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NACO Annual Conference
December 10 - 12, 2014
Century Link Center, Omaha
To view all upcoming events, click here.
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| WHO SUPPORTS NACO AND THEIR MISSION?
 Associate and Sustaining Members
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NACO Associate and Sustaining Members enable NACO to enhance its continuing education programs for county officials across the state. Visit NACO's complete associate and sustaining membership list here.
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Annual Conference Matters
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Lodging
Lodging for NACO's 120th Annual Conference became available in June, 2014. The conference will be held in Omaha December 10-12 and this year you will be able to make lodging reservations electronically by visiting the Omaha Convention & Visitors Bureau website and clicking on NACO's microsite. The link to the microsite is available here and is also posted on NACO's website.
Once you click on NACO's microsite, you will be able to choose the contracted hotel of your choice along with the dates you will require for lodging. Initially, a valid credit card will be required for securing your lodging. Once you have secured your lodging via credit card, you will be able to access a credit application for direct billing and will be required to complete and submit a tax exempt form (all forms will be available on the microsite).
Room Cancellation Deadline
After this date, any changes or cancellations to confirmed reservations will be billed the first night's lodging rate plus any applicable taxes. Be sure to make your changes before this date, but please use discretion because NACO provides a guarantee of having rooms at or near the conference site by contracting with the several hotels in the area. Each of those contracts needs to have a certain number of rooms guaranteed.
If you cancel a room at one of the hotels and enter another contracted hotel at a higher room rate NACO will be forced to pay for those room nights that were cancelled because of the "attrition" clauses in the contracts that we have with each hotel.
In other words, you will pay for your room at the second hotel and NACO will then be required to pay for your cancelled hotel room. Conference registration fees are the only offset to this situation!
Registration for the conference is crucial in the planning and development of a successful program and its activities. To register for the conference click here.
County Official of the Year Nominations Do you know of an elected or appointed county official who you feel serves as the embodiment of a true dedicated public official? If so, nominate that individual for the annual County Official of the Year Award. The Nebraska Association of County Officials will present its highest honor to one county official at the conclusion of the December 12th business meeting. The County Official of the Year Award was created as a means of honoring one individual each year for his or her leadership abilities, high standard of public service and outstanding contributions made to the medium of county government and that person's community. The official nomination form can be found on NACO's website or by clicking here. To nominate someone you know, print the form, complete it and return it to the NACO office by November 14th, along with any supplemental materials you feel would provide additional insight into why this person is deserving of the award. Supporting material may include testimonial letters from peers or other printed matter that highlight his or her record of service. Each of the 2014 nominees will be introduced and recognized during the conference. The announcement will be made as to who has been chosen by a special selection committee following the NACO Business Meeting on Friday, December 12. The 2014 recipient will join an elite list of county officials who have previously received this award and will receive a handsomely engraved plaque befitting of this prestigious honor. |
Free Financial Professional Training
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Lancaster County Treasurer Andy Stebbing is offering government employees financial professional training on Wednesday, October 29, 2014 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. at the Nebraska Educational Telecommunications (NET) building at 1800 North 33rd Street in Lincoln, Nebraska. This training is sponsored by the Lancaster County Treasurer's Office, Allen, Gibbs and Houlik, L.C. and the Lincoln Chapter Association of Government Accountants.
For more details of the training and registration requirements,click here. Financial Professional Training hotel information may be found by clicking here. |
| Free Community Aid and Juvenile Justice Conference |
The upcoming Nebraska Community Aid and Juvenile Justice Conference is focused on Community-Based Aid, Community Planning, and Evidence-Based Practices. Attendance is open to juvenile justice stakeholders statewide on Thursday, October 30 and Friday, October 31, 2014. National and local speakers will be presenting practical information on evidence-based programming to include: truancy intervention and prevention, status offenders, diversion, mentoring, gang prevention and intervention, reentry, substance abuse, mental health and disproportionate minority contact. Registration information can be found here. A tentative agenda for the two day conference can be found here.
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Interim Studies Keep Legislators Busy
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Although the next legislative session won't officially begin until January, senators and staff are working on new legislation during the interim. Resolutions proposing interim studies are offered during the session to examine new ideas for legislation and to dig deeper into issues raised by previously-introduced bills. Public hearings are held on some of the priority issues selected by each legislative committee, including the topics that are of interest to counties. County officials are encouraged to attend the hearings and provide testimony. Unlike hearings during the legislative session, testifiers do not need to take a position in support or opposition to the issue, but are simply asked to provide input.
To read more about the hearings and their schedules click here.
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Unfunded Mandates Interim Study Scheduled for Hearings
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County officials have an opportunity to share information and concerns about unfunded and underfunded mandates at two interim study hearings of the Legislature's Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committees. Today, on October 24th, the committee will meet in Lincoln and will meet again on October 29th in South Sioux City.
To read more details about the hearings click here.
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| MIPS Bytes | |
Desktop Icons
A Desktop Icon by definition is a pictogram displayed on a computer screen in order to help the user navigate a computer system or mobile device in a similar way traffic signs are used to help a driver navigate traffic. In this article, I will discuss showing, hiding, and resizing desktop icons. I will also discuss choosing different icons and troubleshooting icons that are not being displayed properly.
One of the simplest ways to customize your desktop, besides setting a background image, is to change the way your desktop icons look or to change the order or location of your icons. All of these changes can be found by right-clicking on the desktop (not on an icon), and pointing to View. View should be located at the top of the list. From there, you will have the ability to change the size of the icons, their position, and whether or not you prefer the icons hidden or visible.
For those that want to take customization a step further, some programs offer a choice of two or more icons to be displayed. By right-clicking on an existing icon, choose Properties at the end of the list. Then, on the Shortcut tab, select Change Icon. Here you can choose a different picture (if more than one is displayed) and select OK. I would stay away from the Browse option and avoid accidentally making any other changes.
Are one or more of your icons not displaying correctly? Have you tried changing the icons as mentioned in the previous paragraph and it's still not correct? You may have a corrupted Icon Cache. The IconCache.db is a file that Windows uses to keep copies of each icon handy. When Windows needs to draw an icon, it uses the copy from the cache instead of retrieving the icon image from the original application file. This helps in making Windows draw the icons faster. If you think your IconCache may be corrupted, please contact your IT professional for assistance.
Glen L. Masek, Programmer Analyst, MIPS Inc. 402-434-5685 Ext: 324
402-434-5605 Fax
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Order NACO's 2014 Directory of County Officials Now
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NACO's 2014 Directory of County Officials is a valuable resource that not only gives you names, addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers and e-mail addresses of every county official in the state, but includes a listing of county board meeting days, NACO districts, county seats, NACO officers and directors, affiliate officers and NACO staff. County clerks for each county received one complimentary copy of the directory intended for use by all offices in their courthouse. For additional copies, click here for the order form. |
County Government Day PowerPoint
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The PowerPoint presentation is available electronically at no charge (sent via e-mail) for use by counties during their annual County Government Day. The PowerPoint provides a comprehensive look at county government functions in the State of Nebraska and can be customized by each county. CD's are also available for $10.00 each to cover processing, shipping and handling. To request the County Government Day PowerPoint electronically, please e-mail your request to larrydix@nacone.org. The CD order form is available here . |
2013 County Board Handbook and Revisions
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The 2013 County Board Handbook and related revisions are available. The cost for a current handbook, including legislative information from the 2013 session, is $80.00/book plus $17.00 shipping and handling per book. The 2013 Supplement to the County Board Handbook is available for $20.00 plus $5.00 shipping and handling. The order form is available on the NACO website here. For questions, contact Ashley Vandeloo by clicking here or call her at (402) 434-5660 ext. 223. |
News From NACo
| New Funding Opportunities for Juvenile Justice Reform
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced that they are providing $2 million in funding to advance juvenile justice reform in jurisdictions across the country.
Through this partnership, OJJDP and MacArthur will support training and technical assistance for local governments to meet the mental health needs of system-involved youth, reduce racial and ethnic disparities and promote coordination and integration for youth involved in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. To read about the program areas, click here. "Waters of the United States" has Impact on Counties Across the Nation
On April 21 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers jointly released a new proposed rule - Definition of Waters of the U.S. Under the Clean Water Act - that would amend the definition of "waters of the U.S." and expand the range of waters that fall under federal jurisdiction. Counties could feel a major impact as more waters become federally protected and subject to new rules or standards. The proposed rule would impact county-owned and maintained roadside ditches, flood control channels, drainage conveyances, storm water systems, green infrastructure construction and maintenance. Read NACo's analysis on how the proposed rule would impact counties here. |
NACo Web-Based Education
| Next Generation 911: Upgrading County Emergency Communications
Wed, Dec 17, 2014 1:00 PM - 2:15 PM CST
The popularity of landline telephones is dwindling, with more than 40 percent of households in the U.S. relying only on cellular phones. Over the last few decades, cell phones, VoIP and other methods of communications other have become the preferred method of communication, especially among younger generations and those living in cities-nearly two-thirds of those 25-29 live in a wireless-only home. 911 technologies, however, have not kept up with the trend; though they can receive calls from cell phones and IP-based devices, call centers cannot locate where a call is coming from, and they cannot send and receive photos, text messages and videos. The seemingly ubiquitous use of cell phones in public means that a number of bystanders may call 911 after witnessing an emergency, which can overwhelm a call center. More and more counties are working to upgrade 911 call centers and infrastructure in order to become more resilient, and ensure they are capable of addressing new needs in emergency communication and response. This webinar will provide county leaders and emergency managers with the information and strategies they need to know to modernize their 911 capabilities.
To register for this webinar, Click here.
To view NACo's entire web-based education listing, click here.
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| Recycling Project Informational Meetings | |
Public meetings are coming up relating to a state-wide recycling project. All municipalities, counties, and recyclers in addition to any interested parties are encouraged to attend. Each meeting will discuss local recycling opportunities, barriers, and strategies for future growth and outreach. The meetings will afford the opportunity to present the results of the clerk, treasurer, and recycler data that has been compiled.  Individuals can register to attend by clicking here.
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| An Update from Three Justice Reinvestment States: Alabama, Nebraska and Washington |
 | | Governor Heineman announces the launch of justice reinvestment in Nebraska |
Crime in Nebraska is down 20 percent over the past decade, but the state's inmate population is up 17 percent. Why?
The Nebraska Justice Reinvestment Working Group, chaired by Gov. Dave Heineman, will now develop a state plan based in part on the report's findings and recommendations. To read more click here. |
| Saline County Launches Website For Courthouse Renovation | |
Saline County residents can get many of their questions answered about the planned courthouse addition via a new website, www.salinecountycourthouse.info.
The site, launched last month, is designed to be the primary "news portal" to keep the public up-to-date about the project, said Tim McDermott, Saline County commissioner. "Our board members paid attention to concerns voiced by the public pertaining to the courthouse addition," he said. "This website will provide expanded details on the project and because the Internet is so fluid, we can deliver and update that information more quickly than through board meeting minutes or even the media," McDermott said.
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