Meeting Watch: County Board (3 Dec 08)

At its last meeting of 2008 and before adjourning to a post-meeting year-end gathering at Argiero’s, the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners swore in two new members, got word that the state is cutting back on winter road-clearing funds, heard from the newly elected sheriff on plans to reorganize his department, debated the police services contract and discussed how information was handled regarding an upcoming article in the Ann Arbor Observer. And everyone got a bottle of Calder Diary eggnog to boot – more on that later.

New board members

Wednesday night’s meeting began with the swearing-in of Wes Prater and Kristin Judge, who were elected in November to represent districts 4 and 7, respectively. Though normally new commissioners don’t take office until the beginning of the year, the board suspended its rules because the two people who formerly held those positions – Karen Lovejoy Roe and Mandy Grewal – recently resigned after being elected to other government posts (Lovejoy Roe is now clerk in Ypsilanti Township, and Grewal is Pittsfield Township supervisor).

Winter road-clearing update

Steve Puuri, managing director of the Washtenaw Road Commission, gave the board an update on this season’s snow and ice removal strategies, in response to concerns raised at a previous board meeting. Puuri said that service this year will remain at the same levels it’s been the previous two winters for Washtenaw County roads. However, service will be cut back for trunklines that are the responsibility of the Michigan Department of Transportation, including I-94, US-23 and M-14. For these roads, MDOT is reducing the amount of funding for winter maintenance. That means the Road Commission, which is under contract with MDOT to provide that maintenance, will be following MDOT’s guidelines about how much to plow and salt after the snow stops falling. Puuri said people can expect to see a noticeable difference compared to previous years.

In response to a question from Commissioner Rolland Sizemore, Puuri said that Road Commission workers would respond to any emergency situation when they get a call from law enforcement officials – that would not change. Commissioner Ronnie Peterson, who had originally raised concerns about how roads would be cleared, told Puuri that his staff needs to clearly communicate to the public about road conditions during the winter. He suggested using the website or establishing a hotline for people to call to get information on a timely basis.

After thanking Puuri for his report, commissioner Barbara Levin Bergman quipped, “I might go out and buy some chains, I’m not sure.”

Sheriff’s Department reorganization

Sheriff-elect Jerry Clayton gave the board an update on his plans to reorganize the department, including some key hires. In addition to an undersheriff, two commanders (for corrections and law enforcement), and a director of business and finance, Clayton said that Derrick Jackson, the county’s chief deputy clerk, had agreed to take the job of director of community engagement. “I did talk it over with Larry,” Clayton joked, referring to county clerk Larry Kestenbaum, Jackson’s current boss. Jackson’s role will be crucial in rebuilding relationships and forming new partnerships between the sheriff’s department and others in the community, Clayton said.

The sheriff’s department needs to be stewards of their budget, Clayton said, and mindful that cost overruns affect the entire county. That approach doesn’t mean jeopardizing public safety because of cost concerns, he said, but it does mean that cost should be one factor in making decisions.

After his remarks, several commissioners praised his work so far. Conan Smith said that Clayton’s plans to accurately track spending, as well as his communication skills, would be valuable during the next budget cycle, as the county needs realistic expectations about costs. Mark Ouimet said that everyone wants Clayton to be successful, and that he should feel comfortable using them as a resource and support system. Leah Gunn said she was “absolutely thrilled” that he was going to be the new sheriff.

Accommodations tax

The board held a public hearing regarding an increase in the county’s accommodations tax. Only two people spoke, standing together at the podium: Jim and Kim Myles, who’ve owned the Chelsea House Victorian Inn for eight years.

Jim Myles said they were concerned about the impact of this room tax, which is being raised from 2% to 5%. He said they’d planned to lower their rates to attract more customers, so the proposed tax hike would force them to take an even greater income hit. Myles also said that since their business was on the western side of the county, they didn’t feel they benefited from marketing done by the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti convention & visitors bureaus, which are funded through this tax. Kim Myles pointed out a trickle-down effect on the local economy: the lower income they’ll have because of the tax would result in them spending less money at other local businesses. She also said that the tax should be phased in over several years, rather than raised dramatically all at once.

Commissioner Ken Schwartz asked the county’s corporate counsel, Curtis Hedger, to look into whether the county could have a bifurcated tax, with a lower amount levied on small businesses like bed & breakfast inns.

The resolution authorizing the tax increase passed unanimously as one of several agenda items voted on collectively. (When Jim and Kim Myles left the board room shortly after the vote, they were followed into the lobby by Commissioner Mark Ouimet, who represents their district, and Mary Kerr, president of the Ann Arbor Convention and Visitors Bureau. The Chronicle did not join them.)

Police services contract

The one agenda item pulled out for separate consideration was an amendment to the police services contract, which had been discussed at a previous administrative briefing and board meeting.

At a public comment session earlier in the evening, Ypsilanti Township Supervisor Brenda Stumbo urged the commission to consider amending the contract for a two-year extension at a 2% increase per year. (The proposal called for a one-year extension with a 2% increase, through 2010.) She said the townships can’t afford to cut any more from their budgets and taxpayers can’t afford more taxes to pay for a greater increase beyond 2010.

Bergman began a discussion of the amendment by saying she wouldn’t support it – she was concerned because the change would impact the 2010 budget, which hadn’t yet been determined. She also said city residents were being double-taxed, first with a tax for their own police force, then by helping fund sheriff’s deputy patrols in the townships. She said it was unconscionable to do this at a time when there would likely be layoffs in the county’s human-services sector.

Several commissioners spoke, each saying they would support the one-year extension. All expressed confidence in the new sheriff and in his ability to keep costs under control at the department, and said they wanted to give him breathing room in his new job before dealing immediately with contract negotiations. Bergman said her no vote did not reflect a lack of confidence in Clayton, nor should it suggest she wouldn’t be part of a team approach to dealing with a new contract. She said it was rather a vote against unfairness.

The amendment passed, with votes against it coming from Bergman and board chair Jeff Irwin.

Ann Arbor Observer article on police services

The police services contract came up again as the meeting drew to a close. Jessica Ping told the board she had received an email that afternoon from Jennifer Watson, the county’s budget manager, with information that Watson had sent to the Ann Arbor Observer. Ping said she thought it was wrong that information would be sent to the Observer before being seen by board members.

County administrator Bob Guenzel said he took responsibility for that, saying he’d been interviewed by Jim Leonard for the article and had asked Watson to update the figures for what it costs the county to fund a sheriff’s deputy. The cost she had calculated was $243,825 per deputy – higher than the previous figure of $141,963, which had been cited in the amendment to the police services contract.

The ensuing discussion revealed that many if not all of the board members had spoken to Leonard. Bergman defended her right to talk to a reporter and to provide information that was in the public record. Schwartz asked if the document had previously existed, or whether it was created in response to a reporter’s request. When Guenzel answered that the latter was the case, Schwartz said it wasn’t a public document, and therefore should have been vetted by the board.

Conan Smith said he’d requested the information after talking to Leonard earlier in the day. He said the number was based on an approved methodology for calculating the cost of a deputy, and that regardless of the number, there was still disagreement over the percentage that should be paid by the county or the townships. He said he had expressed urgency when he made the request, and was sorry that others on the board didn’t like how it had been handled.

A few miscellaneous items, including eggnog and brownfields

Several agenda items were approved by the board in a unanimous vote, without discussion. They include: 1) approval of brownfield projects within the city of Ann Arbor (Maple Shoppes, 2800 Jackson and 601 Forest); and 2) approval of a three-year lease at 2051 S. State for the county’s Community Support and Treatment Services Department.

The board also agreed to appoint members of a new Veteran Affairs Committee. They are: Don O’Dell of Chelsea, Washtenaw County Commissioner Ken Schwartz, Ed Steele of Manchester, Rueben Swisher of Ann Arbor, and Gregg Weaver of Whitmore Lake.

Tom Partridge, a Scio Township resident, spoke during the first public comment session, urging the board to 1) work with state and federal lawmakers to help the auto industry, and 2) hold an additional meeting this month to discuss the area’s homeless population and the lack of affordable housing. Though he usually stays to speak at the final public comment session of these meetings, he left after his first remarks and later showed up at the “Future of Journalism” panel discussion at the Ford Library, an event also covered by The Chronicle.

Mike Score, who works with leads the local unit of the Michigan State University Extension, was recently honored with the program’s John Hannah award, which recognizes excellence within their statewide system. On Wednesday, the board awarded Score with a resolution commending his work, specifically in developing the Food System Economic Partnership. FSEP is a five-county effort to promote local agriculture in southeast Michigan. Score thanked the commissioners for their own leadership in this program. Then, noting that Calder Dairy was another important partner, Score passed out chilled glass bottles of the dairy’s eggnog, which is being sold in commemorative bottles that also highlight FSEP. (The Chronicle also received a bottle, and can vouch for its creamy goodness.)

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 meeting: Wednesday, Jan. 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. (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.