CNCounty News

News from Across the Nation - May 29, 2017

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CALIFORNIA

After residents voted by nearly a 70 percent margin in March to raise the sales tax by a quarter cent to fund programs to help the homeless, LOS ANGELES COUNTY is now deciding how to spend an estimated $3.5 billion over the next decade. A citizen panel largely endorsed recommendations made by county agencies, including providing short-term rental subsidies and services (such as job training, substance abuse counseling and mental health treatment), more shelters and expanding interim housing. “Bridge housing” will provide in-house services to ensure the homeless are ready to move on to permanent housing. The sales tax rate in the county will climb to 9.5 percent in July.

FLORIDA

Play ball! The SARASOTA COUNTY Board of Commissioners recently voted unanimously to approve its portion of financing a 9,000-seat spring training complex for the Atlanta Braves baseball team. Commissioners voted to reallocate some revenue from an existing local tourism tax, collected from hotel guests, to cover annual debt service on bonds that will be issued to cover the county’s $21.3 million share of construction costs. The rest of the funding is expected to come from the state, the developer, the City of North Port and the Braves themselves. If all goes according to plan, the facility is slated to open in 2019.

INDIANA

• After first responders made 600 overdose runs in February and March, officials in MARION COUNTY are hoping they can turn things around with a new prescription drug, according to a report by FOX59. They are the latest county in the state to launch a program using Vivitrol to combat opioid addiction. The non-addictive, non-opioid drug, given in a monthly shot, prevents opioid users from getting high and has also been used in MADISON, HANCOCK, SHELBY, JOHNSON, HAMILTON and BOONE counties. Marion County received a $200,000 grant awarded by the Indiana Department of Correction Community Corrections Grant.

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY recently loosened property restrictions for keeping bees, chickens and other livestock animals such as goats and horses. The tweaked ordinance says that instead of requiring a minimum of five acres for such animals, residents who fancy themselves hobby farmers can live on just a half-acre. The county ordinance also removes a fourpet household limit on dogs and cats, stiffens penalties for pets left in hazardous weather and restricts pet shops from selling cats and dogs in unincorporated areas, unless the store is hosting an animal welfare organization that is trying to get pets adopted. The county still has to make changes to its zoning ordinance, which will likely happen in June.

IOWA

Will there be a showdown over a new gun law in Iowa? Gov. Terry Branstad signed a law in April that gives gun owners the ability to sue local governments if they have been “adversely affected” by a firearm ban, such as those at several county courthouses. But Carroll Edmonson, administrator with the state’s 6th Judicial District, which includes LINN and JOHNSON counties, said he expects existing bans to remain at both county courthouses. “My understanding is we will continue things the way they are,” he recently told the Cedar Rapids Gazette. “There’s an attorney general’s opinion out there that allows us to maintain security in the courthouse the way we have before, which means we can restrict people from carrying guns in the courthouse.
 

MINNESOTA

Most of a group of 60 Somali-Americans who recently came down with the measles in Minnesota were not vaccinated, according to the state Department of Health. Cases have been reported in CROW WING, HENNEPIN, LESEUR and RAMSEY counties. All but three cases were people who were not vaccinated. Health officials in the state have had to work to counter misinformation about a debunked link between the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine and autism, the Pioneer Press reported. The measles outbreak is the worst the state has seen since 1990.

NEW JERSEY

BERGEN COUNTY is trying out OCEAN COUNTY’s heroin addict amnesty program. Addicts can turn themselves and their drugs into three municipalities’ police stations and they will be assisted in enrolling in rehabilitation programs without the threat of arrest for possession. “The concept is to get them in the door, get them introduced to the counseling and that really is the key to solving the problem. It’s not going to be done through the courts,” Mahwah Police Chief James Batelli told NJTV News. If they have warrants issued for other offenses, the departments will work with the relevant agencies to defer adjudication in favor of relieving stress during rehab. “It’s not a get out of jail free card, we’re not going to dismiss the warrant,” Batelli said. “And if it’s a serious violation, they may have to address it before going to rehab. But a lot of these offenders have low level failure to appear, minor possession charges. Those we can work with.”

OHIO

The state budget bill may no longer include a proposal to consolidate municipal and county clerk of courts offices, but the CLARK COUNTY Criminal Justice Council will still pursue the idea. The two offices are budgeted to spend $3.2 million to operate in 2017, but Rep. Kyle Koehler told the Springfield News-Sun they could save up to $400,000 if they combine their offices.

Drug overdose deaths in the MIAMI COUNTY jail have prompted the Sheriff’s Office to consider buying a body scanner. Inmates have smuggled in heroin and fentanyl into the jail in body cavities and clothing, The Daily Call reported.

OREGON

After five failed attempts at the ballot box, a levy to fund public safety services passed in JOSEPHINE COUNTY. Declining federal timber subsidies forced cutbacks to sheriff’s patrols and closed the juvenile detention center. Both will be reversed with a 93 cents per $1,000 assessed property tax rate hike. County Commissioner Simon Hare told The Oregonian that asking for money specifically for the juvenile detention center and more jail beds and keeping the levy under $1 largely contributed to its success.

PENNSYLVANIA

After more than 18 years, “I voted” stickers are coming back to NORTHAMPTON COUNTY polling places for the General Election. The County Council requested they make a comeback after a Morning Call article pointed out their absence and several community members followed up on that. County officials believe the stickers were discontinued during a budget cut, but could not find any corroboration, going as far as to ask the 95-year-old registrar who had retired in 1998.

WISCONSIN

• If a state has passed legislation discriminating against people based on sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, DANE COUNTY personnel probably won’t be there on official business. The County Board passed an amendment that forbids reimbursement of expenses for travel to such a state. Elected officials and employees will also not be required to travel to any such state. There are exemptions for travel the sheriff deems necessary and for juvenile residential treatment placement, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. County Executive Joe Parisi barred nonessential county travel to North Carolina and Mississippi on the grounds that they had enacted legislation that discriminates.

• An agreement with MILWAUKEE COUNTY will give Milwaukee city police officers real-time access to location data from juveniles wearing GPS monitoring devices. Under the new agreement, the Police Department’s Intelligence Fusion Center and dispatch center can access the information if a youth has an “unauthorized violation,” or is found to have broken rules of their supervision by going outside a designated area. Police can also access the information if they have probable cause to arrest the youth for a new crime, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.


News from Across the Nation is compiled by Charlie Ban and Mary Ann Barton, senior staff writers. If you have an item for News From, please email cban@naco.org or mbarton@naco.org.

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