NAC O NE W S » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » In the News: One county laying off 964 employees
ALABAMA Jefferson County commissioners announced plans to lay off as many as 964 employees — a third of the workforce — until the fiscal year ends Sept. 30, the Birmingham News reported. Some of the workers are likely to lose their jobs permanently, even if the financially strapped county finds enough revenue to re- place the loss of its occupational tax, county leaders said.
Officials said the county needs approximately
$16 million per month to operate at its current size, while only $7 million per month of rev- enue is being generated. Te Alabama Supreme Court in March
threw out the county’s occupational tax, which generated $66 million in revenue last year. Los- ing the tax led the commission to cut more than $30 million in spending and close the county’s satellite courthouses.
CALIFORNIA Nobody confuses jail time with a trip to Dis- neyland, but a proposal in Riverside County could change that, at least as far as entrance fees are concerned. Following the U.S. Supreme Court case
Brown v. Plata that could send tens of thousands of state inmates back to county jails, Supervisor Jeff Stone is suggesting charging inmates for the cost of incarceration. His plan could also charge admission fees for people who visit inmates. “It’s $142 a day per inmate that it costs the
taxpayers to house our convicts in our jails which amounts to $51,830 a year,” he told KPCC-FM. “White collar crimes, people that get put in jail after repetitive DUIs — they can in fact reimburse this county either through liens on their property or judgments that can be applied.” Stone admits it could be a longshot, but In-
diana’s Porter County started billing prisoners more than 10 years ago. Riverside County attorneys will review its in-
mate reimbursement proposal and report back to the Board of Supervisors later this year.
COLORADO Solar panels would seem to be an unobjec- tionable feature on most houses, but Pitkin County commissioners are considering regulat- ing the glare they produce.
Te county has found little guidance in its attempt to address glare and would amend the nuisance section of the land use code with an
COUNTY LINES, SUMMER 2011
FLORIDA Hundreds more cats and dogs would be eu-
thanized in Manatee County each year if county commissioners approve the proposed elimina- tion of county-run animal adoption programs. Eliminating the adoption programs could the county
save between $200,000 and
$300,000 a year. Kris Weiskopf, chief of animal services, said
the cut would mean the county would be un- likely to save more than 500 shelter dogs and cats a year that are now adopted out to new owners. Eliminating the adoption program would close two shelters and cut three full-time jobs, the Herald-Tribune reported.
GEORGIA A Fulton County woman’s visual aid helped convince commissioners to ban elephant bull- hooks commonly used in circuses. Resident Anna Ware tried to bring one into a commission meeting, but security guards seized it as a weapon. A police detective had to carry it into chambers so she could show what one looks like — an instrument shaped like a fire poker, topped with a steel claw with two sharp- ened tips.
IDAHO Canyon and Ada counties’ leaders have
brought up the possibility of creating a regional emergency dispatch center for the two counties. Ada County Commissioner Sharon Ullman
said it might be a better way to handle the re- gion’s emergency dispatch services. “It makes a lot more sense to have a regional facility that knows what’s going on in the whole area,” Ullman told the Idaho Press-Tribune. She said the idea is worth considering before Ada County moves forward with any new dispatch site.
Te two counties already share some respon-
sibility for emergency response along the coun- ties’ shared border. Canyon County commis-
addition that reads, “the glare effect produced by light reflecting from an object shall not cre- ate an unreasonable adverse impact with an intensity and duration sufficient to cause a nui- sance.”
Te language doesn’t apply strictly to solar panels. Te county attorney has advised the staff that glare in general can be addressed, but the rules can’t apply solely to solar panels, the Aspen Times reported.
sioners recently announced plans to bill local emergency agencies for the dispatching services the county provides now at no cost.
INDIANA Although Delaware County commissioners did not vote for any measure to directly encour- age restaurants and bars to build patios, the county’s smoking ban has had that effect. Several Muncie bars have built or plan to add
outdoor patios or beer gardens so customers can smoke despite the ban to go into effect in the next few weeks. For the Joker’s Wild topless bar on South
Madison Street, that means a waist-high picket fence around a portion of its parking lot. Inside that perimeter, customers can enjoy a cold drink and scantily-clad — but not topless — dancers. Te new patio is in full compliance with In- diana liquor laws, a state excise police officer told the Star Press. Another excise officer noted that several local bars are making the move out- side.
ILLINOIS
Tey may call it the “cooler,” yet it was heard to be anything but in Wabash County. Just in time for the height of summer, the Board of Commissioners approved money to replace the county jail’s HVAC system. Te Daily Republican Register reported that if a grant from the Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission is approved, the county will need to pay only 25 percent of the total project cost. “It’s getting way too hot in there,” Wabash County Sheriff Joe Keeling said of con- ditions at the jail.
INDIANA Beginning July 1, county health departments will not be allowed to provide low-cost immu- nizations to children whose families have health insurance. In a May 18 letter issued to Indiana health care providers, State Health Commis- sioner Gregory Larkin asked physicians not to refer patients to county health clinics for im- munizations — making more vaccines available to families with the most need, the Journal Ga- zette reported.
Tose with insurance will be referred to their family doctors. If their physicians don’t carry the vaccines, families will be able to obtain the immunizations from the health department at cost, according to John Silcox, spokesman for the Allen County Health Department.
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