Mike Ramsdell to Keynote Management Conference
Written on February 16, 2012 at 11:27 pm, by uacadmin
Former spy, now best-selling author, Mike Ramsdell, will provide the keynote address at the UAC Management Conference, April 18-20 at the Ogden Eccles Conference Center. Registration for the event is now open.
Ramsdell was born and raised in Bear River, Utah. Upon graduation from Utah State University, he was commissioned an officer in the Military Intelligence Corps. After post graduate studies at the University of Utah, he began his military active duty as a graduate from the Defense Language Institute (Russian and German) in Washington, D.C.
Mike’s career specialty in Russian/Soviet counterintelligence has taken him on missions throughout Europe, Russia, Scandinavia, and Asia. Mike served with both the US and NATO military, various intelligence agencies, and the US Department of State. His last foreign assignment was for a six-year period in Moscow and Gorky, Russia.
Mike currently lives in northern Utah with his wife, Bonnie, and their three cats; Gorbachev, Yeltsin, and Putin. His national best seller, “A Train to Potevka,” has prompted the creation of a movie that is to be released in late 2012.
Go here to register for the 2012 Management Conference.
UAC Legislative Committee Meetings to be Broadcast Throughout the State
Written on January 4, 2012 at 4:37 pm, by uacadmin
With the start of a new year, it’s time once again for UAC’s Legislative Committee to meet. And once again the meetings during the Legislative Session will be broadcast throughout the state. The Legislative Session begins this year on Monday, January 23 and concludes on Thursday, March 8. Be sure to check the UAC calendar for agendas and additional material prior to each meeting.
Legislative Committee Schedule
January 26 9 AM – 11 AM
(Olmstead Room Senate Building, State Capitol)
February 2 9 AM – 11 AM
(Olmstead Room Senate Building, State Capitol)
February 9 9 AM – 11 AM
(Olmstead Room Senate Building, State Capitol)
February 16 9 AM – 11 AM
(Olmstead Room Senate Building, State Capitol)
February 23 9 AM – 11 AM
(Olmstead Room Senate Building, State Capitol)
March 1 9 AM – 11 AM
(Olmstead Room Senate Building, State Capitol)
Broadcast Locations
The Legislative Committee meetings will be broadcast to the following locations throughout the state:
Logan
Bear River Health Department
655 East 1399 North
Logan, UT 84341
Moab
Allen Memorial Hospital
719 West 400 North
Moab Utah 84532
Richfield
Central Utah Public Health Department
70 Westview Dr.
Richfield, Utah 84701
St. George
Southwest Utah Public Health Department
168 North 100 East
St. George, UT 84770
Vernal
TriCounty Health Department
147 E. Main St.
Vernal, Utah 84878
Web Streaming
County officials will be able to view all the Legislative Committee meetings streaming on the web.
Interested county officials are welcome to watch the proceedings via web streaming. Follow this link to stream the meeting: www.utahtelehealth.net/live/broadcast.
County officials who are participating remotely can call into meeting to make comments. The number to do so is (801) 587-0130 and will then be prompted to enter the following code: 4373#.
There is a single dedicated phone line so county officials are expected to make their comments and then hang up so others can use the line. Also there is a four to six-second delay with the phone line so participants are recommended to turn down the volume on their computer when on the phone.
UAC Sets 2012 Legislative Priorities
Written on January 3, 2012 at 10:37 pm, by uacadmin
With the 2012 Legislative Session just around the corner, the Utah Association of Counties is preparing to represent the interest of Utah’s counties and those counties’ citizens at the Legislature. Below are UAC’s top four Legislative priorities for the 2012 Legislative Session:
1 Dedicated Beer Tax to Fund Condition of Probation Prisoners
For decades, the counties and the state have been unable to come to a fair process for paying for condition of probation prisoners. These are state inmates who have been tried on state charges, sentenced in state courts to time in the state prison. However, the judge suspends the prison sentence and grants probation on the condition that the prisoner spends time in a county jail for a period of up to one year. Current state code requires the state to pay 50 percent of the cost of housing an inmate in state prison to the counties for a condition of probation inmate; although, the Legislature has, to date, never appropriated the total amount.
UAC feels strongly that if the state is ever to meet its obligation, at the very least a portion of the costs associated with condition of probation inmates will have to come from a dedicated revenue source. For that reason, UAC is supporting legislation that would appropriate a portion of the Utah State beer tax towards paying the costs of housing condition of probation inmates in county jails.
2 Online Travel Companies and the Transient Room Tax
Currently, hotels calculate and charge taxes on the full price paid by their customers. They then remit that tax in its entirety to the appropriate jurisdiction. Online travel companies (such as Expedia, Orbitz, and Priceline), in contrast, charge customers an amount for rooms but remit taxes based not on the full price paid by the customer, but rather on their wholesale rate—the amount they agree to pay hotels—and keep the balance. This practice is harmful to both local hotels and Utah’s travel and tourism industry as collected transient room tax is spent on promotion.
The Utah Association of Counties supports legislation that would require online travel companies to remit transient room tax based on the price the customer pays for rooms. UAC opposes any legislation that would codify the current remittance practice of online travel companies.
3 Protect the Tourism, Recreation, Cultural, and Convention Facilities Tax
Over the past several years, UAC has led out in a coalition of travel and tourism industry players, local governments, and a portion of the restaurant industry to protect the TRCC tax from serious erosion from private interest groups. The Utah Association of Counties reaffirms its position to protect the TRCC tax from groups who would alter or eliminate this important tax for Utah’s tourism and recreation industries.
4 Amendments to Indigent Defense
Counties are responsible for providing defense representation for criminal defendants who are indigent. Counties are also responsible for providing defense resources (e.g. expert witnesses) to defendants who are indigent. In recent years, counties have seen a number of instances in which a defendant hires private counsel to represent them in the case and then later approaches the court with a request that they be found indigent for the purpose of requesting the county pay for defense resources. These costs can be substantial.
UAC supports legislation to better define the Indigent Defense Act to avoid extra, unexpected, non-contractual costs for defense experts.
Tribune Publishes UAC Op-Ed on Road Ownership
Written on December 29, 2011 at 6:58 pm, by uacadmin
The Salt Lake Tribune published an op-ed article from UAC on December 24 regarding the issue of Road Ownership. To read this article go here: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/opinion/53170782-82/roads-road-counties-utah.html.csp
Just the Facts on Affidavits
Written on December 29, 2011 at 6:50 pm, by uacadmin
An affidavit is a written, sworn statement of fact made by a person under oath or affirmation, overseen by someone authorized to do so legally. The signature of affidavits must be witnessed by a “taker of oaths” such as a notary public to verify authenticity.
The term affidavit is Latin, meaning “he has declared upon oath.” As a form of declaration or statement, affidavits serve as evidence in legal settings such as courts. And, as such, must contain only factual information or the author may be subject to punishment of perjury, in some cases.
Affidavits are ideal for providing testimony of people in non judicial settings (such as declarations on legal documents) or when a person is unable to attend a court proceeding.
Affidavits can be written in first or third person, depending on who is actually writing the document.
The key components include:
• Identification of the person making the statement (name, address, date of birth)
• Specific claims of facts, usually numbered
• A statement of truth, attesting that the claims are true under penalty of perjury, fine or imprisonment
• An attestation clause, certifying the oath and date, and
• Signatures of the author and witnesses
It’s important to be brief in descriptions and remove any language that would take on the form of exaggeration or embellishment, or that include opinion and commentary. These elements hurt an affidavit more than they help.
Proper drafting of affidavits and other legal documents is important and if you are at all uncertain as to any aspect of it, consult professional legal advice to ensure it meets all necessary requirements.
Convention Photos Posted
Written on December 8, 2011 at 11:26 pm, by uacadmin
The 2011 Annual Convention is now history, but hopefully those who attended picked up some useful information.
Certainly, there was lots to see and do.
To that end we have posted some photos of the event for you to check out and even download (if you wish).
Internet Security: Do Your Passwords Do Their Job?
Written on November 30, 2011 at 7:46 pm, by uacadmin
With more and more of our data online (or in the “Cloud” as it’s popular to say), it’s becoming increasingly important to ensure the information is secure.
For some, remembering a password is more important than ensuring it actually does its job. Creating passwords too simple, such as “123456″ or “Princess” or “Password” (all of which are on the top 20 list of most common passwords from a survey by ZoneAlarm.com) are extremely vulnerable.
So what constitutes a good password?
Tec h journalist Leo LaPorte offers some very secure suggestions.
Random and Long
The best passwords consist of a long series of random numbers, punctuation symbols, general characters, and a mix of upper and lower case letters. An acceptable length is eight characters, but 10 or more is much better.
A popular tool of today’s hacker is called a “Brute Force Attack” or “Exhaustive Key Search”, whereby they run an application that tries hundreds of thousands of dictionary terms to find encrypted data, including passwords.
For a Hacker, it becomes exponentially more difficult to discover a password the longer the series of characters and the more random or unrecognizable they are. Dictionary terms and simple number and letter sequences can be quite simple to discover.
Making it Memorable
“A strong password, while hard for the bad guy to get, can actually be easy for you to remember, ” says LaPorte. He suggests taking a song lyric you are familiar with and use the first letter of each word in the lyric to form a piece of your password. So, the lyric “I will always love you” would translate into “iwaly”.
Next, he adds that it’s a good idea to tag on a series of numbers that are meaningful to you. Maybe it’s the ZIP code you had as a child, or the one you hope to have some day (ie 90210). Maybe it’s the age of each child you have that year, or it could even be the numerated months your parents were born.
Additionally, you may want to consider upper casing all vowels in your passwords as an additional line of defense. ZoneAlarm states that only 2% of all passwords use capital letters.
High Secure vs Low Secure
Most would agree, not all sites on the Internet are worthy of your best password. Ones that don’t have any of your information or data, particularly credit card information, are not usually going to be the target of a hacker anyway.
So a good standby easy-to-remember password is perfectly fine to keep and re-use. The type of sites and applications that deserve your highest security would include banks, your e-mail, and common places like Twitter, Facebook, and Google, where people typically include lots of information about themselves.
It’s also a good practice to use different secure passwords (not the same one) for your most important sites, much in the same reasoning you would not want someone to have a copy of all your home, auto and other keys on one ring.
Change Passwords Often
At least yearly, you should consider changing passwords to your most important access points. This is because there are some hackers who prefer to not let on that they have access to your information so they can keep harvesting it.
A yearly change will ensure the access doesn’t go on for years behind your back. Select a date for password renewal. January 1 or maybe your birthday makes a lot of sense for this.
If you travel much, it’s a good practice to change passwords of sites you used while gone when you return. This is because travelers often use hotel computers and free WiFi access points wherever they are. Both have been proven easy to hack in years past, depending on the system settings. Since you won’t know who has the best settings it’s just a good idea to make the change.
Consider Password Keepers
There are lots of great applications on the market that will save your passwords securely if you forget them. Of course, these sites too require that you remember a password to gain access, but that may seem better than trying to remember a couple dozen passwords.
One you can try free is called LastPass.com. It offers a number of interesting features that may or may not appeal to you. Others include RoboForm, Sticky Password, SurfSecret and AnyPassword.
Alternatives to online keepers might be a written log you keep somewhere safe, or in an off-line Word or Excel document, which is then in turn password protected.
Two-Factor Authentication
Many websites are now offering Two-Factor Authentication practices as a means of keeping your information secure. This means, for example, if you have a Google account and someone hacks it and changes your password, you will get a text message on your phone warning your password has changed. This gives you an opportunity to raise a red flag and stop the would-be thief. Take advantage of this and other two-factor authentication measures websites offer you.
UAC Convention Chooses New Leadership, Recognizes Outstanding Officials
Written on November 23, 2011 at 7:33 pm, by uacadmin
Kirk chosen to lead; Rawlings honored as overall outstanding official
Utah County Treasurer Robert Kirk was elected president of the Utah Association of Counties (UAC) at the organization’s 87th Annual Convention, November 18 in St. George. Replacing Utah County Commissioner Larry Ellertson, he will oversee the organization’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors for one year.
Kirk is the 11th elected official from Utah County to head UAC in its 91 years of existence. Preceding him are Ellertson, Randy Covington (2008), Gary Herbert (2003), Gary Anderson (1988), William Huish (1980), Maurice Bird (1966), Verl Dixon (1955), C.A. Grant (1940), J.W. Gillman (1936), and Ammon Tuttle (1932)
Also elected, joining Kirk and Ellertson (now serving as past-president) on the UAC Executive Committee, are First Vice President and Carbon County Commissioner John Jones, Second Vice President and Millard County Auditor Brandy Grace, and Secretary and Washington County Assessor Art Partridge.
The evening also recognized Davis County Clerk/Auditor Steve Rawlings as the overall outstanding county official for 2011. Rawlings was chosen from a field of eight county officials representing each of the affiliate groups that make up the UAC membership. The process includes a selection committee that weighs the contributions and services made by each individual and a vote among peers that takes place during the Convention.
Along with Rawlings, who was selected by the Clerk/Auditors affiliate group as Auditor of the Year seven others were honored. They include:
□ Assessor of the Year: Shirl Nichols, Juab County
□ Attorney of the Year: Dee Smith, Weber County
□ Clerk of the Year: Paul Barton, Beaver County
□ Commissioner/Council Member of the Year: Kay Blackwell, Piute County
□ Recorder of the Year: Ernest Rowley, Weber County
□ Sheriff of the Year: Frank Park, Tooele County
□ Surveyor of the Year: Doug Kinsman, Tooele County
□ Treasurer of the Year: John Hansen, Millard County
UAC 2012 Approved Position Statements Now Online
Written on November 9, 2011 at 9:17 pm, by uacnet
The Utah Association of Counties’ 2012 Approved Position Statements are now available to view on this website. These positions statements were adopted at the UAC 2011 Annual Convention on November 18 and will serve as the marching orders for UAC staff heading into the upcoming 2012 Legislative Session.
Convention Program Posted
Written on November 3, 2011 at 3:00 pm, by uacadmin
The Annual Convention Program has been posted on the Convention information page. You can go here to review this and other Convention information: http://www.uacnet.org/event/uac-annual-convention/ Or you can click on READ MORE Below to be taken directly to the Program.
Utah Alliance for Response Forum, Nov. 2
Written on October 21, 2011 at 4:03 pm, by uacadmin
County officials have been invited to participate in the Utah Alliance Response Forum, November 2 at the State Office Building Auditorium (immediately north of the Utah State Capitol) in Salt Lake City.
This is an invitation-only all day event and promises to be the most significant preservation forum yet held in this state. Lunch is included courtesy of Belfor Property Restoration.
More information about the National Alliance for Response initiative can be found at: www.heritagepreservation.org/AfR
The Utah Alliance for Response will bring together cultural institutions, emergency planners and first responders to address the problem of trying to preserve our unique cultural resources (collections and buildings) following large-scale disaster. Topics to be discussed include:
- Statewide Pre-Approval of Disaster Recovery Firms
- Relocation of Fragile Collections to more suitable storage
- Incorporating Collection Recovery into the City / County / State Emergency Operations Centers
- Incorporate cultural and historic resources into city, county, and state emergency response plans.
- Build a cultural heritage and response network in Salt Lake City and around the State.
You must register in advance for this Forum and can do so now at:
http://archives.utah.gov/recordsmanagement/conference.html
Stuart Brody to Address UAC Convention
Written on October 4, 2011 at 7:25 pm, by uacadmin
This year’s keynote speaker is guaranteed to make you think differently about the sometimes-tired, yet very important topic of ethics. His presentation has given thousands a different perspective, and shed new light on what it truly means to be an ethical public official.
As a side note, this year’s Opening General Session (November 17, 8:30 am) will NOT be held at the Dixie Center. Rather, to make room and meet the growing demand for space, UAC will offer it’s Opening General Session and Friday General Session in the Ballroom of the Hilton Garden Inn, adjacent to the Dixie Center.
Stuart H. Brody is a practicing attorney with the firm of Hiscock & Barclay, LLP. He is also Adjunct Professor of Ethics in the Business School of the State University of New York at New Paltz, New York.
His professional work centers on developing principles by which ethical judgment can be taught and practiced. He draws from more than thirty years as a former political leader in New York, advisor to prominent political figures, including Presidential candidates, and business strategist for private industry.
He lectures widely to municipal organizations and civic groups and consults with private business corporations on ethics and integrity training. He is President of IntegrityIntensive
www.integrityintensive.com.
He maintains a blog on integrity issues published periodically on New York State’s Empire Page www.empirepage.com/kernel-of-truth and comments occasionally on Fox Business Network.
UPDATE: UAC Phone Working!
Written on September 27, 2011 at 8:33 pm, by uacadmin
Many apologies for our down phone system the past couple days. Took a bit to find the problem, but it is mostly resolved. The remaining issue is our voicemail system is not working. A technician estimates it will be fixed by end of day today (Thursday). Therefore please realize this before you leave a message.
As always, you can use e-mail to reach us if we are not available by phone. Again we apologize for this inconvenience.
Utah Child Protection Registry Reminder
Written on September 26, 2011 at 10:09 pm, by uacadmin
Did you know that Utah offers a free service to families and schools that allow them to stop adult product advertisements from reaching their emails and mobile phones?
The Utah Child Protection Registry is state program administered by the Division of Consumer Protection and enforced in conjunction with the Attorney General’s Office, and since 2005, the Registry has been providing a free do-not-contact service for families and schools.
How does it work?
Families can go to donotcontact.utah.gov to sign up their household e-mail addresses, mobile phone numbers (text message ads), and instant messenger IDs. Schools and educational institutions can also participate by signing up their school domain, which will register all student, faculty, and administrative e-mail addresses.
Registering is fast, easy, and best of all free for Utah families and schools. Help educate your communities and constituents today by telling them how they can register.
UIR Annual Summit to Consider the Changing Role of Agriculture in Utah
Written on September 22, 2011 at 10:55 pm, by uacnet
Brigham City is famous for peaches, Green River for melons, and Santaquin for apples, but what is the future of agriculture in Utah? This year’s Utah Intergovernmental Roundtable Summit will explore the important and changing role agriculture plays in our state. Click here to get more information on the summit.
Bar J Wranglers to Entertain at Convention
Written on September 16, 2011 at 8:28 pm, by uacadmin
Widely recognized as one of the best acts UAC has ever booked (more than a decade ago), the Bar J Wranglers are back for another fun evening at the Closing Banquet, November 18 at 6:00 p.m. of the Annual Convention in St. George
Some folks call it a western music show; some call it a stand-up comedy show with masterful cowboy music; others call it the best musical experience in the west. Call it what you want to — the fact remains; The Bar J Wranglers from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, deliver some of the purest harmony, best musicianship and funniest ranch humor ever seen on stage. As soon as the Bar J Wranglers take to the stage, listeners leave behind their busy life and settle into a time long ago — a time of the singing cowboy.
The Bar J Wranglers have performed in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, 7 nights per week during the summer months, entertaining 800 nightly, at the acclaimed Bar J Chuckwagon. During their off season, the Wranglers perform all over the world, bringing their style of western music, stellar harmony, outrageous comedy and remarkable musicianship to people of all ages and backgrounds. They have entertained for local, regional and national conventions throughout the west and have been hired for hundreds of city concerts, holiday parties and other smaller venues. They have been featured on TNN with Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and Randy Travis, as well as live performances on the Discovery Channel and the Travel Network.
If you are a fan of the Old West, great family entertainment, or if you are just appreciative of a job well done, and if you haven’t seen the Bar J Wranglers, you won’t believe what you’ve missed — the best of the Old West.
UAC Seeks to Fill UBHC Admin Assistant Position
Written on September 15, 2011 at 7:11 pm, by uacadmin
UBHC Administrative Assistant Christina Collingwood recently resigned her position.
With that vacancy, UAC has opened a search for a part-time administrative assistant. The position is in support of the UBHC Committee and sub-committees, but also involves some general UAC duties.
Click here for more information about this position.
2011 Annual Convention Registration Now Open
Written on September 2, 2011 at 4:20 pm, by uacadmin
Registration for the 2011 Annual Convention, November 16-18 in St. George is now open. This year’s theme, “Governing With Integrity”, and highlighted keynote address will offer a different perspective on the topic of ethics–perhaps one not considered before.
As always, the Convention will provide plenty of critical legislative discussions, stimulating conversation, important peer connectivity, and valuable exposure to products and services.
Breakout and General Session agendas are being developed right now. As each affiliate’s leadership body completes their tentative agenda, we will begin posting and announcing them (probably sometime toward the middle to end of September). Further updates will be posted as we get them until a final agenda is posted around the end of October.
Following a similar pattern as in years past, optional recreational networking opportunities will be held Wednesday morning. These include: Golf at The Ledges, sponsored by Utah Local Government’s Trust; An ATV Ride in the surrounding area; and new this year a Mountain Biking Ride, also in the surrounding area. All activities require that you supply your own equipment. More information and registration for these activities can be found on the Convention registration page here: http://www.uacnet.org/event/uac-annual-convention/
We are also pleased to introduce you to our Keynote Speaker, Stuart Brody, and our Closing Banquet Entertainment, The Bar J Wranglers!
Just as a reminder, our new tiered electronic-only registration deadlines and policies are now in effect. You will have from now until November 2 to register in the Open Registration period. After that date, there will be a Late Registration period (higher fee) until November 14. After that, registration fees will increase yet again for those who register at the door.
Using our new electronic system, you will receive a “Ticket” as proof of your registration. We will receive notice of this as well, however please print and bring it with you as further evidence that you (and your spouse or partner, if applicable) are registered. There is also a $25 cancellation fee on any cancellation.
Should be another fantastic Convention. We encourage you to begin making lodging arrangements and to register for the Convention soon on our registration page.
Those Funny Little Codes
Written on August 22, 2011 at 6:59 pm, by uacadmin
They are starting to show up everywhere: signs, envelopes, product packaging, fountain drink cups, even tattoos and headstones!
They are called QR (Quick Response) Codes–those mysterious square labels with black lines on a white background–and companies, governmental entities, non-profits, and even individuals are beginning to use them to communicate important information about themselves.
QR codes are two-dimensional barcodes, much like the barcodes you see on product packaging in retail stores. Unlike a product barcode, however, QR Codes can store different types of information such as a paragraph of text, phone number, or website address (URL).
Using your smart phone and a free QR Code app that you download, you can quickly scan the Code (using your camera phone and app) and get more information about the product. If the Code contains a URL, you get linked immediately to that website. Most smart phones are equipped with the ability to dial a phone number in a QR Code automatically, the user just has to select the number (rather than manually dial each number).
So why should you care? There are few reasons counties and officials might want to pay attention to CR Codes.
Conserve Print Space: CR Codes can be displayed quite large, such as on a billboard or as small as a dime. This means you can print one on the envelope you send tax notices in, or maybe you might want to put one on a campaign sign, or at community memorial site.
Fingertip Information: The use of mobile devices has exploded in recent years. Basically, cell phones are small computers, giving us instant access to friends, family, colleagues and everything the Internet holds.
QR Codes simplify the way in which we communicate by requiring less button pushing, less transcribing and less searching. They give users information at the point of sale or point of interest, which is much more reliable than hoping a person will stop and perform a search on their phone or wait until they get home to look it up.
No Cost Involved: QR Codes are free to generate and free to read. Just type “QR Code Generator” in your browser search bar and you will find lots of websites that will create them for free. And, as was stated earlier, there are several free QR Code apps you can download.
It’s hard to go wrong with a great resource like QR Codes. Community members can get county information more quickly and more in-depth. So long as constituents have a smart phone and county officials can spend a few minutes it can all happen very inexpensively.
If you have questions about QR Codes and their application to the counties or would like help creating one, contact Doug Perry at 801-265-1331 or doug@uacnet.org
Annual Convention Exhibitors & Sponsors Lining Up
Written on August 16, 2011 at 6:03 pm, by uacadmin
Open registration for the 2011 Annual Convention is only a couple weeks away, but exhibitors and sponsors have been lining up for a couple months now. No, doubt you will find lots of great public/private partnerships with UAC exhibitors and sponsors.
For those interested we are keeping the list of those registered and more information about them on our website. Click here to see a current list of exhibitors. Or you can click here to see a current list of sponsors. We update these daily so feel free to watch as the list fills out.
Online game will let students ‘run their own county’
Written on August 3, 2011 at 3:48 pm, by uacadmin
This fall, students in schools across the country will be able to learn about county government through an online game and curriculum that NACo created in partnership with iCivics, Inc.
The game, “Counties Work,” will educate students, grades 6 through 12, about the important role and functions of county government by letting them run their own county. A curriculum and webquest has also been developed to assist teachers with preparing lessons on county government.
While playing the game, a student will be a county official responsible for providing services, dealing with citizen requests, setting and raising revenues, and working within a budget. Along the way, students will learn about the various services provided by county departments while having to make tough decisions.
Created under the leadership of NACo President Glen Whitley and his initiative “County Government Works,” the online game is just one of the many projects that will serve as a long-lasting benefit to assist counties in raising public awareness of county government.
“This is a great opportunity for students to better understand the programs and services that counties provide,” Whitley said. “We need to get students to play the game. I encourage county officials to contact teachers, principals and school superintendents in your county to let them know the game is available at www.naco.org/CountiesWork.”
iCivics is a web-based education project designed to teach students civics and inspire them to be active participants in our democracy. iCivics was the vision of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who was concerned that students are not getting the information and tools they need for civic participation and that civics teachers need better materials and support.
The county game is the only game on the iCivics website focused on local government. Other games cover the U.S. Constitution, the courts and the federal government – the President, Congress and the Supreme Court. iCivics has representatives in every state to promote the games and curricula to teachers and educators.
NACo created “Counties Work” through the financial support from CVS/Caremark, NACo’s partner on the Prescription Discount Card Program. NACo paid for half of the cost of the project.
USACCC Fall Conference Registration Open
Written on August 1, 2011 at 9:59 pm, by uacadmin
Still feeling like Summer? Sure, but the Fall USACCC Conference, September 21-23 at The Homestead in Midway is only a little over seven weeks away!
Time to think about registering and booking your lodging. The agenda is still in the works but members of the USACCC Committee are hard at work putting that together. If you have suggestions, contact Doug Perry at UAC (801) 265-1331.
The format for the conference will be much the same as it has been in the past, including Public Lands Meeting, Wednesday afternoon, UAC Board of Directors Meeting Wednesday evening, USACCC Conference all day Thursday (including dinner in the evening), and USACCC Conference in the morning on Friday (adjourning around noon).
For more information, including registration, click here.
Business Profile: Larson & Rosenberger, CPAs
Written on July 27, 2011 at 3:19 pm, by uacadmin
This week’s UAC Business spotlight is on Larson & Rosenberger, CPAs.
Think you know government auditors? “Larson & Rosenberger’s employees aren’t the typical, stuffed-shirt, no personality auditors. I actually look forward to their visits. They help us improve and they’re even good for a few laughs.” Our auditors have specialized in government audits (& personality) since 1982. Office locations: Spanish Fork, Sandy, Moab & St. George.
Click here to learn more about them on their UAC Directory page.
Grants Management Workshop in Salt Lake City
Written on July 21, 2011 at 10:05 pm, by uacadmin
Unified Fire Authority and Grant Writing USA will present a two-day grants management workshop in Salt Lake City, September 15-16, 2011. In this class you’ll learn how to administer government grants and stay in compliance with applicable rules and regulations. This training is recommended for grant recipient organizations across all disciplines.
Multi-enrollment discounts and discounts for Grant Writing USA returning alumni are available. Tuition payment is not required at the time of enrollment. Tuition is $595 and includes Grant Writing USA’s 450-page grant management workbook and reference guide. Seating is limited, online reservations are necessary.
Click here for complete event details.
Contacts:
Client Services
Grant Writing USA
800.814.8191
cs@grantwritingusa.com
Captain Clint Mecham
Unified Fire Authority
801.743.7113
cmacham@ufa-slco.org
UAC Continues with Legal Challenge to Secretarial Wildlands Order 3310
Written on July 15, 2011 at 7:32 pm, by uacadmin
Officials from rural counties throughout the State met at the UAC offices on January 6th of this year, to discuss how to deal with the Secretary of Interior’s Wildlands Order 3310.
Operating under UAC’s longstanding policy against administrative wilderness on non-WSAs, the January 6th meeting participants developed a three step strategy to defeat the Wildlands policy:
Strategy 1
The January 6th meeting participants dared to think that Congress could stop or at least slow down the Wildlands policy simply by de-funding it, much like how Congress with a spending moratorium stopped Secretary Babbitt’s anti-RS 2477 policy. One by one many counties across the State lobbied Representative Bishop with letters and personal contacts urging him to defund the Wildlands Order in upcoming appropriations bills.
These collective efforts proved to be the catalyst for change that brought about the stunning 2011 Congressional spending moratorium against the Wildlands Order, contained in the 2011 Continuing Resolution and effective through October 31st.
Now it is up to these same Counties to lobby for extending the spending moratorium into any 2012 Interior appropriations bills.
Strategy 2
The January 6th meeting participants dared to think that the Utah Legislature would finally adopt and incorporate at the State level, a pro-multiple use resource management plans for non-WSA lands affected by the Wildlands Order. UAC drafted and lobbied through a senate bill (Senate Bill 221) chiefly sponsored by Senator Okerlund, which formally adopts a statewide multiple use land management plan on non-WSA lands, consistent with County plans.
SB 221 positioned the State and counties like never before to leverage the consistency requirement in FLPMA Section 202(c)(9). Hopefully counties are using SB 221 to maximum effect when you are at the planning table with BLM and Forest Service, especially those of you dealing with BLM on the so-called master leasing plans.
Strategy 3
The January 6th meeting participants resolved to urge the UAC Board of Directors to authorize UAC’s entry into the Uintah County 2010 filed lawsuit which challenges BLM’s efforts to treat non-WSAs like wilderness. The Board so authorized. The lawsuit, headed by Connie Brooks and assigned to U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups, was amended to bring in UAC and to challenge directly the Wildlands Order 3310 as well as the master leasing plans and other garden variety efforts by BLM to undermine the 2003 Norton-Leavitt Settlement Agreement and the 2008 RMPs, already challenged in the original suit filed last year by Uintah County.
After the Congressional spending moratorium against Order 3310 was enacted, the Secretary of Interior declared he would obey the moratorium and back away from Order 3310 but still try to do wilderness style management on so-called “lands with wilderness characteristics.” This contradictory statement is why the lawsuit continues forward: BLM still intends to disregard the Settlement Agreement and disregard the 2008 RMPs, even though it gave lip service to renouncing Order 3310. Simply stated, BLM is looking for a way to pursue de facto wilderness under a different name, now that Wildlands Order 3310, per se, is off the table.
The BLM’s lawyers have filed a motion to try to dismiss the lawsuit, and UAC and Uintah County’s lawyers will respond to the motion during the next several weeks.
New UAC Registration Policies and Practices
Written on July 15, 2011 at 4:35 pm, by uacadmin
In an effort to minimize cost, create greater efficiency in the UAC meeting and event registration process, and bring UAC up-to-date with meeting and event industry standards, UAC staff proposes the following changes effective July 1, 2011:
Pre-Registration and Pre-Payment
–Pre-registration and pre-payment for events will change from “encouraged” to “required” in an effort to collect all moneys in advance of the event.
–As a motivation to pre-register and pre-pay, there will be three registration rates for each event. The amount of each incremental increase will depend on the cost of the event, as established from year to year :
–>First, the “Standard Opening Rate” that will be offered for the first 45 days the event is open.
–>Second, a “Late Rate” that will replace the standard rate in the 14 days prior to an event.
–>Third, an “At the Door Rate” that will replace the Late Rate should a person arrive at an event having not registered.
–Pre-payments by check must be received within the stage in which they are paying for. For example, if a person registers within the first six weeks of an event opening (for the Standard Opening Rate), and they opt to pay by check, their check must be post mark dated within that same six-week window or the registration will be subject to the Rate that would apply for when that check was received (an increased amount).
Cancellation of a Registration
–Cancellation of a registration for an event will continue to be allowed. However, there will be a small fee associated with any cancellation after someone has registered. Cancellations that take place within 14 days of the event occurring will not be refunded. Based on the cost of the actual event, cancellation costs will be calculated and intended to cover the expense of including the registration up to the point of cancellation.
Registration and Payment Methods and Options
–As online registration technology provides far better assurances for both the attendee and UAC that a registration actually took place, members will be able to register and pay by credit card online or register online and pay by check that is mailed in with a confirmation of registration page attached.
–To further help speed up payment processing and decreasing expenses for events, the traditional “Invoice Me” option will not be offered. Rather, an individual must either register and pay by credit card on the spot or register and pay by check (using the registration confirmation as the needed paperwork to have a check processed).
Spouse Registrations
–The registration of a spouse for a general function such as a dinner or lunch must also be made and paid in advance of an event at 14 days prior to the event occurring. After that, and including at the door, the cost will increase by a small amount.
The University of UAC
Written on July 15, 2011 at 4:26 pm, by uacadmin
Starting in August, the Utah Association of Counties will sponsor a series of forums for county officials originating from the UAC office and streamed online to facilitate participation. Forum topics will county towards continued education and will focus on a variety of topics of county interest.
The forums will be held on the second Wednesday of the months of August and September beginning at 10 AM and running 60 to 90 minutes in length. It’s our hope that we’ll continue the forums in 2012 and beyond based on positive feedback from you. UAC staff is working diligently to find engaging presenters and would ask for your help. If any county official has ideas for future topics or presenters, please contact Arie Van De Graaff at arie@uacnet.org.
Look for more information as the date gets closer at UACnet.org and your email inbox.
Below is the schedule for 2011:
Wednesday, August 10 – GRAMA Training – Thanks to legislation introduced, passed, and later repealed in 2011; GRAMA has never garnered more interest. Get specific instruction on what is and isn’t permissible under Utah’s Government Records Access and Management Act from Gavin Anderson and other GRAMA experts.
Wednesday, September 14 – Emergency Management – What role should county government play in a natural disaster? Find out what you can expect and what you should do from Mike Stever, Emergency Manager of the Utah Department of Health.
Business Profile: J Chapman Academy & Chapman Security and Investigations
Written on July 15, 2011 at 4:00 pm, by uacadmin
This week’s UAC Business spotlight is on two related companies, J Chapman Academy and Chapman Security and Investigations.
J Chapman Academy is approved by DOPL for security officer (armed and unarmed) training and they work with employment services to help their clients become licensed and more marketable. BCI certified for CFP and bail enforcement training. Chapman features a virtual-reality weapons training system and works with law enforcement for enhanced training. Click here to learn more about them on their UAC Directory page.
Chapman Security & Investigations, LLC has been serving the security needs of Utah since 2001 with armed, unarmed, and security consulting services. They are on the Utah State Purchasing list and proudly serve the Wasatch Front area. Click here to learn more about them on their UAC Directory page.
Tip: US/County Map Gives Quick Look at Populations
Written on July 13, 2011 at 8:38 pm, by uacadmin
Here’s your tech tip!
Following the 2010 Census, the New York Times has partnered with Google to create a helpful interactive population map of the United States.
The map (found by clicking here) allows users to hover their mouse over any county in the country to see population figures based on 2010 data. The map goes further, though, allowing users to drill down to more specific demographics, including by state, race/ethnicity, changes in population from 2000, population density and housing vacancies.
UAC Introduces E-Groups
Written on November 12, 2010 at 10:10 pm, by fluidadmin
Sharing information and creating connections between county officials is one the important missions of UAC. We take it seriously and are always looking for ways to help officials communicate and work more efficiently.
Thus we are pleased to introduce you to E-Groups.
E-Groups is a network of peers within the UAC membership, who are able to discuss and share information in a secure, relevant digital environment. That’s technical speak for a place on the Internet you can post messages, documents, photos, videos and other links with other county officials in Utah.
Just like UAC membership, only county officials and select others are permitted to join. This is so that the system is not open to SPAM and other irrelevant material that sometimes finds its way into similar digital networks.
It’s a professional network where issues and ideas can be shared so that consensus can be reach, without having to call a meeting to do it.
The key to its success is responsiveness and participation. UAC encourages that not only every county official join their respective E-Group, but that they actively add to and join in on the discussions. Without participation, there really is no group — imagine calling a meeting where everyone was there, but no one spoke.
To help make the content of E-Groups relevant to each county official, there are specific groups members can join and participate with — one for each elected office, and some additional special interest issues such as MCAT or Public Lands.
In order to join E-Groups, officials must receive an e-mail invite that they respond to. This will enable individuals to create their profile and join the group(s) that are relevant to their job at the county. Those who have not received their invitation to join are encouraged to contact Doug Perry at UAC at 801-265-1331 or doug@uacnet.org
A special instruction sheet has been created to walk officials through the steps of participation with E-Groups. You can find this by clicking here.
Affiliate Summer Conferences Posted
Written on November 12, 2010 at 10:09 pm, by fluidadmin
Hardly feels like Spring or Summer many days this year, but it’s not too early to begin penciling in dates for your Summer Conferences.
Each year UAC affiliate groups schedule and plan some great and fun agendas, in a smaller setting, thus allowing UAC members the opportunity to see each of the counties much more closely.
Information about the Summer conferences can be found on the calendar section of the UAC website, click here to view those dates
UAC Online Business Directory Coming Soon
Written on November 12, 2010 at 10:09 pm, by fluidadmin
UAC continues to find ways to leverage partnerships with the business community. To this end, the Association is finalizing the details on a new product that is basically an Online Business Directory.
This directory will be a unified source for counties seeking contact information of the companies that provide products and services for them. There will be three levels of participation for businesses, Basic (which will include name, address and phone number); Connected (which will also include links to websites, maps, and other places to learn more about the company), and Full (which will include the businesses logo and brief description).
When the directory is adequately populated with businesses (hopefully by July 1), UAC will begin promoting use of the directory to all county officials.
As in all UAC county and business marketing initiatives, the goal is to provide a win-win environment that facilitates good commerce and superior service to the communities each county serves.
The County Seat is Now on the Air
Written on November 2, 2010 at 10:09 pm, by fluidadmin
The County Seat, a public affairs program that focuses on the issues that affect county government, premiered Sunday, January 9, 2011. You can catch the show every Sunday morning on ABC 4 Utah. Or watch episodes online at http://thecountyseat.tv.
