Even after being on the board for two terms county commissioners can learn a thing or two about what they could personally be liable for as one of the county commissioners learned at Wednesday’s board meeting. According to ORS statutes if the Board of County Commissioners is made aware of a shortfall in the budget and they refuse to do something to balance the budget by the fiscal year’s end, the commissioners can each be held accountable for the deficit. Luckily, the county staff (nor the other commissioners) were about to let that happen.
Concern arose when county staff asked for an appropriation adjustment. Commissioner Patrick questioned the fact that so many of the state’s programs managed by the County Health and Human Services Department had failed to generate the funds expected, leaving the county to pick up the tab. The natural assumption would be to pass the bill back to the state but that’s not how it works. The county is responsible for its department and the programs that it manages, whether or not they originated with the state.
The programs that the Health and Human Services Department is responsible for are: Immunization; Maternal and Child Health; Babies First; Healthy Start; WIC Program; HHS STARS; Family Planning; Ryan White Fund Grant; HIV Block Grant; Chronic Disease Prevention; Emergency Preparedness; Environmental Health; Tobacco Prevention, and Community Health. Most of these programs rely on “pass through funds” meaning if the funding doesn’t materialize it is a major issue since the majority of their budget relies on those monies. According to Commissioner Hazen in the upcoming year the total budget for all the funds under HHS is $4,424,190. Of that total, only $615,500 (13.91%) is funded by the general fund. The rest of the revenue is funded by the State, grants, and fees paid by users. The general fund subsidy is a reduction of $19,100 from the current year’s original budget.
Manager Derickson said staff has been working with the Health and Human Services Department making necessary cuts, in some instances that has meant letting some employees go and less hours for other employees. Derickson conceded that some of the problem could have been County’s, in not anticipating shortfalls correctly. For the most part it is due to unforeseen shift in legislation which changed the way, or how much, certain state programs were funded.
After clarifications were explained to both Commissioner Patrick’s and Hazen’s questions regarding the State’s and the County’s fiscal obligation approval was given for funds to be appropriated from the General Fund Contingency. The appropriated funds also covered the higher expenses stemming from employee medical insurance increases and expenses related to the December windstorm. The county also received a $536,122 payment from the state from a timber lawsuit judgment. A resolution and order per ORS 294.450 was unanimously approved.
Other Board News
The Board unanimously passed a resolution designating a new committee as the county’s official organization addressing long-term disaster recovery issues. Sheriff Bergin presented the Long Term Disaster Recovery Committee(LTDRC), a countywide group formed to address lingering needs stemming from the December windstorm. The committee is a new countywide disaster recovery group formed to address the remaining needs of those people who still have needs after FEMA, the insurance companies, and the Small Business Association have said they can do nothing more. LTDRC is partnered with United Way of Clatsop County, Clatsop Community Action, Lutheran Community Services Northwest, Clatsop County Women’s Resource Center, Clatstop County Emergency Management, Astoria First United Methodist Church, TLC Federal Credit Union, Rotary Club of Astoria, Astoria Lions Club, Kiwanis Club of Astoria/Warrenton, Astoria CERT Team, Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, and the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. Executive Board members are Charlene Larson, George Sabol, Darlene Felkins, Candy Sollars, Julie Staffsworth, Scott Reuter, and Gene Strong.
United Way of Clatsop County, a 501© (3) is the committee’s fiscal partner, allowing the group to raise and disburse funds specific to its mission. For two weeks in May the committee conducted community assessments, going door to door everywhere “except where there were three no trespassing signs and dogs,” regarding the unmet needs. The assessment process did not cost any money and was conducted by the Christian Reformed Relief Committee. The purpose of the assessment was to determine those citizens that still need assistance to return to pre-disaster status. The committees next step is to manage each case and attempt to match up either through financial means or volunteer activities the services needed. The effort will include seeking grant aid, coordinating volunteer agencies and disbursing local funds.
During Public Comments time The Board heard from Circuit Court Judge and Public Safety Coordinating Council Co-Chair Cindee Matyas, who asked that the board seek input from the PSCC when crafting the budgets for the county’s various public safety departments. She noted that the county parks department recently cut $9,000 that funded juvenile work crews. Ed Wegner, Transportation and Development Services Director, said the funding cut was part of a re-organization of the parks, fisheries and other programs. By cutting the youth out of the budget, Wegner said, the department will be able to hire a full time employee for the parks department and to run the fisheries program. The person will be able to do work that the youth cannot, such as run a chainsaw. Wegner said that the position has not yet gone out and he doubts that it will be filled this summer so more than likely the summer youth program will still take place.
The Board also approved a contract with Clatsop Economic Development Resources (CEDR). The county will provide the organization with $60,000 a year for two years out of the county’s share of state lottery dollars, plus $15,000 that normally is distributed to local non-profit groups. It is expected for the newly formed CEDR, founded by the Astoria-Warrenton Chamber of Commerce, will use the $15,000 for fundraising efforts to generate more money for local charitable and non-profit entities.
In other Board actions: Approved the sale of six county-owned parcels to various buyers. Heard a presentation from members of the 4-H and Extension Service District Advisory Committee. Gave consensus to drafting a letter in support of a grant request from the Clatsop County Housing Authority to build local housing for homeless familie
The Adopted Consent Calendar included: Approval of Youngs Bay Detention contracts with Janus Youth Programs and Tillamook County; approval of a contract with Bio-Oregon for fish food; a letter requesting an Oregon Coast Zone Management grant; an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Astoria for the salvage of storm-damaged timber; approval of a contract with LifeWorks NW for drug and alcohol services; approval of a resolution and order setting the FY 2008-09 assessments for diking districts 5, 11 and 14; approval of an amendment to an interagency agreement between Clatsop County 4-H and Extension Service and the OSU Coastal Marine Experiment Station; minutes for board meetings of May 14 and May 21, 2008.
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