experience in an urban-ized county or municipal government as a building offi cial. Must have, or attain as soon as possible, Florida certifi cation as a building codes administrator.

Cover letter, resume, and salary history by Sept. 23 to: Tom D. Freijo, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, The Mer-cer Group, Inc., P.O. Box 9328, Winter Haven, FL 33883. 863/299-3571, [email protected], 863/299-6737 (fax). EOE. Applications in Florida become a matter of public record upon receipt. Go to www.mercergroupinc.com for a complete position profi le.

CITY MANAGER — TOPEKA, KAN.

Salary: Highly competitive and benefi ts negotiable DOQ.

Topeka is the capital city of Kansas (population 125,000). The city covers 56 square miles. Residents enjoy a central location, a diverse population, a growing local economy and four distinct seasons. Quality of life amenities, including edu-cation, are excellent and the cost of living is well below the national average.

Topeka’s voters recently and over-whelmingly adopted a Council-Manager form of government. The person selected through this search will become Topeka’s fi rst City Manager. The city’s new charter provides for a directly elected Mayor and nine Council members each elected by districts. All ten members are part-time and are elected on a nonpartisan basis.

RESEARCH NEWSRESEARCH NEWS

The American taxpayer has been feeling the effects of the rising gasoline prices for quite some time now. The Department of Energy an-nounced that as of Aug. 22, the average price for a gallon of gas was $2.61, a new record. The previous record was only a week old.

Just as the public is affected by the ever-soaring gas prices, so too are local governments. Many county services are fuel-dependant, leaving offi cials scrambling to fi nd extra dollars to pay for the unexpected price hikes.

Many counties are fi nding that their fuel budgets for the current fi scal year have been woefully inadequate to deal with the escalation. Baltimore County, Md. estimates that fuel costs would be over $1 million more than they budgeted; the Cobb County, Ga. transit system anticipates that it will spend double what they budgeted for fuel; and Sante Fe County, N.M. esti-mates cost overruns of about $86,000 because of the gas prices.

These overruns have forced coun-ty governments to adjust their budgets and services. They are looking to save money any way they can without cut-ting services completely.

The gas prices have affected local police the most, since they are con-stantly patrolling neighborhoods in their cruisers. While cutting any law enforcement is out of the question, counties are adjusting. Latah County, Idaho is sending out more offi cers on foot and conducting stationary radar checks. Offi cers in Jefferson County, Mo. are being forced to turn off their car when they are not driving, so they won’t waste gas idling. The county is also restricting the use of take-home vehicles. Counties, including Anne Arundel County, Md. are looking into hybrid cars for their fl eets.

With school starting, another problem for counties are school bus routes. With so many parents not be-ing able to afford gas, the demands on school transportation will be greater than ever. School districts are looking at every option, including limiting or eliminating fi eld trips using public buses, changing routes and adjusting schedules, all in an attempt to save on fuel costs. Other services that rely on automobiles for travel, including senior services like Meals on Wheels or housing inspections, are also dra-matically affected.

But since a county has no choice but to buy the fuel, the money to purchase it has been coming from

different sources, affecting other services. Collier County, Fla. may have to tap into its operating funds to pay for the overruns. This money would otherwise be spent on other services provided by the county. Johnson County, Neb. has bor-rowed $320,000 to help pay for an increase in costs across the board, including fuel. The Oswego County, N.Y. Highway Department recently

requested that $300,000 of state fund-ing be transferred into their gas and oil account.

Because of the increase in fuel costs, road projects could also get

more expensive. Higher fuel costs mean more expen-sive asphalt. Utah County, Utah, for instance, spent $1.3 million more in the

second quarter than it would have in the fi rst for the same quan-

tity of asphalt. And with fewer people buying at

the pump, many counties have lost a dedicated source of income for road projects through the tax on gas.

Some counties, though, have been spared the pain of adjusting their budget because they are able to purchase gasoline at a locked-in price. In Indiana, Allen County formerly piggybacked on a city contract to purchase fuel. This year, the county was able to lock in gas prices early in the year. While the

Soaring Fuel Prices Squeeze Local Governmentsdecision was initially questioned, when the county was paying more than the open market dictated, the decision has resulted in dramatic sav-ings sine the cost increase. Further, being locked-in at a price allows the

county to set a budget for fuel and not deviate from it, saving time, energy and money in the long run.

(Research News was written by Jo-seph Hansen, research associate.)

■ See JOB MARKET on page 15


JOB MARKET/CLASSIFIEDSJOB MARKET/CLASSIFIEDS

Job Market - Classifi ed Rate Schedule• Line Rates: $7 per line, NACo member counties; $10 per line, others.• Display Classifi ed: $50 per col umn inch, NACo member counties; $70

per column inch, others.• Billing: In voices will be sent after pub li ca tion.• Mail advertising copy to: Job Mar ket, County News, 440 First St., N.W.,

Washington, DC 20001.• FAX advertising copy to: Job Mar ket, County News, (202)393-2630.• E-mail advertising copy to: [email protected].• Be sure to include billing in for ma tion along with copy.• Estimates given prior to publication are approximations only and do not

necessarily refl ect fi nal cost.

For more in for ma tion, contact the Job Market representative at (202) 942-4256.

The Mayor presides at City Council (Council) meetings but does not vote although he has veto power. Once the charter is fully implemented, all members will serve four-year overlapping terms. The Council appoints the City Manager who is vested with full CEO responsi-bility and authority. The City Manager appoints all department heads including the Municipal Court Judge, the City At-torney and the City Clerk. All serve at the pleasure of the City Manager.

The city’s FY05 general fund budget is $164,818,149. There are approximate-ly 1,400 municipal employees. Most city employees are unionized.

Qualifi cations include a bachelor’s degree (master’s preferred) in public administration or related fi eld along with impeccable personal ethics and substantial experience as a local govern-ment manager or full range assistant in a diverse and progressive community com-parable in size and complexity to Topeka. Experience must clearly demonstrate superior management and leadership knowledge, skill and ability along with a proven commitment to organizational excellence and exceptional communica-tions abilities. Experience gained as a fi rst city manager would add value.

Send your confidential resume by Oct. 7 to Robert E. Slavin, Slavin Management Consultants, 3040 Holcomb Bridge Road, Suite B-1, Norcross, GA 30071. 770/449-4656, [email protected], 770/416-0848 (fax). An equal opportunity employer and recruiter.

COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR — SUMTER COUNTY, FLA.

Salary: $110,000 – $135,000, DOQ.

Sumter County is located in Central West Florida, covering 562 square miles and with a population of approximately 70,000.

Five County Commissioners serve four-year, staggered terms. The County Administrator is hired by the County Commission. Sumter has 215 employ-ees. Sumter County’s current general fund budget is $41 million, with a total budget of $90 million.

The successful candidate will have at least a bachelor’s degree, preferably in public administration or a related area. Ideally, the candidate will have at least fi ve year’s experience in county or municipal government as the chief executive offi cer. However, applicants with extensive experience as a deputy or assistant manager or other high-level experience in the public or private sec-tors will be given consideration.

Cover letter, resume and salary history by Sept.16 to: Tom D. Freijo, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, The Mercer Group, Inc., P.O. Box 9328, Winter Haven, FL 33883. 863/299-3571, freijo@Mercerfl .com, 863/299-6737 (fax). EOE. Preference in initial employment shall be given to eligible veterans and spouses of veterans. Ap-plications in Florida become a matter of public record upon receipt. Go to

mercergroupinc.com for a complete position profi le.

COUNTY MANAGER — MONTROSE COUNTY, COLO.

Salary: $75K–$95K DOQ.Montrose County is accepting re-

sumes for the position of County Man-ager. Primary responsibility of the posi-tion involves directing the administration of the county ($40 million budget and 350 FTEs) under a three member Board of County Commissioners. Minimum requirements for the position include a bachelor’s degree (master’s preferred) in public or business administration, and fi ve years experience in local gov-ernment (preferably in Colorado) or equivalent education and experience. Must possess expertise in fi nance and budget, public relations, staff develop-ment, project planning, facilitation and mediation, public lands management and airport operations. Submit resumes and fi ve work-related references to Human Resources, Montrose County, 1845 S. Townsend Ave., Montrose, CO 81401. Position open until fi lled. EOE.

COUNTY MANAGER — SULLIVAN COUNTY, N.Y.

Salary: DOQ.A small progressive rural upstate New

York county is recruiting a proactive in-dividual to be the Chief Executive and Administrative Offi cer for the County government. FY05 operating budget of $181m; 1,200 FTEs. Operations include substantial human and social service pro-gram network, community college, solid waste management, law enforcement and corrections, residential health care facil-ity, public works functions, infrastructure management, and administrative support. Appointed by and serves at the pleasure of nine member legislature elected for four year term commencing 1/01/2004. Can-didates must possess a master’s degree in public administration or an appropriate equivalent degree, and at least fi ve years of experience in government administra-tion. Financial experience a plus. Resume with three professional references and salary requirements to: Sullivan County Personnel Department, PO Box 5012, 100 North Street, Monticello, N.Y.12701 by Oct. 31. Resume package not to exceed fi ve single-spaced pages. EEO/AA Em-ployer M/F/V/H.

DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITITES — CITY OF ARVADA, COLO.

Salary: $100,000 DOQ.Arvada, Colo. (pop. 101,925) is a

northwest fi rst ring suburb of Denver. It is a home rule, full service city which is highly respected for its politically stable and expertly managed Mayor, Council-Manager form of government. The Mayor is directly elected and there are six City Council Members, some elected from wards and others elected at large. The Director of Public Works and Utilities reports to the City Manager and serves as a crucial member of the city’s Executive Management Team (EMT). The EMT is a dynamic and en-ergetic group of extremely competent and

committed professionals who interact in a collaborative, creative and customer-focused manner.

The city employs approximately 645 benefi tted workers of whom 196 are as-signed to the Public Works and Utilities Department. This is the city’s second largest department. Its diverse func-tions include administration, building inspection, engineering, facilities man-agement, fl eet management, Geo Data services (citywide), streets, traffi c and transportation and utilities (stormwater, water and wastewater). The department’s FY05 total budget is in excess of $56.8 M. Employees are not unionized.

The Public Works and Utilities Di-rector is responsible to guide, motivate, encourage and enable departmental em-ployees at all levels to perform at their full potential and to measure performance against preestablished and clearly articu-lated goals and expectations. He or she must be a team player, an advocate for employee development and a mentor. He or she needs to be visible and acces-sible within the organization and to the community.

Leadership and overall management skills are valued higher than technical experience. The ideal candidate will have at least ten years of progressive local government management experi-ence which preferably includes oversight of public works and utilities functions. Requires the equivalent of a master’s de-gree in public administration or related and/or a bachelor’s degree in engineer-ing or related combined with signifi cant management level experience. Must be a progressive manager and leader and an excellent communicator.

The salary will be highly competitive (over $100K). The beginning salary is negotiable depending on qualifi cations. City benefi ts are excellent.

This position will remain open until fi lled. To apply, please send your re-sume immediately to: Robert E. Slavin, Slavin Management Consultants, 3040 Holcomb Bridge Road, Suite B-1, Norcross, GA 30071. 770/449-4656, [email protected], 770/416-0848 (fax). An equal opportunity employer and recruiter.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR — LAKELAND AREA MASS TRANSIT DISTRICT, FLA.

Salary: $85,000 – $115,000 DOQ.Lakeland (pop. 90,000) is a premiere

city, located in Polk County, Fla. The LAMTD Board consists of three

Lakeland City Commissioners and two Polk County Commissioners. The Ex-ecutive Director reports to the LAMTD Board and is responsible for all operations and personnel.

LAMTD operates 28 fi xed routes. LAMTD also provides paratransit ser-vice to qualifying individuals. Ridership in FY04 was 1,520,195 passenger trips and 17.7 passenger trips per hour. With a fl eet of 64 buses, 125 employees, and an operating budget of $7 million, LAMTD provides service to an area of 200,000 residents.

Bachelor’s degree in business or transportation related fi eld is desirable.

Ideally, the candidate will have at least 10 years of high-level supervisory experi-ence in a mass transit organization.

The starting salary range $85,000 to $115,000, DOQ. Generous fringe benefits. Cover letter, resume, and salary history by Sept. 14 to: Tom D. Freijo, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, The Mercer Group, P.O. Box 9328, Winter Haven, Florida 33883. 863/299-3571, [email protected], 863/299-6737 (fax). EOE. Applicants should be aware that applications in Florida become a matter of public record upon receipt. Go to mercergroupinc.com for a complete position profi le.

FINANCE DIRECTOR — DOUGHERTY COUNTY, GA.

Salary: DOQ.Requires bachelor’s degree in fi -

nance, accounting or related area, or eight years progressively responsible experience, managing governmental accounting/fi nance programs or equiva-lent combination of education, training and experience. Submit complete appli-cation to Dougherty County HR Dept, 222 Pine Avenue, Rm 340 Albany, GA 31702. Call 229/431-2122. Web site: www.dougherty.ga.us. Applications deadline: Sept. 13.

PLANNING MANAGER — CHARLES COUNTY, MD.

Salary: $54,910 – $66,935 DOQ/DOE.

The Charles County Government is seeking a Planning Manager to assist the Planning Director in managing the planning work program for the division and serve as authorized representative during the director’s absence; provide policy development and policy direction to staff performing land use planning. Responsible for supervision of planning staff, management of specialized plan-ning work in functional areas including development review, public facility plan-ning, and environmental planning. The county’s Department of Planning and Growth Management is located in La Plata, Maryland, pop. 132,750, 71 miles south of Baltimore and 32 miles southeast of Washington, D.C. Meet with individu-als and special parties involved to discuss and advise in general land use issues in the county; applies various specialized analysis including environmental, land use, area and structure, economic, and/or demographic, and statistical analysis as appropriate to projects. Serves on boards

and committees and work groups, makes presentations before County Commission-ers and public; assist in formulating and implementing long range comprehensive planning projects and policies. Master’s degree in planning and six years of progressively responsible professional planning experience or equivalent, and a valid driver’s license required. Knowledge of Maryland law and/or county planning experience desired. Charles County offers excellent benefi ts and generous leave programs. Applicants must submit a completed Charles County Government employment application and resume by the extended closing date to be considered for this position. To receive or complete a county application online, please access our Web site at www.charlescounty.org or call 301/645-0585 or 301/870-2681. Submit application and resume to the Human Resources Department, Charles County Government Building, P.O. Box 2150, La Plata, Md. 20646 b y 4:30 p.m., Friday, Sept.16. Applicants with special needs, please contact the Human Resources Department voice phone num-ber 301/645-0585 or Md. Relay Service TDD 800/735-2258. An Equal Opportu-nity Employer.

WATER DISTRIBUTION SUPERINTENDENT — CITY OF WICHITA, KAN.

Salary: Mid-$70s DOQ.The city of Wichita, Kan., is seeking

qualifi ed candidates for the position of Water Distribution Superintendent. The position is responsible for the mainte-nance, repair and construction of about 2,000 miles of water mains and associ-ated facilities that distribute water to about 500,000 people. The position requires a college degree in engineering, manage-ment or a related fi eld, and fi ve years of related administrative and supervisory experience, preferably in a utility or in-dustrial environment. Experience and edu-cation equivalency considered. Must have proven leadership and supervisory skills, a strong customer service orientation, ability to relate well to employees and knowledge of current water distribution installation, repair and maintenance technology. Must pass a pre-employment physical, includ-ing drug screening and a criminal records check. Beginning salary to the mid-$70s DOQ. Apply to Slavin Management Consultants, 3040 Holcomb Bridge Road, Suite B-1, Norcross, GA 30071; 770/449-4656; [email protected], 770/416-0848 (fax).

■ JOB MARKET from page 14

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