HomeMy WebLinkAbout740789.tiff CHARTER COMMITTEES
Each committee is charged with responsibility to study in depth the area
or scope of County governmental activity outlined in the appropriate
appendix. The Chairman of the committee or his designate shall report
to the Commission (preferably in writing so Commission members can study
the report) , giving the alternatives and changes faun the present County
sLructural organization, with recommendations. Minority views from
Committee members shall also be given. Ultimate decision on the matters
rests with the Commission as a whole, but sources on the subject should
be developed through the committees. In same areas of assignment there
necessarily will be overlap of responsibility by two or mole committees
and the respective committees should coordinate and communicate progress
of their studies with other committees working in the same general areas.
The Chairman of the Commission will coordinate and schedule presentation
of committee reports and establish time schedules for completion of
committee work. Each committee chairman shall be responsible for
arranging meetings of the committee and shall utilize the Commission staff
secretary to get notice promptly and properly to the committee members of
each meeting of the committee.
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SAFETY COMMII'1'EL
The committee should study the traditional areas of law enforcement,
detention and incarceration and fire protection. Fire protection
shall be studies in connection with the committee on County Relations
With Municipalities, Local Improvement Districts, etc. This committee
shall also study in connection with the Health Committee the operation
of ambulance service. The committee shall also study the office of Coroner.
- In the area of detention, inquiry and study should be made relative to the
facilities planned for this County activity and the personnel and
organization to obtain the standard desired for the County. Juvenile
detention should be an area of attention as well as detention of those
mentally ill who may or may not be involved in some phase of law enforcement.
If Charter proposals should be considered, recommendations should include
methods of selection of personnel to head the safety activities as well as
personnel working under such department head.
Communication and detention facilities should be studied with the County
Relations With Municipalities, etc. Committee.
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HEALTH COMM1'17EE
The committee shall study the relations of the existing hospital, mental
health and public health board, their sub-structures and services as to
efficiencies, economies and effectiveness. This committee shall study
with the Safety Committee the operation of ambulance service and Coroner
as well as detention of the mentally ill.
The conmittee shall study relationships with needs of the Welfare
(Social Services) and Human Relations Committee for health services.
If Charter proposals should be considered, recommendations should include
what changes are recommended from the present Ford structures in the
fields of health.
PLANNING, ZONING,ROADS AND PUBLIC UTILITIES,
ENGINEERING AND SURVEYING COMMITTEE
This committee is charged with responsibility to review the organization
of the Planning Commission, Board of Appeals and activities of the County
in the area of Building Permits. The application of State imposed zoning
regulations in a Home Rule County should be inquired of the Commission
Counsel. This committee is also charged with studying the planning of
roads, utility rights-of-way and operations outside municipalities, the
areas of engineering services to the County as well as survey services.
The office of County Surveyor should be studied by this committee.
The committee should consider alternative ways to control establishment
of bureaucracies through this department and to organize it so it is
responsive to the needs of the County and its citizens. Numerous complaints
of outraged rural citizens indicates excesses have developed under the
present organization of the Planning Commission, Building Permit Department
and Board of Appeals. There may be means of correction other than through
a Charter which are worthy of consideration.
The committee should study the present procedures and organization to see
if and how the planning and zoning activity should be reorganized.
PARKS AND PUBLIC WORKS AND BUILDINCSCOMMITTEE
This committee should study the origin of the Commissioner Districts and
former wasteful duplication of equipment between different districts to
maintain roads. The committee should study County equipment and a motor
pool for efficiencies and economy. The committee should consider cross-
utilization between departments of the County of equipment and personnel,
the shift of such during emergency and weather conditions, as well as the
maintenance and improvement of public works and facilities of the County.
This committee should study the airport facilities of the County as well
as the road network, flood control work and maintenance and maximum use
of public buildings and parks. Development of recreational facilities
and parks should be studied as to organization and means of financing.
This committee should study solid waste disposal and collection programs.
This committee should study County library facilities.
This committee should coordinate public building studies with means of
financing through the Finance and Taxation Committee.
This committee should study the Extension Service programs.
Any Charter proposals should include agencies or boards which may operate
jointly with other political entities such as municipalities, and in this
the committee should jointly study such matters with the County Relations
With Municipalities, etc. Committee.
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ELECTIONS, RECORDING, VEHICLE REGISTRATION,
COUNTY ATTORNEY COMMITTEE
This committee is responsible primarily to review the separate functions
of the County Clerk and Recorder Office and the functions that office
performs for the State Department of Revenue. Whether the functions should
be organized under a single department head or should be separated should
be studied.
The present uncoordinated legal services furnished the County by the
statutory County Attorney and the District Attorney should be studied to
centralize such services and avoid conflicting advice furnished County
officials. Included in this study should be some inquiry into the cost of
such service where the County and State each pay portions of the District
Attorney budget, some of which is utilized for civil advice to County officials.
Any ChawLer proposals should include alternatives possible through resolution
of the County Commissioners or through legislation.
FINANCE AND TAXATION COMMIITU.
This committee should study in depth the application of ad valorem
taxation in the County, its justification and limitations, alternative
forms of public revenue and whether under Home Rule a County can be
freed of some of the State conlzzvls of County finances.
This committee study of the Assessor and Treasurer functions of the County
government should include a study of untaxed, severed mineral interests
and the costs and methods of placing them on tax roles weighed against
the revenue which would be produced and confusion which would arise.
The committee should study the conLvol of funds through the purchasing
ptuLedures, the budget and control procedures as well as audit procedures
to assure the County gets full value for its tax funds. The organization
or combining of these operations of the County should include several
alternatives.
This committee should coordinate deferred funding of public buildings
with the Parks and Public Works and Buildings Committee.
COUNTY RELATIONS WITH MUNICIPALITIES, LOCAL IMPROVEMENT
DISTRICTS, REGIONAL COUNCIL OF GOVERIMEIFIS COMMIIFEL
This committee has responsibility to study the interrelations among
various levels of local government and the County activities.
Justification of municipalities paying a County mill levy and getting
no County services must be studied and whether such can be changed
within the present structures through greater cooperation or needed
legislation should be considered.
In specific areas of County-Municipal joint ventures as the airport,
ambulance service and parks, the County involvement and methods of
equitable funding should be studied. Whether it would be feasible to
have greater County-wide services in some traditional areas handled by
municipal and local improvement districts should be considered.
The Regional Council of Governments, primarily a vehicle for allocating
Federal funds, should be studied for utilization for other purposes.
Coordination of facilities such as detention facilities for the smaller
communities is a must.
Charter proposals should include alternatives of methods of organization
for furthering of joint activities between the County other local government
units.
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COUNTY GOVERNANCE, /MINISTRATION AND POLICY MAKING
This committee should make concrete proposals to the Commission as quickly
as possible, as the organization of other phases of County activity depend
more on the governance organization, if changed, than on any other
committee's work.
The committee should study and make recommendations to the Commission on
such things as:
1. size of Governance Board - geographical or population or district
selection;
2. tern of office of Board;
3. officers of the Board;
4. provision for transition from present government to a Charter
government;
5. what officials are to be elected;
6. are appointed officials subject to election to see if they
should be retained;
7. what officials are appointed by Board;
8. is Board full time or part time policy board;
9. county Manager considerations;
10. licensing authority and methods of hearing;
11. regulatory authority to cover phases of County activity;
12. imposition of assurance of minority representation on Governing
Board or agencies appointed by County;
13. salary and compensation.
On any Charter proposals, full explanation of alternatives should be made.
WELFARE (SOCIAL SERVICES) AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMITTEE'
This committee shall study implications of Home Rule freeing up organization
of the Social Services agencies from State and Federal control. Whether
such could be done should be an inquiry to be made of the Commission Counsel.
Coordination between the Safety and Health Committees should be made to assure
services of these activities of the County to persons in need, and that
proper organization is established to cover these areas.
Bilingual matters and other human relations subjects should be explored by
the committee to determine advisability to have County organizations responsive
to all its citizens.
If any Charter provisions are proposed, the alternatives should be given.
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REVISION AND DRAFTING COMMITTEE
This committee shall act after the various Charter committees have arrived
at agreed upon provisions as to various phases of County activity studied
by then. The Commission will act upon and determine in its judgment the
various alternatives furnished by the particular committee.
This committee with the help of such outside composition assistants as it
employs (subject to funding approval of the Executive Committee) and with
the help of the Commission Counsel will be responsible for working out
specific wording and phrasing of provisions of Commission reports and any
Charter to be developed.
On Charter development this Committee will be responsible for paragraph
numbering, wording, avoiding of inconsistencies, legality of phrasing and text.
This committee should keep acquainted with progress of the various Committees
in drafting provisions of the Charter and endeavor to keep such provisions
consistent with the committee versions of County organization proposed.
The final revision of the Charter draft should be in the hands of this committee
at lest two weeks before time for public hearings as provided by law.
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COUNTY PERSONNEL/CIVIL SERVICE COMMIFILE
This coicmu.ttee should study the need and advisability of creating
interchange pools of County employees to divert their work in times
of emergency or extra activity of one department to effect sane savings
in County employment. Public employee rights to bargain will be the
subject of study by the legislature of this coming session and the
Committee should be alert to these developments.
A part of the job of this committee will be to study and consider Civil
Service as it might apply to County employees under the level of department
heads. Such study should include:
1. promotional system equitable in departments where available;
2. retirement plans, hospitalization, social security;
3. administrative code of some kind--authority for discipline;
4. salary schedules - merit pay;
5. status of department heads;
6. eligibility of County employees to run for public office.
Charter proposals should include alternative means of assuring the County with
steady, experienced and capable employees to carry out its activities.
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