Grand Traverse County Administration 400 Boardman Avenue Traverse City, MI 49684 (231) 922-4780

2014 Annual Report www.grandtraverse.org

www.grandtraverse.org 2 2014 Annual Report

Message from David D. Benda, Administrator/Controller Grand Traverse County continues to build upon the successes

of the past by seeking new ways to provide high quality pro-

grams and excellent customer service to residents and visitors.

We’re proud of our accomplishments in 2014, and this brief re-

port outlines some of those successes.

The Board and county employees, who strive daily to provide

the taxpayers with essential county services, tackled some very

difficult issues this past year, many of them financial. The

county was facing a structural deficit of $1 million at the end of

2013, and that deficit was corrected by the end of 2014.

The county was facing a 51% increase in health insurance

costs going into 2014, and another 17% increase in 2015. The

Board and employee unions reached agreement on plan design

changes and other concessions that reduced employee costs

by over $1 million.

Grand Traverse County continues to be a leader in collabora-

tive government. Benzie, Leelanau, and Grand Traverse Coun-

ties mourned the passing of each county's longtime Medical

Examiner, Dr. Matthew Houghton. Our Health Officer took the

lead to organize an intergovernmental agreement for the crea-

tion of a tri-county Medical Examiner Office within the Health

Department to serve the needs of the three counties.

The voters approved a six-year increased surcharge for 911/

Central Dispatch services, from $.80 to $1.85 per month on tel-

ephone lines. The increased revenue will allow for full opera-

tional funding and will provide up to $1.6 million in sorely-

Message 2

Mission and Vision 4

Strategic Goals 4

Financial Strength 5

Technology 6

Infrastructure 7

Community Engage-

ment and Access

7

Employment 8

Capabilities of the

Board

9

Health and Quality of

Life

9

Protecting and Pre-

serving Resources

11

Awards, Commenda-

tions, Certifications

12

Table of Contents:

2014 Annual Report www.grandtraverse.org

www.grandtraverse.org 3 2014 Annual Report

needed 911 equipment upgrades.

The county continued to increase investments

in technology efficiencies and capital improve-

ments. The budget for information technology

and capital projects had been reduced during

the Great Recession to unsustainable levels,

and additional funding was set aside for both in

2013 and 2014. While there is still a lot of

catching up to do, the appropriations for these

areas were increased in both years to sustaina-

ble levels.

Restoration of capital and technology funding,

combined with the revenue items outlined

above, greatly contribute to the county’s long-

term financial stability. In addition to the posi-

tive revenue items above, county offices kept

the lid on costs in 2014. The use of fund bal-

ance for 2014 was under $300,000, instead of

the $1.3 million that was originally budgeted.

The budget for 2015 is essentially balanced

and should result in no use of fund balance.

Looking into 2015, the county has already re-

ceived an unexpected net asset distribution

from its insurer, MMRMA, for $476,000, and an

additional $500,000 funding from the state for

the liquor tax, half of which must be spent on

substance abuse programs. There are some

unanticipated expenditures, as well, such as

funding for the local match for the Cass Road

Bridge, funding for a long-overdue classification

plan, and its implementation, for county em-

ployees, and funding for the county’s pension

liabilities.

The county is paying the annual required contri-

bution (ARC) for its pension liability, which is

increasing at a rate of $225,000 per year. The

ARC will increase at that rate for another 12

years, then drop to the normal cost once it is

100% funded. The county has considered sell-

ing bonds to fully fund the liability to amortize

the debt over 20 years and take advantage of

low interest rates, but the board has not acted

upon that opportunity.

The county continues to provide the public with

open access to governmental processes by tel-

evising every meeting of the Board of Commis-

sioners and by responding, without incident, to

hundreds of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

requests. The County Prosecutor also provides

Open Meetings Act and FOIA training for all the

local governing and nonprofit boards in the

county.

The county successfully resolved its structural

deficit in 2014 and continued to provide the

same high level of county services to the pub-

lic. The County Board of Commissioners and

all of the professionals that the county employs

to deliver efficient and customer-friendly public

safety, emergency response, health and wel-

fare, judicial, and administrative services, will

continue to find ways to make the taxpayers

proud of their county government’s response to

their needs.

www.grandtraverse.org 4 2014 Annual Report

Vision The Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners envision:

A COMMUNITY that preserves the beautiful and healthy environment making Grand Trav-

erse County a desirable community in which to live where the safety of its community is of

utmost concern and who focuses on the well-being of all its people.

A COUNTY GOVERNMENT that collaborates with other units of government on common is-

sues for the benefit of the community and its individuals that encourages risk taking and inno-

vation to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our services and to better serve our con-

stituents where all our customers have ready and easy access to government services.

Strategic Goals 1. Maintain financial strength and stability with continued access to capital

2. Strengthen and expand the County’s use of technology

3. Address the County’s infrastructure needs

4. Continue community engagement and access to information

5. Ensure that Grand Traverse County is viewed as a fair and equitable employer

6. Expand the capabilities of the Board of Commissioners

7. Pursue initiatives that advance the health and quality of life of the region

8. Protect and preserve our water resources, forests, natural areas and scenic beauty

The Grand Traverse County Team is committed to providing responsive,

effective, quality service to our community.

MISSION

www.grandtraverse.org 5 2014 Annual Report

Financial Strength and Stability The Finance Department received its 9th

consecutive Certificate of Achievement for

Excellence in Financial Reporting from the

Government Finance Officers Association

for the county’s 2013 Comprehensive An-

nual Financial Report.

Developed a five-year operating budget projection that showed the future impact of changes

made in the 2015 Budget and various assumptions about future events that will affect county

revenues and expenditures.

Maintained favorable bond ratings of Aa2 from Moody’s and AA from Standard and Poor’s.

Sought reimbursement of jail housing fees from present and former inmates under the Pris-

oner Reimbursement Act, reducing otherwise uncollectible debt from $1,239,212.99 to just

$664,721.31.

Obtained several new grants:

GIS LiDAR mapping ($77,101.50)

Family Planning Title X services ($24,003)

Parks ($3,000 wellness grant for MI Big Green Gym Challenge)

Fruit tree research ($250,000)

Local beach monitoring and rescue stations ($25,000)

Victim rights ($40,000 increase)

Settled labor agreements that included 1.5% wage increases through 2016 and addressed double digit increases in health insurance rates with a $250/$500 deductible and 20% co-insurance, along with other significant cost-saving changes. The new health insurance plan cost is over $1 million less than the cost of the previous plan.

Leaders balanced the 2015 Budget and

resolved the $1 million structural defi-

cit using a combination of personnel

cost reductions and new revenue.

www.grandtraverse.org 6 2014 Annual Report

Technology Implemented the CodeRED emergency notification system for any county resident who wants to be notified of emergency situations affecting their immediate area. Combined Circuit and Family Court Records into one location due to the successful imple-mentation of electronic filing. Became one of only 20% of Michigan counties accepting all types of Register of Deeds documents for e-recording. Implemented an online Help Desk and remote access, allowing IT to be more efficient and responsive supporting end user is-sues. Increased efficiency with jury payment cards, saving significant dollars over issuing paper checks. Implemented full electronic health records. Installed 10 new servers for Public Safety applications, upgrad-ing 200 personal computers to the latest police software version for city and county law enforcement. Created 5 new servers to support the document imaging sys-tem. Expanded scanning in the Treasurer' s office to reduce the amount of paper in storage and improve ease of access. Continued with long-overdue upgrades by replacing 150 county computers and upgrading 50 to Windows 7. Installed new Polycom units in all three District Court court-rooms for video conferencing during court hearings.

911

Grand Traverse

County passed a

ballot proposal for

911, increasing the

county telephone

surcharge from

$.80 to up to $1.85

for six years be-

ginning July 1,

2015 to fully fund

operations and re-

place outdated

equipment and

technology.

www.grandtraverse.org 7 2014 Annual Report

Improved jail security with a full body scanner purchased at a discount from the TSA. Began accepting credit card payments for DPW water, sewer, and septage utility billings. Implemented a new paperless electronic felony warrant process.

Infrastructure Made recommendations to improve the 10-mile corridor along Grand Traverse Bay from Ac-me to Greilickville (Bayshore Corridor Strategy Phase I) and received support from local planning commissions. www.masterplan.grandtraverse.org Installed a gate at Twin Lakes Park. Closed Kids Kove in October and began the process of addressing arsenic in ground cover and safety issues. Corrections Division created a Collections Coordinator assignment and created policies and procedures to collect inmate fees. Modified the jail Rated Design Capacity to 168 beds with the abandonment of the Work Re-lease Facility. Attended the National Institute of Corrections Planning of New Institutions program. Added a full body scanner.

Community Engagement and Access Completed a Citizens Guide, Performance Dashboard, Budget Report, and Debt Service Re-

port to provide important financial information to the public in an easy-to-read format.

Entered into an agreement with Benzie County to provide those residents with veteran ser-

vices.

www.grandtraverse.org 8 2014 Annual Report

Worked with Garfield, Long Lake, and East

Bay Townships to offer a special no charge

Brush Drop-Off Site pass for residents. Partici-

pated in and facilitated the Free Compost

Event, Clean Out Your Files Week, and Clean

Up Green Up recycling events.

Made dog license data available on the web.

Provided the Cherry Festival Baby Comfort Tent, which had almost 1000 visitors.

The Health Department assisted over 14,400 individuals with referrals to services.

Expanded educational offerings to hops producers, reaching over 1,000 people in-person

and over 29,000 people around the world through www.hops.msu.edu.

Collaborated with the MSU Institute of Applied Technology and Northwestern Michigan

College on a conference for the grape and wine industry, co-organized the Orchard and

Vineyard Show, and hosted the Great Lakes Fruit Workers Conference with the Northwest

Michigan Horticultural Research Center staff.

Implemented a new Power Island Shuttle service.

Removed the Skate Park fence at the Civic Center.

Employees raised $6,079.90 for Relay for Life and collected over 350 cold weather acces-

sories for donation to the Goodwill Inn.

Employment Issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a classification and compensation consultant. Encouraged positive recognition through the “Making a Difference” program.

The Website Committee facilitated

the continuous improvement of

the county’s web site –

www.grandtraverse.org, enhanc-

ing the list of services and making

navigation easier.

www.grandtraverse.org 9 2014 Annual Report

Recruited and filled 94 positions. Negotiated labor contracts with all 11 employee unions and 2 employee associations, and developed pay and benefit package for non-represented employees. Noticed a decrease in grievances from 10 to 6. Completed 12 workplace investigations and reduced the number of grievances filed by em-ployees. Implemented an employee loan program in the MERS Defined Contribution plan. Changed retiree health plan from Medicare Advantage to Medicare Supplemental and made the benefits consistent with those of active employees.

Capabilities of the Board of Commissioners Created a policy on participation in tax appeals.

Continued supporting iPads and use of technology by Commis-

sioners.

Held detailed budget review hearings with all county offices in

early 2014.

Health and Quality of Life Approved a new Community Development Agreement to provide

Planning staff assistance to the City of Traverse City and Down-

town Development Authority (DDA).

Created the Northern Michigan Public Health Alliance with five

local health departments.

The Health Depart-

ment worked

closely with Mun-

son Hospital to de-

velop Ebola emer-

gency response

plans and present-

ed the plan at a tel-

evised internation-

al affairs forum.

The department

also responded

aggressively to the

community-wide

pertussis and a

measles outbreak

www.grandtraverse.org 10 2014 Annual Report

Hosted the first expanded Northwest Michigan Water Safety Network group, which ad-

dresses water safety through its “Play it Safe in the Water” branding.

Prepared a new county Hazard Mitigation Plan and overhauled the Emergency Operations

Plan.

Developed four strategically placed Point-of-Dispensing “Go Kits”, which are operational

cages on wheels that contain all materials needed to be utilized in a mass dispensing oper-

ation in the event of a pandemic.

Took the lead in the affordable housing issue with a new management agreement with

Homestretch Nonprofit Housing Corporation to revive the Depot

Neighborhood project.

Created a new brand and identity for the Grand Traverse Re-

gion Next Michigan Development Corporation, now Northern

Nexus. www.northernnexus.org

Contributed $370,000 of county funds to the Garfield Township/

Road Commission LaFranier Road improvement project.

Prosecuted organized heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine

manufacturers/dealers including two of the area’s most prolific

dealers.

Entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Veter-

an’s Administration to station a full time vocational rehabilita-

tion/independent living specialist in Traverse City.

Began “Water Sources” project with fire departments to locate

and record County hydrants, cisterns, and natural water access

points.

The Health Officer

worked quickly af-

ter the death of

longtime Medical

Examiner Dr. Mat-

thew Houghton to

establish a Tri-

County Medical

Examiner’s Office

under Dr. Nicole

Fliss through an

intergovernmental

agreement with

Benzie and Lee-

lanau Counties.

www.grandtraverse.org 11 2014 Annual Report

Distributed more than 472 safety-related devices such as car seats, helmets, life jackets and

reflective tags in the community.

Performed nearly 600 free car seat inspections.

Protecting and Preserving Our Resources Signed an agreement with URS and the Road Commission for design and engineering ser-

vices for the removal of the dams and construction of a new Cass Road Bridge.

Completed a Business Plan for Twin Lakes Park focused on expanding the park as a special

events and wedding venue.

Worked with the Michigan Legislature to successfully amend the language of HB 4874 so

that the Septage Treatment Facility was not negatively impacted.

Approved a Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program to help businesses obtain fi-

nancing for energy projects.

Broke ground on the Uptown development on

West State Street.

Completed the Brownfield redevelopment at

Building 50 at the Village at Grand Traverse

Commons.

Held four Household Hazardous Waste collections, collecting over 62 tons of hazardous ma-

terial for safe and environmentally appropriate disposal.

Processed 16,110 tons of residential, commercial and industrial recyclable material at desig-

nated recycling facilities, and decreased the volume of municipal solid waste going to a land-

fill by 24,708 tons.

Grand Traverse County became

one of Michigan’s ‘cleanest’

counties by working to clean

over 50 illegal dump sites.

www.grandtraverse.org 12 2014 Annual Report

MSU Extension Michigan Sea Grant co-hosted the 7th annual Freshwater Summit at the

NMC Great Lakes Hagerty Center.

Awards Jen Seman, Human Resources Director, was selected among the area’s Top 40 Leaders

Under 40.

County employee Jean Derenzy, of the Planning and Development Department, was hon-

ored with the Downtown Traverse City Association’s award for Traverse City Employee of

the Year.

Sarah Adams, Administration, was named the 2014 Administrative Professional of the Year

by the local chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals.

Jennifer Berkey, MSU Extension, received the National Cherry Festival’s Very Cherry Pro-

motion Award.

911 Central Dispatch staff were presented

Life Saver awards for their actions during

a fire call, in which Smart 911 information

proved invaluable. Grand Traverse Coun-

ty was the first county in Michigan to pro-

vide Smart911 to its residents.

www.grandtraverse.org 13 2014 Annual Report

Commendations and Certifications Ericca Hovie and Sharon Neumann, Senior Center Network, received Program Manager

Certification from the Michigan Association of Senior Centers.

K Town Youth Care and the Youth Health and Wellness Center were recognized by the

Michigan Department of Community Health for their continuous quality improvement project.

WIC received special recognition for eight areas including excellence in nutrition education

classes and breast feeding support.

The Health Department was recognized by the State as a Top LHD (Local Health Depart-

ment), received full State certification for the Maternal Infant Health Program, and achieved

the highest census for the calendar year as well as the highest productivity ever for employ-

ees.

Grand Traverse County Administration 400 Boardman Avenue Traverse City, MI 49684 (231) 922-4780 www.grandtraverse.org