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Commissioners Proclaim National GIS Day
To honor the work of Jefferson County Geographic Information System (GIS) staff, Commissioners proclaimed Nov. 18 as National Geographic Information System Day.
 GIS is technology that captures, stores, analyzes, manages and presents data that is linked to a map or specific location. The county uses GIS for a variety of purposes. For instance, GIS staff can track outbreaks of the H1N1 virus, so the county can focus on certain areas to stop the spread. The Sheriff's Office also uses GIS to report graffiti on county signage, enabling the county's Transportation and Engineering Department to address the problem quickly and provide targeted prevention efforts.
The National Geographic Society has sponsored Geography Awareness Week since 1987 to promote geographic literacy. On Nov. 18, county GIS staff hosted an informational open house at the Jeffco Courts & Administration Building to display some of their capabilities.
"Efficient use of geographical concepts is crucial to the wise use of our natural resources, continued economic growth and prosperity of our citizens," according to the BCC's proclamation. "GIS Day provides an international forum for users of geographic information systems technology to demonstrate real-world applications that are making a difference in our society." | |
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BCC Holds Public Hearing on 2010 Proposed Budget
Commissioners made another step toward approving the 2010 Proposed Budget by receiving feedback from citizens at the formal Hearing and Public Comment.
 Jefferson County departments and divisions presented Commissioners with the 2010 Proposed Budget in October and were to approve the final budget in December. The proposed budget of $407.1 million represents a 1.5 percent increase in the operating budget from 2009.
Counting state and federal pass-through funds and anticipated federal stimulus dollars, the budget is a 5 percent increase from 2009. Those dollars are included in the final budget number, because the county is responsible for administering the distribution on behalf of the federal and state programs.
More than 50 percent of all county operating funds come from property taxes, which fluctuate less than sales taxes, the major source of funding for most cities. Because of this, county staff are anticipating a 1.7 percent increase in overall revenues - better than the double-digit decreases some governments are facing.
However, the economy has placed a strain on families who are relying in greater numbers on the county's Human Services Department. Twenty-five percent more families are relying on child-care assistance and 28 percent more need food stamps and other assistance. Although the county receives state and federal funds for these programs, the county is required to match a percentage. As a result, the proposed budget called for decreasing the mills allocated to some funds, including the Library Fund, to help pay for social services.
At the budget hearing and public comment, T.J. Carney, chair of the Jeffco Library Board of Trustees, asked Commissioners to reconsider the proposed mill allocation, a 0.2 temporary reduction of mills.
"This will have impact," Carney said. "If it happens only this year, the impacts will be noticeable. If it continues into the future, they will be dramatic."
"It is a very tough decision," Commissioner Kevin McCasky told Carney. "It weighs heavy on the board."
Some notable expenses in the proposed budget include:
- $2.9 million in mid-term election costs
- $1.3 million in the pavement management program
- $6.8 million in annual debt service payment for the 2009 Certificates of Participation issuance
- $16 million in road construction projects
- $5.4 million in fleet replacement programs for the Sheriff's Office and the county
- $5 million for Open Space land acquisition
Staff proposed adding three additional full-time equivalent positions - two in Open Space and one in the Public Trustee's Office. The county employs about 2,900 people.
Commissioners adopted the 2010 budget on Dec. 8.
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BCC Receives Cost Scenarios for Classification & Comp Study
Commissioners plan to reconvene the Organizational Review Committee (ORC), made up of elected officials and department directors, to help the Board decide how to prioritize demands on the county's budget, including cost scenarios from the Classification & Compensation Study that Commissioners received at the Staff Briefing.
The Waters Consulting Group, a Dallas-based firm that works with public and private organizations on human resources issues, presented a phase of their findings to Commissioners. The results of this study will be used to create job classification, internal equity, FLSA (Federal Labor Standards Act) exemptions, and pay structure for Jeffco employees.
Waters Consulting compared employee pay to market value. Waters found that 324 employees are currently paid below the minimum of the proposed pay ranges. Waters also found that 66 positions are currently being paid above the new proposed pay range or 100 percent of market value. These positions are scattered throughout the county, in various job categories and in various departments and divisions. Compensation of these individuals may be frozen to allow the market to catch up.
The ORC, which originally convened two years ago to make sure that limited funding was spent on the highest priority programs, will meet some time after the New Year. |
Sheriff's Office Receives Three Grants to Help Serve Citizens
 Commissioners approved the acceptance of grant awards from three organizations to the Jeffco Sheriff's Office at the BCC Hearing. The grants will help the Sheriff's Office fund its victim assistance program and pay for inmates from foreign countries at the county jail. Here are the grants that Commissioners approved at the Nov. 17 Hearing:
- $36,000 from the Colorado Department of Public Safety to help fund a Sheriff's Office Victim Advocate, a trained professional who assists victims and witnesses of crime and trauma to help them overcome their victimization. Under the State's Victim's Bill of Rights, the sheriff is required to provide this 24-hour service. The grant pays for 64 percent of the salary of one full-time victim advocate. The rest is county-funded.
- Nearly $34,400 from the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice to provide for the ability to have 24-hour access to trained professionals to assist victims and witnesses. The position also plays a role in maintaining the county's "Most Wanted List," which is required under the State's Victim's Bill of Rights. The county is required to make a nearly $11,500 cash match to receive the grant.
- Nearly $117,900 from the Bureau of Justice Assistance to reimburse the county for the detention costs associated with incarcerating foreign-born inmates. The percentage of foreign-born inmates is increasing proportionately with the overall inmate population. To help local detention centers pay for these costs, the federal government created the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, which provides reimbursement for the cost of detaining foreign-born inmates beyond the four days that Immigration and Customs Enforcement will support.
Learn more at the Jeffco Sheriff's Office Web site. |
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Other BCC Actions
Open Space to Buy 19 Acres Near Matthews-Winters Jeffco Open Space will buy 19 acres northwest of the Alameda Avenue and C-470 Interchange for $1.44 million, former Open Space Director and current County Administrator Ralph Schell told Commissioners at the Staff Briefing. The Open Space Advisory Council approved the purchase at an earlier meeting. Open Space has pursued the parcel of land for many years. Rooney, Inc., owned the property and planned to close with Jeffco by Dec. 10. The property includes a riparian area, meadow and mountain backdrop west of Rooney Road. Colorado Military History Center to Be Built near GoldenVeterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 1 in Denver and the Colorado National Guard are partnering to open the Colorado Military History Center at Camp George West on South Golden Road. Cmdr. Izzy Abbass of VFW Post No. 1 presented plans for the center to Commissioners at the Staff Briefing. The center, which is scheduled to break ground Jan. 23 and be completed by November 2010, will include a museum, archive, research building and open-air display of military vehicles. Camp George West, originally the State Rifle Range, was built in 1903 as a training area for Colorado's military. Visit the Colorado Military History Center's Web site to learn more. Fairgrounds RV Parking to Relocate for Animal Shelter
 Commissioners approved a $130,000 contract with the Weitz Company, LLC, of Des Moines, Iowa, to relocate the RV parking spaces on the Jeffco Fairgrounds to accommodate the new Table Mountain Animal Center. Weitz is the contractor of the new animal shelter, which will be named Foothills Animal Shelter and is scheduled to open in 2010. Work on the RV parking relocation was scheduled to be completed in November. |
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