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YAKIMA CITY COUNCIL
INFORMATION PACKET
May 29, 2012
1. Council General Information
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BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
AGENDA STATEMENT
Item No.
For Meeting of: May 29, 2012
ITEM TITLE: Council General Information
SUBMITTED BY:
CONTACT
PERSON /TELEPHONE:
SUMMARY EXPLANATION:
1. 5/24/12 Weekly Issues Report (with attachments)
2. 5/24/12 Memo to Council from Interim City Manager Morales re May 15, 2012 Interim City
Manager Agreement Amendment
3. City Meeting Schedule for week of May 28 -June 4, 2012
4. Preliminary Future Activities Calendar as of May 28, 2012
5. Preliminary Council Agenda
6. 5/22/12 Letter from Doris Anderson regarding Senior Home Repair Program
7. Newspaper /Magazine /Internet Articles: •
* "City to use 'assessment center' in fire chief search," The lndependent.com, May 24, 2012
* "Next Generation Sustainability," Public Management, June 2012
* "Counties saving big on health care costs," Middletown Journal, May 22, 2012
* "Judge silences Sussex County Council's prayer," Delmarvanow.com, May 24, 2012
* "Vallejo, Calif. once bankrupt, is now model for cities in an age of austerity," The
Washington Post, May 23, 2012
Resolution Ordinance Other
(specify)
Contract: Mail to:
Contract Term: Amount: Expiration Date:
Insurance Required? No
Funding
Source: Phone:
APPROVED FOR
SUBMITTAL: .70/..,441/14, City Manager
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
MEMORANDUM
May 24, 2012
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael Morales, Interim City Manager
SUBJECT: Weekly Issues Report
• INCOMING CITY MANAGER VISIT: Tony O'Rourke will be in town next Thursday
and Friday. He will be meeting with a few department directors on Thursday afternoon;
the full Council Friday morning; and individually with Council members Friday afternoon.
• DYBID ASSESSMENT DISPUTE: Attached are copies of letters from JEM
Development (the Tower, Hilton Garden Inn, Great Western Building, Bon Lofts, etc.) to
YCCS disputing the validity of their BID assessment and refusal to pay. In our opinion,
these assertions are false and we need to authorize YCCS to seek legal remedies to
acquire payment, as it affects our ability to contract for services.
• STATE SOFTBALL TOURNAMENTS IN YAKIMA: This Friday and Saturday the
Gateway Complex will play host to the 2012 2B & 1B State High School Softball
Championships. There will be 24 teams in all that will be competing in the tournament.
The teams come from the 2B and 1B classification of high schools from all over the
state of Washington. Games on Friday will begin at 9 am and run until 9 pm. Games
on Saturday start at 10 am with the Championship games being played at 4 pm.
• STREET & TRAFFIC OPERATIONS PROJECTS: The week of May 29 to June 1:
the signal shop will be working on intersection preventive maintenance in the downtown
area starting around Second Street and moving west. ♦The sign shop will be striping
traffic lanes on and around 1 Street, then 16 Avenue and 40 Avenue. +They will also
be finishing any stop bars and crosswalks east of 16 Avenue that they may have
missed. They will then begin painting parking stalls in the downtown area. +Street crews
will be crack sealing in area 25, between 64 and 80 Avenues south of Nob Hill Blvd.
•They will also have pothole crews out city -wide as needed. ♦Sweeper crews will be
working on a city -wide schedule.
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May 22, 2012
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DEVELOPMENT
REAL ESTATE, INC. YCCS
PO Box 9244
Yakima, WA 98909
THE TOWER, LLC Subject: 30 day notice to proceed with collection of Downtown Yakima Business
MORRIER HOTEL, LLC Improvement District — Client ID# 70160 6111, Account # 00322839 -29 •
MORRIER RANCH, INC
BON LOFTS, LLC We have received a 30 day Notice (a form letter) advising us that we owe $290.47.
JEM PROPERTIES, LLC
The said letter advises if we dispute the validity of the claimed debt, that we should write to
402 E.YAI<IMA AVE. you within 30 days stating that we dispute the validity of this debt. It is our understanding
that the City of Yakima did not receive the approval of the affected business property owners
SUITE 1200 whose property is included within the referenced BID when the city sought to establish the
YAKIMA, WA 98901 BID after the initial vote of the affected property owners had expired, and the city failed to
resubmit the BID to the property owners thereafter.
PHONE (509) 248-4040 ACCORDINGLY, YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THIS COMPANY DOES DISPUTE ANY CLAIM
FAX (509) 457-8361 BY THE CITY OF YAKIMA OF A RIGHT TO COLLECT ALL OR ANY PART OF THE HEREINABOVE
DESCRIBED DEBT.
Sincerely yours,
www.jemdevelopment.com
Naches Hotel, LLC
JEM Development Real Estate, Inc., Manager _
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Joseph R. Morrier, President
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cc: City of Yakima Finance Department
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DEVELOPMENT
REAL ESTATE, INC. YCCS
PO Box 9244
Yakima, WA 98909
THE TOWER. LLC Subject: 30 day notice to proceed with collection of Downtown Yakima Business
MORRIER HOTEL, LLC Improvement District — Client ID# 70134 6082, Account # 00322834 -24
MORRIER RANCH, INC
BON LOFTS, LLC We have received a 30 day Notice (a form letter) advising us that we owe $129.56.
JEM PROPERTIES, LLC
The said letter advises if we dispute the validity of the claimed debt, that we should write to
402 E YAKIMA AVE. you within 30 days stating that we dispute the validity of this debt. It is our understanding
that the City of Yakima did not receive the approval of the affected business property owners
SUITE 1200 whose property is included within the referenced BID when the city sought to establish the
YAKIMA, WA 98901 BID after the initial vote of the affected property owners had expired, and the city failed to
resubmit the BID to the property owners thereafter.
PHONE (509) 248-4040 ACCORDINGLY, YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THIS COMPANY DOES DISPUTE ANY CLAIM
FAX (509) 457-8361 BY THE CITY OF YAKIMA OF A RIGHT TO COLLECT ALL OR ANY PART OF THE HEREINABOVE
DESCRIBED DEBT.
Sincerely yours,
www.jemdevelopment.com
JEM Properties, LLC
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Elizabeth McGree, Member
cc City of Yakima Finance Department
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May 22, 2012
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DEVELOPMENT
REAL ESTATE, INC. YCCS
PO Box 9244
Yakima, WA 98909
THE TOWER, LLC Subject: 30 day notice to proceed with collection of Downtown Yakima Business
MORRIER HOTEL, LLC Improvement District — Client ID# 70162 6113, Account # 00322841 -04
MORRIER RANCH, INC
BON LOFTS, LLC We have received a 30 day Notice (a form` letter) advising us that we owe $1870.00.
JEM PROPERTIES, LLC The said letter advises if we dispute the validity of the claimed debt, that we should write to
402 E.VAKIMA AVE. you within 30 days stating that we dispute the validity of this debt. It is our understanding
that the City of Yakima did not receive the approval of the affected business property owners
SUITE 1200 whose property is included within the referenced BID when the city sought to establish the
YAKIMA, WA 98901 BID after the initial vote of the affected property owners had expired, and the city failed to
resubmit the BID to the property owners thereafter.
PHONE (509) 248-4040 ACCORDINGLY, YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THIS COMPANY DOES DISPUTE ANY CLAIM
FAX (509) 457 -8361 BY THE CITY OF YAKIMA OF A RIGHT TO COLLECT ALL OR ANY PART OF THE HEREINABOVE
DESCRIBED DEBT.
Sincerely yours,
www.jemdevelopment.com
Mor.ie LLC
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Joseph R. Morrier, Mana er
cc: City of Yakima Finance Department
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DEVELOPMENT
REAL ESTATE, INC. YCCS
PO Box 9244
Yakima, WA 98909
THE TOWER, LLC Subject. 30 day notice to proceed with collection of Downtown Yakima Business
MORRIER HOTEL, LLC Improvement District — Client ID# 70161 6112, Account # 00322840 -42
MORRIER RANCH, INC
BON LOFTS, LLC We have received a 30 day Notice (a form letter) advising us that we owe $315.67.
JEM PROPERTIES, LLC The said letter advises if we dispute the validity of the claimed debt, that we should write to
402 E.YAKIMA AVE. you within 30 days stating that we dispute the validity of this debt. It is our understanding
that the City of Yakima did not receive the approval of the affected business property owners
SUITE 1200 whose property is included within the referenced BID when the city sought to establish the
YAKIMA, WA 98901 BID after the initial vote of the affected property owners had expired, and the city failed to
resubmit the BID to the property owners thereafter.
PHONE (509) 248 -4040 ACCORDINGLY, YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THIS COMPANY DOES DISPUTE ANY CLAIM
FAX (509) 457 -8361 BY THE CITY OF YAKIMA OF A RIGHT TO COLLECT ALL OR ANY PART OF THE HEREINABOVE
DESCRIBED DEBT.
Sincerely yours,
www.jemdevelopment.com
Morrier Family Realty
ii k,ACU
Elizabeth McGree, Member
cc: City of Yakima Finance Department
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•
May 22, 2012
DEVELOPMENT
REAL ESTATE, INC. YCCS
PO Box 9244
Yakima, WA 98909
THE TOWER, LLC Subject: 30 day notice to proceed with collection of Downtown Yakima Business
MORRIER HOTEL, LLC Improvement District — Client ID# 70197 6153, Account'# 00322844 -06
MORRIER RANCH, INC
BON LOFTS, LLC We have received a 30 day Notice (a form letter) advising us that we owe $1982.38.
JEM PROPERTIES, LLC The said letter advises if we dispute the validity of the claimed debt, that we should write to
you within 30 days stating that we dispute the validity of this debt. It is our understanding
402 E. YAKIMA AVE.
that the City of Yakima did not receive the approval of the affected business property owners
SUITE 1200 whose property is included within the referenced BID when the city sought to establish the
YAKIMA, WA 98901 BID after the initial vote of the affected property owners had expired, and the city failed to
resubmit the BID to the property owners thereafter.
PHONE (509) 248 -4040 ACCORDINGLY, YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THIS COMPANY DOES DISPUTE ANY CLAIM
FAX (509) 457 -8361 BY THE CITY OF YAKIMA OF A RIGHT TO COLLECT ALL OR ANY PART OF THE HEREINABOVE
DESCRIBED DEBT.
Sincerely yours,
www.jemdevelopment.com
The Tower, LLC
JEM Development Real Estate, Inc., Manager ,
Joseph R. Morrier, President
cc. City of Yakima Finance Department
• ® • ■
}
- a May 22, 2012
DEVELOPMENT
REAL ESTATE, INC YCCS
PO Box 9244
Yakima, WA 98909
THE TOWER, LLC Subject: 30 day notice to proceed with collection of Downtown Yakima Business
MORRIER HOTEL. LLC Improvement District — Client ID# 70302 6051, Account # 00322822 -13
MORRIER RANCH, INC
BON LOFTS, LLC We have received a 30 day Notice (a form letter) advising us that we owe $253.41.
JEM PROPERTIES, LLC The said letter advises if we dispute the validity of the claimed debt, that we should write to
402 E.YAKIMA AVE. you within 30 days stating that we dispute the validity of this debt. It is our understanding
that the City of Yakima did not receive the approval of the affected business property owners
SUITE 1200 whose property is included within the referenced BID when the city sought to establish the
YAKIMA, WA 98901 BID after the initial vote of the affected property owners had expired, and the city failed to
resubmit the BID to the property owners thereafter.
PHONE (509) 248.4040 ACCORDINGLY, YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THIS COMPANY DOES DISPUTE ANY CLAIM
FAX (509) 457.8361 BY THE CITY OF YAKIMA OF A RIGHT TO COLLECT ALL OR ANY PART OF THE HEREINABOVE
DESCRIBED DEBT.
Sincerely yours,
www.jemdeve lopment.com
Bon Lofts, LLC
c Joseph R. Morrier, Manager
cc. City of Yakima Finance Department
111 • = ■
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May 22, 2012
.
DEVELOPMENT
REAL ESTATE, INC. YCCS
PO Box 9244
Yakima, WA 98909
THE TOWER, LLC Subject: 30 day notice to proceed with collection of Downtown Yakima Business
MORRIER HOTEL, LLC Improvement District — Client ID# 70342 6896, Account # 00322860 -13
MORRIER RANCH, INC
BON LOFTS, LLC We have received a 30 day Notice (a form letter),advising us that we owe $1001.56.
JEM PROPERTIES, LLC
The said letter advises if we dispute the validity of the claimed debt, that we should write to
402 E.YAKIMA AVE . you within 30 days stating that we dispute the validity of this debt. It is our understanding
that the City of Yakima did not receive the approval of the affected business property owners
SUITE 1200 whose property is included within the referenced BID when the city sought to establish the
YAKIMA, WA 98901 BID after the initial vote of the affected property owners had expired, and the city failed to
resubmit the BID to the property owners thereafter.
PHONE (509) 248-4040 ACCORDINGLY, YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THIS COMPANY DOES DISPUTE ANY CLAIM
FAX (509).457 -8361 BY THE CITY OF YAKIMA OF A RIGHT TO COLLECT ALL OR ANY PART OF THE HEREINABOVE
DESCRIBED DEBT.
Sincerely yours,
www.jemdevelopment.com
JEM Develop ent Real Estate, Inc.
Joseph R. Morrier, President
cc: City of Yakima Finance Department
• ® •
MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor Micah Cawley
Members of the Yakima City Council
FROM: Michael A. Morales, Interim City Manager
DATE: May 24, 2012
SUBJECT: May 15, 2012 Amendments to Interim City Manager
agreement approved by City Council
Thank you for agreeing to amend the compensation and tenure of my agreement on May
15, 2012. While compensation adjustments and term of the agreement was discussed at
the onset of my tenure as Interim City Manager, and article 6.2 of the agreement
addresses the issue, the City Attorney has reviewed some information that raises a degree
of uncertainty as to whether the council could have agreed to adjust my compensation
concurrent with the term of the contract.
I do not believe it to be in the city's best interest to create a potential audit issue with the
retroactivity portion of the compensation, nor do I believe it is worthwhile to pursue other
mechanisms to make the adjustment moving forward (raising the pay step, bank of
additional vacation hours, increased deferred compensation, etc.).
Therefore, the council action to adjust compensation and extend the term of the
agreement is effective May 15, 2012, the date of council action. The compensation
adjustment will only be part of the last 45 days (approx.) of employment as Interim City
Manager, and will end upon the next city manager taking the oath of office. The city
attorney has drafted the changes per your direction, and they will be executed today.
I appreciate the confidence expressed by your vote, and I believe that this would have
been available to me at any time during my tenure. There were simply other priority
issues to deal with as your administrator over these past 5 months. Please call if you have
any questions.
CITY MEETING SCHEDULE
For May 28, 2012 — June 4, 2012
Please note: Meetings are subject to change
Monday, May 28
HOLIDAY — CITY OFFICES CLOSED
Tuesday, May 29
10:00 a.m. County Commissioners Agenda Meeting — Council Chambers
1:00 p.m. GFI Executive Committee Meeting — Mayor's Office
Friday, June 1
8:00 a.m. Sister City Meeting — CED Conference Room
10:00 a.m. City Council Special Meeting — Council Chambers
Monday, June 4
10:00 a.m. City Council Media Briefing — Council Chambers
3:30 p.m. Civil Service Commission Meeting — Council Chambers
Office Of Mayor /City Council
Preliminary Future Activities Calendar
Please Note: Meetings are subject to change
Meeting. " Organization, � , "'Meeting- "Purpose""' " Participants Meeting Location
4 G , n ., „ gyp t. S.
ate/Time , ,
Mon. May 28
HOLIDAY - CITY OFFICES CLOSED
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Tue. May 29
11.30 a m Miscellaneous Issues Scheduled Meeting Cawley, Adkison TBD
1 00 p.m. GFI Executive Committee Scheduled Meeting Coffey, Adkison, Mayor's Office
Meetin • Ettl
Wed. May 30
1200 p.m. YVVCB Board Meeting Board Meeting Adkison YVCC Winery Training
Fri. June 1 �....
Facilit r - Grand view
8:00 a m Sister City Meeting Scheduled Meeting Adkison CED Conference Room
10:00 a m City Council Special Scheduled Meeting Council Council Chambers
Meetin
Mon. June 4
1000 a m. City Council Media Briefing Scheduled Meeting Coffey Council Chambers
Tue. June 5
12:00 p m. Miscellaneous Issues Scheduled Meeting Cawley, Adkison TBD
4 30 p m City Council Executive Scheduled Meeting Council Council Chambers
Session
6.00 p m City Council Meeting Scheduled Meetin Council Council Chambers
Thur. June 7
9 00 a m 911 Joint Board Meeting Board Meeting Lover Toppenish
4 30 p m. GFI Steering Committee Scheduled Meeting Coffey, Adkison, CWCMH
Meeting Ettl
6 p m. Regional Fire Authority Scheduled Meeting Cawley, Adkison, Station 86
Coffey
69 .m Valle Ma or's Meetin Scheduled Meetin• Cawle To. •enish
Sat. June 9
11.00 a.m. William O'Douglas Trail Scheduled Event Open Davis High School
Dedication Ceremon
Mon. June 11 �...� ,,....m ... w �.,s�.. _.���.» ..� ��,�wm��� , s • e��� . �.��, _�, �..w_..� �.,��.. ....�. w
8 a m. Pension Board Meetings Board Meeting Coffey Human Resources
Conference Room
Tue. June 12
12 00 •.m Miscellaneous Issues Scheduled Meetin• Cawle , Adkison TBD
Wed. June 13
10 00 a m. Council Nominating Scheduled Meeting Adkison, Ensey, Mayor's Office
Committee Bristol
•
3 30 p.m. Planning Commission Scheduled Meeting Ensey Council Chambers
Meeting
.:30 p m. Parks Commission Meeting Scheduled Meeting Adkison Council Chambers
Thur. June 14 �a����..
1.00 p m Harman Center Board Board Meeting Cawley, Adkison Harman Center
Meeting
1 30 p m Yakima Regional Clean Air Scheduled Meeting Lover Council Chambers
Meeting
3 p m. YAKCORPS Executive Board Meeting Cawley CED Conference Room
Board
5 30 p.m YCDA Board Me etin Board Meeting A dkison New Vision Offices
PRELIMINARY FUTURE COUNCIL AGENDA
May 29
NO SCHEDULED BUSINESS MEETING — info packet on 5/24
June 5
4:30 p.m. Executive Session — Council Chambers
6:00 p.m. Business Meeting — Council Chambers
• Recognition of City Employee Tim Cruz
• Proclamation — Arts logo contest
• Proclamation — Parker Youth Sports Proclamation
• Resolution amending Resolution No. R- 2010 -60 adopted May 18, 2010, and
amending Resolution No. R -2011 -143 adopted September 6, 2011, and authorizing
an Interfund Loan from the equipment rental fund to the Parks Capital Fund in an
amount not to exceed $600,000 in replacement of the prior authorization to draw
such amount from the City's line of credit
• Ordinance amending Chapter 1.18 YMC pertaining to designation of administrative
departments and functions of the City of Yakima
• Review first quarter financial reports:
o Accounts receivable
o Treasury report
• Consideration of license agreement for Smoke Out Choke Out event
• Consideration of changing time of July 3, 2012 Council meeting from 6:00 p.m. to
10:00 a.m.
• Approve agreement with Yakima County for 2013 jail services
• Set date of June 19, 2012 as open record public hearing to consider a Resolution
to surplus City owned property
7.00 p.m. Public Hearing — Council Chambers
5/24/2012
9 AM
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7
City to use `assessment center' in fire chief search - The Grand Island Independent : Loca... Page 1 of 1
City to use 'assessment center' in fire chief
search
By Tracy Overstreet
tracy.overstreet @theindependent.com I Posted: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 10:45 pm
The City of Grand Island is going to try something new when it starts the process to hire a fire
chief.
Instead of having the city Human Resources Department conduct tests of applicants, an outside
firm will do that work.
"We are working to identify an assessment center that we will be working with," said City
Administrator Mary Lou Brown. "That is underway. We're looking at using an external party for
that for this position."
As assessment center would do testing for leadership skills, she said.
The assessment center testing will only be done for the fire chief position. It was not used in the
search for a finance director, a public works director, a city attorney, or a utilities director, which
have all been replaced under Brown's tenure since December 2010. Neither will the assessment
center be used in an upcoming search for a parks and recreation director after the June 1
retirement of Parks and Recreation Director Steve Paustian.
Brown said the assessment center work is really specific to the fire chief position.
"There's testing that needs to take place and the testing that has been done in the past has been
using a test for a battalion chief," she said. "We really are looking for some different skills at the
fire chief level, so this is one way to get that."
Brown said the city is ready to notify the Civil Service Commission that the city wants to begin
advertising for the fire chief position. Notice will go to the commission, which meets Friday. The
Civil Service Commission oversees employment issues for public safety positions.
The city is under court order to have a fire chief or interim chief named by June 11. The city has
been without a permanent chief since October 2011.
http : / /www.theindependent.com/news /local /city -to- use - assessment - center -in- fire - chief- sea... 5/24/2012
commentary I think of kids
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BY CRAIG MALIN, ICMA -CM
NEXT GE ERAT�ON ;- -
,...„.,
e future, dgn't be constriined by the p st •
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it
n a 2007 resolution, ICMA members a higher purpose. For clarity about why than it has ever had, and the number con
affirmed their commitment to building we are obliged to transmit our commu times to rise in the postrecession era.
sustainable communities, referencing nity, my suggestion is to visit a park, a Of the 3,142 counties in the nation,
the ancient Athenian Oath to "transmit school, or a juvenile detention center. 653 counties saw significant increases
this city, not only not less, but greater and We work for kids. in poverty for children ages 5 to 17 from
more beautiful, than it was transmitted While we respect and honor the past, 2007 to 2010. Only eight counties saw a
to us." Five years have passed, and the we work for the future. Managers work decrease. Childhood poverty, hunger, poor
evidence strongly suggests we have not for the next generation. We work to pass health, and social disconnection have life -
been successful, particularly with passing on our community's collective social long consequences, constrain individual
on what was provided to us, in some capital, in ever - increasing increments, potential, and limit the success of nations
measure greater than we received it. to those who haven't yet thought about and the communities within them.
To whom, exactly, are we —local voting or paying taxes. Public education, that time- tested
government managers— supposed to trans- We work for those who see the path from poverty, has been similarly
mit the communities where we occupy world as it can and should be, rather hard- pressed. In 1970, America led
1 leadership positions? Developers? Bankers? than how it is or was. We work for the world in high school and college
Property owners? The citizens who elect kids. When we do our jobs well, kids graduation. Today, we are 21st in high
our bosses? The next city manager or have more social capital and more school completion and 15th in college
1 county administrator who replaces us? opportunities for brighter, greater, completion. Every day, more than 7,200
This is the rather mundane reality and more beautiful futures. Plus, our high school students drop out.
that too many in the profession accept. communities prosper with personal, For the class that entered high school
Although this approach may pay the intergenerational sustainability. in 2007, the national graduation rate
bills, it is not the stuff of legend, stands at 68.8 percent. The typical high
worthy of an ancient oath that inspires Supposed to Be, But Isn't school dropout loses $260,000 in re-
a noble profession. That is how it is supposed to work, but it duced earnings over a lifetime. Dropouts'
Our profession is more than that. Our hasn't of late. The latest U.S. census data aggregate, cumulative costs to communi-
profession comes with an obligation to indicate 21.6 percent of American children ties and the nation in reduced earnings
truly, transformatively transmit the com- live in poverty. America has more and in increased public expenses is
munities of which we are the stewards to impoverished children today, 16.4 million, crippling, with every four -year cohort of
28 PUBLIC MANAGEMENT 1 JUNE 2012 icma.org /pm
ICMA
•
IN THE DAILY EFFORT TO LEAD LOCAL GOVERN—
MENTS DON'T BE WHOLLY CONSUMED BY THE Calendar of Events
MINUTIAE OF THE PRESENT. BY ALL MEANS For information about ICMA events
DON'T BE CONSTRAINED BY THE PAST. FOCUS visit icma.orq/calendar
ON THE FUTURE. UPCOMING EVENTS
high school dropouts costing taxpayers a our operations, suggest changes, and
trillion dollars over their lifetimes. expect that those suggestions be taken ICMA UNIVERSITY WORKSHOP
If you think that poverty is the seriously. They should be encouraged to
purview of priests and that education is challenge us with their dreams as they Asking Your Police and Fire Chiefs
the province of principals, you're wrong. inspire us with their pluck. the Right Questions to Get the Right
Unmet social needs that compromise You should expect raised eyebrows Answers
your community's future are your prob- from the cynical. You should expect push- ■ June 11 Washington, DC
lem. They demand the community's full back and even some sharp elbows from
attention, and they require sustainable those who want you back in your narrow
solutions founded on inclusive engage- lane. But you should also expect success, APPLICATION DEADLINES
ment and earnest, ethical, nonpartisan as innovative ideas spring forth and
problem solving that is our profession's transformative relationships are forged. • June 30 Leadership ICMA
stock in trade. The fact is that community involve- icma.org /LEAD
All the green roofs, all the LED ment works. Linking Local and social July 1 Credentialing Program
• streetlights, and all the metallic flavors services to schools works. Building
of LEED- certified buildings absolutely collaboration among teachers, parents,
pale in comparison to a committed focus and community members works. Making
on building social capital for the next schools the center of a community's
generation. That is sustainability. energy and progress works.
Involvement at the personal level also
t ia : im i miit
w / � Committed and In volved works. Mentors can cut illegal drug use � Local government leaders need to break and school truancy and dropout rates 98 AL COENCE
out of narrow, tradition -bound lanes, in half (Big Brothers Big Sisters, http: // P H E I X
for the status quo of slow decline is, www.bbbs.org /site /c.9iILI3NGKh � I � GC � dt uH
assuredly, not sustainable. We need to b .7721455 /k.6CBF /Our_impact_on_
challenge mediocrity, confront Mac- education.htm) and reduce pregnancy
tion, and call out phrases like "the new rates for at -risk teens (Claire Brindis and OCTOBER 7 -10 , 2 01 2
normal" for what they are: weak -willed Laura Davis, Linking Pregnancy Preven-
excuses of the comfortably lethargic. tion to Youth Development, http: / /www. IMPORTANT DATES
We need to support partners wher- advocatesforyouth.org /storage /advfy/
ever they may be found in pursuit of documents /communitiesresponding • June 18 Registration and Housing
improving the lives of children as a pdf). Taking responsibility for connecting Or Opens
fundamental, measurable community kids to a brighter future works. Or
27 First Registration Deadline
goal. We need to personally commit and In the daily effort to lead local September 7 Second Registration
be personally involved, both to have a governments, don't be wholly consumed e P
tangibly informed perspective and to be by the minutiae of the present. By all Deadline
credible in our unabashed expectation means, don't be constrained by the past.
that everyone has a role to play in our Focus on the future. The essence of
community's brighter future. sustainability is our children, well For more information, visit
We need to listen to children and prepared to shape our future. PII
empower them with our time and iclna.org/coference2012
willing spirit. Children should be an CRAIG MALIN, ICMA -CM, is city
integral part of community planning ef- administrator, Davenport, Iowa (ctm@ Twitter: ICMAConference
ci.davenport.ia.us).
forts. They should play a role on boards Tweet: 11ICMAl2
and commissions. They should review
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Counties saving big on health care costs Page 1 of 3
i 1I ILEi'I) \ . s k �� V' . ,, l Print this page -? Close
Counties saving big on health care costs
Workers paying higher deductibles; wellness programs on the rise.
By Joanne Huist Smith, Staff Writer
9 04 PM Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Switching to high deductible plans coupled with incentives for staff who get annual check -ups
and health screenings is shaving thousands of dollars — and in one case, millions — off what local
counties are paying for employee health care.
Assistant Montgomery County Administrator Amy Wiedeman said the changes are helping the
county hold down the rising cost of health care — a $50 million a year expense — for its 3,200
employees by up to $4 million a year.
Lisa Hale, director of risk management in Greene County, said that after five years of offering
wellness incentives to county employees, the cost for health care and the number of catastrophic
illnesses both are on the decline.
"We know from talking with employees we have dodged serious health events," said Hale, adding
that the total cost of Greene County's employee health care is about $ii million a year. "We did
reduce our costs 2 percent, and we feel that the Wellness Incentive Plan helped with that result."
In an attempt to control costs, employers increasingly are turning to wellness programs, although
the payoff remains unclear, according to a 2011 study by the Center for Studying Health System
Change. Tammy Whitaker, employee benefits /safety officer for Warren County, said it's hard to
quantify the cost saving of wellness programs. "It's the cancer treatment we will not be paying in
the future because of a health screening, or a diabetic with sugar levels under control who won't
have to deal with complications later on," she said.
Hale and Wiedeman say the benefits are two -fold.
"We're spending health care dollars much more wisely, and we're getting a healthier workforce,"
Wiedeman said "It's a better deal for employees and it's a better deal for taxpayers because it
provides more money for direct services."
Health care costs for Montgomery County's employees had been increasing about 11 percent per
year since 2005, faster than the 9 percent national average. Wiedeman said Montgomery
County's health care costs were higher because its workforce suffered from diseases such as
diabetes at rates higher than the national average. "We were seeing costs go up every year while
our revenue was decreasing," she said.
Annual health care membership plans for Montgomery County employees were projected to leap
from $15,089 per employee in 2011 to $22,355 by 2014. The county pulled together a health care
benefits task force in November 2010 to address the rising costs. What they found, as a self -
http: / /www.middletownj ournal. com/news /middletown- news / counties - saving- big -on- health... 5/24/2012
Counties saving big on health care costs Page 2 of 3
insured organization, the bulk of costs were from claims and the most prevalent illnesses were
related to lifestyle choices, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
"That's when we decided to put in a health care plan with wellness incentives," said Wiedeman,
adding that the change to high - deductible plans was launched on July 1.
All county employees are eligible for up to $1,200 a year for a number of incentives such as being
tobacco free. If they are in the high - deductible health plan, the funds are deposited in their health
savings account. If they are on the traditional health plan, it is deducted from their monthly
premium contribution.
"It's made a difference," Wiedeman said. "We're saving $3 million to $4 million a year. We've
been able to offset some state cuts through this."
Much of the savings, Wiedeman said, comes from employees making wiser health care choices.
When you have a high - deductible health care plan, people are more likely to check prices,
Wiedeman said. Montgomery County employees are challenged to stretch dollars spent on
medical expenses by considering generic drugs or finding a family doctor instead of making
regular trips to an emergency room.
Medical costs still are rising under the new plan, but at a slower pace, Wiedeman said.
About 3o percent of Montgomery County's employees opted for a high - deductible plan.
Hale said wellness incentives have been offered to Greene County's 85o full -time employees for
five years. The county has 22 goals or incentives that employees may choose from that range
from getting an annual check -up, keeping cholesterol under 200, maintaining a recommended
body mass, getting a flu shot, meeting a physical fitness goal or getting certain health screenings.
"If you meet goals, you are rewarded," Hale said.
Employees on family plans who meet eight goals and those on single plans who meet five goals
get a one -month premium holiday, or a month free from their 20 percent medical plan
contribution.
Miami County Commissioner Richard Cultice on Friday said the county, which is self- insured, is
currently re- evaluating its employee health care plan.
Warren County spent about $16 million on health care benefits in 2011. Whitaker said the county
is trying to reduce that figure by bringing health - related programs right to the office, like an
annual blood draw.
In 2011, 671 Warren County employees (out of the 924 eligible) got an extra paid day off work
because they participated in the blood screening program. The test results — for blood sugar and
cholesterol levels — were sent to the employee's home or directly to a personal physician.
"Employees are getting on board. They are thinking about longevity and quality of life," Whitaker
said.
Find this article at: [ Print this page jJ Close
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1 /
D f' I, M A IS V A AA IS h l A G 77 O u
Judge s Prayer.
Sussex County Sussex officials had sought to have the
lawsuit dismissed, arguing the prayer was
Council's pryer a simple call for spiritual guidance and did
not favor any religion, and challenged the
standing of the plaintiffs to sue.
GEORGETOWN -- A federal court judge "Whatever happened to freedom of
ruled that Sussex County Council must stop speech ?" Councilman Sam Wilson said. "I
reciting the Lord's Prayer as each council don't know how we're gonna get around it,
meeting begins because it violates the but we're gonna have to find a way."
Constitution
Sussex County government spokesman
U S. District Court Judge Leonard P. Stark's Chip Guy said the county was aware of the
opinion issuing a temporary injunction decision but had not reviewed it with
supports the claims of four Sussex county attorneys
residents that the county's routine action
breaches the First Amendment. "We will be doing that and weighing our
options," Guy said
The residents sued the county last year
seeking to end the council's practice. The Lord's Prayer begins "Our Father, who
art in heaven, hallowed be thy name," and
The court "is likely to conclude that the is commonly used by Protestants and
Council's practice of opening each meeting Catholics.
with a recitation of this distinctly Christian
Lord's Prayer violates the Establishment Alex Luchenitser, an attorney with
Clause because it constitutes government
endorsement of the Christian faith," Stark Advertisement
wrote in his opinion "The fact that The
Lord's Prayer has been the only prayer
recited at the beginning of Council
meetings for over six years is likely to be
found to demonstrate that the Council gives
Christianity an unconstitutionally preferred
status "
Stark's injunction takes effect June 15 but
doesn't end the lawsuit. The council would
violate the court order if it began its
scheduled June 19 meeting with the Lord's
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D E L M A R V A M E D I A G R O U P
Americans United for Separation of Church AdChoices
and State, said he is "very pleased with the Ads by Pulse 360
court's decision." His group represents Email Marketing - Free
plaintiffs Barbara Mullin, Julie Jackson, John Email Marketing to Fit Your Needs. Try it FREE now!
Steinbruck and William O'Connor. www icontact.com
Yakima: Mom is 57 looks 27
The judge's order cites a similar recent How Yakima Mom Discovered a "Weird" $5 Trick To
lawsuit over prayer in Sussex County, in Erase
which the Indian River School District was consumerlifestyletrends corn/
sued over the Christian prayers led by 5 Diet Pills that Work
2012's Top 5 Weight Loss Pills. Updated Consumer
officials at board meetings. A court order Ratings. Free Report.
to end them was upheld by the 3rd Circuit www DietRatings org
Court of Appeals.
The judge noted many governments across
the country begin meetings with prayers
that are not specific calls on Christian
belief, as he contended the Lord's Prayer
is.
Both the county and the plaintiffs should
think, he said, about how "to preserve the
Council's practice of opening its meetings
with a prayer but to do so in a manner that
is consistent with the United States and
Delaware Constitutions."
The judge ordered both sides to hold a
conference call with him last week to Ad vertisement
discuss the next steps in the case
jfisher @delawareonline.com
302 - 983 -6772
On Twitter @JamesFisherTNJ
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Vallejo, Calif., once bankrupt, is now a model for cities in an age of austerity - The Washi... Page 1 of 4
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Vallejo, Calif., once bankrupt, is now a model for
cities in an age of austerity
By Ariana Eunjuug Cha, Published: May 23
VALLEJO, CALIF. — The first couple of years were ugly. After this working -class port city became
the largest in America to declare bankruptcy in 2008, crime and prostitution surged as the police force
was thinned by 40 percent. Firehouses were shuttered, and funding for libraries and senior centers was
slashed. Foreclosures multiplied and home prices plummeted.
But then this city of 116,000 began to reinvent itself. It started using technology to fill personnel gaps,
rallying residents to volunteer to provide public services and offering local voters the chance to decide
how money would be spent — in return for an increase in the sales tax. For the first time in five years,
the city expects to have enough money to do such things as fill potholes, clear weeds, trim trees and
repair tennis courts.
The nation's cities are weak links in the U.S. economy and, if they collapse in large numbers, it could
knock the country's recovery off course. Cuts at the federal level are being pushed down to the states,
which in turn are passing the problems to their cities.
The strains are especially great in California, which was at the epicenter of the housing market
meltdown and the deep recession that followed. Even before revenue slowed, the state was facing
unique constraints on public finances because its laws make it difficult to raise taxes.
The dire conditions, however, have made California a laboratory for how to run cities in an age of
http:// www.washingtonpost.com/business /economy /vallej o- calif -once- bankrupt -is- now -a -... 5/24/2012
Vallejo, Calif., once bankrupt, is now a model for cities in an age of austerity - The Washi... Page 2 of 4
austerity.
Declaring bankruptcy used to be a last resort for cities, not only because it would cripple their ability to
borrow for years to come but because of the blow to their reputation. But that attitude has started to
change as more cities have found themselves facing fiscal catastrophe; bankruptcy offers an opportunity
to start over with a clean slate.
At least three California cities — Stockton, Mammoth Lakes and Montebello — have declared that they
are exploring the option. And at least 100 of the state's 482 cities are on track to face a similar
predicament by the end of the year, according to Barbara O'Connor, a professor at California State
University at Sacramento.
Chris McKenzie, executive director of the League of California Cities, said that "no one expected the
downturn to last this long," adding: "After years of struggling to keep things together as best they could,
cities are getting closer and closer to the edge."
Economists warn that a number of large bankruptcies of cities, concentrated over a short period of time,
could have a devastating effect on the national economy. Banking analyst Meredith Whitney in 2010
ominously predicted hundreds of billions of dollars in municipal bond defaults. While defaults on that
scale haven't happened — and Whitney's critics came out in droves to attest to the health of the
municipal bond market — the specter of such a crisis hasn't disappeared.
City's cash runs out
Vallejo, about 35 miles northeast of San Francisco, became the poster child for the failures of municipal
budgeting in 2008 when its cash reserves dwindled to zero and it was unable to pay its bills amid falling
property tax revenue and the soaring cost of employee compensation and pensions.
During happier times, Vallejo's salaries for city employees had ballooned, with a number of top officials
making $200,000 or $300,000. More than 80 percent of the municipal budget went toward
compensation.
The city's credit rating dropped to junk status, and as part of its bankruptcy settlement, Vallejo paid only
five cents for every dollar it owed to bondholders. On the labor side, officials cut workers' pay, health
care and other benefits but left pensions intact.
For Vallejo to survive, two city council members — Marti Brown, 46, a redevelopment worker for the
state, and Stephanie Gomes, 45, a legislative specialist for the U.S. Forest Service — decided that the
city needed to study best practices from around the world and bring some of them to California.
"We're trying to be more innovative and risk - taking," Brown said. "It's something we've been forced to
do, but it's turning out to be a really positive experience for the city."
The police went high -tech, investing $500,000 in cameras across the city that allow officers to monitor a
larger area than they could before. The department deputized citizens to participate in law enforcement
by sharing tips on Facebook and Twitter.
Gomes, whose husband is a retired police officer, focused on public safety. The couple went
neighborhood to neighborhood setting up e -mail groups and social media accounts so people can, for
instance, share pictures of suspicious vehicles and other information. "There have been countless cases
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Vallejo, Calif., once bankrupt, is now a model for cities in an age of austerity - The Washi... Page 3 of 4
where ordinary people have stopped crimes this way," Gomes said.
The number of neighborhood watch groups jumped from 15 to 350. Citizen volunteers came together
monthly to paint over graffiti and do other cleanup work.
And the city council struck an unusual deal with residents — if they agreed to a one -penny sales tax
increase, projected to generate an additional $9.5 million in revenue, they could vote on how the money
would be used. The experiment in participatory budgeting, which began in April, is the first in a North
American city.
The approach was pioneered in Port Alegre, Brazil, as a way to get citizens involved in bridging the
large gap between the city's middle -class residents and those living in slums on the outskirts. Individual
districts in New York and Chicago are also experimenting with the process, and residents there have
expressed interest in spending money on things such as more security cameras and lighting, public
murals, and Meals on Wheels for seniors.
A statewide shortfall
As the 2012 -13 budget season kicks off in California, Vallejo's neighbors are looking at severe cuts, in
part because of reduced support from the state. Gov. Jerry Brown (D) this month revealed that California
is facing a crushin.g$16 billion deficit because of a shortfall in tax revenue. As a result, the state is
diverting billions that had been earmarked for redevelopment or housing assistance away from cities that
were already under fiscal stress.
Stockton is in eleventh -hour negotiations with creditors to try to avoid bankruptcy. The city of Hercules
defaulted on a $2.4 million bond interest payment in February. Vacaville is considering closing City
Hall every Friday and forcing employees to take unpaid leave or vacation time.
The state capital, Sacramento, which is expecting an $18 million deficit for fiscal 2012 -13, has proposed
cutting 286 full -time jobs, including police and firefighters, a move that would probably leave the city
unable to respond to home burglaries and car accidents and lengthen the response time for 911 calls in
all but the most dire cases.
Vallejo is in a markedly different situation. While it still faces some serious challenges crime
continues to be a problem, and the housing market remains depressed — the city's finances are doing so
well that a federal judge released it from bankruptcy in November.
"We're seeing a lot of cities around us that are where we were five years ago," Gomes said. "Some of
those cities were laughing at us back then. It's nice to be on the other side of it."
While its general -fund budget of $69 million for 2012 -13 is a far cry from the $85 million at its peak in
the 1980s, Vallejo is in much better financial shape than many other cities around the country.
Assistant City Manager Craig Whittom, who has worked in Vallejo since 2003, said the bankruptcy may
have been the best thing to happen: "It was effective at helping us re- create ourselves and change the
culture so that we could restart from a stronger financial footing."
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