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s Association of Counties ~ W on, D.CVol. 29, No. 19 ~ October 13, 1997

idge By Haron N. Battlea associate legislative director770) 4

31 1 Two county pnorrty programs,unity Development Block(CDBG) and the HOME pro-

are slated for increased federalin FY98 as congressional ap-

.ele begin filling in the num-ijttips for next year's federal budget.

ln a clear victory for NACo, theand Urban Development

) conference report, adopted lastincreases the HOME program

$ 100 million to $ 1.5 billion.Therebroad congressional recognition of

lyHOME program as a model fed-

TORL.:f

eral-local partnership.The conference report also pro-

vides $ 8.1 billion to renew expiring orterminated Sec. 8 project-based andtenant-based subsidy contracts. Intensenegotiations between House and Sen-ate conferees and the Administrationresulted in a reform plan to restructuremortgagesonprivately-owned, multi-family rental properties that receiveexcessive Sec. 8 subsidies.

The reform plan contains two ma-jorprovisions that NACo actively sup-ported. The firstgives priority to localand state housing finance agencies toserve as the "participating administra-tive entity" to restructure mortgagesand lower rents to what is charged for

comparable units in the market area.The second NACo-endorsed pro-

vision allows participating adminis-trative entities to assess whether thesubsidy should be project-based ortenant-based assistance.

On the CDBG side of the ledger,funding would grow in FY98 to nearly$4.7billion,a$75millionincrease. How-ever, budget negotiators also increased,by $210 million, the amount of specialpurpose grants funded out ofCDBG—up from approximately $290 millioninFY97, to nearly $500 million in FY98.This means that formula allocations tostates, counties and cities willdrop by$ 135millionbecausemoreCDBG fundsare set aside for special purpose grants.

This cut willcome on top of cuts,ranging between 7—12 percent, thaturban counties already have experi-enced since FY95 as a result of addi-tional set-asides and growth in thenumber of entitlement jurisdictions.

In FY98 the biggest growth inCDBG set-asides is in the EconomicDevelopmentInitiative(EDI) that wasnot funded in FY97, but gets $ 138million in FY98. The conference re-port earmarks EDI grants for specificcommunity and economic develop-ment projects around the country.

Furthe- details on the multifamilyhousing restructuring plan and otherHUDappropriations issues willbe pro-vided in the next issue ofCounty News.

ref

. 'Itilacielithia attracts tourists with ahancioned imprisonesetti'ng proves perfect venue forHallozoeen tales

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By Mary Ann Bartonsenior staff writer

Mostpeoplethinkof Halloween asfor the young at heart —carving

o'lanterns, scurrying about as

andgoblins and shouting "TrickIrcat!?"

But did you know that Halloween

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frankly, scaring people—is a big business in somecounties?

Anabandoned state peni-tentiary that the City andCounty ofPhiladelphia pur-chased more than 15 yearsago expects to attract 25,000visitors this year, some ofwhom will pay $ 15 duringthe Halloween season to takea night-time tour of the fa-cility.

The Eastern State Peni-tentiary Historic Site expectsto make about $32,000 —a

fifthof its annual budget—during its special tours thismonth.

For Halloween, CharlesAdams III,a newspaper col-umnist whopublishesbooksabout ghost stories, willgivegroups of 25 a tour of theprison. Aided by speciallighting and sound effects year oldand hired actors, the 40-minute tours promise to bequite eerie, according to Sean Kelly,program director, the historic site'ssole employee.

Marketing a scary spaceCurrently, the site is run by the

PennsylvaniaPrison Society,thesame

Photo courtesy of Eastern State Penitentiary Committee1vania Prison Society volunteer prepares for a Halloween tour at the 168-former Eastern State Penitentiary, owned by the City arid County of

phia. Ten thousand visitors are expected for its popular Halloween tours.

non-profit social services group thatoversaw its construction more than150years ago. The site willbecome itsown non-profit 501(c)3 next year.

The historic site advertises andmarkets itselfin several ways. Ithas itsown Web site <www.libertynet.org/

-e-state/>, which is maintained at acost ofabout $ 100 a year.

For special events, such as the Hal-loween tours, the historic prison hasplaced ads in surrounding county news-

See TOURISTS, page 9

", OME,|:DBGI'unc ings atec I'orincreasesinFY98espitegood news,horizon clouded by cutsincounty CDBG allocations

Rohctt

Interior

appropriations

moves forwardBy Jeff Arnold

associate legislative director

The Payments in Lieu ofTaxesProgram (PILT), critical to manypublic lands counties, is due for aboost in funding in FY98 ifCon-gress and the president accept adeal reconciling differences overHouse and Senate versions ofFY98 Interior Department appro-priations.

The agreement would increasePILT funding by $ 6.5 million, fora total funding level of $ 120 mil-lion.

Hiking PILT funding has beenone of NACo's key legislativepriorities for a number of years.In 1994, counties were successfulin getting a new authorization billthat would provide for a doublingof the acceptable funding levelsfor the program. Since then, only$ 12 million has been added inappropriations to the programdespite a far higher authorizationlevel.

The conference report, which in-

See APPROPRIATIONS, page 5

NA(o delegation

visits (hinaNACo President Randy Johnson

and 11 county, NACo and businessofficials kicked off a 10-day "Lo-cal Government Global Exchange"mission in the People's Republicof China on Oct. 8.

Joining Johnson on the ex-change mission are NACo Presi-dent-elect Betty Lou Ward; NACoFirst Vice President C. VernonGray; Hennepin County (Minn.)Commissioner Mark Andrew;Jefferson County (Ky.) ClerkRebecca Jackson; Palm BeachCounty (Fla.) Commissioner CarolRoberts; Jacksonville-DuvalCounty (Flag Council Member

See DELEGATION, page 6

» 2,, „county ]dews, octqbef tg

ship. The partnership will b»

fied by the governor each y»»t

types of activities. The first involves

training and employment services

for economically disadvantagedadults. The second offers services to

dislocated workers. The third focuses

on youth.Each section gives states the flexibil-

ity to fund localities under the current

formula or the one agreed to by the state

and local coalition. The latter requires

that 70 percent of funds for substate

progamsbedistributed throughthecur-

rentformula. Theremaining30percent

may be allocated based upon a formula

agreed to through the statewide part-

nership, or what has commonly been

called the collaborative process.

When funding foryouth programs

exceeds $ 1 billion, the Department ofLabor willbe able to implement Youth

Opportunity Grants. These are com-

petitive grants designed to provide

intensive services to youth residing in

high poverty areas.

partnership that would have authority

foryouth program planning and imple-

mentation.As with current law, states must

establish a network of local delivery

areas and pass through funds from the

state to the localities. However, this

bill does not require that states auto-

matically designate current service

delivery areas as workforce delivery

areas. Itgives states greater flexibilitywhen establishing workforce invest-

ment paitnerships by allowing for in-

creased regionalization ofboards, and

allows states some flexibility when

allocating funds to local areas.

Ironically,formany ofthe senators

involved in drafting this bill, it does

"represent true reform." Chairman Jim

Jeffords (R-Vt.)underscored this view

as did his colleague, the ranking mi-

nority member, Sen. Edward M.

Kennedy (D-Mass.). Both men'

views wereechoedbythechairof the

Subcommittee on Employment, Sen.

Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), and the

ranking minority member, Sen. Paul

Wellstone (D-Minn.).

and localities would be mandated to

make this part of their local plan.~ Greater flexibility to develop

varied program models would be per-

mitted, although a locally planned and

implemented workforce development

system would still be required.

By.Neil Bomberg

associate legislative director Local planWorkingwiththechieflom

official, the partnership shall

and submit the local plair,@

certify and designate one-»mt

ners and program operators;

oversight; and maintain the Iiv»

gible service providers.

The local workforce devel

plan must include:~ identification of the li

'mploymentneeds of the am»

~ an itemization ofthe tylxi,

skills individuals willneed tot

jobs;~ a description of how eiitk

and job seekers willbe tinkel;

On Sept. 24, the Senate Committee

on Labor and Human Resources unani-

mously reported out S.1186, the

"WorkforcePartnership Actof 1997."

The bill, which includes three titles,

one of which is devoted to workforce

development activities, is designed to

reform job training, vocational educa-

tion and adult education programs.

Billwould modifycurrent law

As with the current Job Training

Partnership Act, this billwould grant

local elected officials and workforce

investment partnerships sole author-

ity for implementing local programs.

However, unlike JTPA, the plans that

locals develop must be consistent with

those developed by its state through a

"collaborative process." That process

is designed to include the broad range

of government and private sector or-

ganizations involved in workforce

development in the state's planning

and implementation process.

As with current JTPA law, the

workforce investment partnership

would be responsible for drafting the

local plan in collaboration with the

chief local elected official. However,

unlike JTPA, this bill would require

that workforce investmentpartnerships

appoint a youth workforce investment

Not a reform billWhile this is not a reform bill

from NACo's perspective, it does

seek to codify some of the program-

matic improvements that the jobtraining system has incorporated in

the last several years.~ The bill would require that lo-

cal private industry councils, which

are referred to as workforce invest-

ment partnerships, maintain day-to-

day oversight over their programs,

but would prohibit them from pro-

viding direct service unless granted a

waiver by the governor.~ Current efforts to develop and

implement state and local one-stop

systems would be required, and states

~ identification and asse»m»

the types and availability ofailti

dislocated worker employm»t

training activities in the area;

~ identification of succe»ttt

viders of youth activities miiv

area;~ methods for assuring

tion and avoiding duplicatiom

~ strategies for coordit

workforce and economicdevel

activities;~ ways of assisting the g»%

develop statewide labor marks

mation systems; and

Statewide partnershipsThe bill requires all states to set

up statewide partnerships. The part-

nerships are given the authority to

develop the state workforce devel-

opment plan. Made up of a majority

of representatives from the business

community, the partnerships are also

supposed to have representatives

from state agencies, labor organiza-

tions, local governments and state

legislatures.

NACo finds the billgenerally acceptable

Whether this bill does represent

true reform or not, it is generally en-

dorsed by NACo. WhileNACo' prin-

ciple goal —the consolidation of the

broad range of workforce develop-

ment programs into a single block

grant —is not addressed in this bill,

much that the organization asked for

through a state and local coalition

formed earlier this year is included.

IAiwkibli i I1 l'Migi1 c4$ liwil8

Dear Fellow County Officials,Radon is a natural, radioactive gas that evan cause lung ca»reer. It.

's invisible, odorless and tasteless. According to the US, EPA, itis th'

leading cause oflung eaaeer amang nonsmokers in the United States.,

Yearly, between /,000 arid 30,000 deaths'ean be attributed to radon-

induced lurig caricer. Everyone is susceptible to the effects of radon,

Therefore, it is extremely appropriate to focus attentioti on radori in"

our homes, schools aiid workplaces. Elevated levels of radonhave'een

found ln every, state, in maiiy counties and in one out of„l5

homes nationally,Information is one of the most powerful of all toots. Among the

many activities oc'curriug during "National Radon "Actloii'Week"

(Oct. 19-26), Iparticula'rly encourage t'esting for radon. We needto'now

where it is and where it is not; .;~i

Since radon cannot be detected hy o'ur serises, "oolyby testing can,

we move from the worldofstatisticalestimates to the reaIm'of certain

'nowledge. %e need to lmow'the extent'of the p'rob1em"'arid:the,

: distribution of the threat.... As the Iiroblem Is further'efined, as excessive levels ofi'adoriare

found, then there are suc'cessful aii'»I economical solutiotis to reduce

it. However, befor'e people fix,they n'eed to test.'Before they ivlfltest,.

they need to know. Therefore, a successful role 'counties can play is;

to actively promote radon awareness and testing duriiig "National

Radon Action %eek".I strongly encourage my fellow'ounty colleagues and,tlieir..

couiities to actively participate in.".National Radon Action %eek.".,

Very TrulyYours,

; W~3~-,.—,-"'andy JohnsonNACo President".,

~ procedures forappointiip i

youth partnerslup, a subcotmm

the partnership.

Statewide plansStates have been granted the flex-

ibilityto submitsinglestatewideplans

to deal with vocational and adult edu-

cation and job training. The statewide

partnership willplay an important role

in the process. Itwillset up the state'

performance measures, outline the

needs of the state with respect to

workforce development, identify lo-

cal areas and the process used to estab-

lish those local areas.

Like the House bill, single units ofgeneral purpose government of500,000 or more people could be auto-

matically designated as workforce

development areas, and single units ofgeneral purpose government that are

currently service delivery areas could

request designation as workforce de-

velopment areas

Local and state flexibili

The billgrants states andi

substantial flexibilityto conIlr

grams in whatever way seei»5»

the most sense. Although itIcBillprotects local programsThis bill is important for the sur-

vival of a locally based, locally deliv-

ered workforce development system.

Like its House counterpart, the bill

requires that states establish local de-

livery systems that have the authority

to develop and implement local

workforce development systems.

Before receiving funds, states

would have to demonstrate that local

workforce development areas have

been established through a collabora-

tivee

process involving representatives

from state government, the private

sector, organized labor and local gov-

ernment, and that a system for fund-

ing these programs has been put in

place. Only smaller states like Dela-

ware and Vermont would be exempt

from the local delivery requirements.

scribe that there be perform»0

sures at the state and local l»i»

does provide guidance with

the types ofclients who shoUIA

and the types of services tlli

offered, the bd1 grants state» sl

ties a substantial amount of

operate programs as they s»» tt

A less than perfect bill

that ments supportThis is not a perfect bilLAi

at the outset, it does not i>d

broad consolidation that ivies

And many local serviceddi'as

are concerned that th»J

kinds ofprotections that th»t

remam intactHowever, this bill alia

many local goals. It ens»itc»

tinuation of a local deliv»»t

that is overseen by local d

cials; it requires that local»

delivery plan that, while b

the state's plan, reflectsih'eeds

ofthe local workfoi»x

ment area, and itensuresttm'unds

flow to local area» m

'roadrange ofadult, disloc

and youth services.

Local par tnershipsEach local workforce area must

have a workforce investment part-

nership. According to the bill, the

primary role of the partnership shall

be to set policy for the statewide

workforce investment system oper-

ating within its area and forensuring

that the appropriate activities are car-

ried out on a day-to-day basis. Based

upon criteria established by the gov-

ernor ofa state, the chief local elected

official for the workforce develop-

ment area shall appoint the partner-

Overview of the bill's titlesThebill includes threetitles. Title

I deals with vocational, technologi-

cal and tech-prep education. Title IIdeals with adult education and lit-

eracy. TitleIIIamends the Job Train-

ing Partnership Act and deals spe-

cifically with workforce investment

and related'activities.Title III would allow for three

County News invites Letters to the EditorIfyou have a compliment, complaint or different point of view, let

us know. Please include a phone number withyour letter. Mail,fax

or e-mail to: County News, NACo, 440 First St., N W., Washington,

DC 20001-2080; 202t393-2630; cnews@naco.org.

Senate committee ac opts wor c 'orce c eve opment egis atiji

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ter'Ne'vvs, Octobe'r 19,'997 ..

~ any J ns. 'e rsIndicators: "Where

performance is measured,

performance improves"

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Marathon running de-mands rugged physical condi-

tioning and careful inental cal-

culation. To will,runners must

gauge their speed against thecourse, constantly adjustingfor twists, turns, detours andterrain of varying difficulty.With such challenges, itwouldbe all too easy for runners todrift off course and expendresources on paths that do notadvance them toward theirgoal. Fortunately, that rarelyhappens because marathonrunners have several bench- R d J hmarks —or NM ATORS NAC palong the way that enable themto evaluate the progress they are making toward their goal.

Often taking the form of distance markers, course guide-lines or even refreshment stands, these benchmarks helpanswer two extremely important questions: Am I followingthe proper course? At my current rate of progress, do Ipossess the necessary resources to reach my destination?

Likemarathon runners, county officialscontinually struggleto allocate their limited resources efficiently in order to reachtheir goals. More than ever, they must examine their efforts toassure they are making progress toward their objectives. An.era marked by increased responsibilities due to devolutionand demand for greater efficiency and accountability leaveslittle tolerance for waste.

'uchlike a marathoner, communities can benefit greatlyfrom establishing indicators to mark their course. As authorHyrum Smith says, "Where performance is measured, perfor-mance improves,"

A vast array of indicators are available to measure perfor-mance and progress in various areas. Some indicators are very.basic and familiar: in education, we measure graduation ratesand test scores; for the environment, we measure air qualityand water purity levels; for the economy, we measure realivages and unemployment rates; and forsociety in general, wemeasure crime rates and teen birthrates. There are thousandsof other possible indicators, but only some are applicable toeach community's development needs. Local officials mustwork with business, environmental and community leaders todefine a vision for their future and choose the indicators thativill help them evaluate their progress toward fulfillingthatvis loll.

>ACo supports these efforts by helping local officials de-velop appropriate indicators, which wiH help them measuretheir progress in building sustainable communities. Workingwith city and county leaders nationwide, the Joint Center forgustainabte Communities is amassing a library of indicator-based development programs throughout the country. This«fort will provide local officials with a readily availablesource of information on appropriate indicators. And earlynext year, the Joint Center plans to sponsor a conference oregianal workshops on developing appropriate indicators.

Although building sustainable communities is not an exact"'ence, we cannot afford to engage in redundant trial anderror Specific indicators that are developed through commu-td y discussions are one means of assuring progress towarduHilling the vision of sustainable communities.

Tioga County, in northernPennsylvania's Allegheny Plateau, is

known for its fishing, canoeing and

hiking. This rural county of farms and

forests that calls itself the home of"Pennsylvania' Grand Canyon" is fast

developing another tourist attraction—the human services agency.

In the past nine months representa-

tives from 10 of the state's 67 counties

have visited the agency and another 34

county officials in the state have called.

Everyone is interested in TiogaCounty's 'Tyecategorized Human Ser-

vices Delivery Program," which was

recently recognized nationally by the

Ford Foundation and Harvard Uni-versity as a finalist in the "1997 In-novations in American GovernmentAwards"competition. Thisnationalrec-

oyution has already brougoht national

visitors and willlikely bring more.

Tioga County officials are happywith thedecategorizedprogram, whichhas reduced paperwork, closed ser-

vice gaps, improved internal commu-nication and created a holistic approachthat focuses on the family. The pro-gram saved the county $ 872,000 this

year, contributing to a total savings ofabout $8 million since the programbegan 12 years ago, according to John

Kravas, Tioga County human services

administrator.Kravas said he expects the

decategorized program to work very

p(o

Photo by Kevin Wilcox

John Kravas, Tioga County human services administrator, and LindaStager, director of family services, review a few details before presentingtheir program to the judges ofthe '%movations in American Government"competition, Oct. 8, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

well with welfare reform and alsoPennsylvania's proposed managedcare system. "Our experience withwelfare reform is minimal, but webelieve the delivery system can handle

it well. We'e concerned about our 8clients, though," he said.

Kravas said he and his staff are gSee TIOGA COUNTY, page 4

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The Insurance Center g>ves yau the nght

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By Kevin Wilcoxsenior staff writer

I,county Itawa, QctoPVr..l.3, rday~ e

~ - in Service

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Linda Sims

„, County Commissioner,ingham County, Mich.Chair of the Labor8 Employee 8enefits

,'„-Committee+ NACo.

Jobr Ihave a consulting busiaess focusing on customer service;management training aiid grant

writing.'ducirtion:

I have three-aad-'a-half years of college at Michicgari State iri.political science aad specialized,

training.'"'"-'e~ars

as a NACo membeilworking at NACo+: Itve been associ-",'-

ated withNACo for7 years oI'.ve been on the board ofdirectors for

Years involved with NACo Seven years Icounty coramlssioaer.

The hardest thing I'e ever. done: TI think oa~eof the hardest-things I',ve had to do is cut prograia'services because of tlie couatyenot receiving money from the state aad national go'ver'nment It'

'ifficult",especially when you kiiow' program is working.'One ofthe areas where this has liappeaed ls employment training..„, @

'Three

people, (living"or, dead) Itd-invite ttp diiiner: Mygrand-'other

Ola Wallert Dr. Maitin Luther King,"Jr." aiid Barbaia .

Jordan (Iserved on a panel with her 'once). They all gave a part ofthemselves to our communities.'"" '"e -'

dream Ihave is to: See less violence in our communities aadmore growth aad development among the people...

You 'd be surpr'ised to learn that I: Most people are surprised tofind out that'I'm a grandmother arid I'm proud of that.:,"

'

. The most adventurous'hing I.'ve. eyer,'done is:, To serve as aa'pappointee of a governor as legislatlv'e director for health care for.pthe Michigan depaitmeat ofpublic health aad to serve'the public"..

Myfavorite sportis: Football.'

I'minost proud of: My family, my kids, my soa aad daughte'r"rand grandson. 'Also, in.,the.'last four years I"suffered a severe

'sthma

attackaadI'mproudofhowI!vebeeiiabletocoatiauously",,'vercoiae

the obstacle of being'sthmatic. 'eEvery morning Iread: The Bible aad then the newspaper.

Myfavorite cuisine is: Shrimp stir fry.

My motto is: Do unto others as you would have theia do untoyou.

r

The last bookI read was: How To Be Up on Down Days, by Nell:4V.

Mohaey.'y

favorite movie is: "The Color Purple."

Myfavorite music is: I likejazz aadgospeL'his

is the frrst "Profiles in Seruvice," a new column that willfeatuie NACo member leaders and NACo employees. @

By Jeff Arnoldassociate legislative director

Capping off nearly three years ofwork withNACo and many other inter-

est groups, Sen. Dirk Kempthorne (R-Idaho) has introduced legislation to im-

prove and update the Endangered Spe-

cies Act (ESA). His bill,H.R. 1180, the

Endangered Species Recovery Act of1997, is a bipartisan effort to address the

reauthorization of the ESA.The measure focuses on preserv-

ing species and protecting commu-nities, a dual emphasis now missingin current law. Senators John Chafee(R-R.I.), Max Baucus (D-Mont.)and

Harry Reid (D-Nev.) cosponsoredthe legislation. "We are completelychanging the dynamics of the ESA,by making itwork better and smarterso that we recover species withoutputting entire communities at risk,"Kempthorne said.

Early in the development process,NACo provided a legislative blue-print to Kempthorne that outlinedthe needs of local government and

the communities it represents. Manyof the concepts have been includedin H.R.1180. Kempthorne said,>"We'e been innovative, used in-centives and formed partnerships to

enhancerecoveryofendangeredspe-cies Americans want to protect theirenvironment —we'e all for the en-

vironment. But we'e going to turnadversaries into advocates and enlistmore Americans in the effort to save

declining species."Hearings and a brief markup were

held in late September, and the billmay be considered in the Senate inthe next few weeks. The chance ofpassage is good.

In an important development, the

Administration has endorsed the leg-islation. The director of the U.S. Fishand WildlifeService, Jamie RappaportClark, made the announcement afterthe Senate Environment and PublicWorks Committee adopted a series ofminor amendments requested by the

Administration.The environmental community

has endorsed a much different pro-posal introduced by Rep. GeorgeMiller (D-Calif.) that would buildupon the existing ESA and attempt tostrengthen protections for threatenedand endangered species.

The Republican leadership of the,House Committee on Resources is

unlikely to consider Miller*-s ap-

proach. They have introduced legis-lation that would reduce the burdensof the existing ESA on land ownersand industry. Prospects for passageof the Republican alternative in theHouse are uncertain.

NACo willcontinue to work withKempthorne and his colleagues as

the bill is considered in the Senate.

APPROPRMTIONS i...,...eludes the $6.5 millionupgrade, muststill pass both houses ofCongress and

the jegisladon must be signed by the

president, but there is no indicationthat PILT willbe a sticking point.

In other action, supporters ofpub-lic lands counties successfully beat

back an effort to eliminate the pur-chaser road credit program and reducethe timber roads budget by $ 10 mil-lion. By a vote of 51-49, The Senate

narrowly defeated an amendment—sponsored by Senator Richard Bryan(D-Nev.) —to eliminate the programand reduce timber road funding.

TheHousepreviouslyreducedthe~timber roads budget by $ 5 million

and limited the purchaser road credit~

to $25 million. The differences be-

tween the House and Senate willbereconciled in the conference com-mittee.

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prddic In@elate Ire rplii rl lte nanprae naatne eehrtmlqpee of Ntc INca andafrllShia~ Io a oaf ao UI5lk6N5hrrhuprddychhehrdyat oeltrrddha oldie pteetef hlphiy ay Ite ahlerel hrrlilea al G haneertw /In@a'ng rhtept ee eae e le red tothraoph ptra ronde renheta ro tee nee ahae pn, phew red I au pir-atd or eetde

endangerec species elis ation

;County Net„October 73, I

NA(o joins withnational prajna

to streamline building regs

nty Nt

t

g LEAVING DEADL'INES FOR TAA'LINES.

Nahonal rsssrcahon of CNnhesI~V~~~= For more than 20 years, PEBSCO has been dedicated toar'0

co unt es ca e lo n er ca providing payroll-deducted benefits to public-sector employees.

We'e helping nearly a million employees find solutions to their retirement needs.

In developing solutions, we'e learned that it is difficult to find and keep good

employees. That's why PEBSCO has developed a defined contribution plan that

benefits both the employee and the employer. Current, tax-deferred investment

choices and attractive benefits cover the spectrum of needs from employee to

employer. PEBSCO is the only source you'l need to administer all the financial

services that can help improve your employees'inancial

futures. For more information, call 1-800-372-0764.

Works for Public Employees

Securities are uttered through Nationshdde investment Services Corporation, Member NASD.

By Haron Battleassociate legislative director

Pg r elfareHUDS

y laun

NACo is lending its sup-

port and leadership to a

five-year effort that willestablish national modelsfor eliminating regula-tory delays, overlap and

duplication in buildingand construction regula-tion. Dubbed "Streamline theNation's Building RegulatoryProcess," the project's objectiveis to enhance economic develop-ment, public safety and environ-mental quality by bringing bettermanagement and practices to the

regulation of the siting, designand construction of all types ofbuildings throughout the UnitedStates. NACo is joining with 54

other national public and privatesector organizations and federalagencies in sponsoring the initia-tive.

The National Conference ofStates on Building Codes and

Standards, Inc. (NCSBCS) initi-ated the project in 1996. In Janu-

ary, the streamlining project is-

sued a national call for the publicand private sector to submit case

career,"The Wc

tool in'Hu

inof the

id CourwsQ

Thecoulhase.

with more

pants) throi,with 42 pelaccess the

tive was described in

President's biannual Office

Science and Technologyto Congress, "Science and T

nology —Shaping the T

First Century."In September, the project

gan screening case studies

turning them into model prand procedures. The project

will begin identifying and

oping streamlined models in

areas of regulatory overlap

duplication that have not yet

successfully addressed.This will be the longest

most difficult task of this

year project. To assist in this

cific task, a series of annual

tional workshops on regal

streamlining is being consi

The first of those sessions

be held in the spring of 1998.

Ifyour county is interesteil

submitting a case study or

additional information on

streamlining project, con

Haron Battle at NACo at:

942-4204; or e-mailhbattleetnaco.org. You also

encouraged to visit the NC

Web site at: <www.NCS

Most "n~Matrix l

ofa list

ties

(tlat

puters hootsupport mu1

locations) 'l

6. Midd7. Travi8. San F

9. Henn10. FulttFor moi

mids.org/pt

i- studies of existing streamlinedprocesses and procedures that re-

duce regulatory overlap. To date

75 such case studies have been

recei ved.NACo is seeking additional ex-

amples of county initiatives foruse in this project.

During its first year this projectreceived national attention fromboth Congress and the WhiteHouse. President BillClinton and

Vice President Al Gore have re-

ferred to the project in severalnational forums, and the initia-

Hallowega clif

Lookingto your

unityabout its

mttrs. You:

,<ltttp://w

istate/>, whtbnut Halliloned stateether haunt

Or ifyou

tttmmunity'rg>.

Terry Wood, and NACo ExecutiveDirector Larry Naake.

Also part of the trip are J. Rob-

ert Stassen, Minneapolis/St. PaulMetropolitan Airports Commissionrepresentative; Irving Stern, SternInternational president; JudyLarson, Johnson chief of staff, and

Kaye Braaten, NACo County Ser-

vices representative.Visiting at the request of the

Chinese government, Johnson'sdelegation will meet with local

government leaders to discuss such

issues as city/county planning, en-

vironmental protection, human re-

source development and business

opportunities. The deleg

scheduled to meet in BeijingChina's top legislative lead

eluding meetings withand international trade m

the state economic corn missiott

Beijing metro area officials

The delegation also will'uchareas as Shanxi Pro

meet with economic officials

Xi'an City's mayor. D

also are scheduled with S

Cityofficials, Jia Ding County

ernment leaders and

vice mayor. A visit to

New Development Area is

scheduled.

tmls

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DELEGATION r ...*

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elfare reform on the Web ...

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ. re-

lau nched the county's new one-

career system on the Internet."fhe World Wide Web page is just

tool in our integrated system of'

Hudson County residents are

in the high-tech, high-skillof the 21st Century economy,"

County Executive Robertwski.

Thecounty Workforce Investment

has established 17 sites (fundedmore than $300,000 in state

) throughoutthecountyequipped

42 personal computers that can

the site <www.wib.digink.

J "'rite News," Octo'bdi''9 499)

process, including maps of wherecriminal and civiljurors should reportto a list of places to eat for those

residents not familiarwithPittsburgh'sdowntown.

In addition, Web surferscan learn about the Jury

Commission's mostrecent ini-tiativess,

as well as brush up on juryterminology and the history behindthe modern-day judicial system. The

'%hill 'b lb 1

site is supported and maintained bythe county bar association at no ex-

pense to local taxpayers.

Meetings 101Are your meetings getting bogged

down by people who ramble on and

never get to the point? Are there too

many people confused by parliamen-

tary procedures? Look no further than

<http: //parli.corn>. You'l find an-

swers and you'l also find access to a

free report titled: "How to Make YourMeetings Run More Smoothly."

Global InformationInfrastructure Awards ...enter by Nov. 24

The Global Information Infrastruc-ture Awards (GII) are looking for en-

tries for its third annual contest. En-

tries for the competition (formerly the

0 xl 1 '1"l t 1 I i I'I l '.,~

National Information Infrastructure

awards), willbe judged by 200 indus-

try leaders in 11 categories, includinggovernment, community, education,

commerce, public access, children, arts

and entertainment and health. Entrieswillbe accepted through Nov. 24.

For more information, to view past

award winners or to fillout an on-line

See WEB WATCH, page 13

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"networked" countiesMatrix Information & Directory

of Austin, Texas, has com-

a list of the Top 10 "networked"

(those that have more com-

hooked up to the Internet ormultiple people, machine and

). They are:

1. San Mateo County, Calif.2. Santa Clara County, Calif.3. Fairfax County, Va.

4. Washtenaw County, Mich.5. St. Louis City, Mo.6. Middlesex County, Mass.'I. Travis County, Texas8. San Francisco County, Calif.9. Hennepin County, Minn.10. Fulton County, GaFor more details, see <http: //

ress/counties. html>.

ween isa click away ...

Looking for some ghostly ideas toto your Web site? Perhaps your

would like to get the wordabout its haunted houses or ghost

You might get some ideas at

://www.libertynet.org/-e-, where you'l find informationHalloween tours of an aban-state prison in Philadelphia and

haunted tours around the town.0r ifyou'd like to advertise your

'ty's events on a national da-of Halloween haunts, go to

.//www.usacityl ink.corn/boo/tml>. Happy haunting!

AC Juryon wants YOU

browse its Web sitelite Allegheny County Jury Com-

in Pennsylvania is reachingto local residents at <www.

. Included on the itesample jurorquestionnaire and a

tour of the jury service

GET THE GRpAyEST'gqp,CYWITH PEOPLE YOU CAN TRUST

for Local

st provide the

ou would expect.

in hand with local

new and

rograms that

portant to you,

ds and deliver

nership with

ou. Call and see

u today.

RANCEER.=.

Working Together. Building Value.

1-8 8 8-8 89-42 54The Insurance Center Is A Partnership of the National Association of Counties and Sedgwick

County News, October 13, I >'ountl8

NA(o partners rip wins grant to c eve op center 'or rara po icyplay an important role in the

nership between RUPRISCRD.

Members willreview drafts

proposal and provide input to

the center's products will be

to them as the proposal is

For more information,Shuffstall at: 202/942-4225; pi

~

mail:wshuffstOnaco.org.

rural county officials and commu-

nity leaders need access to informa-tion and technical support that isn'

currently available in rural areas," he

said, adding, "as proposed, the Cen-

ter for Rural Policy would providerural county officials with ready ac-

cess to national, state and local policyanalysis and technical support."

The task force willcontinue to

developing the final proposal."Rural Renaissance Task Force

members believe local governmentcan take advantage of the opportuni-(ies and deal with the challenges pre-

sented by devolution," explainedNACo Immediate Past PresidentMichael Hightower, who established

the Rural Renaissance Task Force."However, they recognized that

The Southern Center for RuralDevelopment (SCRD ) proposed a

center that would research the ef-

fects of devolution on poor ruralsouthern communities and developstrategies to increase the positiveoutcomes of devolution for rural

people and communities.NACo's Rural Renaissance

Task Force played a key role in

By Bill ShuffstallExtension Service fellow

The U.S. Department of Agri-culture (USDA) recently awarded

a $25,000 Fund for Rural Americaplanning grant to NACo, the Rural

Policy Research Institute (RUPRI)<http: //www.rupri.org/> and the

Southern Center for Rural Devel-

opment to develop a Center forRural Community Policy.

The detailed proposal for a Cen-

ter for Rural Community Policywill be developed during the next

four months and submitted to

USDA in February for review and

approval.Iffunded, the center would pro-

vide access to information, analy-

sis, technical assistance and case

studies for rural county officialsand community leaders that willhelp them develop sustainablecommunity policies and programs.Successful proposals are expected

to be funded for up to $4 milliondollars over three years.

Jerry McNeil, NACo deputy di-rector of community services;Ralph Tabor, associate legislativedirector; and BillShu ffstall, NACoExtension fellow will be workingwith staff from the Southern Cen-

ter for Rural Development and

RUPRI to plan the center.RUPRI is an interdisciplinary

research consortium sponsored bythe University of Missouri, IowaState University and the Univer-sity of Nebraska. Nationally rec-

ognized scientists and policy prac-titioners work together on RUPRIprojects to research the impact ofnational policy on rural countiesand communities.

This research is crucial to countyofficials and other local leaders as

they initiateprojects anddeterminelocal policy.

The Southern Center for RuralDevelopment is a partnership of29 southern land grant universi-ties. It initiates and oversees multi-state rural community developmentresearch and extension programsacross the southern states.

The planning grant combinestwo separate but similar proposais,one submitted by RUPRI and

NACo, the other submitted by the

Southern Center for Rural Devel-

nomic and fiscal impact models

and interactive decision makingsupport that willenhance their abil-

ity to develop sustainable commu-

nity solutions.

hiot offthe presses!Two books by NACa on innovative county programs

1996 Model County ProgmmsThis two-volume series highlights more than 600 model county programs drawn fro

award winners in the 1996 Achievement Award Program.One volume on Social Services focuses on programs on arts and historic preservatio

children and youth, civic participation, criminal justice, employment and training, healt

human services, libraries, and volunteer projects. The second volume on Communitv

Services highlights programs for community and economic development, countyadministration and man-agement, court administration, emergency management

and response, environment and energy, fiscal manage-

nt, information technology, parks and recreation, per-

nnel management, planning, risk management, andanspoitation. Each volume is 200 pages.

Members: $40 (set) $25 (individual); Non-members:60 (set) $ 37.50 (individual)

Award Winning Programs for the ArtsThis publication showcases award winning arts programs initiated by county go

ments. These programs are Achievement Award Winners from 1995, 1996 and 199'i

Allhave been successful and can be replicated by other counties. Counties develop

programs to provide alternatives to destructive behavior for at-risk youth, to ti

bridges between generations, to increase tourism and revenue and to pro

recreational and cultural activities for all citizens. 28 pagesMembers: $ 5; Non-members: $ 10

order formTitleName

County

AddressZipStateCity

Phone

CI 1996 Model County Program0 Award Winning PrOgrams for the Arts

No. of books desired x (price)

Shipping and handling: Basicrate$ 2.50for firstitem,add $ 1 for each additional item.

For Accounting Use OnlyDO%It

INV4t '—l~'IL

tt~CIAtt

Total

opment.TheNACo/RUPRIproposalfo- Payment MethOd: (SeleCt One) 0 CheCk 0 VISA I:I MC 0 PO. VOuChe0 P.O. Voucher 0 Mone Order

cused on developing a center to Cai'd ft Expiration Date:ensure that rural community deci- Signature.sion makers have access to the eco- Cai clholder's Name:

For credit card or P.O.Noucher payments, FAXthis form to: Publications, NACo, 202/393-2630;or mail order form along with payment to:

Publication, NACo, P.O. Box 79007, Baltimore, MD 21279-0007

papers, I

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roofs wia cost oidie coustate. Tlmillion

County News, October 13, 1997

1O'URISTS I...,...Ipapers has a TVcommercial running

oo cable TV and has placed flyers all

oyer towll.

IMore than scary

The site has multiple uses, in addi-s ofll

oon to serving as a place for Hallow-

een tours. Volunteer committees pro-

:atoI1duce prison-themed educational ex-

:0 bibits and art shows. Acurrent exhibit

focuses on the role of labor in prisonsI; or

; mid three art exhibits are now on dis-

play.

One of the exhibits, "Life Sen-

tences," features portraits of women

prisoners who are currently serving

life sentences in other prisons, with

mpe recordings of the inmates dis-

cussing the nature of their crimes and

what their lives are like in prison."Artists love the space," Kellysaid.

"It's not easy describing it. You have

loseeits scale and grandeur."'The space is so beautiful. People

8

baye a hard time realizing they'e in a

prison."

The prison has more than 2,000

ikylights and some of its ceilings soar

lo 40 feet. "It looks like a church,"

Kelly noted. "It's a mecca for photog-mphers." In fact, a group ofphotogra-

phy students from UCLA plans to

Ipood two weeks photographing the

lite this fall.I

Symposiums are held there too, on

<uirent-day topics such as prison over-

oowding."It's an amazing resource," Kelly

mid.

Special events are held throughoutem- the year, including a Bastille Day cel-

)97 'bration,a"PeptheDog" day(aBlackIibrador retriever was supposedly sen-

1

moced to life in the prison after killingits owner's cat). Children (they mustbo over age 7) are encouraged to at-

l mod and bring photos of their pets.The local police show offtheir policehogs'kills.

society agrees to raise a matchingpercentage.

Parking is no problem —freespaces for 1,000 cars are available,adjacent to the site, since the schoolboard purchased several blocks, toredown buildings, and then decidednot to build a new school there.

HistoryIn 1980, Philadelphia paid the state

of Pennsylvania a little more than

$400,000 for the building, which had

been in the business of holding pris-oners for almost 150 years, openingits doors in 1829. It was constructedfor $770,000, an astronomical pricefor back then, Kelly noted.

The prison has its roots in Ameri-can history. Itwas builtafter fundingwas approved by the PennsylvaniaLegislature, which was heavily lob-bied by the Philadelphia Society forAlleviating the Miseries of PublicPrisons (now the Pennsylvania Prison

Society, the group that runs the his-

toric site). The group's first meetingwas held at the home of BenjaminFranklin.

More than 300 prisons worldwidehave based their floor plan on the

building's wagon-wheel design.Some of its more well-known in-

habitants included AlCapone (he spent

eight months there) and bank robberWillie Sutton. (The prison holds a.Willie Sutton birthday weekend in

June, featuring a close look at a fa-

mous prison escape by Sutton'ndothers that occurred in 1945, when

they tunneled out of the prison. Ittook them 18 ...onths to build the

tunnel, but they were discoveredwithin minutes of the escape.)

FQ(gt

Philadelphia certified the prisonas a historic property in 1958 and thefederal government designated it as

a National Historic Landmark in1965.'astern State Penitentiary saw its

last prisoners in 1971, when it was

used to temporarily house inmates

fromHolmesburg County Prison, fol-lowing a riot there.

In 1974, Philadelphia bought the

prison from the state. Decisions onwhat to do with the prison —tear itdown, turn it into a shopping mall—

came and

oral regimIn 198

area archhistorians

:; later, fundTrusts be

opened fo

tracting mThe n

funding, pwere insta

began an

from The

a uQ

Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia sawfeatures art and educational exhibits, sympos

RenovationThe place may be beautiful, but is

it safe? "No," answers Kelly. "It's a.olin. It's a strange thing to see —a

'unicipalgovernment letting peoplelour a ruin. It's a mess."

Everyone who enters the buildingsigns a waiver, absolving Philadel-pbia and the society of any responsi-bility ifhe or she is injured. All whototer wear hardhats, including sym-posium audiences and tour-goers. SoIm; no one has ever been hurt.

Its electric, water and sewer sys-mols are all shot. (Kelly operates outoI a completely modern office threeblocks away from the site.)

The first stage of a major renova-lion begins Nov. 3, the day after Hal-loween tours end. That's when newIoofs willbe added to two buildings atIcost of $250,000 —$ 150,000 fromIbo county and $ 100,000 from the

The county has committed $ 1

a year for five years, if the

PUBLIC TECHNOLOGY, INC.

MakePlans toAttend!

Developed forano by localgovernmentofficials

~ EQ~ 5 ~~ 5 ~~ 5 ~ l~ I~

City of Seattle and

Public Technology, Inc., present

Sustainable BuildingNorthwest: Breakingthrough the BarriersConference and Trade Show

——-ounty News, October- 73/ -I

ii10

, (ommunity/Economic Development (on1'erence highlights best

a I practices, impact oj I ederal policy on county development strategies

othnty I

I

l,By Sarah Davidson

!

NACCED

More than 175 county officials at-

tended the Annual Community and

Economic Development Conference

co-sponsored by the National Asso-

ciation for County Community and

Economic Development(NACCED),NACo and Dade County, Fla., Sept.

14—17 in Miami.Workshops focused on issues such

as welfare reform, the Department ofHousing and Urban Development's

new management reform plan, creat-

ing the right economic development

strategy, leveraging resources foreconomic development, brownfields

redevelopment, neighborhood revi-

talization strategies and small busi-

ness development.During the opening plenary ses-

sion, NACo First Vice President C.

Vernon Gray spoke about his com-

mitment to economic development

issues and the leadership he intends

to provide on this issue while on

NACo's executive committee.NACCED members also elected

officers at the conference. The offic-ers are: Arleeta Terrell of Jefferson

Parish, La., president; Tom Laurin ofSan Bernardino County, Calif., vice-

president; Randy Patterson ofLancaster County, Pa., secretary/

treasurer; Chris Hardnett-Morris ofDeKalb County, Ga., NACCED'srepresentative on the NACo board;

Patricia Ward of Tarrant County,

Texas, NACCED's immediate past

president; and Dan Domis ofHamilton County, Ohio, NACCED

past president.The following community/eco-

nomic development directors were

elected to NACCED's board of di-

rectors: Virginia Edwards ofMonmouth County, N.J.; TerryGonzalez of Los Angeles County,

Calif.;W.D.MorrisofOrange County,

Fla.; Peter Munrue of Clark County,Wash.; Walter D. Webdale ofFairfax

County, Va.; Jeff Bertrand of Essex

County, N.J.; Lance Crawford ofGreenville County, S.C.; Irene Hartof Sedgwick County, Kan.; Suzanne

Hayes ofCook County, Ill.;and PhilipSmith of DuPage County, Ill.

NACCEDbestowed its most pres-

tigious award, the Roy D. HooverAward, to Al Linden. Linden was

planning director for Union County,N.J. from 1965 to 1993, where he

administered the CDBG programfrom its inception. Afterretiringfromthis position, he joined a consultingfirm and has assisted many counties

in preparing consolidated plans and

applications for federal funding ofhousing and community develop-

ment programs.During the conference, counties

with innovative, effective and exem-

plary programs were recognized

New writer joins County Newsstaj'I'ounty

News is once again

fully staffed, with the additionof Kevin Wilcox, who joinedNACo in late September as a

senior staff writer.Wilcox, a Morgantown,

W.Va. native, has a bachelor'and a master's degree in jour-nalism from West VirginiaUni-versity (WVU). While workingon his bachelor's degree at

WVU, he served for a year as edi-tor of the campus newspaper, The

Daily Athenaeum.His professional experience in-

cludes four years as a reporter and

copy editor forMorgantown' dailynewspaper, the Dominion Post,where he won a Keystone Press

Association Award for front pagecomposition. He was later a staffwriter at WVU, where he worked

at a clearinghouse on environ-mental issues. Most recently he

was a graduate assistant atWVU's OfficeofSponsored Pro-

grams, producing a monthlynewsletter about grant and fund-

ing opportunities.In 1993, he won America'

Best, a national screenwritingcontest, in the television scriptcategory.

Photo by Jay Sevtdai

County News'ew senior staff writer, Kevin Wilcox, starts work on his first assignment.

through NACCED's "Awards ofExcellence" program. Recipients in-

cluded:

CommunityDevelopment Award

~ Clark County (Nev.) Commu-

nity Resources Management Divi-sion for constructing the YvonneAtkinson Gates Early ChildhoodDevelopment Center, which is a first-

class early childhood development

center, located in one of the county's

most impoverished neighborhoods.~ Fairfax County (Va)Department

ofHousing and Community Develop-

ment for its Consolidated Plan Citizen

Participation and Funding Process,

which provides a framework for en-

couraging broad community involve-

ment; strengthening the coordina-

tion of funding objectives, prioritiesand allocations; and focusing on re-

sults and accountability of funded

organizations and programs.

HOME AwardCook County (Ill.)Department of

Planning and Development for its

Community Integrated Living Ar-rangement (CILA) program, a new

model for housing physically and

developmentally disabled persons.

Unlike a typical group home, a CILAhome is "staffed" by a live-in familyunit, and the number of tenants usu-

ally does not exceed three disabled

persons. The program provides a

considerably more affordable and

flexible alternative for housing per-

sons with disabilities.

EconomicDevelopment Award

Pima County (Ariz.)Community

Services Department for the Micnh

Industry Credit Rural Organizatini

(MICRO), a county-wide progrnhn

designed to assist low-income resi.

dents start home-based businesseh

MICRO provides loan funds to stnn

a business and technical assistance

to help the borrower keep the busi.

ness thriving.

Affordable Housing Awar]~ DuPage County (Ill.)Develop

ment Department for its Canticle

Place, the first housing built in tlhe

county for people living with AIDI

and their families.~ Los Angeles County (Calif)

Community Development Commit.

sion and the Los Angeles Counhl

Department of Children and Famill

Services for the nine-unit Margahiii

Mendez Apartments, which provide

the firsttransitional housing and suli.

port services facilityforemancipatehl

foster youth in the state of Califni.

nia. During their stay, youth nhe

provided an array of services, in.

cludingeducational andemploymeni

opportunities, to help them make

successful transitions to self-suffi.

ciency.~ West Perrine Community

velopment Corporation, MCounty (Fla.) Office ofComm

and Economic Development and

Metro-Dade Housing Agency for

Dixie Heights Gardens

Homeownership Project that

structed eight homebuyer units

very low income families who

been displaced by Hurricane

drew.(Sarah Davidson is NACCED

community and economicment director.)

Dec. tonference to focus onrapplicatiaa

of new bigb resolution seatellite data

With the next geiieration of laud-observing satellites soon to be

~operational more than 700 experts from satellite companies value.

. added producers aud erid-user communities willmeet, Dec. 3-5 at tlhe

Oinni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C., to examine anticipate

applications, detect potential problems aud discuss common solutiuhhs

Sponsored by the American So'ciety ofPhotogrammetry and I "mote Sensing (ASpRS), in conjunction with several federal agencies

the Land Satellite Information in the Next Decade Hi Sources an4

I Applications Conference willgive participants an opportunity to tea+

about plans for utilizing tliese land satellite information sources

More than 50 speakers willdescribe a broad range ofapp lieu

, and the exposition willshowcase the uewestproducts aud services

more than 40 private sector aud governmentorganizations. NASA

sponsor a reception Thursday evening planned for the Airand

Museum to celebrate the 25th anniversary ofthe firstLaudsat Iaun ~

For information, contact ASPRS at: 30V493-0290, ext 21»

301/493-020$ ; e-maili asprs@asprs.org.

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County Efforts to Reduce, Reuseand Recycle.

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I'."fNIIJSPIN 0/A~+ NACo First Vice President Vernon Gray addressed delegates

ut the Community and Economic Development Conference on Sept. 14

in Miami.+ On Sept. 26, NACo

president Randy Johnson and

NACo Associate LegislativeDirector Neil Bomberg met

with Labor Secretary AlexisHerman to review the Depart- '. ".- ';~',,';:.; ~ p"ment of Labor's "Draft In-terim Planning Guidance and

instructions for Submission ofRandy Johnson Neil Bomberg

Annual State Plans. " Johnson

underscored NACo's three major concerns —data collection, meetingmatch requirements and local delivery of welfare-to-work services-mid asked Herman to revise the document to address these issues.

+ On Sept. 28-Oct. 2, Johnson attended the Montana Associationof Counties annual meeting in Great Falls, Mont., and spoke at the

banquet Oct. l.4 On Oct. 1-3, Michael Hightower, NACo immediate past presi-

tlent, attended the Fall Policy Conference of the Association ofCountyCommissioners of Georgia, in Atlanta.

C I TY IFF C A / ACo TAFF+ NACo Project Manager for Solid Waste and Pollution Preven-

iion Naomi Friedman moderated a workshop on "Promoting WastePrevention at the Local Government Level," Sept. 22, at the NationalRecycling Coalition's Annual Congress in Orlando, Fla. Also speakingit this workshop was Joe Keyser, Environmental Specialist, Mont-tumery County, Md.

+ On Sept. 23, Bomberg and NACo Associ-ate Legislative Director Marilina Sanz met with

j '":„:,, '.;"; GeneralAccountingOffiicestaffwhoareplanning

to evaluate state and local efforts to implement thewelfare-to-work program. The meeting focused oninnovative programs at the local level and how best

i

to assess them.+ vuk R b dTi P esto ofth Eo'e

County (N.Y.) Environmental Compliance Ser-Marilina Sanz

vices presented Erie County's Wetlands and Wa-iurshed Stewardship Project at the U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency's River Corridor and Restoration Forum Sept. 23 in Spring-field, Va. More than 150 people from around the county attended theforum.

+ On Sept. 23, WinifredLyday, NACodirector ofthe departmentui information technology, attended the Technology 2007 conferenceiu Boston where she gave a presentation titled 'aking Advantage ofNetworks" at the Federal Laboratory Consortium State and LocalCJovernment Committee Workshop.

+ On Sept. 25, Bomberg met with the Board of Directors of theTraining and Employment Council of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.llomberg presented NACo's position on current efforts by Congress totmend the Job Training Partnership Act.

+ Kelly Schulman, NACo research associ-Me/aging represented NACo and served as a re-iuurce person at the Brookdale National Confer-ence on Respite Issues, Sept. 26—28 in ArlingtonCounty, Va.

+ On Sept. 29—Oct. 1 Lyday went to the 88thAnnual Conference ofthe Montana Association ofCounties. On Sept. 30, Lyday was a panelist on a

vorkshop titled "GIS: A Vital Resource forCoun-Kelly Schulmaniius" moderated by Gallatin County (Mont.) Com-

iuissioner Jane Jelinski. Lyday met with the Montana county infor-iuution technology committee. On Oct. 1, she gave a short presentationit a meeting of the Montana Local Government GIS Coalition.

(On the Move is compiled by Kevin Wilcox, senior staff writer.)

Hamilton County, OhioIn 1995, industries in Hamilton

County, Ohio, recycled more than 50

percent oftheir waste. Yet much ofthe

275,000 tons that ended up in thecounty's landfills did so because of a

lack ofa strong recycling market, even

though much of the waste had the

potential to be reused. In order toreduce the amount of solid waste dis-

posed at the landfiills, "The Inter-change" was developed by theHamilton County Department of En-vironmental Services.

The Interchange is a materials ex-

change prograin operating through a

newsletter that gives companies withreusable waste products the opportu-nity to let other companies know these

products are available. Companies thathave a waste product with the poten-tial for reuse, such as old corrugatedcardboard boxes or wood pallets, cantake out a listing under the "MaterialsAvailable" section. If a company is

looking for a material, it can place a

listing under the "Materials Wanted"section.

Each listing contains a detailed de-

scription of the material, quantitiesavailable or wanted and other pertinentinformation. Each listing is also assigned

a code so that company specific infor-mation is not printed in the catalog.

Company information is providedafter an organization contacts theDepartment of Environmental Ser-

vices. Once the contact informationhas been given, the two organiza-tions work out arrangements for the

transfer of material.In addition to providing informa-

tion on reusable products, The Inter-change newsletter also offers articlesaddressing environmental issues ofconcern to area companies and high-lights local organizations with suc-

cessful waste reduction and recyclingprograms.

In its first year, more than 140

companies u

More than 2weremadebediverted 25fills.The proand well rece

munity, bothcounty. Beccounty has pgram to seve

HennepinIn 1993, H

instituted itgram," to mthat are stillto the publicthe products

You can have yourvery oivn copy ofCounty" News foronly $26 50 a

ye.ar't's

a purrfect deal!

0 Yes, Iwant County News mailebillme $16.50 upon receipt ofmy

Name

County

AddressCity

'Offer applies to NACo member-county empcall 202/942-4249; or e-mail: <cnews Qnaco.o

To order: Fax or mail the form below202/393-2630; County News, NACo,440 First St., NW, Washington, DC 200

the program include oil-based paint,adhesives and glues, motor oil,house-

hold cleaners, latex paint, automo-bile products, TVs, VCRs, comput-ers and stereos.

The program operates out of an

existing household hazardous wastecollection facility. As materials comeinto the facility, a staff person screens

them againstreuseprotocol established

by the county. Reuse protocol includessuch things as making certain the prod-uct has a label intact enough to showthe product name, manufacturer, and

direction for use, as well as any cau-

tion or other safety information. Ifthe

L2

Tulsa County has a strong retire-ment system, a system that providesa good benefit and is currently fundedat more than 100 percent. TulsaCounty also has a strong 457 De-ferred Compensation program and

yet Tulsa County has a problem.I discovered the problem in Au-

gust 1995, when I started workingwith the county on its Deferred Com-pensation program. Tulsa County

'ses an 80-point retirement system.

Basically, when an employee's age

and years of service equal 80 that

employee can retire.The problem is that many of the

employees who currently have 80

points can't afford to retire because ofthe increasing cost of their retirementhealth insurance. That left the em-

ployees with two options: retire and be

hungry, or stick around the countyuntil Medicare age. The solution tothis problem forTulsa County was the

new Post-Employment Health Plan

(PEHP) created by the NACo Finan-cial Services Center and PEBSCO.

The Post-Employment Health Plan

is a defined contribution health pro-gram that gives counties the flexibilityto redefine their contribution each yearand provide for tax-free deposits intothe program, meaning contributionsare not subject to FICA. The fundsinvested for each employee grow tax

free, and in post-employment when

the money is used for qualified medi-cal expenses, it is spent tax free.

In February, the Tulsa CountyBudget Board commissioned a PEHP

Committee consisting of Commis-sioner Robert Dick, County ClerkJoan Hasting, County Treasurer Den-

nis Semler, three other members fromthe retirement board and myself.

The PEHP Committee was giventhree specific tasks. One, decidewhether the PEHP plan would in fact

solve the county's long-term problem.Two, ifPEHP was the solution, whatcontribution should be made? Three,

how would the county pay for it?

Of the three tasks assigned to the

committee the first was easy. Noother program could provide the ben-

efit and flexibilityof the Post Em-

ployment Health Plan.The second question regarding the

amount to fund the PEHP was harder.

Ultimately, the county decided on a

funding level for July 1, 1997 —June

30, 1998 that was two percent ofsalary and $40 per month per em-

ployee, the equivalent of four per-

cent of payroll.The county felt this amount would

give the best long-term benefit to the

county while at the same time pro-viding a good benefit for those em-

ployees who would leave the countywithin five years.

The third question, that offunding,was solved through a creative use ofexisting and new funds. Tulsa County'scontribution into the retirement sys-tem was seven percent (county's por-tion) and $ 1 per year per employee.Becausetheretirementsystemisstrongand over-funded, the retirement boardvoted unanimously to lower thecounty' required contribution into the

retirement system to six percent, based

on a resolution from the Tulsa CountyBoard of Commissioners to dedicatemonies provided by the retirementboard to the county's PEHP program.

Another two percent came fromthe county's general fund and the lastpercent came from a one percentreduction in employee raises. Thecounty also used the FICA savingsfrom the one percent reduction inpayroll raises to pay the $ 25 annualadministrative fee for eachemployee's account.

In the short-term, reception of the

PEHP plan by the employees has

been extremely positive.Not only have they embraced the

idea of the benefit, but they are be-

coming more aware of their ownretirement and voluntary contribu-tions into Tulsa County's DeferredCompensation program have in-creased by 25 percent.

In 1972, a visit to the doctor was

$ 8. In 1995 that same visitwas $ 66.50or an increase of 731 percent over a

25-year period.What willthe next 25 years bring?

I don't know, but I'm sure whateverit is, thanks to the new Post Employ-ment Health Plan, Tulsa County will-be ready.

For more information about thePHEP program, call 614/249-4330.

(Financial Services News was

written by Leon Rowe, managingdirector, PEBSCO.)

Correction: The listing ofPEBSCO Advisory Committemembers in the last Financial Ser-vices News was incomplete. Miss-ing was Patricia Bataglia, commis-sioner, Dakota County, Minn.

17IIVillillfr ILf84 JIIIWYL(W I V

Tulsa County, Okla. Enacts

Posf-Employment Health Plan

'-:Counter- Nbws, GdI8tier')I

County ervices ews

Using Private Sector"-Qua ity"Princip'o

Improve.lo s TIainiIIg ProgramsDuring the 1980s, a "qual- processes. For workfort<

ityrevolution" swept through velopment organization>,the privatesector. Total qual- seven Baldrige criteria airity "management concepts 1 ~ leadership —how it(were adopted by many pri- ates and sustains a custo(r'vate firms to make them more focus strong vision and dentrepieneur'ial; more effi- values and expectations;cient and more responsive to ~ strategic;planniagciistomer nee'ds.' '-

".„".,;,' how workforce developu«',, In'the.l990s, a similar revo- ~.'rganizations can transit('utioa has sw'ept through'some their vision and strat(p'rparts ofthe public sector. For ': plans into action plans I(

+the p'act'Ave'years', NACo's 'veryone in the organizatio(e'mploym'erit and, training ".

'

customermarketaadl:: program has helped foster,a =.=. --. cus —how a job traininga~i'::national movemenr,to instill . 94',,,,:,-',::; ., ganizatioa learns about ti''the concepts.of, total 'qiiality,'-Cari'e'ntly, about,160 county::;~requirements of.its cast((a

Il.'manageinint —such "as con- and city'workfor'ce development 'rs (job seekers and emplpI"" tinuoiis quality'iiaprovement 'rgaaizitioas,have 'qu'aliAied to,, ers), builds customer relatia":—'iito publicly, funded"'job:.< become'embers of,the'Eater- ships and determines cl

.;" tiaining'programs."' prise.'~, .„"'',.ri+.".;-'. tomer satisfaction;

- ' 'his moi ament has'empha-""""~"..-To help other local.job train- ..„,. ~ information and a«illq'si'z'ed "thatfem'ploymeat;aiid"':ing"piograms achieve the high sis/—'." how the organizaili

traiaiag':.„.progreains should" performance ratings that will manages data and inform",viewtlie'citizen's'theyserveas;,:.".,';,errihle'. them "to join as well, tioaita support custom(r(v(,,"customers.",,Aadlikepriviate,: NACo!s'affiliate,.the Natioiial f(diivea performance exc(l

':."'Ilrms "public agenci'es'sho'uid""',,";.Association'of Criunty Trairiing;:Ieacel'": collect'customir'atisfaction:""'aad Employment Professionals '"'',".'.-,-.',.6 'human resource develo

"., surveys, 'easure=, respoiise,: „'(NACA'RP),'asgorined:;a stra- >''.raent and management —ho

'. ti 'i'f r "rvic'n'tr'veto te ic. alliaiice with the 'Enter- {"ihio iaizatioadevelo sa

:.,""'achfev'e'ever,higher:.l'evels of '';:prise.'",'. ~:. ",g ~t "m-, '.'uses'the full;potential of i

"„',cu'stomer satisfaction~++i'"," "i'„; Ther'ougeh 'this 'iIIIance,'-"„-."woi'kforce'n pursuit of p(

"'.,~'-.'"Tn" pio~mot'e ~ quaiityyi ia „:.„~iNACTEP 'and'he Eitterprise>".for'mance goals;e,county'."„.,wo'ikforce':.develop'-+~"work together,—'hroiigh train,'." 'l",.i process iiianagemeat,,-;:: inent",."programs, "NACo'-lias <<,"iag sessions,'t confereiices (arid: 'ow the organization conti((

';~ijolrred hairds witha'relatively '.; tbiough their newsletters'; a'ad.'" ally;improves the design ai

u'new'aeatity 'alled tbe,':,Enter- ~,,other'ritten: coinmunications;,:, delivery. of services, supp(i

rs.'prise.'Cuneated'by,.'the I.abo'r;",": —,"toriricrease the visibility ','foi'its service,deliverystii,. Depar'tmeat i few years ago;" "'imoiig,local:,, workfii'rce devel- "and the'provision of servit

lltheEnterprispisiaetw'or%'of ~yopmeat: organizations':of~the:': by 'its "suppliers" (such

~loncil,woikforce deieioparint„,,:, Makolm Bildrige'Quality'Piin=, traiiiing institutions); aad

'-. organizations„'which empha-',~j ciples~"'

':,'„'-;;.': ~' ..':,."'~'i'us'iaess or performs((

i''sizes high'quality, citato'incr-'d;-",-"'hesepnaciples ari th' seven:; 'r'esalts —'"'ow.'the orga'r'ivanservices aad asiiig sac-'ciit'erin fo'ithiMalcolm'ildrige,"-.'"'tion Improves ia the f(ve I

t".cessfuI":mariigem(crit'ech-'uality'ward.':,The«Baldiige areas'ofcustomersatisfactl(i

:,:":;aiques,adapted from the pri-'wardisthenationalawaidpro-, financial results, human t

,Pvatesector" .'-'~ '""".i",",-':", '„,,~~~'ces's for''pr'ivate:sector'-compa-'": souice results,"'supplier P'

To'become an:Enterprise .2Iaies invested in becoming'qual« 'ormance and organizatio

imember a county''or city'job '", ity-based'organizations.; ',:,!:; s'pecific results. „,

training'rganizition:raust ' 'he Baldilge principles liave j I,"Enterprise, members imeet three standards'in de= ~been used by thousands of large::rIproof that the use af 1

. «Iivering job training services and small companies wishing to .'aldr'ige Principles carl P

to dislocated workers; improve their processes,'bottom offin the public sector as <

'irst,itmust achieve a rat= line results and customer saris-'s tbe private sector.

ing of 75 peicent on a stan-" faction.Forexample,FederalFx- . Utilizing Baldrige Pn

,dard-'customer satisfaction press''boasts that it used the ciples, 67'percent ofEat'urvey

administered by an in- Baldrige principles to reduce its prise inembers have incr

dependentresearchArm.Sec- cost per package by more than I':their enteredemploym'nd,

it must have a iuperio'r 40 percent. Wainwright:Indus- rates. On average, EnterP"

perfonnance record, having tries reports that it ha's cut pro- members have also inert@

placed at least 80 percent of duction time from 8.75 days'to customer satisfaction It

its customers in jobs.'Third, 15 minutes. 72.5percent to76perceati

it must demonstrate a corn- . Although originally aimed at reduced the cost perjobPI 'mitment to continuous im- the private sector, the Baldrige ment by $782.provement throughresponses criteria offer a set of organizing (County Services piers"

to questions in critical qual- principles that can help any en- writtetr by Cynthia Kent()t'i

ity management p'ractices. titydevelop quality practicesand nior research associate )

1

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targetej'ava rialeconom

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Most

arkingto provide the services that

citizens want. They levy taxes,

fees, establish special dis-

aud in many other ways tryto

revenue sources that don't re-

affect their residents.

Many counties also rely on state

entitlements,grantsand .

funding to meet the annualneeds'of their

communi-'hese

funds come in'manyincluding direct entitlement

salaries, federal installa-

subsidies, payments in lieuofgrants and allocations'zem

programs.In 1996, the federal govern-

expended nearly $ 1.4 tril-ia direct federal funds. Al-:

much of this money is

for special purposes, itassists with the local:

of the area.

gets the most2Of the top 30 counties in the

for total federal dollars

received, six are in California,four are in Texas and three eachin Maryland and

Florida;,With'ore

than $ 1 trillioncoming tothe area, Los Angeles County re-ceives more federal eicpendituresthan any other county area in the .

country. Nearly $40.9 billiondol-lars. in federal money was ex-pended there in 1996.

Los Angeles was followedclosely by the New York Cityarea with a total:expenditure of$40.7 billion. These two countyareas alone received more fed-eral direct expenditures than 43

states.'ookCounty, Ill."is third on

the listwithdirect federal expen-ditures in 1996 of$23 billion.San

Diego County, Calif.withfederalexpenditures of $ 16.7 billion is

fourth and the St. Louis County,Mo. area, with federal expendi-.

tures of $12.1 billion, rounds outthe top five. The top 10 countiesreceived $13 of every $ 100 spentby the federal government.

(Research News was writtenby Jacqueline Byers, research di-rector.)

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ri Direct-Federal Expenditures

Expenditures July 1994

(in thousands) P ulation

$40,885,530 9,149,811

40,737,267- =:, —. 7,333,253

23,034,300 5,141,209

16,706,049 2,632,07812,143,176 368,215

12,060,476 "3,045,193

11,522,798 1,524,249

11,021,024 2,346,640

10,579,699 1,098,148— 9,698,032 2,064,819;

9,686,990 2,543,168

9,082,113 1,403,302

8,835,836 2,025,045

8,611,272 881,632

8,610,577 1,320,708',538,2121,557,233

8,422,730 802,729 .-

7,992,522 1,942,289

7,984,699 1,280,079

7,843,842 1,587,529

7,719,191 633,248

7,593,610 1,403,217

7,393,962 1,319,480

7,357,726 1,257,196

6,445,755 954,543. 6,347,616 874,330

6,311,018 '02,9796,132,526 1,302,427

6,021,447 1,382,990

5,957,443 759,744

1,396,672,766 264,188,106

30-(ounties-i

( .~i '-'s

Los eles Coun, Calif.

New York City Region

(oak (aaaly, Ill.Saa Di a(, Calif.

St. Louis County Ma.) R iaa

Harris, Texas

Philadel ia Cou, Pa.

Marie Coun, Ariz.Sacramento Coa, Cali .

W (oualy, Mich.

Orange County, (alif.Middlesex C , Mass. .

Dade (au, Fla.

Fairfax County, Va.

AH C , Pa.

Santa Cla Cau, Calif.Mont arne Cau, Md.

Dallas Coun, Texas

Bexac County, Texas

Coa, Wash.

Suffolk Coun, Mass.

Ca, Ohio

Alameda C, Calif.Tairaat Caa, Texas

Palm Beach Coun, Fla.

Honolulu City/(oauty, Hawaii

Baltimore City Area

Nassau Ca I N Y.

Biaward County, Fla.

Prince George's Co, Md.for United States

>scarc ews

i e here Does thefederalMoffeyG09'.ocaI Interests

The U.S. Supreme Court has sev-

eral cases of interest to local govern-ments on its docket for the

1997-'998

term. The Court will review,hear oral arguments and issue deci-sions in the following cases:

Denial of fire protectionThe representative of an estate

claims that the individual died be-

cause a municipal policy selectivelydenied fire protection to minorities.The Couit will decide whether an

Alabama law that might allow theestate to recover punitive damageswillbe used to resolve the case, whichhas been brought under a federalcivil rights statute.

(Jefferson vs. Tarrant, Ala.)

Fatal police chasesApolice officerengaged in a high-

speed chase resulting in fatal injuriesto two teenage boys riding on a mo-

torcycle, who had not broken anylaws. The Court will determinewhether the officer's conduct was so

egregious that he can be sued by the

injured parties.i, i

(Sacramento, County vs. Lewis)

teacher who had equal seniority and

qualifications. The school districttook this action to achieve diversityin the workplace rather than to rem-

edy past discrimination. The Courtwilldetermine whether Title VIIofthe 1964 Cemployers toforreasons odiscriminatio

(Piscaof

Deutal ofdAlaudow

city's denialforbuildingsordinance. Tdecide whetmatters contreral law haresolved in a

(Ch

Notes From AllOverNegative referenceviokctes civilrights

The U.S. Court ofAppeals for the

Ninth Circuit has held that employ-ers may be sued for a retaliatorynegative job reference under TitleVIIof the 1964 CivilRights Act.

In this case, a former employeecharged her former employer withsending a negative job reference to a

prospective employer. She alleged that

the negative reference was sent in

Same-sex sexualharassment

The Court ofAppeals for the FifthCircuit held that TitleVIIof the 1964

Civil Rights Act does not apply tosame-sex sexual harassment. TheCourt willdecide whether the FifthCircuitcorrectly interpreted the civilrights statute.

(Oncale vs. Sundowner OffshoreServices)

Race and layoff decisionsA public school system laid offa

white teacher, but retained a black

Legislativfor abolit

A mayorapproved a

eliminatedallegedly to

firing a subofensive corndetermine wbe protectedtive nature othey may b

proper moti

(

WEB WATCH r...,...entry form,goto<http://www.giLcom/ Thanks toindex. html>.Theawardsaresponsored tions directoby Sofibauk Forums, a media company. for the tip!

An Apple a day ...The last edition of Web Watch

pointed out how teachers in yourcounties could get $ 1,000 mini-grants from Compaq. We would nowlike to point out that teachers in yourcounties can also access informa-tion about Apple Computers at a

variety of sites, including AppleEducation <http: //www.education.apple.corn/>, and information tar-geted toward kindergarten through12th grade <http: //ed.info. apple.corn/education/> and highereduca-tion <http: //hed.info. apple.corn/>.

And closeHave you

mation abouered in CouipublicationsNACo W<www.nacoto "Search."word or phrainterested inthe articlesJust click onhave it on yseconds.

Last wee

gjii1IL'hl~Hig s CoUrt To Aclc ress

14.... County News'October 73, i

lid(dtLYiDJttnrt&LIP7~ti 'FIOltttt~ ea 'circe Co en ary

ARIZONA~ YUMA COUNTY officials

weren't taking any chances late

last month when remnants ofHur-ricane Nora blew through town.

They sought and received a dec-

laration of emergency from the

governor before the storm hit, al-

lowing them access to state funds

if needed. County officials also

ordered more than 100 people to

leave low-lying areas and more

than 300,000 sandbags werehanded out.

The depression dumped about

three inches of rain on parts of the

county (the annual rainfall is about

three and a half inches). Later,ILA PAZ, MARICOPA,MOHAVEand YAVAPAIcoun-

ties also sought the disaster dec-

larations, giving the counties ac-

cess to $200,000 in state aid.

CALIFORNIA~ ALAMEDACOUNTY is su-

ing the Oakland Raiders football

team, two years after luring them

back from Los Angeles, accusing the

team of threatening to break its lease

with the Oakland-Alameda County

Coliseum.The team says the county hasn'

done enough to sell out all its home

games. The team has 14 years left on

the stadium lease, but said in a recent

letter that it may vacate the stadium

within a decade. The letter was writ-ten to UMAXData Systems, which

was seeking to buy the stadium name.

The company had proposed buying itfor $ 19 million, paid out over 10

years.

~ After three months of nego-

tiating, LOS ANGELESCOUNTY social workers wenton strike Sept. 30 after failing to

convince management to reducetheir caseloads. The members ofService Employees InternationalUnion Local 535 handle 60 or 70

cases. They want to reduce thatnumber to 30 to 50. Workers also

asked for an eight percent raise. A40,000-member union represent-

ing other county workers threat-ened to join the strike, but calledit off Oct. 1.

~ Aplot to bomb the VENTURACOUNTY Courthouse was foiledlast month after the would-be terror-

ist tried to hire a federal agent to

carry out the scheme."His allegation was that the

government of Ventura Countywas corrupt and they had con-

spired to bring false chargesagainst him and to cause him tolose all of his worldly posses-sions," said federal agent CharlesPratt, who posed as a member of a

militia willing to carry out the

bombing.

The suspect was charged withfraud after allegedly trying to bilkpeople out of money in a planconnected to last year's summer

Olympics in Atlanta. The fraudtrial is scheduled for Nov. 3.

FLORIDA~ BREVARD, INDIAN,LEE

and ORANGE counties are stilltaking measures to guard againstmosquito contact after two peoplewere recently diagnosed with en-

cephalitis in Lee and Brevardcounties.

They are the first human cases

of the mosquito-borne disease re-

ported in seven years. The lastoutbreak saw 11 people die fromthe disease and more than 200

became sick with flu-like symp-toms. The elderly and the very

young are the most susceptible to

the disease.To reduce mosquito contact,

the counties have shut down poolsand water parks in the eveningsand canceled night footballgames.

OHIO~ Two years ago, the UNION

COUNTY jail was closed by or-

der of the state fire marshal. Butthe county still had to pay to send

prisoners to out-of-county jails.That's when Sheriff John Overly

got the idea to turn an aging school

building into a "Discipline and Re-

habilitation Center." The 1997 ap-

propriation for the center was

$ 324,221. "Residents," not "in-mates," pay $25 a day, which covers

meals, linens, jumpsuits and use oflaundry facilities. They also pay forhaircuts, their medical exams and

provide their own toiletries.As of July 1997, 354 residents

have stayed at the center and the

county has collected $ 102,651.16.

While in the center, residents can

receive counseling, a high school

diploma or attend Alcoholics Anony-mous. The center also helps resi-

dents findjobs. More money is beingcollected on a payment plan fromprisoners who couldn't pay all at

once.(For more information, contact

Overly at 937/644-5010.)

OREGON~ COOS COUNTY Commis-

sioner Gordon Ross traveled toWashington, D.C. last month to

tell members of the House Re-

sources Committee that he wantsno part of President Clinton's"American Heritage" river initia-tive, which would offer federalprotection from pollution to des-

ignated waterways."Please do not saddle us with

any more federal bureaucracy,"Ross told the committee. "WhatCoos County does not need is an-

other federal presence or anotherfederal designation."

The first rivers being consid-ered are: The Upper Mississippi(northern Minnesota and Mis-souri); the Connecticut River(New England); the YellowstoneRiver (Wyoming); the FrenchBroad River (North Tennessee)and the Willamette River (Or-egon).

VIRGINIA~ LOUDOUNCOUNTYPub-

lic Information Officer Jim Barnes

has been elected to a three-yearterm on the Board of Directors ofthe City-County Communicationsand Marketing Association(3CMA), a national organizationofmore than 400 communicationsprofessionals from city and countygovernments that focuses on bet-

tering communications betweengovernment and citizens.

WASHINGTON~ KING COUNTY has as-

sessed billionaire BillGates'ewhome at more than $ 53 million,an amount he is disputing. At thecounty's tax rate, he would pay$ 620,714 in taxes.

Gates, worth more than $ 39.8billionaccording to Forbes maga-

zine, has retained an appraisalfirm to find evidence of the mar-

ket value, according to BrentWilde, chief appraiser for thecounty.

Wilde says more than 3,700 ap-

peals were filed last year. An average

sized tract home in the area valued at

$ 124,000 carries an annual tax of$ 1,663.

The not-so-average Gates manor

includes a trampoline room, a 24-

screen video wall, a 20-seat theater,

a 60-foot pool and two spas.

~ PIERCE COUNTY Execu-

tive Doug Sutherland made it offi-cial late last month. He'l challenge a

fellowRepublican in next year's pri-mary in a bid to unseat U.S. Senator

Patty Murray, a Democrat.Sutherland, 60, is a native ofHel-

ena, Mont. and is currently serving

his second term as executive of the

county.

(News From the Nation 's Coun-

tiesiscompiledby MaryAnn Barton,senior staff writer.)

Cot—

PU'utnam

ministr;managedinatin8ment ul

mern beisioners.possibttcommun

The agt555 millgaininglive an<

bacheloiration,relatedferred.586,328

tory to:758, Pal

receipt i

1997. E

The Internet for Regions'ro f<i

Bny Area ns U.S. Beta Sitethina~, thousands of

citizen'earches.

Smart Valley's tdecomm'rojectaimed at getting cars a8

road in one ofAmerica's most

ftc~ongestedareas.Itpromoteiployer interest by showing a 18

cent productivity improvtiaamong telecommuters who f

they gained more control of

hves and spent less tune dnvmo

Last year, in a project"Connect 96," Smart Valley

the, first-ever conference of

world's pioneering electronic

munities. It showcased 40 r'odelsfrom North America,

rope and Asia.'In 1994, Palo Alto was the i

Bay Area local government»itown Web site. The site's been a

boonforthecity,says formeritft

Liz Kniss, because citizens caa

cess city hall at any hour of tfit

or night, to get inforination, ori

messages.

Then ABAG—the Associa

ofBay Area Governments —sit

an Internet server and offerel

local governments inexpensive

ing services. Today 69 cities, a

counties, 25 special districts

more than 90 school districts

hbranes are on ABAG's sy

receives 5,000 to 7,000 "hits"a

The modd 4 obvious: B

cracyiecedes,cityhallgainsb'ikeresponsiveness and gove

starts to regain some of the

'espectlost over the last genera

'BAG'ssite<httpd/xvxva'agovh

provides allmannerof

ful data —Bay Area trail

Census data, gun control m

Bay Area Transitschedule,'ares,

welfare reform rule'

analysis. It even shows detail

gional and localized earthqnakt .ard maps —a feature thats't

gered some realtors but is a

'uccessfulwith common ci

'ntopofallthis, BayArea

are likely America's best 'a'nd

computer-equipped.The Bay Area's hardly ala

course, in providing a set of

nahve and statewf-the-art bi

services. Where it stands titit

'egionintenton using technaia

stay ahead economically, andJI

cally, is in the totality of its elf'he

Bay Area's becomes

beta site for the 21stcentnO'ation

Highway. Other

across the United States anti

the globe, are likely to be

page from its book(c) 1997 washiogum pag a

P

By Neal R. Peirce

(Neat Peirce is a syndicated col-

umnist who writes about local gov-

ernment issues. His columns do not

re~i the opinions ofCounty News

or NACo.)Just utter the word Internet and

images ofdistant Web sites and dis-

embodied cyberspace spring to

mind.But regions serious about com-

peting in the new global economy

know better. And none more so

thanSiTiconValleyandtheSanFran-cisco Bay Area, birthplace of chip

technology, home to halfthe world'computer system architects.

''Geography is stillvital.Most ofour interactions are withpeople in a

20- to 50-mile radius," says Seth

Fear'eyof Collaborative Economics

here. He has been a key figure in the

five-year-old ".Smart Valley," an

electronic community initiative to

apply advanced information tech-

nology to solve regional problems.

Regional electronic lmks are be-

coming keytobusiness,government,social success, Fearey told a groupofEuropean fellows, curious about

American technology, at a recent

German Marshall Fund ofthe U5.meeting in Oakland.

Cities,Fearey noted,aretoo small

to suffice as full-p~electronic

platforms. States are too large, too

distantfrom the focusofloca needs.

Regions, or counties, are the rightsize.

Clearly, when a region is wiredand connected, there's major op-

portunity for its businesses toshow-

case then sup phes and services, lo-

cally as well as globally, throughlively, interactive Internet sites.

Governments, fortheir part,cariservicecitizenswitheverything fromemergency mformabon to towncouncil meeting agendas to formsthat let people app!y quickly, with-out fuss, for anything from a home

remodeling permit to a marriagelicense.

The Smart Valleyeffort—born,as Fearey notes, at a time ofa Cali-

fornia recession, "out of fear we'

get eaten alive by Japan or FortressEurope" —has produced a series ofwaystofosterbusiness-community-government collaboration.

The system was modded in parton Singapore's 'qntdligent Island"use of inventive computer technol-

ogy. It has mduded efforts to get

free Internet access in schools andlibraries —enabling, among other

DIRMARKD.C.: 'I

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HEAVICES

fCOUNTY ADMINISTRATOR

IPUTNAM COUNTY, FLA.:

putnam County seeks a County Ad-ministrator for highly responsiblemanagement work directing and coor-

t )iuating all phases of county govern-

gent under ihe direction of a fivemember Board of County Commis-

iiuuers. Position to be filled as soon as

passible. This rural northeast Floridaiummunity has a population of70,000.

s olTThe agency has an annual budget of155 million,260 employees and 2 bar-

pining units. Five years administra-

6vc and executive experience and a

huchelor's degree in Public Adminis-o uation, Business Administration or

of related field required, Master's pre-

ivin, [crred. Annual Salary $ 57,552—8

II6,328. Send resume with salary his-

tory to: Personnel Office, P.O. Box

f 158, Palatka, FL 32178. Deadline for. of

tcccipt of application: November 24,

1997. EEO/VP/ADA.

DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIPIIARKETING—WASHINGTON,It,C.: The National Association ofCounties, an association representingmunty governments, is seeking a Di-icctor of Membership Marketing. The

)nmary duties are to develop and

implement marketing objectives, pro-icilures and methods for evaluation as

related to membership, developingtuatcgies for the renewal of members,)rumoting the organization to poten-iial member groups, identifying and

~ )cvcloping new programs and services'c meet'member needs, and recom-

mending ways to improve existing)tugrams and services. Job require-ments are a bachelor's degree and fiveirmore years ofprogressively respon-iihlc marketing experience. A master'

)cgrce may substitute for one year ofpcrience. Broad knowledge of

muuty government structure desirablemd an ability to build consensussong diverse groups and interests.

um salary $47,612/year. Send

e to: National Association ofes, Human Resources-DMM;

tth First Street, N.W.; Washington,hC 20001; or Fax to: 202/393-2630.

EEO employer.

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DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC,—WESTMORELAND

UNTY, PA.: Immediate openinga Director of Public Safety. Re-

ibilities: directing, coordinatingadministering County-wide pub-

safety related functions includingy communication with EMD,

gency management, security,at, and public educational is-

Requirements: Bachelor' degreeEmergency Management/Public Ad-

tion with 5 years of supervi-experience.

()ualifted candidates should submitby 11/1/97 detailing education,

experience, salary history, and sal-

requirements to: WestmorelandCourthouse, ATrN: Director ofResources, 108 Courthouse

, Greensburg, PA 15601. (nocalls please) EOE.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SER-DIRECTOR —ITASCA

g

County News, October 13 1997l3

-- = W7)7)'1 ~/&

COUNTY,MINN.:APPLICATIONSWILLBE ACCEPTED FROM MON-

DAY,SEPTEMBER 29, 1997 UNTILMONDAY,NOVEMBER 10, 1997 AT4:00 P.M. TO ESTABLISH AN ELI-GIBILITYLISTFOR HEALTHANDHUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR,WHICH OPERATES OUT OF THEDEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ANDHUMAN SERVICES. CURRENTVACANCY: ONE (I) REGULARF/T POSITION. For more informationon the job duties and qualifications,and to obtain an application, please

call the Itasca County Job Announce-ment Hotline at 218/327-7479 or(TDD) 1-218/327-2806. Itasca Countyis an equal opportunity employer.

PARKS ANDRECREATION DI-RECTOR — CITY OFSOUTHFIELD, MICH.: Premierecommunity of 75,000 residents, pluslarge business population, seekshighly-skilled manager as P & R Di-rector. Located in southeast Michi-gan, Southfield is Oakland County'slargest suburb, and takes pride in itsmulti-cultural heritage and economicvitality. Director is responsible foradministration of a full service recre-

ation department, including leisureclasses, parks, swimming pools, icearena, golf courses, convocation and

exhibition facility, historic sites, cul-tural programs, and community cen-

ters aimed at youth, families, and se-

niors. Supervises 44 full time and upto 300 part-time employees; $ 8.8 mil-lion budget. Minimum qualificationsinclude a Bachelor's degree or equiv.in Business Admin., Public Admin.,Recreation Admin., or related field;Master's Degree preferred; 6+ yearsof directly related experience, includ-ing administration of a large, revenue-producing operation; highly effectiveinterpersonal and leadership skills.CLP certification/eligibilitypreferred.Salary range $ 62,000 to $ 84,000; ex-

cellent benefits. Appointed position;residency required followingappoint-ment. Submit resume by Monday,November 10, 1997. Personnel De-

partment, City ofSouthfield, P.O. Box2055, 26000 Evergreen Road,Southfield, MI 48037-2055; FAX:(248) 354-9092. EOE. M/F/V/H.

PUBLIC HEALTHOFFICER-GALLATIN COUNTY-CITY OFBOZEMAN,MONT.: Liveand workin the "last best place!" RequiresMaster's degree in public health, pub-lic administration or related field, or a

doctor of medicine degree. Plus fiveyears progressively responsible expe-rience in public health related fielddemonstrating experience managingpublic health programs (Environmen-tal and Human Health Services). Sal-ary: $46,500. —$56,500. Annually +excellent benefits.

APPLY: Immediately. Post untilfilled. SUBMIT: Cover Letter, Re-sume, Transcripts,'nd 3 work refer-ences to the Bozeman Job Service,121 N. Willson Ave., Bozeman, MT59715 (406) 582-9200. For copy ofcomplete job description, contactKathy Nowierski, Personnel Officerat (406) 582-3045.

l5

CONFERENCES~ The New York Association

of Training and Employment Pro-fessionals (NYATEP)willco-spon-sor the following events in Roch-ester, N.Y. in October: "Welfare-To-Work Academy," a full day ofworkshops covering the major is-sues in implementing Welfare-to-Work in New York state: Oct. 22.

And "Working Together to MakeNew York Work" willaddress keyissues in workforce development,school-to-work and welfare-to-work; Oct. 23-24.

For more information, contactTina Scott or Lisa Crall, NYATEP,111 Pine St., Albany, NY 12207;

phone: 518/465-1473; e-mail:gthompsonNnyatep.org.

~ The Colorado Plateau DataCoordination Workshop will be

held Oct. 28 —29 in Farmington,N.M. The workshops are intendedto help create, expand or continueconnections across public and pri-vate sectors, and institutional bar-riers, as well as provide a forum todiscuss data availability, access,standards, uses and needs relatedto natural/cultural and socioeco-

nomic aspects of the Colorado Pla-

teau.For more information, contact Den-

nis Goreham by e-mail:SMTP:asagrc.dgorehamCmstate.ut.us, or call801/538-3163.

~ At the National HousingConference's (NHC)"Community In-vestment Challenges and Opportuni-ties," conference, Oct. 30-31 in At-lanta, Ga., you'l hear from peoplewho have successfully met commu-nity investment challenges using in-novative tools, strategies and partner-ships. Learn how a combination ofcommunity capitalism and publichousing reform can help transformcommunities into vibrant, attractiveplaces to live and work.

For more information, contactNHC, 815 15th St., N.W., Suite 538,Washington, DC 20005; phone: 202/393-5772, ext. 22; fax: 202/393-5656.

~ "Environmental TechnologyChina (ETC) '97," the third internationalexhibition on environmental protection,pollution control and Green Production

Technology, willbe held Nov. 11-14 inShanghai, China. The topic of this tech-

nical seminar is the control and abate-

ment in water pollution and waste man-

agement. Exhibitors will showcase theindustry's cutting-edge products to Chi-

nese end users.

For more information, contact AliceLai, Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd.,4/F, Stanhope House, 734 King'

, Road, North Point, Hong Kong; phone:852/2817-8897; fax: 852/2516-5024;

or e-mail:aes Cmadsaleexh.corn.

~ Join water professionals fromacross the country at the AmericanWater Works Association's(AWWA)public involvement tele-conference and workshop, Nov. 13—

15. The three-hour teleconferencewill focus on communicating withthe media and developing publicinvolvement programs. The"PublicInvolvement and Media Strategies"workshop will showcase tools andtechniques to improve the decisionmaking, communication and plan-ning skills vital to all successfulutility operations.

For more information, contactthe AWWAMeetings Dept. at 303/347-6160, or visit AWWA's Website: <http: //www.awwa.org.)

NEWLEGALCHANNEL~ The American Bar Asso-

ciation's (ABA)Lawyers Commu-nication Network (LCN) nowbroadcasts professional educationcourses and news directly to law-yers, judges and other legal profes-sionals via an 18-inch satellite dish.Launched on a pilot basis in June'97, LCN provides 60 hours of pro-gramming per month, available ex-

clusively on EchoStar's DISH Net-work system.

For more information, contactNancy Cowger Slonim at 312/988-6132; or e-mail:slonimnOstaff.abanet.org.

(Notices is compiled by Virin"-Vickers, special correspondent.)

~pIC

County Nez)Js'Jo'o Market

Reasonable rates.World Wide Web exposure.

Cal/ 202/942-4256

'ob

Market - Classified Rate Schedule~ Line Rates: $7 per line, NACo member counties; $ 10 per line, others.

~ Display Classified: $40 per column inch, NACo member counties; $60 per column inch, others.

~ Billing: Invoices willbe sent after publication.

~ Mail advertising copy to: Job Market, County News, 440 First St., N.W., Washington, DC 20001.

~ FAX advertising copy to: Job Market, County News, 202/393-2630.

~ Be sure to include billing information along with copy.

~ Estimates given prior to publication are approximations only, and dc, not necessarily reflect final cost.

For more information, call Victoria Vickers, County News, National Association of Counties, 202/942-4256.

I I

'

II'I" ' 'I"

alien'~i,'<ouiius~iiIIIa~ie i'>em!~"

A NACo Satellite Broadcast on Ku and C Band

October 23, 1997 1-3 PM Eastern Time (Adjust Locally)Na~tion

Hoi

lanII

t~

leg

~ Helps you analyze the changing faces of your communities,

~ Helps you identify your county's factions and their persoectives,

~ Gives you practical techniques for resolving conflicts.

Fax-Back FormFAX TO: NA(o TRAININGDIVISIONAT (202) 137-0480 or MAIL(HKKS lo:

NA(o TRAININGDIVISION, 440 FIRST ST., NW, WASHINGTON, D( 20001

Yes! IWant to Organize a Site for "Community Conflicts...

Please Note:The registration fee for this broadcast is $300 ocr site. Sites may invite unlimited participants. Sites may also charge a fee to offset their own costs,lf vou ornanize and nav Corri

than one site. vou willalso be eligible for a 10 nercent discount (rebate) for each additional site vou organize. (Note: Rebates willbe sent after the broadcast.) NACo will

send a Downlink Guide to all registered sites before the broadcast with materials for you to photocopy for site participants. QUESTIONS: Call 202/94M267.

~ass

A bi

owners'oraso

,+ Jthe Hou

178.

Supa localthat lierty is

and dederthe]stltutioprohibi

eriy forpens ati

Pro

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in fedc

countyunder i

PLEASE USE A SEPARATE FAX-BACKSHEET FOR EACH SITE YOU REGISTER.

Name of Site Coordinator(You or a designee.)

Site Coordinator's Mailing Address(Downlink Guide willbe sent here)

Site Name (facility)Site Address

Site Coordinator Phone

Site Coordinator FAX

Seating CapacityName of Site Technician

Site Technician Phone (day of broadcast)(Critical Information)

FAX (day of broadcast)(Critical Information)

(Note: The above information enables NACo to contact site technicians in the event of signal problems or other technical changes. )

Payment is enclosed 0 $300 per downlink site, as follows:

No. of sites $ Total amount for all sites. (Please enclose full ar,".o»nt; NACo will send rebate ifapplicable.)

Cl Check enclosed (Please make checks out to NACo. Mail to: NACo Training Division, 440 1st Street NW, Washington, DC 20001.)

C3 Billmy credit card (check one) MasterCard Visa

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Need a Downlink Site to Trv? NACo's Training Division has compiled lists of sites that have downlinked our programming in the past. Ifyou'd like to hear about them in

to organize a site, please call the NACo satellite hotline at 202 942-4299 and leave a message. Please leave your name, state, county, phone, and FAX number (speak slowly)

we willFAXyou a list ofsites to ur in your state. (These lists contain only possible sites. Contacts listed are under no oblination to participate in this or any other NACo p