June 24, 2005

Kansas Association of Counties

Governing Board Meeting Minutes

June 24, 2005

League of Kansas Municipalities Conference Room

300 SW 8th Street

Topeka, Kansas 66603

 

President Gene Merry called the meeting to order at 10:10 a. m. Board members present were as follows: Lonie Addis, Labette County Commissioner; Eileen Filbert, Jefferson County Health Department Administrator; John Miller, Norton County Commissioner; Gene Merry, Coffey County Commissioner; Ted Ensley, Shawnee County Commissioner; Mary Messamore, Sherman County Emergency Services Director; Nick Saldan, Deputy Johnson County Counselor; Florence Whitebread, Geary County Commissioner; Tom Winters, Sedgwick County Commissioner. Board members absent were as follows: Shannon Francis, Seward County Commissioner; Dennis Peterson, Riley County Weed Director; Gary Post, Lyon County Appraiser; Alvin Perez, Republic County Highway Administrator. Others present were as follows: Dave Brenn, Kansas Water Congress; Joel Wright and Kathleen Harnish-Doucet, Team Tech, Inc.

 

There were no changes to the agenda as printed. To accommodate Mr. Brenn’s schedule, President Merry adjusted the agenda to allow presentation concerning the Kansas Water Congress by Mr. David Brenn of Garden City, Kansas.

 

Kansas Water Congress Presentation

 

Mr. Brenn explained that the Kansas Water Congress goes back to 2000, with an incorporation date of 2003. He said that the purpose of the Congress is to provide objective advice to the Governor, Legislature, Kansas Water Office and Board, and others on water policy in Kansas. He said that Kansas is head and shoulders above most other states in the development of sound water policy. The idea for the Kansas Water Congress was borrowed from Colorado, which saw development of the Colorado Water Congress in the 1950s. The Kansas Water Congress, like its sister organization in Colorado, is an entity outside government and helps to bridge the gap between public and private water policy. The Kansas Water Congress is organized as a 501( c) ( 6 ) organization so that it can advocate. Mr. Brenn indicated that the KWC has offices in Garden City (in his home) and in Topeka. The KWC takes position on water issues in a democratic manner, with a 2/3 majority of those present required to take an affirmative position of any kind. Presently, there are about 40 sustaining members.

 

The Water Congress’ three main issues over the past year have been as follows: 1) irrigation transitioning program, with an emphasis on incentivizing the retirement of water rights; 2) the Kansas v. Colorado water litigation, which resulted from Colorado’s violation of an interstate water compact; and 3) the unfunded liability for storage in federal reservoirs in Kansas.      

 

Mr. Brenn indicated that the KAC, if a sustaining member of the Water Congress with a minimum annual membership fee of $500, could select a voting member to the KWC’s State Affairs Committee. It would provide an opportunity for county officials to participate in conferences, and to receive email communications on water issues.

 

Sharing Approaches that Work Update

Randall, Joel Wright, and Kathleen Harnish-Doucet presented a summary of the recent Sharing Approaches that Work forums. Randall reported that revenues received for the project totaled $24,000 while expenditures totaled $23,454.78. He will be submitting reports to two grantors – the Sunflower Foundation and the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund – in the next month. The team also distributed copies of the process evaluation of the prescription drug work teams, as conducted by Dr. Stacey Daniels-Young. The process evaluation is crucial in our ability to raise additional foundation monies for future programs because it documents that the process can be replicated in other areas. The team also distributed documents showing how we can move the breakthrough teams/Sharing Approaches that Work from a pilot to an

 

ongoing program, with the Sponsoring Collaborative as the authority for the ongoing work, and the KAC acting as the grant receiving entity.      

 

May 20, 2005 Minutes Approval

 

The May 20, 2005 board meeting minutes were reviewed. Mary Messamore moved, seconded by John Miller, to approve the May 20, 2005 minutes. Motion carried.  

 

Approval of Bills and Payrolls

 

Treasurer John Miller presented the bills and payrolls dated June 24, 2005. John indicated one correction to the bills and payrolls. John Miller moved, seconded by Ted Ensley, to approve the bills and payrolls dated May 20, 2005 as corrected. Motion carried.

 

President Merry’s Report

 

President Merry briefed the board on the following subjects:

 

1) President Merry participated in a telephone interview with Dr. Susan Kirby concerning how to improve communications from the Kansas Health Foundation;

2) He had received a communication inviting him to participate in the fall annual meeting of the League of Kansas Municipalities, and indicated that their theme is “Achieving Excellence.” He said that he would speak about our Sharing Approaches that Work focus, and try to convince the League to participate more fully;

3) President Merry made the board aware of the Facility Conservation Improvement Program of the Kansas Corporation Commission;

4) President Merry told the board that in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision on eminent domain (Kelo v. City of New London, CT) that Kansas counties should take a very conservative approach to the use of eminent domain;

5) He indicated his participation in meetings with KU, K-State, and KDOT concerning the statutory requirement for Kansas counties to have county engineers, with the group looking for alternatives that would work statewide;

6) He and Randall participated in a July 8, 2005 planning committee meeting for several fall regional Prosperity Summits. The summits will be jointly sponsored by the Kansas Departments of Revenue and Commerce;

7)   He reported on a recent meeting of a Legislative Initiatives Committee of the Kansas County Commissioners Association (KCCA) in which he was charged with getting a meeting arranged to discuss potential legislation with a staff person in the Legislative Research Department. He indicated that he had directed Executive Director Allen to arrange such a meeting;  

8) He distributed a memorandum referencing projections of funds to be received in counties’ Special City and County Highway Funds (SCCHF) in 2006; and

9) He noted that two counties have recently joined NACo, including Lane and Sherman counties.

 

The meeting was recessed at 12:05 p.m. for lunch, and resumed at 12:45 p.m.

  

Approval of Revised 2005 Budget

 

A revised 2005 KAC budget of $768,638 was previously distributed to the board for its review and consideration prior to the board meeting. Mary Messamore moved, seconded by Nick Saldan, to approve a revised 2005 KAC budget of $768,638 as recommended by the KAC Executive Director. Motion carried.

National Association of Counties Report

 

Lonie Addis, NACo representative, presented the NACo report. He indicated that the NACo prescription drug card program is now off pilot status, and is ready to be launched nationwide (to NACo member counties). He discussed the need to determine who will represent Kansas on the NACo membership committee from Kansas. He recommended that whoever is the NACo representative should also serve on the NACo membership committee. (At the time of the meeting, the election for NACo representative had not concluded). Lonie Addis moved, seconded by Ted Ensley, that whomever was elected to be the NACo representative should also serve as the Kansas’ representative to the NACo membership committee. Motion carried.

 

Lonie briefed the board on the upcoming NACo Annual Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii. He indicated that he would be speaking in support of Johnson County Chairman Annabeth Surbaugh for a presidential appointment to the NACo Board, and that Randall had written a letter of support for him to use in his presentation.

 

Approval of Engagement Letter for Audit of the KAC’s December 31, 2004 Financial Statements

 

Lonie Addis moved, seconded by John Miller, to accept the draft engagement letter from Summers, Spencer, and Callison, CPAs of Topeka, Kansas to conduct the audit of the December 31, 2004 financial statements of the Association. Motion carried.

Travel Authorization

 

Randall indicated that he requested approval to travel to Mankato, Minnesota sometime in the near future for the purpose of meeting with NACo 1st Vice President Colleen Landkamer about her presidential initiatives for NACo (when she assumes the NACo presidency in July, 2006) and a possible intersection of the KAC’s state/county collaborative with her ideas for presidential initiatives. Ted Ensley moved, seconded by Florence Whitebread, to authorize Randall to travel with Team Tech staff to Minnesota at an undesignated time in the near future. Motion carried.

 

KAC Board Affiliate/Associate Information Exchange

 

Board members conveyed information about their respective organizations. Nick Saldan said that the county counselors had a very successful CLE program in June. Mary Messamore indicated that the emergency managers would be meeting for their annual meeting in September. She said that regionalization of homeland security efforts was the hot topic for KEMA members.

 

Action to Join the Kansas Water Congress

 

John Miller moved, seconded by Florence Whitebread, for the KAC to join the Kansas Water Congress as a sponsoring member in the amount of $500. Motion carried.

 

Other

 

The board had continued discussion concerning a joint meeting with the Kansas County Officials Association, to pursue common interests.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 1:58 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

                                                                                                                                _______________________.

Randall Allen, Executive Director

 

 

 

Approved: _______________________________

                   Florence Whitebread, Board Secretary