June 2, 2017                                                                                                                                    www.nacone.org   NACO E-Line Archive  

Upcoming Events

Save the Dates For: 

Clerks of the District Court Summer Workshop
-
June 7-8, 2017
-
North Platte
Agenda Registration

Treasurers Workshop
- June 13-15, 2017
- South Sioux City

Highway Superintendents, Surveyors & Engineers Summer Workshop
- June 13-15, 2017
- Hotel Grand, Grand Island
Dues Notice  Registration

  Clerks, Register of Deeds & Election Commissioners Summer Workshop
-
June 14-16, 2017
-
Quality Inn, Grand Island
Agenda Registration

Assessors Workshop
- August 28-31, 2017
- Lied Lodge, Nebraska City

   
ALL UPCOMING EVENTS
 

Place your logo to advertise here and link it to any website of your choice
For details contact:
LeRoy.Janssen@nacone.org
WHO SUPPORTS NACO AND THEIR MISSION?

 

AssocMembersAssociate and Sustaining Members

NACO Associate and Sustaining Members enable NACO to enhance its continuing education programs for county officials across the state. Visit NACO's complete associate and sustaining membership list here.

Top
roomresAnnual Conference Hotel Rooms Becoming Available
The 2017 NACO Annual Conference is scheduled for December 13 - 15 at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney, Nebraska.  Hotel room reservations for the conference will be allowed to be made starting June 22 at 2:00 p.m. CDT.  The hotel properties that NACO has contracted with are the following;

Holiday Inn - (308) 237-5971
Comfort Inn - (308) 236-3400
LaQuinta Inn & Suites - (308) 237-4400
Fairfield Inn & Suites - (308) 236-4200
Hampton Inn - (308) 234-3400
Candlewood Suites - (308) 234-1100
Holiday Inn Express - (308) 234-8100

Room rates are as follows: Standard room types with two queen-size or one king-size bed - $109.95 per room, per night, plus tax. For hotels with suites (Holiday Inn, LaQuinta Inn, Fairfield Inn, Holiday Inn Express & Candlewood) the suite rate is $129.95 per night, plus tax.

ADDITIONAL LODGING OPTIONS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY:
 
Holiday Inn Express - (308) 234-8100   
Best Western Mid Nebraska Inn & Suites - (308) 234-2541
AmericInn - (308) 234-7800  
Country Inn & Suites - (308) 236-7500
Ramada Inn - (308) 237-3141
 
Counties may initially make reservations under one name when calling on June 15th, however ALL reservations must have individual names on them by Tuesday, November 14th. Any reservation that does not have an individuals name on it by this date will automatically cancel and be made available for other callers.  
highwaytrainingCounty Highway Superintendent Licensing Training Updated
Training for candidates interested in taking the exam for licensure as a County Highway and/or City Street Superintendent in Nebraska has been updated, effective beginning with the October 6 exam.

In the past, candidates could attend a three-day pre-exam workshop one month prior to taking the six-hour exam. The new format requires them to attend four separate one-day classes on various topics related to the job/license if they plan to attend the pre-exam workshop. The pre-exam workshop will then be reduced to two days to review the courses completed along with other training provided.

The licensure exam will now be one week after the two-day workshop "review" instead of waiting 30 days. Candidates are allowed to take the exam without attending the workshop if they desire.

Courses required in advance of taking the pre-exam workshop include:
1)   C onstruction Math & Plan Reading
2)    Superintendent 101 Basics and Test Prep Skills
3)    Classification and Standards Course
4)    One And Six and SSAR Course

These four one day courses will be provided in advance of future pre-exam workshops in both Lincoln and Ogallala to help prepare candidates for exams starting with the next exam on October 6. Others interested in taking any of these courses are encouraged to register, provided seats are available after exam candidates register.

Licensure exams are held twice a year at the Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) headquarters in Lincoln. More information about the exams, as well as videos and PowerPoint presentations created by NDOR Boards-Liaison Services staff working with the Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, can be found here .
 
custodialwkshpCounty Custodial Staff Workshop
The NACO Board of Directors in 2016 gave approval to develop a courthouse restoration and improvement project designed to educate courthouse maintenance staff and those responsible to keep county properties in good repair.   Jerry Berggren of Berggren Architects developed the idea after visiting several counties in the state and noted the need for custodial and maintenance staff and elected county board members to keep our historic keepsakes in top shape to preserve our heritage and remain functional into the future. A key component to honing and perfecting a suitable environment with building upkeep lies encompassed within the joint decision making of the staff completing the work and the county board members responsible for providing support through educational opportunities, financial backing, and a reflection of pride in the presentation of our county properties.

Berggren felt that a strong tie with the Nebraska community colleges would help to enhance the project ideas of education, geographic diversity and support from the community college program development staff. The Northeast Nebraska Community College was the first to sponsor and present ideas at the Spring NACO District meeting to county board members. The work continues in this endeavor to host a fall custodial workshop through the Southeast Community College in Beatrice in October. Other community college sites will be considered for future meetings.

The working group at this time is seeking input from county board members and custodial and maintenance staff to determine what type of training and education is most pertinent and beneficial for everyone involved. The one-day workshop will seek up to 25 two-person registrations. One registrant will be the maintenance/custodial staff person and the other would be the county board member chosen to attend who would take a lead role in educating the other board members of the significance of the maintenance role in building upkeep.  October 5, 2017 is the projected workshop date.  Further details will follow in future editions of this newsletter.

NACO is looking for topics of interest from county board members and county maintenance staff to determine educational presentations at the one-day workshop. After a general session, part of the day will be for staff education, part of the day will be for the education of the county board members and the day will conclude with a joint courthouse tour to review the lessons learned and to further the camaraderie of the attendees to develop relationships with other counties and their processes.

If you have a topic of interest that you would like to see on the workshop agenda please email LeRoy Janssen or give him a call at 402-434-6225 Ext. 221.

 LegallineLegal Line
Editor's Note: Legal Line is a feature that will periodically appear in NACO E-Line. This edition has been prepared by Elaine Menzel of the NACO legal staff. Legal Line is not intended to serve as legal advice. Rather, it is published to alert readers to court decisions and legal or advisory matters important to county government. For a specific opinion on how the information contained in this article or that which will be discussed in future issues relates to your county, consult your county attorney or personal counsel.

Court of Appeals Rules on CIR Case

In Public Assn of Govt. Emp. v. City of Lincoln, 24 Neb. App. 703, --- N.W.2d. --- (2017), the Court considered an appeal by the City of a decision by the Commission of Industrial Relations (CIR).  The City's decision related to when the City unilaterally changed employee shifts and standby staffing without bargaining with the labor union which represents various employees of the City and the CIR found that the decision violated Nebraska's Industrial Relations Act (IRA).  See Neb. Rev. Stat. ยงยง 48-801 to 48-842.

The Court stated,

It is a prohibited practice for any employer, employee, employee organization, or collective-bargaining agent to refuse to negotiate in good faith with respect to mandatory topics of bargaining.  Mandatory subjects of bargaining include the scale of wages, hours of labor, or conditions of employment.  Management prerogatives, such as the right to hire, to maintain order and efficiency, to schedule work, and to control transfers and assignments, are not mandatory subjects of bargaining.  A matter which is of fundamental, basic, or essential to an employee's financial and personal concern may be considered as involving work conditions and is mandatorily bargainable even though there may be some minor influence on educational policy or management prerogative. (Citations omitted.)

In this case, the primary change at issue was a modification of the procedure for standby staffing, which in turn alters employees' work hours, days and overtime status.  The employees' collective bargaining agreement (CBA) refers to hours and shifts of employees' work.  However, issues contained in the modification were not included in the CBA and thus changes implemented by the City were not covered in the CBA. 

While the CIR does not have jurisdiction over breach of contract claims, it does over claims involving determination of prohibited practice under IRA.  Ultimately, the Court determined that the City's implementation of changes to standby staffing, employee work hours, and days off was a mandatory subject of bargaining that was not covered by the CBA.  The City had a duty to negotiate the changes with the employees' labor union prior to implementation.  For a copy of the case click here .

Back to Top
codirectory2017-2018 Directory of County Officials
NACO's 2017-2018 Directory of County Officials is a valuable resource that not only gives you names, addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers and e-mail addresses of every county official in the state, but includes a listing of county board meeting days, NACO districts, county seats, NACO officers and directors, affiliate officers and NACO staff. 

The NACO Directory is also still be available in electronic format by selecting the "Directory of County Officials" icon on the NACO webpage.  The electronic version is updated on a regular basis and contains the changes that occur between printings of the hard copies.
 
A printed directory is available for $19.00 if non-taxable and $20.00 if taxable.

Countygovernementdaycd  County Government Day PowerPoint
The PowerPoint presentation is available electronically at no charge (sent via e-mail) for use by counties during their annual County Government Day. The PowerPoint provides a comprehensive look at county government functions in the State of Nebraska and can be customized by each county. CD's are also available for $10.00 each to cover processing, shipping and handling. To request the County Government Day PowerPoint electronically, please e-mail your request to larrydix@nacone.org .

The CD order form is available here.

Back to Top
County_Board_Handbook_2012  2016 County Board  Handbook and Revision s
The 2016 County Board Handbook and related revisions are now available.

The cost for a current handbook, including legislative information from the 2016 session, is $80.00/book plus $18.00 shipping and handling per book. The 2016 Supplement to the County Board Handbook is available for $25.00 plus $5.00 shipping and handling. The order form is available on the NACO website or by clicking here.  If you are interested in purchasing a complete handbook or a supplement  please contact
Deb Eberly by email or call her at (402) 434-5660 ext. 232.
   
Back to Top
NACoNews From NACo

National City-County Taskforce on the Opioid Epidemic Statement on ONDCP Funding Cuts
May. 18, 2017

In the President's official FY 2018 budget request, released on Tuesday, May 23, ONDCP and its grant programs are funded at levels close to those enacted in FY 2017 - the total proposed funding for the office is $369 million, an $19 million decrease from FY 2017, while HIDTA grants are funded at $247 million, a $7 million decrease from FY 2017, and Drug Free Communities grants are funded at $92 million, an $8 million decrease relative to FY 2017. While these decreases are not optimal, NACo commends the Administration for requesting significant funding for ONDCP and its important grant programs.

The National Association of Counties and the National League of Cities City-County Task Force on the Opioid Epidemic sent the following letter to President Donald J. Trump regarding the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy; 
   
To read the letter, click here
 
websNACo Webinars
SLLC Supreme Court Review Webinar

Jul. 13, 2017
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm CDT 

Contact:
Contact Lisa Soronen

First Amendment and police cases dominated the Supreme Court's state and local government docket this term. Discuss these and other cases of interest to states and local governments with Mike Scodro, Mayer Brown, who argued one of the police cases this term, Kyle Duncan, Schaerr Duncan, and Ken Jost, author of Supreme Court yearbook and Jost on Justice.