The requested salary of $83,000 is less than the $95,342 paid to the previous director of nursing – Susan Lee, who retired in September – but above the position’s $73,964 midpoint. The suggested salary range is between $59,641 and $88,285. According to a staff memo, the previous salary reflected an 8% increase because of a temporary assignment of duties – part of a restructuring in the public health department due to declining revenues. Deborah Cain, who is expected to be hired as director of nursing, attended the Nov. 16 meeting. Commissioners had no comment on the item, which was passed unanimously as part of the consent agenda.

This brief was filed from the boardroom of the county administration building at 220 N. Main St. in Ann Arbor, where the board of commissioners holds its meetings. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

The $11,839,496 budget includes a $3,553,575 allocation from the county’s general fund – a net decrease of $583,597 from the previous year. Unlike the county’s general fund budget, which is aligned to the calendar year, the public health budget runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, in sync with the state’s fiscal year.

Though a total of nearly 12 full-time-equivalent positions (a combination of part-time and full-time jobs) will be eliminated in the proposed budget, five positions will be created or reclassified, for a net loss of nearly seven FTEs.

The budget also calls for a raft of new fees and fee increases. Effective Jan. 1, 2012, new fees will be required for a change of restaurant ownership ($250), a temporary food license late fee ($60), a time-of-sale authorization extension fee ($50), and a pollution prevention late reporting fee ($25).

A sampling of the fee increases includes a septic tank only permit (from $52 to $100), a new-build well permit (from $187 to $250), and a swimming pool inspection (from $56 to $150). Cremation permit fees will be increased from $40 to $50.

This brief was filed from the boardroom of the county administration building at 220 N. Main in Ann Arbor. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

The $11,839,496 budget, which will receive a final vote at the board’s Sept. 21 meeting, includes a $3,553,575 allocation from the county’s general fund – a net decrease of $583,597 from the previous year. Unlike the county’s general fund budget, which is aligned to the calendar year, the public health budget runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, in sync with the state’s fiscal year.

Though a total of nearly 12 full-time-equivalent positions (a combination of part-time and full-time jobs) will be eliminated in the proposed budget, five positions will be created or reclassified, for a net loss of nearly seven FTEs.

The budget also calls for a raft of new fees and fee increases. Effective Jan. 1, 2012, new fees will be required for a change of restaurant ownership ($250), a temporary food license late fee ($60), a time-of-sale authorization extension fee ($50), and a pollution prevention late reporting fee ($25).

A sampling of the fee increases includes a septic tank only permit (from $52 to $100), a new-build well permit (from $187 to $250), and a swimming pool inspection (from $56 to $150). Cremation permit fees will be increased from $40 to $50.

This brief was filed from the boardroom of the county administration building at 220 N. Main in Ann Arbor. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

From left: Washtenaw County public health officer Dick Fleece, newly appointed public health medical director Monique Reeves, interim deputy county administrator Kelly Belknap, and county commissioner Wes Prater. Commissioners approved the hiring of Reeves at their June 1 meeting. (Photos by the writer.)

While the board’s previous meeting drew supporters from a range of human services groups, on Wednesday most public commenters spoke against funding of one specific nonprofit: Planned Parenthood of Mid and South Michigan. Their arguments on financial and moral grounds were ultimately unpersuasive to commissioners, who voted unanimously to approve support for Planned Parenthood and several other agencies, totaling $1.015 million through fiscal year 2013, including $53,040 from the county for Planned Parenthood.

Two commissioners raised concerns that county funding for human services in general is inadequate, especially in light of proposed changes that could bump thousands of beneficiaries statewide off the welfare rolls later this year.

In a vote that also holds budget implications, the board’s move to set the price for a contract sheriff’s deputy was remarkable mainly for its lack of debate – historically it’s been a contentious issue. Commissioners gave initial approval without comment. The price set in 2012 for a police services unit (PSU) is $150,594 – unchanged from this year. That’s followed by 1% annual increases through 2015. The difference between the actual cost of a PSU and the amount charged – roughly $25,500, based on current figures – would be covered by the county. The item will return to the board’s July 6 meeting for a final vote.

Meanwhile, a 2006 lawsuit filed against the county over the amount it charged at that time for contract deputies remains unresolved. Judge Joseph Costello of the 38th Circuit Court Chief has ordered the county and Augusta and Ypsilanti townships into non-binding facilitation, in a meeting set for June 22.

During Wednesday’s meeting, commissioners also approved a raft of other items, including: (1) the hiring of Monique Reeves as new medical director; and (2) five drain projects in Ann Arbor that require bonds backed by the county’s full faith and credit. The board also voted to add five new working sessions to its calendar: on June 16, July 21, Aug. 18, Sept. 15 and Oct. 13. All are focused on the 2012-2013 budget.

Finally, at the end of its meeting the board went into executive session for about an hour to address three issues: (1) a collective bargaining strategy; (2) possible settlement of pending litigation; and (3) review of a legal opinion.

Funding for Human Services Nonprofits

On the agenda was a resolution for final approval to allocate $507,500 in children’s well-being and human services funding for 2011, as well as additional funds in 2012 and 2013, contingent on the board’s approval of those budgets later this year. In total, the board was asked to allocate $1.015 million through 2013.

The allocations for these awards were recommended by a coordinated funding review committee. The committee focused on six priorities for the entire county: housing/homelessness, aging, school-aged youth, children from birth to six, health and food. The process is being managed by the joint county/city of Ann Arbor office of community development, which is coordinating the funding efforts of the county, the city of Ann Arbor, the United Way of Washtenaw County, and the Washtenaw Urban County. The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation is participating in other parts of the effort. [.pdf of funding recommendations]

The board had given initial approval for funding at its May 18 meeting, when they also heard from about 20 people during public commentary, mostly urging commissioners to continue support for various nonprofits. Three people at that meeting spoke against funding Planned Parenthood of Mid and South Michigan.

At the June 1 meeting, most of the public commentary came from 10 residents who opposed funding for Planned Parenthood. Two people spoke in support of funding Planned Parenthood. Commissioners did not change the recommended allocation – a total of $67,440 was earmarked for the nonprofit, including $53,040 from the county.

Ccommissioners had approved the coordinated funding process at their Nov. 3, 2010 meeting. They had been briefed on the effort at an Oct. 7 working session, and most recently discussed the process at their May 4 meeting. The governing bodies of all other coordinated funding groups have now approved the allocations, including the Ann Arbor city council, which took a final vote at its meeting on Tuesday, May 31.

Related to this funding, the office of community development released a 16-page report last week that attempts to quantify the economic impact of the local nonprofits that are funded by the county and city. In 2011, the combined investments from the city and county in those nonprofits totaled $2.7 million. According to the report, those funds leveraged more than $34 million in non-local revenue.[.pdf of nonprofit investment report]

Funding for Human Services Nonprofits: Public Commentary

At Wednesday’s meeting, a dozen people spoke on the issue of funding for human services, 10 of them objecting to funds allocated to Planned Parenthood of Mid and South Michigan (PPMSM). Here’s a summary:

Brigid Kowalczyk of Ann Arbor said she applauded the board’s support of nonprofits, but urged them to defund Planned Parenthood. She noted that several people were at the meeting to outline reasons for defunding, and that they had provided a handout to commissioners as well. [.pdf of document given to the board – the 2008 IRS Form 990 for PPMSM, and portions of the nonprofit's 2009 annual report.] Kowalczyk highlighted some of the funding data from the nonprofit’s tax return, concluding that Planned Parenthood didn’t have a problem raising money, and didn’t need money from the county. There are other organizations more deserving and that help people who are truly in need, she said.

Karen Walacavage of Superior Township told the board that she had looked at the tax returns for some of the other nonprofits that the county planned to fund, and that none of them get as much revenue and grant funding as Planned Parenthood. It’s fiscally irresponsible for the county to fund Planned Parenthood, she said.

Joshua Wade and Jeffrey Brown – both Ann Arbor residents – and Joe Lipa of Lodi Township also argued against funding PPMSM. Wade noted that the large amount of contraceptives provided, as well as the number of abortions, resulted in fewer births of Washtenaw County taxpayers. The nonprofit doesn’t care about children’s well-being, he said. Lipa pointed out that there are other options for low-income women, including clinics at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital and the Corner Health Center, as well as federal health care centers in surrounding counties.

Paul Malocha of Ann Arbor urged commissioners to fund nonprofits that don’t provide contraceptives and abortions. Planned Parenthood asks people to view pregnancy as a sort of sickness, he said, when it’s clearly normal and healthy. The Planned Parenthood view results in more out-of-wedlock pregnancies, he said, and promotes a disordered and amoral society.

Paul Dobrowolski of Pittsfield Township said he’d learned that a commissioner had talked with the head of the county’s human services department about funding of Planned Parenthood, and was told it would be almost impossible to remove the funding. If Planned Parenthood funding was pulled, then others on the board would ask that county funding be pulled from faith-based organizations, using a separation of church and state argument. But laws exist for freedom of religion, he said, not freedom from religion. It’s disturbing that some people would apply blackmail and pressure tactics. He noted that the county was hiring a firm to do an internal audit – maybe looking at this issue is a good place to start, he said. Dobrowolski reminded the board that president Barack Obama and former president George Bush both supported faith-based initiatives, especially for social services.

John Donnelly of Ypsilanti said there is videotaped evidence of Planned Parenthood workers offering no objection when a man posing as a pimp tried to get deals on abortions and contraceptives for his prostitutes. Donnelly said it proved Planned Parenthood was willing to do anything to make the prostitution ring possible. [Donnelly was referring to a videotape released by the anti-abortion group Live Action and filmed at a Planned Parenthood clinic in the Bronx. The incident and video were reported in a Feb. 11, 2011 New York Times article.] Donnelly described other instances in which he said that Planned Parenthood staffers urged underage clients to lie about their age when they became pregnant by older men. “I don’t know how we can tolerate this,” he said.

Steve Gendregske of Superior Township and Sandra Weathers of Pittsfield Township each read from medical texts with graphic descriptions of late-stage abortion procedures. Gendregske said he got hung up over the words “decapitate” and “dismember,” and he hoped that commissioners did, too. He didn’t want his tax money supporting Planned Parenthood. Weathers said she wanted her tax dollars to fund St. Joseph Mercy Hospital and the Corner Health Center in Ypsilanti, both of which offer prenatal programs.

Two people spoke in support of Planned Parenthood. Bernie Klein of Pittsfield Township said he was a volunteer for the nonprofit. He said that contraception causes abortions like umbrellas cause rain. One of the anti-Planned Parenthood speakers regularly comes to the PPMSM clinic and yells at women, he said, telling them they should go to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital or Corner Health Center. The answers that women give, he said, are that St. Joe’s doesn’t take their insurance, and Corner Health Center is full. Planned Parenthood provides the services that women want, Klein said. ”I stand with Planned Parenthood.”

Later in the meeting, Thomas Partridge also voiced his support for funding Planned Parenthood.

Joshua Wade again spoke during an additional opportunity for public commentary, asking commissioners to address the concerns directly that they’d heard expressed about Planned Parenthood. He said the speakers during public commentary were deeply interested in the board’s opinions, and he asked that those opinions be openly shared and discussed.

Funding for Human Services Nonprofits: Commissioner Discussion

Commissioners gave no follow-up to public commentary, nor did they discuss Planned Parenthood funding specifically.

Ronnie Peterson, who has previously raised concerns about how the process for allocating this funding has been handled, again asked for clarification about the process, and how much each funder would be paying.

Mary Jo Callan, director of the county's office of community development, and Brett Lenart of the economic development & energy department work on their laptops during a break in the June 1 county board of commissioners meeting.

In total – including funds from the county, city of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw Urban County and Washtenaw United Way – 63 programs will receive $4,027,933. Mary Jo Callan, director of the joint county/city of Ann Arbor office of community development, reviewed the coordinated funding process and emphasized that nonprofits realized the second year of a two-year funding cycle was contingent on budgets that haven’t yet been approved.

Peterson commended the Ann Arbor city council for its generosity in funding these nonprofits. [At its May 31 session, the council allocated $1,159,029 – amending the amount to include 9% more than the review committee had recommended.] He said the issue is how to attack problems that face the county in the future, especially in light of proposed legislation that would tighten the amount of time that residents are eligible for welfare. If signed into law, an estimated 12,600 welfare beneficiaries who’ve been receiving aid for more than 48 months would no longer get benefits.

Some of those people live in Washtenaw County and will turn to local governments and nonprofits for assistance, Peterson said, calling it an unfunded mandate. The county needs to prepare for this storm, he said.

Barbara Bergman agreed, saying the money they’ve allocated to nonprofits won’t begin to address the need. She called the proposed reform criminal, adding that the county doesn’t have the resources to adequately respond. Bergman noted that the current director of the state Department of Human Services, Cynthia Maritato, is from this area – she was former director of the Washtenaw County department of human services. They should organize a meeting with Maritato and other community leaders, Bergman said, to strategize about how to deal with this problem.

Outcome: The board unanimously approved allocating the recommended amounts to human services nonprofits. Yousef Rahbi was not in the room at the time of the vote, and Rob Turner was absent. Although Dan Smith had voted against the allocations when they were given initial approval at the May 18 meeting – citing an objection to funding Planned Parenthood – he voted in favor of all the allocations for this final approval.

Sheriff’s Contract Deputy Pricing

With no discussion, commissioners gave initial approval to the price that municipalities will pay for a contract sheriff’s deputy through 2015. The police services steering committee recommended setting the price in 2012 for a police services unit (PSU) at $150,594. The board had been briefed on the recommendation by sheriff Jerry Clayton at a May 19 working session.

The price in 2012 will remain unchanged from the 2011 rate of $150,594, which was a 4% increase over 2010 rates. In each of the following three years, the price per PSU increases about 1%: to $152,100 in 2013; $153,621 in 2014; and $155,157 in 2015.

In late 2010, the committee brought forward a recommendation to the board that set the cost of providing a PSU at $176,108. At its Dec. 1 meeting, the county board voted to accept that amount, with the understanding that commissioners would need to make a much harder decision at a later date – about the price that the county would charge for a PSU. The difference between the cost of a PSU and the amount charged – roughly $25,500, based on current figures – would be covered by the county.

Clayton attended the June 1 meeting, but was not asked to address the board. The only comment made by commissioners came from board chair Conan Smith, who commended the sheriff, the county’s finance staff and members of the police services steering committee for their work in putting together the proposal.

For additional background on this issue, see Chronicle coverage:

• “What’s Next for Washtenaw Police Services?” (Jan. 4, 2011)
• “County Board Acts on Budget Items” (Dec. 4, 2010)
• “Washtenaw Board Debates Budget Issues” (Nov. 22, 2010)
• “Washtenaw Police Services: What’s It Cost?” (Nov. 8, 2010)

Outcome: Commissioners voted unanimously to give initial approval to set the price of a police services unit (PSU) at $150,594 in 2012, with 1% annual increases through 2015. A final vote is expected at the board’s July 6, 2011 meeting.

On a related note, a lawsuit filed against the county in 2006 over the price of contract deputies remains unresolved. Three townships – Augusta, Salem and Ypsilanti – originally sued the county, disputing the amount that was charged for police services. The court has held that the townships are liable to the county for additional amounts to cover police services that the county provided to them between Jan. 1 and Dec. 5, 2006 – at $24 an hour more than the townships had paid under a previous contract.

In mid 2010, the county settled with Salem Township, which agreed to pay the county $48,000. The county has been seeking more than $2 million from the other two townships – the bulk of that from Ypsilanti Township, which has the largest number of contract deputies.

The case is being handled by 38th Circuit Court Chief Judge Joseph Costello, who has ordered the townships and county into non-binding facilitation before James Rashid, a retired Wayne County Circuit Court judge. Rashid’s business, Judicial Resource Services, provides mediation and facilitation for these kinds of cases. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 22.

Medical Director, Other Appointments

Diana Torres-Burgos, the county’s public health medical director, recently announced her resignation – she’ll be leaving her job later this month. At their June 1 meeting, commissioners were asked to approve the hire of her replacement – Monique Reeves – at an annual salary of $125,000. She’ll start the job on June 20.

Reeves was introduced by Dick Fleece, the county’s public health officer. He told commissioners that she has more than 10 years of experience in emergency medicine, with a medical degree and a masters degree in public health, both from the University of Michigan. She’s been working as a resident with the county in preventive medicine – she’s intelligent, funny, and will do a wonderful job, Fleece said.

Under the Michigan Public Health Code (Public Act 368 of 1978), Medicare services provided by the county – including immunizations and the maternal infant health program – require that a licensed medical doctor on staff bill Medicare, via the state, for reimbursement.

Commissioner Wes Prater described Reeves’ resume as impressive. Rolland Sizemore Jr. thanked her for attending the meeting, saying it was always good to see how they’re spending the county’s money. Conan Smith also complimented Reeves, but joked that he didn’t see anything on her resumé indicating that she was qualified to handle Fleece.

Reeves spoke briefly, telling commissioners that after nearly 11 years in emergency medicine, she decided she wanted to do more than just put a Band-Aid on the problems she’d been treating. She felt public health was the best way to do that, even though it meant she’d be taking a significant pay cut.

Outcome: Commissioners unanimously approved the hiring of Monique Reeves as the county’s public health medical director.

Also at Wednesday’s meeting, commissioners approved appointments to two of the county’s volunteer boards and committees. There was no discussion on these items.

Bob Grese was named to a two-year term on the Natural Areas Technical Advisory Committee, which oversees the county’s natural area preservation program. The term expires Dec. 31, 2012. Grese is director Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum and a professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment.

The board also appointed Mark Creekmore to a three-year term expiring March 31, 2014 for the Washtenaw Community Health Organization (WCHO) board, a partnership between the county and UM. Creekmore is founder and executive director of the nonprofit Community Service Systems Inc.

Outcome: Commissioners approved the appointments of Bob Grese and Mark Creekmore.

Drain Projects in Ann Arbor

Commissioners were asked to give initial approval to five projects planned by the county’s water resources commissioner.

Commissioner Dan Smith talks with Janis Bobrin, the county's water resources commissioner.

The projects, which require the county to back bond payments totaling up to $6.54 million, are all located in Ann Arbor: (1) Allen Creek drain cistern installation, downspout disconnection and tree planting – up to $330,000; (2) County Farm drain stream bank stabilization – up to $1.2 million; (3) Malletts Creek drain/Burns Park porous alley; Malletts Creek cistern installation, downspout disconnection, and tree planting; and Malletts Creek stream bank stabilization – up to $3.48 million; (4) Swift Run cistern installation, downspout disconnection, and tree planting – up to $75,000; and (5) Traver Creek cistern installation, downspout disconnection, and tree planting; and Traver Creek stream bank stabilization – up to $780,000.

Leah Gunn asked Janis Bobrin, the county’s water resources commissioner, to describe the projects and the grants she’s received to help pay for them.

Bobrin told commissioners that 50% of the project costs would be funded with a low-interest loan – now at 2.5% – from a state revolving loan fund. More importantly, she said, the remaining 50% would be funded through federal stimulus dollars. The projects met certain “green” requirements that many other applicants didn’t meet – that news resulted in a round of applause from commissioners.

Dan Smith pointed to an item of communication in the board’s meeting packet – a resolution passed by the Gratiot County board of commissioners, urging support of state legislation that includes creation of a delinquent special assessment revolving loan fund. He noted that the Gratiot resolution mentioned revenue from special assessment districts – used to make bond payments – is declining, because of decreasing property values. The proposed Ann Arbor drain projects would be in special assessment districts, and he asked Bobrin to talk about that.

Bobrin said that Ann Arbor is the chief partner in virtually all these bonds, and it collects stormwater utility fees from all residents to pay for these types of projects. All of these projects are in the city’s capital improvements plan, she said, and funding has been secured. There are no rate increases associated with the projects.

Conan Smith observed that although the projects being approved that night were all in Ann Arbor, other drain projects are often done throughout the county.

Outcome: The board gave initial approval to the five drain projects in Ann Arbor. Commissioners are expected to take final action on these items at their July 6 meeting.

Brownfields: LaFontaine, Packard Square

The brownfield plan for the LaFontaine Chevrolet redevelopment project in Dexter was up for final approval from commissioners at their June 1 meeting. Though heightened attention had been given to another brownfield project – the Packard Square development at the former Georgetown Mall site – there was no discussion of the LaFontaine project at Wednesday’s meeting. The plan had received initial approval at the board’s May 18 meeting.

The LaFontaine brownfield plan would enable the use of up to $330,330 of tax increment financing (TIF) for four years to pay for cleanup work, including asbestos and lead abatement. Of that amount, $25,410 would support the county’s brownfield program management, and $50,820 would be deposited into the county’s Local Site Remediation Revolving Fund. The project is expected to retain 76 jobs and create 50 new ones, and to increase the annual tax revenues to the county from $4,516 to $11,119 after the TIF ends.

Outcome: Commissioners unanimously approved the LaFontaine Chevrolet brownfield plan.

Brownfields: Packard Square

There was no agenda item on June 1 related to the Packard Square development. At their May 18 meeting, commissioners had approved the project’s brownfield plan, as well as a $1 million grant application to the state Dept. of Environmental Quality for brownfield cleanup at the proposed $48 million development.. Wes Prater had voted against both those items.

Also at the May 18 meeting, the board had postponed action on a $1 million loan application to the MDEQ for Packard Square, as well as a request to authorize designation of the county’s full faith and credit as a guarantee for any loan that might be awarded, up to $1 million. They also discussed but ultimately postponed action on a broader public-private investment policy they’re developing, a policy spurred in large part by the request to back the MDEQ loan.

They’d initially planned to take up both those topics again on June 1. But at a May 24 agenda briefing, the board learned that Packard Square developers had decided not to pursue a state loan. That prompted commissioners to defer action on the broader policy issue, with the intent of taking more time to develop it before bringing it back to the board for consideration.

At the June 1 meeting, Prater asked staff to give an update on the status of Packard Square. Brett Lenart of the county’s economic development & energy department told commissioners that the loan request had been pulled, and that the brownfield grant application would likely be submitted to the state next week. He said no other board action would be required.

Prater told Lenart he still had questions about the project, including who would ultimately be responsible for the brownfield remediation. There was no other discussion about the project.

Budget & Finance: Millage, New Work Sessions, Internal Audit

Commissioners acted on several other items related to budget and finance at Wednesday’s meeting.

Budget & Finance: General Operating Millage

At their May 18 meeting, commissioners had given initial approval to establish the 2011 county millage rate at 5.6768 mills. That includes the general operating millage rate at 4.5493 mills, unchanged from the current rate. Several other county millages – including those for parks and recreation, emergency communications and the Huron Clinton Metroparks Authority – are levied separately, bringing the total county millage rate to 5.6768 mills. One mill equals $1 for every $1,000 of a property’s state equalized value, or SEV.

On Wednesday, a public hearing was held on the action. One person – Thomas Partridge – spoke. He said the county doesn’t have sufficient revenues to meet its current obligations, especially not in this economy. As he outlined some of the county’s needs, Partridge was advised by board chair Conan Smith to stick to the topic of the public hearing – the millage rate. Partridge replied by challenging Smith’s leadership, saying the commissioner was not pushing to set property taxes at a level that would support county services adequately. “Do you not understand that?” Partridge asked.

[With a few minor exceptions, the county board does not have authority to levy taxes independently. Millage increases, new millages or an action to reset a millage at its original rate (known as a Headlee override) would require voter approval.]

Outcome: Without discussion, commissioners voted to give final approve to set the total tax for Washtenaw County at 5.6768 mills.

Budget & Finance: Working Sessions

A resolution was added to the agenda at the meeting, adding five new working sessions to the board’s calendar focused on the 2012-2013 budget. The dates are June 16, July 21, Aug. 18, Sept. 15 and Oct. 13 – all Thursdays.

Currently, the meetings are scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. at the county administration building boardroom, 220 N. Main St. in Ann Arbor. However, it’s possible that some or all of the added working sessions will be held elsewhere, at locations throughout the county. Those decisions will be made at a later date.

Outcome: Commissioners voted to add five new budget-related working sessions to its calendar.

Budget & Finance: Internal Audit

The board was asked to give final approval to hire the professional services firm Experis (formerly known as Jefferson Wells) to perform internal auditing services for the county for one year, with the possibility of extending the contract over additional years. The board had authorized the county administration to issue requests for proposals for these services at its Dec. 1, 2010 meeting. The county received 10 responses, and a review team narrowed the selection and held interviews with three firms. The team’s recommendation for Experis was unanimous, according to a staff report.

The total cost for internal audit work in 2011 is $87,500. It would include: (1) overall internal control review and risk assessment; (2) more detailed internal control review for two county departments; (3) establishing a fraud hotline; and (4) eight hours of internal control training for county staff.

The contract was originally proposed for a five-year period. At their May 18 meeting, several commissioners raised concerns about the expenditure to an outside firm, and the resolution was amended to shorten the contract to one year.

Representatives from Experis attended the June 1 meeting, but commissioners did not ask them to address the board.

Outcome: The board voted unanimously to hire Experis for internal auditing services.

Grants: Community Corrections, Weatherization, Summer Food

On the agenda for final consideration were several grants that had received initial approval at the May 18 meeting.

Final approval was sought for a grant application for the county’s community corrections program, operated by the sheriff’s office. The grant of $421,801 – for the period from Oct. 1, 2011 through Sept. 30, 2012 – is only a portion of the program’s $1.01 million budget.

Other revenues include $215,983 from the county’s general fund, $76,386 from the program’s fund balance, and an estimated $295,890 in program-generated revenues, including fees from tethering and drug testing.

Programs run by community corrections are designed in part to provide sentencing alternatives to the Washtenaw County Trial Court. Programs include pre-trial screening, drug testing, electronic tethering, supervised release, and educational efforts, such as the “Thinking Matters” program offered in partnership with the nonprofit Dawn Farm.

Outcome: Commissioners voted to give final approval to the community corrections grant application.

Two items on the June 1 agenda related to the county’s employment training and community services (ETCS) department.

Commissioners were asked to approve the acceptance of $455,000 in federal stimulus funds – from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) – to pay for weatherization assistance. The funds were originally granted to other municipalities but weren’t used, and are being redistributed. Washtenaw County has already been granted $4.3 million in weatherization funds from 2009-2011, and has finished work on 611 residences. The new funding will pay for about 70 additional residences. The services – including home inspections, refrigerator efficiency testing and consumer education – are available to residents with an income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. That’s $23,448 for a single person, or $45,088 for a family of four.

A grant application to fund a summer food program for children was also on the agenda. Nearly $116,000 in federal funds, distributed through the state Dept. of Education, are available to pay for breakfasts, lunches and snacks to low-income children at 30 sites throughout the county.

Outcome: Final approval was given to the weatherization and summer food program grants.

Urban County Annual Plan

On the agenda was a resolution for final approval of the Washtenaw Urban County annual plan from July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012.

The plan must be submitted to the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), outlining specific projects and programs that the Washtenaw Urban County will undertake with HUD funding from several sources: the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program; HOME grants; and Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG). The county is expected to receive $3,602,480 from these programs during the coming fiscal year. A $448,920 in-kind county match is required. [.pdf of fiscal year 2011 Washtenaw Urban County plan]

The Urban County is a consortium of 11 local governments that receive federal funding for programs that serve low-income residents and neighborhoods.

Outcome: Commissioners gave final approval to the Washtenaw Urban County annual plan.

Misc. Communications

During her report to the board, county administrator Verna McDaniel noted that this was the last week on the job for Joanna Bidlack.

Joanna Bidlack talks with Bob Tetens, director of the county's parks & recreation department. Bidlack has served as a management analyst with the county, a role that in part included working as support staff for the county board. June 3 was her last day on the job.

Bidlack has been a management analyst in the county administrator’s office, a role that in part included serving as support staff for the county board. For example, she was the point person for compiling agendas, and previously led the board’s agenda briefings.

Bidlack has taken a job with General Electric’s operation in Van Buren Township. McDaniel told the board it would be a huge loss for the county – Bidlack is intelligent, loyal and a great communicator, she said. They’ll all miss her, McDaniel said, but they wished her well.

Commissioners and others attending the meeting gave Bidlack a round of applause.

Misc. Communications: Public Commentary

Thomas Partridge spoke five times during the evening – at a public hearing, and the four opportunities for general public commentary. In addition to the commentary reported earlier in this article, Partridge also:  (1) urged commissioners to support the recall of Gov. Rick Snyder; (2) questioned funding of the county’s public outreach team (PORT) because it supports a homeless soccer team with money that could be used for shelter or other services; (3) chastised the board for not seeking the maximum available revenue from grants and other sources to pay for needed county services; and (4) advocated for an agenda item that would address protection of residents from exposure to medical marijuana and other harmful substances.

Executive Session: Labor, Legal

At the end of the meeting, the board went into executive session for about an hour to address three issues: (1) a collective bargaining strategy; (2) possible settlement of pending litigation; and (3) review of a legal opinion. Under the Michigan Open Meetings Act, public bodies must state the reason for entering into a closed session. They can – but are not required to – provide details about the topics they’ll be discussing. In this case, no additional information was provided.

Present: Barbara Levin Bergman, Leah Gunn, Kristin Judge, Ronnie Peterson, Alicia Ping, Wes Prater, Yousef Rabhi, Rolland Sizemore Jr., Conan Smith, and Dan Smith. Rob Turner was absent for most of the meeting, arriving after the start of the board’s executive session.

Next regular board meeting: Wednesday, July 6, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. at the county administration building, 220 N. Main St. The Ways & Means Committee meets first, followed immediately by the regular board meeting. [confirm date] (Though the agenda states that the regular board meeting begins at 6:45 p.m., it usually starts much later – times vary depending on what’s on the agenda.) Public comment sessions are held at the beginning and end of each meeting.

The board will also hold a Thursday, June 16 working session focused on the budget and starting at 6:30 p.m. in the county administration building, 220 N. Main.

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County commissioner Wes Prater, left, talks with Ypsilanti mayor Paul Schreiber before the start of Wednesday's county board of commissioners meeting. Schreiber came to speak in support of the county's land bank. In the background is deputy clerk Jason Brooks. (Photos by the writer.)

Commissioners also got an update from their lobbyist in Lansing, who spoke of upcoming transitions in state government that will impact the county. Kirk Profit said the turnover in the legislature, governor’s office and other administrative posts could lead to opportunities for the county. Several commissioners raised concerns over the state budget and state funding for local programs, and are worried that the situation will get worse before it gets better.

Wednesday’s meeting also included two official farewells to long-time county employees: finance director Pete Ballios and Trenda Rusher, director of the county’s Employment Training and Community Services (ETCS) department. Both received standing ovations from commissioners, staff and others in the boardroom.

Land Bank Authority Dissolved

Despite an appeal from Ypsilanti mayor Paul Schreiber to keep the county’s land bank, commissioners on Wednesday voted to dissolve the entity, which the board created less than a year ago. That decision led commissioner Ronnie Peterson to make a long, impassioned plea for help to aid communities with high foreclosure rates, especially on the county’s east side. Peterson represents District 6, which covers the city of Ypsilanti and part of Ypsilanti Township.

The land bank was championed by county treasurer Catherine McClary, who chaired the authority’s board. It was designed as a way for the county to take possession of tax-foreclosed properties, rather than auction them off to the highest bidder – often an out-of-state company. The intent was to rehab the properties and resell them to qualified buyers, or demolish the houses and use the land for other purposes.

Citing internal disputes and a lack of sufficient funding, some commissioners said they didn’t believe the land bank was an appropriate mechanism for the county at this time. They had discussed their intent to eliminate the land bank last week at a March 10 administrative briefing. [See Chronicle coverage: "County Board to Vote on Folding Land Bank"]

Speaking during public commentary at Wednesday’s meeting, Schreiber reported that the Ypsilanti city council had passed a resolution of support for the land bank. It’s a tool that both Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township need, Schreiber said, adding that in his neighborhood alone, there have been four foreclosures in the last three years. He said the land bank could be used in conjunction with the Washtenaw Urban County, which he described as a “fantastic resource.” [Schreiber serves on the board of that group, which is chaired by county commissioner Leah Gunn.] The land bank is another option to help stabilize neighborhoods, he said.

Commissioner Discussion

Conan Smith, who’s been a supporter of the land bank, said he was saddened that they’d reached this point – it was a detriment that they’d have one less tool in their toolbelt. Kristin Judge asked for clarification about the funding – what had the county been hoping to receive to make the land bank more viable?

Leah Gunn explained that the county had applied for a second phase of funding from the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program, known as NSP2. About $5 million of those funds were to be used for the land bank, but the county did not receive the money. The land bank had also been allocated roughly $300,000 in NSP funds from a previous round that the county has already secured. Those dollars will now be used by the Washtenaw Urban County to rehab blighted properties, working with housing nonprofits like Avalon Housing and Habitat for Humanity.

County treasurer Catherine McClary, left, prior to the start of Wednesday's board of commissioners meeting. To the right is county commissioner Ken Schwartz.

Mention of the Urban County led Jessica Ping to note that her district wasn’t urban, and that from her district, only Bridgewater Township was an Urban County member. She wondered why other municipalities weren’t participating.

Gunn clarified that the Urban County is a partnership of the county, the cities of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, and eight townships. The “Urban County” designation allows the group to receive and allocate funding through certain federal programs, including NSP. The requirements for NSP stipulate that the funds must be used on certain designated low-income census tracts – locally, those are in southeast Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Ypsilanti Township and Superior Township.

However, other federal funds – from the Community Development Block Grant and HOME programs – can be used throughout the county. Joining the Urban County allows local municipalities to be eligible for those funds. Gunn said they’d like for others to participate, and the group has contacted leaders in communities that aren’t now Urban County members, like the city of Saline, which is in Ping’s district. “We’re kind of wooing them,” she said.

Asked by Ping how much it cost to join, Gunn said there is no cost: “We give money away.”

Ping indicated that the name “urban county” was confusing.

The term is a federal designation. From the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) website:

Urban county means a county that was classified as an urban county under 42 U.S.C. 5302(a) for the fiscal year immediately preceding the fiscal year for which emergency shelter grant amounts are made available. “(6)(A) The term “urban county” means any county within which- (i) is authorized under State law to undertake essential community development and housing assistance activities in its unincorporated areas, if any, which are not units of general local government; and (ii) either– (I) has a population of 200,000 or more (excluding the population of metropolitan cities therein) and has a combined population of 100,000 or more (excluding the population of metropolitan cities therein) in such unincorporated areas and in its included units of general local government … ” (42 U.S.C. 5302(a))

Returning to the topic of a land bank, Jeff Irwin said he too was disappointed, but that he would reluctantly support dissolving the lank bank authority. He said the board had lots of questions that went unanswered, and that they’d asked the county treasurer to return to the board with specific strategies for how the land bank would be used. That never happened, he said. When the funding fell through, the land bank’s viability as a tool became less clear.

Irwin said he’d encourage the treasurer to come forward in the future with strategies, and answers to questions like what metrics would be used to judge the land bank’s success, and how long would the county hold property that was put in the land bank.

Noting that he’d had a lot of questions about the land bank, Ronnie Peterson said he never questioned the treasurer’s motives in trying to help the community. He described the devastation that the economic downturn has taken on his district, saying that there are certain neighborhoods where you’ll find stretches of five to ten houses “sitting naked” because they’ve been foreclosed on and abandoned. The county is losing the stability of its neighborhoods, he said, and that stability depends on home ownership.

Both Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township had appealed to the board in support of the land bank, Peterson said, and he urged commissioners to table the resolution that would dissolve the entity. He said if they couldn’t work something out by June, he’d support the decision to dissolve it.

Gunn reiterated her point that the Washtenaw Urban County was working on the same issue – rehabilitating homes and working to find qualified buyers, not renters. “That is precisely what commissioner Peterson wants, and that is what we are doing,” she said.

Ken Schwartz weighed in, saying he’d been enthusiastic about the program when they approved it last July. [See Chronicle coverage: "Banking on a Land Bank"] But over the past few months, the board had difficulty working through things like who to appoint to the land bank authority’s board – no appointees were made. Schwartz described the situation as too much “taffy pulling,” but said that if they do more research and analysis, a land bank might be possible in the future, using a more coordinated approach with other tools to address similar problems.

Outcome: At the board’s Ways & Means Committee meeting, the resolution passed with dissent from Smith and Peterson. At the regular board meeting, which immediately follows Ways & Means, only Peterson voted against it – Smith and Schwartz were not in the room during that vote.

Report from Lansing

Kirk Profit – director of Governmental Consultant Services Inc., a Lansing-based lobbying firm – had been asked to give the board a briefing on state funding, which has a direct impact on programs and services provided by the county. Profit and two GCSI staff members – Ken Cole and Adrian Hemond – described some of the legislation they were tracking and attempting to influence, specifically as it related to funding for local municipalities.

Profit, a former state representative, described the situation in Lansing as challenging, though he praised the work of legislators representing Washtenaw County. He noted that the state faces a roughly $1.4 billion budget deficit. Gov. Jennifer Granholm has proposed closing that deficit with $500 million in cuts, $500 million in new revenue and $400 million in federal stimulus funds, Profit said, but both the House and Senate have said no to new revenues (tax increases).

Local governments have already seen an impact from the state’s budget crisis in the form of decreased state revenue-sharing and lower transportation funding for local roads, Profit said. With more cuts to come, he added, the state budget will encroach even more on quality-of-life issues.

Cole and Hemond both described work they’re doing to track legislation working its way through the House and Senate appropriations committees and subcommittees. There wasn’t much good news to share, with potential cuts in jail reimbursements, public health, the state police budget – which would affect local secondary road patrols – and other areas.

Kirk Profit, whose Lansing-based firm is a lobbyist for Washtenaw County, talks with county commissioner Barbara Bergman before the start of the March 17 board of commissioners meeting. Profit and two of his staff members gave an update on state legislative issues.

Profit mentioned a range of other projects that GCSI is pursuing, including legislation related to the Detroit Region Aerotropolis – the county is a partner in that project – and an effort to eliminate unfunded state mandates. He also said that outgoing county administrator Bob Guenzel will be working with GCSI on a project aimed a restructuring local government.

Though Profit described this year as a time to be engaged, he cautioned that because of the upcoming elections and a change in leadership at all levels in Lansing, it’s likely that a lot of issues won’t be resolved. There’s not much incentive for current legislators to make structural changes, he said. However, he added, “with a new government comes opportunity.” As a transition occurs and appropriations are made, it’s time to promote the county’s agenda, he said – or someone else will promote a different one.

Commissioner Discussion

Several commissioners had comments and questions for Profit and his staff. Leah Gunn called the news out of Lansing “very discouraging,” and said her concern is that the county doesn’t have many options in terms of raising revenue. She noted, for example, that Washtenaw County is the only one in the state that levies a tax to support indigent veterans. [The 1/40th of a mill is expected to raise $393,616 this year for services to indigent veterans.] There aren’t many options like that available to local governments, she said.

Profit said that Washtenaw County is the economic engine for the state. “We have political juice, we have political power,” he said – and now’s the time to turn it up a notch. The tax code needs to be restructured so that local governments aren’t stuck with capped property taxes, he said. There also needs to be changes to the gas tax – the roads are bad. Profit said he refused to accept the current situation, and expressed optimism that a change in government leadership could bring fresh ideas. But in the interim, it will be difficult, he acknowledged – especially in budgeting for next year, when things will be in flux.

Barbara Bergman asked about the impact of state cuts on the county’s public health budget, which could be as high as 20%. Dick Fleece, director of the county’s public health/environmental health department, came forward and said that as soon as they get the budget figures from the state, his staff would let the board know what their alternatives are. He said they hoped that grant funding might be available to offset state cuts.

On the issue of unfunded mandates – services that the state requires, but doesn’t providing funding for – Profit urged the county’s department heads to alert GCSI if there are any that “run afoul of the constitution.” There might be ways to challenge those mandates, he said.

Adrian Hemond also noted that there would be opportunities after the November election, in what he expects to be a “raucous” lame-duck session. “Literally everything will be up for dealing,” he said.

Profit also told commissioners and county staff that it would be helpful to hear examples of ways in which state funding decisions make a direct impact on county services. That’s useful in making a case to preserve funding, he said.

Ken Schwartz said it “sounds like this is the lost year of the lost decade.” He asked for details on state legislation related to the aerotropolis. A bill that would allow the aerotropolis to form a separate economic development zone has been stalled, Profit said, adding that they shouldn’t wait for state action. [A March 18 article in Crain's Detroit Business reports that executives in Oakland and Wayne counties have reached an agreement that could result in action in the state legislature.]

Kristin Judge asked for an update on indigent defense legislation. Profit noted that Washtenaw County’s public defender, Lloyd Powell, had been an advocate for state funding of trial-level public defense. [Powell outlined his position in a January 2010 column in the Washtenaw Legal News, outlining his position.] Profit said there’s a recognition that it would be very expensive, and that the debate hasn’t been resolved.

Jeff Irwin asked about the JPORT program – the county’s Justice Project Outreach Team, which provides mental health services for people in jail and after their release. The county had asked GCSI to check if the state would fund a pilot program, using Washtenaw’s efforts as a model. Irwin noted that Michigan is one of only five states that spend more on corrections than on higher education, and that programs like JPORT are one way to do something about that.

Profit said that his firm likes to “play offense,” and if the county wanted them to work on it, they would. Hemond pointed out that GCSI has made attempts in the past two years to get a pilot program started, but that wrangling between two different committee chairmen in the legislature had started to generate ill will, so they hadn’t pushed it further. However, the lame-duck session offered an opportunity to get something through appropriations, Hemond added. Profit cautioned against funding something that might be cut by a new administration, but Hemond said there might be creative ways to pursue it.

Public Health Update

The board heard two updates from county public health administrators on Wednesday.

H1N1 Update

Diana Torres-Burgos, the county’s medical director, reported on how the county responded to the H1N1 flu outbreak. She reminded commissioners that it was less than a year ago – in mid-April, 2009 – when the first cases of the flu were confirmed in California. Locally, the first outbreak peaked in June, with another peak in November.

This chart shows the geographic location of H1N1 cases in Washtenaw County, based on 80 residents who were hospitalized. Ypsilanti residents accounted for nearly half of all cases. (Links to larger image)

Torres-Burgos gave a roundup of Washtenaw County data related to the outbreak. There were 80 hospitalizations – of those, 49% were Ypsilanti area residents and 26% were from Ann Arbor. Looking at the cases by race/ethnicity, 69% were Caucasian and 19% African American.

Two adults in Washtenaw County died as a result of H1N1, Torres-Burgos said, but there were no pediatric deaths.

Torres-Burgos recalled the difficulty that the county had in getting adequate vaccines from the federal government. By mid-October, they had an extremely limited supply – an initial shipment of 3,400, all in nasal-mist form, out of a total order of 250,000. [See Chronicle coverage from an Oct. 28, 2009 briefing: "County Revamps H1N1 Vaccine Strategy"]

Based on limited supply, the county initially distributed vaccines based on priority groups. In October, the public health department held three clinics for first-responders, as well as a clinic for priority populations and a mass vaccination clinic. Six additional vaccination clinics were held in November and December. From October 2009 through January 2010, the county administered nearly 13,000 H1N1 vaccines. Through other health care providers, about 163,000 doses were given countywide, according to Torres-Burgos.

Vaccines are still available, she noted. There is no charge for getting them through the public health department.

In describing lessons learned from the outbreak, Torres-Burgos said it was clear that communication was crucial, both through traditional means as well as through social media like Facebook and Twitter. Partnerships were also critical, she said, with health care providers and other key stakeholders like Eastern Michigan University, which let the county use its convocation center for mass clinics.

Funding and staffing are challenges for emergencies like the H1N1 outbreak, Torres-Burgos said. Without federal stimulus funds and the collaboration with partners in the community, the county would have been unable to provide the response needed, she said.

Following her presentation, several commissioners praised the public health department’s response to the H1N1 crisis. Kristin Judge noted that while 400 schools closed throughout the state, there was only one school closing in Washtenaw County. She attributed that to the county’s response in averting a crisis. Barbara Bergman said that the department has laid a strong foundation for responding to future public health crises.

Washtenaw County Public Health Rankings

Dick Fleece, director of the county’s public health/environmental health department, gave a report on how Washtenaw County ranked in a recent study by the University of Wisconsin. The study looked at health outcomes and health factors in counties throughout the U.S. In the first category, Washtenaw ranked 7th in Michigan, looking at outcomes like mortality and morbidity, including low birth weight and quality of life.

Washtenaw County ranked 1st in the state in the health factors category, which measured health behaviors (including smoking rates, obesity rates, binge drinking and teen birth rates), access to health care, social and economic factors, and physical environment. Some highlights:

• Washtenaw ranked highest in the state for the number of primary care providers – 283 per 100,000 population.
• The county’s adult smoking rate is 13%, compared to a statewide rate of 23%. Fleece noted that new state ban on smoking in bars and restaurants takes effect May 1.

A chart of showing the number of grocery stores and restaurants per capita in Washtenaw County from 1950 through 2008. (Links to larger image)

• In the category of access to healthy foods, 58% of the county’s zip code areas have a grocery store, farmer’s market or produce stand, compared to a statewide average of 51%.
• The county has an estimated 15% rate of uninsured adults under the age of 65, compared to the overall state average of 12%.
• In Washtenaw, 46% of chronically ill Medicare patients were enrolled in hospice care within their last six months of life, compared to a state average of 38%.
• Measuring the birth rate to teen mothers, the county had 14 births per 1,000 females aged 15-19, compared to a state average of 36.

Fleece said that while the county is doing well in many regards and has much to be proud of, there are still problems – as well as areas of disparity. For example, the percentage of adults who smoke varies widely by region, from 9.8% in Ann Arbor to 24.9% in Ypsilanti. Obesity rates are significantly higher in the Ypsilanti area – at 24.9% – compared to 11.2% in Ann Arbor. And looking at adults diagnosed with diabetes, there are large disparities based on race and income, Fleece said.

Another area of concern is the county’s chlamydia rate, at 300 per every 100,000 people. Though it’s lower than the overall state average of 370, it’s far above the target goal of 50, Fleece noted.

The county has a 7.3% rate for low-birth weight – measuring the percent of live births for which the infant weighed less than 5.8 pounds. The state average is 3.7%. Fleece thanked the board for its approval Wednesday evening of a grant – $27,390 from the Genesee County Racial & Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) – that will be used to address that issue.

The full study results are available at the County Health Rankings website. [.pdf of report to commissioners]

After Fleece’s presentation, Conan Smith said that the ranking bodes well for both residents and for the economy. Having a healthy environment makes the county a place that people want to live and that businesses want to locate. It’s something to brag about, he said, to businesses that might want to invest here.

“And remember to invest in our department as we go forward,” Fleece quipped.

Contract Approved for Next Administrator

With no discussion, commissioners approved an employment agreement with Verna McDaniel to be the county’s next administrator, effective May 15, 2010 with a salary of $155,000. McDaniel, the county’s deputy administrator, was the only person interviewed to replace retiring administrator Bob Guenzel. Guenzel, who has been in that post since 1994, currently earns $159,424.

In addition to her salary, McDaniel will also be provided with a county-owned vehicle, health insurance, travel expenses and other benefits. The agreement states that she’ll be reimbursed for up to $3,000 in other job-related expenses, as needed. [.pdf of employment agreement]

McDaniel has worked for the county for 28 years, including 18 years as executive director of human resources. [For previous Chronicle coverage of McDaniel's selection, see "McDaniel Pledges to Lead Washtenaw."]

Regional Energy Office

Without comment, the board voted to join the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office, with commissioner Conan Smith abstaining. Smith had addressed a potential conflict of interest on the issue at the board’s March 3 meeting – he is executive director of the Michigan Suburbs Alliance, a Ferndale-based nonprofit that will be managing the energy office. [See Chronicle coverage from a Nov. 24, 2009 administrative briefing and Dec. 2, 2009 county board meeting.] Commissioners also had received a briefing on the energy office at their March 4 working session.

Present: Barbara Levin Bergman, Leah Gunn, Jeff Irwin, Kristin Judge, Mark Ouimet, Ronnie Peterson, Jessica Ping, Wes Prater, Ken Schwartz, Rolland Sizemore Jr., Conan Smith

Next board meeting: Wednesday, April 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the County Administration Building, 220 N. Main St. The Ways & Means Committee meets first, followed immediately by the regular board meeting. [confirm date] (Though the agenda states that the regular board meeting begins at 6:45 p.m., it usually starts much later – times vary depending on what’s on the agenda.) Public comment sessions are held at the beginning and end of each meeting.

Trenda Rusher, outgoing executive director of the county's Employment Training & Community Services (ETCS) department, gave an emotional speech after receiving a plaque of recognition for her nearly 30 years of service to the county. In starting her own consulting business in the Washington D.C. area, she promised to be the county's "little leprechaun" and help find "pots of gold" – referring to grant funding from the federal government and other sources.

Pete Ballios was recognized by county commissioners for 37.5 years of service to Washtenaw County. He retired as finance director at the end of 2009. To his right is his wife, Theanne Ballios. Commissioner Jeff Irwin said he appreciated the fact that Ballios was someone who could enjoy the "fun moments."

High demand and lower-than-anticipated supply has led to a “tremendous shortage,” said Dick Fleece, director of the county’s Public Health/Environmental Health department. And in the wake of Tuesday’s public clinic that drew hundreds of people and created safety concerns because of traffic and crowds, the county is canceling four clinics planned for next week at local high schools.

Instead, they’re scheduling a community clinic that will likely be held on Saturday, Nov. 7, at either Eastern Michigan University or Washtenaw Community College. Details will be released on Thursday, Fleece told commissioners. Update: The county will hold a clinic to vaccinate people in its high-priority categories on Thursday, Nov. 5 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the EMU Convocation Center. [Link to directions]

All orders of the H1N1 vaccine are delivered to the county’s public health department, which is responsible for distributing the vaccines to hospitals, universities and other local health care providers. [Nationwide, counties receive shipments of the H1N1 vaccines based on population.] Because of the shortage of available vaccines nationwide, the county hasn’t been able to provide enough to meet the demand of any of those groups, Fleece said. “Nobody’s happy – we’ve made everybody mad.”

The county’s public clinic on Tuesday, held at the Washtenaw Intermediate School District building on Wagner Road, lasted about one hour out of six hours that had originally been scheduled – the clinic was supposed to run from 3-9 p.m. People started coming hours early.  Before the clinic opened, cars already lined both sides of Wagner from Scio Church to Liberty, forcing people to walk along the busy two-lane road to reach the WISD building. Though nurses gave about 1,000 vaccines, they had to close the clinic because they ran of their supply.

They were surprised by the turnout – last week, the county held three clinics for emergency “first responders” and less than 500 people showed up, Fleece said.

As of last week, the county had received about 14,000 doses of the vaccine, about half of those in the form of nasal spray. Diana Torres-Burgos, the county’s medical director, told commissioners that vaccines were distributed to local hospitals, which received 43% of the total, community health care providers (33%) and the county’s public health clinics (19%), with the remainder going local universities.

Another shipment is expected soon, but it will still fall short of demand. Because of production delays from vaccine manufacturers, the county has so far received only about 30% of the supply it had anticipated by now, officials say. They expect to see supplies increase by mid-November, however. Fleece noted that despite media accounts which make it appear that there won’t be sufficient vaccines for everyone, the county expects that eventually they’ll have enough to meet demand.

But for the moment, Fleece said the county will narrow its focus for who will receive the vaccines first, based on risk and other factors. Using guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, the county has identified priority groups that will be eligible for the vaccine:

• pregnant women;
• household and caregivers of children under 6 months of age;
• children 6 months through 4 years old;
• children 5 to 18 years old who have medical conditions that bring a higher risk of flu complications;
• health care and emergency medical services personnel who provide direct patient care.

At the clinic to be scheduled next week, the county plans to vaccinate about 4,000 people, Fleece said.

Torres-Burgos said the H1N1 virus is actively circulating in Washtenaw County, but the good news is that people are recovering. The county public health website tracks cases of H1N1, and reports that for the week ending Oct. 24, there were three hospitalizations due to that strain of flu. No deaths have been reported in Washtenaw County because of H1N1.

Updates on the H1N1 outbreak and vaccines will be posted on the county public health department’s website. Fleece also plans to make a presentation at the Nov. 4 board of commissioners meeting.

Nina Johnson, Washtenaw County's human resources manager, prepares awards that were given out to employees during Wednesday's board of commissioners meeting. (Photo by the writer.)

Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners (Sept. 2, 2009): Emotions ran high during parts of Wednesday night’s county board meeting, as residents made impassioned pleas for continued funding of programs for the developmentally disabled. Commissioners responded, some with equal passion, with Leah Gunn saying this is the worst year she’s ever faced in her career as a commissioner, and Jeff Irwin breaking down as he described his reaction to hearing constituents’ stories. The county faces a projected $30 million budget deficit over the next two years in its $102 million general fund, and is working on ways to cut expenses.

Commissioners also heard budget presentations from leaders of two departments – Public Health, and Community Support and Treatment Services – and got a brief budget update from county administrator Bob Guenzel, who said that their 2009 general fund projections are on target.

The board also voted unanimously – and with no discussion – to approve a $1.375 million deal that would settle two lawsuits related to the 2006 death of Clifton Lee Jr., who died after a struggle with Washtenaw County sheriff’s deputies in the Ypsilanti Township of West Willow.

Public Health

Dick Fleece, director of the county’s Public Health/Environmental Health department, gave a presentation on the public health portion of his 2010 budget. Because of state funding requirements, the department needs to finalize its budget by Oct. 1. That means commissioners will need to vote on it at their Sept. 16 meeting. [Most of the county's general fund budget is expected to receive final approval from the board in November.]

Public health’s $9.3 million budget gets funding from several sources, but the largest single source – $3.36 million in 2010 – comes from the county’s general fund and accounts for 32.5% of the department’s total budget. Another large funding source is the state, contributing an anticipated $2.37 million to the department in 2010. However, given the state’s own budget crisis, that funding remains uncertain, Fleece said. Depending on what happens in Lansing, the department will likely need to return to commissioners with an amended budget later this year. By way of example, he noted that Gov. Jennifer Granholm, through an executive order, cut funding to the state’s public health core services by 17% for the quarter ending Sept. 30.

Fleece described several ways that the Public Health department has already cut its budget so far this year, eliminating $594,118 from its 2009 general fund allocation. Three clerical jobs were eliminated, and the positions of public health director and environmental health director were combined. The department also cut costs in several other ways, including centralizing its medical examiner functions at the University of Michigan Hospital, extending a summer layoff for its hearing and vision staff by three weeks, and eliminating overtime for its adult clinic staff, among other things.

The department generated $207,834 in additional revenue during 2009, Fleece said, in part through increased billing from Medicaid, and fee increases for cremation permits (from $20 to $40) and certain clinic services. Medicaid revenue has increased – and is expected to grow by $130,000 in 2010 – because the department combined its federally funded Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and the Maternal Infant Health Providers programs. This allowed county staff to reduce the number of home visits and create other efficiencies. Outreach to find children who are eligible for Medicaid funding under these programs has also helped increase revenue.

Fleece noted that nearly all of the department’s programs are mandated by the state. For the department’s 10 discretionary programs, every $1 from the county’s general fund spent on them brings in $2 of funding from other sources – including grants and state or federal dollars, he said.

In outlining his concerns for the coming year, Fleece described increased demand for public health services on several fronts. Levels of sexually transmitted diseases – including HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis – are at all-time highs, he said. County staff deals with between 120 to 160 STD cases a month, and does outreach to places like the jail and the Delonis Center, the homeless shelter in Ann Arbor. Other examples of increased demand for services include an increase in the WIC caseload – to over 6,000 clients per month – and greater numbers of reported foodborne illnesses that the department must handle.

Also putting a strain on public health staff is their preparation for a possible H1N1 (swine flu) outbreak. The department is getting $375,548 in federal funding – and possibly more – to help cover staff costs, but the demands are great, Fleece said. Everyone in the department is involved, with tasks including daily phone briefings with UM and St. Joseph Mercy hospitals and the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, frequent conference calls with state and federal public health officials, as well as with local school administrators, media requests and presentations to community groups.

The county staff is responsible for tracking lab results and authorizing tests for cases in Washtenaw County, receiving and administering antivirals and vaccines, staffing clinics to give vaccines, training medical and non-medical volunteers, and doing outreach. As one example of the magnitude of their responsibility, Fleece noted that there are 50,000 school-aged children in the county, each requiring two doses of the H1N1 vaccine. However, in response to a question from commissioner Kristin Judge, Fleece noted that the vaccines are voluntary at this point, “except for our staff.” And there’s still uncertainty about the severity of the virus, he said.

The department’s staff is dealing with increased demand for services with fewer resources at their disposal than just a few years ago, Fleece said. Public health employed 90 full-time employees in 2002, but that number has declined over the years due to budget cuts. The 2010 budget supports only 64.5 full-time staff, including nine nurses.

Community Support and Treatment Services

Like public health, the Community Support and Treatment Services department, known as CSTS, must submit its 2010 budget by Oct. 1, and requires approval by the board of commissioners at their Sept. 16 meeting. At Wednesday’s meeting, CSTS director Donna Sabourin gave an overview of the department’s proposed $30.36 million budget. CSTS, which provides a wide range of programs for residents with mental illness and developmental disabilities, is among the county departments being considered for dramatic budget cuts in general fund support.

Earlier in the meeting during the time set aside for public comment, several local residents – including some who were accompanied by developmentally disabled relatives – spoke in support of continued funding.

Public Comment: A Sampling

Jill Barker is president of Friends of the Developmentally Disabled, which advocates for about 200 families in the community. She said her two adult sons have severe cerebral palsy and profound mental retardation, so she understands the concerns and stresses placed on families when services for people like her sons are eliminated or disrupted. She introduced a theme that was echoed by other speakers during public commentary: Routine and familiarity are extremely important to people with developmental disabilities. She stressed the quality of CSTS staff, and noted that some clients have been working with the same CSTS staff their entire adult lives, receiving vocational and other skills-related training.

Lynn Evans introduced herself as the caregiver for her brother Steve, who receives services from CSTS. The staff works long hours and has a commitment to the individuals in their care, she said. It would be tragic if the programs ended, since in some cases it’s the only time when people like her brother have something productive to do: “Where are they going to go? What are they going to do?” The quality of life for clients of CSTS programs will be dramatically affected – that’s a factor that should be considered too, she said, along with the budget.

Deborah Gibson said that as the resident representative to the Ann Arbor Housing Commission, she was there to speak on behalf of low-income residents in the city’s public housing who use CSTS services. The mental health services provided by CSTS have a national reputation, she said, and the county should be proud of that. The services should not be considered optional in any way – they are as vital as garbage collection, she said, and if they are eliminated, all residents will be affected, not just those directly using those services.

Commissioner Response

Several commissioners responded to the public comments, praising CSTS staff and their work. Leah Gunn said that her commitment to human services was the reason she became a commissioner, but added that the county was in a financial crisis. It stemmed not just from issues at the county level, but at the state and federal levels as well – in large part, Gunn said, because for 40 years government leaders have been lecturing that taxes are bad. “Taxes are not bad,” she said. “Taxes provide services.”

Commissioner Ronnie Peterson asked whether the relatives of people served by CSTS had been contacted about the possible budget cuts. County administrator Bob Guenzel and CSTS director Donna Sabourin both assured Peterson that the staff had communicated the situation, but Peterson didn’t seem to believe the communication had been sufficient. He said he wanted advocates and caregivers of CSTS clients to be directly involved in this process, and that he wanted to hear their feedback before the commission voted on the CSTS budget.

An emotional Jeff Irwin, tearful as he spoke, described CSTS as offering world-class service, and said that the county risks losing that quality if they don’t provide financial support. “The money is in the system and we can make it work,” he said, prompting applause from people sitting in the public gallery.

Commissioner Conan Smith said he hoped residents understood that the board shares their values and concerns, and that they’d do everything they could to maintain a high level of service. “This is the biggest challenge we’ve ever faced as a community,” he said.

Director’s Budget Report

CSTS director Donna Sabourin reported that the department’s primary funder, the Washtenaw Community Health Organization (WCHO), had not finalized its budget for 2010 because it does not yet know how much funding it will receive from the state. Cuts in state funding could range from 15% to 55%, she said. That leaves CSTS in limbo as well. Other uncertainties include possible concessions from union workers that are still being negotiated, and the question of how much funding the county will provide.

With those caveats – and the likelihood that she’ll be bringing back an amended budget later in the year – Sabourin projected a $30.36 million budget for fiscal 2010, beginning Oct. 1. The budget includes a $2.26 million decrease in support from the county’s general fund, offset by a $3.135 million increase in WCHO funding.

As part of its cost-cutting efforts, CSTS plans to eliminate 7.5 full-time jobs – several of those have already been held vacant in anticipation of cuts, Sabourin said. But the department is also creating a part-time position – a peer support specialist – putting the net job reduction at 6.75 positions.

Regarding its vocational services to the developmentally disabled, CSTS has proposed three funding options for the WCHO to consider: 1) increasing WCHO funding to cover current CSTS programs, 2) conduct a competitive bid process for other entities to provide similar programs, or 3) continue funding CSTS and add other vocational and skill-building services, using existing CSTS staff.

After Sabourin’s presentation, commissioner Leah Gunn said, “Once again, scary numbers from the state. What are we going to do?” The WCHO – a partnership of the county and the University of Michigan – is unique, Gunn said, but she feared the impact of state funding. Sabourin said her department was preparing a lot of contingency plans.

Commissioner Jeff Irwin said he was “incredulous” at state attorney general Mike Cox’s ruling earlier this year, which states that counties must pay for mental health screening and treatment of inmates in county jails. The ruling means counties couldn’t use other funding sources to pay for those services. Sabourin said CSTS is adjusting its budget to account for that ruling.

2009 General Fund Update

County administrator Bob Guenzel gave a brief 2009 budget update, saying that thanks to cost-cutting measures implemented earlier this year, they were meeting their target for a balanced general fund budget. The county is projecting a revenue shortfall of $1.57 million for 2009, but plans to reduce expenditures by $1.82 million – leaving a projected surplus of nearly $242,000.

Several factors contributed to the surplus. Among them, Sheriff Jerry Clayton has realized a $500,000 reduction in his department’s budget, which is projected to end the year with a surplus. Separately, the county will not be spending $600,000 it had budgeted on the jail expansion this year. When Jeff Irwin quipped, “Thank you, Jerry Clayton!” Guenzel added that they should also thank construction delays.

Other savings stemmed from budget recommendations that the commission approved in July for 2010 and 2011, but which are being implemented this year.

Guenzel will provide the next 2009 budget update to commissioners in November. At the board’s Sept. 16 meeting, he will be presenting recommendations for dealing with a projected $30 million general fund deficit in 2010 and 2011.

Discount Drug Card

In July, three commissioners – Kristin Judge, Jessica Ping and Wes Prater – attended a conference of the National Association of Counties (NACo) in Nashville. While there, they learned of a drug discount program offered by CVS/Caremark, and they asked a representative of that business to make a presentation about the program to the full board.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Steve Rohm from CVS/Caremark told commissioners that 1,250 counties nationwide participate in the drug discount program. If Washtenaw County participates, cards would be offered to any resident not covered by insurance – there’s no enrollment, fee or registration required, no age limitations or limits on usage. Residents would take the card to participating pharmacies to get some type of discount on their prescription drugs. The discounts would be set by each pharmacy – Rohm said that consumers typically get around a 22% savings. Pet prescriptions are also covered, he said.

Responding to a query from commissioner Jeff Irwin, Rohm said that for each prescription filled using the discount card, CVS/Caremark receives a small transaction fee that’s been pre-negotiated with the pharmacies. He said he did not know the amount of that fee.

Kristin Judge said that she had checked with Ellen Rabinowitz, executive director of the Washtenaw Health Plan, to see if the discount drug card would in any way negatively impact the county’s current plan, and found that it would simply give residents another option. She said that at the NACo conference, she asked commissioners from other counties that were already participating in the plan whether there was a downside to the program – they all told her it was a great benefit. There’s a new kind of person who needs help, Judge said – people who have worked all their lives and never relied on government aid, but who now find themselves out of a job. They’re still reluctant to ask for help, so this discount card, which doesn’t require registration, would be perfect for them, she said.

Commissioner Jessica Ping said that the city of Saline is already participating in the program, through its membership in the National League of Cities. She said her sister, Alicia Ping, who’s a member of the Saline city council, would be willing to answer any questions they might have about the program.

Judge said she’d be supporting the county’s participation in the drug discount program. She also indicated that NACo would be offering similar programs for dental and vision coverage in the future.

Lawsuit Settlement

The board unanimously approved a $1.375 million deal to settle two lawsuits related to the 2006 death of Clifton Lee Jr. in the West Willow neighborhood of Ypsilanti Township. [See previous Chronicle coverage of the proposed settlement.] During the Ways & Means Committee portion of Wednesday’s meeting, commissioners went into a roughly 30-minute closed executive session to discuss the issue. Upon their return, they immediately voted on the item, with no discussion. The settlement was also on the agenda during the board’s regular meeting, which followed Ways & Means. It was approved then as well, again with no discussion.

Public Hearings

Two public hearings were held on Wednesday, regarding 1) a proposed renewal of a indigent veterans relief tax, at 1/40th of a mill, and 2) the proposed designation of Washtenaw County as an economic “recovery zone,” which would allow private and public entities to apply for federal recovery zone economic development bonds and facility bonds.

Tom Partridge, a regular speaker during the public comment sessions, was the only person to speak during the hearing on the veterans relief millage. It would be levied in December 2009, and raise roughly $393,616. For a home valued at $100,000, the tax would be about $2.50. [See previous Chronicle coverage of the millage when it was first implemented in 2008.]

Partridge criticized the county for raising funds that target only one segment of the population, and said the board had failed to live up to its responsibility to provide more comprehensive programs. As he continued to speak, he was cut off by commissioner Mark Ouimet, who told Partridge he was “wavering off topic.” Ouimet, as board vice chair, was chairing the meeting in the absence of Rolland Sizemore Jr., who is chair of the board.

No one spoke during the hearing for the recovery zone designation. Later in the meeting the board approved the designation unanimously, with no discussion. The veterans relief millage will be voted on at an upcoming board meeting.

Misc. Public Comment: A Sampling

In addition to supporters of CSTS, several people spoke during public comment on Wednesday regarding other topics.

Human Services

Kevan Lawlor, president and CEO of NSF International, spoke in his capacity as chair of the board for Food Gatherers, which collects food and distributes it to food pantries and other nonprofits countywide. Food Gatherers provides free or low-cost food to almost every shelter, after-school program and nonprofit agency in the county, he said. They also work in partnership with the county’s Employment Training and Community Services department (ETCS) to provide emergency food assistance. “Now is not the time to cut support to basic human services in our county,” Lawlor said. [The county funds several local nonprofits, including Food Gatherers. One option on the table would eliminate all human services funding beyond what's legally mandated, saving the county $1.69 million.]

Also speaking in support of Food Gatherers was Steve Davis of the Vineyard Church in Milan. The church, which is supplied by Food Gatherers, serves more than 1,500 households, he said. Though most of the families they help are from the eastern part of the county, they’re seeing more people from Ann Arbor and, for the first time, from Chelsea and Manchester, too – 12 to 15 new households sign up each week, he said, and rely on support from Food Gatherers. The county needs to continue its funding, he said, “or we’re going to have issues much more common to other, less fortunate counties.”

AFSCME Local 2733

Tonya Harwood, interim president of AFSCME Local 2733 – the largest union of county employees, representing about 700 of the county’s 1,350 workers – told commissioners she recognized that the county was facing job losses and a major budget deficit. She said that the county administration has been “careless and somewhat irresponsible” in its decisions. She reminded the board that union employees had made concessions in their previous contract, totaling some $10 million in savings over three years. “It seems like we’re not getting credit for that,” she said. AFSCME jobs are also taking a disproportional hit whenever job cuts are proposed, she said, and they don’t feel as though they’ll ever get back those lost union jobs.

United Way

Joanna Bidlack, management analyst with the county administrator’s office, gave a report on the county’s United Way campaign, which runs from Sept. 14-23. Their goal is to raise $75,000 from county employees, she said. Bidlack reported that a pre-campaign “Stuff the Bus” event, in partnership with Target, resulted in 112 backpacks filled with school supplies for children attending Ypsilanti Public Schools. Commissioner Mark Ouimet described United Way as one of his personal passions. “As government is doing less, we have to do more,” he said.

Employee Awards

In the past, the county has held an annual breakfast to recognize employee achievements. For the past two years, they’ve not held this event because of budget reductions. Instead, at Wednesday’s meeting county administrator Bob Guenzel gave out plaques of recognition to individuals and groups. [Link to listing of award winners.] Many family members attended, and vigorous applause filled the board room as each of the winners were recognized.

Present: Leah Gunn, Jeff Irwin, Kristin Judge, Mark Ouimet, Ronnie Peterson, Jessica Ping, Wes Prater, Ken Schwartz, Conan Smith

Absent: Barbara Levin Bergman, Rolland Sizemore Jr.

Next board meeting: Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the County Administration Building, 220 N. Main St. The Ways & Means Committee meets first, followed immediately by the regular board meeting. [confirm date] (Though the agenda states that the regular board meeting begins at 6:45 p.m., it usually starts much later – times vary depending on what’s on the agenda.) Public comment sessions are held at the beginning and end of each meeting.

David Canter, former head of Pfizer's Ann Arbor research campus, is now director of healthcare research at UM's William Davidson Institute.

An eclectic mix of speakers at Wednesday’s Morning Edition breakfast talked about healthcare in developing countries, commercials promoting tourism in Michigan, computer security, the upcoming Ann Arbor Restaurant Week and an update on the venture that will replace the Ann Arbor News.

Russ Collins, the event’s emcee and executive director of the Michigan Theater, also noted that they were now installing a state-of-the-art 3D projector, just in time for the May 29 opening of Disney-Pixar’s animated film “Up” – which features, he noted, “a hyperactive nine-year-old named Russell.”

David Canter, former head of Pfizer’s Ann Arbor research campus, kicked things off with comments about the University of Michigan’s acquisition of that site.

Canter is now director of healthcare at UM’s William Davidson Institute, but for many years he led the local research operations for Pfizer. The 174-acre site on Ann Arbor’s north side was acquired in pieces over the past four decades, he noted, but much of it, ironically, was part of UM’s north campus over 50 years ago.

When Pfizer decided to close its local research operations and pull out of Ann Arbor, the firm received a lot of inquiries from people who wanted to buy little pieces of the property, Canter said. But anyone who wanted to acquire the entire site also wanted to fill it with a big tenant – and the only big tenant in town is the university, he said. Having UM buy the property in its entirety “is by far the neatest solution,” Canter said. ”The tax problem, I just ignore it – but we’re going to have to deal with it,” referring to the fact that UM’s purchase will take the property off the tax rolls. Pfizer had been the city’s largest taxpayer. It’s better by far to have the site full of people and activity than to have it shuttered, he said. The site is “rich with potential,” but it’s now up to the university to capitalize on the purchase. It presents an amazing opportunity to develop public/private partnerships there, he said.

Canter also spoke of his work with the William Davidson Institute, where he’s developing ways to bring management and organizational expertise to healthcare systems, especially in emerging countries. This work stems in part from the six months he spent in Rwanda as a Pfizer Global Health Fellow, working with Columbia University’s Access Project. “I came back from Rwanda a different person,” he said.

Most people assume that healthcare is mostly linked to science, but in fact about half of its success hinges on the ability to lead, organize and manage, Canter said, and that’s the focus of his work. He gave an example of working with a clinic in Rwanda and asking them what their budget was for hiring. “What’s a budget?” they asked. It turns out they’d been awarded money that would cover the hiring of additional nursing staff, but since they didn’t have the funds in hand, they weren’t willing to go ahead and make the hires. Effective organization and management can lead to saving as many children’s lives as any other major medical intervention, he said.

Dave Lorenz, Travel Michigan: Next up was Dave Lorenz, managing director of PR for Travel Michigan, the branch of the Michigan Economic Development Corp. that’s focused on tourism. They’re part of the MEDC because “it’s all about jobs,” he said. They developed the Pure Michigan campaign to capture the essence of the state and attract tourists – Lorenz joked that they rejected several other slogans, including one he proposed: “Michigan – At Least We’re Not Indiana.”

Actor Jeff Daniels was doing spots focused on attracting businesses to the state, so they decided to approach comedian Tim Allen, another Michigan native and someone who’s known for his voice work in animated films. Allen, whose brother teaches high school in Muskegon and who vacations in the state every year, agreed to do the work at a greatly reduced cost, Lorenz said. With that, Lorenz played five short commercials from the campaign that are airing nationwide – you can view them on the Pure Michigan website.

Yan Ness, Online Tech: Collins ribbed Ness for liking Michigan’s climate. Why? Because it’s often cold, and that gives firms here a competitive advantage if they operate data centers and need to keep thousands of computer servers cool. Ness said the biggest cost for operating computers on any scale is the energy required for powering and cooling.

But the biggest challenge, he said, is security. The several thousand servers that Online Tech manages receive hundreds of attacks by hackers each day, trying to gain access to the machines and the data they contain. The main culprits now are hackers backed by governments that are training to get control of the nation’s electric grid. “It’s a real issue,” he said. Ness then asked a series of questions about the passwords that audience members used – including how many people use the name of their dog in their password. The main way that computer systems are compromised is by people simply divulging too much information, he said – just as the audience had done by responding to his questions. Finally, he cautioned people not to write down their passwords – Post-It notes are the No. 1 cause of security breeches.

James Macdonald, owner of Bella Ciao Restaurant, is promoting the Main Street area's Ann Arbor Restaurant Week from June 14-19.

James Macdonald, Bella Ciao Restaurant: Macdonald is the driver behind the upcoming Ann Arbor Restaurant Week, an idea he championed after seeing a similar promotion in San Francisco. From June 14-19, nearly two dozen restaurants in the Main Street area will offer special one-price dining: $12 for lunch, $25 for dinner. Parking isn’t a problem after 6 p.m., he said, and he encouraged people to come downtown and try new restaurants. Soft shell crabs will be in season, he said, so at Bella Ciao they’ll offer that as an entree. You might also try an appetizer of fresh asparagus and arugula with champagne vinaigrette and puff pastry with strawberries and rhubarb. “You’ll just die,” he said, “and these are all low calorie.”

Macdonald said they couldn’t persuade local restaurants to offer the specials for an entire week, but only from Sunday through Friday. “How dumb is that?” he quipped, adding that Bella Ciao is extending its special pricing through Saturday of that week.

Laurel Champion, AnnArbor.com: Collins noted that Champion is the first and last female publisher of the Ann Arbor News – the newspaper will publish its last edition on Thursday, July 23. In its place, Advance Publications – which owns the News – is starting a new, primarily online venture called AnnArbor.com. Champion is executive vice president for that entity, and said she was pleased that the owners recognized how special Ann Arbor is and that they’re willing to invest in this market.

She assured the crowd that they aren’t abandoning local journalism, and that “content is king.” They’ll also publish two print editions each week, on Thursday and Sunday, plus a “total market coverage” edition that will be delivered weekly to non-subscribers. The Sunday paper, which will be published for the first time on July 26, will look a lot like a traditional newspaper, she said. They’re still figuring out what the Thursday edition will include, but it will likely contain hard news as well as entertainment and sports information leading into the weekend. They’re planning to launch their online content during the week prior to July 23.

[Later in the day, Tony Dearing – chief content director for AnnArbor.com – gave more details at a talk hosted by the LA2M group at Conor O'Neill's. He said they plan to hire between 30-35 employees focused on news coverage, plus freelance staff. In addition to coverage of topics like local government, education, crime, business, sports and entertainment, other features of the site include a section called The Deuce, with content aimed at people in their teens, 20s and early 30s, and a focus on neighborhoods like the Old West Side and Kerrytown. He said they're also forming a local advisory group, which he'll announced in the coming week. Slides of his presentation are here.]

Morning Edition is a monthly event hosted by the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce and held at Weber’s Inn on Jackson Road.

Commissioners each received a Red Cross personal safety kit at Wednesday's meeting.

Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners (May 6, 2009): At Wednesday’s meeting, commissioners got an update on how the county is responding to the swine flu threat, plus a bonus: Every commissioner was presented with a Red Cross personal safety kit. The implicit message was  that the county is prepared for emergencies, be it virulent viruses or something else entirely. Dick Fleece, interim director of the county’s public health department, assured commissioners that funding for the kits came from the feds, not the county’s general fund budget.

Commissioners also discussed a federal grant aimed at helping track purchases of pseudoephedrine.

Meth Tracking System

The county is the fiduciary for a $218,000 federal grant that will help pay for a computer system that tracks the purchase of pseudophedrine from large drugstore chains as well as small pharmacies. It’s a Michigan State Police COPS-Meth grant for the Michigan High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, known as HIDTA, which includes Washtenaw County but operates out of Detroit. Pseudophedrine is taken as a decongestant and contained in over-the-counter products like Sudafed, but it can also be used to make methamphetamine, an illegal drug.

Commissioner Jeff Irwin asked what information would be collected for this database, and how will that information be used by law enforcement. Kari Dorr, from the county prosecutor’s office, said that pharmacists currently are required to check the driver’s license for anyone who buys products like Sudafed, and that you have to sign for such purchases. If someone  who has a history of using meth buys the drug, the database will flag it, she said. Likewise if someone is buying large quantities, perhaps from different pharmacies. That kind of information would be shared with law enforcement officials statewide. Steve Hiller, deputy chief assistant prosecuting attorney, said the same information is already being collected – this system is just a conduit to get the information into a central database.

Irwin said he was skeptical about the accuracy of the front-end data. If he were a criminal, he said, he wouldn’t be using his own ID to buy drugs. He said it looks like the feds are spending a mountain of money nationwide that would be better used elsewhere. Hiller noted that state police troops are being cut in Michigan, and that this kind of data collection and information sharing is helpful as fewer resources will be available for law enforcement.

Commissioner Ken Schwartz asked Hiller if meth trafficking was a problem in Washtenaw County. Hiller said they do see meth on the streets quite often, but that Washtenaw County is a little less affected by it than neighboring counties.

Outcome: Commissioners approved the grant in their Ways & Means Committee meeting. It will be forwarded for action at the regular board meeting on May 20.

The Flu Formerly Known as Swine

Stating that “it’s been quite a week,” Diana Torres-Burgos, the county’s medical director, gave commissioners an update on the H1N1 flu virus. As of Wednesday, May 6, there were no confirmed cases in Washtenaw County, she said, and only four probable cases – two residents, and two nonresidents who attend school in the county. [As of May 9, there were nine confirmed cases in Washtenaw County. This report from the state is updated daily at 4:30 p.m.]

Torres-Burgos noted that this is something health care workers deal with every year – seasonal flu typically results in 30,000 to 40,000 deaths a year, nationwide. There was reason for concern because it was a new strain, which means there’s no immunity against it, she said, and it wasn’t clear whether it would be more virulent than seasonal flu. They’ll continue to monitor the situation to see if the virus mutates into something stronger, but at this point, normal precautions – like washing your hands regularly, not touching your mouth nose or eyes and staying home if you feel sick – are sufficient.

Cindra James, the county’s public health emergency preparedness coordinator, described the protocol for dealing with outbreaks like this. She said they have sufficient quantities of the antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza, and that they would not open a central dispensing site unless demand escalated.

Torres-Burgos said that communications had been challenging, particularly in keeping up with demands of the media. The county was in daily contact with local hospitals, communicated regularly with schools and kept its website updated. She said that earlier guidelines had recommended schools be closed if they had probable cases – that’s what happened at Father Gabriel Richard High School, she said. The county contacted the school principal and recommended that the school be closed last week because two students had probable cases. The county also called for a community-wide meeting of schools, Torres-Burgos said, noting that it was a very fluid situation. Soon after, the Centers for Disease Control and state public health officials issued new guidelines saying that schools did not need to close, and so Gabriel Richard reopened on Wednesday with the caveat to be vigilant, she said.

As part of their presentation, Torres-Burgos and James gave each commissioner a Red Cross Deluxe Personal Safety Kit. Here’s a sampling of what it contains, according to its label: Gloves, mask, light stick, whistle, a 4.5 oz. pouch of drinking water, hand warmers, hand sanitizer, first aid supplies, poncho and emergency blanket.

Public Hearing

The board held a public hearing about the one-year action plan for the Washtenaw Urban County group, an entity chaired by commissioner Leah Gunn and consisting of representatives from 11 local jurisdictions: the cities of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor Township, Bridgewater Township, Northfield Township, Pittsfield Township, Salem Township, Scio Township, Superior Township, York Township, and Ypsilanti Township. The group is a conduit for federal grants to fund affordable housing and community development projects.

Only one person – Thomas Partridge – spoke at the hearing. He said not enough is being done to provide affordable housing in Washtenaw County. He urged commissioners to establish an affordable housing commission and to provide more funding for affordable housing.

Recognitions

Mark Ouimet, board co-chair who was leading the meeting in the absence of the chair, Rolland Sizemore Jr., gave two presentations. He presented a proclamation to Washtenaw County Sheriff’s commander Dieter Heren declaring the week of May 10-16, 2009 as Police and Correction Officers Week, and designating May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day in Washtenaw County. The week is intended to honor those in law enforcement who have been injured or killed in the line of duty.

Ouimet also presented Rich Sheridan with a resolution congratulating Menlo Innovations, an Ann Arbor firm, for being named to the Worldblu List of most democratic workplaces. Sheridan is Menlo’s CEO. Ouimet, a Republican, said he felt like he’d been set up in making the presentation. Sheridan promised that next year they’d try to be named the most republican workplace.

Commissioner Barbara Levin Bergman presented a resolution honoring the Area Agency on Aging 1-B for its 35-year anniversary. Tina Abbate Marzolf, the group’s CEO, thanked the commission and showed them an original letter that the agency had written to the board in 1974 asking for funding. At that time, they received $348,000 – today, she said, the agency gets more than $5 million in state and federal funds to support services for seniors. In response to a question, Marzolf said that they were trying to work more collaboratively with veterans groups, and that she’d be happy to return to the commission with details about that project.

Public Comment

Two people spoke during the four public comment sessions Wednesday evening. Tom Partridge spoke at all four opportunities for public comment, calling for action to protect the county’s homeless and vulnerable populations. Roberta Asplund, a former public health nurse, said she was a member of the  Michigan Public Health Association and past chair of its nursing section. She said the group was trying to make legislators more aware of the importance of public health nurses, and urged commissioners to provide more funding for public health nurses at the local level. She said school nurses were important as well, and that coordinating between the schools and the county public health nursing staff was crucial.

The board ended its meeting by going into closed executive session to discuss labor relations.

Present: Barbara Levin Bergman, Leah Gunn, Jeff Irwin, Kristin Judge, Mark Ouimet, Jessica Ping, Wes Prater, Ken Schwartz, Conan Smith

Absent: Rolland Sizemore Jr., Ronnie Peterson

Next regular board meeting: Wednesday, May 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the County Administration Building, 220 N. Main St. The Ways & Means Committee meets first, followed immediately by the regular board meeting.  (Though the agenda states that the regular board meeting begins at 6:45 p.m., it usually starts much later – times vary depending on what’s on the agenda.) Public comment sessions are held at the beginning and end of each meeting. [confirm date]

Elevator buttons in the new UM Ross School of Business building were among the areas treated during the disinfection protocol.

Overnight from Monday to Tuesday at the new UM Ross School of Business building, plant and custodial staff, along with employees of Aramark, which provides food services in the building, implemented a disinfection protocol for norovirus.

As of early Tuesday afternoon, there were no cases of norovirus yet confirmed among the 20-30 people who had become ill over the past week since the newly constructed building first opened on Jan. 5.  Further, according the Jennifer Nord, of UM Occupational Safety and Environmental Health (OSEH), the last date of onset for a new case of illness was on Jan. 10. People who have become sick have been requested to provide stool samples for analysis by the Michigan Department of Community Health in Lansing. As yet no samples have been provided for testing.

Nord and David Peters of OSEH, in a conference call (arranged by Pamela Koczman, manager in occupational safety and community health at UM), confirmed that the decision to act aggressively by starting the cleaning protocol last night was made based on: (i) the symptoms shown in cases reported, (ii) the quick spread, and (iii) the commonness of norovirus as the cause of such cases.

The norovirus is a term given to a group of viruses that cause gastroenteritis. Symptoms often include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramping, and sometimes include low-grade fever, chills, headache and muscle aches.

Graham Mercer, the business school’s assistant dean, sent an email to the entire school on Monday evening, alerting faculty, staff and students to the situation. He wrote: “After consultation with OSEH we are taking the conservative approach of treating this as a Norovirus outbreak … It’s impossible to determine where this external virus originated but aggressive action is being undertaken to eradicate it.”

A Michigan Department of Community Health publication provides instructions for cleaning an area believed to be infected with the norovirus. It recommends using mixtures of diluted chlorine bleach to disinfect doorknobs, faucets, sinks, toilets, phones, counters, chairs, tables, hand rails, elevator buttons, light switches and keyboards, among other high-touch items.

Chuck Amyx, who is director of operations for the business school campus, confirmed in a conversation on site at the new building this morning that the focus had been on treating surfaces with a high likelihood of being touched. Particular attention was paid to areas in the center of the building, like the Siegel Cafe and the fitness center, where people tend to cluster, increasing the risk of viral transmission via surfaces. However, Amyx said that UM custodial staff had also treated the areas outside of these nexus points, including surfaces like door handles, elevator buttons, drinking fountain activation buttons, counters – all surfaces The Chronicle touched.

The six-story, $145 million building was completed late last year and includes 270,000 square feet of offices, classrooms, an auditorium, gallery space, a “winter garden,” fitness center and cafe. (You can see a view of the building’s exterior from a live webcam here.)

The university has had other outbreaks of the virus, which often strikes in communal settings like schools, day care centers and nursing homes. In 2004, dozens of students living in campus dormitories became ill with the virus, according to an Ann Arbor News report. Nord and Peters said that the current situation at the business school is smaller and more contained than the 2004 situation.