MINUTES OF THE INFORMAL MEETING OF THE JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:
OCTOBER 28, 2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Special Resource Enhancement (32)
Courthouse Centenary Fund (61)
Prosecutor Forfeiture Proceeds (69)
Department of Human Services (45)
Juvenile Crime Prevention (54)
Chairperson Neuzil called the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to order in the Johnson County Health and Human Services Building at 1:03 p.m. Members present were: Pat Harney, Terrence Neuzil, Sally Stutsman, and Rod Sullivan.
Budget Coordinator Rich Claiborne asked Conservation Director Harry Graves if he would like to start by discussing the letter submitted to the Board. Stutsman said she would have liked to have seen the letter prior to this meeting because it contains a lot of information. Graves asked if she would like him to review the letter and said he would be happy to do so. Stutsman said yes.
Graves said the letter was adopted a number of years ago to provide a review of information regarding the previous year to the Conservation Board. He said the Board has seen the letter a number of times, and it is the same one received by the Conservation Board. The Conservation Bond was passed, and it is an exciting thing. They are pleased and have learned a lot about it. Graves said they have learned that the most basic components in obtaining land are a willing seller and appraised value, regardless of the extent of preliminary planning, inventory, and desire for particular parcels of land.
Graves said, although it was requested last year that a $1 million budget for Conservation Board Bond Funds be developed, doing so has proven to be impractical. He said bond funding will be requested as property acquisition agreements are made with landowners, and several of those are currently being developed. Graves said every attempt will be made to pace land acquisitions, as he has previously indicated to the Board. The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) is available to assist them with the purchase and acquisition of property through the facilitation of money lending. Graves thinks they have good credit leverage with INHF due to having a good funding stream with the Bond.
Sullivan said he is assuming the County would not need to bond for a large purchase that would need to be paid back within one year and that the INHF would agree to repayment over four or five years. Graves said that is true. The INHF will act as a facilitator to borrow the money, but there will be interest on it. Sullivan agreed. Graves said the INHF will work with local financial institutions to obtain the lowest possible rate, which can be spread over time.
Sullivan asked about the potential for a large bond followed by no bond. Graves said everyone is worried about a huge spike, but Conservation wants the numbers to be fairly constant. Harney said that is one of his concerns because it appears that four properties are currently being negotiated, and he can foresee a spike. Graves said he thinks there is an opportunity to spread them out over time. As he previously said, each acquisition requires a willing seller and an appraised value.
Sullivan said an advantage to obtaining assistance from the INHF is that the County will have at least one year to plan because it is assumed that repayment will not begin during that time period. Graves agreed and said the cost of large purchases would be spread over time, and the Board would be involved in related discussions.
Graves said the construction of new buildings began just in time, because the boiler in the existing building is now leaking. Plumber Supply has provided them with sealer, which they are hoping will be effective until January 1, 2010. At that time, they should be able to move into the new building. It would be unfortunate to have to install a new heating system. There is currently a hot water system so there is no practical way to install a forced air system. Graves said he hopes the new buildings will be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified at the silver level or above.
Graves said following the completion of the buildings and water plant at Kent Park, all of the vertical infrastructure will be up-to-date and in good condition. He thinks Stumpf Construction is currently laying block on the double-vault latrine at Hills Access. He said they will want to re-cover the Operations Center with metal siding and roofing at some point in the future. It would subsequently be used as a storage facility. He said things are otherwise in good shape due to the funding that has been provided, and they are looking forward to work on the Master Plan Update.
Graves said trails will depend on decisions regarding trail maintenance by the Trails Advisory Committee (TAC), per the directive of the Board. Graves said he is a member of the Committee and prepared a maintenance budget last year. He requested bids from five organizations with only one response, which was from Quality Care. Their bid was $14,000 for snow removal and seasonal maintenance of the existing Dubuque Street Trail, which stretched from the Butler Bridge to West Overlook Campgrounds. Stutsman asked if the estimate was for that trail only. Graves said yes.
Graves said he thinks the only maintenance that has been completed in the area was the removal of a tree by Maintenance Superintendant Kevin Hackathorn. He thinks it has otherwise been a neighborhood-maintained sidewalk. The TAC Meeting is scheduled for November 3, 2009, and either he or the TAC Chairman will provide the Board with a summary. Stutsman asked if maintenance information is included in the budget being presented. Graves said no, because he was not given that directive. When he brought the information to the Board last year, he was told to wait until continuation of the trail to North Liberty had been completed. He said it is currently under construction to 275th Street, and the Board recently approved an application for funding to extend it into North Liberty. Graves said the Board would need to ask for a directive from the TAC.
Sullivan said he thinks there are two questions. One of those questions is whether the trail will be maintained throughout the winter or covered with snow and ice. That was part of the maintenance cost previously mentioned. The other question is whether the trail will be swept a couple of times during the year. Sullivan said he views them as separate issues and wouldn’t mind the TAC approaching them separately. Graves said they can do that. Neuzil said another option is to find organizations that would be willing to adopt a section of the trail. Stutsman said another option is to complete the maintenance in-house. Neuzil agreed. Stutsman indicated that the cost of in-house maintenance should be determined. Graves said it would also need to be determined which department would be responsible for the maintenance. Neuzil agreed and said either Conservation or Secondary Roads would be responsible. Stutsman said she understands there would be expenses associated with purchasing the necessary equipment.
Graves said snow removal on the trail is interesting to him because it has not been done, with the exception of specific locations done by individual residents. Even if the trail is groomed, bicyclists will be riding on streets and sidewalks with ice and snow before or after using the trail. He questions the wisdom of snow removal because it may result in a road to nowhere, so to speak. Graves said the previously mentioned estimate included seasonal sweeping three times a year with a power broom and removal of sand. Ice melt was a consideration due to needing to use a non-salt based material to prevent damage to adjoining lawns. The estimate was extrapolated to include the cost of snow removal based on a normal winter, although a normal winter has yet to be defined. Sullivan said he agrees that it doesn’t make a lot of sense to start plowing the trail now when they haven’t done so in the past, although he is curious to hear recommendations from TAC. Stutsman said people want the trail plowed now that it goes all the way to North Liberty. Graves said doing so seems futile to him if the connections are not plowed.
Graves said the budget is flat and is the same as last year’s budget, with the exception of COLAs and steps in grades. He thinks they have been able to utilize funds reasonably well. The addition of a half-time clerical position would be funded out of the existing budget and has been approved by the Conservation Board. The cost would be $17,830, including Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System and the Federal Insurance Contributions Act tax. There would be no benefits. Graves said it is a position that has been unfilled for a long period of time, and he doesn’t have enough staff to complete all of the tasks of a secretary/office manager. Conservation staff currently have too much work to allow for completion of additional tasks through cross training.
Stutsman said Graves previously stated that the budget is flat and asked if he is anticipating savings in utilities. Graves said yes. He prematurely reduced gas expenses to $6,000 last year in anticipation of completion of the buildings. They used more gas than that amount, but he anticipates that they can reduce the amount due to the use of propane. Propane is used at the Education Center and the Youth Group Camp, which are heated seasonally. It is also used to heat water at the shower house, campground, and beach house in the summer. He said the savings is offset by an increase in electricity costs due to the use of electricity to run the heat pumps and forced air systems.
Stutsman asked for the amount of the increase in electricity costs. Graves said he thinks the amount rose from $13,000 to $14,000. Stutsman asked if he has predicted enough of an increase. Graves said he believes so, and he consulted with a mechanical engineer. Although the cost of the equipment is higher, he thinks it will result in an astounding savings and quick turnaround. He also thinks conversation agencies should be green. Graves said the Headquarters Building will be more cooling-driven, and the shop will be more heating-driven. The heat pump works by transferring the heat into the earth and by bringing cool, 55 degree fluid back into the building for the purpose of cooling. Hot water is a byproduct of the process.
Graves said a budget is a framework and cannot be cast in stone. A lot of effort has been put into the budget, and he thinks he understands it clearly. Employees within Conservation have tried to be fiscally responsible. They are all taxpayers and very interested in the success of the Department.
Neuzil asked if any money has been budgeted in anticipation of costs related to Sutliff Bridge. Graves said he doesn’t know how to budget for that. Neuzil said he was just curious. Graves said Conservation will need funding to take care of Sutliff Bridge if the Board and Conservation Board decide to restore it. He thinks the funding should be put in a special bridge line for that purpose only. Although it may almost be a new bridge when the project is completed, expectations for maintenance rise when private property becomes public property.
Sullivan said he does not think there is a need to set aside money for maintenance of the bridge in FY11, because it would probably take two seasons to repair. Graves agreed. He said he understood the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) representatives to have said that the County expenses for the non-flood restoration damages could be extended three to five years. He asked if that is correct. Neuzil said yes. Graves said a considerable amount of time may pass, and money can be raised by the Sutliff Bridge Authority during that time. He doesn’t think the bridge will be completed until FY12 or FY13. Graves said he will proceed with plans for it following direction from the Board and a decision by the Conservation Board. Stutsman asked what decision Graves is referring to. Graves said whether they will take the Bridge. He thinks the Conservation Board will probably respond favorably, if the Board decides to repair the bridge. Neuzil said he just wants to make sure the issue is being considered.
Graves said the addition of a half-time position is the first staff increase Conservation has had in a long time. He said they are working within current budget parameters for other items in the budget. Office equipment was reduced slightly. Graves hopes equipment purchases will be made this year and next, as they move into the new office building. Graves said the budget for pesticides has also decreased. He would like to be able to say they are not using any herbicides or pesticides, but unfortunately they are dealing with invasive species. Even with the bullhog machine, they have to apply treatments. Graves said they have reduced their use of chemicals by $2,000, and he thinks they will be able to further reduce usage over time. It seems like another invasive species always comes along after one is under control, however. He said it is the result of the ‘flat earth global economy’ and the changing climate, and it affects the use of pesticides.
Nursery supplies and park maintenance items have been reduced slightly. The Memorial Tree Program has been wonderful for Conservation, although there are high concentrations of ash trees in some areas, and it is only a matter of time until the emerald ash borer reaches Johnson County. Conservation has been proactive in planting other types of trees in the areas that have large concentrations of ash trees.
Stutsman asked how memorial trees will be replaced if the emerald ash borer strikes the area. Graves said a one year guarantee is typically received when a tree is purchased. Sometimes they die, however, and Conservation has been able to replace some of them because they have their own nursery. A peril could befall the oak trees in the future, however, and if that occurs, they will not be able to replace memorial trees and will have to start over. Had it not been for the Memorial Tree Program, Conservation would have had to purchase the trees, which have cost at least $30,000. The program has also resulted in the benefits of ownership, goodwill, and pride for the owners of the trees. Seed is also purchased with funds for nursery supplies.
Graves said Conversation is proud of the construction of the water plant. The siding material, which was supposed to have been received August 19, 2009, has not yet arrived, and that is why the budgeted amount has been reduced. The budget for fixture materials for parks and maintenance fixtures has decreased substantially since FY10, to $3,500, due to the one-time expense for a hoist during FY10. The costs for motor vehicle fluids and park maintenance have been high but seem to have stabilized for the time being. The budget for equipment parts has decreased by $4,000. There was a large expenditure in FY10 for new tracks and rollers for a dozer. Graves said Conservation has an extensive list of equipment, however, and they all require maintenance.
Graves said the lab services budget item for drug testing has decreased to $500, as the actual costs have been less than that amount. All Conservation employees who have a commercial driver’s license are required to participate in random drug testing, and Conservation is billed for it through Mercy Hospital. He believes all Conservation employees, with the exception of the office manager, have a CDL.
Graves said a furnace in one of the ranger’s residences will be replaced with a high efficiency gas furnace. He doesn’t think a geothermal system is worth the expense. The ag-hort equipment purchases have also decreased. The budget for motor vehicle purchases has increased due to the proposed replacement of the truck used for the garbage packer, with a Ford F650. Although the current vehicle does not have a lot of miles on it, there are approximately 75,000 hours on its engine.
Sullivan said he assumes Graves has compared the cost of truck replacement with that of contracting with a garbage hauler. Graves said yes, dumpsters are being used within the campground in Kent Park, but there are also numerous garbage cans both in Kent Park and in other areas. It is impractical to put dumpsters in the other areas because they will become municipal deposits. Graves said the garbage packer allows for the continued compression of garbage, which reduces the number of trips to the landfill. The packing machine itself is in pretty good shape. He discussed the issue with Conservation staff, and they decided that replacement of the truck is the best option. Graves said the Conservation Board concurred. Stutsman asked if they will be looking to purchase a used vehicle. Graves said no. He has a ball park figure for a new, diesel truck, and he thinks that is the best option. Although it will initially cost more, unknown factors regarding maintenance will be eliminated with a new vehicle that is under warranty.
Graves said law enforcement equipment has been reduced to $300. Sullivan said Graves has basically listed the same amounts for both postage and printing, and he is wondering if Graves has asked people about considering the use of email for receiving newsletters. Graves said yes, and they do have an electronic version of the newsletter available. Several people have asked him to take their names off the mailing list to conserve paper, however, he has found that an overwhelming amount of older individuals prefer a paper copy. Sullivan said he doesn’t expect Graves to completely eliminate paper copies. Graves said they do advertise that an electronic version is available, and the web address is included on the paper copy.
Graves said there continues to be a demand for printed brochures, despite the availability of the brochure on the internet. He said a new brochure was created last winter, and copies were printed in the spring and quickly distributed. It is important that rules and regulations are clearly posted in all locations and in brochures. As a result, there will always be a need for some printing.
Stutsman asked which budget line includes the new garbage truck. Graves replied motor vehicles. Stutsman asked if the motor vehicles line is included in the regular budget. Graves said yes, in Department 24. Stutsman asked why the item is not included under Capital Projects. Graves said Conservation has always carried the line item and asked if Claiborne wants to address the question. Neuzil said the funds only come out of the levy for Conservation. Claiborne agreed and said they need to stay around 0.25 for the Conservation levy and including the expense in the regular budget works out well. Stutsman asked if the cost of the new truck is then absorbed into the new budget or if it is tracked. Claiborne said there is a built-in amount for equipment replacement, and it is strictly used for that purpose. Graves said the budget is the same amount as that for FY10, but funds have been moved around to allow for the purchase. Graves said the levy for Conservation is now adequate to do those kinds of things. Although the garbage truck will not need to be replaced again for a long period of time, other vehicles will need to be replaced. It is important to replace the vehicles at regular intervals to avoid spikes.
Sullivan said Grave’s proposed budget for FY11 allows for the hire of an additional half-time position, but asked if he has considered potential, future expense increases. Graves said he knows there is no other $40,000 vehicle that will need to be purchased, and that line item is typically $25,000. He has projected the amount to approximately $28,000 to account for inflation. he added that the money needs to be spread out to account for roofing, siding, and other projects. Sullivan said he knows Graves is also expecting increased revenues. Graves agreed and said he thinks there is enough money for the additional position.
Stutsman asked if all approved Conservation positions are filled. Graves said yes. They have the same number of employees they had 18 years ago, despite increased acreage and improved maintenance. They are currently better equipped and trained than they were in the past, however.
Claiborne said Graves has also requested some personal computers (PCs). They previously discussed using older PCs rather than selling them at auction for a small amount of money. Graves said Conservation previously used older PCs until all computers were put on a replacement schedule. He said salvaged equipment is acceptable if it works.
Sullivan said Elections has PCs that sit in storage for most of the year. He thinks a lot of other departments would use them if they only had to give them up for six to eight weeks per year. Claiborne said Information Technology Director Jean Schultz told him that Mental Health/Disability Services (MH/DS) is replacing all of their one to two year old computers in the near future. Stutsman asked why they are doing that. Neuzil said he thinks it has to do with the State’s new system, but this is the first time he has heard of it. Claiborne said Schultz may be asking County Attorney Janet Lyness if the computers can be used for general County purpose to save on replacement. He said there are approximately 40 to 50 one to two year old computers.
Neuzil said the Board will check into the issue of new computers for MH/DS. Stutsman said it doesn’t seem like money should be spent for that purpose if the budget is frozen, and they are concerned about it. Claiborne asked if stimulus funds could be involved. Sullivan said the Board should be aware of that. Graves said he thinks the computers would be acceptable for use by Conservation if they are in good condition. He said some Conservation staff are currently sharing computers. Neuzil said he and Stutsman can speak to Schultz about putting a plan in place to evaluate County needs for computers before sending them to salvage. Stutsman said she thinks there was a time when technology was changing so rapidly that there was a need to update PCs regularly, but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. Sullivan agreed that memory limits are no longer being reached.
Sullivan left at 1:54 p.m.
Neuzil asked Graves to talk about revenues and said he knows they are kept in Conservation’s budget. He said it looks like $12 was lost in donations. Graves said there are not any grants expected in the coming year. He said the Cedar River Crossing Project is a wetland reserve project that will be funded out of Conservation Trust, Department 82. The money will be reimbursed following completion, however. Graves said there is also a $10,000 cost share on a grade stabilization structure at Kent Park. The plans for that project were just received following completion of the FY11 budget. The project was previously delayed a number of times. Graves said Departments 32 and 82 are pretty basic for FY11 and may need to be amended, depending on whether these two projects can be completed in FY10.
Graves said the Resource Enhancement and Protection Act (REAP) checks are supposed to be cut in the near future and amount to $57,870. He finds that interesting due to State budget concerns and doesn’t think the money should be relied upon. Neuzil asked if Graves is talking about Department 32. Graves said yes. Revenues come into Department 32 and Department 82. He said Department 82 is the trust account, and its revenues come from camping, grants, gifts, and surplus properties.
Sullivan returned at 1:56 p.m.
Neuzil asked if there is any estimation regarding the bonding authority that they should be aware of as they prepare for FY11. Graves said he thinks it would be nonproductive to provide an estimate because the amount is unknown and depends on many factors. Neuzil asked if there is any anticipation of purchasing property prior to February 15, 2010. Graves said they are currently dealing with four landowners, but he cannot forecast the outcome. Neuzil said the budget year was started through the Finance Committee, but they decided to move forward with keeping that part of the budget separate. There is a goal of keeping last year’s tax levy steady to avoid a spike. Neuzil said he thinks they need to continue to move forward and warn people that their taxes may increase next year if additional purchases are made.
Graves said assistance from the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation will be used as a mechanism to help acquire acquisitions that become available, and that will allow for a year of planning. No acquisitions will occur without communication. Neuzil said it would be ideal to have a certification process in place prior to that time. Sullivan said that will have to happen in the future. If information is not submitted in time to be included in the budget, they will have to rely on assistance from the Heritage Foundation. Claiborne said he spoke to County Treasurer Tom Kriz and Bond Counsel Bob Josten about the use of interim financing for small purchases. They want to work up to at least $1 million to $2 million before bonding, so that it is worthwhile.
Claiborne said the County is in control of the levy so he can stretch it out or shrink it to avoid spikes. Neuzil said that is ideal, and it has some impact on the County’s bonding authority. Harney said the problem with stretching it out is that it will lead to additional interest. Graves agreed. Claiborne said the spike would be lower though. Graves said there have been instances in which lending institutions were interested in conservation and lent money below the market rate or with no interest. He is not saying that would occur, however.
Claiborne asked Graves to provide information regarding the 2% cut question. Graves said the Conservation Board has come a long way thanks to the efforts of the Board to fund it. He said the budget has been closely pared and is basically the same as it has been for the past two years, with the exceptions of fuel and postage. If the budget had to be further pared, he would consider reducing supplies, board meals, lodging and equipment. Graves said Claiborne asked him to take his ideas for cuts a step further. If he had to make additional cuts, he would either pass on the replacement of the garbage truck or try to spread the purchase over two years. Eight years have already been spent trying to catch up, however, and they will eventually have to pay for the truck.
Neuzil left at 2:07 p.m.
Harney asked Graves if they have a 1991 truck currently or if they want to purchase a 1991 truck. Graves said they currently have a 1991 truck. Stutsman asked if the cost of the trucks is appreciating significantly each year. Graves said he was told that the new diesel emission regulations may lead to an increased cost of $5,000 to $6,000. Harney asked how much it would cost to have someone pick up the trash compared to purchasing a new vehicle. Graves said the cost to have garbage picked up may seem somewhat less, but he thinks the service is unreliable and would lead to a decrease in the current level of maintenance provided by Conservation. In addition, they may be offered a good deal for pick up service initially, but the price could subsequently increase when they no longer have their own equipment. Graves said he feels the best way to ensure quality work is to do it themselves. Graves said the Conservation Board thanks the Board of Supervisors for their support.
Neuzil returned at 2:09 p.m.
Claiborne said the comparison information for the County Attorney’s budget is not accurate. Although Lyness is turning in a flat budget, the comparison numbers incorrectly indicate that it includes an $8,400 increase due to an error in the FY10 budget, which will be corrected in the budget amendment. Lyness said the budget is flat, and they just moved items around a bit. For example, law books and legal services administration were moved to another department. Sullivan asked if the items in pink are duplicative and can be eliminated. Lyness said no, the only item that is duplicative is periodicals and books. Sullivan said there is a note about hot pink lines. Lyness said those are old entry codes that should no longer be included in the budget, but they continue to show up when it is printed out. Stutsman said she thought they were supposed to disappear after three years. Claiborne said they will eventually go away. Lyness said there weren’t too many things left in those items. She is trying to eliminate them and make sure items are in the right place. GEMS won’t accept them if they are entered under the old number.
Claiborne said revenues are also staying somewhat level. He asked Lyness if it is correct that the 10% State cutback does not affect the County Attorney’s Office. Lyness agreed that it should not affect them because they receive 100% reimbursement. If they were affected, they would probably have to lay someone off to reduce their numbers.
Lyness said Child Support does a determination of administrative fees for the County Attorney’s Office, and the amount has decreased drastically during the past year. She thinks reimbursement for specific items will stay the same, but they will receive little reimbursement for administrative costs. Harney asked if that is because the State took it over. Lyness said no, it did not have anything to do with changing their attorney position. It is due to a drastic reduction in the determination of indirect costs. In addition, the incentive money previously received for collections is basically gone.
Lyness said the proposed budget indicates that they will receive about the same amount of money for delinquent collections as they did last year, however they may actually collect considerably more. A decision was made this summer to agree to attempt to take on all collections for things such as delinquent fines and victim restitution. Lyness said the legislature made changes regarding collections over the last couple of years and authorized the Judicial Department to hire an outside company to do those collections. The company is entitled to receive 25% of whatever amount is due. Lyness said if someone previously had a $100 fine, they would subsequently owe $125. She thinks victim restitution will receive money before the State gets paid, and that it is outrageous.
Lyness said the Judicial Department did not receive funding for the contract until this year, and there is now a big push to collect past due fines. She does not feel that it is fair to add money to the fines, especially since the people who have delinquent fines often do not have a lot of money. Stutsman said she thinks people should have been notified to allow them the opportunity to pay the fines. Lyness said she thinks individuals will receive an initial letter stating that the fine must be paid within 30 days.
Lyness said people who are delinquent on fines will not be able to renew their driver’s licenses or license plates. However, if they set up a County Attorney Payment Plan (CAPP) and pay on it regularly, they can get their driver’s licenses back. Lyness said she prefers that people drive legally and have their driver’s licenses renewed. The County Attorney’s Office has worked hard to start setting up CAPPs, and law students are now volunteering there to assist with the plans. Lyness said the result has been an increase in collections.
Lyness said the legislature may decide that the County Attorney’s Office cannot continue to be responsible for collections, however. In order to take this on, they had to agree to try to collect everything. Lyness said she does not have enough staff to collect everything, so they are trying to prioritize. Next year, the State could decide that too little money is being collected and hired an outside company to do the work. However, if the County Attorney’s Office collects over $400,000, they may be eligible to receive a higher percentage of money collected. Lyness said 40% of the amount collected is currently received by the County Attorney’s Office, and they would become eligible to receive approximately 52% of the total amount. She thinks her estimation of revenues in the proposed budget is low, but she doesn’t want to be too optimistic.
Lyness said $290,000 was budgeted for reimbursement from Child Support. More than that was received in FY09, but she thinks the amount will decrease. The charge for copies has increased, so the projected revenue for that item for FY11 was increased by $1,000. Claiborne asked if she is planning to buy a copy machine out of Department 28. Lyness said they would take part of the cost out of Department 28 and the other part out of Department 22, because they have $12,598 set aside for office equipment purchases. If 2% has to be cut from the budget, the copy machine would not be purchased.
Lyness said her decision package included the addition of a part-time legal assistant position for collections, which would increase revenue. She requested a case expediter position last year, but she is requesting a combined expediter/collections position for FY11. She said she is hoping the part-time position would be able to bring in revenue equal to the salary for the position. If it doesn’t, however, a case expediter could decrease jail costs by reducing inmate numbers. Although the reduction would not benefit the budget for the County Attorney’s Office, it would be beneficial to the County’s overall budget.
Sullivan said it doesn’t sound like Lyness included an increase in revenue for collections in her budget. Lyness said she didn’t because she cannot guarantee an increase if the additional position is not obtained. Sullivan asked if she can guarantee that collections will increase if the position is obtained. Lyness said yes. The County Attorney’s Office is doing a lot more work with garnishments and assignments of wages. Last year the legislature also authorized them to obtain information directly from Iowa Workforce Development (IWD). As a result, they are able to collect smarter by targeting people who have made money during the past year.
Harney asked what the break even line is for hiring someone to do collections. Lyness said they are receiving 40% collections, so they would need to collect approximately $100,000 more to pay for the position. She thinks it is possible and said people from other counties in the State have said the only way to increase collections is to bring in more staff. It is a very time-consuming process. Lyness said she is not sure the position would completely pay for itself through collections in one year, however, she does think the position would be cost-effective for the County’s overall budget when decreased costs at the Sheriff’s Office are considered.
Lyness said she does not know where the new employee would sit, however, because the County Attorney’s Office is lacking space. Claiborne said he recently looked at the Office, and space is definitely an issue. He asked if there is a short-term solution that would allow the Office to remain in the Courthouse. Lyness said the County Attorney’s Office could potentially have to move out of the Courthouse, although she hopes it would only be temporary. The space left in the Courthouse could be used for an additional Courtroom or for expanded offices. Lyness said she thinks it is more efficient for the County Attorney’s Office to be located in the Courthouse, however. Stutsman said she thinks the issue should be discussed by members of the Space Needs Committee.
Neuzil said the potential remodeling of the lobby of the Courthouse could provide some additional space for consideration. It might be just enough to create an office that is more accessible to individuals with disabilities. Lyness said there is an employee in the County Attorney’s Office who uses an electric wheelchair, and she is unable to access a third of the office. The office crowding is limiting to her.
Lyness said a long-term employee will be retiring next year, and the County will owe him over $27,000 for vacation buyout if he does not use some of it before then. She said she will work hard over the next year to get him to use some vacation, but he also has a lot of sick leave. Sullivan said he thought two years vacation is the maximum that can be carried over. Lyness said she thinks it totals $27,000 for this employee if the math was done correctly. Stutsman said she thinks there needs to be future discussion about the issue of vacation buyout. It is a liability, not only in the County Attorney’s Office, but in other departments as well.
Stutsman asked if the amount paid out for vacation is determined by an employee’s salary when they earned the vacation or their salary when they left employment. Lyness said she thinks it is based on their salary when they left employment. Stutsman said that needs to change. Sullivan said Human Resources Administrator Lora Shramek told them they now have no choice but to do it that way. Lyness said employees are paid the salary they currently earn when they use vacation hours. Stutsman said another option is to pay out the vacation on a yearly basis. Neuzil said there is also an option of doing things differently with nonunion employees than with union employees. Although they prefer them to match, it is an option the Board could enact. Harney said he knows the City of Iowa City paid vacation out at the rate earned many years ago, and they also capped the amount that could be earned.
Sullivan said the most vacation that can be earned each year is five weeks. Lyness said they can be paid out for two years of vacation. Sullivan said that is ten weeks. Lyness said the employee previously mentioned also has sick leave. Sullivan said the amount of $27,000 would equate to $2,700 of vacation per week. Lyness said the number may be incorrect. Sullivan said it has to be way too high. Neuzil said the sick leave also has to be considered. Sullivan said the number still seems incredibly high, and the highest amount they have seen for long-time deputies is $7,000 to $8,000. Lyness said the number may be wrong. Neuzil asked Lyness to follow up on the issue with Claiborne. Neuzil told Claiborne the issue may be a suggestion for future study between budget cycles.
Lyness said if the employee uses some of his vacation, she would like to use some of the money she has set aside for the buyout to hire someone to assist with document scanning. A student worked in County Attorney’s Office scanning documents over the summer to obtain job experience and was paid through a Kirkwood Program. Lyness thinks it was a good experience for the student, and she did a great job. She scanned many documents, which provided some needed space in their storage room for files. As a result, they do not have as many files piled up in their offices.
Lyness said she is hoping to hire the student to do additional scanning, which will also provide more storage space. Although old criminal files are currently being scanned with technology money, they are only keeping up and not getting ahead at all. Lyness thinks they have scanned criminal files up to 1994. So many new files are received that one year of new files fills the space left by three years of scanned files. Neuzil said the Document Management Committee has tentatively requested additional funding for document management for the County Attorney’s Office. The money would be used to catch up on scanning of old documents. Stutsman said a lot of other departments are now caught up with scanning. Stutsman asked if there are any unfilled positions in the County Attorney’s Office. Lyness said no.
Lyness said the budget for Court Services has also remained flat, although they have moved some items around a bit. It is difficult to make many cuts to this budget because it is related to trials, which are difficult to predict. She said she previously stated incorrectly that part of the funding for the copy machine would come out of this budget, but it would actually come out of Budget 69. Lyness said she thinks $2,911 would need to be cut from this budget if a 2% cut is required. The County Attorney’s Office would try to decrease the number of depositions for which copies are received, although they would hate to do that because it could affect the trials for those cases.
Storage fees are also paid from this budget and would need to be cut if a 2% reduction is required. Items are kept in storage when they contain evidence or may be presented at trial. The County Attorney’s Office works with the Sheriff’s Office to use their facilities for storage, but there is not always enough space. In those instances, space is rented.
Lyness said the Courthouse Centenary Fund was reduced to zero at the beginning of FY10 to allow money for something else. Lyness said she has never used the fund. Stutsman said she would like the item to be eliminated because it is the type of fund that could potentially be used to hide budget items, although she is not saying that anyone would do so. Contributions for the Courthouse could be received another way.
Lyness said she is planning to use money from the Prosecutor Forfeiture Proceeds for part of the cost of purchasing a new copy machine. In the event of a 2% cut, they would not buy it. The fund is also used to purchase stationary forms, brochures for victims/ witnesses, and a variety of other things. The revenue is uncertain because it is difficult to predict items that will be forfeited. Lyness said the County Attorney’s Office receives only 5% of the value of forfeited items. A lot of the items come from drug cases, and several other agencies receive higher percentages. If 2% needs to be cut, they would not spend as much.
Neuzil asked Lyness if she would follow up on the vacation and sick leave issue and relay that information back to the Board. Lyness agreed. She said they may have been looking at the total hours of sick leave rather than converting it four to one. Lyness said it will be good for the budget if the employee uses his vacation, although the other attorneys will have to provide a significant amount of coverage. Sullivan said he thinks it is important for supervisors to remind employees to use their vacation. A break from work is good for mental health and is part of the reason people have vacation hours.
Recessed at 2:42 p.m.; Reconvened at 2:47 p.m.
Social Services Coordinator Amy Correia said there are different functional areas within the Department of Human Services (DHS), including DHS Administrative Funding provided by the County to support the Child Protection and Income Maintenance Units. The expenses are reported on the Local Administrative Expense Report and reimbursement at a rate of approximately 40% is received. Now that County Social Services and State Department of Human Services staff are physically separated, they are able to keep track of their expenses separately, and they do not have to do cost percentage estimates of support.
Correia said the budget lines have not changed a lot from FY10, although there is a reduction of approximately $2,000 that resulted from factoring in the actual costs of certain items such as minor office equipment, periodicals, and clerical costs. She thinks the County previously provided funding for temporary workers as needed, but they have not been used for a number of years. Stutsman asked if the County is reimbursed for the DHS Administrative lines. Correia said yes. The expenses are reported to the State quarterly, and they are reimbursed for approximately 40% of actual expenditures.
Sullivan said rent was not included in the FY10 budget. Correia agreed. Sullivan said the County did spend a little on rent. Correia said that was in FY09. They moved in January 2009, which was in the middle of FY09, so they did have rent in the FY09 budget. Sullivan said that’s right. They had rent through the end of FY09 in the budget but not for FY10.
Correia said Administrative Costs for County Social Services includes General Assistance, Community Partnership for Protecting Children, her position, and nine staff. The office supplies for Empowerment staff are paid through a different line item, however. Claiborne said there is a significant decrease in the amount of this budget. Correia agreed and said DHS expenses and line items were split with the County in FY10. The line items that were being used to track DHS expenses at Eastdale Plaza were taken over and have now been adjusted for various functional areas. That is part of the reason for the decrease.
Correia said she calls the next functional area Social Services Programs, and they include programs that are grant funded. Community Partnership to Protect Children is included in this area and is 100% reimbursed through grants. Three County supported programs are also included in this functional area. They are non-mandatory, discretionary programs.
Correia said one of the programs is the Child Protection Unit Support Fund, and there is process by which employees request approval from their supervisor for use of money from the fund and describe what the money will be used for. There is no other funding for the purposes the money is used for, which include supporting the unification of a child back to the home, prevention of placement outside the home, or support to a child when in foster care. There are two line items that reflect that funding. There is also a Focus on Youth Fund, which is a program that began last year. The program is supported by $75,000 from grant funding and $20,000 from the County. The County also has a Short-term Childcare Assistance Fund for children who are in school and are not covered through the Empowerment Program. Respite care is also provided for children of teenage parents through United Action for Youth. In addition, support is provided to an afterschool program that serves youth living in rural Johnson County.
The total funding for the programs is $313,000, and the County dollars amount to $63,565. Sullivan said he is confused, because he sees $79,000 listed for Empowerment under change for FY11. Correia said there is a large jump in estimated revenue for Focus on Youth. Sullivan said okay. Correia said she may have done that wrong. When she was budgeting for FY09 and FY10, they did not have an estimate of revenue for the Focus on Youth Fund. She amended $72,000 in grant revenues into FY10, and she estimated the grant revenue would stay the same for FY11. If the funding decreased, they would not operate the program at the same level. Neuzil said he is wondering about the impact of State budget cuts on the program. He asked if they would result in less revenue and less expense. Correia said yes and less service. Harney asked if the County pays $63,000 and receives $313,000. Correia said the total expenditures for this area of the budget are $313,000. The County funding for these programs will be $63,565 and the other expenditures are expected to be reimbursed through grant funds. Sullivan said the County will be sharing $200 more than in FY10. Correia said if grant funding is decreased, the level of service will also decrease, and there will not be an increase in County funding needed. Stutsman asked if there is any requirement that the County provide additional funding in that instance. Correia said no.
Correia said a few adjustments to the General Assistance Program have been recommended for FY11. The FY10 budget for this area was status quo with that from FY09, however, there are some proposed increases for FY11. One of the proposed increases is for total money budgeted for assistance with funeral services due to an increase in the number of requests for assistance with funeral/burial expenses in FY09. Correia said it is a trend experienced by counties and states throughout the Nation and has been attributed to the state of the economy. The same level of requests has been seen so far during FY09. As a result, she is proposing a $15,000 increase for FY11. Sullivan asked if $2,500 is the maximum amount of assistance available per individual. Correia said the maximum amount available through GA is $2,200 and if the expenses do not include burial costs, the maximum is $1,500.
Neuzil said the transition of assistance for peace-time veterans from General Assistance to Veterans Affairs (VA) was recently discussed. He asked if Correia is anticipating any potential cost savings for GA or if she thinks there will still be an increased need for emergency assistance. Correia said she asked GA Staff for an estimate of the number of peace-time veterans served by GA. She thinks she estimated that $15,000 may be shifted from GA to VA, but they have also seen an increased demand for GA assistance over the past year. They see a lot of people who are having a hard time finding employment. Sullivan said a $15,000 increase would still not cover the costs for FY09.
Stutsman said there is a need for consistency in the amount of funeral assistance provided. VA’s maximum for assistance for that purpose is $2,500 and GA’s maximum is $2,200. She thinks it is confusing for funeral homes and wonders if the amount of assistance provided through GA should be increased to match that available through VA. The funeral homes still absorb a lot of costs with assistance of $2,500. Stutsman said Correia has let people at the funeral homes know that the assistance is not to be used to subsidize money provided by the family. It should be the total cost because it is funding of last resort.
Correia asked if other Board members are interested in increasing available funeral assistance to $2,500. Neuzil asked if they want to start a precedent of matching VA assistance. He said they previously fought to match VA assistance with GA assistance. Stutsman said the income guidelines are higher for assistance from VA than from GA. She thinks the funeral homes are the ones absorbing the funeral costs. Neuzil asked if the Board wants to get in the habit of increasing the available amount of assistance by a certain percentage each year. Correia asked if he is referring to all types of assistance. Neuzil said he is referring to funeral costs. Stutsman said she would like to see consistency between VA and GA for the sake of simplicity. She is unsure about whether they should have a set increase each year, but she does think there will be an increase in requests for this type of assistance. She said funeral homes may keep their costs down if they understand that the County will not continually increase the amount of assistance provided.
Neuzil said he is concerned about the budgeted amount of $40,000 to cover assistance with funeral expenses. Correia asked if he thinks the amount should be higher. Neuzil said the budgeted amount may need to be higher. Correia said she will have a better estimate by the end of December. Neuzil said an accurate projection may be tricky due to the shift in assistance for peace-time veterans to VA.
Neuzil asked if the Board is interested in increasing the maximum amount of assistance for funeral expenses from $2,200 to $2,500. He said the total budgeted amount for assistance with those expenses will need to be decided by Correia after she reconsiders the number. Stutsman asked if the Board can restrict County assistance to cremation only. Harney said they previously discussed the issue with Veteran Affairs Director Leo Baier, and he told them it would be difficult. Sullivan said there are religious objections in some cases. Neuzil said the Board could choose to cap the amount of available assistance at $1,700. Correia said $1,500 of the maximum $2,200 in assistance that is currently available includes cremation and other costs from the funeral home. She said there may also be cemetery expenses whether or not a cremation takes place. Correia said they are reviewing the current Johnson County policy and looking at the policies of other counties. She said there are religious considerations, however. Stutsman said personal beliefs are also a consideration. Harney said it was previously argued that expenses are built into the cost of cremation.
Neuzil said Correia can collaborate with Claiborne, and he will keep the Board informed. Correia asked if the Board would like any information from her to aid in their decision regarding the maximum assistance allowable for funeral expenses. Harney said he would like information regarding the number of funerals paid for by GA and VA each year. Correia said she can look at the number of funerals for which $1,500 in assistance has been provided and the number for which $2,200 has been provided. She said some veterans may receive $300 to $600 in burial expenses, but she is not sure how many times that keeps the amount of assistance below $2,500. Sullivan said peace-time veterans receive a marker.
Correia said free tax preparation services are also included in this area of the budget, and the County’s costs for the program include postage and the time she spends coordinating it. Private community donations and grant funding cover the other costs of the program.
Correia said the remaining line items are for services provided to three individuals who were previously eligible for services from MH/DS. She said some of the assistance provided includes job coaching, day habilitation, and payee services. Neuzil said these individuals were grandfathered in, and individuals will not be added to the list.
Neuzil said it looks like there is minimal change to the budget overall, although he knows a few adjustments are being made due to transfers. He asked if the overall difference is about $4,500. Correia agreed and said it evens out with a $5,000 increase in revenue. Neuzil said the numbers will change slightly if the budgeted amount for funeral assistance changes.
Neuzil asked Correia to discuss revenues. Correia said there are adjustments within Empowerment, including a zeroing out of the volunteer contract. The volunteer contract was with the State, and she learned that those dollars can only be used for DHS volunteers within the DHS Office. There is an estimated increase in revenue from the Focus on Youth Program. Correia said a revenue line item was added, and there is a corresponding expense item in the Social Service Program Area for Youth Programming. Private donations are coming in through work with Community Partnership for Protecting Children. Approximately $2,000 is also coming from Burns Housing to support programming at Savannah Village in North Liberty. Fundraising has raised some additional funds. The Interim Assistance Reimbursement Program began a year ago, and some reimbursement has been received. Correia clarified that she is not requesting money for new technology and apologized for the mistake on the proposed budget.
Correia said she tried to accurately budget for Juvenile Justice by looking at actual expenditures and costs. The detention line involves costs paid by the County for detention at the Juvenile Detention Center in Linn County. The contract for FY10 is for four beds per day, which totals approximately $385,000. Correia said she recommends budgeting $541,000 because if they go over the number of contracted beds, the County will be billed for the average number of beds used per day for the quarter. She thinks the County has gone over the number of contracted beds in the first quarter of FY10, but she will not receive the actual numbers until October 29, 2009.
Correia said she has proposed reducing the shelter overage item to be more in line with actual usage for FY09. Although she has heard that the trend for shelter use is going down, she thinks the budgeted amount should remain somewhat higher than the cost for actual use in FY09.
Correia said there is a line item for jail non-reimbursed juvenile court, although she is not sure what it would be used for and there was nothing expended from it in FY09. Sullivan asked if it would apply to a juvenile who is held as an adult. Correia said no because the adult system would pay for those costs.
Correia said the line for attorney fees was reduced. Although it was quite high one year due to having to pay two years’ bills that year, it has now been reduced to the amount the County is billed for one year. She said she has proposed an increase in the Detention Alternative Program. The cost of the program is $75 per day per individual versus $236 per day for detention. The current contract allows for only 6 individuals per day, and there have been times when individuals, who were appropriate for the program, remained at the Juvenile Detention Center because there were no slots available. Correia said if they increase the number of slots in the program, it will decrease the amount spent on detention. Neuzil said it sounds like a good investment.
Claiborne said Department 27 is in the General Supplemental Fund, and there is no cap on it. There is a cap for General Basic, however. It was previously worked out to receive a reimbursement from MECCA to General Basic. Claiborne said General Basic could probably be reimbursed for time Correia spends working with Juvenile Justice. The amount reimbursed may be so small that it is not worth the time, however. Neuzil asked what fund the money would come out of. Claiborne said Correia is paid out of General Basic. Neuzil asked what fund this portion of her salary would come out of. Claiborne said General Supplemental. He could add it to the transfer he does every year. Neuzil said it is something they focused on more a few years ago, but it should be on the list of potential decisions the Board can make to free up room in General Basic.
Correia asked what type of documentation would be required to justify her time. Neuzil said she would have to track her hours. Sullivan said they could try to determine whether it would be worth the time involved. Stutsman said she can’t imagine that it would be. Sullivan said it seems like a small amount. Neuzil agreed but said there is potential for other departments to do the same. An example is poll workers, who are paid out of General Basic, although they are doing work for Elections. Claiborne asked if the Board would like the item added to their tally sheet. Neuzil said he would add it as something Claiborne is seeking direction on. Stutsman asked if Correia would need to keep track of her time. Correia asked what type of documentation would be needed. Stutsman said it would be fine if only a ballpark figure is necessary. Sullivan said County Auditor Tom Slockett would need to be asked about required documentation. Stutsman said she would like that information.
Claiborne said Juvenile Crime Prevention should be covered with block grants. Neuzil asked the Board if it seems reasonable to delay the discussion. Stutsman said yes.
Neuzil said they will discuss the FY 2011 County Budget. Claiborne said he updated the tally sheet. There is a question of whether the Board will agree to increase gasoline for SEATs by $4,000. The Board did decide on October 26, 2009, to zero the $2,000 decrease in utility expenses for VA, so they will stay at approximately $5,000. Claiborne said Planning and Zoning Administrator Rick Dvorak did resubmit his line items, and the update was emailed to Board members. The Board did approve two field laptops at $3,000 on October 26, 2009.
Sullivan said it would be nice to have a stated amount from Schultz for the cost of a desktop and the cost of a laptop to ensure that everyone requests roughly the same amount of money for them. Claiborne said he thought it was commonly known that a desktop costs $1,400 and a laptop costs $1,700. Neuzil said the amount has been reduced. He said the Board told Schultz that the requests will need to fit within the amount that has been budgeted for in the past. Sullivan said he would like to know the actual costs. Stutsman said she thought people go through Schultz to obtain the cost. Claiborne said they do. Sullivan asked why the estimates are so different. Johnson asked if it is due to the ProLaw software used by the County Attorney’s Office. Sullivan said the software costs $350. Stutsman said they may need to check with Schultz. Sullivan agreed and said he would like to see more consistency.
Neuzil said a couple of items were added to the tally list during this meeting. Lyness requested a Court Expediter/Collections Position. Conservation requested an additional half-time office position in exchange for decreased expenses. Claiborne said the Board also asked him to check on the reason for new computers for MH/DS. Harney said they also need to know whether the computers would be desktops or laptops since laptops could be utilized in other locations. Claiborne said Conservation is also asking for two laptops. An accurate number for vacation buyout for the employee in the County Attorney’s Office is also needed. The potential increase in the total budgeted amount for assistance with funeral expenses and the potential increase in the maximum amount of funeral assistance available are also on the list. Claiborne said the list also includes taking out the capital/technology items of the computers and reimbursing General Basic for Correia’s time with Juvenile Justice. He said he will get a price sheet for PCs from Schultz.
Claiborne said the next Budget Meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 2, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. The agenda includes discussion of budgets for the Treasure’s Office, the Recorder’s Office, and Public Health. Sullivan asked if the calendar for budget meetings is available online. Claiborne said it should be. Executive Assistant Andy Johnson said he thinks it is now. Neuzil asked Claiborne to double check because some meeting dates have been changed.
Adjourned at 3:43 p.m.
By Nancy Tomkovicz, Recording Secretary