 National Association of Counties * Washington, DC / Vol. 30, No. 14 * July 20, 1998  Officials find key resources and assistance in County Services
The County Services Department mission is to provide the best training, technical assistance, research support and conferences for NACo members. The staff provides expertise and assistance on issues ranging from economics and employment to beaches and brownfields. The department has been especially involved in two of NACo President Randy Johnson's initiatives, "sustainability" and "globalization." Research Division The Research Division continued to provide research and technical assistance for NACo members and received nearly 7,000 information requests. Responses were usually made within 48 hours. The division conducted national surveys on county operations, wages and salaries, information technology, revenue capacity and welfare reform. Ten publications were produced, including two special publications on the arts and county multicultural diversity programs. A new fact sheet format, "Research Briefs" was introduced. Four briefs were produced on topics identified through members' information requests. Three awards programs were administered by the division: Achievement Award Program, the Multicultural Diversity Program and the Award for Excellence, a disability award program. A new internship, established by David M. Griffith and Associates in honor of the late Wesley A. Masco, a longtime friend of county government, also is part of the division. The intern conducts research and is currently producing a publication on current fiscal policy issues. Conferences Division NACo's four major conferences provided delegates with education, contacts, legislative updates and networking opportunities, as well as presentations by nationally recognized speakers and an opportunity to interact with NACo staff.
Training Division The Training Division produces a wide range of materials for officials in many media and settings. Continuing the four-year tradition of the popular "Basic Training" seminars, the division held one-day sessions at the Annual Conference and the Legislative Conference to help county officials deal with the challenges of their jobs. The seminars were divided into two sections: the morning was designed for newly elected officials. The afternoon was designed for those with more experience. At both, topics ranged from ethics, resources and budgeting, to teamwork, public speaking and humor. Props, interactive discussions, costumes and role-playing were used. Attendees received a notebook of materials and "dog tags" for completing the training. The division worked with the Joint Center for Sustainable Communities to create an eight-minute videotape that explains the center's goals and its technical assistance role. It also created an eight-minute annual report video for the Annual Conference featuring highlights of President Michael Hightower's term (1996-97) and NACo's accomplishments on behalf of counties. The division concluded its third year of work on the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) project with the National League of Cities and the U.S. Department of Education. In 1998, it held seminars in five states for hundreds of county and city officials, created a bibliography of ADA materials, provided telephone hotline technical assistance, wrote three articles on ADA issues for County News and provided NACo's research library with materials on the project.
The division conducted the Member Programs and Services Survey of 5,000 officials to learn more about education; training; and technical assistance needs, priorities and preferences. The survey results will guide NACo's multi-year training plan Collaborating with an educational organization that teaches students about the law, the division is developing a program to educate students across the nation about counties. The organization - Streetlaw - will create the curriculum, and the division will work with state associations of counties and local county officials to provide schools with classroom materials, videotapes and publications. The division is working with NACo's Information Technology Department and Intergraph Corporation to create an eight-minute videotape and collateral publications explaining how Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can dramatically improve local decision-making. Community Services Division Collaboration for Children and Youth Through efforts as part of the Local Collaboration for Children and Youth, NACo conducted a national awards program to identify and honor community collaborative partnerships that made a significant difference in improving the lives of children and youth. The Local Collaboration for Children and Youth is comprised of six organizations that represent local government and school systems throughout the nation. A best practices guide highlighting the winners was developed and distributed to local government and school officials nationwide. To help other communities launch successful community partnerships for children, NACo and the Local Collaboration held the first in a series of national training institutes on collaboration in Jefferson County, Ky., in April 1998. Additional institutes and a forum on local collaboration for children are planned for later this year. Grant for At-Risk Youth Too often, communities become aware of the needs of at-risk children when it is too late - after a child has been abused, neglected or killed. These tragedies can be prevented with early identification, intervention and community involvement. Through a grant from SBC Communications and Cable TV Montgomery, NACo is providing information and training to county officials on a nationally recognized program that quickly identifies at-risk children and connects them with help in the community. The program started in Colorado and was replicated in Montgomery County, Md.; Polk County, Iowa; and several counties in Michigan. Future of County Government The NACo Board of Directors in December 1997 added a project in NACo's Three-Year Plan that will be carried out by the grants division to explore the trends affecting county government now and into the future. Over the past two decades, the responsibilities of America's 3,069 county governments have changed dramatically. As we approach the millennium, county governments will confront new challenges as their role in the American governmental system continues to evolve and expand. These challenges will affect the basic foundations of county government - its form, functions and financing. To serve citizens effectively, counties need to be prepared with the knowledge, leadership and technology to manage change. Workforce Development Program Through a grant from the U. S. Department of Labor and membership dues from the workforce development community, NACo provides information and technical assistance to county elected and appointed officials involved in job training and Welfare-to-Work programs. Last year NACo focused on assisting counties to develop strategies to move welfare recipients into the work-force. NACo keeps employment and training officials informed through its biweekly newsletter, the Update on Job Training, and by providing late breaking news by e-mail, fax and telephone. The successful Workforce De-velopment and Human Services Conference was held last year in Tulsa County, Okla., and this year's conference will be in Hennepin County, Minn. The 1998-1999 Job Training Partnership Act Directory will be published in July. More than 3,500 copies of this publication will be distributed. It will also be available on NACo's web page. HOME Affordable Housing Project The HOME Affordable Housing Project provides technical and informational assistance to county officials through workshops at NACo conferences, publications, and articles in County News. Workshops focus on how counties can integrate affordable housing strategies into overall plans for economic development. This approach stresses the importance of affordable housing in order to attract new business and jobs. The 1998 NACo Annual Conference will feature workshops addressing the need for regional solutions in metropolitan areas and creative partnerships for affordable housing in rural counties. Radon/Indoor Air Project 1998 marked the second year of a three-year cooperative agreement with the U.S. EPA's Indoor Environments Division. This year NACo's Radon/Indoor Air Project continued the highly regarded Indoor Air Model County Program, with nearly 70 counties participating. The Local Indoor Air Coordinators Network was expanded to more than 400 local participants in 44 states. Eight local indoor air coalitions were established to address the indoor air quality needs of their communities. Pollution Prevention Project Environmental protection and preservation efforts are too often focused on cleanup rather than prevention. NACo's Pollution Prevention Project continues to provide county officials with technical assistance and networking opportunities to help prevent pollution at the source, when costs are lower and long-term impacts can be greatly reduced. In addition, NACo embarked on a major new publicity campaign in support of National Pollution Prevention Week, coordinating radio public service announcements and distributing special information packets. Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Project NACo launched a new initiative assisting counties to incorporate health and environmental criteria into government purchasing. NACo established a clearinghouse of environmentally preferable purchasing information, developed information packets on eight product categories, helped counties adopt pilot projects and began developing a "Starter-Kit," that includes case studies and model resolutions. Community-Based Environmental Protection Project With funding from EPA's Office of Research and Development, NACo assisted small and rural communities to better meet environmental challenges. This included hosting a three-day training session at a state-of-the-art training center, helping communities get "on-line" to access EPA and other computer resources, distributing grants to communities for selected projects and providing EPA practical information to improve their delivery of technical assistance. Nonpoint Water Pollution Prevention Project NACo's Nonpoint Source Pollution Project continued to offer counties information and technical assistance about diffuse sources of pollution, the seriousness of their threat to waterways and what can be done to prevent them. NACo is collaborating with the National Association of County Engineers (NACE) on a new manual on stormwater management and researching opportunities for counties to adopt development policies to reduce runnoff problems. Smart Growth Project With increasing frequency, counties are required to make difficult choices about how to accommodate growth in a way that integrates economic prosperity, social equity and environmental quality. NACo convened three separate groups of county officials to discuss issues related to growth and development; conducted a growth and development survey of county officials at the 1997 NACo Annual Conference; published articles in County News and County Environmental Quarterly; and joined the U.S. EPA's Smart Growth Network. Joint Center for Sustainable Communities The Joint Center for Sustainable Communities continued efforts to become a primary resource for county leaders in developing sustainable communities. The Joint Center Advisory Committee was convened in December, comprised of 50 mayors and county officials. The committee met at the White House with Vice-President Gore and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo. The Joint Center is serving as a catalyst for linking local officials to share knowledge and experiences, beginning with mayors and county officials in five regions. The first peer-to-peer match occurred in support of the flood-ravaged Red River Valley. The Joint Center clearinghouse on sustainable development contains best practice models, sample codes and ordinances, and resource materials on subjects ranging from brownfields redevelopment to farmland protection. A booklet of 10 case studies on creative approaches to collaborative community problem solving, "Innovative City/County Partnerships for Sustainable Communities," and a guidebook on community based indicator projects, "Measuring Progress: Profiles of City and County Indicators Programs" were published. The Joint Center established a toll free hotline (800/696-1667) to respond to inquiries from around the country. With support from the U.S. Forest Service and advice from the Rural Renaissance Task Force, the Joint Center will sponsor three pilot projects focusing on the unique aspects of sustainable development in small towns and sparsely populated counties.
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In an atmosphere similar to a political convention,
NACo elects officers and develops policy at its Annual Conferences. The
1997 Annual Conference in Baltimore, which was attended by 4,000 delegates,
was no exception. There were contested elections for two positions on the
Executive Committee and policy decisions on a range of issues. Photo by
David Hathcox
The first meeting of the Advisory Committee of the
Joint Center for Sustainable Communities was held at the White House in
December. Following the meeting, Vice President Al Gore participated in
a news conference with NACo President Randy Johnson and then U.S. Conference
of Mayors Vice President and Salt Lake City Mayor Deedee Corradini.