Johnson County forms new department of Treasury and Financial Management

Johnson County has formed a new department with the consolidation of two existing departments in the Johnson County Administration Building, 111 South Cherry Street, in downtown Olathe.

 

The Department of Treasury and Financial Management was created by consolidating the operations and staffs of the Office of the Treasurer, including its Motor Vehicle Division, and the Financial Management Department.

 

Director of the new department will be Thomas Franzen, who has served as the director of the Financial Management Department since 2002. Prior to that, he was the chief deputy county treasurer for three years. He is a Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) with extensive experience in cash management, investing, financial management, and government finance. In his new duties, Franzen also will be appointed the new Treasurer for Johnson County.

 

On Thursday, August 26, the Johnson County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the changes by passing a resolution to create the Department of Treasury and Financial Management. The new department became effective Thursday with adoption of the resolution.

 

“The goal of merging the two departments is to partner together to provide better, more efficient, cost-effective service to Johnson County citizens and to other Johnson County departments,” Chairman Annabeth Surbaugh said. “It’s a win-win change in streamlining our operations.”

 

Both the Treasurer’s Office and the Department of Financial Management handle a wide range of fiscal services with synergies including cash management, banking, investing, accounting, business transaction processing and automation, customer service, and business systems management. Both departments are nationally known for their award-winning innovation, customer service, and professionalism.

 

Over the past several months, both departments have worked together to develop plans for a smooth transition to one department, look for ways to improve internal operation, eliminate duplication, and improve customer service.

 

The merger is expected to have few initial changes. The Treasury division of the new department will remain on the first floor of the Administration Building; the Financial Management division will be located on the second floor.

The last consolidation of departments in Johnson County Government occurred in 2005 with the merger of the Register of Deeds and County Clerk offices into the Department of Records and Tax Administration.

The changes were allowed as a result of the Home Rule Charter in 2000 paving the way for some county departments, which were once managed by elected officials, to be managed by department heads appointed by the County Manager. The charter also provided that the County Manager may recommend and initiate changes in the administrative organization of County Government to the Board of County Commissioners for consideration and final approval.

Johnson County departments, employees receive 22 NACo, NACIO awards

Johnson County won ten Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) and 12 Awards of Excellence from the National Association of County Information Officers (NACIO), a division of NACo.

 

On Thursday, August 19, the recipients of the awards were recognized during the weekly business session of the Johnson County Board of Commissioners. The awards were presented to the county during the recent 2010 Annual Conference and Exposition of NACo and NACIO in Reno, Nevada.

 

“I’m proud to say that Johnson County has regularly been one of the most recognized counties in the nation through the NACo Achievement Award and NACIO programs,” Chairman Annabeth Surbaugh said. “The Achievement Awards recognize new innovative county services and programs that are smart, effective, and cost effective. They are also model programs and services, meaning they can be replicated in another community to achieve the same positive impact. The competition for these awards is huge. It shows that Johnson County truly is a national leader and innovator.”

 

Johnson County Library won three Achievement Awards. Its materials handling submission, entitled “Streamlining Operations for Improved Service and Cost-Effectiveness” was a dual winner by receiving both a NACo “Best of Category” recognition as well as an Achievement Award.

 

The streamlining project was instigated in 2009 to speed library users’ access to materials. It has resulted in delivering better service, trimming processes from four months to four weeks, eliminating backlogs, and delivering requested materials – including best sellers – more quickly. The process has saved approximately $102,000 in annual savings and net savings in labor of 6.0 FTE annually.

 

The Library’s second NACo Achievement Award was for “Create! For Special Populations,” an art program for adults with special disabilities.

 

The Treasurer’s Office received two NACo Achievement Awards. One was for the “Treasury Management Program.” The other Achievement Award was for the “Motor Vehicle Line Management Program,” which also was recognized Thursday for winning a 2009-2010 Technology Solutions Award from the Public Technology Institute and a 2010 Award for Excellence in eGovernment and Technology from the Government Finance Officers Association.

 

Recipients of other NACo awards included:

• "Legislative Information Management Website” by the Office of the Board of County Commissioners;
• “Elder Smiles” program by the Health Department;
• “eRecording Implementation” program by the Department of Records and Tax Administration;
• “Cyber Security Awareness Campaign” by the Department of Information Technology Services; and,
• “9-1-1 Trail Safety Markers” program by the Park and Recreation District.

In regards to NACIO, Johnson County public information officers and communications staff from four departments received one best of class, three superior, three excellence, and five meritorious awards. The 2010 national competition attracted hundreds of entries for communications, writing, marketing, video, and graphic projects.

 

“Our communications and public information staff is eclectic, creative and extremely talented in keeping our citizens well-informed about the workings and activities of their local government,” Chairman Surbaugh said. “It is always great to see their work being recognized on the national level. These awards represent the standard of excellence that our employees have set and the well-deserved pride they take in doing their jobs.”

 

Johnson County Library employees earned four awards.

 

Three awards were won by Jennifer Taylor, including both a best in class award and a superior award for “6 By 6, Ready to Read: Six Skills by Six Years” card sets. She received a second superior award for the “Experience Johnson County Library” newsletter.

 

The Library’s other superior award was presented to Kasey Riley for the “Teen MarioKart Tournament.”

 

Recipients of Excellence Awards were:

• Maury Thompson and Janet Hoffman from Johnson County Development Supports for the “2008 Annual Report by Developmental Supports;”
• Lori Sand from Johnson County Wastewater in news writing for “Unique “Boring” Groundbreaking Planned” in connection with the wastewater tunneling project under the Overland Park Arboretum; and,
• Gerald Hay from the County Manager’s Office in featuring writing for “Time on His Hands” about the changing of Daylight Saving Time and the history behind the county’s Clock Tower on the Administration Building in downtown Olathe.

Two NACIO meritorious awards were won by Sand, including one for the Wastewater Department’s 2008 annual report and other for the department’s employee newsletter, “The Pipeline.”

 

Hay received three meritorious awards for Johnson County’s monthly JoCo Info e-newsletter, for writing and planning the 2009 Veterans Day Observance ceremony, and in news writing for a story recognizing a Johnson County World War II veteran for her military service as member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs.

Johnson County approves FY 2011 Budget with no change in mill levy

It’s official. The FY 2011 Budget for Johnson County is approximately $794.4 million with no anticipated increase in the mill levy next year.

 

On Thursday by unanimous vote, the Johnson County Board of Commissioners adopted the county’s FY 2011 Budget with an estimated mill levy set at 23.213 mills, the same as the existing mill levy, which is the lowest among the 105 counties in Kansas. One mill equals $1 on every $1,000 of a homeowner’s assessed valuation.

 

The final setting of the FY 2011 mill levy, however, will be established by the end of October with the 2011 property valuations by the Johnson County Department of Records and Tax Administration.

By state law, the Board must adopt the new budget each year by August 25.

 

Chairman Annabeth Surbaugh said the new budget reflects a “steady-as-you-go” approach in the county’s five-year budget planning process.

 

“We are holding our own with no dramatic reduction in core public services, no layoffs, and no tax increases,” she said. “We have taken the necessary steps to address economic and budgetary challenges by working hard to keep a firm grip on the budget reins resulting in a FY 2011 Budget that’s fiscally prudent, that carries us through the current tough times, and that maintains a rock-solid government.”

 

In crafting the new budget, the county, like many local governments in Johnson County, faced a balancing act of crafting a bottom line while dealing with the ongoing challenges of state and federal funding reductions, lower assessed property valuations, and less revenue from mortgage registration fees and sales taxes.

 

In the FY 2011 Budget, County Government has:

• Reduced expenditures by $15 million with minimum impacts to public services and programs;
• Eliminated 159 vacant positions with no employee layoffs;
• Proposed a modest 1.5 percent salary merit increase in 2011 for county employees. That is half the rate in previous years; and,
• Cut the salaries of the Chairman and the six District Commissioners by 5 percent.

The FY 2011 Budget sets the maximum number of full-time equivalent county employees at 4,013.66.

The maximum expenditure authority in the total FY 2011 Budget is set at $794,373,980, including budgeted expenditures of $648.1 million and budgeted reserves of $146.3 million, or approximately 18.3 percent.

 

The FY 2011 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) totals $94 million. Excluding stormwater ($10.7 million) and wastewater projects ($55.6 million), which have dedicated funding sources, the CIP features approximately $27.7 million for various capital projects, including:

• $5 million for bus replacement by the Transit Department;
• $12.9 million for the County Assistance Road System (CARS) program. That’s approximately a $1.8 million reduction from 2010;
• $1.9 million for the County’s Bridge, Road, and Culvert Program. That’s down $400,000 from 2010; and,
• $2.8 million for land acquisition and capital improvements by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District. In 2010, the district received $5.1 million.

The FY 2011’s levy of 23.213 mills for Johnson County Government involves the county’s three taxing districts: County, Library, and Park and Recreation District.

 

The estimated mill levy for the county taxing district next year is 17.716 mills, 3.151 mills for the Library taxing district, and 2.346 mills for the Park and Recreation taxing district.

 

Ad valorem taxes are expected to generate approximately $167.1 million, or approximately 25.8 percent of the county’s revenue. One mill of tax is estimated to generate $7.4 million for the County in 2011.

 

Johnson County’s fiscal year begins on January 1.

 

FYI on Expenditures and CIP

The county’s new budget reflects a general lowering of appraised property values in Johnson County because of the current economic downturn. The average home in Johnson County was valued at $249,000 in 2010; the average residential property appraised value in the FY 2011 Budget was set at $244,000.

 

The new budget projects that the owner of the average home in Johnson County, valued at $244,000, would pay approximately $54.25 per month in 2011 for the county’s portion of their property tax bill. In 2010, the average home of $249,000 paid approximately $55.42 a month in property taxes.

 

The FY 2011 calculations are only for Johnson County Government and do not include other taxing entities, such as the state of Kansas, cities, or school districts.

Johnson County starts website for START

Johnson County Transit has started a new website to explain the ongoing work of the Strategic Transit Recommendation Taskforce (START) charged with developing a roadmap on future public transportation strategies and funding options.

 

The START website at http://www.thejo.com/resources/START.shtml was announced Thursday, August 12, to the Johnson County Board of Commissioners by Deputy County Manager Bernice Duletski. The website will be accessible through a “START” icon on the Transit Department’s website at www.thejo.com.

 

“This website provides all citizens with convenient access to the work of START, reports and meeting schedules, all at the click of a mouse,” Chairman Annabeth Surbaugh said. “The process is now well under way. The taskforce welcomes public input in developing a transportation plan for the Johnson County community. We want to keep our community informed and involved with START from the beginning to the end.”

 

START was created on May 6 by the Board of County Commissioners. Appointments of the 24 members to the taskforce were announced July 15. The membership includes nine appointees by Chairman Surbaugh; appointees by the six commissioners; three representatives from the Johnson County Transportation Council; representatives from the cities of Mission, Overland Park, and Prairie Village; and three appointees from the Council of Mayors. The website provides a list of members appointed to the taskforce.

 

Steve Klika, chairman of the Transportation Council, is chairman of START and serves as an ex officio member.

 

The taskforce will study the county’s Transit Strategic Plan and make recommendations on future public transportation strategies, including both short-term and long-term financing options for a comprehensive county-wide transit system and other public transportation and related linear amenities.

 

The Strategic Plan, approved by the Board of County Commissioners in May 2008, calls for a comprehensive transit system to serve Johnson County including new routes, funding strategies, organizational structure, transportation infrastructure and linear amenities. Several cities in Johnson County have redevelopment plans that include designs for public transportation. START is directed to conduct a county-wide evaluation regarding future transit opportunities.

 

A report from START on its recommendations is expected to be submitted to the Board in 2011.

Johnson County’s 2010 Feed the Need sets record with almost 187 tons to benefit local food pantries

Johnson County’s 2010 Feed the Need campaign has ended with success.

 

The campaign established a new record by collecting almost 187 tons in food donations and cash to benefit 10 local food pantries. The collections edged out the previous record of 186.5 tons that was set in 2009.

 

Results of the Feed the Need campaign were announced Thursday, August 5, to the Board of County Commissioners by Becky Salter, Director of the Human Resources Department, and Manager of Taxation Charles “Mick” Letcher. They served as co-chairmen in the 2010 campaign.

 

“It’s amazing that despite a difficult economic climate our employees really have made a difference this year,” Salter said. “This campaign was challenging from the start with increased demands for food and a reduced pool of employees to participate in the annual food drive. Both factors affected achieving our overall goal of 198 tons, but in the end we were successful by setting a new record in feeding the needs within Johnson County.” Letcher agreed.

 

“None of this would have been possible without the sharing and caring of many employees and their families,” he said. “We thank them all for helping to feed hungry people in our community at a time when it is needed most.”

 

The county’s campaign began with a June 11 kickoff celebration and ended June 29 with a total collection of 373,658.9 pounds.

 

All donations collected in the food drive benefit food pantries serving eligible Johnson County citizens. Thursday’s ceremony included presentation of ceremonial checks of $9,109 to the representatives from the pantries.

 

Also on Thursday, 29 county departments/agencies received tonnage awards, ranging from one to 26 tons.

 

The event announced the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure as the recipient of both the Chairman’s Award for collecting the most food (53,026 pounds) and the Commissioners’ Plaque for the best average per person collection (595.8 pounds per employee). The department has 89 employees.

 

The recipient of the Rick Beckwith Cup was the office staff of the District Court Trustee for having the highest percent of increased collections from the previous year. In 2009, the office collected 3.3 tons. Its collection in the 2010 campaign more than doubled to 8.16 tons. The annual award honors Beckwith, a longtime Facilities Department employee who died in 2004. He was a longtime active participant in Feed the Need campaigns. The county has dedicated all future Feed the Need campaigns in his memory.

Members of the Beckwith family were special guests at the ceremony.

 

“It shows that one person can really make a difference in the world. Thanks Rick,” Chairman Annabeth Surbaugh said.

 

All donations collected in the food drive will benefit 10 local food pantries serving eligible Johnson County citizens. The pantries include:

• Blue Valley Multi-Service Center in Overland Park;
• De Soto Multi-Service Center;
• Spring Hill Multi-Service Center;
• North-Central Multi-Service Center in Lenexa;
• Gardner Multi-Service Center;
• Shawnee Community Services;
• Catholic Community Services, Mission and Olathe; and,
• Salvation Army and First Christian Church, both in Olathe.

The five multi-service centers (food pantries) in Lenexa, Overland Park, De Soto, Gardner, and Spring Hill are operated by the county’s Human Services Department.

 

Through June 1 of this year, the county’s Outreach food pantries have served 3,071 households representing 12,543 individuals. For the same period a year ago, 2,835 households, representing 8,386 people, were serviced. That represents an 8 percent increase in new households served.

 

Overall, food services at the multi-service centers have increased 57 percent since 2004. The instance of food pantry usage, however, has increased 330 percent in Johnson County in the past six years. That trend reflects that in addition to having more Johnson County households seeking food assistance, many households are using the pantries more often.

 

Johnson County’s Feed the Need involvement started in 1987 with one county department and the collection of less than one ton of food. Including the 2010 collections, County Government has collected more than 3.5 million pounds of donations for local pantries since the program started 23 years ago. That equals more than $850,000 in donations.

 

The county has been a lead participating organization in the annual metropolitan Feed the Need campaign since 1988. Feed the Need is a regional effort coordinated by the Mid-America Regional Council, the Mid-America Assistance Coalition, and Harvesters International.

Free Wi-Fi on The JO

Improving the passenger experience by offering amenities that best serves its riders is important to Johnson County Transit (JCT). JCT has partnered with Sprint (NYSE: S) and SinglePoint Communications to install equipment and Wi-Fi hardware on its commuter transit buses. The free Wi-Fi service will initially be available on 15 of The JO’s buses beginning Monday, August 2.

 

In 2009, JCT conducted a pilot program offering Wi-Fi on selected routes. The response was very positive and the decision was made to deploy equipment and internet capabilities on a large portion of the fleet. The Wi-Fi system will allow riders to use their notebook computers and other wireless mobile devices on the bus. This will provide the opportunity for those that ride The JO to check their e-mail, surf the Internet, or work while commuting.

 

Sprint, Kansas City’s hometown wireless provider, will provide the Wi-Fi equipment and network capabilities to Johnson County Transit, bringing the freedom of mobility to The JO’s passengers. Sprint is offering the Wi-Fi service as another way to give back to the community where so many of its customers and employees live and work. Sprint is the first national carrier to offer 4G wireless services, the next generation of broadband technology, in 48 markets.

 

In a unique partnership, the cost to provide the WiFi service will come from advertising revenue, instead of from The JO’s operating budget. SinglePoint Communications, a major distributor of Internet access services to the private and public transportation markets in the United States and Europe, will provide Internet service to The JO’s transit buses. SinglePoint has offered to place virtual advertisements on the opening pages, allowing advertising revenue from these virtual ads to pay for the internet access. All advertisements are subject to Johnson County’s strict advertising policy.

 

“The JO’s commitment today to expand on-board Internet across their fleet sets a standard for other transit operators to follow,” said Niki Taylo, SinglePoint VP. “Furthermore, by underwriting the cost of deployment with revenues from in-hotspot advertising, the JO has demonstrated that there are creative ways of approaching operating cost that benefit passengers while minimizing overhead.”

 

To access Wi-Fi on the bus, a rider will simply open their Internet browser and it should detect the Wi-Fi. Once the rider has accepted the Terms of Use, they may access any site by typing in a web address directly into the Internet browser's address bar (e.g. http://www.google.com). Riders, who have questions or concerns about how to use Wi-Fi on The JO buses, can click on www.thejo.com/riders/wifi.shtml for more information.

 

"Time is an important commodity in today's fast-paced society. Having Wi-Fi on our buses is a feature that riders can utilize and appreciate," said Alice M. Amrein, Director of Transportation. Amrein added that while the Wi-FI service will not be on every JO vehicle initially, most of the longer trips should have Wi-Fi service most of the time.

 

Additional services for other commuter routes in Johnson County are being explored. For route information call the regional call center at (816) 221-0660 or go to www.thejo.com.

Johnson County renews contract with County Manager Hannes Zacharias

The Johnson County Board of Commissioners has renewed the contract of County Manager Hannes Zacharias for another year to serve at the helm of Johnson County Government.

 

Following an executive session Thursday, July 29, the Board met in open session and announced renewal of the county manager’s annual contract with no increase in his salary or additional compensation. The county manager’s annual salary is $187,600. He did not request a salary increase.

 

“Hannes is a great manager and simply a great guy. He has proven himself to be a tremendous asset and dedicated leader for County Government and for the Johnson County community,” Annabeth Surbaugh, chairman of the Board, said. “He has been an outstanding manager providing meaningful service and leadership to our organization and our community.”

 

First District Commissioner Ed Peterson agreed, saying the Board was pleased with the county manager during the past year. He added that freezing of his pay and compensation was strictly a FY 2011 Budget-tightening action and did not reflect any concern about his job performance or any dissatisfaction with him.

 

His peers on the Board also echoed their support of both the contract renewal and the county manager’s abilities during his first year as the county’s helmsman.

 

“I do appreciate your support and voice of confidence to continue to serve as county manager,” Zacharias said.

 

A resident of Lenexa, he is marking his ninth year as a member of the county’s management team. He joined Johnson County as assistant county manager in 2001 and was named the deputy county manager in January 2005. Zacharias was selected county manager by the Board on August 6, 2009. His new duties became effective on September 1, 2009.

 

His public service career began in 1980 when he served as associate director and chief grants officer for the Kansas Arts Commission. In 1984, he became an assistant to the city manager for the city of Lawrence. He was named the city administrator for Boonville, Missouri, in 1988. He moved to Hays, Kansas, in 1992 to serve as city manager for eight years before assuming his duties in Johnson County Government.

 

A native of Dodge City, Kansas, Zacharias received a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Kansas and a bachelor’s degree in General Studies from Wichita State University.

 

Zacharias and Marcia, his wife of almost 25 years, are the parents of two daughters, Lydia and Isabel, and a son, Kurt.

Citizens Visioning Committee launches Online Community Workshop for citizen participation

Johnson County’s 2030 Citizens Visioning Committee (CVC) is launching its first of three Online Community Workshops from August 2-15 to seek input from local stakeholders and citizens on issues that should be included in the visioning process.

 

The Online Community Workshop will be accessible on the Citizens Visioning Committee’s website at www.jocovision2030.com. The website can be found though an icon on Johnson County’s main website at www.jocogov.org and from a link on the Office of the Johnson County Board of Commissioners’ webpage.

 

Issues generated by the Citizens Visioning Committee to-date will be presented as a starting point for consideration. Based on input received as part of the workshop, these issues will be confirmed and carried forward or flagged for additional discussion with the CVC.

 

Workshop participants will have two primary options for providing input:

 

Online Questionnaire — the questionnaire will walk participants through each topic, summarizing the range of issues that have been identified for each topic and asking participants to respond to two key questions:

• Do you feel the list above captures the range of issues related to this topic that should be considered as part of the visioning process?
• What would you change or add?

Ideas Forum — this section of the workshop will offer participants a more informal means of providing input versus the Online Questionnaire. Upon entering the Ideas Forum, participants will be able to post issues by topic that they think should be considered by the CVC as part of the visioning process. Issues will be viewable by topic and may be selected by other participants to help indicate general levels of support for different ideas by forum participants.

 

The 2010 Johnson County Snapshot Report of the CVC will be available for download for review by participants in the Online Community Workshop. Key information will be summarized to provide a basis for questions.

 

Following the August 2-15 workshop, input received will be synthesized, distributed to the CVC, and posted on the committee’s website.

 

The website and Online Community Workshops were established by the Citizens Visioning Committee in partnership with Clarion Associates, a professional facilitator selected to provide visioning services for the CVC.

 

The Citizens Visioning Committee with 37 members is charged with ensuring a broad-based, inclusive process that incorporates and respects the voices of the full community. The process is expected to take a year, including the scheduling of public open houses and forums. Future public meetings/events will be posted on the new website along with announcing the dates of two future online workshops.

 

The CVC is required to submit a final report to the Board of County Commissioners that identifies specific goals to be achieved by 2030 along with associated strategies and action plans. Completion of the report is expected by mid-2011.

Johnson County Commissioners seek applicants to serve on four advisory boards

The Johnson County Board of Commissioners is now accepting applications from interested residents who would like to be considered for appointments to serve on four advisory boards of County Government.

 

The Board of Zoning Appeals lacks a representative from Olathe Township. The appointment will be made by Sixth District Commissioner Calvin Hayden.

 

The Public Art Commission needs a representative from the Fifth District with Commissioner Doug Wood filling the vacancy.

 

Chairman Annabeth Surbaugh has vacancies to fill on two boards, including a building official, general contractor, residential contractor, and architect/engineer representative to the Contractor Licensing Review Board and an educational professional to serve on the Juvenile Corrections Advisory Board.

Johnson County residents interested in being considered for appointment to the advisory boards should submit their cover letter and current resume or curriculum vitae to the Board’s office at the following address:

 

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Attn: Appointments Clerk

County Administration Building, Suite 3300

111 South Cherry Street

Olathe, Kansas 66061-3486

 

Applications are available on the Legislative Information Management System website at http://lims.jocogov.org. For more information, residents should contact the Office of the Board of County Commissioners at (913) 715-0430.