Committee of the Whole
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Salt Lake County Council
Committee of the Whole
~Minutes~
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
3:05:22 PM
Committee Members
Present: Randy Horiuchi
Richard Snelgrove
Jim Bradley
Arlyn Bradshaw
Michael Jensen
David Wilde
Sam Granato
Max Burdick
Excused: Steven DeBry, Chair
Revenue Committee Report on Projected Animal Services Revenue at The Gateway Pet Adoption Center and Associated Budget Adjustment (3:05:22 PM)
Mr. Lance Brown, Director, Planning & Budget Division, Mayor’s Office, reviewed the Animal Services Division’s plan to open a pet adoption center at The Gateway. The Revenue Committee met to review Animal Services’ projected revenue for the proposed center, which includes pet adoption fees and the sale of materials. Animal Services is requesting approval for standardized adoption fees for dogs that would range from $100 to $150, and a $50 fee for cats. They have projected these adoption fees will bring in $53,000 in revenue this year, and $90,000 annually in subsequent years. The sale of materials is projected at $69,000 in 2013, and $118,000 annually beginning in 2014. The Committee concluded that Animal Services’ assumptions used in preparing adoption fee revenue are reasonable, and are not unreasonable for the sale of materials.
Animal Services
Requests an interim budget adjustment of $156,953 to fund the new adoption center at The Gateway. This will entail increasing Expense Appropriation Account No. 230-400-2200-1160 by $27,733, -1210 by $2,122, -2110 by $800, -2160 by $15,000, -2380 by $1,334, -2383 by $3,334, -2410 by $400, -2412 by $2,000, -2415 by $2,000, and -2419 by $12,000, and increasing Revenue Appropriation Account No. 230-400-2200-3233 by $60,000, -3820 by $78,400, and -3859 by $11,072.
Council Member Horiuchi, seconded by Council Member Wilde, moved to approve the request and forward it to the 4:00 p.m. Council meeting for formal consideration.
Council Member Jensen stated the key thing to note is this center will pay for itself.
Council Member Snelgrove stated the space will be rent-free, but it is still conceivable to lose money because of the variable costs. He asked if Animal Services was locked into a lease.
Ms. April Harris, Director, Animal Services Division, stated Animal Services is going to do a one-year, no-cost lease, and will reevaluate it at the end of the year.
Council Member Snelgrove stated Salt Lake County’s Animal Services is a no-kill facility. He asked if there were other no-kill facilities in Utah.
Ms. Harris stated there are other no-kill shelters in Utah, but Salt Lake County is the largest municipality that has a no-kill policy, and it offers open admission. Many of the other no-kill shelters have limited admission, meaning they turn animals away.
Council Member Snelgrove asked if there would be enough animals to adopt out within Salt Lake County’s own municipalities or if it could get animals from other municipalities if needed.
Ms. Harris stated if the County runs out of inventory, its neighbors have inventory. Animals are still being killed every day in the state of Utah for space and time reasons.
Council Member Bradshaw asked if it was realistic the County would run out of animals.
Ms. Harris stated yes; Animal Services has empty cages at times now. Even cat intake is down by 1,000 cats this year as compared with the past five years.
Council Member Bradshaw asked if this Center would be run by the County, not Best Friends Animal Society.
Ms. Harris stated the County has been partnering with Best Friends at Trolley Square; however, that location will be closing. The County will continue its partnership with Best Friends, but will be running the Center at The Gateway itself. The Gateway facility is a much larger facility – 4,500 square feet as compared to 700 square feet in Trolley Square. Then, Best Friends will be moving to a location in Sugarhouse.
Council Member Horiuchi, seconded by Council Member Wilde, moved to approve the request and forward it to the 4:00 p.m. Council meeting for formal consideration. The motion passed unanimously.
♦♦♦ ♦♦♦ ♦♦♦ ♦♦♦ ♦♦♦
Public Investment in Private Development Proposal (3:13:09 PM)
During the March 12, 2013, Committee of the Whole meeting, Council Members Bradley and Snelgrove presented an ordinance relating to public subsidies for private development, which requires developers benefitting from public subsidies to submit annual disclosure and reports of publicly subsidized private development projects; requires community benefit agreements; and limits the County’s investment in projects that do not meet projected objectives. This proposal was forwarded to the Mayor’s Office for its input.
Mr. Jeremy Keele, Director of Government Relations and Senior Advisor to the Mayor, stated the Mayor’s Office is looking at what other jurisdictions are doing across the country to see if there are any best practices that need to be included in the ordinance. The Mayor’s Office is also looking at ways to streamline and standardize the application process, wherein an applicant would be required to submit a formal application with a list of required documentation. This information would be posted on the County’s webpage. The Mayor’s Office is also looking at enhancing some of the annual disclosure requirements to include a standard disclosure form the developer would fill out every year that they receive increments. The ordinance would also articulate some policy criteria that would be helpful to the Council and Mayor’s Office in terms of evaluating and judging the merits of any proposal the County receives. The hope is that these additional requirements would encourage projects that provide real economic development in the County and expand the tax base. This proposal should be ready for the Council to review within the next three to four weeks.
Council Member Horiuchi asked if a draft of this proposal has been sent to economic developers and city managers within the County for their input.
Mr. Keele stated economic developers and city managers have been informed that a change is in the works, but the Mayor’s Office has not shared any specifics. The aim is to work this out with the Council before sending out the proposal.
♦♦♦ ♦♦♦ ♦♦♦ ♦♦♦ ♦♦♦
Behavioral Health Area Plan (3:19:05 PM)
Ms. Lori Bays, Director, Human Services Department, presented the Salt Lake County SFY14 Area Plan for Behavioral Health Services. She stated the discussion today will center around the new and notable items in the plan. It will come back to the Council next week for final approval.
Mr. Tim Whalen, Co-Director, Behavioral Health Services Division, stated this plan is produced each year for the State Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. The plan remains basically the same from year to year because State law dictates what must be included. The behavioral health system is very large with Medicaid alone paying $55 million into the system. There are also a lot of unknowns on the horizon.
Council Member Jensen asked if there was a summary page for the plan and if the County had done an analysis based on any changes in State funding.
Mr. Whalen stated he could have staff put together a summary sheet of the legislative session. This past legislative session was a good one for the County. However, the effects of sequestration will be a challenge, and a decision of Medicaid expansion is in the near future.
Council Member Horiuchi stated he was concerned about the possibility of no expansion of Medicaid, as well as the mental health care in the prison population, especially if funding is cut.
Mr. Pat Fleming, Co-Director, Behavioral Health Services Division, stated the people in the State prison and the people in the County jail have exactly the same behavioral health problems. If there is a way to help them get out of the criminal justice system faster, it would save money.
Council Member Horiuchi asked if the County was going to get any representation on the Prison Relocation and Development Authority Board working on prison relocation.
Council Member Wilde stated the Utah Association of Counties (UAC) voted to submit three names for the Board to the Governor, but Mayor Ben McAdams was not among those names. However, there may still be some options for the Mayor.
Mayor Ben McAdams stated if he is appointed to the Board, and not as a UAC representative, he would be free to represent all of the people of Salt Lake County. He submitted a letter to the Governor last week indicating he still desired to be appointed to the Board. He expected a decision from the Governor soon. The County’s concern is not just on the behavioral health issues. The County could potentially be forced into an RDA and give up $100 million in tax increments for any development that replaces the prison. If he is not appointed to the prison board, the County will likely convene its own prison relocation board to evaluate the effects on the County.
Mr. Whalen stated one of the changes implemented in the plan this year was coordination of all services. A new crisis outreach team can respond to any emergency on a 24/7 basis within 30 minutes to assist emergency responders and law enforcement officers, and to assess the situation. The teams include designated examiners who can determine if an individual needs to be held. The individual can be transferred to a receiving center that is open and operational. It can then be determined if the person needs hospitalization or would be better served by returning to his family.
Council Member Jensen asked if information about the crisis teams would be given to the fire departments throughout the County.
Mr. Whalen stated the biggest challenge getting information to the municipalities is that each entity deals with these issues in different ways. His staff has created a training video designed for law enforcement and emergency responders. Since that training video has been in use, requests for the crisis services have doubled within one month. There are now five teams available at any given time, and in-patient admissions are going down. If an individual can be sustained within the community while being treated, it will save dollars that can be reinvested into more services.
This plan includes all County funding for other behavioral related services, such as drug court and Youth Services. Historically, that information has not been reported in the plan, but it will now be included because it all involves County funding for mental health or substance abuse issues.
Behavioral Health Services will also help with the change in the jail mental health model by making sure the community services support the new model.
Mr. Fleming stated he attended the first meeting of the Governor’s stakeholder committee on Medicaid expansion, and hopefully a decision will be made this summer. It would be a real game-changer for County behavioral health. More and more people in Salt Lake County do not have insurance and are turning to the County for help. This is overwhelming the system. Medicaid expansion is the last best hope for these individuals.
The substance abuse services were purchased three years ago and that cycle is now finished, resulting in a lot of changes in the plan. One of the changes was a switch to one type of Medicaid plan for Salt Lake County. This now allows individuals to go to any treatment provider to get an assessment, instead of everyone being funneled through the University of Utah Health Care system first. The County can then look at who has a medical necessity, like an addiction problem, and what level of care they need. This keeps people moving faster through the system.
The Federal government sequestration budget cuts will have a big impact on Behavioral Health Services. Currently, the County receives a $7 million Federal Block Grant for these services, which could be cut. The recession also hurt funding. State money was cut, but the Council was good enough to help with additional funding. He will be back to talk to the Council in November if Medicaid expansion is not working out.
♦♦♦ ♦♦♦ ♦♦♦ ♦♦♦ ♦♦♦
Review of Proposed Hires (3:43:02 PM)
Mr. Brad Kendrick, Assistant Fiscal Analyst, Council Office, reviewed the following requests for proposed hires, which have been placed on the 4:00 p.m. Council agenda for formal consideration:
Sheriff’s Office
Requests permission to fill a Jail Nurse 24/30 position and a Jail Clerk 15 position.
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−
Animal Services Division
Requests permission to fill a Customer Care Associate 17 position.
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−
Parks & Recreation Division
Requests permission to fill a Program Manager 25 position, and if this position is filled by transfer or promotion, to fill all subsequent open positions as well.
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−
Engineering/Flood Control Division
Requests permission to fill a District Worker 15/17 position.
Council Member Bradshaw, seconded by Council Member Granato, moved to approve the requests and forward them to the 4:00 p.m. Council meeting for formal consideration. The motion passed unanimously.
♦♦♦ ♦♦♦ ♦♦♦ ♦♦♦ ♦♦♦
Interim Budget Adjustments (3:43:46 PM)
Mr. Brad Kendrick, Assistant Fiscal Analyst, Council Office, reviewed the following interim budget adjustment requests, which have been placed on the Council agenda for formal consideration:
Engineering/Flood Control Division
Requests an interim budget adjustment of $65,000 to cover the costs of a bond call for the Millcreek Fire Flow Special Improvement District. This will require increasing Expense Appropriation Account No. 411-500-5151-8128 by $65,000.
Council Member Wilde asked where the Special Improvement District stood now.
Council Member Jensen stated the project is done.
Mr. Darrin Casper, Chief Financial Officer, Mayor’s Office, stated the citizens have paid off the assessments, so since the County is accumulating interest on the bond, it made sense to call the bond.
Council Member Bradley, seconded by Council Member Wilde, moved to approve the interim budget adjustment and forward it to the 4:00 p.m. Council meeting for formal consideration. The motion passed unanimously.
− − − − − − − − − − − − − −
Salt Lake County Health Department
Requests an interim budget adjustment of $45,000 to cover the costs of changing signs to reflect the name change of the Health Department from “Salt Lake Valley” to “Salt Lake County.”
Mr. Kendrick stated the Health Department has withdrawn this request. It is going to try to find the funds within its budget.