National Association of Counties * Washington, DC / Vol. 30, No. 14 * July 20, 1998

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ARIZONA

The MARICOPA COUNTY Board of Supervisors is giving voters a choice in the Nov. 3 election. Either approve a one-fifth cent sales tax to raise $900 million over the next nine years for jail expansion or face the possibility that the jail will release one inmate for each new one taken in.

The county's jail is 40 percent over its capacity. County officials are calling the situation a crisis.

The county did get some good news about its jail, however. The Justice Department has ended a three-year investigation of the MARICOPA COUNTY jail.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio said his department was vindicated when the Justice Department, on June 29, dropped its lawsuit that alleged inmates had been mistreated.

ARKANSAS

A STONE COUNTY deputy was shot during a tense police standoff with a man who allegedly became angry at his mother's Boston terrier and began firing a gun in his home.

Deputy Sam Wilson was treated and released from the Stone County Medical Center for a gunshot wound to the hip. Todd Matney is in jail, charged with attempted first-degree murder.

As many as 50 officers were outside Matney's home when he surrendered after 10 hours. Police thought Matney's son might have been a hostage, but later found he had slept through the incident.

CALIFORNIA

ORANGE COUNTY is proposing to build a series of satellite homeless shelters to replace the California National Guard armories that are currently pressed into service each winter to house up to 300 people.

The shelters would be designed not only to give the homeless a place to stay, but also to address the problems that make them homeless. The county is hoping to provide health care and mental health services to the homeless and the satellite shelters.

The state's counties started using armories during the winter of 1987 to house the homeless. It was a temporary solution that has lasted for 12 years. The state is requiring counties to come up with a long-term solution to the problem in order to use the armories again this year.

FLORIDA

In a continuing effort to promote cost savings, the ALACHUA COUNTY Board of County Commissioners reviewed its use and inventory of cellular telephones.

Under its old plan, the county used about 27,000 minutes of air time per month. The county's 112 cellular phones each cost $15 a month. All told, the county was spending $4,841 a month for cellular phones.

Under a newly negotiated plan with ALLTEL Mobile, the county will have free phones and get 30,000 minutes at a fixed cost of $2,800 per month. The county will save taxpayers $24,492 a year with the plan.

GEORGIA

Joe Bembry, a candidate for commissioner in DeKALB COUNTY, doesn't have to worry about people breaking into his temporary campaign headquarters. The problem is that he can't get out.

Bembry, who has had several strong showings in past elections, including a runoff in the 1994 Democratic primary, is in jail for zoning violations related to 40 junked vehicles at his towing firm.

The zoning dispute dates back to the 1970s and has landed Bembry in jail several times, including for felony assault of a zoning officer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

DeKALB COUNTY was the only county designated an All-America City for 1998 by the National Civic League. DeKalb was among 10 local governments receiving the honor.

The award, sponsored by Allstate Insurance Company, recognizes exemplary collaboration between the public and private sectors in addressing community challenges.

DeKalb, with nearly 600,000 residents and the most ethnically diverse population in the southeastern United States, featured three programs in its award application: the South DeKalb YMCA Child Care and Youth Development Academy; the Children's Initiative Collaborative Board; and the Lynwood Park Community Project. All the programs emphasize partnerships in decision making.

"The county's designation as an All-America City is a wonderful and well-deserved tribute to the citizens, the businesses, the organizations and agencies of the DeKalb community," said DeKalb Chief Executive Officer Liane Levetan. "Through their willingness to work together, the public and private sectors have created a model for community collaboration."

IOWA

LINN COUNTY could soon be recognized as one of the most "disaster-resistant communities" in the nation, according to Ned Wright, director of the county's emergency management agency. (See County News, June 22, page 4.)

The Iowa Emergency Management Division recommended Linn County to the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) for selection to "Project Impact: The Disaster-Resistant Community."

Downtown revitalization programs in HAMILTON COUNTY have been recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preserva-tion's National Main Street Center in Washington, D.C.

Hamilton County has been working to rejuvenate its Main Street districts via programs such as the White Lights Across Hamilton County promotion, monthly newsletters and storefront revitalization efforts. Since starting the downtown revitalization efforts seven years ago, 36 businesses have been created, 82 buildings have been renovated and $790,000 has been invested from public and private resources.

KENTUCKY

A man jailed in December for a minor traffic charge is suing MADISON COUNTY for $2.4 million in damages, claiming that the county forced him to miss a kidney dialysis treatment, which, in turn, seriously damaged his health.

Jeffrey L. Napier named the county, the jailer and the deputy jailer in his suit, filed June 17, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.

NEBRASKA

Countyline, the official publication of the Nebraska Association for County Officials, recently pointed out that a new telephone scam has been identified in the United States and apparently has originated from local jails and prison facilities.

This is how the scam works: A person will call a telephone subscriber and identify himself as an AT&T service technician who is running a test on telephone lines. He asks the subscriber to assist by pressing three specific buttons on a touch tone phone, then hang up.

Telephone company officials warn that by following these directions, the individual contacting the subscriber can access the subscriber's telephone line; it allows the individual to place a long distance call, with the charge appearing on the subscriber's bill.

The Nebraska association points out that counties that maintain jail facilities and all county officials should be aware of the scam.

NEW YORK

WESTCHESTER COUNTY Clerk Leonard Spano recently announced that his office will share its resources with local law enforcement agencies as part of a major effort to enhance the safety and responsibility of pistol ownership.

The clerk has installed hardware and software for the office's pistol license operation that allows the information to reside in a state-of-the-art database environment. This will enable his office to share information with the public safety department and probation department as well as the district attorney's office.

The county recently enacted the Handgun Recordkeeping Accountability Act that requires all current pistol licenses to be registered with the clerk's office by April 1, 2000 and that all information be updated every five years to reflect changes in status, such as whether the gun's owner is living or deceased, their address and any change in ownership of the weapon.

Spano noted that the timing of the initiative is fitting - the county recently saw two police and hostage standoffs.

SOUTH CAROLINA

A state-of-the-art landfill is ready to take in garbage. The Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority's $21 million landfill began accepting garbage this month from the counties of AIKEN, ALLENDALE, BAMBERG, BARNWELL, CALHOUN, EDGEFIELD, MCCORMICK, ORANGEBURG and SALUDA.

Bamberg County officials estimate the landfill could save the county $8 a ton over what it currently pays to get rid of trash, USA Today reported.

UTAH

The Utah Association of Counties has new digs. Effective Aug. 3, its new office building and training center will be located at: 5397 South Vine St., Salt Lake City, UT 84107. Telephone, fax numbers and Web site address remain the same.

VIRGINIA

Representatives of 24 rapidly developing counties and cities recently met in LOUDOUN COUNTY, the fastest-growing jurisdiction in the state, to discuss land-use planning, the Loudoun Daily News reports.

Loudoun County Supervisor Scott York told the paper that the top two concerns expressed at the meeting were the high cost of putting in public infrastructure to accommodate new residents and the localities' lack of state authority to find new sources of revenue.

"The state needs for us to attract economic development, but if it's not beneficial to us, we're not going to do it, and the state is going to be in a world of hurt," York said. "They've got to understand that if we can't afford to put in good schools, the America Onlines, the Baan Corporations and the WorldComs are going to be out of here. These companies want an excellent quality of life for their employees' families, they want excellent schools, and frankly, the way things are, we can't afford it."

Another participant, Loudoun County Supervisor Jim Burton, said: "I asked one of the experts that spoke what level of growth is sustainable in a community that is transitioning from rural to suburban to urban. He said, 'Oh, a 2 to 3 percent rate of growth is sustainable.' Our rate is 6 percent a year."

WISCONSIN

The BROWN COUNTY Board of Supervisors recently approved the Solid Waste Department staff's recommendation to market the county's Household Hazardous Waste Facility to regional small businesses and surrounding counties. The facility receives, processes, treats and/or bulks household hazardous wastes.

The county built its facility in 1996 for a cost of $435,000 and was the first year-round permanent collection and treatment facility in the state. It processes approximately 100 tons of household hazardous waste each year.

For more information, contact Charles Larscheid, director, Solid Waste Department, at 920/492-4950.

(News From the Nation's Counties is compiled by Mary Ann Barton and Kevin Wilcox, senior staff writers.)