NYSAC News magazine - Fall 2015

NEW YORK STATE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES

BOLD IDEAS IN COUNTY GOVERNMENT

Volume 36, Issue 3 | Fall 2015

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President’s Page NYSAC OFFICERS Hon. Maggie Brooks, Monroe County President Hon. William Cherry, Schoharie County President-Elect Hon. MaryEllen Odell, Putnam County First Vice President Hon. Kathleen M. Jimino, Rensselaer County Second Vice President Hon. Anthony J. Picente, Oneida County Immediate Past President

MEMBERS Hon. James D. Hoffman, Wayne County www.co.wayne.ny.us Hon. John LaPointe, Washington County www.co.washington.ny.us Hon. Joanie Mahoney, Onondaga County www.ongov.net Hon. Edward P. Mangano, Nassau County www.nassaucountyny.gov Hon. Marcus Molinaro, Dutchess County www.dutchessny.gov Charles H. Nesbitt, Jr., Orleans County www.orleansny.com Hon. Christopher Moss, Chemung County www.chemungcounty.com Hon. Scott B. Samuelson, Sullivan County www.co.sullivan.ny.us Mr. Sherif Soliman, Office of the Mayor NYC www.nyc.gov

PARLIAMENTARIANS Hon. Herman Geist, Esq., Westchester County www.westchestergov.com

Hon. A. Douglas Berwanger, Wyoming County www.wyomingco.net

TREASURER Mr. Robert F. Currier, Albany County www.albanycounty.com

From the NYSAC President, Maggie Brooks

I

t is indeed an honor and privilege to be elected to lead NYSAC, an organization dedicated to raising public awareness and understanding about the roles and responsibilities of our unique level of government called counties.

I’ve been in county government for 20 years now.

I know well that counties matter.

County governments were originally created to build roads, protect residents and deliver social service programs.

But, those missions have evolved.

Now we provide hundreds of services ranging from public health to public safety, services essential to the creation of healthy, vibrant and safe communities.

In addition to our expansive services menu, counties protect the health and welfare of our residents through resolutions, ordinances and local laws.

Counties matter and often-times lead the fight against increasingly dangerous and daunting societal challenges. We can and we do make a difference every day to the people of New York.

I am prepared to lead the “county cause” as we forge ahead into 2016.

When the Property Tax Cap was first passed, leaders from both parties promised “significant mandate relief for municipalities.”

At that time mandates consumed 81% of our billion dollar county budget. Now they consume 85%. Mandate reform equals real sustainable property tax reform.

We need to continue the efforts of our predecessors and impress upon our Governor and state lawmakers that they need to reduce

their reliance of property taxes for financing state programs.

There will be many policy areas competing for our focus.

One I will focus on during my tenure will be heroin. Heroin is an epidemic that is plaguing our community, destroying our families, and inciting violence in our streets. Heroin is a true modern-day danger threatening our quality of life. Heroin is not just an urban problem.

It’s finding its way into schools and homes in every part of our state.

The numbers are staggering. From 2011 to 2014, the number of heroin cases submitted to the Monroe County Crime Lab increased by over 300%. The amount of heroin tested by our lab has increased 700%.

I am confident that by working together and with our federal, state, and local partners we can reduce the impact of heroin and opioid addiction on the lives of New Yorkers.

Every day my life is touched by people who remind me why our work in government is so important, people who bring into focus the value of public service and the impact of public policy.

Counties are nothing if not creative and innovative when it comes to being more efficient and effective.

My colleagues, you are some of the most creative and innovative officials working in government. I know because I have heard the best practices and bold ideas that are generated at our conferences and meetings.

As your President, I will continue to facilitate that information sharing and collaboration so that we can continue to bring about efficiencies in our operations by sharing county best practices and solutions from the private sector.

www.nysac.org 3

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PERTUSSIS/WHOOPING COUGH CANCER INFLUENZA/H1N1 FALLS PREVENTION Your localEQUINE health department EEE/EASTERN ENCEPHALITIS FLOODS HURRICANES STORMS leads theICEway in:PRE-MATURE BIRTHS ENTEROVIRUS D68 LYME DISEASE SALMONELLA Communicable Disease Control LEGIONNAIRE’S DISEASE RABIES SHIGELLA ChronicVIRUS Disease Prevention POWASSAN EBOLA NOROVIRUS MEASLES INFANT MORTALITY DIABETES LOW BIRTH Environmental Health WEIGHT OBESITY PERTUSSIS/WHOOPING COUGH Maternal/Child/Family Health CANCER INFLUENZA/H1N1 FALLS PREVENTION EEE/EASTERN EQUINE ENCEPHALITIS FLOODS Public Health Emergency HURRICANES ICE STORMS PRE-MATURE BIRTHS Preparedness ENTEROVIRUS D68 LYME DISEASE SALMONELLA Co mmunity Health LEGIONNAIRE’S DISEASE Assessment RABIES SHIGELLA and Improvement POWASSAN VIRUS EBOLA NOROVIRUS MEASLES INFANT MORTALITY DIABETES LOW BIRTH WEIGHT OBESITY PERTUSSIS/WHOOPING COUGH CANCER INFLUENZA/H1N1 FALLS PREVENTION EEE/EASTERN EQUINE ENCEPHALITIS FLOODS HURRICANES ICE STORMS PRE-MATURE BIRTHS ENTEROVIRUS D68 LYME DISEASE SALMONELLA LEGIONNAIRE’S DISEASE RABIES SHIGELLA NYSACHO POWASSAN VIRUS EBOLA NOROVIRUS MEASLES Leading the way to healthier communities INFANT MORTALITY DIABETES LOW BIRTH www.nysacho.org WEIGHT OBESITY PERTUSSIS/WHOOPING COUGH CANCER INFLUENZA/H1N1 FALLS PREVENTION EEE/EASTERN EQUINE ENCEPHALITIS FLOODS HURRICANES ICE STORMS PRE-MATURE BIRTHS

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Director’s Note NYSAC STAFF

From the Executive Director, Stephen J. Acquario

Stephen J. Acquario, Esq. Executive Director Karen Catalfamo Office/Financial Manager Nicole Correia Communication Coordinator Patrick Cummings, Esq. Assistant Counsel Jackie Dederick Records Manager Katie Hohman Program Specialist Mark LaVigne Deputy Director Dave Lucas Director of Finance & Intergovernmental Affairs Jill Luther Program Administrator Patricia Milkiewicz Executive Assistant Juanita Munguia Marketing Specialist Jeanette Stanziano Director of Education & Training Tammy Thomas Communication Assistant Receptionist Katy Vescio Deputy Director of Government Relations

New Yorkers Support Local Government

A

recent Siena College Research Institute poll conducted earlier this year concluded that New York taxpayers trust and rate the job performance of local governments much higher than the job done by the state and federal government. By a nearly 2 to 1 margin voters across New York trusted their local governments to do what is right at least most of the time compared to State and Federal government officials.

The poll also concluded:  By 70 to 20 percent, voters say local government is better at understanding and responding to voters’ needs;  By 57 to 33 percent, voters rate local government over the state when it comes to getting important things done; and  By 54 to 30 percent, voters say local government is better than the state at effectively protecting and managing tax dollars.

For our part, counties fund their operations through property and sales taxes—and both of those revenue streams have been slowing…to a trickle.

The state imposed property tax cap The tax cap calculation for 2016, based on last year’s inflation factor, is 0.73%.

Coupled with the fact that 33 counties saw reduced sales tax revenue for the first six months of 2015, the need to reduce services, change operations and innovate is higher than it has ever been before.

I make this point so that I can stress that New York counties and local governments across the state are meeting these acute fiscal challenges head on with leadership and innovation. And, they have been doing it for years, even decades.

Government Efficiency Plans In June, counties, cities, towns and villages have attested through over 1,000 government efficiency plans submitted to the state that they have saved or will save over $1 B in property taxes over the next few years. While our local leaders have always been good stewards of the public’s finances, these lean recessionary years have made our efforts more critical and more public.

Government responsibility Sometimes our citizens are led to believe that local governments are the cause of high property taxes. New Yorkers deserve better information as to what level of government is truly levying the property tax and what it is being used for. Is it for local programs? Or state and federal programs? These are questions that need to be asked and answered as we continue to build a stronger future for our families here in New York.

As always, I am proud of the work of New York’s county government leaders, and I am honored to serve as their association director.

www.nysac.org 7

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24

Table of Contents Bold Ideas in County Government

Fall 2015

NYSAC News • Volume 36, Issue 3

NYSAC Informs with e-news publications:

13

NYSAC Weekly Wire Emailed every Friday during the Legislative Session.

Highlights county-related issues and activities taking place in Albany.

16 17

Counties in the News Daily news updates from counties across the state, compiled by NYSAC and delivered to your inbox every day.

To sign up visit www.nysac.org

New Protocol Developed for Biological Emergency Response

Kiosks Ease Social Services Delivery

Ready Set Home: Using NY Connects to Help People Get Home

18

Leverage Your Data to Improve Constituent Services

20

How Municipal Banking is About to Change

23

Innovations in Food Recovery: From Source Reduction to Composting

Target Your Market!

Advertise with NYSAC

25

National Marine Sanctuary Designation Sought for Portion of Great Lake Ontario

29

A New Approach to Reduce Youth Inmate Recidivism

30

Counties Using Social Media to Promote Citizen Engagement

32

Local Laws: Microbeads, Drones, and Other Issues Impacting Counties

34

MEGA: A Bold and Effective Innovation

36

Working Together, Working for Life: Counties Come Together to Save Lives through Organ and Tissue Donation

39

#13 Percent: What It Means and How County Leaders Can Join In

27

Alternative Energy, Public-Private Partnerships Help County Landfill

contact NYSAC Marketing Specialist Juanita Munguia at 518-465-1473 or jmunguia@nysac.org www.nysac.org 11

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New Protocol Developed for Biological Emergency Response

By Mike McEvoy, PhD, NRP, RN, CCRN EMS Coordinator, Saratoga County

W

hen the first case of Ebola was confirmed in the U.S. in September of 2014, public health officials across the country reviewed their protocols for handling Ebola cases.

The following month, the New York State Health Commissioner ordered all NY ambulance services to equip, train and prepare to respond and transport Ebola patients. The fifteen ambulance services in Saratoga County expressed significant concern about inability to order necessary supplies and equipment which, owing to the widely publicized Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa, were backordered up to nine months. They also had significant concerns about lack of guidance and assistance from federal and state health officials for training Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers. All of the protocols and recommended practices distributed by federal and state health officials were designed for hospital and health care facility use. Many EMS responders indicated that they would be unable to safely handle a call to transport a suspected Ebola patient.

At a November meeting with Saratoga County officials including representatives from Public Health, the County Attorney, the County Administrator, the Sheriff, Office of Emergency Services and the County Fire and EMS Coordinators, a need was recognized for a small cadre of specially trained providers who would be willing and able to respond to an emergency call from any patient with a high risk biological condition.

While Ebola was the immediate concern, past experience with SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and H1N1 (Swine Flu) as well as other diseases yet to emerge were also recognized. Under the auspices of the Office of Emergency Services (OES), and in close collaboration with the Public Health Nursing Service (PHNS), the Biological Emergency Response Team, or BERT, was formed.

The team prepares for response.

Fifteen EMS providers were recruited from active membership of Saratoga County ambulance corps. Designated ambulances from county agencies were outfitted for BERT response. One major obstacle encountered was developing training and establishing protocols for EMS. Little to no EMS-specific guidance existed and hospital-based protocols seemed impractical for use in the prehospital environment.

Another significant obstacle was the Bureau of EMS regulations on jurisdictional response of a team drawn from multiple ambulance agencies. To assist with training and protocol development, the County Hazardous Material Team (HazMat) was consulted. Their expertise proved invaluable as they were readily able to translate their field experience with high risk chemical, nuclear and biological agents to target the equipment, training and best practices needed to protect BERT members. The County Attorney and EMS Coordinator were able to work with State EMS officials to place BERT under the auspices of the already existing County EMS Mutual Aid Plan.

Protocols were implemented for caller screening at the County 9-1-1 center and a notification process was implemented to screen suspected high risk biological patients by an EMS Coordinator or Deputy with assistance from PHNS. A notification group was established for BERT members through the IamResponding (www.iamresponding.com) notification system already in use for fire and EMS agencies. Necessary specialized Continued on page 14

BERT member in full PPE

www.nysac.org  13

Continued from page 13

equipment including personal protective equipment (PPE) suits, respiratory protection, decontamination materials, draping supplies for ambulances, etc was purchased through OES and placed on the County Hazardous Materials response truck so it could be delivered to the scene of any BERT response. An initial eight-hour training session was conducted in February 2015 by the County HazMat team for BERT members.

Each training exercise became a learning experience and resulted in modifications that improved practices, protocols and SOGs. Members gained increasing competence and confidence that they could safely and effectively provide care and transport for any patient with a known or suspected high risk biological or infectious condition. It also became apparent that BERT members were not ordinary EMS providers. Had we asked for volunteers to join a tactical medic or SWAT team, there is little doubt that dozens would have applied. Asking for EMS providers to volunteer for a team designed to care for potential Ebola Virus patients was soliciting for one of the most dangerous and risky assignments possible. The BERT members and their leaders who voluntarily stepped forward to train and staff the BERT are true heroes of modern day EMS. They represent the core values of selfless giving, dedication, caring, sharing and commitment to others. Since its inception in December 2014, the BERT protocol has successfully screened and managed four high-risk patients in Saratoga County, all without requiring actual BERT response.

Inside a BERT ambulance.

In April 2015, a practice drill was held with BERT, the Saratoga County PHNS and Saratoga Hospital Emergency Department in which a simulated patient suspected to be infected with Ebola Virus was transported by BERT to the Emergency Department where he was screened and prepared for transport to a CDC (Centers for Disease Control) designated Ebola receiving hospital. This exercise was one of the first ever in the United States that drilled ability of local EMS and a community hospital to provide care to a suspected Ebola patient. The drill yielded valuable lessons and demonstrated the ability of a small county, working collaboratively with Public Health and EMS, to address a complex and difficult health care challenge.

The BERT Standard Operating Guideline is posted on the Saratoga County EMS Council web site (www.saratogaems.org) under the Download section, accessible directly at www.saratogaems.org/Downloads/ BERTMAPolicy2015JuneRevision.pdf.

Saratoga Hospital and BERT personnel escort a patient during a training exercise.

Inside the Saratoga Hospital Emergency Department during a drill.

14  N YSAC News Fall 2 01 5

Save T he Date F ebruary 1-3, 2016

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ay 18-20, 2016 • M

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www.nysac.org 15

Kiosks Ease Social Services Delivery

By Sarah G. Merrick Commissioner, Onondaga County Department of Social Services

O

ne of the problems common to most Social Service departments statewide is delivering services to our clients in an efficient, cost effective manner that also leaves the customer feeling that they’ve been treated fairly and respectfully.

Long, often frustrating, waits in line or in a crowded waiting room can add undue stress to both clients and workers in a way that detracts from the overall experience.

During the summer of 2014, with the complete support of Onondaga County Executive Joanne M. Mahoney, the County Department of Social Services-Economic Security (DSS-ES) began researching ways to limit wait times for those dropping off documents by utilizing self-service technology. We believed that by limiting the time our clients have to wait to complete such a simple process, it would reduce stress on both the customer and the staff that serves them.

Chemung County currently utilizes computers and scanners in their waiting rooms that clients use to

submit required documents. This solution works well for a smaller county, but isn’t practical for a county the size of Onondaga. Further research led to discovering high volume kiosks that are used in the social services offices in Fresno, California. After looking at various manufacturers, our team chose Phoenix Kiosks as our vendor primarily because their machine features a duplexing scanner (double sided) and sturdy construction to allow for heavy usage.

We worked with VenTek (a software development company) to develop software that allows clients to scan all of their required documents. Two key features that set our kiosk solution apart from similar operations are: 1. The technological ability to upload client information directly to their case record, thereby eliminating the need for worker duplication of effort, saving time and money on the backend; and 2. The ability to provide a photo receipt to the client documenting their submission.

The county purchased 10 kiosks, including two that are handicapaccessible, using a combination of federal, state and local funding. The total project cost was $140,000. Taking the project from planning to operation took about eight months as the kiosks became operational in March, 2015.

There has been an overwhelmingly positive response to the kiosks from both the staff and public. More than 200 people use the machines each day. This diverts nearly 34% of our daily clientele from lines and waiting rooms. Over the first five months of use, approximately 22,500 individuals have used these self-serve kiosks. We staff the kiosk area with one worker who shows clients how to use the machine and who troubleshoots any minor problems that may arise. It’s been our experience that once customers are shown how to use the kiosks they can complete the entire process by themselves on subsequent visits.

We are very excited by the planned expansion of the kiosk capabilities. By the end of 2015, clients will be able to use the kiosks to check in for appointments, print out a TA/SNAP budget, check the status of a case or application and utilize a conversion feature so instructions are in Spanish. Additionally, DSS-ES is exploring the possibility of having kiosks located at several locations in the community, eliminating the need for clients to come to our offices altogether.

The implementation of self-service kiosks in Onondaga County DSS-ES is an innovative technology that has significantly decreased client wait times and has enhanced staff efficiencies.

16 N YSAC News Fall 201 5

Ready Set Home : Using NY Connects to Help People Get Home

By Diane Oyler, Ph.D. Coordinator of Neighborhood Services for the Erie County Department of Senior Services and adjunct professor for the Buffalo State College Public Administration and Non-Profit Management Program

M

edicaid costs in New York State are high and several efforts are underway to reduce those costs. One is the Balancing Incentive Program (BIP), which allows New York State to invest in innovative pilots to test ways to reduce Medicaid spending on longterm care. Through a grant from the BIP Innovation Fund, Erie County is piloting Ready Set Home–a new program that brings the resources of NY Connects and the Office for the Aging to local hospitals and sub-acute rehabs to help high risk-high need patients get home and stay home.

Ready Set Home is a collaborative pilot with a goal of better serving Medicaid beneficiaries who face obstacles to community placement and connection to appropriate services following hospitalization and/ or nursing home stays in facilities affiliated with Western New York’s largest healthcare network, the Great Lakes Health System of Western New York (GLH). Two key GLH partners, Kaleida Health and Erie County Medical Center Corporation (ECMCC), are collaborators with the Erie County Department of Senior Services on this project to improve patient access to community-based long-term care services.

The project has three objectives: 1) Reduce the number of Medicaid beneficiaries that are residing in nursing homes when they can be safely living in the community; 2) Facilitate timely safe discharges of high-risk patients in sub-acute care after a hospitalization; and 3) Test a model for using NY Connects to improve transitions across the care continuum–from hospital to skilled nursing facility to managed long-term care. The pilot targets two specific populations: low-acuity individuals residing in nursing homes and individuals who have completed a course of rehabilitation in sub-acute care following hospitalization. Candidates have informal caregiver support in the community, yet face significant barriers to safe discharge and access to appropriate community-based long-term care services.

Why Ready Set Home?

The trigger for needing long-term care services is oftentimes an unexpected hospitalization resulting from a critical health event, such as a stroke, or an accident that leaves the individual with significant functional impairment. In these situations, some of the very first conversations about long-term care are with a facility discharge planner. In most counties, NY Connects programs are phone-based information and referral access points that rely on these discharge planners to let people know about NY Connects and how it can help. Because this is a time when individuals are overwhelmed by the health crisis and the new care needs it has created, contacting NY Connects to discuss options may never happen or may be significantly delayed. The resources of NY Connects lie fallow, rather than being leveraged to help people overcome common obstacles to getting long-term services and supports in place, which are often needed to be discharged safely.

What does Ready Set Home do?

Ready Set Home turns NY Connects on its head. Rather than wait for those in need of assistance to call the NY Connects number, Ready Set Home brings NY Connects staff to the places where those in need of services are likely to be–hospitals and sub-acute rehabs. The program includes several services that go above and beyond NY Connects’ traditional information and referral role. They include providing options counseling to those who are unfamiliar with the types of home and community-based services that are available, linkage to Medicaid waiver programs or a Managed Long-Term Care plan, short-term case management, arranging for services so they are in place when the individual arrives home, and connecting the individual with community resources that address specific obstacles, such as housing assistance or help with home modifications.

Most importantly, Ready Set Home assumes initial responsibility for the cost of care of the individual in the community, providing bridge funding for services and care coordination until managed long term care services take effect. Ready Set Home’s work is complete after a warm-hand off to the managed long-term care plan of the individual’s choosing.

What has been the impact?

As of the end of August, Ready Set Home has provided options counseling to over 100 people. Of those, 39 (ages 20 to 86) have been safely discharged and are successfully receiving long-term services and supports in the community. We estimate that Ready Set Home has already realized a net savings of $125,000 since the program began in November 2014. Now that Ready Set Home is hitting its stride, and the program’s early discharges are proving to be sustainable, savings are beginning to accelerate. If current momentum is maintained, Ready Set Home will yield system savings of at least $622,000 by the end of the grant period, March 31, 2016. The Return on Investment is currently at $1.47 in savings for every $1.00 invested. This does not take into account savings from any hospital readmissions that Ready Set Home has prevented, which we believe are substantial.

In order for New York State to achieve its BIP goal of establishing NY Connects as the “go to system for community long-term services and supports,” NY Connects must go directly to the places where those in need of help are likely to be. When NY Connects provide services that begin in a hospital or skilled nursing facility and continue at home, it offers continuity and provides services when others cannot. Through Ready Set Home, NY Connects becomes a connector–between service providers and across funding sources–and provides stewardship throughout the discharge or transition process. This reduces the likelihood of breakdowns at critical points along the continuum of care, and helps to produce better outcomes. It improves quality of life for the aging and disabled, and saves Medicaid long term care dollars.

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Leverage Your Data to Improve Constituent Services

By James Delmonico GovPilot

T

he term “big data” gets thrown around a lot these days. In the private sector, companies are finally learning how to leverage the vast ocean of data created by computers, mobile devices, apps, sensors and more. Analytics capabilities have improved in recent years, enabling companies to better “make sense” of this information. This treasure trove of feedback helps companies build better products and services to the benefit of their customers, vendors, employees and other stakeholders.

So how can counties use the data they collect and to which they have access?

Big data can sound impersonal, especially for people in local government who have built their careers around a mission of service.

But the same technology that commercial companies are using to sell more widgets can help county governments serve their constituents with increased efficiency.

Data analytics allow governments to make decisions based on actionable insight, and the benefits can be great:  Data helps identify trends factually, rather than relying on guesses and feelings.  Data can help target services toward those who would benefit most.  Data can reveal service gaps and disparities in those you’re serving.  Data proves the effectiveness of programs, and helps identify which programs aren’t working.

Gathering usable data Governments don’t suffer from a lack of data: many decades’ worth of census results, birth records, crime rates, employment counts, and program results have been collected.

Private sector data is filling in the gaps.

For example, companies like health insurer Kaiser Permanente is helping the Food and Drug Administration assess the health risk of certain medications.

The data is out there, but in many cases– particularly in smaller local governments– it’s raw and unorganized, and therefore unusable for analytical purposes. Unstructured data, such as books, medical records, and emails may be readable by humans, but not computers (and analytic software). This makes the process of mining them for valuable information time consuming and costly.

Using data to provide better constituent service Organizing and analyzing data will support the government’s ability to make decisions that will lead to innovation and efficiency:  In New York City, analysts used agency reports, real-estate filings, and tax information to identify over 250 dwellings that were at the greatest risk for fire because of code violations.  In San Francisco, Child Protective Services was able to analyze location-based data to concentrate services in specific neighborhoods and preemptively serve at-risk populations.  In Durham, NC the police department was able to reduce violent crime in a high-crime region by over 50% using data analytics.

Digitizing your paper forms will greatly assist with the aggregation and centralization of data. By turning your forms into web-hosted forms, you are able to collect information right from your website. The information lives in a central repository, instantly accessible by all departments and employees from the office and in the field. With GovPilot, a datacollection and management tool, digitizing your paper forms is easy by selecting from a vast template library or customize your own.

Data can help governments analyze and plan: Data can help connect the dots between programs and their outcomes, helping governments make smart decisions about resource allocation. It can also highlight service gaps and disparities, and provide insight into which populations or areas to focus on to provide the most impact. Data is also a powerful tool to identify and combat fraud and waste.

A deeper problem comes when the data hasn’t been “cleaned.” A human would recognize that Matthew L. Garza, Matthew Garza, Matt L. Garza, and Matthew Luis Garza are all most likely the same person. But an analytical tool would read each name as separate, throwing off calculations. To be useful, data must be understood by analytical tools.

Data can make government operations more efficient: When combined with automatic workflows, data can drastically increase a government organization’s efficiency. Data entered by the public into a public complaint form can trigger a notification to the right department to address a particular issue.

Changes made to data in your system, such as a new property foreclosure, can be set Continued on page 19

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to trigger the appropriate action, such as notifying a Code Enforcement Officer. With a data-management tool (such as GovPilot), your government can harness your data to power workflows that will save significant time and resources.

Governments can also gain constituent support for programs by marketing their services using concrete results from data analytics.

Data can help you engage constituents: Providing access to open data through databases and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can give constituents the tools they need to find information on their own, therefore reduce incoming call volume and unscheduled walk-ins. This will lead to critical citizen insights when citizens are allowed to access and analyze open data.

Setting smart goals is the first step to using data analytics. Your government’s goals should be simple, and clearly defined with a result-driven metric such as “reduce homelessness by 25%.” It’s possible that those goals will be refined as you begin to look into the data and understand more of the individual factors behind the problem you’re seeking to solve.

Getting started with data analytics

Collaboration is key, both with all the stakeholders in your government, and with other agencies and departments that may have crucial insight and information you need. Partnering with other organizations to pool resources and results is not only more efficient, it can apply a greater number of experiences and perceptions to mutual problems.

Lastly, as your agency branches out into data analytics, it’s important to maintain best practices around privacy and security. Big data and analytics can be a powerful tool for governments, but as with any new tool it’s important to thoughtfully assess its impact.

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How Municipal Banking is About to Change

By Joe Rulison three+one advisors, Co-Founder and CEO

B

anking as a public entity is not as easy as it once was. Dodd-Frank, Basil III, the Durbin Rule, the Volker Amendment, Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Know your Client (KYC) regulations, etc., complicate how banking services will be offered going forward. While all of these changes are already underway, public entities still expect there to be little or no change in its banking relationships. What instead should a public entity expect going forward?

Simply put, the way a public entity banks and with whom is going to change dramatically. The use of cash and checks will be replaced through the use of smart technology. National banks will handle the largest banking relationships, while regional and community banks will compete for local business.

The chart below demonstrates the positive relationship between bank size and the budget levels of the clients they will typically serve:

At the same time, community banks with assets of $5B-10B will have the resources, less restrictions, and a greater appetite to pursue public clients. The depth and quality of treasury services being offered by community banks will be a short-term challenge, but public demand will drive necessary internal upgrades and/or partnerships with third party vendors.

No matter what size bank you have a relationship with, expect to have a series of conversations around the following: 1. Greater depth of information necessary to meet Know-Your-Client (KYC) requirements, including greater background on all elected officials, senior management, and staff that are involved with finances.

2. Explanations around the collection and use of cash and checks.

3. The use of credit cards and implementation of chip & pin technology

by October 2015.

4. The quality and value of your deposits. How long is your cash going to stay with the bank and what are your expected short & long-term cash needs.

5. Alternative deposit options, such as off-balance sheet investing.

Instead of keeping your funds as a deposit with your bank, you can use the bank as an investment custodian and invest with an outside Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) with strict guidelines of permissible investments as outlined in your local and state municipal regulations.

New capital and liquidity requirements are causing national and regional banks to look at their public clients much differently, while providing community banks an opportunity to become new players in government banking. Banks with assets of $50B and above will have much greater restrictions in place by January 2019, which will make certain products and services a loss leader on their balance sheets. As a result, you can expect banks to impose stricter guidelines around whom they are willing to service and what types of deposits they are willing to accept.

If little assurance is provided around your deposits or other needed treasury services, then expect a different kind of conversation from your bank: “either all or nothing.”

Here are some proactive steps that public entities can take to be ahead of the curve: 1. Talk with your bank and provide them with all the information they need. Again, this is not the fault of your bank, but rather a product of the pressures that are being placed on them from federal and state regulators.

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2. Understand that competition among banks will change, so develop relationships with the banks that correspond to your budget size, deposits, and treasury needs.

3. Develop a timeline with your bank on what deposit & treasury services you are going to need going forward, both now and in the future.

6. Work with a nationally recognized RIA that understands public deposits, and what is or is not permissible for investment.

4. Know your cash flow – distinguish between dollars that require immediate liquidity and those that can be invested for over 30 days.

5. Ask your bank what level of deposits they suggest / are interested in keeping (and at what cost), and what could be considered for “off-balance sheet” investment.

The day will come when a bank, no matter what size, will not want to handle some or any of your deposits, and will suggest alternative solutions such as off-balance sheet investing.

The time to ask questions and start the conversation with your bank is now. It is far better to proactively manage your banking relationship, than to be told that you have no options. Yes, the world of banking is changing, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be painful or costly to public entities.

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Innovations in Food Recovery: From Source Reduction to Composting

By Kathryn Vescio NYSAC Deputy Director of Government Relations

“Organics Recycling” refers to the

management of food “waste” by solid waste managers. Food waste may be anything considered inedible or expired, or even product that is edible, but not saleable by restaurant or food service standards (for example, unsold pastries or day old bread). The largest producers are key partners organics recycling: grocery stores, food service facilities, and other large generators of food and meals, like hospitals and schools. Residential homes also produce organics waste from food scraps, but on a much smaller scale.

The NYS EPA’s food recovery hierarchy illustrates the alternative uses for food waste before it becomes landfilled. The graphic below illustrates a process that include organizations, like food pantries, local farms, industrial consumers of organic waste, composting facilities and landfill managers.

New York and other states and local governments are delving into this field–diverting food from the waste stream and putting it to other uses. Instead of being wasted, unused food can go toward feeding the hungry, supplementing animal feed, energy production through anaerobic digestion, or used to make compost for farmers and gardeners. Of course, the ability to divert food to one of these alternative uses depends on many factors, including the condition of the food product (whether or not it is suitable for human or animal consumption), the availability of infrastructure to manage the food waste (is an anaerobic digester in the vicinity?), and of course, a system that facilitates the transfer of food waste products so that it may be put to these alternative uses.

While New York State does not have a statewide organics recycling law, there is progress in New York toward crafting a materials management policy that includes organics management. Individual counties also have taken on organics recycling at a local level.

Organics Recycling in New York: New York currently has no statewide program or mandate to require organics recycling statewide. In the 2008 report “Beyond Waste: A Sustainable Material Management Strategy,” the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) outlined goals for waste management reforms throughout the state. The report includes a section on composting and organic materials recycling. Since the release of “Beyond Waste” in 2010, the DEC has held a series of roundtables and discussion forums to engage stakeholders and look at challenges to establishing effective organics management programs in New York. Key to the success of any such program in New York are local government partnerships, private sector partnerships, and the development of key infrastructure.

In those counties that elect to manage organics separately from the rest of the waste stream, a combination of management techniques are employed, including farm animal feed collection, anaerobic digestion and creation of compost (and production of soil or mulch). Anaerobic digestion harnesses the natural decomposition process to capture methane gas, an energy source. In doing so, anaerobic digestion creates bio solids as a byproduct, these are the remains of the decomposed organic material after the methane has been released. Biosolids are a waste product that must be managed, and they are often spread on farmland as a fertilizer, 0r treated as industrial waste. Below are two Continued on page 24 www.nysac.org 23

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examples of counties in New York that manage organics separately from their waste stream and have had success. These counties’ examples may provide useful models for other counties that are interested in reducing landfill volumes and working toward an organics management plan.

Onondaga County, NY: The Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA) leads a food scrap recycling program that diverts 15% of the county’s waste from landfills. OCRRA diverts this waste to its compost facilities and then sells the compost at several locations.

For more information, see the “Food Waste Composting” section of the OCRRA website.

Tompkins County, NY: Tomkins County has an organics curbside collection pilot program. The county allows users to bring in up to 10 gallons of food scraps and compostable disposables per day, free of charge, to one of six drop off locations. Visit the link for more information on Tompkins County’s Food Scraps Recycling program.

What Other States and Local Governments Are Doing: States outside of New York are implementing organics recycling policies in many ways. Here are examples of states and one local government in New England that have implemented comprehensive waste management laws that include organics recycling: Vermont: In 2012, the Vermont Legislature unanimously passed Act 148, a universal recycling and composting law that offers Vermonters a new set of systems and tools for keeping as much as possible out of the landfill. The law created a phased-in ban on disposal of many “recyclables” including organics. The state was the first to implement mandatory residential organics recycling and curbside collection. For more information on the Vermont law, visit: http://www.anr.state.vt.us/ dec/wastediv/solid/Act148.htm Massachusetts: Effective October 1, 2014, Massachusetts businesses and institutions that generate one ton or more of food waste per week may no longer throw that material away. They must divert food wastes from disposal and instead use composting, conversion, recycling or reuse. The State Department of Environmental Protection (Mass DEP) promotes residential, commercial and institutional composting, recycling and reuse of grass clippings, yard wastes, food materials and other organics. Residential organics recycling is not mandated at the state level. For more information on the Massachusetts policy, visit: http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/massdep/recycle/reduce/ composting-and-organics.html

24 N YSAC News Fall 201 5

City of Cambridge, MA: The City of Cambridge, MA was among the first to implement curbside organics collection from residents. This was accomplished in October 2011, when Mass DEP awarded the city a 2 1/2 year grant for up to $67,000 through the Sustainable Materials Recovery Program to research, plan and possibly implement a pilot curbside food scraps collection program for residents. For the full report of this program, visit Cambridge’s DPW “Curbside Organics Collection from Residents Phase 1 Report.”

The Path Forward: Is Comprehensive Organics Management Possible in NYS? As New York State looks to include organics management in its future waste management plans, policy makers should involve local governments as partners as any laws are developed. Any mandatory materials management plan may have serious detrimental impacts on local governments, particularly those who have bonded costly infrastructure investments that may be impacted. Collectors, haulers and transporters of waste are also important stakeholders, as they provide critical insight into the process of waste movement. Food waste presents particular challenges when it is managed separately from other waste, and these challenges must be considered carefully. Food waste is attractive to wildlife, and may present a quality of life and public health hazard, if not managed responsibly and carefully. While other smaller states may have been able to implement aggressive food waste management policies, New York is a large and geographically diverse state. One-sized policies rarely fit all localities in New York and special care must be taken to ensure policy decisions in this area consider this important point.

While New York State looks toward making food waste management a priority in the years ahead, much research and planning must go in to developing a policy that would fit every county in New York. As more and more “early adopter” counties begin to explore food waste diversion on their own, and develop local plans that work for their communities, the State could play an important role. New York State should develop a program to incentivize these counties and provide funding and resources to assist them. This would enable more and more forward thinking local governments to pursue waste management strategies that recover organics and find other innovative alternative uses for food waste.

National Marine Sanctuary Designation Sought for Portion of Great Lake Ontario

By Phil Church Oswego County Administrator

T

ake a moment and picture in your mind: the Hawaiian Islands, the Olympic Coast, the Florida Keys, the Civil War wreck of the ironclad USS Monitor, and the beauty of Thunder Bay, Michigan.

These names are familiar to you, and to people around the world, because they are famous and treasured areas within the United States’ system of 14 National Marine Sanctuaries (NMS). Now imagine the economic and quality of life benefits that could be realized if a part of Upstate New York could belong to such a prestigious group of cherished places.

That is exactly what four counties and one city have set out to accomplish. On September 4, the counties of Oswego, Jefferson, Cayuga and Wayne, along with the city of Oswego, announced a coordinated regional effort to nominate a portion of Great Lake Ontario to become a new National Marine Sanctuary. The initial nomination area includes the water off all four counties out to the international border.

These are sites that contribute unique ecological, cultural, aesthetic, or recreational resources of national significance. They are selected for the opportunity they present to advance marine science, education, and conservation programs that support ecologic, economic, subsistence, and traditional uses.

In the summer of 2014, NOAA’s regional director of National Marine Sanctuaries, reached out to the county and city of Oswego to let us know that NOAA is designating new marine sanctuaries for the first time on 20 years, and that our region may be eligible.

The stern of the tugboat Mary Kay, off SUNY Oswego, is an example of a mixed-use site, popular with recreational divers and anglers alike. (Photo

by Philip Church)

The US marine sanctuary system is administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). According to NOAA, sanctuaries are areas designated for research, education, and protection. An NMS can only be designated for submerged areas within the oceans or Great Lakes.

Oswego County Legislature Chairman Kevin Gardner and Oswego Mayor Tom Gillan appointed a task force charged with coordinating the development of a nomination.

The task force is comprised of leadership, tourism and planning representatives from the four counties, Central New York Regional Planning and the H. Lee White Marine Museum. Advising this group are staff from New York Sea Grant, Oswego County Environmental Management Council, and state agencies such as the Department of Environmental Conservation’s bureaus of Fisheries and Natural Resources, Department of State, and the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

So why here? Why does our Great Lake deserve to be listed and thought of

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alongside the Florida Keys, Olympic Coast and Thunder Bay? Southeastern Lake Ontario is eligible for consideration as an NMS because of the age, type and preserved state of numerous historic shipwrecks and many other cultural and ecological features. These sites fall into two categories: recreational and research. Examples of recreational sites suitable for visiting divers are the 1898 wreck of the St. Peter near Pultneyville, which is already on the National Register of Historic Places; and the steamer David Mills, sunk in 1919 and now a New York State Submerged Cultural Preserve near Oswego. There are also sites too deep for recreational diving, but which need protection because of their important historic, scientific and educational value.

Examples include the Three Brothers, (1833) which is the oldest intact schooner known to exist in the Great Lakes; the Roberval, (1907) a steel clad steamer; the schooner Atlas (1839); and the Queen of the Lakes, built in 1858 and lost in 1906, which rests intact with all three masts still standing.

Our goal in seeking an NMS designation is to establish international recognition for the unique features of this region, to preserve our submerged heritage, and to increase economic, recreational, educational and scientific research activities here.

It’s very important to emphasize that the term “sanctuary” does not mean “off-limits.” In our case, it means just the opposite.

The proposed Great Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary will promote responsible visitation and scientific and educationbased research of this unique area, without interfering with the lake’s commercial and recreational activities, and without endangering the integrity of these exceptional a n d f r a g i l e r e s o u rc e s .

Significant efforts are being made to ensure there is no negative impact on fishing, waterfront development, and commercial shipping.

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The Great Lake Ontario NMS proposal will be based on the model of the Thunder Bay NMS at Alpena, Michigan, which is currently the only NMS in the Great Lakes. According to a 2013 study by the University of Michigan, the Thunder Bay NMS generates over $100 million in annual economic activity, impacts 1,700 jobs, and attracts marine technology companies and scholarly research partnerships. If the success of Thunder Bay is any indication, a successful nomination here could result in significant regional growth in the economy, new federal and private sector investment, new research opportunities for universities, programs for local schools, and increased tourism activity in sportfishing, heritage, and recreational diving.

The nomination process will take several months, and involve public stakeholder meetings throughout the region with educators, community leaders, the business community, divers, anglers, property owners, public organizations, and the general public. These meetings are vitally important so that the communities’ input and vision for this NMS is recognized and included in the federal designating legislation.

Once the nomination is submitted, NOAA begins an evaluation process to determine if the nomination meets its criteria for consideration. If it does, then NOAA begins its own research and public participation process to determine whether or not to designate the NMS. I encourage you to learn more about the project at www.lakeontarionms. com. Read the stories of many of Lake Ontario’s hidden vessels and their discoveries at www.shipwreckworld. com.

Lake Ontario NMS Map

Alternative Energy, Public-Private Partnerships Help County Landfill Move Forward

By Sharon A. Driscoll, Media Director, Madison County

M

adison County is harnessing the energy produced at its landfill to fuel a new public-private partnership.

In a plan announced this past summer, excess heat from the county’s Gas-to-Energy facility will be used in Johnson Brothers Lumber Company’s (JBL) drying kilns at one of the county’s landfill sites. This public-private partnership will provide jobs for area residents and the property JBL purchased from the county will be put back on the tax rolls.

In addition, a new 210-panel solar array will provide all of the power necessary to run the landfill’s operations building.

JBL recently expanded their mill in Cazenovia, NY, and has secured the purchase of the land from Madison County. They will be making use of free excess heat to sustainably dry their lumber.

Johnson Brothers Lumber is the first business to take advantage of the excess heat produced

by the Gas-to-Energy Facility, owned and operated by Waste Management Inc. “This is a win-win situation for both the Lumber Company and Madison County,” said Director James Zecca.

five years, saved the county approximately $70,000.00 in heating costs to date. With the advent of JBL the thermal energy produced by the Gas-to-Energy facility will also be used to heat Johnson Brothers drying kilns.

The second phase of the JBL project is to use the moist excess heat from their drying kilns to heat a greenhouse at the landfill site.

In 2008, Waste Management’s Renewable Energy Group and Madison County broke ground on the first joint public-private partnership landfill gas-to-energy (LFGTE) plant in Central New York.

Upon becoming operational in early 2009, the LFGTE facility is generating 1.4 megawatts of electricity – enough to power about 1,200 homes. This facility also produces thermal energy. Three percent of this energy is currently heating three buildings on site and has for the past

Under the 20 year agreement with Waste Management, Madison County will receive estimated annual revenue of $200,000 from WM for ongoing rights to all landfill gas, as well as a share of electrical sales from the project. In 2014, the county received $87,006.18 from the sale of methane gas and $110,507.76 from the sale of electricity.

Methane, a greenhouse gas, is produced as organic material decomposes in landfills. Recovering landfill gas for energy reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and benefits the economy by providing a stable, local source of alternative energy. The US Environmental Protection Continued on page 28

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Agency (US EPA) has endorsed landfill gas as an environmentally wise alternative energy resource that reduces our reliance on fossil fuels like coal and oil.

The annual reduction of greenhouse gases attributable to Madison County Landfill’s LFGTE project is equivalent to removing 8,034 cars from the road, reducing oil consumption by more than 102,077 barrels, or planting nearly 9,969 acres off forest, as calculated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Landfill Methane Outreach Program.

The solar array, installed by Solar Liberty of Buffalo, NY will produce 50kW of power

from the photovoltaic installation and will take care of 100 percent of the electrical needs for the landfill’s Operations Building.

The power purchase agreement between Madison County and Solar Liberty is for 15 years. The county will pay .05 cents per kilowatt hour guaranteed for the life of the contract. Solar Liberty provided and installed all of the solar panels and will maintain the array.

Director James Zecca said, “Our department and the Solid Waste Committee continue to find alternative sources of energy for our operation.

This is another step toward that goal.”

Madison County is also developing a new business park focused on Agriculture and Renewable Energy (ARE). One of the selling points for possible tenants of the ARE Park is low-cost green power and heat produced from the methane gas generated naturally from decomposing garbage, and used as fuel for the engine that runs the generator.

Businesses in the ARE Park will have access to a reliable, locally generated source of green energy, excess heat from the Landfill Gas-toEnergy Project, and electrical energy from solar projects sited at the landfill.

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A New Approach to Reduce Youth Inmate Recidivism

By Vincent F. DeMarco Suffolk County Sheriff and Chair of the Suffolk County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council

A

sk any corrections officer in New York State and they will tell you that it is not uncommon to see the same young people repeatedly cycling through the criminal justice system throughout their adolescence and into adulthood. In fact, there is a 75% chance that an incarcerated youth will be rearrested within the first year following their release from jail or prison. Many of these young people are members of street gangs, others are plagued with drug addictions, and many have family members who have cycled through periods of confinement throughout their lives.

Even more striking is the fact that more than 100,000 youth are incarcerated on any given day in adult jails and prisons in the United States, including thousands of minor 16 and 17 year olds in New York State.

Their crimes run the gamut from petit larceny, to drug sales, gang violence, armed robberies, and even murder. These adolescents and young adults are from all backgrounds. Some come from middle class and affluent homes, but the majority of these youth have a lengthy history of economic, social, educational and emotional issues. Many of them also suffer from mental health disorders, educational deficits and drug addiction. Of equal importance is the fact that their criminal behavior has a strong impact on their victims, the neighborhoods in which they live, their siblings and families, as well as the taxpayers -who must pay the cost of policing, court proceedings and incarceration.

A New Approach: The Youth Tier Initiative at the jail and the Youth Re-entry Task Force Over the last several years, there has been a distinct shift in Suffolk County toward collaborative criminal justice policy-making and the implementation of correctional and community-based programs designed to reduce inmate recidivism and ultimately drive down crime and the jail population.

In September 2011, I launched a Youth Tier Initiative at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in Riverhead, New York, to address some of the underlying factors that often lead to persistent criminal behavior in youth. The pilot initiative began with a separate housing area for 10 young male inmates between the ages of 16 and 19 and correction officers who volunteered to work with these youth in a mentoring capacity. We also reached out to the non-profit community and the local school district for support, and recruited volunteers to run life skills and vocational training programs, gang prevention education,

substance abuse counseling, anger management and a variety of other programs designed to foster greater self-discipline and better decision making.

I convened a Youth Re-entry Task Force in October 2011 and invited non-profit groups, representatives from government, the local school districts, Eastern Suffolk BOCES, Stony Brook University’s School of Social Welfare and other service providers from across Suffolk County to work in close collaboration with corrections staff to make programmatic recommendations and assist youth with transitioning back into our communities. Agencies such as the Family Service League and the United Way stepped up to provide support, and the Stony Brook University School of Social Welfare provided us with Masters level social work interns to perform discharge planning services.

Today, there are more than 70 organizations represented on the Youth Re-entry Task Force, and members meet six times per year to problem solve, provide in-reach into the facility and develop related initiatives.

The Youth Tier Initiative has also grown significantly throughout the years and has resulted in a significant savings to the county. In the last four years, Suffolk’s youthful jail population has been cut in half, saving the county’s taxpayers upwards of $30,000 a day, or approximately $10.5 million a year. The program now serves both males and females, and hundreds of young people have participated in the initiative. Many have also gone on to live more productive lives.

In partnership with several housing agencies, and by working in close collaboration with the Felony Youth Part in the county’s District Court, we have been able to divert many of these adolescents into residential placements and drug rehabilitation centers as an alternative to more lengthy jail stays. For those youth that return home and require remedial educational services, we partnered with Eastern Suffolk BOCES to transition youth leaving the county jail into an alternative full-day educational program. Most recently, we began providing onsite family counseling for the youth in partnership with a local non-profit agency.

The Youth Tier Initiative at the jail and the Youth Re-entry Task Force have served to enhance community relations between government and the county’s human service providers, which has greatly improved collaboration and mutual understanding. This has helped us to improve transitional services to the entire jail population by connecting the county’s inmate population with the growing network of service providers operating within the confines of the correctional facility. The initiative has also intensified county lawmakers’ interest in developing more alternatives to incarceration to address the root causes of crime, such as addiction.

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Counties Using Social Media to Promote Citizen Engagement

By Jamie L. Campbell Doctoral Student, University at Albany

W

hether you’re ready or not, here comes social media in government. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are platforms for exchanging information, and promoting online networks that foster interactivity and collaboration. While a younger demographic originally dominated the social media scene, today many groups are embracing the features of social media sites to communicate to mass audiences. When used in the public sector, social media can serve to increase the civic and political engagement of citizens. Consequently, many governmental agencies are in search of effective ways to adopt social media practices, and New York State county governments are no exception.

A 2015 study investigated social media use by New York State county governments, focusing on the strategies used to promote citizen engagement, and the ways social media is proving to be a valuable asset for both citizens and government. The investigation was comprised of two components. The first included interviews with county IT Directors, Communication Specialists, and Social Media Managers, and the second component relied on content analyses to examine current

counties’ social media practices, and their strategies for using social media to engage citizens.

The interviews revealed that NYS counties generally view the goal of their social media activity to be informational and transparent. While discussing goals, one employee stated, “It’s information. First and foremost, it’s information.” Another highlighted the responsibility of governments to strive for transparency, and described social media as a tool to do so, stating: “Let’s show off our services, show off everything we’re doing for the people. They pay money for the services they’re getting from this county. Let’s make sure we use more than just traditional media. Let’s make sure we use social media to get the message out, to show what they’re getting for their dollars.”

a i d e m l a i c o s

Despite the primary aim to be informational and transparent, many county governments are eager to see an increase in citizengovernment interactivity, but are unsure about how to use social media to increase citizen engagement. While several county representatives made statements similar to, “we would love more comments and feedback,” uncertainties about how to improve citizen-government relations via social media were also expressed.

So, what are county governments in NYS currently doing well on social media? What could those new to social media consider doing to increase citizen engagement within their county?

A preliminary review of county social media accounts revealed that 67% of NYS county governments maintained at least 1 social media account, with Facebook and Twitter being the two most prominently used platforms (31% of counties had Continued on page 31

30 N YSAC News Fall 201 5

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a Facebook or Twitter account, and 23% had both a Facebook and Twitter account).

Five counties (outside of NYC) were selected for detailed analysis: Cattaraugus, Dutchess, Erie, Rockland, and Steuben counties. For each county, all Facebook and Twitter activity was recorded from January 1st to January 31st, including the content and number of county government messages, the content and number of citizen comments and county replies, as well as indicators of citizen engagement with the messages (“likes” and “shares” on Facebook; “favorites” and “retweets” on Twitter).

The analysis identified eight prevailing purposes of the Facebook and Twitter activity of county governments: announcements, recognition, notifications, participation, recruitment, information, discussion, and advice. On both Facebook and Twitter, county government activities primarily served an informational purpose, with 33% of Facebook posts and 52% of Twitter posts providing general information to citizens, for example news stories. There was also a heavy presence of posting announcements (23%) and notifications (18%) on Facebook, and posting notifications (21%) and items of recognition (9%) on Twitter.

The analysis also enabled the identification of 18 commonly discussed topics of the social media messages posted by county governments.

On Facebook, 40% of county government messages centered on public safety & emergency services, 27.5% referenced an event, and 23% mentioned a specific person(s), whereas on Twitter, messages primarily discussed weather and nature (34%), transportation and public works (28%), and events (17%).

To further understand how NYS county governments and citizens interact via social media, the topics of county government messages were evaluated for their capacity to generate indications of support (i.e. “like” or “favorite”) and information exchange (i.e. “shares” or “retweets”). The results suggested that, on Facebook, county posts about public safety and emergency services receive the most indications of support, while posts of health and well-being generate the highest rate of information exchange. When using Twitter, however, counties received the most indications of support and highest rate of information sharing when county governments posted messages about weather and nature.

So, if a NYS county government has made a decision to use social media, they can consider adopting the following social media strategies that are already evident on many NYS counties’ social media pages: •

One strategy is referred to as information exchange. Information exchange is accomplished by providing regular updates on local projects. This strategy produces an informed citizen who believes they have the opportunities to access and comprehend information.

•

A second engagement strategy is known as collaborative engagement. Collaborative engagement occurs when citizens ask questions, and are acknowledged and responded to by the county. This strategy creates an empowered citizen who believes they have the right to participate.

•

Another strategy strives for the engagement of adversaries. In this approach, county governments allow citizens to freely use the social media site, producing an included citizen with a fair opportunity to express their voice.

•

The fourth engagement strategy serves to build a civil society, where information about concerns, policies, and programs, is shared in a networked way that creates an embedded citizen who maintains memberships and affiliations with a range of groups.

What’s the take-away message, you ask? Social media is already helping several counties in NYS enrich their communication with citizens – for those seeking to enhance citizen-government relations and promote citizen engagement– you may want to consider “sharing” your newfound “like” for social media with your own county government!

This study was conducted by Jamie L. Campbell, a doctoral student at the University at Albany, under the guidance and direction of Dr. Teresa Harrison, UAlbany Associate Professor and CTG Faculty Fellow, and CTG Program Director, Meghan Cook

www.nysac.org 31

Local Laws: Microbeads, Drones, and Other Issues Impacting Counties

By Patrick Cummings Counsel, New York State Association of Counties

Erie County Passes Local Law Banning the Sale of Cosmetic Products Containing Microbeads On August 12, 2015 the Erie County Executive signed local legislation to prohibit the sale of cosmetic products containing microbeads.

Within the local law the county Legislature determined that microbeads can collect harmful pollutants thereby posing a serious threat to Erie County’s environment. This environmental threat includes harming fish and other aquatic organisms when released into the water system.

The Legislature found that the disposal of certain cosmetic products down household drains have created high levels of microbeads in New York waterbodies, including Lake Erie. The legislation states that without significant and costly improvements to the Erie County sewage treatment facility, this type of pollutant will continue to impact the local bodies of water.

The law defines microbeads as “any intentionally added plastic particle measured to be five millimeters or less in size used to exfoliate or cleanse in a personal care product.”

The law prohibits any person or entity from selling, offering to sell, give or furnish any personal cosmetic product which contains microbeads within Erie County. Those persons or entities found in violation of this law shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $2500.00 for each day during in which a violation occurs.

Orange County Enacts “Rocky’s Law” Establishing Registry for Animal Abusers On June 23, 2015, Orange County enacted “Rocky’s Law” which establishes a registry of animal abusers within the county. The Orange County Legislature found that despite the criminalization of cruelty of animals, that this type of abuse is still prevalent in New York and in their county. Additionally, the Legislature found that people who abuse animals in the past are likely to do so in the future. The Legislature determined that an online registry of individuals found guilty of animal abuse crimes could help curtail those individuals from obtaining animals in the future and may reduce animal abuse levels in their county.

Orange County’s Rocky’s Law authorized the Sheriff to establish an online animal abuse registry consisting of those residing in the county

that have been convicted of an animal abuse crime on or after the passing of this act. The information in the registry shall include the name, residence, and photograph of the convicted for a period of no longer than 15 years on the registry.

This local law also prohibits animal shelters, pet sellers, or any other person within the county to transfer ownership of an animal to those on the registry.

Animal is defined by the local law as “any living mammal (except Human Being), bird, reptile, amphibian, or fish.”

Rockland County Legislature Passes Local Law Regulating Drone Operation On June 16, 2015 the Rockland County Legislature passed a local law that regulates the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s), better known as drones. Drones are defined by the law as UAV’s that can fly under the control of a remote pilot or via a geographical positions system (GPS) guided autopilot mechanism.

This local law states that drones may fly at altitudes below airspace regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Legislature further stated they wish to address public safety concerns due to the potential drone ability to carry contraband items as well as concerns the potential for drone use with cameras that may infringe on one’s reasonable expectation of privacy.

This local law “will limit the use of drones in Rockland County to an individual’s private property, another individual’s private property with that private property owner’s consent, public property with the consent of the municipality that owns it.” Additionally, drone operators are restricted from flying within 50 feet of the Rockland County Jail or Sheriff complex.

The following uses are exempt from the law: 1) any drone use by a law enforcement agency with regard to search and seizure; 2) use by fire and emergency service agencies; 3) using drones in course of employment of a government agency; and 4) during a declared government state of emergency, utility company use under the jurisdiction of the County Public Services Commission.

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Any person in violation of this act shall be subject to $250.00 for the first offense, $500.00 for a subsequent violation within a 12 month period, and a third violation within a 12 month period can result in a class ‘A’ misdemeanor and subject to up to $1,000.00 fine and up to one year in jail. Additionally, a single act of operating a drone within 50 feet of the Rockland County Jail or Sheriff Complex could result in a class ‘A’ misdemeanor.

Albany County Introduces Local Law Banning the Sale of Gun Grip Cell Phone Cases On September 14, 2015 the Albany County Legislature introduced a local law that would ban the sale of cell phone cases with a “strong resemblance to actual firearms unless inspected at very close distances.” The local law states that “gun grip” cases for cell phones are designed to protect cell phones but that the primary function is to create an appearance of an actual firearm.

The legislation declares that federal officials and police officers have voiced concerns that this type of product could lead to tragic outcomes due to the resemblance to actual firearms.

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The act would prohibit any person from selling or offering for sale gun grip cell phone cases within the County of Albany.

If adopted, any person who intentionally violates this law shall be punished by a fine of five hundred dollars ($500) for the first violation, and up to one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each subsequent violation of the law.

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www.nysac.org 33

MEGA: A Bold and Effective Innovation

By Ron Feldstein President & CEO, Municipal Electric and Gas Alliance

W

hen the Municipal Electric and Gas Alliance (MEGA) was started as a pilot program in 1998, the founding legislators from Tompkins and Tioga counties could hardly have imagined that over the next 17 years this experiment in energy buying would grow to serve more than 270 local governments. Our participants today include not only 36 county governments, but also dozens of cities, scores of towns, school districts, villages and special districts from the Hudson Valley to the Niagara Frontier and the North Country.

New, significant expansions of MEGA’s offerings are on tap for the near future.

Community Choice Aggregation, which will allow municipalities to arrange energy supply for all residential customers, is the “next big thing” MEGA will make available. It promises to both rid the marketplace of bad energy marketers, and also give communities a way to control their own energy future with more public involvement.

Today, the Municipal Electric and Gas Alliance, staffed and led by current and former local government officials, helps control energy costs for taxpayers in nearly every corner of upstate New York. We provide a procurement platform in conformance with state law that allows our participants to purchase electricity, natural gas, renewable power and other value-added energy services. Purchasing and financial officials rely on our expertise for budget projections, savings analyses, educational seminars and other services.

County governments collaborating on our bids issue piggybacking resolutions to

allow all other municipalities to participate in the programs. Participating governments save time and gain market power by using MEGA, rather than issuing their own bids by themselves.

The New York State Public Service Commission has highlighted MEGA’s role as an aggregator of energy users, a means to spread the benefits and lower the cost of participating in the competitive marketplace that the PSC has fostered for nearly two decades. MEGA provides a way for local governments to gain efficiency through shared services by utilizing MEGA’s procurement platforms.

MEGA Governance and Accountability MEGA is a not-for-profit Local Development Corporation formed by county governments.

The MEGA corporation is comprised of appointees from county governments that participate in our energy supply programs.

Each year, the corporation elects the Board of Directors, which meets quarterly to set policy and adopt a budget. A small staff oversees our expert consultants and takes the lead in marketing the programs.

In 2008, after its first decade of service, MEGA entered into a partnership with NYSAC. Since then, our participants have expanded by 300%, and we have added renewable energy, delivered compressed natural gas and demand-response procurements to our menu. More recently, we have engaged with the New York Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials, and the New York State Association of School Business Officials to increase awareness among those groups.

Alternative Energy and Innovation Alternative energy has been a focus of MEGA for years, and in 2014, in partnership with Tompkins County, we conducted procurement to make remotely-metered solar and hydroelectric power available to our municipalities. The result has been nearly 70MW of new, renewable capacity among nearly 30 projects across the state. Savings to the municipalities will amount to tens of millions over the term of the agreements.

This fall, in partnership with St. Lawrence County, MEGA is procuring a statewide curtailment services program, giving eligible accounts a way to capture the financial benefits of voluntarily curtailing usage when the electric grid is under stress.

Community Choice Aggregation Perhaps the most exciting and biggest recent change in the energy landscape is Community Choice Aggregation. This program, already in place in other states, allows municipalities to arrange energy supply for all residential customers on an “opt out” basis. In other words, everyone is in the aggregation unless they choose to get out. Up to now, all energy aggregation in New York has been “opt in.”

MEGA will be educating and engaging our participants in the coming weeks and months to determine interest in initiating CCA programs. Our long-time energy consultants, EnergyNext, Inc. have recently merged with a firm in Illinois that has managed CCA programs there for about 40 communities, so the MEGA team has already reached a level of experience and expertise that will benefit our participants.

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CCA will allow municipalities, subject to public hearings and referendum, to aggregate customers, determine energy supply arrangements through public bid, and even add in renewable options, microgrid development and other priority upgrades determined by the community.

All these programs, managed by MEGA through its local government participants, make MEGA an ongoing “bold idea” in county government. It is a way for county governments to innovate and collaborate, to create market platforms for valueadded energy products and services, to engage with municipal customers, and now residents, in a transparent, data-driven and objective manner, foster public-private collaboration, and, most importantly, deliver savings and value to taxpayers at every level of government.

MEGA is proud of its successful track record implementing the energy supply priorities that work best for New York State’s municipal energy consumers. Anyone seeking further perspective on our experience is invited to visit www.megaenergy.org or contact any member of our staff or Board of Directors.

Staff:

Directors:

Heather Brown, Sullivan County

Ron Feldstein

Mike Stamm, Tompkins County

Karen Sullivan, Otsego County

Doug Barton

Mary Pat Hancock, Genesee County

Rick Blythe, Broome County (emeritus)

Barbara Blanchard

Steve Hoover, Chemung County

Mark Taylor, Schuyler County

Bob Edwards, Hamilton County

Jack Wheeler, Steuben County

www.nysac.org 35

Working Together, Working for Life: Counties Come Together to Save Lives through Organ and Tissue Donation

By Aisha Tator Executive Director, New York Alliance for Donation

that are more than willing to help one another. When I compare New York to other states with successful registries, I see a long and troubling list of administrative barriers that prevent New Yorkers from easily documenting their decision to save a life. I have also witnessed the positive impact support and awareness within communities and at the highest levels of government can have on this issue. The decision to support organ and tissue donation needs to be shared and communicated throughout New York State.

N

ew York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) and New York Alliance for Donation (NYAD) are joining together to launch a statewide collaborative campaign, “Working Together, Working for Life,” to raise awareness of the importance of organ and tissue donation. The two organizations are partnering to take bold steps to help save and improve the lives of thousands of New Yorkers in dire need of transplants.

Nationally, the current waiting list for organs has reached over 122,000 people. Every 13 minutes another person is added to the list and an average of 21 people die each day waiting. In New York alone, the number of men, women and children waiting for a transplant is over 10,000. To make matters worse, New York recently moved from 49th to 50th in the state-by-state rankings with regard to the percentage of eligible residents registered as organ and tissue donors. Every 17 hours, a New Yorker dies waiting for an organ transplant. While surveys show that 83% of New Yorkers support organ and tissue donation, only 24% of residents are registered organ and tissue donors.

I am frequently asked, “What is it about New Yorkers that we have one of the worst registries in the country with the lowest percentage of our population signed up as organ, eye and tissue donors?” The immediate assumption is that New Yorkers are not altruistic or that they are less compassionate than residents in other states. I wholeheartedly disagree with this assertion. New Yorkers are kind, generous and caring people

This is where NYS county governments play a key role in raising awareness of this lifesaving issue with New Yorkers. County officials interact with the public on this subject through local DMV offices, local boards of elections, departments of health, naturalization ceremonies and veterans’ programs. These are all opportunities to provide individuals with information on how they can help their fellow New Yorkers by signing up as an organ and tissue donor. Working together, we can increase New York’s organ and tissue donation rates and save lives.

This issue can impact anyone at any time. No one really knows when we, or a loved one, may need a transplant to survive, but to these families New York’s struggle to make organs available for donation is a high stakes reality that affects all of their lives. With the launch of the “Working Together, Working for Life” campaign, New York’s county governments can play a tremendous lifesaving role.

NYAD is providing tool kits, training modules and educational materials to support county governments as we embark on this exciting campaign.

These resources will be made available to participating counties online, including but not limited to: social media content, facts about donation, a listing of annual observances, county by county data, educational modules for employees, samples of newsletter content, emails to employees and community organizations, press releases, county resolutions, and information on how to request materials and volunteers for in-office awareness and events. To access these materials and join in the campaign, please go to, www.alliancefordonation.org/NYSAC. These resources will be expanded upon and updated on a regular

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basis, so please make sure to visit frequently. NYSAC and NYAD are also in the process of developing specific programs for county governments to help shape public opinion on the benefits of organ and tissue donation*.

Thank you to the leadership and members of NYSAC for taking this BOLD step to saving the lives of more than 10,000 New Yorkers!

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” -W. H. Murray For more information on what your county can do to help save the lives of the more than 10,000 New Yorkers currently on the organ transplant wait list, visit the Working Together, Working for Life Resource Center at www.alliancefordonation.org/NYSAC or call NYAD directly at 518-326-3237.

Nassau County Rose Garden Rededication Honors Organ Donors and Donor Families Hon. Edward Mangano, Nassau County Executive, announced that the Long Island Transplant Recipients International Organization (LITRIO) and Nassau County annual rededication of the Eisenhower Park Rose Garden was recently held in honor of organ donors and donor families. The ceremony honored living donors and donor families who gave generously and provided the gift of life for transplant recipients. LITRIO maintains the Rose Garden as part of Nassau County’s Adopt a Park program, and the garden is kept in recognition and celebration of life-giving organ donations.

*New York State organ donor registration data by county can be found on page 38.

www.nysac.org 37

38 N YSAC News Fall 201 5

#13 Percent: What It Means and How County Leaders Can Join In

By Stacy Schweikhart Leadership Team, Engaging Local Government Leaders Network

Remember in 1985 when:  The Cosby Show and Dynasty were the highest ranked sitcoms on television and WrestleMania was the newest craze?  Lines formed in stores for the release of Madonna, Bryan Adams and “We are the World” cassette tapes?  The release of computer interface software for fax machines was a groundbreaking advancement in office communication?  Nationwide, women occupied 13% of highest administrative leadership positions in local government?

While it is fun to reminisce on the glory days for Hulk Hogan and the Material Girl, it’s less amusing to realize that unlike the rest of the list one item has not changed. The percentage of women in local government chief administrative positions nationwide is very nearly the same today as it was 30 years ago.

In 2012, the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Task Force on Women in the Profession was established to examine the current status of women in local government and to update the 1976 ICMA report on the topic. Their research and recommendations focused on five categories – Changing dynamics of families; Development of tomorrow’s leaders; Membership recruitment and retention; Elected officials; and Professional development.

Here are the facts:  Today 59% of those earning MPA degrees are women  Approximately 50% of the local government workforce is female  Roughly 13% of Chief Administrative Officers in local government are women  There has been 1% growth in female CAO’s in the last 30 years.

As a result of the study, the ICMA Task for on Women issued a report calling on leaders in local government to support efforts to advance the leadership representation of women in the profession. Two national networks stepped up to answer the call.

The League of Women in Government (www.league ofwomeningovernment.com) serves as an umbrella organization to support local and statewide organizations that advance women in local government leadership. The group works to move the needle forward on the number of women serving at the most senior and executive levels in all areas of local government and harness resources to help women in government reach their maximum potential through a support network of information, development opportunities, and educational forums.

The Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL) network didn’t just step up – they jumped in feet first and launched the #13percent initiative.

ELGL, also known as Emerging Local Government Leaders, is a network of innovative local government leaders with a passion for connecting, communicating and educating. ELGL believes that attracting and retaining local government professionals requires making meaningful connections. ELGL members share information – a learning process that empowers all of us to work harder, smarter, faster and more creatively.

ELGL provides educational offerings that address new trends and ways we can proactively respond as local government professionals.

ELGL is facing the #13percent challenge head on with a diverse arsenal of approaches. The core of the ELGL #13percent effort is a robust social media campaign. Members from throughout the nation regularly share articles, observations and personal stories all linked with the hashtag #13percent. In true ELGL form, local government professionals from all fields and all leadership levels contribute original content that explores the topic from new and inspiring perspectives. These columns are posted on the ELGL website, shared on social media and included in daily ELGL e-news updates. ELGL leaders travel to conferences or host webinars on demand to conduct trainings and present education sessions bringing awareness to the #13perent challenge. The NYSAC Fall Seminar recently welcomed ELGL leaders Brittany Bennett and Sarah Hazel for just such a session. The brainstorming exercise conducted with NYSAC participants brought forward some powerful ideas – ideas that will be shared and implemented by ELGL members nationwide.

By now you may be considering how you and your county can get involved. Start by learning more about ELGL. Take a look at the website (www.elgl.org), find the page on Facebook and check ELGL out on Continued on page 40

www.nysac.org 39

Continued on page 39

Twitter (@ELGL50). Search the hashtag #13percent on social media to see the vast range of contributions made by professionals in the field as part of the campaign. Maybe you will even be inspired to join ELGL. It is the most affordable professional membership around for both individuals and/or your entire organization. The return on your membership dollar through free webinars, online resources and an extensive professional network is exceptional.

Even if you aren’t active on social media or decide not to formally join ELGL, you can still participate in the #13percent initiative.

Every individual serving in local government can do three things that will help to advance the role of women in the profession: 1. Encourage: Reach out to students at your local high school or university. Talk about the rewards of choosing a career in local government. Discuss how leadership in communities must reflect the demographics of the community and how diversity of all types is essential.

2. Notice and Speak Up: Inherent gender bias exists. Sometimes it is blatant, sometimes it is subtle. It can manifest in convened work groups that are unintentionally all male, in unequal references to gender (females mentioned as “girl” while males noted as “men”), in interview questions about balancing home/work or as bold as inappropriate comments about personal appearance. When you hear or see something in the workplace that contradicts gender equality, take notice and speak up.

3. Mentor: In formal or informal ways, commit to being a mentor for women in the field. Women are natural role models for each other, but must make the conscious decision and commit time to being a mentor. Read up on “Shine Theory.” Men, you have a role too.

Connect strong female leaders in your organization to each other or to other female leaders in your community.

Together we will make #13percent an initiative that we reminisce about on the “remember when” list in 2045.

40 N YSAC News Fall 201 5

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NYSAC Fall Seminar Scenes

Top to bottom: Mary Rozak, Director of Communications for the Albany County Executive, moderates the Communicating with Constituents workshop; the 2015-16 NYSAC Board of Directors; the fall 2015 County Government Institute graduates; exhibitors speak with county officials.

Top to bottom, left side: Conference attendees participate in a workshop; outgoing President Anthony Picente (Onedia County) addresses county officials at the NYSAC Business Luncheon; incoming President Maggie Brooks (Monroe County) speaks following her swearing-in.

Right: NYMIR Executive Director Kevin Crawford presents Warren County Chairman Kevin B. Geraghty with the award for Excellence in Workplace Safety.

Top to bottom, right side: Madison County Supervisor James Rafte wsa recognized by NYSAC for 48 years of service on the county board; NACo President Matt Chase recieved NYSAC’s award for county innovation; Hon. Jeff Adair swears in new NYSAC President Maggie Brooks.

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to 8 weeks from the receipt of application n Best suited to clients who will spend more than

$100,000 annually on goods and services

Cash Rebates Participants in the NYSAC Payment Solutions Program receive cash rebates on their purchases if the aggregate annual spend on the card equals or exceeds $50,000. The more items purchased using the card, the greater the rebate percentage.

Rebates are calculated on 100% of aggregate spending on the P-Card and include all large-ticket items. All purchases are eligible for the rebate.

Mark LaVigne, Deputy Director New York State Association of Counties 540 Broadway, 5th Floor Albany, NY 12207 P: 518.465.1473 • C: 518.429.0189

through presentations and webinars n Quarterly spend reports with projected annual

spend and rebate, plus next level spend and expected rebate n Quarterly newsletter n Targeted mailings throughout the year to

highlight best practices which will help maximize the value of your program n Email bulletins on current P-Card

changes/initiatives and updates to online system

Kelly Smaldone, Senior Managing Consultant PFM Financial Services LLC Airport Corporate Center One Corporate Drive, Suite 101 • Bohemia, NY 11716 P: 631.580.6258 • C: 631.553.5916 Toll Free: 800.356.5148 • F: 888.356.3188

PFM ®

Ordering can’t really get much easier in New York.

Welcome to John Deere. What’ll it be today: A Gator™Utility Vehicle? A versatile mower? Would you like fex wing cutters with that? Whatever you’re in the mood for, streamlined purchasing and a range of fnancing options make it easy to get what you want and get on your way. Drive up to your John Deere dealer or visit JohnDeere.com/Local for a taste of what’s in store.

The object is simplicity.

63206

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ALBANY, NY PERMIT # 695

540 Broadway, 5th Floor Albany, NY 12207

Cut costs without cutting what’s important.

It’s possible with Pharmacy Benefit Dimensions.

As health care costs continue to rise, counties are forced to consider unfavorable reductions to benefits and staff. But with the right tools in place, you can reduce the cost of your pharmacy benefits and help prevent such cutbacks. With Pharmacy Benefit Dimensions, every customer has been able to significantly reduce their pharmacy costs by an additional 15–25 percent in just one year.

Learn more about how your county can save with Pharmacy Benefit Dimensions.

Visit pbdrx.com or call us at 1-800-667-5936.

©2015 Independent Health’s Pharmacy Benefit Dimensions, LLC IH20257