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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 2009.04.27 - 36345CHRISTINE LONG Chairperson SHELLEY TAUB Vice Chairperson MARCIA GERSHENSON Minority Vice Chairperson April 27, 2009 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, Shelley Taub, Marcia Gershenson, Bradford Jacobsen, David Potts, Kim Capello, Jim Runestad, Mattie Hatchett, Jim Nash, Gary McGillivray, Steve Schwartz COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT WITH NOTICE: Jeff Potter OTHERS PRESENT CHILDREN’S VILLAGE Jody Overall, Manager CLERK-REGISTER Connie Spak, Deputy Clerk-Register CORPORATION COUNSEL Judy Cunningham, Corporation Counsel FISCAL SERVICES Linda Pearson, Analyst LIBRARY SERVICES Laura Mancini, Director ROAD COMMISSION FOR OAKLAND COUNTY Tom Noechel, Programming Supervisor OTHERS Gerald Fischer BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Bill Bullard, Jr., Chairperson, District 2 Larry Doyle, Administrative Director Sheryl Mitchell, Senior Analyst Julia Ruffin, Liaison Helen Hanger, Sr. Committee Coordinator PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE PUBLIC COMMENT None. APPROVAL OF THE PREVIOUS MINUTES Taub moved approval of the previous minutes of April 6 , 2009, as printed. Supported by McGillivray. OAKLAND COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 1200 N. TELEGRAPH ROAD, PONTIAC, MI 48341-0475 Telephone (248) 858 -0100 FAX (248) 858 -1572 GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE Jeff Potter Bradford Jacobsen David Potts Kim Capello Jim Runestad Mattie Hatchett Jim Nash Gary McGillivray Steve Schwartz GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE Page 2 April 27, 2009 Motion carried on a voice vote. AGENDA ITEMS 1. INTERVIEW FOR OAKLAND COUNTY PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION Mr. Gerald Fisher was interviewed for the vacant seat on the Oakland County Parks and Recreation Commission. Chairperson Long indicated that discussion and action on this appointment would be taken up following completion of the regular agenda. There was no objection. 2. ROAD COMMISSION FOR OAKLAND COUNTY – FY 2009 TRI-PARTY PROGRAM The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) requested authorization to proceed with the FY 2009 Tri-Party Program. A list of the proposed projec ts and funding accumulations include 31 projects proposed by the County’s 20 townships and 39 cities and villages . The County, the RCOC and the Communities will each contribute $2.25 million for Fiscal Year 2009 for a total of $6.75 million toward $51 million in road improvements. County Tri-Party funds are appropriated annually through resolution . Program requirements require the submission of a letter to the General Government Committee containing information on each project by community and the approp riated level of funding. Mr. Noechel explained that the RCOC sends the communities a recommended list of projects but the communities make the final decision. Taub moved to approve the FY 2009 Tri -Party Program. Supported by Runestad. Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote with Potter absent. 3. BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS – AUTHORIZATION FOR LAW LIBRARY COLLABORATION The resolution would authorize the Board of Commissioners and the Thomas M. Cooley Law School to negotiate and enter into an agreem ent for a collaborative venture for public law library services with the County. The Adams Pratt Law Library Collection would be transferred to and combined with Cooley’s library collection which is housed at its Auburn Hills campus. Ms. Cunningham explained that the County had received a letter f rom the President and Dean of Cooley Law School, Don LeDuc, inquiring as to the County’s interest in combining the Adams Pratt Law Library Collection with that of Cooley Law School’s. Transfer of the collection would free up courthouse space which would allow the County to maximize its facilities and reduce its financial obligations at a time when the County is facing a severe financial shortfall over the next three years. The Oakland County Bar Association whic h is a 501c(3) and provides some funding in the form of gifts has been notified of this proposal. The Cooley Law Library is open to the public , parking is free and they have enhanced service the County does not provide. They are open Monday -Friday until midnight, there are two SMART bus lines that go to their facility and there will be legal aids available to assist the general public. They also have two other campuses in Lansing and in Grand Rapids. GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE Page 3 April 27, 2009 Mr. Doyle explained that some semblance of the Law Li brary will be maintained here on site. Commissioners Potts and Schwartz volunteered to participate in the negotiations. Jacobsen moved to report to recommend approval of the attached suggested resolution. Supported by Taub. Schwartz moved to amend the resolution to strike the third and fourth BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED paragraphs and instead insert the following: BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the County negotiating team shall submit a proposed recommended agreement for consideration by the Board of Commissioners. Supported by Capello. Motion to amend carried unanimously on a roll call vote with Potter absent. Main motion, as amended, carried unanimously on a roll call vote with Potter absent. 4. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES/HEALTH DIVISION – POSITION DELETIONS AND OTHER ACTIONS TO MEET FISCAL YEAR 2010 -2012 BUDGET TASK At this time, Mr. Miller was asked to provide an update on the potential of a flu pandemic. Mr. Miller indicated t that the strain that has originated in Mexico appears to be more of a Type A than a Type B Flu. The Health Division is working with area hospitals and physicians on getting the word out. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has given assurance that a vaccine could be created but it would take 3-4 months. Tamoflu seems to be working on this flu population and it is being shipped to various regions to be used on the very ill. Doctors are reporting on swabbing to Lansing and the County. The County has a pandemic work plan for the school districts . This plan has received best practices recognition from the CDC and has been adopted by the State of Michigan and some of the school districts. Using good personal hygiene and cleaning your hands frequently will help. In the event of a pandemic, the Health Division w ould pull staff from flu shots, open clinics and use emergency salaries to address the situation. The Department of Health and Human Services is requesting authorization to reorganize its Health Division operations to meet its FY 2010 -2012 Budget Task. R eorganization of the Health Division would include deletion of nineteen full-time positions, creation of four full-time non-eligible positions, creation of 8 part-time, non-eligible (PTNE) positions, the transfer of two full -time eligible positions to Children’s Village, creation of twelve PTNE positions in Children’s Village and an amendment to the FY 2010 Budget to remove the deletion of six Youth Specialist II positions at Children’s Village. Mr. Miller explained that the reorgan ization will allow the nursing unit to handle the mandated clinic function more diligently and will better address target populations with discretionary programs. Participation in the WIC program has already increased to 16,000 this year. Savings from the Health Division reorganization will also help to provide sufficient staffing for Children’s Village. This change has already resulted in fewer Code II incidents through use of emergency salary positions. No layoffs were necessary as a result of this reorganization. Certain functions, such as breast GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE Page 4 April 27, 2009 feeding classes and car seat check s will no longer be handled by the Health Division. The agencies responsible for these functions have been notified of the changes. This reorganization will result in estimated savings of about $600,000 for 2009 and $1,000,000 for FY 2010 -2012. Taub moved approval of the attached suggested resolution. Supported by Jacobsen. Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote with Potter , Capello and Hatchett absent. 5. COUNTY EXECUTIVE/ADMINISTRATION – TRANSFER OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE & PREPAREDNESS TO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES The County Executive is requesting authorization to transfer the Emergency Response & Preparedness (ERP) Unit to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). This is a mandated function that provides coordination of all matters pertaining to emergency services, disaster preparedness and recovery assistance. ERP has developed several common activities with those of DHHS and the transfer of this function will result in operational and organizational efficiencies. The ERP Unit will be established as the Homeland Security Division. Thirteen positions will be transferred, with three classification titles changed to reflect the Homeland Security terminology. The Administrator -Emergency Response position will be changed to a title of Manager-Homeland Security but will remain an appointed position , reporting directly to the Director of DHHS. Jacobsen moved to approve the attached suggested resolution. Sup ported by Taub. Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote with Potter and Capello absent. 6. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES/HEALTH DIVISION – REPORT ON VACCINE PROGRAM Mr. Miller explained that the law requires physicians to report childhood immunizations by entering this information into a federal reporting system . This information is then provided to the State which holds the County Health Division accountable based on the information that is entered. There are 300 physicians in Oakland County and most do not enter this data because it takes time. There are no penalties assessed to physicians for non-reporting. Many clients coming to the Health Division following visits to a private physician do not have their vaccine documentation and it is not in the system. As a result, the Health Division must make calls to physician’s offices to obtain this information. The State has now decided that they will base County Health funding on whether or not that County is successful with the reporting system. The largest counties will be impacted the most by this decision. The Health Division has just been notified it will be hit with a $30,000 funding reduction due to a lack of physician participation in the reporting system . The State will not allow the County to develop a link on the County website to allow physicians to enter this data and there are too many insurance companies to work through to develop such an effort. Committee members indicated that they would draft a resolution to addres s this issue which would be forwarded to Oakland County’s congressional delegates. Item 8 was moved up without objection. 8. MR #09078 – BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS – OPPOSITION TO UNFUNDED HAVA GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE Page 5 April 27, 2009 MANDATES The resolution was introduced by Commissioner Taub to urge the federal government to provide additional Help Ame rica Vote Act (HAVA) resources for technical maintenance and equipment upgrades on HAVA mandated election equipment. Ms. Spak explained that following the problems with the Florida presidential e lection in 2000, the federal government mandated the replacement of all voting systems. Federal funding was provided through the Secretary of State offices to purchase new voting equipment to begin the program but no long-term funding source for replaceme nt and maintenance was provided. W arranties on this equipment are due to expire and the County and each of its local units are facing severe budgetary challenges and have not been provided with funding for the maintenance of this equipment. The company that had supported this equipment is no longer doing so and the County will be responsible for an estimated $50,000 annually in licensing, customer support and technical assistance fees to service and maintain HAVA related software and equipment for countyw ide tabulation. The local units may potentially be responsible for an estimated $262,000 to service and maintain their equipment. The State is picking up preventative maintenance costs for 2009 and has indicated that they may pick up half of those costs for 2010 which is a gubernatorial election year. Taub moved to report to recommend approval of the attached suggested resolution. Supported by Jacobsen. Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote with Potter, Capello and Hatchett absent. 7. MR #09075 – BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS – SUPPORTS EDUCATING MOBILE TELEPHONE USERS TO STORE “IN CASE OF EMERGENCY” (ICE) LISTINGS ON THEIR DEVICES The resolution was introduced by Commissioner Taub to recognize the importance of educating mobile telephone users and emergency response personnel on how the “In Case of Emergency” (ICE) listing can be a source of valuable information in the case of an emergency. The resolution also urges County departments, local public safety officials, hospitals and schools to p articipate in educating cell phone users on programming “ICE” numbers into their address books as a means to provide critical medical informa tion. ICE instruction cards were provided by Emergency Response and Preparedness and will be made available to all commissioners for distribution. Taub moved to report to recommend approval of the attached suggested resolution. Supported by Jacobsen. Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote with Potter, Capello and Hatchett absent. 1. INTERVIEW FOR OAKLAND COUN TY PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION Jacobsen nominated Gerald Fisher for appointment to the Parks and Recreation Commission. Supported by Taub. GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE Page 6 April 27, 2009 Motion carried on a roll call vote with Schwartz and Nash voting no and Potter, Capello and Hatchett absent. OTHER BUSINESS/ADJOURNMENT Discussion regarding the appointment to the Community Mental Health Board ensued. There being no other business to come before the committee, the meeting was adjourned at 12:05 p.m. ______________________________ _______________________________ Helen A. Hanger Lawrence Doyle Sr. Committee Coordinator Administrative Director NOTE: The foregoing minutes are subject to Committee approval.