November 20, 2005

Kansas Association of Counties

Governing Board Meeting Minutes

Sunday, November 20, 2005

KAC Annual Conference

Emerald Room, Capitol Plaza Hotel

Topeka, Kansas

 

President Gene Merry called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. Board members present were as follows:

 

Gary Post, Lyon County Appraiser

Steve Garten, Barber County Commissioner

Shannon Francis, Seward County Commissioner

Ted Ensley, Shawnee County Commissioner

Eileen Filbert, Jefferson County Health Department Administrator

Tom Winters, Sedgwick County Commissioner

Gene Merry, Coffey County Commissioner

John Miller, Norton County Commissioner

Dennis Peterson, Riley County Noxious Weed Director

Florence Whitebread, Geary County Commissioner

 

KAC Board Members Not Present:

 

Nicholas Saldan, Deputy Johnson County Counselor

 

KAC staff and others present:

 

Randall Allen, KAC Executive Director

Judy Moler, KAC Legislative Services Director/General Counsel

John Miller, Wallace County Commissioner

Vic Miller, Shawnee County Commissioner

George Pogge, Jefferson County Road Superintendent

Bill Hansell, President, National Association of Counties

Andrew Goldschmidt, Staff, National Association of Counties

Erik Johnston, Staff, National Assoiciation of Counties

ADDITIONS/DELETIONS TO AGENDA

 

Florence Whitebread moved, seconded by Eileen Filbert, to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried.

 

WELCOME TO SHAWNEE COUNTY

 

Shawnee County Commission Chairman Vic Miller greeted the KAC Board and welcomed them to Shawnee County for the 30th Annual Conference. He indicated that he and the other commissioners were pleased to have the KAC in the capital county of Shawnee and the capital city of Topeka and said that if anyone had any problems or questions to please call him personally.

 

 

 

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

 

John Miller moved, seconded by Shannon Francis, to approve the October 14, 2005 meeting minutes. Motion carried.  

 

APPROVAL OF BILLS AND PAYROLL

 

John Miller moved, seconded by Tom Winters, to approve the bills and payrolls dated November 20, 2005. Motion carried.

 

MONTHLY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Executive Director Allen indicated that the financial statements from CBIZ, the Association’s outside accountants, were not delivered in a form sufficiently reliable to allow presentation to the board. He indicated that they were not delivered on a cash basis (accrual basis, instead) and that adjusting journal entries for 2004 had been recorded against 2005 instead of 2004. As such, Allen indicated that he had a 1:00 p.m. November 28 meeting scheduled with CBIZ personnel to rectify the situation, and asked the reports be deferred until the December meeting.

 

ANNUAL CONFERENCE OVERVIEW/INSTRUCTIONS

 

Randall Allen went over the events of the conference and pointed out certain instances in which the Board needed to meet before hand in order to process to the meeting hall.

 

REVIEW OF PROTOCOLS FOR ADOPTION OF THE 2006 LEGISLATIVE POLICY STATEMENT

 

Judy Moler summarized the process for the adoption of the policy statement. In addition, items of potential controversy on the statement were discussed.

 

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES

 

NACo President Bill Hansell (Commissioner from Umatilla County, Oregon) addressed the board. He spoke about some of the experiences he has had as NACo President, and indicated he was very pleased to be in Kansas. He recounted the conversation he had with Lonie Addis, Labette County Commissioner and former NACo Board member, a few years ago in which Commissioner Addis encouraged him to run for 2nd Vice President of NACo. He said that Lonie’s encouragement planted the seed for him considering the office, and it was shortly thereafter that Hansell announced his candidacy for the NACo leadership position. President Hansell discussed many of the value-added services of NACo, including the GIS business relationship with ESRI, which allows Kansas to host a GIS workshop at our annual conference and opens the door for ESRI/NACo to distribute software and training grants to counties which are both NACo and KAC members. He also discussed the successful prescription drug program which has now gone nationwide. KAC President Merry thanked President Hansell for attending the conference, and being a part of our conference experience.      

 

Andrew Goldschmidt, NACo’s Membership Marketing Director, gave a report on NACo membership in Kansas and indicated his pleasure at being back in the state of his birth (Andrew grew up in Sedgwick County and attended the University of Kansas). Andrew subsequently participated in the pre-conference workshop on GIS, which was made possible through his efforts as well as NACo and ESRI. Erik Johnston, also of the NACo staff, discussed the 5-Star Restoration Matching Grants Program of NACo, and cosponsored by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Wildlife Habitat Council, in cooperation with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He said that Sedgwick County had been a recipient of a 5-Star grant in the past. Commissioner Francis inquired about whether the grant program would be able to help counties in southwestern Kansas who are dealing with salt cedar control, also known as “tamarisk” or “tamarack” along the upper Arkansas River valley. Johnston indicated that this program could be used to address this problem.  

 

CONFIRMATION OF UPCOMING MEETING DATES

 

Randall indicated that the next board meeting would be the annual reorganizational meeting of the board on December 15. Commissioner Winters said that the INK Board had changed its plans about a December 15 meeting and he was therefore able to attend a meeting earlier in the day. As such, the board agreed by consensus to reschedule the December 15 KAC Board meeting to 3:00 p.m. rather than the previously announced time. Randall indicated that the joint meeting with the League of Kansas Municipalities Board would be on Friday morning, December 16, beginning with a breakfast brunch at 8:30 a.m, The joint meeting would conclude no later than 12:00 noon.

  

Randall presented a list of possible dates for 2006 KAC board meetings. He said that the list was in draft form and urged board members to check their calendars to see if there were conflicts. The final schedule will be confirmed by the board in December. Steve Garten said that the last Friday of the month is a difficult time for him to get away from Barber County because of commission meetings. As such, he asked that the board consider moving up the April meeting from the 28th to the 21st and the July meeting from the 28th to the 21st.   No action was taken on the draft calendar.

 

CONTINUED DISCUSSION AND ACTION CONCERNING THE 2006 KAC BUDGET

 

Randall indicated that the 1st preliminary 2006 KAC budget had been revised since it was presented at the October 14, 2005 board meeting. Revisions include: 1) recognition of 14 board members instead of 13, based on an assumption that KEMSA would be recognized as an affiliate member at the annual conference; 2) slightly different revenue and expenditure estimates for the annual conference based on new projections of attendance; 3) an expenditure of $10,000 (with $5,000 to be reimbursed) in 2005 for the health insurance pool feasibility study; and 4) some slight modifications to the staff travel budget to allow for some additional continuing professional development for staff. Allen indicated that the methodology for allocating dues would be considered by the board at the December meeting since it was a separate decision from adoption of the budget. The board discussed the requirement in the Bylaws that the budget be announced at the annual business meeting (held on Monday, November 21) and encouraged the Executive Director to make a summary of the budget available to members through the County Comment, and other practical ways. Discussion about the 2006 budget ensued. Ted Ensley moved, seconded by Dennis Peterson, to adopt the 2006 KAC budget, with revenues totaling $767,262 and expenditures totaling $744,143. Motion carried.

 

President’s Remarks:

 

KAC President Gene Merry briefed the board on his participation as KAC President in the annual conference of the League of Kansas Municipalities in Wichita and the annual conference of the Kansas Farm Bureau in Hutchinson.  

  

 

 

 

Executive Director’s Report:

 

Executive Director Allen requested board authorization of travel expenses for 1) the KAC President and Executive Director to travel to Washington, D.C. on January 11-13, 2006 for the annual State Presidents/Executive Directors meeting at the NACo offices; 2) the KAC President, our NACo Representative (Steve), the Executive Director, and the Legislative Director to attend the annual NACo Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. on March 4-8, 2006; and 3) the Legislative Director/General Counsel and the Conference Planner to attend an in-service workshop of midwest state association key employees (legislative directors, conference planners) in Chicago in early January, 2006. Executive Director Allen indicated that funds were included in the 2006 budget for these purposes. Shannon Francis moved, seconded by Tom Winters, moved to authorize the travel as recommended by the Executive Director. Motion carried.  

 

The meeting was adjourned at 11:05 a.m.

 

 

                                                                        Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

                                                                        _____________________________

                                                                        Judith A. Moler

                                                                        General Counsel and Legislative

                                                                        Services Director

 

 

 

 

Approved:         _______________________________

                        Florence Whitebread

                        Board Secretary

                        December 15, 2005