Naco Annual Conference on a Budget

DATES TO REMEMBER

MAY 17, 2017 ELECTIONS VENDOR OPEN HOUSE – CENTRAL OHIO, FRANKLIN COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS, COLUMBUS MAY 19, 2017 JOINT MEETING OF THE CCAO AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS AND TAXATION AND FINANCE COMMITTEES, CCAO OFFICES, COLUMBUS MAY 26, 2017 CCAO LOBBYING TASKFORCE, CONFERENCE CALL JUNE 2, 2017 JOINT MEETING OF THE CCAO AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AND CCAO WATER QUALITY TASK FORCE, BLANCHARD RIVER DEMONSTRATION FARMS NETWORK, HARDIN COUNTY JUNE 14, 2017 CORSA HR HOTLINE: WHAT ISSUES ARE TRENDING? – A CCAO 2ND WEDNESDAY WEBINAR JUNE 16, 2017 CCAO BOARD OF DIRECTORS, CCAO OFFICES, COLUMBUS JUNE 26, 2017 NW OHIO COMMISSIONERS AND ENGINEERS QUARTERLY MEETING, MOUNT GILEAD STATE PARK, MORROW COUNTY

JULY 21-24, 2017 NACo ANNUAL CONFERENCE, GREATER COLUMBUS CONVENTION CENTER, FRANKLIN COUNTY ASSOCIATION NEWS CCAO/OAEO to host election equipment expo for the OGA and administration CCAO and the Ohio Association of Elections Officials (OAEO) are holding an Election Equipment Expo on Tuesday, May 16 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Museum Center of the Statehouse for members of the Ohio General Assembly and Administration. The purpose of this expo is to show the members of the Ohio General Assembly and the Administration the types of equipment in the marketplace. Attendance is open to commissioners, county executives and county council members, administrators and commissioners’ clerks who would like to attend. The members of the CCAO/OAEO Joint Committee on Administration of Elections are supporting this effort to help state decision makers see the type of election equipment they are being asked to partner with counties in obtaining statewide before the 2020 Presidential Election season. In addition, there will be five regional elections equipment vendor open houses around the state held so that county leaders can conveniently examine the products as well. Please see the following article for the first open house hosted by the Franklin County Board of Elections on May 17, the day following the expo for state officials. If you are interested in stopping by the Statehouse on May 16, please contact Mary Jane Neiman, CCAO public relations associate, at (614) 220-7979 or (888) 757-1904 to let her know that you will be attending. Elections vendor open house – May 17 The Franklin County Board of Elections (BOE), in coordination with CCAO and the Ohio Association of Election Officials (OAEO), will host an Elections Vendor Open House on Wednesday, May 17 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The Open House will be held at the Franklin County Board of Elections, 1700 Morse Road, in Columbus. This open house follows a Voting Equipment Expo for the General Assembly and Administration held at the Statehouse on the preceding day. This May 17 Open House is designed to provide the Central Ohio county commissioners, county administrators, commissioners’ clerks and BOE officials with an opportunity to view all the certified voting systems in one location. The following Ohio-certified voting system vendors will be on hand to demonstrate their products and answer questions:

• Clear Ballot Group, Inc. • Dominion Voting • Election Systems & Software (ES&S) • Hart InterCivic • Unisyn Voting Solutions

For more information and to RSVP your attendance, please contact Suzanne Brown at (614) 525-4268. Other regional elections equipment open houses - Four other regional elections equipment vendor open houses will be held around the state in the coming months. Stay tuned for more information. Morrow County to host NW District – June 26

Join Morrow County Commissioners Tom Whiston, Burgess Castle and Warren Davis and County Engineer Bart Dennison for the next Northwest Ohio Commissioners and Engineers Association Quarterly Meeting on Monday, June 26 at Mount Gilead State Park – Shelter #1, 4119 State Route 95, in Mount Gilead. Registration begins at 10 a.m. followed by the business meeting at 10:30 a.m. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m. The following tours depart at 12:30 p.m.:

• Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Tour 7721 Steam Corners Road, Lexington. • Cardinal Center Shooting Center and Campground 616 State Route 61, Marengo

Registration fee: $10 (includes lunch and tours). Registration deadline: June 16. Meeting registration fees must be paid by June 26. Read more…

Golf Outing (optional): Tee times start at 2 p.m. at Pine Lakes Golf Course (across the road from the state park). Greens fees: $26 (payable to the golf course on June 26).

CCAO Deferred Comp Plan mobileweb app

The CCAO Deferred Compensation Plan/Empower Retirement has a mobileweb app so that you may monitor your retirement plan wherever you go! Visit www.ccao457.com via your mobile device. Once there, the mobile web app will automatically launch for you. And to make it even easier, you can bookmark the site or create a shortcut icon on your mobile desktop for quick access. Refer to the Add an Icon link on the mobile web app. Read more…

STATE ACTIVITIES BWC approves rebates

Workers' compensation rebates worth about $1.1 billion gained the approval of the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) Board of Directors. The rebates include $967 million to private employers, $41 million to school districts and $92 million to local governments. The BWC has issued about $3 billion in rebates in the past four years, and has decreased premiums by about $2 billion. The bureau has cited its strong investment returns for how it is able to issue the rebates and cut rates.

New county flags flown at the Statehouse

Ohio’s 88 counties are as diverse as the state itself. The Ohio counties are named after a variety of people and things. Some are named after Ohio governors and politicians, and many have Native American names. In addition, each of Ohio's 88 counties fly a county flag. All 88 county flags are flown at the Ohio Statehouse on special occasions throughout the year. Recently, the Capital Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) had new flags made to replace the aging original flags that had been donated by counties in 2005. CSRAB has returned the original flags to CCAO. The next time you stop in Columbus, please stop to pick up your flag! The CSRAB needs your help to update the description of your county flag. Click here to review the description and send any updates to Mike Rupert, communications specialist, Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board, Ohio Statehouse, at (614) 728-4185. FEDERAL NEWS Remote sales tax bills reintroduced

Bipartisan coalitions in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives reintroduced two remote sales tax bills: S. 976 - Marketplace Fairness Act (MFA) of 2017 and H.R. 2193 - Remote Transactions Parity Act (RTPA) of 2017. Both bills were introduced during the 114th Congress, and MFA was passed by the Senate 69 to 27 in the 113th Congress. Congressman Steve Stivers (Dist. 15-Hilliard) is a co-sponsor of H.R. 2193. The current inability of states and local governments to enforce existing sales taxes is essentially the result of decades-old Supreme Court decisions National Bellas Hess v. Department of Revenue (1967) and Quill Corp. v. North Dakota (1992). Upon enactment, MFA and RTPA would not automatically grant states and local governments with the ability to enforce existing sales taxes. To exercise this authority, states and local governments would need to simplify sales and use tax administration through one of two options: adoption of the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement (SSUTA), whereby participating states have already implemented simplification measures, or adoption of measures to meet minimum simplification requirements detailed in the bill. In 2011, Gov. Kasich signed an executive order authorizing Ohio to join the Streamlined Sales Tax Agreement. This means that Ohio joins over 20 other states as full standing members of the SSUTA. NACo and other state and local governmental organizations released a joint statement commending the introduction of MFA and RTPA and urging their passage. NACo will continue

4 to track all efforts that would allow or prevent counties from collecting sales taxes on remote purchases. To view NACo’s resources on this topic, please click here. USDA woodland restoration project for 17 SE Ohio counties

In an effort to restore oak-hickory woodlands, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources teamed up to create the Collaborative Oak Management project in southeastern Ohio. The project area includes the Wayne National Forest and Ohio state forests, as well as privately held forest land. Approximately 73 percent of the land within the Wayne National Forest is privately owned and interspersed within the forest boundaries. However, the boundaries of private and public land don’t exist for invasive species and wildlife. The Collaborative Oak Management project provides a mechanism to restore oak-hickory woodlands seamlessly across both public and private land. The NRCS created a special Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) as part of the Collaborative Oak Management Project to help restoring oak-hickory woodlands owned privately. Through EQIP, woodland owners in the project area can receive both technical assistance from professional foresters, and financial assistance to implement conservation measures recommended by the foresters. Conservation measures that promote oak and hickory growth include the control of invasive plant and undesirable trees that out compete oaks and hickories. Woodland owners in Adams, Athens, Gallia, Hocking, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs, Scioto, Vinton, Morgan, Monroe, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pike, Ross and Washington counties may apply for the EQIP Oak Management Program. Ohio NRCS allocated $300,000 for the EQIP Oak Management Program this year. Application deadline: May 22. Individuals interested in applying for the EQIP Oak Management program should make an appointment with the local NRCS conservationist to start the application process. Click here for a list of county office telephone numbers. Read more…

NACo ACTIVITIES Achievement Awards recognize 5 Ohio counties

Since 1970, the National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award Program has recognized counties for improving the organization, management, services and function of county government. The non-competitive program recognizes successful and innovative county programs in categories that reflect the comprehensive services provided by counties. The 2017 Achievement Awards will be presented during the 82nd NACo Annual Conference held July 21-24 in Franklin County (Columbus). Congratulations to Fairfield, Franklin, Hamilton, Montgomery and Summit counties for the following programs: Fairfield County

• Electronic County Resolution Management System • Improved, Sustaining Visitation Services for Children and Families

Franklin County

• Smart Works • Pathways to Women’s Healthy Living (Pathways) • Compass Program • Food Security Initiative • Volunteers in Public Safety Support

Hamilton County

• Heart Gallery • Trucking Partnership • iPad Project

Montgomery County

• Ohio County Auditors Skimmer Sweep

Summit County

• Bringing Mental Health to Main Street

Stay tuned for the announcement of the “Counties Matter Challenge: Brilliant Ideas at Work” winners, which will be revealed at the end of May. Brooks to appoint leadership team for 2017-18

Roy Charles Brooks, Tarrant County (TX) commissioner and NACo 1st vice president, will have the privilege of making the following presidential leadership and committee appointments to his 2017-18 leadership team. These appointments are for one year. Please note: Steering committee membership is not a part of this application process. The NACo president appoints only the steering committee leadership. CCAO is responsible for nominating the general steering committee members from Ohio. More information about the steering committee nomination process will be available soon.

• Steering Committee Leadership – The 10 steering committees will each have a leadership team consisting of a chair and an appropriate number of vice chairs and subcommittee chairs and vice chairs. Active members of the steering committees are given first preference. Note: The NACo president only appoints steering committee leadership. CCAO appoints steering committee members from Ohio. CCAO will process steering committee membership nominations in early June. • Caucus Leadership and Members – These include the Rural Action Caucus (RAC) and Large Urban County Caucus (LUCC) Steering Committee chairs, vice chairs and members. Active members of the steering committees are given first preference. LUCC membership is open to county officials and staff from counties with a population above 500,000. • Ad Hoc Committee Leaders and Members – Six committees (i.e., Arts and Culture Commission, Healthy Counties Advisory Board, Immigration Reform Task Force,

International Economic Development Task Force, Resilient Counties Advisory Board and Veterans and Military Services Committee.) • At-Large Appointments to the NACo Board of Directors – These 10 appointments add diversity to the board (i.e., urban, rural, gender, geography and minority representation). • Standing Committee Leaders and Members – Four committees (i.e., Finance, Programs and Services, Membership and Information Technology – GIS Subcommittee).

Complete the Presidential Appointment Application online. Application deadline: June 2. Appointments are announced by the president during the Annual Business Meeting held during the Annual Conference. Click here to learn how to get involved in NACo. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Mary Jane Neiman, CCAO public relations associate, at (614) 220-7979 or (888) 757-1904.

NACo Annual Conference on a budget

Franklin County Commissioners John O’Grady, Marilyn Brown and Kevin Boyce are proud to host the National Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Conference and Exposition on July 21- 24 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, 400 N. High Street, in Columbus, O-H…I-O! This will be the FIRST time NACo has been held in Columbus. This is a great opportunity for Ohio officials who have never attended a NACo conference to see what they have been missing!

Attending the NACo Annual Conference and Exposition doesn’t have to cost you and your county an arm and a leg. Here are a few tips that will help you save money while gaining knowledge, helping NACo set their federal policy agenda for the coming year and networking with your peers.

Registration: The early bird deadline to register at the lowest rates is June 8, county members who register prior to June 8 will save up to $135 off the on-site rates. And remember to register online to save $25! When registering, notice the new option for those that cannot attend the entire conference - you can register for two days at a reduced price. Register here…

If your county is not a member of NACo, new members that join this year get unlimited free registrations for a year…a $865 value per registration. Contact Andrew Goldschmidt, NACo Membership/ Marketing director, at (202) 942-4221 for membership information.

Conference Sessions: Click here for the latest conference program.

Travel: Since the conference is in Ohio, you will save the price of airfare since you can drive to the conference. Lots of parking is available because the new lot at the Greater Columbus Convention Center is open. However, once you arrive you won’t need to take your car out again until it’s time to head home. Most hotels are a quick 5-minute walk to the convention center with the furthest being a 15 min, 0.7 mile walk. You could also ride CBUS, the city’s free downtown circulator bus, traveling from the Brewery District, through Downtown to Short North every 10-15 minutes, 7 days a week.

Hotel Accommodations: NACo has arranged for special rates at nine hotels in the downtown Columbus area. Among these, the Drury Inn & Suites Convention Center ($139/night) and the Red Roof Inn Plus ($149/night) offer the lowest nightly rates. You’ll save even more money at these hotels as they both offer a free breakfast daily and low nightly parking charges ($12/night at the Drury and $10/night at the Red Roof).

Meals: Of course, you will want to leave time to explore Franklin County’s amazing food scene featuring top-ranked chefs, a rich farm-to-table movement and one-of-a-kind restaurants at every price point. You won’t have to pay for every meal though. On Friday night, you won’t be hungry for dinner after attending the exhibit hall opening reception and the conference opening reception. On Saturday, a lunch will be served in the exhibit hall and on Sunday breakfast will also be available. Monday evening’s conference-wide celebration event will offer a taste of Franklin County hearty enough to be dinner.

EDUCATION/GRANTS Update on federal health reform webinar – May 15

Join NACo on May 15 at 1 p.m. for a webinar on “All Health Is Local: Update on Federal Health Reform Efforts and Why It Matters to Counties.” Counties invest over $80 billion annually in local health systems, serving as payers, providers and administrators of health services and stewards of local taxpayers. Join this webinar to learn about the status of current efforts, outlook for the future, and potential impacts to counties. Register here… SERB Academy – June 8-9

The State Employment Relations Board (SERB) will be hosting the SERB Academy 2017 on Thursday and Friday, June 8 and 9 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 600 Metro Place North, in Dublin. This two-day conference is the fastest way for newcomers to public-sector collective bargaining to get up to speed on Ohio’s Public Sector Collective Bargaining Law (O.R.C. 4117). This thorough conference focuses on an overview of representation, dispute settlement, unfair labor practice matters and the law, along with the administrative rules and procedures of the agency. Registration fee: $275 (includes a continental breakfast and lunch on both days). Seating is limited. Registration deadline: May 19. For more information, please contact Licia Sapp at (614) 466-1193. Register here… Hot topics and labor and employment law – June 27

Save the date for a one-day seminar on “Hot Topics and Labor and Employment Law for 2017” to be hosted by Fishel Hass Kim Albrecht and Downey LLP on Tuesday, June 27 at the Quest Conference Center, 8405 Pulsar Place in Columbus. This seminar will cover updating/reviewing policies, recent and pending legislation and collective bargaining trends. Hot topics that will be reviewed include:

• SB 199 – concealed carry in the workplace • Medical marijuana and drug testing in the workplace

• Layoffs under civil service and collective bargaining agreements • LGBTQ issues • Updates regarding Public Records Law

Registration fee: $150 per person (includes continental breakfast and lunch) or $125 for two or more attendees. CLE credit is being requested. Watch for more information. Criminal justice grants available

The Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS), a division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, is the lead justice planning and assistance office administering millions of dollars in state and federal criminal justice funding every year. OCJS announced the following grant opportunities:

• 2017 Violence Against Women Act Request for Proposals The STOP Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) funding is federally administered by the Office of Justice Programs, Violence Against Women Office within the U.S. Department of Justice. The subgrant program emphasizes coordinated community approaches to reduce violence against women and to create mutually respectful partnerships between the justice system and victim services. • 2017 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Request for Proposals The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program was established by passage of the FY 2005 omnibus spending measure. The program is federally administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance. • 2017 Community Police Relations Grant Program Request for Proposals The Ohio Community-Police Relations Grant program aims to encourage, improve and enhance the important relationship between communities and law enforcement agencies serving those communities.

CLASSIFIEDS

CCAO publishes classified ads on our website free of charge as a service to counties. Ads will be published until the application deadline. When submitting your ad to CCAO, please provide a link to the online job posting and a deadline date. Email your classified ad to Mary Jane Neiman, CCAO Public Relations Associate.