November 16, 2008

KANSAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES

GOVERNING BOARD

 

MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 16, 2008 MEETING

HYATT REGENCY HOTEL, WICHITA, KS

 

Attendance

Board Members Present: Michele Abbott-Becker, Marion County Emergency Management Director; Sheila Biggs, Dickinson County Commissioner; Joe Connor, Unified Government Health Department Administrator; Terry David, Rice County EMS Director; Gary Doane, Osborne County Commissioner; Shannon Francis, Seward County Commissioner; R. Steve Garten, Barber County Commissioner; Mark Low, Finney County Appraiser; Larry McAulay, Johnson County Director of Legal Services; JR McMahon II, Miami County Director of Public Works; Dale Phillips, Barton County Noxious Weed Director; Dennis Peterson, Riley County Noxious Weed Director; Tom Wagner, Atchison County Commissioner; Tom Winters, Sedgwick County Commissioner; Dick Works, Allen County Commissioner.

 

Others Present: Randall Allen, KAC Executive Director; Melissa Wangemann, KAC General Counsel; Dennis Kriesel, KAC Sr. Policy Analyst; Cliff Mayo, Finney County Commissioner; John Miller, Wallace County Commissioner; Burt Burrows, Wade Sunderman, Michelle Escobedo, and Wendie Arnold, Nationwide Retirement Solutions; Andrew Goldschmidt, National Association of Counties.

 

Proceedings

 

Shannon Francis called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m.    

 

Tom Winters, Chairman, Board of Sedgwick County Commissioners, welcomed the KAC Board to Sedgwick County and explained some of the new building initiatives in the county.

 

Shannon Francis welcomed John Miller, Wallace County Commissioner and Cliff Mayo, Finney County Commissioner, as guests at the Board meeting.

 

Terry David moved and Steve Garten seconded approval of the minutes from the October 24th and November 6th meetings. The minutes were approved.

 

Tom Winters explained that the Finance Committee had reviewed the bills and payroll as of November 16, 2008. Tom Winter moved and Mark Low seconded a motion to approve the Finance Committee Report.   The motion passed.

 

Randall Allen briefed the Board on the annual conference and noted several events occurring during the conference.  

 

Melissa Wangemann explained the Legislative Policy Statement Protocols.

 

Andrew Goldschmidt from the National Association of Counties greeted the Board and discussed NACo?s legislative accomplishments and initiatives at the federal level.

 

Burt Burrows, Program Director for Nationwide Retirement Solutions, greeted the Board, introduce staff from Nationwide, and discussed the Nationwide deferred compensation program services available to counties.

Melissa Wangemann presented an engagement letter from the CPA firm of Summers, Spencer and Callison for the E911 audit. Michele Abbott-Becker moved and Dennis Peterson seconded the motion to accept the engagement letter as presented. The motion passed.

 

Melissa Wangemann presented a written proposal on distributing the monthly newsletter, the County Comment, by electronic mail. Tom Winters moved and Sheila Biggs seconded a motion to accept the recommendation of KAC staff to offer KAC members the choice of electronic or paper versions of the County Comment. The motion included requiring a subscription fee of $15 for the paper version of the newsletter to cover the costs of production. The change will be effective with the January, 2009 issue. The motion passed.

 

Randall Allen presented the revised, recommended 2009 KAC budget of $894,425, following up on a preliminary draft of the 2009 KAC Budget discussed with the Board at the November 6, 2008 conference call meeting. Randall briefed the board on the changes to the budget from the previous, initial draft. Changes reflected discussions during the November 6, 2008 conference call meeting.

 

Larry McAulay presented information on a revised cost estimate(s) for an online legal reference service which he and Melissa had researched since the previous meeting. While there are several options, it was felt that a $3,000 budget for this service would be adequate to secure a reasonable level of service. $3,600 was included in the revised 2009 budget as presented by Randall.

 

Tom Winters moved, seconded by Terry David, to adopt the 2009 KAC budget of $894,425 as amended to reflect a reduction of $460 in the Subscriptions and Dues account ($5,750, rather than $6,200) and an increase of $460 in the Contingency Reserve account ($16,910, rather than $16,450). The motion passed.

 

KAC President Shannon Francis urged the board to enjoy the conference, thank our exhibitors and sponsors for their participation, and be prompt in meeting at various times when the full board?s participation is needed.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 12:07 p.m.

 

Minutes prepared by Melissa Wangemann and Randall Allen.

Minutes approved on December 11, 2008 by the Governing Board.

 

 

_____________________________

Sheila Biggs, Secretary