Due to a very crazy week, I skipped the blog last week. Sorry!
Before the County Commission today, we learned that the Census was released. Ingham County Clerk Mike Bryanton alerted us that Ingham County actually increase population over the last 10 years by about 1500 people. We went from a 2000 census of 279,409 to a 2010 census of 280,895. That's good. The City of Lansing dropped 4% from about 119,000 to about 114,000. I am not sure of any of the other numbers, but you can see them at www.michigan.gov/census. In terms of the county political scene, Clerk Bryanton said there was a tentative decision to reduce the County Commission seats from 16 to 14. They still have to receive the track information for the county, which is expected this week. Once that happens, the Reapportionment Committee has 60 days to meet and make a final decision. The LSJ has opined on this recently and there have been some editorials, so it will be interesting to watch. Contrary to popular opinion, the County Commission has no say in this decision at all.
Today, at the County Commission meeting, we only debated one resolution. We considered a resolution to encourage the Legisalture to add libraries to the gun-free zone list and prohibit open-carry and concealed-carry of guns. We passed an amendment to remove some potentially inflammatory language in the resolution (which passed overwhelmingly). We then considered an amendment that would strip out the concealed language and only make our resolution deal with open carry. This amendment failed on an 8-8 vote. The resolution then passed on a 11-5 vote, along party lines but with one Republican voting yes, and two Democrats voting no. Personally, I voted to support the resolution. In debate, I commented that I am a supporter of guns. I shoot guns (target shooting) and have since I was young. I have also shot guns with my son and teach him to respect guns. I am very concerned, though, about having guns in a library. I am afraid that in such a small space with so many children, something could go wrong. A child could see the gun and try to play with it, or another accident could happen in the confined space. I think about the South Lansing library and wonder what could happen. I agree that people have the right to have weapons in their car or in their homes or even concealed (with a permit) as they go about their day. But I think that places like schools and libraries should not have guns.
We also passed a resolution continuing the existing contract with the Michigan Association of Police. It passed unanimously on the Board floor, but we discussed this last week in the County Services committee. The county staff and labor bargaining team agreed on new language, but the membership rejected it because of the new language on part-time employees. The county committed to not using part-timers to supplant full time deputies, but the deputies want the part time folks to also have fringe benefits. The issue is now going to mediation, and we passed the resolution to keep the old contract in place while negotiations are ongoing.
That's what I have this week. Starting soon, I will also be blogging about campaign events so people can be up to date on those activities as well. I have been attending lots of things as part of the campaign, and it is very exciting. Fundraising is also going very well, as is the incredible level of support that I am receiving from community leaders. Life is busy, but very exciting!
Andy
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Economic Development Task Force, EITC, Pollution Prevention, Budget 2011, House Race
This week was exciting, as we had a some controversial resolutions at our Board meeting.
First, we considered a resolution that I authored with Commissioner Brian McGrain that would create a Task Force to study the idea of an economic development millage. The idea of the resolution is to look at the positives and negatives of PA 88. The task force will be made up of commissioners, business groups, taxpayer groups, and anyone else who is interested. I hope we can discuss the pro's and con's of having a fund specifically targeted to assisting in small business and entrepreneurial job creation. I look forward to hearing what the businesses of the county have to say, and to hearing what people are willing to pay (if anything). There are no predetermined outcomes of this task force, and we will see what the parties recommend. All Commissioners supported this except Commissioners Schafer, Dragonetti, and Vickers. They indicated that all task forces result in something so they are opposed to discussing it. I, of course, disagree with that and think discussion of issues like this are vital to assist the county in things helping entrepreneurs to create jobs...but we can agree to disagree and still stay civil.
The second controversial resolution was calling on the Legislature to oppose cutting the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Several Commissioners indicated that cutting the EITC would be a tax on low-income workers who can now receive the benefit of this credit. The Republicans indicated that they didn't think it is appropriate for the County to weigh in on state issues. I pointed out that eliminating the EITC could result in low-income residents of Ingham County in needing more services from our Health Department. That, combined with the revenue sharing cuts we are expecting and the declining tax collections, will cause big problems for the County so we have every reason to weigh in. The resolution passed 12-4 on party lines.
Finally, we again considered the Pollution Prevention (P2) resolution. This resolution, as lyoal readers of the Schor Blog found out last week, would require that businesses in possession of certain amounts of dangerous chemicals on site have to create certain plans and provide them to the county. This would, in essence, codify current county policy and would add a fee to it. We don't charge a fee now, and the taxpayers pick up the entire cost of the program. In public testimony, we had several first responderd (police and fire) testify in support of the resolution. They said that they need these plans for if there is a fire and they have to run into a building. They need to know where the chemicals are and what the dangers are of exploding. Other groups, like the Michigan Environmental Council, also weighed in as supportive. The business community opposed the resolution. Demmer Corporation and Granger and the Michigan Manufacturers and others testified that there are problems with the regulation and that they didn't want to pay the fees.
As you may recall, I voted against this in the Finance Committee. Regarding the fee, I have indicated that I believe that the taxpayers should not have to foot the whole bill for this program, especially with a $5.3 million deficit coming to the county for 2011. But, I thought that 75% in the first year was just too much at one time. On the Board floor, Commissioner Victor Celentino proposed and I supported an amendment that would reduce the fees from 75% to 50% to the businesses (and 50% to the taxpayers). When that passed, several of us were more comfortable with the fee and it passed 13-3. We then considered the regulation. Commissioner Todd Tennis, the Human Services Chair, offered several amendments to satisfy the concerns of the business community that were raised in public comment. Commissioner Tennis also indicated that he would review the regulation in a few months. I offered up an amendment to require the affected businesses be notified electronically in advance when that hearing happens. When that passed, I expressed that I would support the regulation. I am not sure it is perfect, but it is a lot better than it was last year and we will have a required review to ensure we can work out any problems that are raised. After having this come up twice and having new issues brought up at the last minute each time, I decided that it is now time to start this program in order to collect the 50% fees for the 2010 budget (which is less than budgeted).
Oh, and as an aside, I was on the radio talking about this regulation yesterday and one of the Republican Commissioners indicated that it is a tax. I am not sure why they are saying that, as it is false. This is clearly a fee, as it is only assessed on those that use the program (those that have the chemicals) and the money collected is not being used for anything other than this program (which only covers 50% of the cost). I understand that the businesses don't want to pay this fee, but I honestly believe that the taxpayers can no longer afford to subsidize this 100%. And I am disappointed that this is resolution is being mis-characterized as a tax when that is clearly not true. The final resolution passed with 12 of the 13 Democrats supporting it (the 13th abstained because her business is affected by the regulation) and one of the three Republicans supporting it. I would like to thank Commissioner Todd Tennis for all the work he did on this with the outstanding Health Department staff this year, and Commissioner Brian McGrain for all the time and hard work he put into this last year. I also would like to thank Commissioner Randy Schafer for going against his political party and staying consistent in his continual support of first responders and voting in support of this regulation.
This week, the County Commissioners also heard from our staff about some of the budget challenges coming for the 2011 budget. This blog is long enough already, though, so I will report on that another week.
And don't forget, my exploratory committee for the State House of Representatives! Please go to facebook and click on “like” for the page at www.facebook.com/andyschor, and go to the website to read my letter and provide information if you want to volunteer. Soon, the webpage will be updated and there will be fundraiser information and information about supporters. The effort is going really well!
First, we considered a resolution that I authored with Commissioner Brian McGrain that would create a Task Force to study the idea of an economic development millage. The idea of the resolution is to look at the positives and negatives of PA 88. The task force will be made up of commissioners, business groups, taxpayer groups, and anyone else who is interested. I hope we can discuss the pro's and con's of having a fund specifically targeted to assisting in small business and entrepreneurial job creation. I look forward to hearing what the businesses of the county have to say, and to hearing what people are willing to pay (if anything). There are no predetermined outcomes of this task force, and we will see what the parties recommend. All Commissioners supported this except Commissioners Schafer, Dragonetti, and Vickers. They indicated that all task forces result in something so they are opposed to discussing it. I, of course, disagree with that and think discussion of issues like this are vital to assist the county in things helping entrepreneurs to create jobs...but we can agree to disagree and still stay civil.
The second controversial resolution was calling on the Legislature to oppose cutting the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Several Commissioners indicated that cutting the EITC would be a tax on low-income workers who can now receive the benefit of this credit. The Republicans indicated that they didn't think it is appropriate for the County to weigh in on state issues. I pointed out that eliminating the EITC could result in low-income residents of Ingham County in needing more services from our Health Department. That, combined with the revenue sharing cuts we are expecting and the declining tax collections, will cause big problems for the County so we have every reason to weigh in. The resolution passed 12-4 on party lines.
Finally, we again considered the Pollution Prevention (P2) resolution. This resolution, as lyoal readers of the Schor Blog found out last week, would require that businesses in possession of certain amounts of dangerous chemicals on site have to create certain plans and provide them to the county. This would, in essence, codify current county policy and would add a fee to it. We don't charge a fee now, and the taxpayers pick up the entire cost of the program. In public testimony, we had several first responderd (police and fire) testify in support of the resolution. They said that they need these plans for if there is a fire and they have to run into a building. They need to know where the chemicals are and what the dangers are of exploding. Other groups, like the Michigan Environmental Council, also weighed in as supportive. The business community opposed the resolution. Demmer Corporation and Granger and the Michigan Manufacturers and others testified that there are problems with the regulation and that they didn't want to pay the fees.
As you may recall, I voted against this in the Finance Committee. Regarding the fee, I have indicated that I believe that the taxpayers should not have to foot the whole bill for this program, especially with a $5.3 million deficit coming to the county for 2011. But, I thought that 75% in the first year was just too much at one time. On the Board floor, Commissioner Victor Celentino proposed and I supported an amendment that would reduce the fees from 75% to 50% to the businesses (and 50% to the taxpayers). When that passed, several of us were more comfortable with the fee and it passed 13-3. We then considered the regulation. Commissioner Todd Tennis, the Human Services Chair, offered several amendments to satisfy the concerns of the business community that were raised in public comment. Commissioner Tennis also indicated that he would review the regulation in a few months. I offered up an amendment to require the affected businesses be notified electronically in advance when that hearing happens. When that passed, I expressed that I would support the regulation. I am not sure it is perfect, but it is a lot better than it was last year and we will have a required review to ensure we can work out any problems that are raised. After having this come up twice and having new issues brought up at the last minute each time, I decided that it is now time to start this program in order to collect the 50% fees for the 2010 budget (which is less than budgeted).
Oh, and as an aside, I was on the radio talking about this regulation yesterday and one of the Republican Commissioners indicated that it is a tax. I am not sure why they are saying that, as it is false. This is clearly a fee, as it is only assessed on those that use the program (those that have the chemicals) and the money collected is not being used for anything other than this program (which only covers 50% of the cost). I understand that the businesses don't want to pay this fee, but I honestly believe that the taxpayers can no longer afford to subsidize this 100%. And I am disappointed that this is resolution is being mis-characterized as a tax when that is clearly not true. The final resolution passed with 12 of the 13 Democrats supporting it (the 13th abstained because her business is affected by the regulation) and one of the three Republicans supporting it. I would like to thank Commissioner Todd Tennis for all the work he did on this with the outstanding Health Department staff this year, and Commissioner Brian McGrain for all the time and hard work he put into this last year. I also would like to thank Commissioner Randy Schafer for going against his political party and staying consistent in his continual support of first responders and voting in support of this regulation.
This week, the County Commissioners also heard from our staff about some of the budget challenges coming for the 2011 budget. This blog is long enough already, though, so I will report on that another week.
And don't forget, my exploratory committee for the State House of Representatives! Please go to facebook and click on “like” for the page at www.facebook.com/andyschor, and go to the website to read my letter and provide information if you want to volunteer. Soon, the webpage will be updated and there will be fundraiser information and information about supporters. The effort is going really well!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Reorganizations,Zoo Renovation, Pollution Prevention, 2012 campaign
After taking a week off, the County Blog is back! Last week, the Board had nothing controversial and all of the committee work led to unanimous resolutions on the Board floor. It was nice.
This week, we had lots of things in County Services and Finance committees. The Prosecutor presented us with the second part of his reorganization. Prosecutor Dunnings is shifting resources and saving the county money by streamlining services. This reorganization was unanimous in both committees. The Treasurer also presented the committees with a reorganization. Treasurer Schertzing identified a need to reorganize. His reorganization will streamline processes and allow the office to better manage the Land Bank’s increased volume and inventory. It will have zero impact on General Fund money, as the positions are funded by the Land Bank Authority, Brownfield Authority and the Tax Revolving Fund. The Land Bank Coordinator position will, among other things, coordinate all post-foreclosure aspects of the law, including vacating occupied structures, local government action, public auctions and property title transfers, and ensuring statutory compliance at all times. This position also maintains the financial records for the Land Bank, and facilitates termination of legal property rights for delinquent land contract purchasers and renters. The Brownfield Coordinator maintains financial and development records for all Brownfield Plans, Land Bank projects and assists in planning and renovation of development sites. This resolution passed with all Commissioners supporting except Commissioner Dragonetti.
In an interesting resolution on the Zoo, we approved funding from the zoo millage for a renovation. Currently, the Potter Park Zookeeper staff must shift the big cats from one area to another to perform general cleaning, care, and training. To complete these tasks staff uses an outdated, manual, cable and pulley shift door system from the 1980s. The existing doors frequently require costly repairs due to failure and are a safety issue for the keeper staff and the animals. The resolution authorized funding the Feline House Shift Door Replacement in the amount of $65,000 from the Zoo millage. This resolution provides a level of safety needed for employees and animals. All Commissioners except Commissioner Vickers voted for the resolution.
Finally, the most controversial resolution. Late last year, I reported that the County Commission was considering a pollution prevention resolution. The Health Department requested consideration of this resolution to create regulations for toxic and hazardous substances used in Ingham County, help to assure that chemicals are stored appropriately, and ensure that proper pollution mitigation strategies are being implemented. The information collected from this regulation would be used for for emergency and disaster response, and for pollution prevention and groundwater protection. Finally, it would move pollution prevention efforts from a voluntary system supported through County general funds to a regulation that would be cost-shared by the County and the businesses being regulated. Currently, the Health Department employs three environmental health professionals who deliver the services needed to implement the field compliance portion of this proposed regulation. The business community expressed opposition to this regulation. They said that they are already regulated, that this is an expansion of the program, and that the high costs are unnecessary.
The resolution passed 4-2. I voted against this regulation because I believe that it does, in fact, create a new regulatory burden and I am not convinced this is the right time. I am very supportive of our existing efforts and support continuing those efforts, but don't support going from voluntary to mandatory for certain businesses who don't currently have to follow these regulations. I believe that it is an increased burden. I also opposed the fee resolution (which also passed 4-2), which sets the fees at 75% for the business and 25% for the county. Personally, I think that the fees should be phased in over a series of years and should start at 50/50. I will continue to talk to both experts on environmental pollution mitigation and to the business community before the full Board vote on Tuesday, but will remain an opposition vote until I believe that my concerns are addressed. I have great respect and thanks for all the hard work of the members of the county Human Services committee...I just happen to disagree on this one. It happens.
In personal news, you may have heard that I have formed an exploratory committee to run for the State House of Representatives. It has been a whirlwind few months of talking to community leaders and constituents, and I am ready to test the waters. You can read my note to supporters and friends at www.andyschor.com for my reasoning behind taking my first steps into this exciting new adventure. Thanks to everyone who I have talked to, and to everyone who who has met with me and been open and honest with their advice and intentions! Please feel free to contact me at andy.schor@gmail.com or at (517) 618-1666 if you wish to discuss the campaign.
Have a great week!
This week, we had lots of things in County Services and Finance committees. The Prosecutor presented us with the second part of his reorganization. Prosecutor Dunnings is shifting resources and saving the county money by streamlining services. This reorganization was unanimous in both committees. The Treasurer also presented the committees with a reorganization. Treasurer Schertzing identified a need to reorganize. His reorganization will streamline processes and allow the office to better manage the Land Bank’s increased volume and inventory. It will have zero impact on General Fund money, as the positions are funded by the Land Bank Authority, Brownfield Authority and the Tax Revolving Fund. The Land Bank Coordinator position will, among other things, coordinate all post-foreclosure aspects of the law, including vacating occupied structures, local government action, public auctions and property title transfers, and ensuring statutory compliance at all times. This position also maintains the financial records for the Land Bank, and facilitates termination of legal property rights for delinquent land contract purchasers and renters. The Brownfield Coordinator maintains financial and development records for all Brownfield Plans, Land Bank projects and assists in planning and renovation of development sites. This resolution passed with all Commissioners supporting except Commissioner Dragonetti.
In an interesting resolution on the Zoo, we approved funding from the zoo millage for a renovation. Currently, the Potter Park Zookeeper staff must shift the big cats from one area to another to perform general cleaning, care, and training. To complete these tasks staff uses an outdated, manual, cable and pulley shift door system from the 1980s. The existing doors frequently require costly repairs due to failure and are a safety issue for the keeper staff and the animals. The resolution authorized funding the Feline House Shift Door Replacement in the amount of $65,000 from the Zoo millage. This resolution provides a level of safety needed for employees and animals. All Commissioners except Commissioner Vickers voted for the resolution.
Finally, the most controversial resolution. Late last year, I reported that the County Commission was considering a pollution prevention resolution. The Health Department requested consideration of this resolution to create regulations for toxic and hazardous substances used in Ingham County, help to assure that chemicals are stored appropriately, and ensure that proper pollution mitigation strategies are being implemented. The information collected from this regulation would be used for for emergency and disaster response, and for pollution prevention and groundwater protection. Finally, it would move pollution prevention efforts from a voluntary system supported through County general funds to a regulation that would be cost-shared by the County and the businesses being regulated. Currently, the Health Department employs three environmental health professionals who deliver the services needed to implement the field compliance portion of this proposed regulation. The business community expressed opposition to this regulation. They said that they are already regulated, that this is an expansion of the program, and that the high costs are unnecessary.
The resolution passed 4-2. I voted against this regulation because I believe that it does, in fact, create a new regulatory burden and I am not convinced this is the right time. I am very supportive of our existing efforts and support continuing those efforts, but don't support going from voluntary to mandatory for certain businesses who don't currently have to follow these regulations. I believe that it is an increased burden. I also opposed the fee resolution (which also passed 4-2), which sets the fees at 75% for the business and 25% for the county. Personally, I think that the fees should be phased in over a series of years and should start at 50/50. I will continue to talk to both experts on environmental pollution mitigation and to the business community before the full Board vote on Tuesday, but will remain an opposition vote until I believe that my concerns are addressed. I have great respect and thanks for all the hard work of the members of the county Human Services committee...I just happen to disagree on this one. It happens.
In personal news, you may have heard that I have formed an exploratory committee to run for the State House of Representatives. It has been a whirlwind few months of talking to community leaders and constituents, and I am ready to test the waters. You can read my note to supporters and friends at www.andyschor.com for my reasoning behind taking my first steps into this exciting new adventure. Thanks to everyone who I have talked to, and to everyone who who has met with me and been open and honest with their advice and intentions! Please feel free to contact me at andy.schor@gmail.com or at (517) 618-1666 if you wish to discuss the campaign.
Have a great week!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Park Fee Approvals, Snowboarding Hill, Deputies Back to Work, Money Paid to Williamstown, Revenue Sharing
This week, I am happy to report that one of my concerns on the Board was addressed. Last year, a fee increase for the parks went through without a vote of the Commissioners. When I asked how that is possible, I was told that the resolution creating the Ingham County Parks and Recreation includes language that says that the Parks Commission can create fees that go into effect if the Board of Commissioners don't strike them down within 60 days. That greatly upset me because I believe that the Board of Commissioners are the elected officials, and should set those fees. So, I authored a resolution that requires any fee increases to be approved by the Board first. That resolution came before the County Services and Finance Committees this week. In County Services, we amended it to allow for concessions fees to be changed by the Parks staff because those prices can fluctuate and we don't want to micromanage too much, but the rest of the fees are now subject to Board approval and will be on the annual fee schedule. I always believe that fees and taxes should be in the hands of the elected officials or the people, and not the staff. I am proud that this passed the committees unanimously.
In Finance, we also learned of an exciting proposal. If you remember last week, the Parks Department had an offer of cheap fill dirt and we are now putting that on the Tubing Hill at Hawk Island. Well, the Parks Commission was approached by a group of people who want to create the first ever public snowboard park at Hawk Island. Because the tubing hill is a curve, the snowboard hill would be on an adjacent part of the hill and used for snowboarders. They are asking for a loan of $30,000 to properly create the hill and for equipment and other things, which will be paid back in fees that are collected to use the hill. The snowboard community will also be donating thousands of dollars worth of equipment. The business is working with the Parks Department to craft a proposal that we will see in two weeks or a month, and this will attract numerous snowboarders to Hawk Island and to the Lansing area.
Also in the good news column, we learned this week that as of March, all 8 deputies that were laid off as a result of the defeat of the 12 township votes on road patrol now have jobs. So we will have no laid off out of work deputies. I am disappointed that those people had to go 3 months laid off, but am happy that they are now all taken care of. This was announced after we passed the resolution approving the contract with Williamstown for the dollars that we promised them because they passed the assessment for police. I am still hopeful that the other 12 townships will take us up on the money that we set aside for them, and we will hold that money for them until December 31st.
Finally, as you most definitely know by now, the Governor released his budget plan. In it, he cut revenue sharing from the state to the counties by 1/3. Ingham County was looking at the potential of a big deficit (anywhere from $5 million to $8 million), and the cuts the Governor has announced will definitely substantially increase that deficit if approved by the Governor. We will be looking at those numbers at the next Finance committee. This will not be pretty for Ingham County or for local governments anywhere, and either services will be slashed or local taxes will have to be raised. Budgeting will not be fun for the next year. But stay tuned!
Andy
In Finance, we also learned of an exciting proposal. If you remember last week, the Parks Department had an offer of cheap fill dirt and we are now putting that on the Tubing Hill at Hawk Island. Well, the Parks Commission was approached by a group of people who want to create the first ever public snowboard park at Hawk Island. Because the tubing hill is a curve, the snowboard hill would be on an adjacent part of the hill and used for snowboarders. They are asking for a loan of $30,000 to properly create the hill and for equipment and other things, which will be paid back in fees that are collected to use the hill. The snowboard community will also be donating thousands of dollars worth of equipment. The business is working with the Parks Department to craft a proposal that we will see in two weeks or a month, and this will attract numerous snowboarders to Hawk Island and to the Lansing area.
Also in the good news column, we learned this week that as of March, all 8 deputies that were laid off as a result of the defeat of the 12 township votes on road patrol now have jobs. So we will have no laid off out of work deputies. I am disappointed that those people had to go 3 months laid off, but am happy that they are now all taken care of. This was announced after we passed the resolution approving the contract with Williamstown for the dollars that we promised them because they passed the assessment for police. I am still hopeful that the other 12 townships will take us up on the money that we set aside for them, and we will hold that money for them until December 31st.
Finally, as you most definitely know by now, the Governor released his budget plan. In it, he cut revenue sharing from the state to the counties by 1/3. Ingham County was looking at the potential of a big deficit (anywhere from $5 million to $8 million), and the cuts the Governor has announced will definitely substantially increase that deficit if approved by the Governor. We will be looking at those numbers at the next Finance committee. This will not be pretty for Ingham County or for local governments anywhere, and either services will be slashed or local taxes will have to be raised. Budgeting will not be fun for the next year. But stay tuned!
Andy
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Fill Dirt, Condolences
So sorry for the really late post!
This week, we had our full Board of Commissioners meeting. There was not much controversial on the agenda, and most of the things I reported on last week passed on our consent agenda.
We did have one late item added to our agenda. As you may remember, the county is creating a snow tubing hill at Hawk Island (funded years ago). We had a request from our parks department to allow for the purchase of some extra fill dirt for the hill construction. A company was doing another digging project and had excess fill dirt. They basically charged us the price to move the dirt from the project in Delta Twp to Hawk Island. The construction of the snow tubing hill requires a large amount of fill dirt - essentially doubling the size of the hill. The company will deliver between 15,000 and 20,000 cubic yards of fill dirt at a total cost not to exceed $30,000. The current going rate for fill dirt in the area is around $8 per cubic yard, undelivered. The $30,000 will basically cover the cost of transporting the dirt and comes to about $2 per cubic yard delivered. This money will come from the Parks budget. This was a great opportunity to save some money in the long term.
Otherwise, the Board meeting was non-controversial. Several people passed away recently, and they were recognized. In my district, Ann Spencer passed away. She was the Treasurer for the Old Everett Neighborhood Association and was a tremendous woman. She will be greatly missed in our community. I also indicated my condolences to Dalia Harris, who was the teacher of both my children at their day care. She lost her son, Anthony, in the tragic car crash involving the Holt students. Also lost in the car crash was Holly Bossenberry, niece of constituent and friend and CADL Board Member Marge Bossenberry. My heart goes out to all of these families.
Until next week...
This week, we had our full Board of Commissioners meeting. There was not much controversial on the agenda, and most of the things I reported on last week passed on our consent agenda.
We did have one late item added to our agenda. As you may remember, the county is creating a snow tubing hill at Hawk Island (funded years ago). We had a request from our parks department to allow for the purchase of some extra fill dirt for the hill construction. A company was doing another digging project and had excess fill dirt. They basically charged us the price to move the dirt from the project in Delta Twp to Hawk Island. The construction of the snow tubing hill requires a large amount of fill dirt - essentially doubling the size of the hill. The company will deliver between 15,000 and 20,000 cubic yards of fill dirt at a total cost not to exceed $30,000. The current going rate for fill dirt in the area is around $8 per cubic yard, undelivered. The $30,000 will basically cover the cost of transporting the dirt and comes to about $2 per cubic yard delivered. This money will come from the Parks budget. This was a great opportunity to save some money in the long term.
Otherwise, the Board meeting was non-controversial. Several people passed away recently, and they were recognized. In my district, Ann Spencer passed away. She was the Treasurer for the Old Everett Neighborhood Association and was a tremendous woman. She will be greatly missed in our community. I also indicated my condolences to Dalia Harris, who was the teacher of both my children at their day care. She lost her son, Anthony, in the tragic car crash involving the Holt students. Also lost in the car crash was Holly Bossenberry, niece of constituent and friend and CADL Board Member Marge Bossenberry. My heart goes out to all of these families.
Until next week...
Thursday, February 3, 2011
condolensces, lawsuit policy, dog park
This week has been a very tough week for many friends. The accident in Holt has had a tremendous affect on our family. Our friend lost her son in that tragic accident, and another friend lost her niece. Our hearts go out to them. In addition, the Mayor of the City of Leslie passed away after being sick for many years and I send my condolences to his family and the community of Leslie. Finally, my constituent and friend Ann Spencer, the Treasurer of the Old Everett Neighborhood Network, passed away this week and it is a tremendous loss for our community.
On to county business. If you read my blog regularly (which of course you do!), you know that there recently have been several occasions of county entities suing the county (road commission, judge). As a result, multiple legal fees and other expenses were incurred at the expense of the Ingham County taxpayers without the county Board being consulted first.
I announced last year that I would be proposing a policy that requires that the County Board be notified before anyone takes legal action against the county. That resolution went before County Service and Finance this week. The resolution adopts the following procedures to be used in the event it is inevitable for one Ingham County entity to sue another:
1) An Ingham County entity must exhaust all efforts to resolve an issue with another Ingham County entity prior to initiating any formal legal proceedings or lawsuits.
2) Funds for outside Counsel shall not be incurred or expended without prior approval of the Board of Commissioners.
3) In emergency situations, Board Leadership and the Controller/Administrator are authorized to approve legal expenditures as long as the Liaison Committee, County Services and Finance Committees are notified immediately.
4) In the event the County incurs a financial obligation, the Board of Commissioners will determine the appropriate funding source, including but not limited to either parties’ existing County budget or the Contingency Fund.
5)Entities must first consider the possibility of utilizing counsel from an adjacent governmental unit.
In Finance, we added language recognizing that elected county officers in conflict must receive representation from the county (according to state law) if they have civil suits and the county attorney or prosecutor can't represent them. We added language that I wanted, though, that specified that these county elected officers must first consult with the Board of Commissioners to determine the amount of compensation for any outside counsel and to ensure that all other avenues have been exhausted. This policy passed both committees unanimously.
We also finalized how the Soldan Dog Park will be policed, and how the people and dogs will be protected. The Soldan Dog Park, a City of Lansing Dog Park, is located within the City of Lansing’s Scott Woods Park, with entrances through both Scott Woods Park and Hawk Island County Park.
The City of Lansing and the County and the Friends of the Dog Park will all have signed an agreement (if the County Board passes this on Tuesday) offered by the Soldan Dog Park Task Force requiring the installation of an electronic entry gate system at the dog park with an associated user fee to cover costs. Implementation of an electronic entry gate system will help regulate the safety of dog park users through the verification of licensure and vaccinations of dogs and reduce the need to staff volunteers to “police” the dog park.
The Ingham County Parks and Recreation Commission supported this project with the passage of Resolution #32-10 at their August 23, 2010 meeting. This resolution authorizes the acceptance by the county Parks Department of a $2,300 donation from the Friends of Greater Lansing Dog Parks Friends and a $2,300 contribution from the City of Lansing to be used for the purchase and installation of an electronic gate system at the Soldan Dog Park. The County will also add $2,630 from the Parks budget for the Soldan Dog Park Electronic Gate System project. Previously, the proposal was for a $40 annual fee. I successfully had an amendment passed that would reduce these fees to $30 annually, and this language remained in the proopsal. In addition, the annual fee will be $15 for Students, Seniors, and Veterans. It will be $5 for a One Day Pass, and $5 for FOB Replacement.
Finally, the resolution cements the agreement between the County and the City for the operation of portions of Scott Woods Park and the River Trail. The county will maintain the non-motorized pathway through Scott Woods Park, Soldan Dog Park, and the Lansing River Trail from Potter Park to Maguire Park. Security will be provided by Lansing via 911 calls for emergencies. These complaints will then be relayed to the county who will shut off the key fobs of the offenders. In addition, there will be a phone number on the key fob that will go directly to the county.
This resolution passed unanimously.
Because the Finance Committee was snowed out and was rescheduled for today (Thursday), I am going to quit now as it is 11 pm.
Goodnight, all!
On to county business. If you read my blog regularly (which of course you do!), you know that there recently have been several occasions of county entities suing the county (road commission, judge). As a result, multiple legal fees and other expenses were incurred at the expense of the Ingham County taxpayers without the county Board being consulted first.
I announced last year that I would be proposing a policy that requires that the County Board be notified before anyone takes legal action against the county. That resolution went before County Service and Finance this week. The resolution adopts the following procedures to be used in the event it is inevitable for one Ingham County entity to sue another:
1) An Ingham County entity must exhaust all efforts to resolve an issue with another Ingham County entity prior to initiating any formal legal proceedings or lawsuits.
2) Funds for outside Counsel shall not be incurred or expended without prior approval of the Board of Commissioners.
3) In emergency situations, Board Leadership and the Controller/Administrator are authorized to approve legal expenditures as long as the Liaison Committee, County Services and Finance Committees are notified immediately.
4) In the event the County incurs a financial obligation, the Board of Commissioners will determine the appropriate funding source, including but not limited to either parties’ existing County budget or the Contingency Fund.
5)Entities must first consider the possibility of utilizing counsel from an adjacent governmental unit.
In Finance, we added language recognizing that elected county officers in conflict must receive representation from the county (according to state law) if they have civil suits and the county attorney or prosecutor can't represent them. We added language that I wanted, though, that specified that these county elected officers must first consult with the Board of Commissioners to determine the amount of compensation for any outside counsel and to ensure that all other avenues have been exhausted. This policy passed both committees unanimously.
We also finalized how the Soldan Dog Park will be policed, and how the people and dogs will be protected. The Soldan Dog Park, a City of Lansing Dog Park, is located within the City of Lansing’s Scott Woods Park, with entrances through both Scott Woods Park and Hawk Island County Park.
The City of Lansing and the County and the Friends of the Dog Park will all have signed an agreement (if the County Board passes this on Tuesday) offered by the Soldan Dog Park Task Force requiring the installation of an electronic entry gate system at the dog park with an associated user fee to cover costs. Implementation of an electronic entry gate system will help regulate the safety of dog park users through the verification of licensure and vaccinations of dogs and reduce the need to staff volunteers to “police” the dog park.
The Ingham County Parks and Recreation Commission supported this project with the passage of Resolution #32-10 at their August 23, 2010 meeting. This resolution authorizes the acceptance by the county Parks Department of a $2,300 donation from the Friends of Greater Lansing Dog Parks Friends and a $2,300 contribution from the City of Lansing to be used for the purchase and installation of an electronic gate system at the Soldan Dog Park. The County will also add $2,630 from the Parks budget for the Soldan Dog Park Electronic Gate System project. Previously, the proposal was for a $40 annual fee. I successfully had an amendment passed that would reduce these fees to $30 annually, and this language remained in the proopsal. In addition, the annual fee will be $15 for Students, Seniors, and Veterans. It will be $5 for a One Day Pass, and $5 for FOB Replacement.
Finally, the resolution cements the agreement between the County and the City for the operation of portions of Scott Woods Park and the River Trail. The county will maintain the non-motorized pathway through Scott Woods Park, Soldan Dog Park, and the Lansing River Trail from Potter Park to Maguire Park. Security will be provided by Lansing via 911 calls for emergencies. These complaints will then be relayed to the county who will shut off the key fobs of the offenders. In addition, there will be a phone number on the key fob that will go directly to the county.
This resolution passed unanimously.
Because the Finance Committee was snowed out and was rescheduled for today (Thursday), I am going to quit now as it is 11 pm.
Goodnight, all!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Road Commission, Drain Assessor, Parks Vending Machines, Zoo, Land Bank
This week we had a meeting of the full Board of Commissioners. We once again had issues with the road commission come up. Several employees attended the meeting to protest the allegations that have been made at the road commission. Commissioner Deb DeLeon informed them that the County Services will take up the issues at the road commission and listen to all points of view as we try to determine what is happening. As expected, the Board appointed Marc Thomas and Milton Scales to the two road commission spots.
We also hear from a gentleman who represented Michigan Open Carry, Incorporated. He indicated that he is against the library policy of prohibiting open carry and that it is against the law, and indicated a possibility of pending litigation. I assume he brought this to us because the Ingham County Commission appoints people to the Capital Area District Library Board.
For the items on the agenda, we once again considered the resolution to create a position in the Drain Commissioner’s office to do assessments for the drainage districts. I again mentioned that this was a matter of efficiency. We eliminated a 1/2 time position from the general fund, and the Drain Commissioner is funding a full-time position through the drainage districts which he says is a cast savings to taxpayers. The Republicans argued that this is reckless spending at the Drain office. The resolution passed 12-4.
We also unanimously passed a resolution authorizing a contract with the Dr. Pepper/Snapple group for vending machine service at all Ingham County parks. This project involved soliciting proposals from qualified and experienced vendors interested in entering into a contract with the County to provide beverage vending machines and product at the three county parks: Burchfield Park, Lake Lansing Park, and Hawk Island Park. The request for proposals included evaluations of many different options with respect to the placement of the vending machines, sponsoring options (e.g. banners, field signage, etc.), promotional incentives, advertisements, and commission/rebate options. The final contract includes a 40% commission on all product priced at $1.25, and no extra delivery fees for concession sales. The Dr.
Pepper proposal was the most financially advantageous proposal to the County. Dr. Pepper will also provide and place all equipment and vending machines, and repair and maintain the equipment and machines based on need or predetermined service intervals during the term of the 3-year agreement.
Yet another resolution that we passed unamimously amended the Potter Park Zoo Master plan by removing the Meerkat Exhibit due to a lack of available funding. The 20010 master plan is laid out by world regions with a new area focused on North American.
The master plan lists current projects as; the Rhinoceros exhibit, Meerkat exhibit and Eagle owl exhibit. The Eagle owl exhibit was completed in 2010 and the Rhinoceros exhibit will be completed in 2011. In 2010, $58,000 of the $100,000 of funding planned for the Meerkat exhibit renovation was transferred to the Rhinoceros exhibit. This leaves a balance of $42,000 in the Meerkat exhibit which is
insufficient to complete a renovation, without a significant fund raising campaign. In the new master plan the Meerkat exhibit is located in a new location. During the course of implementing the zoo master plan, constructing a new Meerkat exhibit which will be located in the Lake Tanganyika region, should be done when that region of the zoo is embarked upon. In 2011 the Potter Park Zoological Society will start a capital campaign that will concurrently seek financial support for phase one, Michigan Great Lakes, as well as phase two, the Animal Health Care and Teaching Facility. The Zoo Board and Parks & Recreation Commission supported the amendment
of the Potter Park Zoo Master Plan at their December 2010 meetings.
Finally, I would like to add in a report on economic development in Ingham County. The Land Bank reports that 2010 was another great year of growth for the Land Bank. We had 22 home sales and moved forward on a number of commercial redevelopments. At year end we owned 657 parcels, including 201 structures with demolition slated for 60. More renovation, new homes and demolition to follow! 2011 will be another big year as the Neighborhood Stabilization Program funding kicks into high gear. We have a dozen homes wrapping up renovation in the next 6 weeks. Please visit www.inghamlandbank.org for updates and homes for sale. Also, the Ingham County Brownfield Authority Land Bank/Brownfield Plans are one special funding source we bring to the table. We had a great bond sale this week for $2,685,000 at just under 4.65% interest cost on a 15 year issue.
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
We also hear from a gentleman who represented Michigan Open Carry, Incorporated. He indicated that he is against the library policy of prohibiting open carry and that it is against the law, and indicated a possibility of pending litigation. I assume he brought this to us because the Ingham County Commission appoints people to the Capital Area District Library Board.
For the items on the agenda, we once again considered the resolution to create a position in the Drain Commissioner’s office to do assessments for the drainage districts. I again mentioned that this was a matter of efficiency. We eliminated a 1/2 time position from the general fund, and the Drain Commissioner is funding a full-time position through the drainage districts which he says is a cast savings to taxpayers. The Republicans argued that this is reckless spending at the Drain office. The resolution passed 12-4.
We also unanimously passed a resolution authorizing a contract with the Dr. Pepper/Snapple group for vending machine service at all Ingham County parks. This project involved soliciting proposals from qualified and experienced vendors interested in entering into a contract with the County to provide beverage vending machines and product at the three county parks: Burchfield Park, Lake Lansing Park, and Hawk Island Park. The request for proposals included evaluations of many different options with respect to the placement of the vending machines, sponsoring options (e.g. banners, field signage, etc.), promotional incentives, advertisements, and commission/rebate options. The final contract includes a 40% commission on all product priced at $1.25, and no extra delivery fees for concession sales. The Dr.
Pepper proposal was the most financially advantageous proposal to the County. Dr. Pepper will also provide and place all equipment and vending machines, and repair and maintain the equipment and machines based on need or predetermined service intervals during the term of the 3-year agreement.
Yet another resolution that we passed unamimously amended the Potter Park Zoo Master plan by removing the Meerkat Exhibit due to a lack of available funding. The 20010 master plan is laid out by world regions with a new area focused on North American.
The master plan lists current projects as; the Rhinoceros exhibit, Meerkat exhibit and Eagle owl exhibit. The Eagle owl exhibit was completed in 2010 and the Rhinoceros exhibit will be completed in 2011. In 2010, $58,000 of the $100,000 of funding planned for the Meerkat exhibit renovation was transferred to the Rhinoceros exhibit. This leaves a balance of $42,000 in the Meerkat exhibit which is
insufficient to complete a renovation, without a significant fund raising campaign. In the new master plan the Meerkat exhibit is located in a new location. During the course of implementing the zoo master plan, constructing a new Meerkat exhibit which will be located in the Lake Tanganyika region, should be done when that region of the zoo is embarked upon. In 2011 the Potter Park Zoological Society will start a capital campaign that will concurrently seek financial support for phase one, Michigan Great Lakes, as well as phase two, the Animal Health Care and Teaching Facility. The Zoo Board and Parks & Recreation Commission supported the amendment
of the Potter Park Zoo Master Plan at their December 2010 meetings.
Finally, I would like to add in a report on economic development in Ingham County. The Land Bank reports that 2010 was another great year of growth for the Land Bank. We had 22 home sales and moved forward on a number of commercial redevelopments. At year end we owned 657 parcels, including 201 structures with demolition slated for 60. More renovation, new homes and demolition to follow! 2011 will be another big year as the Neighborhood Stabilization Program funding kicks into high gear. We have a dozen homes wrapping up renovation in the next 6 weeks. Please visit www.inghamlandbank.org for updates and homes for sale. Also, the Ingham County Brownfield Authority Land Bank/Brownfield Plans are one special funding source we bring to the table. We had a great bond sale this week for $2,685,000 at just under 4.65% interest cost on a 15 year issue.
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
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