Discussion: Fiscal Year 2005 Public Safety Service Area Budgets

• Ambulance (01)

• Medical Examiner (10)

• Emergency Management Block Grants (20)

• Juvenile Crime Prevention Grant (54)

• Juvenile Court Services (27)

• Court Services (28 and 47), Law Enforcement Proceeds (68) and Prosecutor Forfeiture (69)

Discussion: Fiscal Year 2005 Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Service Area Budget

• MH/DD (46) and Leinfelder Trust (84)

Chairperson Neuzil called the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to order in the Johnson County Administration Building at 9:04 a.m. Members present were: Pat Harney, Mike Lehman, Terrence Neuzil, Sally Stutsman, and Carol Thompson.

Budget Coordinator Jeff Horne said that the only new change in the Ambulance Department for FY 2005 is the addition to the replacement rotation of a supervisor response vehicle. The Department did ask for 2 new paramedic positions, but due to the constraints of the budget were not included. Horne said that the Board did make public safety and the quality of the service a goal, so the integrity of the replacement schedule was kept along with the addition of the supervisor response vehicle. Horne said that use of the response vehicle is better from an insurance perspective than having supervisors use their own vehicles. Horne explained that the levy has been reduced from $.2958 to $.2931, which is consistent with the goal of reducing the tax asking.

Thompson said that Ambulance’s revenues are incredibly high, far surpassing what they projected. She asked if it would allow Ambulance Director Steve Spenler to hire the 2 positions if Horne projects the first 6 months of 2004 and doubles it for 2005. Horne replied that it would be close. Thompson said that Spenler should budget his revenues higher because demand is not likely to go down and he’s raised his fees. Horne explained that Spenler wants the additional employees to respond in Coralville. He said that the Ambulance Department can document a legitimate increase in demand. He said that last year Spenler couldn’t quantify the decrease in overtime by adding an additional employee. Thompson said that if the Board added the staff it seems like a good investment and they would come close to breaking even although the County can’t afford more staff. Stutsman agreed. Thompson asked if there is consensus to have Horne investigate the possibility. The Board agreed, but Neuzil said that at some point they will have to decide how much personnel the County can afford and what is the biggest priority. Stutsman said that the Ambulance Department was ranked at the top of the list in the Citizen’s Survey the County completed as far as services citizens want.

Executive Assistant Mike Sullivan explained that Field Supervisors rotate on call and respond directly to the scene for any multiple casualty incident. He said that County Insurance Agent of Record Bob Saunders recommended purchasing a County vehicle for these people to use. Harney asked how often this situation happens. Sullivan replied that it happened often while he was Ambulance Director, but he can’t speak to current frequencies. Stutsman said that she feels that the minute these people leave home, they’re on duty so the County should cover any accidents on the way to scenes. Horne said he will clarify several issues with Spenler regarding the car, revenues, and which is a higher priority.

Harney said that an issue the Board needs to keep in mind is that the North Corridor area including Shueyville and Swisher, isn’t currently receiving service from Johnson County. Thompson asked if adding new employees would increase his response time to that area. Harney said that it won’t without a substation in North Liberty or Coralville. Horne said that he will ask for an estimate on how much overtime would be saved versus the cost of 2 new employees.

Horne said that there are no changes to the Medical Examiner program for Fiscal Year 2005. Per the strategic planning process, the Medical Examiner is already in the process of billing out allocated expenses to other counties for legal settlement to reduce the tax asking. Horne said that also per the strategic planning, when the budget season is completed, the County will be approaching some neighboring counties about possible regionalization of the program. He said that they are also applying for a Local Government Innovation Fund grant for the program from the State, which would aid in possible expansion to neighboring counties and regionalization of the program.

Horne said that Linn County showed interest in possibly changing their Medical Examiner Services, who Johnson County hadn’t considered including in regionalization before. Neuzil said that he doesn’t believe the Medical Examiner’s fees are matching the costs associated with them. Horne explained that in the future, Sullivan will itemize billing and charge other counties for all costs associated with an autopsy. He said that he believes changes will help the County reduce the tax asking for this department this year. He said that if the County receives the grant they can reimburse themselves for capital expenses and allow for expansion as well.

Horne said that the Emergency Management grant is a levy based on the census. The Sheriff is the administrative head of the Haz-Mat team. The large decrease in the grant is due to the completion of funding for a new vehicle. Horne said the Board can also levy for it through the General Fund, but it would be similar in the tax asking. Harney asked how Homeland Security funds will affect Emergency Management Director Tom Hansen’s block grants. Horne replied that he doesn’t know, but he has received funding as well as the Ambulance and Sheriff’s Departments. He said that the Emergency Housing Shelter monies are pass through funding.

Horne said that the Juvenile Crime Prevention Program is still a State program, but the County is only receiving approximately $38,000 of the $240,496 budget. He said that the Fiscal Year 2005 budget is the same as 2004. Horne said that funding is maintained for the Board’s goal of investing in crime prevention and jail alternatives with the objective of reducing future demands on shelter costs, juvenile detention costs, the County Jail, and law enforcement. Stutsman said that the program doesn’t have any donations budgeted. Horne said that donations have been sporadic in the past. He said that although the program requested a 3 to 5% increase, he left the donation the same this year. Neuzil said that intergovernmentally this grant works very well. Horne said that next year the County will assume Lutheran Social Services pass through monies again. He said that he left the funding as is because during the planning process the Board made this fund a priority. He said that if the State does not fund their portion however, the County will just reduce the total budget by that amount.

Horne said that Juvenile Court Services is a mandatory program. Horne said that most of the budget goes for youth detention and shelter costs for Johnson County youths. He said that there was a large increase in shelter costs in FY 2004, but no increase for FY 2005. Horne said that detention costs are up this year, but no trend can be ascertained at this point.

Horne said that the majority of Law Enforcement Proceeds comes from a grant and the rest comes mainly from forfeitures, as does the Prosecutor Forfeiture. He said that the Court Services funds involve court-related costs such as witness accommodations. Horne explained that use of the budgets depends upon the type and length of trials in Johnson County. Horne said that there is no change in the budgets from the current year.

Horne said that another topic in need of discussion is Courthouse security. He said that he spoke with Linn County Finance Director Dawn Jindrich, who said that their courthouse security funds come from the County’s Supplemental Fund. He said adding Courthouse security could be a new function within the Sheriff’s Department, which can be funded from the Supplemental Fund. He said that funding it from the Supplemental Fund will change the tax numbers, but it will spread the cost over a larger taxing body. He said that in order to add a budget item for security, he would need finished job descriptions, other expenses, and a finished budget. He said that any capital cost cannot come from the Supplemental Fund, so it must come from the Physical Plant budget.

Lehman asked if providing the Courthouse with security is a policy change and other departments will request security as well. Stutsman said that she’s willing to consider some items, but not everything the Committee recommended. Neuzil asked how the process should be handled. Horne asked if the Committee would need to first put together an idea of what it envisions the program being. Neuzil said that a starting Sheriff’s Deputy will cost approximately $55,000 with total starting salary, as well as uniforms and specialized training. He said that the Sheriff has suggested having a separate division for Courthouse security. Harney said that it would be a separate division similar to what they have now with officers divided into patrol, civil, jail, and transportation.

Neuzil asked if the Board even wants to move forward with this report. Stutsman said that the Board received the report, but hasn’t made any decisions regarding what they’re going to fund. Neuzil said that if this proposal will fall under the Sheriff’s Department, then he needs to make a proposal to the Board. He asked if the Board wants to use the Sheriff’s Department or hire a service. Horne said that the Board could use the Supplemental Fund either way. Stutsman said if the Board isn’t sure where the proposal will be housed, then Horne should put together the numbers himself working with the Sheriff. Neuzil asked if the Board needs to put this back on the agenda for further discussion. Harney said that the Board could put together a contingency plan for the budget. Stutsman said that the Board is in agreement for 2 deputies in some form. Harney said that the improvements are just the top of what is needed. He asked whether or not the Courthouse is still viable. Horne suggested a consultant who could tell the Board what it would cost to replace or fix the Courthouse. He said that the Space Needs Committee shelved the Courthouse issue pending the Jail issue.

Horne said that MH/DD has more changes than other departments, mainly the addition of 3 new positions. He said 4 new positions were requested, but the Mobile Crisis Coordinator was more related to Jail issues and had no well-defined job description. Horne said that Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Director Elaine Sweet feels that the 3 positions (Clinical Supervisor, Intake Social Worker II, and Contract Coordinator) are very important to the running of the department, especially moving the intake function from the Mental Health Center into the department and the Clinical Supervisor to decrease workloads. He said that there will be some loss in credit and replacement funding, but not to the same extent as the General Fund. The new positions would decrease the fund balance, but would be an ongoing cost and add administrative expense to the department. Horne said that these positions should be monitored closely to see if they are meeting objectives. He said that the Board approved a new position last year that was never filled by the Director. This would be the second organizational change in the last 2 years for the department. He said that at the time of this draft, the job descriptions of these positions were not approved by Human Resources and should not be filled until details are finalized.

Thompson said that the 4th position Horne has not added to the budget is the Crisis Intervention Coordinator that the Jail Alternatives Committee recommended. She said that the position itself would eventually need to hire staff as well in order to do 24 emergency response because people having mental health problems are brought to jail if the police cannot have them admitted to the Psychiatric Hospital. Stutsman asked if anyone else could be trained. Horne said that since there are no set job descriptions, he’s not sure if he is budgeting correctly. He said that Sweet thinks adding the Intake Social Worker could save up to $100,000.

Stutsman asked where the MH/DD fund balance is this year. Horne replied that it’s about 15%, but if the Board doesn’t tax fully for MH/DD they’ll lose up to $800,000 in State funding. Thompson said that the Board wouldn’t really save any taxes from it, but they would lose the State money in the process. Stutsman asked how secure the State funding is this year. Horne replied that he feels better about that funding than he does about other State funds. Stutsman asked why the Board doesn’t add all 4 positions next year if MH/DD has the funds. Horne replied that it’s more administration in the department. Neuzil said that the Board needs to be cautious of the State changing the rules regarding carry-over balances because it’s hard to get rid of employees if budgets get tight. He said that he’s also concerned with where the employees would be housed. Thompson said that people have shared offices and many don’t see clients in their offices.

Horne asked if the Board would like to add the Jail Alternatives position into the budget. Stutsman said that if the Coordinator will save money in jail days it might be worth it. Harney asked how monies coming back to the department after the last MH/DD audit will appear in the budget. Horne replied that it will show as a receivable until it is determined that it is not collectable and although it will not be in the carry-over balance, it will be shown as an asset.

Stutsman asked how the Mobile Crisis Coordinator will be housed. Thompson replied that the position is just to pull together the team that would be needed. Neuzil said that by adding this position it will be the Board first major set towards jail alternatives. Stutsman asked if the Board will be better served to contract out this position to the Impact Program. Horne replied that they could try. Thompson said that other Counties also give their police departments special training in order to handle this function. Neuzil suggested adding it to an agenda item for discussion and have Sweet come in to discuss the matter. Thompson said that in the needs assessment, this position was at the top of the list. Stutsman said that she just wants to look at all of the alternatives. Harney said that he feels it is appropriate coming from the MH/DD budget. Thompson said that this person job will be to look at the models created in other communities and tailor them to Johnson County’s needs.

Horne said that the Leinfelder Trust is a revenue fund, which is in the process of being moved out of the County structure and into the Community Foundation or other depository pending final approval of the move from the County Attorney’s Office. The balance should be moved by June 1, 2004. Thompson asked Horne whether or not the car MH/DD will purchase from this fund is a replacement car or a second car. Horne replied that it is a second vehicle. Stutsman said that she’d be in favor of a County pool to make better use of the County’s automobiles. Thompson said that departments can sign up for vehicles, they just don’t. Horne replied that MH/DD will need to remain separate due to the restriction of their fund, but they could bill for use of other vehicles. Thompson said that since the County is only reimbursing $12,000 in mileage a second car isn’t justified, but replacing the first is. Horne said that he’d obtain justifications for her requests.

Adjourned at 10:20 a.m.

Attest: Tom Slockett, Auditor

By Casie Kadlec, Recording Secretary