We enjoyed some great discussion during the Unity Breakfast breakout session. The common response was that KAC participants found the panel discussion and the examples provided by the panelists to be both interesting and thought-provoking. What follows is a pull together of the thinking from the five Regional Breakout Groups.
Common Themes
- There is great value in counties working to create a Council of Governments like Harvey County has done.
- Counties need to take the lead in rethinking all the various regional districts. Many counties belong to more than 20 different regional configurations.
- There is a strong concern that regions need to figure out how to work for a fair appraisal.
- Counties need to place greater emphasize on the use of interlocal agreements.
- Counties need to be more inclusive of townships. Dickinson County cooperation with 24 townships has been impressive. Townships are able to purchase materials at County prices.
- Counties are stronger when they advocate as a group rather than as individual counties.
- Counties are stronger as a group when advocating with the State.
- Landfills provide a good example of a way to collaborate more.
- The issues are too complex and expansive to be limited to specific government jurisdictions.
- We need more than cooperation or compromise we need collaboration.
- If we collaborate now we can avoid consolidation later.
Suggestions for KAC
- Counties would like the KAC to bring together Commissioners with agency Secretaries as well as House and Senate members to help with the legislative agenda. Commissioners could help the KAC staff in this effort and move this activity beyond just KAC Board members.
- The KAC could create an on-line directory of data sources so when we are completing grant applications we can reference it to see where to locate available data/statistics.
- The KAC could think about doing a database on what counties are doing across Kansas. Participants felt strongly that more was happening than being reported.
- Counties need some common form to the wages and salaries in the regions. Participants express their preference for the old Wages and Salary Booklet. They find the one that is now being done online by Sedgwick County hard to read and know what the data means. They feel that the data is not always apples to apples. It was also suggested that data from the Department of Labor could be checked.
- Counties would like the KAC to find out if the new appraiser training could be done in the regions rather than in Topeka.
- The KAC needs to think about helping counties become a vehicle for promoting sales tax issues. People were very interested in the successful sales tax effort in Harvey County.
- Counties need to share information on wind energy so we all can be consistent across county lines.
- Counties need the KAC to serve as a sort of clearinghouse for wind energy information.
- The Southwest Region would like KAC to host a one day meeting where there are resource people that present what they know and have already learned about wind energy.
- Counties would like to know who has what surplus equipment available.
Unique Opportunities
- It is now time to promote the success of the Correctional Boot Camp for youth in Labette County.
- Counties need to be able to access data on prison populations, recidivism and rehabilitation rates to determine number of beds needed and when or if prevention programs are more cost effective.
- The planned process changes to property assessment and vehicle registration will have a huge impact on county employees and services.
- Counties need to increase the use of GIS and educate others regarding its applications.
The Kansas Collaborative enjoyed working with Randall Allen on the Unity Breakfast. We also enjoyed working with and want to thank panelists Tom Winters, John Waltner, Betsy Gillespie, Joe Nold and convener Joe Connor.
Until next month….
Kathleen and Joel
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