Lancaster County
Board of Commissioners
Board of Commissioners
STAFF MEETING AGENDA Lancaster County Board Of Commissioners Thursday, October 29, 1998 - 8:00 a.m. County-City Building - Room 113 AGENDA ITEM 1 APPROVAL OF STAFF MEETING MINUTES OF OCTOBER 22, 1998 2 ADDITIONS TO AGENDA 3 8:00am COMMISSIONERS MEETING REPORTS (See Item #15) 4 8:30am WORK FORCE INVESTMENT ACT - Joan Modrell, Urban Development Director; Vance Jones and Terry Parsen 5 9:00am COUNTY VETERANS SERVICE QUARTERLY REPORT Gary Chalupa, Veterans Services Officer 6 9:15am VISITORS PROMOTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE QUARTERLY REPORT Paul McCue, Chamber of Commerce President; Michael Carpenter, Convention & Visitors Bureau Director 7 9:30am GRANT APPLICATION FOR PURCHASE OF PEPPER SPRAY CANISTERS Bill Jarrett, Chief Deputy Sheriff 8 9:40am REGISTER OF DEEDS TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE Dan Nolte, Register of Deeds 9 9:45am ATTENTION CENTER OVERCROWDING CONTINGENCY PLAN; APPOINTMENT OF GREG PETTIBONE AS PROJECT MANAGER FOR CONSTRUCTION OF NEW ATTENTION CENTER Dennis Banks, Attention Center Director 10 10:00am REVIEW OF PROGRAM STATEMENT FOR YOUTH DETENTION FACILITY Jim Hille, Sinclair Hille & Associates 11 ACTION ITEMS 12 CONSENT ITEMS a. Request from David Kroeker to Attend the Association of Government Accountants Annual Fall Conference - November 6, 1998, at the Cornhusker Hotel 13 ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER REPORT a. Lincoln Chamber of Commerce Directors Ballot b. Waverly Flood Plain Near Amberly Road c. Tesseract Update d. Annual NACO Convention (December 1-3, 1998) 14 PENDING 15 DISCUSSION OF BOARD MEMBER MEETINGS a. Master Plan Steering Committee - Hudkins b. Emergency Services Executive Committee - Hudkins c. Information Services Policy Committee - Steinman d. Attention Center Advisory Committee - Steinman 16 SCHEDULE OF BOARD MEMBER MEETINGS a. Ecological Advisory Committee - Tuesday, November 3, 1998 at 7:00 a.m., at the County-City Building, Room 106 - Heier b. Justice & Law Enforcement Center Advisory Committee Tuesday, November 3, 1998,e at 12:00 p.m., at the County-City Building, Room 113 - Steinman 17 INVITATIONS TO BOARD MEMBERS a. Wood Bridge Apartment & Townhomes Open House - Thursday, November 5, 1998, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m, at 7011 S. 22nd Street b. Hastings Superstore Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony - Friday, November 6, 1998, at 9:00 a.m., at 3800 Old Cheney Road c. Lincoln Action Program's 34th Annual Meeting Friday, November 13, 1998, at 11:45 a.m., at the Cornhusker Hotel 18 CORRESPONDENCE TO THE COUNTY BOARD 19 CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE COUNTY BOARD 20 AGENDA ITEMS FOR COUNTY BOARD MEETING OF NOVEMBER 3, 1998 21 EMERGENCY ITEMS AND OTHER BUSINESS
MINUTES Lancaster County Board Of Commissioners County-City Building Meeting Room #113 Thursday, October 22, 1998 8 a.m. Commissioners Present: Linda Steinman, Chair Kathy Campbell Bernie Heier Larry Hudkins Commissioners Absent: Steve Svoboda Others Present: Kerry Eagan, Chief Administrative Officer Ann Taylor, County Clerk's Office AGENDA ITEM 1 APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING OF OCTOBER 22, 1998. MOTION: Hudkins moved and Campbell seconded approval of the minutes. On call Hudkins, Campbell, Heier and Steinman voted aye. Motion carried. 2 ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA a. Request from Juvenile Court to Purchase Used Computer Monitor in the Amount of $347.00, from the Microcomputer Fund b. Request from the Attention Center to Purchase a Replacement Transport Vehicle MOTION: Campbell moved and Heier seconded approval of the additions to the agenda. On call Campbell, Heier, Hudkins and Steinman voted aye. Motion carried. REGISTER OF DEEDS TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE - Dan Nolte, Register of Deeds; David Hunter, Register of Deeds Technology Committee Dan Nolte, Register of Deeds, reported on formation of the Register of Deeds Technology Committee, which will look at ways to make the Register of Deeds' information more accessible to the community (Exhibit A). Nolte stated that a timeline for conversion of the Register of Deeds records to the computer mainframe has not been provided by Information Services, as requested. He expressed concern that the Register of Deeds' records may be jeopardized if Year 2000 compliance is not achieved, due to delays in the conversion project. Nolte indicated that Commercial Computer Systems, will need to be alerted by the end of the year if adjustments to the existing program are required. Steinman noted that it was reported at the Information Services Policy Committee meeting that the majority of records will be converted to the mainframe and ready to test by the end of the year, with conversion scheduled to be completed by February, 1999. She suggested that inviting a representative of Information Services to serve on the Register of Deeds Technology Committee would enhance communication between the two entities. Eagan suggested that a Geographic Information System (GIS) representative might also be beneficial. David Hunter, Register of Deeds Technology Committee, stated that Commercial Computer Systems should have been more cognizant of the data sensitive nature of the records when developing the program. He noted that centralized support and a mainframe system that ties the records of the Register of Deeds, County Assessor, County Treasurer and District Court together for easy accessibility is crucial. The Board requested that Doug Thomas, Information Services Director, provide an update on the conversion project to the Board. MOTION: Heier moved and Hudkins seconded to schedule a County Board meeting, directly following the 1:30 p.m. County Board of Commissioners meeting scheduled November 3, 1998, for an update on conversion of the Register of Deeds records to the computer mainframe. On call Heier, Hudkins, Campbell and Steinman voted aye. Motion carried. 3 COMMISSIONERS MEETING REPORTS (See Item 13) a. Master Plan Steering Committee - Hudkins Hudkins reported that repair of office doors, bracing and the leak in the skylight were discussed. He also reported that support beam rust in the Hall of Justice and Law Enforcement Center is not as extensive as originally believed. b. Emergency Services Executive Committee - Hudkins Eagan reported that the Nebraska Air National Guard has fire equipment which was not utilized in last year's snowstorm disaster. Eagan reported that additional topics of discussion were: Need for home-based, electronically driven medical treatment, such as dialysis, during disaster situations Reinstatement of the volunteer program in which four-wheel drive vehicles are used to transport medical personnel Interlocal agreements with surrounding communities for emergency services back-up 4 WORK FORCE INVESTMENT ACT - Joan Modrell, Urban Development Director; Vanee Jones and Jim Haga, Lincoln Private Industry Council Joan Modrell, Urban Development Director, briefly reviewed Introduction to H.R. 1385, The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (Exhibit B), which shifts responsibility and accountability for workforce investment programs from the federal level to a state workforce investment board. Modrell noted that, under this Act, each local area will establish a one-stop delivery system, through which access to other employment and training services is provided. Access to services must be provided by a physical one-stop center in each local area, which may be supplemented by networks of affiliated sites. Modrell reported that the Mayor and Lincoln Private Industry Council have applied to have the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) service delivery area for Lancaster County and Saunders County temporarily designated as a workforce investment area. She noted that location of population drawn for the workforce will be a key factor in determination of workforce investment areas. Coordination with surrounding counties for delivery of service is also critical. In response to a question from Hudkins, Modrell stated that Lancaster County could seek designation as a separate workforce investment area, as it meets the 200,000 population criteria. Modrell suggested that the local workforce investment board, which is responsible for planning and overseeing the program, be appointed by the Mayor, in conjunction with the County Board. The workforce investment board will be responsible for: Developing the local plan to be submitted to the Governor for the approval Designating local one-stop operators Designating eligible providers of training services Negotiating local performance measures Assisting in development of a statewide employment statistics system Modrell stated that the Act requires local workforce areas to have one-stop delivery systems in place by July, 2000. In response to a question from Eagan, Modrell stated that funding of the one-stop delivery system will be provided directly by the one-stop partners. Eagan asked whether the program would assist welfare recipients in getting off of welfare and back into the working sector. Steinman noted that welfare savings are to be returned to the community, which could also be used to support the program. In response to a question from Campbell, Modrell stated that transportation and child care are key issues for many individuals seeking assistance. She stated that the local workforce investment board will work to develop solutions to those type of problems, with input from the business community. Campbell suggested that training be provided businesses in how to address problems faced by employees in the program. Modrell agreed to return in four to six weeks with a list of recommendations on implementation of the Workforce Investment Act in Lancaster County. 5 COUNTY VETERANS SERVICES QUARTERLY REPORT - Gary Chalupa, Veterans Services Officer Gary Chalupa, Veterans Services Officer, distributed copies of the Quarterly Report of County Veterans' Service Committee (Exhibit C). Chalupa also reported briefly on the status of the Veterans Administration Medical Center, contract negotiations for inpatient medical care for veterans, legislative issues and development of an Internet website. The Board requested that Chalupa present an annual report on County Veterans Services at the Tuesday, November 10th County Board of Commissioners meeting. The Board also indicated that they would like to recognize a County veteran of distinction at that meeting and asked Chalupa to submit suggestions to the Board. 6 VISITORS PROMOTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE QUARTERLY REPORT - Paul McCue, Chamber of Commerce President; Michael Carpenter, Convention & Visitors Bureau Director; Jerry Barnes, Visitors Promotion Advisory Committee Chair Jerry Barnes, Visitors Promotion Advisory Committee Chair, provided a brief quarterly report on the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), noting improvements in financial management, sales efforts and communication with the hospitality community. He also reported that the CVB has secured funds to improve landscaping of the corridor leading into the city from the airport. In response to a question from Eagan, Michael Carpenter, Convention & Visitors Bureau Director, stated that the Lincoln Sports Industry Commission is now functioning as a separate organization. Carpenter reported that approximately 80% of the funds have been raised for this year's Nebraska High School Football Championships and commitments totaling $135,000 have been received towards location of an indoor football league in Lincoln. Carpenter also reviewed the Convention & Visitors Bureau's budget, noting that lodging tax collections are currently ahead of the projected four percent increase. He also reported a three to four percent decrease in expenses. 7 GRANT APPLICATION FOR PURCHASE OF PEPPER SPRAY CANISTERS - Terry Wagner, County Sheriff; Bill Jarrett, Chief Deputy Sheriff Bill Jarrett, Chief Deputy Sheriff, requested authorization to apply for a Federal Local law Enforcement Block Grant, in the amount of $1,300, which would be used to purchase 70 Oleoresin Capsicum (Pepper Spray) canisters and holders for Sheriff's Deputies. The Sheriff's Department will pay the remaining $1,200 cost of the canisters. MOTION: Campbell moved and Heier seconded approval of the request and authorized the Chair to sign the grant application. On call Campbell, Heier, Hudkins and Steinman voted aye. Motion carried. 8 REGISTER OF DEEDS TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE - Dan Nolte, Register of Deeds This item was moved forward on the agenda. 9 ATTENTION CENTER OVERCROWDING CONTINGENCY PLAN; APPOINTMENT OF GREG PETTIBONE AS PROJECT MANAGER FOR CONSTRUCTION OF NEW ATTENTION CENTER FACILITY - Dennis Banks, Attention Center Director; Greg Pettibone and Don Marfice, County Property Management ATTENTION CENTER OVERCROWDING CONTINGENCY PLAN Dennis Banks, Attention Center Director, reported on a renovation plan to add two single security rooms at the Attention Center facility and one single security room at the Airpark facility, at a total cost of $17,115, to relieve overcrowding at the two facilities until a new facility is constructed (Exhibit D). MOTION: Campbell moved and Heier seconded approval of the renovation plan, as outlined by Dennis Banks, Attention Center Director. On call Campbell, Heier, Hudkins and Steinman voted aye. Motion carried. The Board requested Banks to prepare a comparison of costs for converting additional space in the Attention Center facility to house juveniles versus implementation of alternative programs which would divert youth from the facility, for the Board's consideration. APPOINTMENT OF GREG PETTIBONE AS PROJECT MANAGER FOR CONSTRUCTION OF NEW ATTENTION CENTER FACILITY MOTION: Campbell moved and Hudkins seconded approval of Greg Pettibone as Project Manager for construction of the new Attention Center facility. On call Campbell, Hudkins, Heier and Steinman voted aye. Motion carried. Eagan will notify Don Killeen, County Property Manager, of the appointment. ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA b. Request from the Attention Center to Purchase a Replacement Transport Vehicle Dennis Banks, Attention Center Director, requested authorization to replace a transport vehicle which is being retired, due to costly repairs (Exhibit E). MOTION: Heier moved and Hudkins seconded approval of the request, to be deducted initially from the Attention Center Budget, and requested that Dave Kroeker, Budget & Fiscal Officer, report on an appropriate funding source at the Midyear Budget Review. On call Heier, Hudkins, Campbell and Steinman voted aye. Motion carried. 10 REVIEW OF PROGRAM STATEMENT FOR YOUTH DETENTION FACILITY - Jim Hille, Sinclair Hille & Associates Inc. Jim Hille, Sinclair Hille & Associates Inc., reported that the program statement for the new youth detention facility is currently under revision and inquired whether the Board had identified any issues that require further clarification. Campbell asked when a decision is needed on the Assessment Center. Hille indicated that decisions with regards to the Assessment Center, site selection and program issues are needed by the end of the year. Steinman noted that site selection may be a determining factor in whether the Assessment Center is located on campus. Hille noted that the inclusion of the Assessment Center will influence placement of other key components in the building layout. Campbell noted that the issue of whether to move the juvenile court to the campus still needs to be addressed. Eagan noted that the County can not force the Juvenile Court and Juvenile Probation to locate in the new facility. Heier noted that growth in the courts may encourage use of courtrooms on campus. The Juvenile Court Judges have also indicated a willingness to make use of a hearing room on campus. In response to a question from Campbell, Hille stated that the Board has given clear direction that an isolated component of 20 staff-secure beds is to be located on campus, with adaptability to secure beds, if possible. Hille indicated that the issue of planning kitchen space in the facility for future use will need to be addressed in the near future. Campbell inquired about the perimeter of the facility. Hille stated that the building can be designed in a manner that would not visually identify the building as a correctional facility, such as using the building to enclose outdoor spaces and presenting the administrative/education side to the neighborhood. Hille agreed to bring photographs of other detention facilities designed in this manner to the meeting scheduled with the Yankee Hill Neighborhood Association on Monday, November 9th. Heier requested that a tour of the Des Moines facility be scheduled for the Board and Juvenile Court Judges. ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA a. Request from Juvenile Court to Purchase Used Computer Monitor in the Amount of $347.00, from the Microcomputer Fund Eagan reported that the computer equipment is needed to equip the Clerk Typist who was recently hired for the Juvenile Court (Exhibit F). MOTION: Heier moved and Campbell seconded approval of the request. On call Heier, Campbell, Hudkins and Steinman voted aye. Motion carried. Heier briefly reported on WALK LINCOLN, a community based pedestrian safety program, which was held October 23rd, noting his concern with trail safety for walkers and bicyclists. 11 CONSENT ITEMS a. Request from Dave Kroeker, Budget & Fiscal Officer, to Attend the Association of Government Accountants Annual Fall Conference - November 6, 1998, at the Cornhusker Hotel MOTION: Campbell moved and Heier seconded approval. On call Campbell, Heier, Hudkins and Steinman voted aye. Motion carried. 12 ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER REPORT a. Lincoln Chamber of Commerce Directors Ballot Board consensus to not submit a ballot. b. Waverly Floodplain Near Amberly Road MOTION: Campbell moved and Heier seconded to send a letter to Ron Melbye, Waverly Mayor, requesting an update on the flooding situation in Waverly. On call Campbell, Heier, Hudkins and Steinman voted aye. Motion carried. c. Tesseract Payroll System Update Eagan reported that the County Clerk is satisfied with the revised contract with Information Services. Implementation is projected to be completed by January, 1999. d. Annual Nebraska Association of County Officials (NACO) Convention - December 1-3, 1998 Hudkins, Steinman, Heier and Eagan indicated that they plan to attend the conference. Campbell indicated that she will attend, if excused from a prior commitment. Board consensus to pay the registration fee for the newly elected County Commissioner. 13 DISCUSSION OF BOARD MEMBER MEETINGS a. Master Plan Steering Committee - Hudkins b. Emergency Services Executive Committee - Hudkins Items a and b were moved forward on the agenda. c. Information Services Policy Committee - Steinman Steinman reported that the Register of Deeds and the Tesseract Payroll System projects were discussed. Steinman also reported on a new laser printer which will print forms currently contracted out. d. Attention Center Advisory Committee - Steinman No report was given. 14 SCHEDULE OF BOARD MEMBER MEETINGS a. Ecological Advisory Committee - Tuesday, November 3, 1998 at 7 a.m., at the County-City Building, Room 106 - Heier b. Justice & Law Enforcement Center Advisory Committee - Wednesday, November 4, 1998, at 12 p.m., at the County-City Building, Room 113 - Steinman, Campbell 15 INVITATIONS TO BOARD MEMBERS a. Wood Bridge Apartment & Townhomes Open House - Thursday, November 5, 1998, 4-6 p.m., at 7011 S 22nd Street b. Hastings Superstore Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony - Friday, November 6, 1998, at 9 a.m., at 3800 Old Cheney Road c. Lincoln Action Program's 34th Annual Meeting - Friday, November 13, 1998, at 11:45 a.m., at the Cornhusker Hotel 16 CORRESPONDENCE TO THE COUNTY BOARD 17 CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE COUNTY BOARD 18 AGENDA ITEMS FOR COUNTY BOARD MEETING OF NOVEMBER 3, 1998 19 EMERGENCY ITEMS AND OTHER BUSINESS 20 ADJOURNMENT By direction of the Chair, the meeting was adjourned. ______________________ Kandra Hahn Lancaster County Clerk