THE Way to Go!

In response to my recent update on Les Bois Park, someone wrote:

“Way to go... The Green group was willing to pay the same lease rate as Capitol racing. Now that it will be out to an RFP, and what if the highest bid is way less than that lease rate. How does that help Ada county residents.”

First of all, to my knowledge, the “Green Group” never made an offer to the Board of Ada County Commissioners with regard to leasing the facilities at Les Bois Park, so we have no idea how much they would or would not be willing to pay and whether they are even qualified to run the operation.

Second, nothing precludes the “Green Group” from submitting a response to the Request for Proposals to be reviewed along with any and all other submissions.

Third, my colleagues and I believe in fairness and competition. I have spent years fighting against “Good Ol’ Boys” government -- special privileges granted to the few. In this situation, Ada County serves as the landlord. By putting the Les Bois Park contract out for competitive bid, we ensure ALL Ada County residents that we will secure the best possible tenant.

Fourth, the people who HAVE contacted the Board of Ada County Commissioners with regard to the “Green Group” are the same people who, back in 2002, pushed to have Lariat Productions take over the lease at Les Bois Park.

They got what they wanted: Lariat Productions had the opportunity to run Les Bois Park, use the County’s liquor license, and hold live and simulcast racing, despite the proprietor’s lengthy criminal record and abysmal business history. When things began to go wrong, it took the County three years to evict Lariat Productions.

My Commission colleagues and I will not repeat mistakes made by previous Commissions. You probably know the old saying, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” By putting the Les Bois Park lease out for bid, we are ensuring fairness and competition in an effort to secure the best possible tenant.

Addressing Public Records Access

My Commission colleagues and I have discussed the possibility of adopting a uniform countywide policy with regard to charges for public records. For example, we could establish a policy under which the County would not charge for the cost of the records or staff time in locating or preparing those records (i.e. redacting non-public information), up to a threshold of a certain dollar amount or number of hours.

It would also be nice to have a uniform, countywide public records request document, if we can create one that satisfies the requirements of all Ada County departments.

When the issue of a countywide public records policy was raised at a meeting of all of Ada County’s elected officials, Sheriff Gary Raney expressed some concern about police records being covered under the same policy as all other public records. I have asked Sheriff Raney to work with me on creating a policy that meets the needs of taxpayers and the County, as well as his office.

If you have any ideas or suggestions for language you would like to see included in an Ada County public records policy, please let me know!

Fair Prices

The people who donate their time to serve Ada County on the Western Idaho Fair Board, as well as on our other volunteer boards, are very much appreciated. The evening of Tuesday, February 10, the Fair Board met at Les Bois Park. The Fair Board gathers information and makes recommendations to the Board of Ada County Commissioners. The three of us were also in attendance at the meeting.

At the meeting, the Fair Board revisited a decision they had made previously to recommend an increase in Fair admission prices. In light of the current state of the economy, members of the Fair Board voted to rescind the previous decision and recommend that prices remain the same as they were for last year's Fair.

In addition to the economy, in setting admission prices, the Fair Board takes into consideration the need to ensure adequate revenue in order to make all needed expenditures. It was noted at the Fair Board meeting that there are a number of discount admission packages available as well.

It would be my preference to roll Fair admission prices back and make up the difference elsewhere, if necessary. I think it is important for families to be able to attend the Fair to see the animals, exhibits, etc., at an affordable price. It is my hope that in the future the Fair Board will be able to find places to cut expenditures in order to cut admission prices.

Les Bois Park Update

Now that Capitol Racing has let the County know they plan to terminate their lease at midnight on March 31, my colleagues and I all agree that putting out a Request for Proposals to solicit bids for leasing the facility is necessary to ensure an open, competitive process that is in the best interest of our constituents.

Trash Update

We have now heard from four credible trash hauling companies, in addition to Allied Waste, interested in submitting proposals to Ada County to provide this service in the unincorporated areas. I am pleased that there will be stiff competition for the contract. Ratepayers will benefit by having the County go through the bidding process.

More Responses

A reporter from a local publication asked me some questions. For the record, here are my responses:

1. Why do you feel so strongly about the Allied contract going out for rebid?

I have now heard from three trash haulers, not including Allied Waste, who are interested in submitting proposals to Ada County to provide the service to residents in the unincorporated areas of the County. With reassurance that Allied Waste will not be the only bidder, this contract should be re-bid because Allied has had it for 14 years. This contract amounts to a government-granted monopoly to a captive, paying audience for a service which is mandatory in unincorporated Ada County.

2. In your blog, you had indicated that Allied said there would likely be increased costs associated with their contract if you opened it up for rebid – have you received a good answer yet as to why the costs would be more? If so, what was that information that made this issue more clear?

I have had no further communication about this issue. Please feel free to contact Allied Waste to find out where they stand and why.

3. Regarding your personal media policy, why is it that you don’t want to interact directly with the media?

That is not my media policy. What I will not do is knowingly and willingly participate in sound-bite journalism.

4. In the voter guide you said you’d like to cut back on P.R. staff because you said that Commissioners should be able to speak for themselves – so how can you reconcile that position based on your current decision not to talk with the media.

I HAVEN’T SAID I WILL NOT TALK WITH THE MEDIA!!! What I have said, specifically, is that I will talk to the media on my terms, not yours. I won’t bother to waste my time, or bore my readers, by repeating here all the ways in which I am open and accessible to the public and the circumstances under which I will speak with the media. Prior to returning to office I decided I would only do media live-broadcast interviews that are not subject to editing. This approach eliminates a reporter’s ability to take my comments out of context to fit into a pre-determined agenda. Unfortunately, I learned this lesson the hard way during my first term as a County Commissioner and I am not about to let a reporter twist my words so that they may somehow be used against me.

I stand behind the comments I made during the campaign. I do not support tax dollars being spent on a county P.R. department. Instead, I choose to communicate directly with the people of Ada County via my blog, through one-on-one email and telephone conversations, and in the context of public hearings and town hall meetings. Despite a full schedule of nearly back-to-back meetings, I have kept my word and have already posted ten blog entries to my site. So far, I’ve had a great response from the public and even from reporters! Don't you find it ironic that just this week two local papers filed stories about the Allied Waste contract and the current CCDC/Courthouse parking situation – two issues that no one would have known about had I not posted them on my blog?!

In the spirit of cooperation, I have agreed to answer questions from reporters. If they want to know something about Ada County business, they can e-mail me their questions. I’ll be happy to post my answers here, in their entirety, in this open forum for everyone to see.

Dear Kevin,

Dear Kevin,

Thank you for your interest in my blog. In response to the questions you posted on my previous blog entry:

1) I will answer questions from reporters in unedited live interviews (i.e. talk radio, long-format public affairs programs, live on-the-scene interviews, in studio, in recorded Commission meetings and public hearings). Questions that I answer on this blog may be submitted any way your heart desires, whether here, through e-mail, telephone, or in skywriting for that matter. The point is that my complete, unedited responses will be posted here on this blog for all the world to see.

2) I will answer constituents’ questions in whatever forum or format they choose and have been doing so since I declared my candidacy for this position early last year. As I pointed out, I am here to serve the public and am honored to have the opportunity to do so.

Let me remind you, once again, that you and everyone else, including members of the media, are welcome to attend our meetings, ask questions in those meetings on the official record, when I am a guest on talk radio programs including those already scheduled, and at Town Hall Meetings, again on the official record. The public will then have the opportunity to hear my complete, unedited, unfiltered responses. What I will not do is willingly participate in sound-bite journalism.

Thank you again for your interest in Ada County government.

Take care,
Sharon

Thank you, Kevin Richert!

Idaho Statesman editorial page Editor, Kevin Richert, is about to give this little blog a major publicity boost. He picked up on a piece in the Boise Weekly about my media policy of communicating directly with you, my constituents, rather than through the spin of the media. Where did it all get started? Right back at this blog!

Since I posted my first article on here the day I took office, January 12, the media has picked up on two stories that first began right here: whether or not to renew Allied Waste’s trash hauling contract in unincorporated Ada County for ten more years and the fact that CCDC wants to raise parking rates at the courthouse.

It is not my job to sell newspapers. It is my job to ensure you receive accurate, timely information about Ada County government. If I have to take some flak in order to ensure that the real facts and figures get through to you, it's worth it.

I will gladly do live interviews (i.e. talk radio, live television interviews, as well as shows live Viewpoint and Newsmakers where the full extent of an issue can be discussed rather than “spun” by a reporter.)

I will also answer questions (yes, from the media – even the Boise Weekly despite their routinely inaccurate reporting) right here on this blog.

I am looking forward to being a guest on a call-in talk radio show on KIDO radio, on Saturday, March 7, from 11 to noon, as well as on KBOI on March 26 from 8:30 to 9:05 a.m.

The fact remains that I am committed to openness in government and accurate reporting of the facts, which is why I:

* Have a published phone number, under my name;
* Have a political website, at www.sharonu.com
on which I have posted my views on every major
Ada County issue (and even a few not-so-major issues, to boot) along with my
home phone number and personal e-mail address;
* Participated in twelve public candidate forums prior to the recent
General Election;
* Wrote a "Commissioner's Corner" column that was published in the
Kuna Melba News and the Valley Times when I was previously in office, and I
am now sending these papers copies of my most relevant blog posts;
* Have this blog on which I am able to communicate directly
with the public regarding county issues of interest; and,
* Have instigated Town Hall meetings that get commissioners out of the
courthouse and into the community to communicate face-to-face with members
of the public. The first is scheduled for March 25. Please see previous post for more details.)

Since taking office, and even prior to that time, I have responded to dozens of constituent inquiries via e-mail and telephone calls. Please keep those phone calls and messages coming; I am here to serve.

P.S. To the Boise Weekly reporter who attempted to hold private conversations with my colleagues and me during our recent meetings, in the future, I would suggest you speak up when the meetings are actually taking place to have your questions answered. Even as a member of the public, I spoke up at Commission meetings, years before I was elected, and then-Chairman Vern Bisterfeldt usually allowed me to ask questions or comment.

Horsey Hearsay

Rumors are flying but only today, for the first time, my Commission colleagues and I saw something in writing from Capitol Racing about their intention not to run live horse racing this year at Les Bois Park, an Ada County facility at the fairgrounds.

We are waiting to hear when Capitol will vacate the premises and, once that date is finalized, will put out a Request for Proposals from potential operators to lease the facility from Ada County for a two-year period. Anything and everything else you hear, or have heard, is likely just hearsay and speculation.

Town Hall Meetings are in the Works!

The media is catching on! Last week, Idaho Statesman reporter Cynthia Sewell requested a copy of the recording of a meeting we (the Board of Commissioners) had with Capital City Development Corporation (CCDC) representatives regarding courthouse parking fees. (As stated in my previous blog entry, CCDC now claims parking revenues are coming up short and they might not have enough to make their courthouse bond payment.) Cynthia wrote a story about the issue and Statesman editor Kevin Richert is apparently working on an editorial focusing on the same topic.

I’d like to commend Boise Weekly reporter Lora Volkert for attending several of our meetings this morning. She requested I answer questions for her, either in person or in writing; however, I refer her back to my first blog post with regard to my media policy. Direct communication with the public, rather than through interpretation of a reporter, will provide you the best opportunity to get the real story of what is going on in Ada County government.

Although I will not be talking with you through the media anytime soon, I am happy to report that we now have a Town Hall Meeting tentatively scheduled for March 25, so you will have a convenient opportunity to communicate directly with my Commission colleagues and me in person. (You are also welcome to call me at 287-7001 or 362-0843 or contact me by e-mail at sharonu@adaweb.net or sharonu@cableone.net at any time.)

I promise to let you know when the arrangements for the Town Hall Meeting are confirmed. The plan is to meet at Meridian City Hall from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., so please be sure to pencil it in on your calendar! The idea is to provide you with an opportunity to interact with us on a casual basis in a convenient location outside of the Ada County Courthouse.

Final Piece of Courthouse Financing Scheme Crashes and Burns

In the 1990’s, Ada County taxpayers were told that a public/private partnership would be a means of acquiring a new courthouse at a discounted price. One of the subsidies that was supposed to offset a portion of the cost of paying off the courthouse bonds was parking revenue from the project on an ongoing basis.

Boise’s redevelopment agency, Capital City Development Corporation (CCDC), was intricately involved with the complex courthouse financing scheme. CCDC also owns and manages the majority of downtown parking facilities, including courthouse parking.

When the courthouse opened in early 2002, visitors were charged one dollar ($1) per hour for parking. Since then, CCDC has changed the fee structure for all of their parking facilities, including at the courthouse. They now provide the first hour of parking free, but have raised rates to $2.50 per hour.

Despite having increased their hourly parking rate a hundred and fifty percent since the courthouse opened, representatives of CCDC came to the Board last week to let my Commission colleagues and me know that revenues are lower than expected and they need more money to offset the cost of payments for the courthouse bond debt. CCDC wants either increased parking rates, or a payment each year from county taxpayers, to make up the deficit. When I asked the amount of the deficit, no one present at the meeting from CCDC was able to answer my question. What we do know, at this point, is that there is a deficit.

No matter how well intentioned at the time, no part of the much ballyhooed courthouse financing scheme worked as intended. The folks who fought against using “creative” financing (including former legislators Robert “Bob” Forrey, Jim Auld, Rachel Gilbert and Rod Beck) for a new Ada County courthouse were right. It didn’t work. Sadly, Ada County’s taxpayers are now paying the price.

Political Poetry

The Idaho Association of Counties is holding its annual Midwinter Legislative Conference in Boise this week. Sheriffs, Prosecutors, Coroners, Treasurers, Clerks, Assessors, and Commissioners from around the state have descended upon Conference headquarters, the Doubletree Riverside Hotel.

Since there wasn’t a photographer or journalist in sight, I feel compelled to pass along to you the seating arrangement of the row in which I was sitting at this morning’s 8:00 a.m. Commissioners and Clerks meeting. Please note, these were NOT assigned seats!

On the far left sat Canyon County Commissioner Steve Rule, then my colleague Ada County Commissioner Rick Yzaguirre, newly elected Canyon County Commissioner Kathy Alder, me, and to my right, Canyon County Commissioner David Ferdinand. The only one missing from our C-A-C-A-C arrangement was Ada County Commission Chairman Fred Tilman, but then he was already hard at work at a separate meeting, of the IAC Legislative Committee, that convened at 7 a.m., an hour before the rest of us had to report for duty.

If you hear in the mainstream media that relations between the two counties are strained, figure it's likely those rumors are greatly exaggerated! :-)

Decrease in Revenues Prompts Layoffs and a Commitment to Conservative Budgeting

The major ongoing issue in Ada County right now has always been my big issue: government spending and the budget. One would have to live in a vacuum not to recognize the downturn in the economy. Consequently, County revenues are down, and people are now losing their jobs.

Despite my overall belief in limiting the size and scope of government, decisions to lay people off are not made lightly. We all recognize that County employees are real people with families at home to support. We also recognize the responsibility we have to our taxpaying constituents, particularly in light of decreasing revenues.

Thankfully, my Commission colleagues have changed the County’s budgeting process since I was in office previously, in 2001 and 2002. Back then, my colleagues strongly supported what they called ECB - Expenditure Control Budgeting. Every department would get the same amount of money they had the prior year plus a factor for growth as well as the three percent annual increase allowable under state law. Under ECB, seventy-five (75) percent of dollars that were unspent at the end of the budget year would be returned to the department for use the following year with no justification required. The other twenty-five (25) percent would be returned to the County’s general fund for future reallocation, particularly for large capital projects.

The County now uses BFO - Budgeting For Outcomes. I think my colleagues are onto something here. They have made a greater effort to solicit public input, with an online budget survey last year, and they tried to take the public’s priorities into consideration when setting the budget.

I have always advocated implementing Zero-Based budgeting. Zero-based budgeting would provide the Board the opportunity to preview and analyze all of the County’s expenditures on a line item by line item basis. My suggestion would be to do so on a four-year cycle. In other words, we would examine a quarter of the County’s annual expenditures in great depth every year.

In fact, we are already beginning to do just that. In recent weeks, as it has become painfully clear that revenues are dropping and that expenditures must be cut accordingly, my Commission colleagues and I have begun looking at expenditures for dues and subscriptions, business meals, conferences, training, and education.

There are benefits to each of these budgeting systems. Budgeting For Outcomes, adopted before I took office, serves to ensure public input and participation in the budget process. You will get no argument from me on that topic! Zero-based budgeting allows for the greatest budget scrutiny and the highest level of accountability for all expenditures.

The good news is that these two budgeting systems are not mutually exclusive. Both can work side-by-side. It is my hope that in the near future, my Commission colleagues and I formally adopt Zero-Based Budgeting as a complement to the Budgeting For Outcomes process that is already in place.

Hopefully, it has been and will continue to be with sensitivity and sensibility that my colleagues and I act to head off a huge potential budget shortfall in the years to come.