Last November, the voters spoke pretty clearly: as opposed to adding jailspace or new dollars, they expect the County to do a better job managing the jail space we already have, and the money they already send our way.
Hopefully, some of the blog posts below show that we are working hard to respond to their clear mandate.
Another sign that we are moving in the right direction involves the River City Correctional Facility. This is a state-funded detention facility located at the old "workhouse" in Camp Washington, run locally by a County-appointed board, that is designed to house non-violent felony inmates and provide rehabilitation and reentry services. It is formally an alternative to sending inmates to state prison--but in practical terms, also plays a role in alleviating spaces and costs at our Justice Center.
Early this year, at one of the Criminal Justice Subcommittee meetings that I chair, I was informed that there were numerous unused beds at River City. Dozens of male and female beds were sitting idle. This was happening at the same time that the Justice Center was at or near capacity, and particularly squeezed with too few female beds, such that some female inmates were being let go early. And of course, recent studies had shown that the biggest increase in jail intakes in the last four years was for drug crimes--so the empty beds could not be explained by a lack of demand for the River City "service".
It got so bad that River City informed other counties in Ohio of its excess capacity, to try to fill the beds (and avoid a cut in state funding for lack of use)!
On hearing this news, I reacted the same way that any citizen would have--that this made no sense!
Thankfully, Sheriff Leis and his staff, along with presiding Common Pleas Judge Norbert Nadel, all agreed. We met, and they agreed to jointly encourage that River City be fully utilized as an option by the Courthouse--particularly for drug court cases. The drug court judge, Judge Kim Burke, also agreed that something had to be done. And hard-working employees in our probation and pretrial services offices have been doing the logistical legwork to assure systematic collaboration among our courts, jail and River City, so that we together maximize the use of River City for appropriate inmates.
The results:
March average population in River City: 150.65
April average: 167.61 (I believe this was around the time we had our meeting)
May average: 189.10
June average: 193.63
July average: 200.71
Last Friday (August 1) -- population was at 204.
Basically, River City is now at or near capacity. This lessens demand on space at the Justice Center, gets many inmates into a rehabilitation/treatment path, and ultimately shifts what would have been a county cost (for time served at the Justice Center) to the state. And all this was done without new spending.
Thanks to all involved for getting this done.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Saturday, August 2, 2008
The Griffey Era
I wish I had kept the ticket stub.
I was privileged to see Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 606th HR several weeks back, a no-doubter to right field against San Diego. Little did I know it would be his second to last in Great American Ballpark.
I'm a pretty die-hard Reds and Bengals fan. As a kid, when either team had their first loss of the season (sometimes, that happened pretty quickly), I was so worked up I couldn't sleep that night. I think I didn't sleep for several when the Doug Flutie-led (and not very impressive at the time) Patriots broke up what I was sure would be our undefeated Bengals season (we were 6-0 at that point) in the great 1989 season.
And when the Reds made it to the World Series in 1990, I promised all my college classmates that the Reds would take Oakland in 5. I blew a big red horn out my window with each victory, to the point that a lacrosse player in my dorm threatened to get physical. It's a good thing they won in four.
All that being said, it is indeed a bittersweet end to the Griffey era. While I, as much as any fan, was frustrated that injuries and a lack of surrounding talent kept him from being all he was in Seattle, I was lucky to have watched one of the all-time greats play for eight years.
In the end, much of the frustration came, ironically, from the fact that Griffey physically slowed and repeatedly injured himself over time, while other players in their late 30s seemed to bloom and stay as strong as ever. Well, now we know why! While he was aging naturally like most of us, the others of his caliber were cheating. And I hope Griffey's long-term legacy will be that he achieved greatness the right way.
If the White Sox make the playoffs and the Reds don't, I will be cheering for him to win his first World Series. And I know I won't be alone. He is, after all, a Cincinnatian.
And as a Cincinnatian myself, I will be cheering hard as we begin the Jay Bruce, Brandon Phillips and Edinson Volquez era. How great will it be as we open "the Banks" in the coming years to have winning baseball at the same time.
Hope does indeed spring eternal.
I was privileged to see Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 606th HR several weeks back, a no-doubter to right field against San Diego. Little did I know it would be his second to last in Great American Ballpark.
I'm a pretty die-hard Reds and Bengals fan. As a kid, when either team had their first loss of the season (sometimes, that happened pretty quickly), I was so worked up I couldn't sleep that night. I think I didn't sleep for several when the Doug Flutie-led (and not very impressive at the time) Patriots broke up what I was sure would be our undefeated Bengals season (we were 6-0 at that point) in the great 1989 season.
And when the Reds made it to the World Series in 1990, I promised all my college classmates that the Reds would take Oakland in 5. I blew a big red horn out my window with each victory, to the point that a lacrosse player in my dorm threatened to get physical. It's a good thing they won in four.
All that being said, it is indeed a bittersweet end to the Griffey era. While I, as much as any fan, was frustrated that injuries and a lack of surrounding talent kept him from being all he was in Seattle, I was lucky to have watched one of the all-time greats play for eight years.
In the end, much of the frustration came, ironically, from the fact that Griffey physically slowed and repeatedly injured himself over time, while other players in their late 30s seemed to bloom and stay as strong as ever. Well, now we know why! While he was aging naturally like most of us, the others of his caliber were cheating. And I hope Griffey's long-term legacy will be that he achieved greatness the right way.
If the White Sox make the playoffs and the Reds don't, I will be cheering for him to win his first World Series. And I know I won't be alone. He is, after all, a Cincinnatian.
And as a Cincinnatian myself, I will be cheering hard as we begin the Jay Bruce, Brandon Phillips and Edinson Volquez era. How great will it be as we open "the Banks" in the coming years to have winning baseball at the same time.
Hope does indeed spring eternal.
Uncollected Stimulus Checks
Mayor Mallory and I yesterday jointly announced something I hope readers will help us spread the word on.
The United Way recently informed me that Hamilton County, and Cincinnati in particular, are one of the highest ranked urban areas (18th) in the number of eligible seniors and veterans who have NOT filed for and received their economic stimulus payment (which resulted from one of the few things that Congress and the President were able to agree on this year).
More than 17,000 veterans and Social Security retirees in Hamilton County could miss out on hundreds of dollars owed to them. Of these potential recipients, more than 16,000 live in the City of Cincinnati. And there are surely others missing out as well. With rising gas, health and food prices, the stimulus dollars will provide a real boost to many folks.
And multiplying these numbers by the $300-$600 for which every citizen is eligible, our local economy is missing out on millions of dollars collectively.
That's the bad news. The good news is that it's not too late to change this. People can still file by the deadline of Oct. 15, 2008 in order to receive a payment THIS year.
Individuals or families must have at least $3,000 in qualifying income, which can be income from Social Security benefits or Veterans benefits.
Filing is very simple. To get information on doing so, citizens should call United Way 211 (Dial 2-1-1), or contact the IRS directly and toll-free at 1-800-829-1040. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 7:00am-10:00pm. To receive face-to-face help from the IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers in Cincinnati, visit one of the following locations Monday-Friday from 8:30am-4:30pm:
550 Main Street, Cincinnati, Oh 45202
9075 Centre Pointe Drive, West Chester, OH 45069
If you have a hunch that someone you know may not be aware of the stimulus package, please help spread the word.
The United Way recently informed me that Hamilton County, and Cincinnati in particular, are one of the highest ranked urban areas (18th) in the number of eligible seniors and veterans who have NOT filed for and received their economic stimulus payment (which resulted from one of the few things that Congress and the President were able to agree on this year).
More than 17,000 veterans and Social Security retirees in Hamilton County could miss out on hundreds of dollars owed to them. Of these potential recipients, more than 16,000 live in the City of Cincinnati. And there are surely others missing out as well. With rising gas, health and food prices, the stimulus dollars will provide a real boost to many folks.
And multiplying these numbers by the $300-$600 for which every citizen is eligible, our local economy is missing out on millions of dollars collectively.
That's the bad news. The good news is that it's not too late to change this. People can still file by the deadline of Oct. 15, 2008 in order to receive a payment THIS year.
Individuals or families must have at least $3,000 in qualifying income, which can be income from Social Security benefits or Veterans benefits.
Filing is very simple. To get information on doing so, citizens should call United Way 211 (Dial 2-1-1), or contact the IRS directly and toll-free at 1-800-829-1040. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 7:00am-10:00pm. To receive face-to-face help from the IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers in Cincinnati, visit one of the following locations Monday-Friday from 8:30am-4:30pm:
550 Main Street, Cincinnati, Oh 45202
9075 Centre Pointe Drive, West Chester, OH 45069
If you have a hunch that someone you know may not be aware of the stimulus package, please help spread the word.
Friday, August 1, 2008
The Dawn of GASP!
UPDATE: Due to an error, GASP is currently not operational. I will let people know when it is back up.
Despite an occasional disagreement, we at the County have generally been working well across party lines. One example: GASP (Government Accountability in Spending Program, I believe).
Basically, GASP is transparency in spending and empowerment of taxpayers. Commissioner DeWine proposed it several months ago, and we all agreed it was a great idea. The Administration implemented it incredibly quickly. And beginning today, citizens, including commissioners, can scrutinize County spending at the micro-level any time they want--down to individual purchases.
I know I and my staff will be on this site a lot to find waste and excess spending, and I call on citizens to do the same, and alert us to any spending that seems excessive, unwise or inappropriate--paticularly at a time that we are so pressed financially. (Remember, we are in a spending "lockdown," where we only are supposed to be spending on things that are essential for this year). My hope is that the constant scrutiny will also lead to more general spending discipline. Comment on this blog anytime you see something noteworthy.
Example: In quickly looking at the site, I already have spotted that general fund dollars have been expended on numerous purchases of coffee service, which was something the Commission had voted to cease purchasing under our "spending caps" instituted in December 2007. I have already inquired as to how and why these purchases were made despite our clear policy. This is a small item, but these things add up quickly.
To access GASP, go to: http://www.hamiltoncountyohio.gov/hc/bocc_gasp.asp
I have already received an inquiry from a staff member of the County Commissioners Association of Ohio about this idea, because it is something they thought might be worth replicating elsewhere.
Despite an occasional disagreement, we at the County have generally been working well across party lines. One example: GASP (Government Accountability in Spending Program, I believe).
Basically, GASP is transparency in spending and empowerment of taxpayers. Commissioner DeWine proposed it several months ago, and we all agreed it was a great idea. The Administration implemented it incredibly quickly. And beginning today, citizens, including commissioners, can scrutinize County spending at the micro-level any time they want--down to individual purchases.
I know I and my staff will be on this site a lot to find waste and excess spending, and I call on citizens to do the same, and alert us to any spending that seems excessive, unwise or inappropriate--paticularly at a time that we are so pressed financially. (Remember, we are in a spending "lockdown," where we only are supposed to be spending on things that are essential for this year). My hope is that the constant scrutiny will also lead to more general spending discipline. Comment on this blog anytime you see something noteworthy.
Example: In quickly looking at the site, I already have spotted that general fund dollars have been expended on numerous purchases of coffee service, which was something the Commission had voted to cease purchasing under our "spending caps" instituted in December 2007. I have already inquired as to how and why these purchases were made despite our clear policy. This is a small item, but these things add up quickly.
To access GASP, go to: http://www.hamiltoncountyohio.gov/hc/bocc_gasp.asp
I have already received an inquiry from a staff member of the County Commissioners Association of Ohio about this idea, because it is something they thought might be worth replicating elsewhere.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
A Model That Works
Several years ago, as a member of City Council and chairman of its Law Committee, I was part of a planning committee to deal with prostitution--proactively.
For close to a year, a group of us from all sectors worked to come up with a comprehensive solution to prostitution. No surprise, most women caught up in prositution are in dire straits primarily due to drug addiction. The drug habit is primarily what feeds the criminal behavior, along with other factors. And those were the underlying causes we sought to address.
This committee led to the creation of the Off the Streets program, which is an intervention program for women caught up in prostitution, providing intensive services for women who choose this path, rather than simply having them repeatedly jailed and released, year after year. I've been to one of the OTS "graduations," and it is deeply moving to see the life-altering changes this program makes for women who were only recently on the street.
Not only is the program working, it was recently recognized as one of the top three programs in the country (out of hundreds of applicants) by the Mutual of America Foundation. According to the organization reviewing the application, OTS is the "best collaborative they have ever seen!"
Congratulations to all members of this partnership (judges, social service agencies, Sheriff's Department, law enforcement, etc.), but particularly Cincinnati Union Bethel, which manages this model program.
For close to a year, a group of us from all sectors worked to come up with a comprehensive solution to prostitution. No surprise, most women caught up in prositution are in dire straits primarily due to drug addiction. The drug habit is primarily what feeds the criminal behavior, along with other factors. And those were the underlying causes we sought to address.
This committee led to the creation of the Off the Streets program, which is an intervention program for women caught up in prostitution, providing intensive services for women who choose this path, rather than simply having them repeatedly jailed and released, year after year. I've been to one of the OTS "graduations," and it is deeply moving to see the life-altering changes this program makes for women who were only recently on the street.
Not only is the program working, it was recently recognized as one of the top three programs in the country (out of hundreds of applicants) by the Mutual of America Foundation. According to the organization reviewing the application, OTS is the "best collaborative they have ever seen!"
Congratulations to all members of this partnership (judges, social service agencies, Sheriff's Department, law enforcement, etc.), but particularly Cincinnati Union Bethel, which manages this model program.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Looking for $ Under Every Rock
Today, the Commissioners took a number of steps to deal with continuing budget problems. We're working across party lines to find every and any source of savings that makes sense. Citizens are demanding that we do more with less, and that is exactly what we are working to do.
As part of that effort, I presented three issues that, together, could potentially save hundreds of thousands of dollars, or even more:
1. Take-home vehicles (potential savings: $100,000s)
Ohio law is very clear. No automobile owned, hired or leased by the County can be used “for any purpose other than the transaction of official business.” O.R.C. 307.43.
Take-home vehicles can be a useful and appropriate tool, particularly in law enforcement or other services that require immediate County response directly from an employee’s home. But without clear and appropriate policies and controls, take-home vehicles and their associated costs (insurance, fuel, etc.) can also become an unnecessary drain on the County’s budget, totalling hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The County has 121 take-home vehicles, across seven departments (out of 905 total vehicles).
The Motion I presented calls on the Administration to review and report back to the County Commission on the use of these vehicles, and the policies and controls of each department to ensure that we are keeping costs down while adhering to the Ohio guidelines.
Link to the motion: http://davidpepper.com/archives/7-30-08%20Take%20home%20cars.pdf
2. Overtime (potential savings: $100,000s to millions)
If well-managed, the use of overtime can provide an appropriate tool to deliver services—and no doubt overtime costs will mount in an environment of hiring freezes. If poorly managed, however, overtime can lead to excessive spending and inefficient service delivery.
The 2008 Overtime Budget for Hamilton County’s General Fund budget is $4.1M. Any meaningful improvements in overtime management could help us grapple with our 2009 budget challenge, and save hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The Motion calls on the Administration to review and report back to the County Commission on the use of overtime by department, and recommend policies and controls to ensure that we are using overtime only when appropriate.
Link to the motion: http://davidpepper.com/archives/7-30-08%20Overtime.pdf
3. County Parking (potential savings: $10,000s to $100,000s)
County-owned personal parking spaces are, collectively, a valuable asset that, in the private sector, generate real value. This asset doesn’t belong to individual officials, but to the County and taxpayers. At this difficult budget time, where the County is assessing the value and use of all of its assets, the County should do the same with this asset.
The “system” today appears to be scattered and inconsistent. While some County employees, generally those who make lower salaries, appear to be responsible to pay for their personal parking spaces, other County employees, many at the higher salary levels, receive a personal parking space for free.
The Motion asks the Administration to do an inventory of all County-controlled parking spots, review and report back on the breakdown of what rates are being paid by whom, and explore various options on how to ensure a fair and equitable system. The bottom line: those employees who currently pay for personal parking should not have to pay more. But the County should review if it is fair and wise that higher paid officials in particular benefit from this valuable asset for free.
Link to the motion: http://davidpepper.com/archives/7-30-08%20Parking%20Passes.pdf
Overall, my hope is that all these issues will lead to significant savings, and increase confidence among taxpayers that we are spending prescious dollars on THEIR priorities. More to come. In the meantime, continue to send your ideas . . . . .
As part of that effort, I presented three issues that, together, could potentially save hundreds of thousands of dollars, or even more:
1. Take-home vehicles (potential savings: $100,000s)
Ohio law is very clear. No automobile owned, hired or leased by the County can be used “for any purpose other than the transaction of official business.” O.R.C. 307.43.
Take-home vehicles can be a useful and appropriate tool, particularly in law enforcement or other services that require immediate County response directly from an employee’s home. But without clear and appropriate policies and controls, take-home vehicles and their associated costs (insurance, fuel, etc.) can also become an unnecessary drain on the County’s budget, totalling hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The County has 121 take-home vehicles, across seven departments (out of 905 total vehicles).
The Motion I presented calls on the Administration to review and report back to the County Commission on the use of these vehicles, and the policies and controls of each department to ensure that we are keeping costs down while adhering to the Ohio guidelines.
Link to the motion: http://davidpepper.com/archives/7-30-08%20Take%20home%20cars.pdf
2. Overtime (potential savings: $100,000s to millions)
If well-managed, the use of overtime can provide an appropriate tool to deliver services—and no doubt overtime costs will mount in an environment of hiring freezes. If poorly managed, however, overtime can lead to excessive spending and inefficient service delivery.
The 2008 Overtime Budget for Hamilton County’s General Fund budget is $4.1M. Any meaningful improvements in overtime management could help us grapple with our 2009 budget challenge, and save hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The Motion calls on the Administration to review and report back to the County Commission on the use of overtime by department, and recommend policies and controls to ensure that we are using overtime only when appropriate.
Link to the motion: http://davidpepper.com/archives/7-30-08%20Overtime.pdf
3. County Parking (potential savings: $10,000s to $100,000s)
County-owned personal parking spaces are, collectively, a valuable asset that, in the private sector, generate real value. This asset doesn’t belong to individual officials, but to the County and taxpayers. At this difficult budget time, where the County is assessing the value and use of all of its assets, the County should do the same with this asset.
The “system” today appears to be scattered and inconsistent. While some County employees, generally those who make lower salaries, appear to be responsible to pay for their personal parking spaces, other County employees, many at the higher salary levels, receive a personal parking space for free.
The Motion asks the Administration to do an inventory of all County-controlled parking spots, review and report back on the breakdown of what rates are being paid by whom, and explore various options on how to ensure a fair and equitable system. The bottom line: those employees who currently pay for personal parking should not have to pay more. But the County should review if it is fair and wise that higher paid officials in particular benefit from this valuable asset for free.
Link to the motion: http://davidpepper.com/archives/7-30-08%20Parking%20Passes.pdf
Overall, my hope is that all these issues will lead to significant savings, and increase confidence among taxpayers that we are spending prescious dollars on THEIR priorities. More to come. In the meantime, continue to send your ideas . . . . .
A New Era: Paperless Meetings
Two weeks ago, I casually mentioned to our County clerk, Jackie Panioto, that is sure seemed like our meetings consumed a lot of paper. It was sort of the beginning and end of the conversation--or so I thought.
In only two weeks, she implemented a paperless meeting process that will save a lot of money (we estimate as much as $50,000), and a heck of a lot of trees. Today was our first trial run, and it worked without a hitch.
The Enquirer descibed this in their blog today (including a photo showing a fraction of just how much paper we're talking about):
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=blog02&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3aec38bb2b-982e-46ba-819a-da01a547e8eaPost%3a1b77045b-1adb-45de-9a67-8e9b21c2ccc2&sid=sitelife.cincinnati.com
Thanks, Jackie!
In only two weeks, she implemented a paperless meeting process that will save a lot of money (we estimate as much as $50,000), and a heck of a lot of trees. Today was our first trial run, and it worked without a hitch.
The Enquirer descibed this in their blog today (including a photo showing a fraction of just how much paper we're talking about):
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=blog02&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3aec38bb2b-982e-46ba-819a-da01a547e8eaPost%3a1b77045b-1adb-45de-9a67-8e9b21c2ccc2&sid=sitelife.cincinnati.com
Thanks, Jackie!
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