LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE

 

MINUTES OF FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2000

The Committee met with the following members present: Don Brewer, Chairman; Dick Hoover; Ed Dvorak; Patricia Dusthimer; and Ersel Schuster. John Jung, Jr. and Bill Dwyer were absent.  Also in attendance: Beverly Beyer, Human Resources Health and Safety Specialist; Ann Kate, County Board Member; Robert Murray, Administrator, Health Department;  Carl Martens, JTPB and LWIB;  Linda Wilson and Nancy Walkington from the Recorder’s Office; Patti Peiffer, Valley-Hi Nursing Home representative; SuzAnne Ehardt, Director, Planning and Development; Alfred Johnson, County Administrator; and the press.

 

                                                                        Don Brewer, Chairman

                                                            Patricia Dusthimer            Ed Dvorak

                                                            William Dwyer               Dick Hoover

                                                            John Jung, Jr.                        Ersel Schuster

 

Chairman Brewer called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m.

 

MINUTE APPROVAL

Mr. Dvorak made a motion, seconded by Mr. Hoover, to approve the minutes of the meeting of September 11, 2000 as presented.  The motion carried with all members present voting aye.

  

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

None

 

COMMITTEE BUSINESS

Budget Issues:  Noting that Ms. Walters was unable to attend today’s meeting, Chairman Brewer deferred discussion relative to the Recorder’s supplemental budget requests until the next scheduled meeting (10/2/00).

 

Legislative Agenda:  Mr. Johnson thanked Ms. Beyer for her assistance in preparing the detailed report of seventeen suggested legislative issues.  He reported that Metro Counties would meet on November 10^th and stated that he would present the Committee’s Legislative recommendations at that meeting.

 

Discussion of Proposed Legislative Issues:

            County Recording Fees – To allow the County to increase recording fees from $3.00 to $5.00, state statutes would need to be changed.  This increase in fees would help offset the costs incurred in providing these services.

 

            PBC Bond Issues – To meet future building needs, a suggested change in legislative relative to the reissue of bonds was discussed.  Mr. Johnson noted that funding for new construction would not be available without a referendum.  Ms. Dusthimer emphasized that any new building project  proposed by the County should go to the voters.

 

            SSA – Chairman Brewer noted that this issue has full support of the Committee.

 

            Private Water Well Permit Fees – Mr. Murray reviewed current state law, which sets a maximum of $100.00 for private water well permit fees.  He noted that this fee was established in 1988 and does not cover the current costs of these services.  H asked that the Committee consider legislation that would allow an increase in fees to cover the actual costs of providing the inspection and permitting services.

 

            Animal Control Act – Mr. Murray reviewed issues within this act that create enforcement problems.  These issues included recommendations to pass legislation requiring that dogs which have been declared vicious (as defined by the Act) be required to be spayed/neutered so they could not be bred; amend the Act to make it a violation to allow dogs to run at large; amend the definition of dangerous dog in the Act to include attacks on private property; amend the Act to require a perimeter fence to surround the primary fence in which a declared vicious dog is kept; require declared vicious dogs to be microchipped.

 

            Conversion of County TB levy to public health use – Mr. Murray stated that the present levy is not adequate to support this Health Department service. 

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE

Minutes of Friday, September 22, 2000

Page:  2

 

            Funding for water resources management plan – Mr. Murray suggested a short-term solution of seeking a grant through state legislators for initial funding to proceed with the development of a management plan.  A long-term solution may be to allow a fee to be established for the withdrawal of water from aquifer.

 

            COLA Grants – Mr. Murray would like support and awareness from local legislators relative to this issue.

 

            Local Workforce Investment Board – Mr. Martens reviewed staffing and funding issues involved in implementing this board.

 

            COLA – Mental Health Board – State funding has not kept pace with the increase in population.  Suggested solutions included legislation to develop a funding formula based upon population and a transition from grant funding to a fee-for-service funding.

 

            Vote on Conditional Use Permits – to allow counties the ability to require a 2/3 vote on conditional use permits.  Presently a 2/3 vote is required only when an objection is filed.

 

            Noticing requirements on Conditional Use Permits – Ms. Ehardt reviewed present statutes, which require that costs incurred for noticing and publication are the responsibility of the local government.  She recommended the statute be modified to require the applicant to pay these fees.

 

            Noticing of Zoning Requests – Ms. Ehardt reported that current statutes require notification to occur in not less than 15 days or more than 30 days prior to a scheduled hearing.  She recommended modifying existing statutes to require not less than 30 days or more than 45 days for notification.

 

            MERS – This issue has continued support of the Committee.  Legislation should be implemented to require that the recording of any document affecting real estate be recorded in the county where the real estate is located.

 

            Selling information over the Internet and private industry selling county information for profit – The Recorder’s Office would like Legislation to prevent the re-sale of County information and also legislation allowing the department to charge for access to indexing information and images of recorded documents over the internet.

 

            Nursing home reimbursement from Medicaid – The current rate is based on a 1992 operational cost report, it should be increased to reflect current operational costs.

 

Mr. Johnson reported that Judge Sullivan is pursing Law Library Civil Case Filing Fees which may be included on the Lake County Legislative initiatives.  He went on to report that Mr. Ulmer did not feel the juvenile detention issues should be pursued this year.  The Committee would like to discuss this issue further with Mr. Ulmer and asked Mr. Johnson to invite Mr. Ulmer to the next meeting.

 

The Committee will prioritize these issues at their October 2^nd meeting.

 

ADJOURNMENT

Noting no further business, Mr. Dvorak made a motion, seconded by Mr. Hoover, to adjourn the meeting at 11:45 a.m.  The motion carried with a unanimous voice vote.

 

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RECOMMENDED FOR BOARD ACTION:  None

           

RECOMMENDED LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES TO CONSIDER:

 

            Area of Concern                                                                        Department

Ø       County Recording Fees                                                                        Recorder

Ø       PCB Bond Issues                                                               Administration

Ø       SSA                                                                                         County Clerk

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE

Minutes of Friday, September 22, 2000

Page: 3

 

Ø       Water Utilization Fees                                                                        Health

Ø       Animal Control                                                                          Health  

Ø       Convert County TB Levy to Public Health Issue                            Health

Ø       Funding for Water Resources                                                         Health

Ø       State Grant Cost of Living Adjustments                                          Health

Ø       Work Force Investment Board                                                    WIB

Ø       Cost of Living Adjustments                                                      Mental health

Ø       Vote on conditional Use Permits                                                 P & D

Ø       Noticing Requirements for Conditional Use                         P & D

Ø       Noticing of Zoning Requests                                                          P & D

Ø       MERS                                                                                       Recorder

Ø       Selling information over the Internet                                     Recorder

Ø       Private Industry Selling County Information                                Recorder

Ø       Public Aid Reimbursement Rates                                        Valley-Hi

Ø       Juvenile Detention Reimbursement                                     Court Services

Ø       Drug & Alcohol (Issues Unknown)                                             Sub-committee