Dates to Remember

March 29, 2021

Allen County Commissioner Cory Noonan gives testimony in support of substitute House Bill 74

DATES TO REMEMBER

APRIL 2, 2021 ELECTRONIC FILING OF BALLOT ISSUES AND QUESTIONS WEBINAR APRIL 9, 2021 CEBCO ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING APRIL 9, 2021 COUNTY COMMISSIONER AND COUNCIL MEMBER PROCUREMENT TRAINING APRIL 14, 2021 2ND WEDNESDAY WEBINAR APRIL 15, 2021 GENERAL GOVERNMENT AND OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 29 - 30, 2021 CEBCO RETREAT

ASSOCIATION NEWS Commissioner Noonan provides testimony in support of substitute House Bill 74

Allen County Commissioner Cory Noonan last week testified before the Ohio Senate Transportation Committee in support of substitute House Bill 74, particularly the language that increases force account limits. Under the bill, the limits would increase to $150,000 per mile for road work and $300,000 per mile for bridges. “For many years, state law has recognized that certain projects can be done more efficiently and effectively without resorting to competitive bidding. In order to accomplish this policy goal, projects with estimated costs below certain thresholds are exempt from competitive bidding,” Noonan said in his testimony. “For counties, these thresholds, or force account limits, are $30,000 per mile for road work and $100,000 per mile for bridges. Unfortunately, these limits were established in 2003 and have not been adjusted since, despite significant increases in construction inflation.” CCAO President Tim Bubb also wrote a letter to Senate President Matt Huffman expressing support for increasing the force account limits. “CCAO members believe that the quality of our infrastructure has a tremendous impact on the economic development potential of our state. This change, which is long overdue, will improve counties’ ability to manage our constituents’ tax dollars in the most efficient manner possible,” Bubb said in his letter. Click here for Noonan’s complete testimony. Click here for Bubb’s letter. Transportation Budget Update: County Engineer Force Account Limits

The Ohio House of Representatives last week concurred in the Senate amendments to H.B. 74, thereby enacting the state transportation budget for the next two years. After negotiation between the two chambers, the original Senate provision that raised county engineer force account limits was removed. Instead, the final version includes an inflation adjustment that occurs on July 1 of each odd-numbered year. The adjustment is based on the ODOT construction cost index for the preceding two years, with a maximum increase of three percent. Also, the bill establishes a Joint Committee on Force Account Limits that will study the issue and report to the General Assembly no later than May 15, 2021. This timeframe leaves open the possibility of further legislative action before the General Assembly’s summer recess. The committee is comprised of six legislators and five representatives of interested parties. One member will be appointed by CCAO. CCAO thanks Senate President Huffman and the members of the Ohio Senate who brought the issue forward and supported local governments. We also thank all of the CCAO members who reached out to their Senators over the past week and to Allen County Commissioner Cory

Noonan, who came to Columbus to testify. The indexing of force account limits has been a legislative platform issue for CCAO for many years. CCAO will provide information and support for the new Joint Committee in the coming weeks. We look forward to your continued participation and advocacy on this issue. For further information, please contact Senior Policy Analyst Jon Honeck, [email protected], 614-600-8900.

Commissioner Holliday appointed to DeWine’s Council on Juvenile Justice

Lawrence County Commissioner DeAnna Holliday was appointed to the Governor’s Council on Juvenile Justice. Holliday will serve a two-year term (March 19, 2021 – Oct. 31, 2023). “I am honored to serve on the Governor DeWine’s Council on Juvenile Justice, as it offers another opportunity to advocate on behalf of our children,” Holliday said. “As a county commissioner, I am constantly looking to improve the quality of life for the people I serve, and there is no better way to build a brighter future than by investing in our youth today.” The federal Office of Justice and Juvenile and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) provides annual Title II Formula Grant Funding to Ohio to assist the state in preventing and reducing delinquency as well as address juvenile crime. The Department of Youth Services awards this funding, through a competitive process, to community-based youth- servicing agencies to provide direct services to youth. Programs selected for funding must intend to prevent or reduce delinquency and must promote positive youth development. As a condition of the award, the state must convene a state advisory group to over the administration of the Title II Formula Grant by acting as a supervisory board. In Ohio, the group is the Governor’s Council on Juvenile Justice. As part of the council’s responsibilities, they review applications and select programs that will receive funding. “Since I have known her, Commissioner Holliday has been an active and dedicated commissioner and CCAO member. Her involvement as a CCAO board member has been invaluable as we work to build stronger counties for a stronger Ohio,” CCAO Executive Director Cheryl Subler said. “I have no doubt she will flourish in this new role as county leaders continue to improve the state-county partnership.” Save the Date: County Commissioner and Council Member Procurement Training – April 9

Join the County Commissioners Association of Ohio for a session on procurement on April 9 at 1 p.m.

County government must be transparent and use specific processes when purchasing goods with taxpayer dollars.

In this session you will learn about competitive bidding requirements and exemptions, notice and publication requirements, bid bonds, performance bonds, purchase contracts, certificate of availability of funds by the county auditor, purchase orders, “debt-check” requirements, and the authorized use of credit and procurement cards for making purchases.

The presenters are:

Megan Perry-Balonier, director, Purchasing Department, Franklin County

Tyler Small, assistant county administrator, Montgomery County

Kids Voting Ohio seeks to learn more about county officials

CCAO members are encouraged to participate in Kids Voting Ohio (KVO), a nonpartisan, nonprofit voter education program for Ohio public schools. KVO is creating a “Meet Your Representatives” video library that will offer a way for students to get to know their government officials and understand the role of local, state and federal governments. The Meet Your Representatives video library serves to teach students about their government officials in a more personal way than a standard internet search. It will also allow educators to create assignments using these videos. Videos featuring Ohio’s statewide executive officials, congressional delegation, General Assembly lawmakers and judiciary officials have already been featured, and the invitation for further videos is being extended to Ohio’s county commissioners. You can access the full video library at the Kids Voting Ohio website: Kids Voting Ohio | Ohio Voter Education | Ohio Civic Education. Videos are simple to create, are short in duration (less than 5 minutes) and can be uploaded directly to the Kids Voting Ohio website. We encourage all members to submit videos to support this educational effort and to promote the important work of county government. Members looking for more information can contact Kids Voting Ohio Program Director Matina Bliss at [email protected]. STATE NEWS ODJFS extending weeks and issuing $300 payments to Ohioans receiving traditional unemployment

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) has begun issuing the supplemental weekly $300 payments made possible by the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for claimants in the traditional unemployment program. Additional weeks of extended benefits, from 24 to 53, also made possible by the act are now available to claim.

System updates are underway in the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, as well, to make it possible for eligible individuals to claim all available weeks provided by the new legislation. The third stimulus package extended weeks from up to 50 to up to 79, ending on Sept. 4. While this work is under way, those with PUA weeks remaining from the previous extension can continue to claim them if they remain unemployed, through April 10. The American Rescue Plan Act, signed on March 11, extends many of the pandemic unemployment programs and benefits created by the federal CARES Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. This includes but is not limited to the continuation of the Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation Program and full federal funding of Ohio’s premier layoff aversion program, SharedWork Ohio. ODJFS is posting updates with target implementation dates at jfs.ohio.gov/caa. As a reminder, Ohio offers many self-service options for unemployed individuals:

• Online claim filing at unemployment.ohio.gov. This website is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

• Answers to frequently asked questions at unemployment.ohio.gov in three categories:

o “Employee” – for those receiving traditional unemployment benefits.

o “Expanded Eligibility” – for those receiving PUA benefits.

o “Employers” – for employers.

• “Chat with Virtual Assistant” at unemployment.ohio.gov for general questions about unemployment.

• Automated PIN resets via a chat feature on the log-in page for traditional unemployment claimants.

• Online PIN resets, document submission, and many other self-service features for PUA claimants. OPERS makes changes to health care

The OPERS Board of Trustees voted to adopt changes to health care coverage for OPERS Medicare and pre-Medicare retirees, effective Jan. 1, 2022. The changes preserve health care for all eligible members and retirees, extending the solvency of our health care fund from 11 years to nearly 19 years. In addition, preliminary 2019 investment returns of 19 percent will further extend solvency to nearly 23 years. Click here to learn about the changes as well as how OPERS operates and what these changes will mean in the future.

Wear blue on April 14 for Child Abuse Prevention Month Wear Blue is a statewide awareness campaign that takes place on the second Wednesday of every April, Child Abuse Prevention Month. Ohioans are encouraged to wear blue that day – to

work, to school, to a community event – to show support for preventing child abuse and neglect. The next Wear Blue day will be April 14, 2021. Take a photo of yourself and your family, coworkers, friends, neighbors, fellow students, and others wearing blue. Share the photo on your county children services agency’s Facebook page or on the Ohio Wears Blue Facebook page. Use our hashtag: #OhioWearsBlue Facebook page for Ohio Wears Blue: https://www.facebook.com/WearBlueOhio Public Children Services Association of Ohio webpage that includes a toolkit: https://www.pcsao.org/programs/wear-blue

FEDERAL/NACO NEWS Influx of federal stimulus funds creates need for communication about timing of deposits The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 will direct billions of dollars to the state of Ohio, counties, schools, and other political subdivisions. In order to accommodate the increase in deposits, banks that act as public depositories will need to pledge additional collateral. Given the large size of the deposits, this will take additional planning and time to execute. CCAO joins the Ohio Bankers League and the County Treasurers Association of Ohio to urge members to communicate as early as possible about the timing and amount of the grants coming from the U.S. Treasury. A recent change in Ohio law allows a public depository to utilize the Treasurer of State’s Ohio Pooled Collateral System (OPCS). The Treasurer of State’s Best Practices document for the OPCS states that a public entity is responsible for providing advance notice to its depository institution when it expects a large increase in its account balance. The document notes that failure to provide notice may not only result in under-collateralization of the public entity’s account, but also under-collateralization of accounts for other units of government held at the same institution. These outcomes can be avoided with timely and accurate communication among all parties involved. Members with questions may contact Senior Policy Analyst Jon Honeck, [email protected], 614-600-8900.

Save the date for 2021 NACo Annual Conference – July 9-12 Save the date for the 2021 NACo Annual Conference on July 9-12 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center Resort and Convention Center in Prince George’s County, Md. – located immediately outside Washington, D.C. Participants will be able to choose either an in-person or virtual conference experience. Tentative Conference Agenda and Timeline – subject to change based on convention center availability, space limitations and the status of the COVID-19 public health pandemic: • Thursday, July 8: Pre-conference events including CIO Forum (Tech Xchange) • Friday, July 9: Policy committees, standing and ad hoc committees, and caucus meetings • Saturday, July 10: Policy committees, caucuses, governance committees and the Board • Sunday, July 11: Educational workshops and NACo Board / Resolutions Committee

• Monday, July 12: Annual Business Meeting, regional caucuses and educational workshops

NACo asking for your help in their planning efforts by taking a short survey. NACo Achievement Award deadline extended to April 14 It’s time to showcase your county’s most innovative efforts! Apply for a 2021 NACo Achievement Award. Over the past year, county officials and frontline employees are demonstrating bold, inspirational leadership and saving countless lives during these extraordinary times. We want to help recognize your successes. A non-competitive program, the NACo Achievement Awards recognizes outstanding county government programs and services in 18 categories, covering a vast range of county responsibilities. By participating, your county can earn national recognition. NACo will highlight the 18 “best of category” winners, as well as feature all winners in NACo materials and online. We also provide a customizable press release for you to share the good news with the media and residents. NACo encourages all counties, parishes and boroughs to submit noteworthy programs for Achievement Awards today. Final application deadline: April14 Please email [email protected] with any questions about this year’s application process.

Apply here.

EDUCATION AND GRANTS State Capital Funding for County Jail Facilities – application now open

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction – Bureau of Adult Detention has released the application for $50 million in state capital funding for county jail facilities. This funding was included as part of Senate Bill 310, enacted late last year. The application can be accessed at https://grants.ohio.gov/FundingOpportunityDetails.aspx?detailId=21.

The deadline for applications is June 30, 2021.

Please keep in mind that in order to qualify for funding, the project must be for a county jail (including regional jails) and it must be consistent with the Allowable Capital Expenditure Guidelines (ohio.gov). A copy of these guidelines is also attached.

Question regarding the application process can be addressed to the following: John F. Adams, Administrator Bureau of Adult Detention Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction

4545 Fisher Rd., Suite D Columbus, Ohio 43228 [email protected] 614-752-1834

CCAO strongly encourages all members to apply for these funds to address their capital jail needs and to demonstrate the widespread need for further funding for jail construction, renovation and repair.

Further questions can be directed to CCAO Assistant Director John Leutz.

Ohio EPA to offer webinar on compliance with NPDES permits - April 15

If you're struggling to keep your wastewater treatment plant in compliance, rest assured that it isn’t rocket science. The Ohio EPA experts can teach you cheap, easy, and effective process control tools to diagnose treatment problems and then monitor the system to keep it in compliance.

Join Ohio EPA’s Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance on April 15 at 9 a.m. to meet and hear from their Compliance Assistance Unit staff who will help you better understand how to operate your facility more efficiently. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to join the session.

Continuing Education Units (CEU) will also be available for this webinar. Register here.

Ohio EPA to host Opportunities and Challenges of Drinking Water and Wastewater Regionalization in Your Community webinar – April 20

Join the Ohio EPA for an Opportunities and Challenges of Drinking Water and Wastewater Regionalization in Your Community webinar on April 20 at 2 p.m. As the overall cost and complexity of infrastructure management has steadily risen, it has become increasingly difficult for some smaller communities to maintain their facilities. This is true of both drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. In some parts of the state, areas that need new centralized facilities are finding it very difficult to go it alone. For both drinking water and wastewater projects, Ohio EPA’s State Revolving Fund (SRF) resources provide incentives for utilities to consolidate or regionalize. In 2020, principal forgiveness and zero percent interest rate funds were available to assist in these cost-effective solutions.

Speakers will discuss the concept of regionalization and consolidation for drinking and wastewater utilities. Case examples of successful regionalization projects in Ohio will be discussed along with an analysis of the different funding agencies and programs available to communities.

Ohio EPA’s Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance will be holding its second installment of In Your Community (IYC) series of webinars for 2021. Each webinar will focus on

environmental issues that have an impact at the local level - from how Ohio EPA regulates sources of air pollution, waste management, wastewater and storm water discharges to ways your community can promote environmental stewardship and improve the environment. For more information, visit the Ohio EPA web page. Register here.

Ohio EPA reminds you to apply for Encouraging Environmental Excellence Programs

Ohio EPA’s Encouraging Environmental Excellence program recognizes an organization’s exceptional achievements in environmental stewardship.

Any business, industry, trade association, professional organization, academia, or local government of Ohio can be recognized for their commitment to environmental excellence.

For more information and to apply for your recognition, visit Ohio EPA’s Encouraging Environmental Excellence webpage.

2021 Sedgwick virtual workers comp state-fund seminar registration is open

Join Sedgwick for their first-ever virtual workers comp state-fund seminar. The pressure of understanding your exposures and managing claims can be challenging. In times like these, extra insight makes all the difference.

Sedgwick invites you to spend a half-day with industry experts from Sedgwick (formerly known as CompManagement and CareWorks Comp) to address current issues relating to workers' compensation, safety and unemployment.

During this free event you will learn about:

• BWC updates • Unemployment during this unprecedented time • Cost savings through coordinated claims management • OSHA: mitigating and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace • Taking a comprehensive approach to managed care

This half-day seminar qualifies for two-hour group/group retro safety credit through the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.

Two identical sessions are available to accommodate schedules. Please click below to register for your preferred session.

April 13, 2021 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. View agenda

April 22, 2021 1 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. View agenda Free webinar regarding electronic filing of ballot issues and questions - April 2 at 1 p.m.

A free webinar on the electronic filing of ballot issues and questions will be help April 2 at 1 p.m.

How to Register This free webinar is open to all political subdivisions that submit ballot issues and questions to the boards of elections for certification. To register, please visit https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1341601412160277517. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Agenda The webinar on Friday, April 2 at 1 p.m. will provide a brief history of the law change, a review by the Secretary of State’s office of the necessary security requirements boards of elections shall follow, and a demonstration of how one county board of elections has implemented the requirement.

Overview House Bill 500 from the 132nd General Assembly included an amendment to R.C. Sec. 3501.021 that requires boards of elections to accept from political subdivisions electronic filing of ballot issues and questions beginning Jan. 1, 2021 (start date inserted in Section 9 of the bill). Please note that it does not permit the electronic filing of petitions. On Feb. 9, the Ohio Secretary of State issued a directive to county boards of elections addressing security requirements for electronic filing and communicating preferred method with local political subdivisions within their county.

DLZ to host webinars beneficial to counties

Join DLZ, one of the top consulting firms in the architectural, engineering and surveying industry, for webinars throughout the year that might be of interest to CCAO members and staff.

Asset Management Wednesday, April 7 12 p.m. Click here to register COVID Impact of Traffic Wednesday, April 21 12 p.m. Click here to register Considerations and Planning for a Modern Fire Station Wednesday, May 19 12 p.m. Click here to register

Aerial Mapping and Inspection using Today’s Drones and Photogrammetry Software Wednesday, June 16 12 p.m. Click here to register Designing a Modern Correctional Facility Thursday, June 24 12 p.m. Click here to register Grants Administration Update: Coronavirus Relief Fund registration OBM is aware of several local governments that received Coronavirus Relief Funding through the County Auditor, but that have not yet followed the requirements of HB 481 and HB 614 by submitting a copy of the resolution to OBM and/or registering with OBM. The registration is still open to allow those that need to get caught up with the requirements to register, click here. The resolution can be submitted to OBM via e-mail at [email protected]. Jurisdictions registering for the first time should ensure they immediately access the Grants Portal to get the late reporting requirements fulfilled. The grant contact on the registration will get a log-in upon approval of the application. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Ohio Grants Partnership at [email protected]. Guidance, job aids, training, and other helpful information is available on the Ohio Grants Partnership > Funding Opportunities.

Ohio Department of Job and Family Services is offering State Communities of Support Grant

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services is offering this Communities of Support grant opportunity in coordination with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Ohio Family and Children First Council (OFCF) to continue supporting existing and new local community planning and coordinated service delivery efforts.

The following priorities are critical to ensure the necessary collaborative cross-system work can best meet the needs of children and families: (1) Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) plans of safe care; (2) Qualified Residential Treatment Program (QRTP) level of care assessments; and (3) Community-based aftercare planning for children discharged from residential treatment settings. The grants will allow communities to assess the local needs for these priorities, establish best practices, and prepare for any necessary budget considerations for implementation and/or sustainability. This critical work at a community level will also inform planning and next steps for state policy and practice. Communities of support are essential to strengthen the lives of children and families, in partnership with their existing networks and in consideration of their diverse racial, cultural, and economic identities.

If your organization is interested in submitting a response for this important project, please obtain the RFGA through the State Procurement website at: https://procure.ohio.gov/proc/viewProcOpps.asp?oppID=22018. If you experience any problems accessing this document or opening the above referenced URL, please contact the Office of Contracts and Acquisitions at [email protected] or mainline at (614) 728-5693.

Click here to register. Click here to review a program flier with more information.

COUNTY NEWS

Allen County officials heading to Columbus to support additional language in Ohio Transportation Bill hometownstations.com, March 22, 2021 Allen County Engineer Brion Rhodes and Allen County Commissioner Cory Noonan will be at the state house to testify in support of Sub House Bill 74, the Transportation Budget. They and many other county leaders across the state would like to see the addition of language increasing local government “Force Account” limits. It is a set amount of dollars that limits the amount of work local governments can do “in house” before going out to bid. It hasn’t been adjusted in 18 years. Allen County Engineer Brion Rhodes explains, “Unfortunately, the legislature at that point and time did not put any cost of inflationary index in it. So, when it was placed at $100,000 for bridges and $30,000 a mile for roads in 2003, we can’t simply do nearly as much work as we did back then.” Commissioners reach deal with SCCS, Prosecutor’s Office Portsmouth Daily Times, March 18, 2021 The final item on the Scioto County Commissioners’ agenda was one that Commissioner Bryan Davis said the board had been pursuing for a long time. Up to this point, the Scioto County Prosecutor’s Office had a part-time attorney working alongside Scioto County Children Services in abuse and neglect legal proceedings. This attorney had his workload cut out for him, affected by a Juvenile Court backlog and a high number of legal cases. Now through a resolution providing $210,000, the office will be able to add a full-time attorney and secretary.

DID YOU KNOW? – Ottawa County

Ottawa County is the home of Camp Perry, the Ohio National Guard's primary training base.

CLASSIFIEDS

Classified ads will be published on our free of charge as a service to counties. Ads will be posted 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 Communications Coordinator Andrew Johnson.