BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS’
REGULAR MEETING
January 5, 2011
9:00 a.m.
Harris Hall Main Floor
APPROVED 1-19-2011
Commissioner Faye Stewart presided with Commissioners Jay Bozievich, Rob Handy, Sid Leiken and Pete Sorenson present. County Administrator Liane Richardson, County Counsel Stephen Vorhes and Recording Secretary Melissa Zimmer were also present.
1. ADJUSTMENTS TO THE AGENDA
Handy pulled items B. 1),2),3) and 4) off the Consent Calendar.
2. PUBLIC COMMENTS
None.
3. COMMISSIONERS' RESPONSE TO PUBLIC COMMENTS AND/OR OTHER ISSUES AND REMONSTRANCE
Sorenson discussed the upcoming Federal Housing appropriations. He noted that the federal fiscal year is October 1 and they don’t have a budget other than the continuing resolution from last year for HACSA.
Handy stated he is working on siting the West Eugene Em Ex corridor. He said he is on three committees. He reported the Egan Warming Centers have had to be in operation for the past five nights due to the cold weather. He reported that he volunteered at the Egan Center in his neighborhood in the kitchen.
4. EMERGENCY BUSINESS
None.
5. CONSENT CALENDAR
BEGINNING OF CONSENT CALENDAR * * * *
A. Approval of Minutes
B. County Counsel
1) ORDER 11-1-5-1/In the Matter of Reappointing Justices Pro Tempore for the Florence Justice Court Through January 6, 2012.
B. County Counsel
2) ORDER 11-1-5-2/In the Matter of Reappointing Justices Pro Tempore for the Upper Willamette Justice Court Through January 6, 2012.
3) ORDER 11-1-5-3/In the Matter of Reappointing Justices Pro Tempore for the Central Lane Justice Court Through January 6, 2012.
4) ORDER 11-1-5-4/In the Matter of Selecting Newspapers to Publish Ballots, Monthly Statement of Expenditures, Personal Property Tax Warrants, and Notices of Real Property Tax Foreclosures.
C. Health and Human Services
1) ORDER 11-1-5-5/In the Matter of Applying for a Grant in the Amount of $283,784 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Supplemental Funding to Support Expanded Capacity for Primary Care Through the Federally Qualified Health Center.
2) ORDER 11-1-5-6/In the Matter of Appointing One Member to the Public Health Advisory Committee.
3) ORDER 11-1-5-7/In the Matter of Appointing Two Members to the Lane County Animal Services Advisory Committee (LCASAC)
D. Management Services
1) ORDER 11-1-5-8/In the Matter of Authorizing the Sale of Surplus County Owned Real Property for $30.00 to the City of Cottage Grove, Former Owner of Record (Map #20-03-27-32-01800, Across from 320 Gateway Blvd. Cottage Grove)
2) ORDER 11-1-5-9/In the Matter of Authorizing the Sale of Surplus County Owned Real Property to Craig H. Bontly for $2,000 (Map #17-04-35-43-02800, Adjacent to 2892 West 18th Avenue, Eugene)
MOTION: to approve the remainder of the Consent Calendar.
Handy MOVED, Bozievich SECONDED.
VOTE: 5-0.
END OF CONSENT CALENDAR * * * *
5 B. 1) 2) & 3)
Handy asked about the impacts if they approve these board orders today given the discussions they will be having in the future.
Richardson said they are scheduled to come back on January 19 to discuss the Justice Courts. She said if they appoint pro tems today and they make changes to the Justice Courts later, it won’t preclude the Board from making any of the changes they want to make on January 19. She added the Justice Courts need pro tems between now and January 19 in order to keep the courts operating. She recommended moving ahead with the board orders.
MOTION: to approve ORDER 11-1-5-1, ORDER 11-1-5-2 and ORDER 11-1-5-3.
Handy MOVED, Leiken SECONDED.
VOTE: 5-0.
5.B.4)
Handy asked if this could be brought back in two weeks. He thought the memo was incomplete and he thought more information was required for the new commissioners. He indicated that they have a current situation not captured in the memo. He thought it was important that the public have a full briefing on the current history of the issue . He wanted an assessment of the current arrangement and how it has worked financially. He said the situation splitting the business was made to save Lane County money. He wanted to have a flushed out memo on the history; how the departments have worked with the new arrangement and what their analysis would be. He also wanted to find out if they saved money.
Richardson thought they could put it off a week. She said they have to decide on the monthly statement of expenditures, as they do them monthly. She didn’t know if they would have time going out two weeks. She thought they could do an interim board order maintaining the status quo or changing the proposed one to being an interim board order. She didn’t think they could get an analysis up on the website at the time frame the Board has expressed interest in. She said if they go to the departments today, they wouldn’t be able to get anything on the web until Friday. She indicated that they could do links to prior conversations so people can view board discussions. She added that would contain all of the documentation. She said the only thing it wouldn’t have is this past year’s analysis.
Handy wanted this brought back in two weeks with full information placed on the website and if they need an interim board order to bring it back next week.
Sorenson indicated they need to know the fiscal impact.
Stewart recalled that there was about an $8,000 difference between the two newspapers when it was previously brought up. He said when they look at readers and subscribers, he thought for the cost they were getting double the exposure in The Register Guard.
Bozievich remembered the discussions from last year. He agreed with Stewart that they can’t look at the per line cost they have to look at the per reader cost of the advertising. He added that if they were looking at exposure and the ability to get the notices out to the maximum amount of people, The Register Guard offers the ability and is a better value for the County. He approved the consent item as it stands.
Sorenson indicated there was no line cost or circulation data. He indicated the bulk of the County’s money is going to The Register Guard because it meets their professional staff needs but they are paying more money for it. He said they are being asked to meet an outdated statutory rule.
Leiken was prepared to move forward. He asked if additional due diligence would make a difference.
Vorhes said from a legal perspective he didn’t think it would make a difference. He indicated it is a policy call for the Board. He said having a discussion could help inform the commissioners and the public about the trade offs and the cost benefits. He thought they could have comparison of costs from the year before and the last year. He stated the staff memo provides enough to say that given the readership and the daily publication, The Register Guard is the better choice. He wasn’t sure the split of the newspapers last year was actually a cost savings. He added there was concern at the staff level that going in that direction might cost more.
Leiken agreed with doing their due diligence but he thought The Register Guard was the better way to go. He wanted to make a decision to move forward on this when it comes back.
Stewart asked if this could be moved to January 19.
Richardson replied that if they talk to Finance and there is an earlier target they need for the notice of monthly expenditures, they will bring back something next week.
Sorenson wanted to put the information required to be published in the newspaper and then direct them to Lane County’s website . He thought that should be the future. He wanted a legislative fix. He wanted to know how much it is going to cost them.
Bozievich wanted a statement of the average daily web hits for The Register Guard and The Eugene Weekly. He commented that some seniors will never give up a daily newspaper and some seniors don’t have computers in their home.
6. COMMISSIONERS’ BUSINESS
a. DISCUSSION/Appointing Representatives to Various Committees and Agencies.
Stewart noted it was brought to his attention that the information in the packet was not a complete list. He noted the Charter Review Committee was not included. He said there is also a Springfield Economic Development Agency that requires the East Lane and Springfield Commissioner to be members. He indicated there are committees that need to meet next week.
Handy recommended that they maintain the status quo for a month and meanwhile appoint the new commissioners to the committees their predecessors had. He didn’t think they should burden the new commissioners until they have a feel for what the job is like. He wanted them to take a go slow approach. He commented that constituent service is a demanding part of the job. He thought committee meetings were important but eats into their time.
Leiken asked if they were accomplishing what needs to be accomplished. He indicated that for the past 12 years he has been a volunteer on these committees so he knows what they are doing. He expected to be appointed to some of Dwyer’s committees.
Sorenson asked to include the NACo committees, the Metropolitan Sports Commission, the Lane County Historic Review Committee and the Lane County Charter Review Committee.
Richardson recalled in past years they have included an attachment that has included other types of committees commissioners have been appointed to. She indicated that they had culled through the other committees and pulled the ones that no longer meet. She noted the Charter Review Committee does not require a commissioner to attend but they will add that to the liaison list.
Bozievich said he has spent the last two months in orientation meetings in the organization. He was prepared to do his job from the time he was sworn in. He said they need to move ahead with the committees. He said that Leiken has been on the MPC and knows the whole process. He thought Leiken should continue to be on the MPC. He wanted a discussion about the mandated committees. He didn’t think they had to wait for him and Leiken to get up to speed to make these appointments.
MOTION: to appoint Handy and Leiken to the MPC.
Sorenson MOVED, Handy SECONDED.
Bozievich stated that he wanted to be on the committee as they need representation from the west side. He added that a number of County residents are not represented.
VOTE: 2-3. (Bozievich, Leiken and Stewart dissenting).
MOTION: to appoint Leiken and Bozievich to the MPC.
Leiken MOVED, Bozievich SECONDED.
VOTE: 3-2 (Handy, Sorenson dissenting).
Stewart discussed the committee openings with the Board. (Copy in file).
Vorhes asked the Board for boards or commissions that they are currently on and he will attach it to the board order as an exhibit.
Richardson recommended there be vote on the countywide non-mandated internal committees: Economic Development, Facilities, Finance and Audit, Legislative, Policy and Procedure, the SAVE Committee and the Technology Management Team.
MOTION: to approve the appointments on the countywide non-mandated internal committees.
Bozievich MOVED, Leiken SECONDED.
Handy wanted this brought back next week so they can see it all in one place.
Sorenson indicated that he will vote against the motion. He thought they haven’t done anything substantial to see if they need committees. He thought they should go slower.
VOTE: 3-2 (Handy, Sorenson dissenting).
Stewart asked for a comprehensive list of committees to be prepared for the next meeting for review. He also wanted a list of the recommendation of the status of the committees.
Richardson indicated she will gather as much information as they can on what committees are doing and what their plans are with meetings for the next year and for staff recommendations for the committees.
b. DISCUSSION/Highway 126 East Representation to the Lane Area Commission on Transportation (ACT) Appointment.
Stewart reported that they did a posting for this position. He indicated that there were three applicants for the position. He noted one of the applicants did not live up Highway 126. He wanted the position to be appointed to someone who lives on Highway 126.
Handy asked Mann why her application came in. He didn’t want to consider Mann’s application because she lives downtown.
MOTION: to recommend Tannenbaum as the primary representative with Dunn as the alternate.
Handy MOVED, Stewart SECONDED.
VOTE: 5-0.
7. COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
a. Announcements
Richardson announced that on January 24, 2011 she will give budget direction to the departments to start establishing their budgets for the next fiscal year. She said the only guidance from the Board that came from last fall was to eliminate the $8.8 million deficit. She asked the Board for any additional direction to be put into the budget kick off on January 24.
Handy recalled there are recommendations from AFSCME. He said there was request for information to analyze data. He noted the previous Board allocated funds to have staff get the information. He said AFSCME has recommendations on how to close the budget gap.
Richardson stated that she has not met with AFSCME. She said they received a demand to bargain with them late last year and items that affect the budget will be part of the bargaining. She noted one recommendation from AFSCME was in order not to cut any money from next year’s budget, to go into their prudent person reserve and to reduce the reserves beyond what they already had. She indicated that AFSCME’s recommendation is to go below the ten percent they have. She would not pursue that unless the Board gave her direction otherwise because of the affects on their bond rating. She added the other proposal was using reduced health costs to reduce the budget. She noted they have already incorporated that fact into the budget.
Sorenson thought they should start with the department directors. He also thought Budget could make up a new Municast.
Bozievich hoped they don’t drop the idea of doing a supplemental budget soon to save money in the 10/11 budget. He wanted to back to the second supplemental budget in 09/10 and the adds that were placed on the base budget for 10/11 as the first place to start for elimination. He commented that there is value in trying to preserve money now to have in reserves to cover part of the $8.8 million deficit.
Richardson recalled at one point all of Management Team was working toward that. She said that County Administrator Jeff Spartz had them try to save three percent from all of the departments. She indicated there was board direction to leave it alone for this year. She stated it would be contrary to board direction to go back to see what was added in the supplemental budget because of the direction to maintain status quo. She added if the Board wanted to move that way, she would need Board direction, otherwise it is a department by department choice.
Stewart asked if she needed more board direction.
Richardson indicated that if she doesn’t receive direction from the Board, they will move forward with establishing Management Team’s minimum thresholds. She added that it might not be the Board’s minimum thresholds for the various services they provide. She said if there are minimum thresholds the Board can’t go below, they would need to know that now. She added when they identify areas that are going to be proposed to be cut in the budget and the positions are currently open, they are not filling them.
Stewart recalled that in the past the Board had adopted the Good Governance Board Order. He noted it stated that two commissioners couldn’t attend the same event. He stated that last night at the State of the City, four commissioners were present. He thought portions of the board order don’t comply anymore. He asked if they should bring it back for consideration for changes to be made.
Richardson said they made a change to the Good Governance Board Order at the end of the year about only two commissioners attending an event that wasn’t a Board of County Commissioners event. She said the Board can revisit that portion. She thought it would be good to revisit the order because many of the items were specifically for 2009 and 2010.
Stewart wanted to bring the board order back at the next meeting to discuss changes.
Vorhes said the work they did on the committees has some foundation in the Good Governance Board Order. He said what they will bring back is addressing how they want to proceed with the committees. He said they will put together the Good Governance orders the Board has previously adopted to have historical content.
8. COUNTY COUNSEL
a. Announcements
None.
9. COMMISSIONERS' ANNOUNCEMENTS
Leiken announced that Friday January 14, 2011 there will be a ribbon cutting of the Em Ex Bus in Springfield at the Gateway Mall.
10. EXECUTIVE SESSION as per ORS 192.660
None.
11. OTHER BUSINESS
Stewart reported that the agenda team met on Monday and discussed the process and in their effort to get agendas done as early as possible and get information to the public, they will schedule the agenda team meetings for Monday afternoons the week in advance. He indicated this will be earlier than before. He hoped the agenda will be set and materials will be produced and available to the public no later than Wednesday.
Stewart noted that Sorenson made his appointment to the Charter Review Committee. He noted there were 12 applications for the Charter Review Committee. He thought the other commissioners could review the remaining applications. He wanted a Board order brought back to the Board next week on the Consent Calendar.
Handy indicated that he also has an appointee.
There being no further business, Commissioner Stewart adjourned the meeting at 11:55 a.m.
Melissa Zimmer
Recording Secretary