HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 2008.01.28 - 36240CHRISTINE LONG
Chairperson
MICHAEL GINGELL
Vice Chairperson
MATTIE MCKINNEY HATCHETT
Minority Vice Chairperson
January 28, 2008
Chairperson Long called the meeting of the General Government Committee to order at 9:32
a.m. in Committee Room A, Commissioners’ Wing, County Service Center, Pontiac, Michigan.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT:
Christine Long, Michael Gingell, Mattie McKinney Hatchett, Hugh D. Crawford,
Eileen Kowall, Jeff Potter, Bradford Jacobsen, David Potts, Jim Nash, Tim Greimel
COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT:
Vincent Gregory and George Suarez
OTHERS PRESENT
CORPORATION COUNSEL Judy Cunningham, Corporation Counsel
EXECUTIVE OFFICE Jerry Poisson, Deputy County Executive
HEALTH DIVISION George Miller, Manager
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Thomas Gordon, Director
PARKS AND RECREATION Joe Figa, Chief of Design
Mike Thibodeau, Chief of Golf
ADVOMAS Bruce Knight, CEO
Ellen Spagnuolo, Director, Oakland County IHP Program
GOLDEN OAKS MEDICAL CARE Scott Avery, Administrator
GENERAL PUBLIC Jim Runestad, Citizen
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Larry Doyle, Administrative Director
Sheryl Mitchell, Senior Analyst
Pamela Worthington, Committee Coordinator
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
PUBLIC COMMENT
None.
APPROVAL OF THE PREVIOUS MINUTES
Kowall moved approval of the previous minutes of January 7, 2008, as printed. Supported
by Gingell.
Motion carried on a voice vote.
OAKLAND COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
1200 N. TELEGRAPH ROAD, PONTIAC, MI 48341-0470
Telephone (248) 858-0100 FAX (248) 858 -1572
GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE
Hugh D. Crawford
Eileen Kowall
Jeff Potter
Bradford Jacobsen
David Potts
Vincent Gregory
George Suarez
Jim Nash
Tim Greimel
GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE Page 2
January 28, 2008
AGENDA
1. PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION – APPROVAL AND ACCEPTANCE OF
FINANCIAL REIMBURSEMENT FROM MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL
QUALITY REFINED PETROLEUM FUND – TEMPORARY REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM FOR
LEAKING UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK SITES
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has awarded the Oakland County Parks and
Recreation Commission up to $50,000 in reimbursement costs from the Refined Petroleum Fund
to implement corrective actions for leaking underground storage tanks at the Springfield Oaks Golf
Course facility. The resolution authorizes the Parks and Recreation Commission to receive
reimbursement costs up to $50,000 to take corrective actions for leaking underground storage
tanks at the Springfield Oaks Golf Course. A proposed amendment was distributed, as requested
by the Parks and Recreation Commission, to delete the BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED paragraph.
Potts moved approval of the attached suggested resolution . Supported by Kowall.
Gingell moved to amend the resolution by deleting the BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED
paragraph. Supported by Kowall.
Motion to amend carried unanimously on a roll call vote with Gregory, Suarez and Greimel
absent.
Main motion, as amended, carried unanimously on a roll call vote with Hatchett, Gregory,
Suarez and Greimel absent.
2. BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS – APPOINTMENTS TO THE JOB EVALUATION REVIEW
PANEL
A report was received from the Personnel Committee recommending Commissioners Scott,
Coleman and Suarez (alternate) to serve on the Job Revie w Panel for one year commencing
January 1, 2008.
Potter moved to report to the full Board with the recommendation that Commissioners
Scott, Coleman and Suarez (alternate) be appointed to the Job Review Panel for a one -
year term commencing January 1, 2008. Supported by Nash.
Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote with Gregory, Suarez and Greimel absent.
3. MR #08020 – BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS – RESOLUTION REQUESTING
PRESERVATION OF CHANNEL LOCATIONS FOR PUBLIC, GOVERNMENTAL AND
EDUCATIONAL (PEG) CHANNELS
Commissioners Burns and Greimel have introduced a resolution that reflects that the Oakland
County Board of Commissioners requests that Comcast Cablevision preserve the channel
locations for public, educational and governmental access (PEG) channe ls in locations within the
first 100 channels of basic tier services to avoid added cost, confusion and inconvenience with
respect to citizens who intend to view these channels. The resolution further request s that the
Oakland County Board of Commissioners’ lobbyist work with the Michigan Legislature to amend
Public Act 480 of 2006 to require PEG channels to remain within the first 100 channels of basic tier
GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE Page 3
January 28, 2008
service and that they will not be allowed to change them in the future without written consent of the
CVTs or other governmental entities which provide programming on such channels.
Nash moved to report to the full Board with the recommendation that the resolution be
adopted. Supported by Kowall.
Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote with Gregory, Suarez and Greimel absent.
4. MR #08021 – BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS – APPROVAL OF FEE WAIVER FOR USE OF
THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS’ AUDITORIUM FOR THE 16TH ANNUAL DR. MARTIN
LUTHER KING, JR. DRUM MAJOR FOR JUSTICE ORAL ADVOCACY COMPETITION
Commissioner Hatchett introduced this resolution to waive the fee for the D. Augustus Straker Bar
Association to use the Oakland County Board of Commissioner’s Auditorium on March 1, 2008 to
host the 16th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major for Justice Oral Advocacy Competition
on March 1, 2008.
After much discussion, Commissioner Gingell offered to pay the rental fee up front and collect
contributions from other commissioners who wish to contribute. This suggestion was made to
avoid setting a precedent for waiving rental fees. Direction was also given to the Oakland County
Board of Commissioners’ Administrative staff to update the current policy to prevent this type of
situation in the future.
In light of the circumstances, as stated above, Commissioner Hatchett withdrew this resolution.
5. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES/HEALTH DIVISION –
ADJUSTMENTS TO THE HEALTH DIVISION FEE SCHEDULE
The Oakland County Board of Commissioners has recommended that the Health Division review
their fee schedules every three years. These fees have not been adjusted since 2003. The
Health Division has reviewed their fee schedule for certain personal health and environmental
health services and found that certain fees should be adjusted upward at this time an d other fees
are recommended to be established. The resolution approves the Health Division Fee Schedule
as detailed on Schedules A and B. Some of the commissioners expressed their concerns about
non-residents coming to Oakland County’s Health Department to get immunizations because of
the price difference between the counties.
Jacobsen moved approval of the attached suggested resolution . Supported by Crawford.
ROLL CALL VOTE:
AYES: Hatchett, Potter, Jacobsen, Potts, Nash, Greimel
NAYS: Gingell, Crawford, Kowall
Motion carried on a roll call vote with Gregory and Suarez absent.
6. MEDICAL CARE FACILITY/CIENA – UPDATE
In 2006, the Golden Oaks Medical Care Facility had operating losses over $3.6 million from FY
GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE Page 4
January 28, 2008
2003 through FY 2006. Oakland County Fiscal Services had projected additional operating losses
to exceed $12.5 million during FY 2007 through FY 2010. The facility needed upgrades that were
projected to cost between $4.9 and $16.9 million. Oakland County had decided to invite eighty
organizations to participate in a Request for Proposals (RFP) process. An evaluation committee
was established to review the responses, conduct site visits and rank the respondents. Out of that
process Ciena Healthcare Management, Inc. was recommended as the entity for Oakland County
to enter into an agreement with to assume all aspects of the operation and management of Golden
Oaks for a term of three years. During this three-year term Oakland County’s obligations are to
pay an annual fee of $500,000 to Ciena, assist Ciena in obtaining a Certificate of Need for the
new/replacement facility and allow Ciena to use the existing facility. Ciena agreed to provide 120
fully-certified/licensed Medicaid/Medicare beds in Oakland County.
Per Miscellaneous Resolution #06255, Ciena is required to provide bi-annual reports to the Board
of Commissioners’ General Government Committee on staffing levels, occupancy, number of new
admissions, inspection reports, facility upgrades, and corrective measures undertaken to address
any identified operational or facility deficiencies. Scott Avery, Administrator, Golden Oaks Medical
Care Facility, and Dr. Gordon, Director, Health & Human Services Department, were present today
to give a verbal presentation to the committee. Mr. Avery indicated that he took over the day-to-
day operations at the Golden Oaks Medical Care Facility on June 9 of 2007, and by October they
had achieved compliance with the State of Michigan. They currently have 83 beds out of 120
filled. They are looking at building a new facility on a piece of property off of Baldwin Road,
around the border of Pontiac and Auburn Hills. They would transfer the license from the current
facility to the new one, once built. They would still have 120 beds available for Medicaid/Medicare
patients. Commissioner Greimel asked Dr. Gordon if he could have a copy of the contract that
was entered into between Oakland County and Ciena Healthcare Management, Inc.
7. INDIGENT HOSPITALIZATION PROGRAM PRESENTATION
Advomas is a company that provides Medicaid assistance services to individuals who have trouble
paying their hospital bills. Mr. W. Bruce Knight, Founder, Advomas and Ellen Spagnuolo, Director
of Oakland County Indigent Health Program (IHP), were present to give a PowerPoint presentation
on how the program works. Hospitals refer potential claimants to Advomas who interview the
patient to determine if they qualify for another program, as Advomas is a last-resort payer.
Advomas then approves or denies the patient based on the predetermined criteria. The County
pays each participating hospital its share based on that hospital’s services rendered in the
previous year. In order to be eligible for this program you must be an Oakland County resident ,
and the income requirements are $498/month per individual and $521/month for a family. The
individual must not have more than $3,000 in assets . They can have a house, one automobile
and other Medicaid-qualified assets. If an individual has more than $3,000 in assets, there is an
asset and income spend down.
Potts moved to receive and file the brochure that was submitted from Advomas. Supported
by Gingell.
Motion carried on a voice vote.
COMMUNICATIONS
A. Community Mental Health Authority Board Meeting Minutes o f December 18, 2007
B. Radio Project – Financial Status/Issues Based on September 30, 2007 Balances –
GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE Page 5
January 28, 2008
REVISED
C. Health and Human Services – Health Division Healthy Start Initiative – Eliminating
Racial/Ethnic Disparities Grant Application
Gingell moved to receive and file the Communications. Supported by Potts.
Motion carried on a voice vote.
OTHER BUSINESS/ADJOURNMENT
There being no other business to come before the committee, the meeting was adjourned at 11:52
a.m.
________________________ _______________________________
Pamela L. Worthington Lawrence Doyle
Committee Coordinator Administrative Director
NOTE: The foregoing minutes are subject to Committee approval.