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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 05-15-2001-8lr ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: May 15, 2001 Action Agenoda Item No. SUBJECT: General Plan for Legislation Support Process for North Carolina General Assembly Sessions DEPARTMENT: County Commissioners PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No County Manager ATTACHMENT(S): Draft Orange County General Plan for Legislation Support Process for the North Carolina General Assembly Sessions (Note: This item was tabled at the May 1, 2001 BOCC meeting. Additions to the attachment appear in bold. Deletions are shown as she-t#redgl~.) INFORMATION CONTACT: Commissioner Steve Halkiotis Commissioner Bany Jacobs TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To approve a proposed general plan for Orange County for an on-going legislation support process for North Carolina General Assembly Sessions this year and in ensuing years. BACKGROUND: During recent years, the BOCC has expressed a desire for Orange County to become more actively involved in the legislative process in support of Orange County's legislative package through the development of a coordinated plan for making direct contact with legislators and legislative committees. This coordination effort would also be utilized, as appropriate, to support proposals by the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, other counties, and other entities. Activities to counteract legislative proposals which would harm Orange County or North Carolina counties in general may also occur. During 2000, staff developed and the Board. approved a plan concerning the BOCC's efforts relative to a coordinated legislative effort for the 2000 General Assembly Session. That plan has since been modified in nature to become more general and applicable to the current legislative session as well as future legislative sessions. A draft containing those modifications is attached. Following BOCC review and approval of the proposed plan, staff will develop a summary sheet detailing the process participants and the general legislation process activities. FINANCIAL IMPACT: None other than staff time. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the General Plan for Legislation Support Process for North Carolina General Assembly Sessions. DRAFT a ORANGE COUNTY GENERAL PLAN FOR A LEGISLATION SUPPORT PROCESS FOR THE NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL, ASSEMBLY The Orange County Board of Commissioners has expressed a definite desire that Orange County and specifically the Board itself be actively involved in the legislative process associated with the North Carolina General Assembly. As it is understood, this involvement would primarily encompass more direct staff monitoring of legislation of interest as well as members of the Board making direct contact with General Assembly members and/or committees with the goal of promoting the county's legislative agenda. Efforts would also be made, to varying degrees, to 1) support proposals that would benefit North Cazolina counties in general and 2) oppose efforts which would harm or undermine Orange County and/or all North Carolina counties in general. To the extent possible, Orange County's, the Board's, and individual members' activities would be coordinated with the. North Carolina Association of County Commissioners and with other counties and entities to help ensure an effective, timely, and successful effort. With this overall objective in mind, it is important for Orange County to establish aframework/process for activities relative to the General Assembly. The following information attempts to provide an initial proposal for discussion as the county plans for these efforts. PARTICIPANTS IN LE ISLATIVE EFFORT As a first step in the planning process, it is worthwhile to identify all the participants. It is also beneficial to note some of the responsibilities of those participants, with the understanding that circumstances, time considerations, and the complexities of the legislative process may demand that various participants temporarily adjust their roles/responsibilities for the benefit of the overall effort: These altered duties could include participants other than members of the Board addressing General Assembly members and/or committees. All actions taken by participants should be fully shared with other participants to allow for coordination of activities, to allow the opportunity for feedback, and to safeguard against any opportunities fox misunderstandings. The participants and their roles are as follows: s. DRAFT Board of County Commissioners: Establish Orange County's legislative agenda and revise as necessary; review and provide direction regarding other proposals which may potentially impact Orange County or North Carolina counties in general; provide oversight and direction to county staff before, during, and after the legislative session to clarify and focus activities and improve the process. Individual Members of the Board of Commissioners: Represent Orange County and the Orange County Board of Commissioners to members and committees of the General Assembly; present the full Board's positions on legislative initiatives proposed by Orange County; present the full Board's positions on other proposals that may potentially impact Orange County and/or North Carolina counties in general; coordinate efforts, when appropriate, with other commissioners, with the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, with other counties' representatives, and with other entities; provide daily feedback to staff, especially the Assistant to the Manager, on bill status, committee actions, future committee meetings, communication improvements, and any other items relative to the county's legislative agenda; report on activities to the full Board. ~~. ~~County Manager: Assist the Board of County Commissioners with the formulation of Orange County's legislative agenda; provide updates to the Board on the status of Orange County's legislative initiatives; communicate to the Board other legislative initiatives which may potentially impact Orange County; discuss with the Board the various issues and positions voiced by the North Carolina. Association of County Commissioners and other entities that may potentially impact Orange County; report on activities to the full Board; receive information and direction from the Board on various legislative matters; provide information and direction to staff. _ ~ ounty Attorney: Assist the Board of County Commissioners with the formulation of Orange County's legislative agenda; provide updates to the Board on the status of Orange County's legislative initiatives; communicate to the Board other legislative initiatives which may potentially impact Orange County; discuss with the Board the various issues and positions voiced by the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners and other entities that may potentially impact Orange County; seek partnerships with other like-minded entities that support Orange County's legislative goals; report on activities to the full Board; DRAFT 4 receive information and direction from the Board on various legislative matters; provide information to county staff. ~.~ser Assistant Coup Mana er: Assist the Board of Commissioners, County Manager, County Attorney, and Assistant to the Manager with various responsibilities as necessary to enhance t~Orange County's legislative efforts; report on activities to the. Board and County Manager; receive information and direction from the Board and County Manager on various legislative matters; provide information and direction to county staff ,Assistant to the Manama: Maintain oversight of Orange County's legislative agenda; remain informed on status of bills related to Orange County's legislative agenda; remain. informed on status of bills proposed by other entities that may potentially impact Orange County; maintain weekly contact with Orange County's elected representatives and/or their staffs to check status of Orange County's legislative items; share information in a timely manner with Board members on legislative actions, committee meetings, and other events where all or portions of Orange County's legislative agenda maybe discussed; share information in a timely manner with the County Manager, the Chair of the BOCC, and the County Attorney on legislative actions, committee meetings, and other events where all or portions of Orange County's legislative agenda maybe discussed; share information in a timely manner~vith Board members on legislative actions, committee meetings, and other events where all or portions of bills potentially affecting Orange County may be discussed; share information in a timely manner with County Manager, the Chair of the BOCC, and County Attorney on legislative actions, committee meetings, and other events where all or portions of bills potentially affecting Orange County maybe discussed; forward, as appropriate, information on legislative issues to other participants; maintain contact with North Carolina Association of County Commissioners and_ other entities regarding legislative proposals and opportunities for cooperation; receive information and direction from the Board and County Manager on various legislative matters; report to the Board and County Manager on activities. Other County Staff (As Needed: Assist other participants with background information, potential impacts, and alternatives relative to various legislative initiatives being considered by the Board and/or the General Assembly; follow activities of legislation specific to their departmental functions both ~; DRAFT personally and via any professional association relationships and forward general and potential impact information to other participants. Private Citizens Interested in a Particular Item: At his or her discretion. INFORMATION FOR LEGISLATIVE EFFORT To ensure consistent expectations by all parties as it relates to involvement in acriviries of the North Carolina General Assembly, it is important to document what information will be communicated to each participant by the other various participants.. This will assist in the overall effort, diminish confusion, and provide all parricipants with direction. Initial Review and Consultation: Through a series of inirial meetings, the Board of County Commissioners will discuss and formulate Orange County's legislative initiatives for the General Assembly Session. These meetings will include the Board, the County Manager, the County Attorney, the Assistant County Manager, the Assistant to the Manager, other county staff as appropriate, and other interested parties. The Board, County Manager; .and County Attorney will be the primary participants during these discussions as various legislative initiatives are formulated, evaluated, and refined. Discussions on legislative proposals and positions of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, other counties, and other entities will also be reviewed. The overall product of these meetings is to finalize Orange County's legislative initiarives and to determine Orange County's positions/roles regarding legislative proposals, as known, by other entities. The Board, County Manager, and County Attorney will then meet with Orange County's legislative delegation to share the County's legislative package. - Committee Mew: Once a North Carolina General Assembly Session begins and bills are introduced, Orange County's legislative proposals as well as other items of interest to Orange County will be directed to various legislative committees for review and discussion. The Assistant to the Manager will provide the Board and other participants with the initial bill information as well as any available information regarding timetables for committee discussions on the various bills. As the session continues, the DRAFT b Assistant to the Manager will follow the committees' schedule regarding the discussion of items and inform Board members as well as the County Manager and County Attorney of those committee discussion times. Revisions to Bi11s: As the General Assembly session progresses and committees review items proposed by or• of interest to Orange County, revisions to the language/content of bills maybe proposed to account for discussion and new information. These changes could be proposed by members of the legislature, by other counties, or by other entities with an interest in the same legislative matters as Orange County. The Assistant to the Manager will maintain oversight of this activity. As amendments are proposed, the Assistant to the Manager will distribute copies of them to Board members as well as the County Manager and County Attorney. Standard operating procedure will be that any position Orange County takes regarding a bill amendment will require approval of the Board prior to any representative of Orange County expressing a position on the amendment or revised bill. Circumstances may arise where a Board member (or members) or county staff recognize 1) a need to amend an Orange County legislative initiative or 2) a need to vary Orange County's position on a proposal from another entity. In situations such as this, standard operating procedure will be that those participants proposing the change should formulate and distribute the proposed revision in written form to all participants and any other interested parties. The Board will then review the revision and determine whether or not to approve the amendment or revised position. However, it should be noted that time considerations, the issue in question, the legislative process, or other factors may not allow ample time for consultation with the entire Board to determine Orange County's ,official position. In such cases, the participant involved should contact the Chair for advice and direction. The participant and the Chair should review the matter, the time constraints, and other factors to determine if time is of the essence and if a substantive, immediate position from Orange County is necessary. If an immediate position is warranted, the participant and Chair should be guided in formulating that position by the previous decisions and discussions of the entire Board of Commissioners. The participant and the Chair should inform all other participants in writing of their actions within two business DRAFT ~ days, and the full Board may consider whether to discuss the matter at its next appropriate meeting. Legislative Actions: As the General Assembly session progresses, items proposed by or of interest to Orange County will be approved, disapproved, or redirected by legislative committees or by the two bodies of the Legislature. The Assistant to the Manager will maintain oversight of these actions and inform participants of them as they occur. Individual Conversations: Part of the process of advancing Orange County's legislative agenda will involve members of the Board as well as other participants having individual conversations with specific legislators, small groups of legislators, or with the General Assembly's legislative staff. These.conversations will certainly have a bearing on the success of Orange County's legislative .agenda as well as on the efforts and strategies of all participants promoting the County's initiatives. With this in mind, all participants should make substantial effort to share information from their individual conversations with the other participants. This will not only provide all participants with relevant and complete information, but will also allow everyone to focus their efforts accordingly on the issue in question. North Carolina Association of County Commissioners: Throughout a Legislative Session, the North Carolina. Association of County Commissioners will be following the activities of the Legislature and its various committees. Orange County, and specifically the participants, should plan to utilize all reports, services, sununaries, updates, and other benefits provided by the Association as the county's legislative agenda is advanced. An initial meeting with Association staff should occur to ascertain the nature, content, and schedule of the Association's legislative publications and initiatives. This meeting could also serve as an opportunity to explore, additional means through the Association whereby the County .and its legislative participants might improve their effectiveness and efficiency in promoting the legislative agenda. COMMUNICATION TOOLS With any undertaking such as this initiative, it is mandatory that substantial communication occur between participants to enhance the effectiveness of w. DRAFT the effort and maintain coordination and agreement. Thy following details how communication should occur between participants. Initial Review and Consultation: Through a series of initial meetings, the Board of County Commissioners will discuss and formulate Orange County's legislative initiatives for General Assembly sessions. These meetings will include the Board, the County Manager, the County Attorney, the Assistant County Manager, the Assistant to the Manager, other county staff as appropriate, and any other interested parties. The Board, County Manager, and County Attorney will be the primary participants during these discussions as various legislative initiatives are formulated, evaluated, and refined. Discussions on legislative proposals and positions of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, other counties, and other entities will also be reviewed. The overall product of these meetings is to fmalize Orange County's legislative initiatives and to determine Orange County's positions/roles regarding legislative proposals, as known, by other entities. The Board, County Manager, and County Attorney will prepare the final legislative package and provide ,all participants with a copy of the package. An explanation of each provision within the package should establish a basis for all future actions and communication. Telephone. E-mail, & Facsimiles: An important component of Orange County's legislative success will be the use of immediate communication tools to provide everyone with an update on the status of bills, committee meeting times, the contents of individual conversations, revisions proposed by other parties to Orange County's legislative initiatives, and all of the other sharing 'of information that will be necessary. To that end, all participants should plan to utilize telephone, a-mail, and facsimile communication to share information with other participants. If facsimile or e-mail is used, participants may need to make some effort to verify receipt by the other participants. All participants should make concerted efforts to check their fax machiries and a-mails regularly, especially during the legislative."crunch" times when the Legislature and its committees are acting swiftly and without much lead-time. Status R orts and U dates: All participants, including various county department heads whose functions will be affected by proposed legislation being considered by the General Assembly, should provide all other participants with status reports and updates of the impacts of the proposed legislation as well as their activities in regard to legislation. This should _, DRAFT occur regularly as well as when circumstances dictate. The form and content of these reports and updates are at the discretion of each participant. However, written reports would likely provide the best means of sharing information, and participants should realize that (]range County's legislative efforts will be vastly improved if all participants have as much access to information and background as possible., North Carolina Association of Coun Commissioners Publications: Through-out the legislative session, the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners will be following the activities of the Legislature and its various committees. Orange County, and specifically the participants, should plan to utilize all reports, services, summaries, updates, and other benefits provided by the Association as the county's legislative agenda is advanced. As part of the initial meeting with Association staff noted earlier, Orange County should ascertain the nature, content, and schedule of the Association's legislative publications. This meeting could also serve as an opportunity to explore additional means through the Association whereby the county and its legislative participants might improve their effectiveness and efficiency in promoting the legislative agenda. Final Review: Following adjournment of the Legislature and some opportunity for participants to individually assess their roles, the process, the legislation approved during the Session, and other facets of this legislative effort, all participants should meet to discuss a written report of the outcomes of the legislative session as they relate to Orange County. The participants should review of the county's legislarive agenda and legislative initiatives proposed by other entities. Participants should further discuss the impacts of any approved legislation on county departments and county government as a whole. Preparations should also begin for the next General Assembly.Session. The participants should also thoroughly evaluate the county's legislation support process to provide for improvements. Areas such as communication, contact strategies, timing of activities, participant roles, and other components of the program should be discussed. Orange County's successes and failures during each legislative session should provide some direction in these areas in preparation for future legislative sessions.