DATE: September 22, 2009
Members present: Tommy Lee Bychinski, Marty Krueger, Joan Fordham, Steve Bach, William F. Wenzel
Others present: Pat Barrett, Kerry Beghin, Jim Daniels, Carolyn Davis, Jessica Fry, Kevin Fults, Liz Geoghegan, Leo Grill, Michael Hafemann, Lynn Horkan, Alene Kleczek, Michelle Deutsch, Chip Meister, Vicki Meister, Bev Mielke, Steve Pate, Tom Pleger, Terri Radke, Kathy Schauf, Cindy Shanks, Tim Stieve, Bev Vaillancourt, Media
The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Bychinski at 8:15 AM. Certification of open meeting compliance was given. Motion by Wenzel to adopt the agenda, second by Bach. Motion carried.
Discussion and consideration of the 2010 County Budget .
Opening Comments: Schauf distributed a 2010 Budget memo and highlighted equalized value, prudent management, and strategic planning. The current economic situation and recovery period were discussed. Schauf expressed the budget process will offer a number of choices. She noted this is more about positioning for the future rather than just balancing revenues and expenses. Prudent management and acknowledgment that we cannot operate business as usual is key. Schauf indicated that the departments embraced this in their budget requests. Beghin spoke to the functional group presentation process being similar to last year. She indicated that yesterday she received information from the state about calculating levy limits and is currently compiling and sorting through the information.
Libraries: Vaillancourt highlighted the Library major goals and how they are part of their long term strategic plan. Vaillancourt distributed the Sauk County Library Board 2010 Budget Request. Vaillancourt reviewed the components of request. She noted the budget has no dollars for technology and voiced concern as the future for libraries is technology. Vaillancourt reviewed the funding calculation based on circulation. Vaillancourt highlighted the value of the libraries and the importance of their function and growth. Shanks stressed their hard work to keep budget down.
UW Baraboo/Sauk County: Dean Pleger highlighted the campus and its happenings. The campus is historically at their highest enrollment. They continue to offer more degrees and expand education opportunities for the community. The budget request is the same amount as last year. Most items are for basic maintenance. One significant project will be temperature control in the computer lab. Pleger indicated the Living and Learning Center project is seeking federal funding. The current science facilities need to be updated; once estimates are obtained, the project will be brought to the City and County. Pleger highlighted the academic staff and Davis spoke about hybrid/fast track courses for non- traditional students. Krueger amplified continued attention to the master plan and recent meetings between the City, County and University.
Administrative/General Government Functional Group
Schauf reviewed the functional group's key goal of minimizing the impact of departmental boundaries. The group seeks to leverage and align the resources of county government to have smart processes. Incremental steps forward are being made.
Accounting: Beghin reviewed the highlights page and numbers. She noted the eliminated management analyst position in 2009, 0.5 full time equivelent (FTE) in Accounting. Another decrease was one time server replacement in 2009. Electronic storage of documents is a project in process that will cross over into all departments and save records management burden once implemented. Accounting touches all county departments and is continuously sharing resources. Quarterly meetings with personnel are taking place.
Administrative Coordinator: Made use of floater time to balance workload for tasks specifically in the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) fund administration. The County has received around $7 million in CDBG relief funds for housing rehabilitation, reimbursement to local government, and business assistance. The budget includes use of fund balance for an operational analysis in the Human Service area with an extended look into the ADRC, Veterans Services, and Public Health areas. All are closely aligned and all were affected by Family Care implementation. The study will be used to define relationships between departments and minimize departmental boundaries.
Building Projects: Stieve indicated the Health Care Center (HCC) and Sheriff's shoot range and training facility are the two current projects. Stieve spoke about the EDA grant for fiber optic project; the budget includes $231,000 match for this grant funding. Stieve continues to work on contracts and rate setting for fiber. The technology will demand upkeep and maintenance. The Committee discussed the realization of these exceptional revenues and their use.
Building Services/Risk Management: Stieve noted that about 33% of the budget is for County building utilities. He indicated that his department works across department lines. They work very closely with Management Information Systems (MIS) on infrastructure and Personnel for safety training. Restructured staffing will involve cross training staff across facilities. This will enable current level of service to all facilities with existing staff levels. Stieve and staff continue to evaluate systems to impact costs and energy usage.
Corporation Counsel: Kleczek indicated most departmental expense is labor. They work heavily with departments to render legal opinions. Corporation Counsel relies on partnerships with departments to gain expertise in order to render legal opinions. They continually work hard to be more efficient. The law is always changing which impacts how the County functions.
County Clerk : Mielke noted revenue increase due to increased fees for domestic partnership and marriage licenses. Also, contracts with municipalities were renegotiated to a three year memorandum of understanding (MOU). These MOUs fund one FTE position in the office. Anticipate good voter turnout with four elections in 2010, so a budget increase. 2011 outlay has an estimate for a new Countywide voting system. Voting systems and the responsibility for these systems were discussed.
Dog License: Mielke indicated the budget is based on contract with Humane Society and other supply needs.
Emergency Management: Stieve indicated budget has significant reductions due to workers compensation and outlay items not in 2010 budget. Continue to work in the long term recovery program for unmet needs from the 2008 flood.
Insurance: Poor interest rates have affected this fund. Annual maintenance costs for the simulator are paid through this fund.
Landfill Remediation: This fund supports the long term needs of the closed landfill. Low interest rates have decreased the revenues in this fund. Stieve stated he works to balance the maintenance expense with the funds available. The Highway Department participates in the maintenance.
MIS: Pate spoke to collaboration and bringing in smart processes to County departments as a continued goal. Pate noted a significant increase in requests from departments to use technology to solve issues and gain efficiencies. Pate reviewed the MIS and Mapping departments' budgets. Today MIS is supporting more infrastructures at less cost at substantially the same level of staffing. This budget will accomplish a bigger network at the Health Care Center (HCC) new facility. Pate also spoke to developing some technology knowledge in the outlying facilities to save MIS staff time.
Personnel: Deutsch noted elimination of one FTE position in 2009. Planning to contract with a third party to process job applications on line. The contract will cover many tasks which enables reallocation of staff and decreased advertising expense. Also, Deutsch indicated she is looking at a Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) third party contractor to handle FMLA paperwork. Health insurance is big piece of the County budget, and 2010 rates were held to a 2.94% increase over 2009. The current and future bargaining environment was discussed. Deutsch indicated that an arbitration process would be very costly to the County.
Treasurer: Geoghegan noted the decrease in interest revenue and its effects. The 2010 budget reflects the interest revenue decrease. Geoghegan indicated that rates have mostly maintained in the last six months. There is an increase in tax delinquent properties where the County may take possession. This potential increase is reflected in the budget. She noted she is consistently looking at streamlining processes in the department. A new tax system is being investigated to help with efficiencies and processes internal and external to the department. Treasurer is working with MIS to coordinate efforts in the mapping area.
Department presentations ended. When asked, Kleczek indicated the Corporation Counsel department has been operating without a part-time legal secretary position since June. She expressed her concern as acting corporation counsel in supporting or opposing its elimination.
Recessed at 11:30 PM, and reconvened at 1:00 PM.
Justice and Public Safety Functional Group
Vicki Meister reviewed the goals of the functional group. Video conferencing for court appearance within and outside the County was discussed. There are many issues to work through along with compliance with statutes. The group will work to be most efficient and cost effective as possible.
Child Support: Presented to the Finance Committee on September 8, 2009
Circuit Courts: Presented to the Finance Committee on September 8, 2009
Clerk of Courts: Vicki Meister highlighted fee increases. Meister indicated that many costs for the department are mandatory and not predictable or controllable. Reimbursement for certified interpreters has increased; however, non-certified interpreters are not reimbursed at this higher level. Meister indicated the use of the collection agency is working well. The trend shows fines being paid are less due to economy. Ordinance changes should decrease appointed counsel fees. The department is working on old Guardian Ad Litem fee collections. Meister is also looking at charging interest for past due amounts as allowed by statute. Collection issues and processes were discussed.
Coroner: Coroner unable to attend due to an autopsy. Fry indicated the budget has no significant changes.
Court Commissioner: Grill discussed the mediation program funded by program fees.
District Attorney (DA)/Victim Witness: Barrett discussed the affect of required furlough time for the assistant DA positions. Some law changes will also affect the caseload and current staffing. Barrett has met with law enforcement and changed certain offenses to be written as ordinance violations. This change will help with DA staff time and attorney appointments and have ripple affects all over. Reflected in the 2010 budget, the department filled a FTE victim witness position as a 0.6 FTE.
Drug Seizure: Drug seizure is unpredictable depending on nature of cases. The program is very limited as to what can be purchased with this funding.
Family Court Counseling: Grill stated there is minimal increase to this budget. He indicated that eroding financial conditions have exacerbated issues of domestic violence and lack of employment and health care. Grill expressed he tries to address education needs of people coming through system such as the effect of divorce on children. As the family dynamic changes he would like to expand this education, but is not able to, due to time and resources.
Jail Assessment: Beghin confirmed the budgeted funds are all used for debt retirement on the Law Enforcement Center (LEC) building.
Register in Probate: Daniels reviewed the case types handled by his department. Caseload numbers are consistent with prior years. However, probate trends show more involved and longer lasting case types. Juvenile filings are at a consistent volume, however there appears to be multiple repeat cases. Daniels discussed the change in mental health hearings and the proceedings for a contested hearing. The budget includes an increase in psychological exam expense for 2010.
Sheriff: Chip Meister stated that Sheriff Stammen had an emergency and was unable to attend. Meister reviewed loss of revenue in Huber fees due to current economic condition. After careful consideration, a vacant clerk position will be eliminated in 2009. Parts of a previous clerk's duties were returned to MIS and the remainder are being reallocated. This will affect timeliness of public service provided at the front window of the LEC. In Field Services, cars have been shuffled in order to extend their maintenance and life. This enables the department to reduce the budget request by one squad for 2010. Meister stated that when the economy is bad it is usually the department's busiest time. The department is also looking at technology to have relief in duties. Staffing numbers and overtime implications were discussed in Field Services. Krueger questioned the affect to Sauk County concerning a recent news story that Dane County is selling jail space to the state. Meister contacted Dane County and was told Dane County is housing intensive sanctions prisoners and this would not compete with the Sauk County State contract. Hafemann highlighted Huber inmates working in County departments saving the County time and money. A Homeland Security grant will be applied for to help with the cost of new required radios. Current budget includes levy funding for the radio purchase, and Meister recommended the budget outlay remain as requested due to unknown outcome of grant acceptance. The Department of Corrections (DOC) contract and jail census were discussed. Meister indicated that Stammen meets regularly with the secretary of DOC.
Schauf reviewed the copier program being constructed through MIS. The program will be handled much like the computer chargeback program. Pate believes he can implement with the dollars in the 2010 budget request. The program will allow for standardization and consistent budgeting.
Motion by Wenzel to recess the meeting at 2:50 pm, second by Fordham. Motion carried. 2010 Budget presentations will begin at 8:15 AM on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.
Respectfully submitted,
Steven Bach
Finance Committee Secretary