ANNUAL REPORT · 2017. 8. 14. · excellence in county government. CCAP will provide a strong, ......

ANNUAL REPORT

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Highlighting county government accomplishments and CCAP’s continuing voice as the representative of county government in Pennsylvania

ABOUT CCAP

OUR MISSIONThe County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania is a statewide, nonprofit, bipartisan association representing the commissioners, chief clerks, administrators, their equivalents in home rule counties, and solicitors of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. The Association serves to strengthen Pennsylvania counties’ ability to govern their own affairs and improve the well-being and quality of life of their constituents. To this end, the Association effects the achievement of favorable state and federal legislation, programs and policies, and provides appropriate programs, services and training to its membership, county leaders, and their staff. The Association strives to educate and inform the public, administrative, legislative and regulatory bodies, decision makers, and the media about county government.

OUR VISIONThe County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania and its member counties are committed to excellence in county government. CCAP will provide a strong, unified voice for the Commonwealth’s 67 counties. CCAP will advocate for and provide leadership on those issues that will enhance and strengthen the ability of county commissioners to better serve their citizens and govern more effectively and efficiently. CCAP will be the source counties turn to first for information, education, resources and services.

FOUNDEDThe County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) was founded in 1886 and is an affiliate of the National Association of Counties (NACo). Prior to 1994, the Association was known as the Pennsylvania State Association of County Commissioners.

PURPOSECCAP is the voice of county government, a statewide, nonprofit, nonpartisan Association representing all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. CCAP membership includes the county commissioners, council members, county executives, administrators, chief clerks and solicitors.

CCAP’s legislative and regulatory policies promote flexibility and autonomy for county government. CCAP supports county leadership that is responsive to the needs and circumstances of the people. CCAP stands against state and federal actions that limit fiscal, administrative or programmatic authority over those developed locally.

LEADERSHIPCCAP is led by a group of dedicated members and professional staff specializing in government relations, communications, education, technology, insurance and association management. Association legislative and regulatory policy is based on resolutions adopted by the membership and expressed in the Pennsylvania County Platform, and administrative and program objectives are based on a strategic action plan, also membership driven. Responsibilities for developing and pursuing strategies for their implementation falls to the Board of Directors, committees and staff, with grassroots assistance by the membership. Members also are served by separate but related boards that govern CCAP’s insurance and service programs. CCAP informs members and empowers county leaders through collaboration, vision and solutions.

CCAP Board of Directors ........................................................ ..4Treasurer’s Report .....................................................................10Academy for Excellence in County Government Committee.........................................................12 Agriculture Committee ...........................................................14Assessment and Taxation Committee ...............................16Committee on Criminal Justice Systems Best Practices ..............................................................................18Community and Economic Development Committee ...................................................................................20County Governance Committee ..........................................22Courts and Corrections Committee ...................................24Elections Reform Committee ................................................27 Energy, Environment and Land Use Committee ...........29 Human Services Committee .................................................32 Military and Veterans Affairs Committee ........................35Resolutions Committee ..........................................................37Technology Committee ...........................................................39Member Services .......................................................................42CCAP UC Trust ............................................................................ 43 PCoRP ............................................................................................ 44PComp ........................................................................................... 45 PIMCC ............................................................................................ 46COMCARE .................................................................................... 47 PELICAN ........................................................................................ 48COMCARE PRO .......................................................................... 49 CCAP Deferred Compensation Advisory Committee ..50CCAP Health Alliance ............................................................... 51Ancillary Insurance Programs ...............................................52

TABLE OF CONTENTSCounty Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania2017 Annual Report

PHOTO CREDITS

CONTACT USCounty Commissioners

Association of Pennsylvania

PO Box 60769Harrisubrg, PA 17106-0769

(717) 526-1010fax (717) 526-1020

www.pacounties.org

On the Cover: “Washington County Courthouse,” https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AWashington_County_Courthouse_(Pennsylvania)_south.jpg

page 5: “Franklin County Courthouse,” by Elchick, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28797697

page 12: © PhotoSpin.compage 14 “A Farm in Morris Township,” by fishhawk, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8477602

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page 20: “The Liberty Bell, Philadelphia,” by Bev Sykes, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=521211




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page 54: © peopleimages.com

While the usual report on behalf of the CCAP Board includes information on the broad range of activities the Association undertakes

on counties’ behalf – and which appears further below – we open this report with a brief commentary on the historic juncture we find ourselves in at the moment.

As this report goes to press, the legislature met the June 30 budget deadline, sending a FY 2017-2018 budget to the Governor that represented a five-way compromise among the House and Senate caucuses and the Governor which, for counties, restores House cuts to funding for core services that were unprecedented in their scope and depth. The budget is not yet complete; confronted with a structural deficit of more than $3 billion, the revenue side of the package awaits action.

It is by any measure a historic moment, which has the potential to define the relationship between state and local government for decades to come. Its genesis is based on the intersection between that structural deficit and an equally intractable commitment by many legislators not to vote for the broad-based revenues needed to address that deficit.

The commitment against new broad-based revenues sidesteps any argument on continuity of essential services. More importantly, it takes direct aim at local government: As stated by one House leader, “(the House-passed budget) represents a desire to get the state back to its core functions and to rebalance the share of local government costs the state picks up.” Further, it expresses “a desire to see counties become more responsible for the costs they incur” and “(challenges) the counties to find efficiencies in their budgets and to evaluate the priorities they are funding.”

We – the Board and our membership – have responded by working to educate legislative leadership and rank-and-file legislators of the nature of services we deliver and the integral nature of the commonwealth budget in that service delivery. We have shared a four page bullet-point list of program and structural mandates we carry out on the commonwealth’s behalf; none are discretionary and all serve some significant public need. And in that context we share the connection between mandated, essential services and funding, and the inevitable conclusion that state abandonment of its responsibilities leads to an unavoidable increase in

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4 2017 Annual Report County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania

BOARD OF DIRECTORSPROVIDING VISION AND DIRECTION ON BEHALF OF THE CCAP MEMBERSHIP

Harlan Shober, PresidentCommissioner, Washington County

Robert Thomas, Board ChairCommissioner, Franklin County

reliance on property taxes. Legislative recognition of this connection – and their role in it – is nonetheless hard to ascertain.

Although restoration of funding in the final budget was encouraging, we approach it with caution. First, the budget continues a fifteen year pattern of at-best flat line funding in the face of increasing caseloads. Second, even that funding is dependent on an as-yet unknown revenue package. And we have to recognize that this year’s fiscal plan is at best temporary; from all reports, the solution will include a mix of marginal and one-time revenues. So the structural deficit will carry into the next budget, where optimism for a permanent and sufficient solution runs weak during a legislative and gubernatorial election year. Moreover, the leadership opinion expressed above, whether thwarted this year or not, will remain and will need to be dealt with.

As we have begun to express in recent meetings, changes in the state/local relationship, and particularly ones as sweeping and significant as contained in the House budget, should not be made through ad hoc cuts in line items. If there is to be change, it should be with state and local government at the table, with an opportunity to examine impacts on clients and taxpayers alike. Similarly, efficient service delivery does not arise on a wished-for basis in response to budget cuts, but rather requires consideration and consensus. We will be discussing these strategic points within the Board, among our policy committees, and with the membership.

As to our regular report, CCAP is governed by a Board of Directors that includes the officers, representatives elected by the membership from each of seven districts, the chairs of our policy committees, our two representatives to the NACo Board of Directors, and our past presidents. It has oversight responsibility for all Association administrative and policy activities, which derive from the bylaws, the strategic Action Plan, and the Pennsylvania County Platform.

Our Board is a working board, taking seriously its fiduciary and strategic responsibilities on counties’ behalf. This year’s in-person meetings have been at the CCAP office in January, the Spring Conference in March, in Washington Pa. in June, and here at the Annual Conference, and we will conclude in November at the Fall Conference. We have also held conference calls on budget strategy. Our meetings cover all aspects of Association operations, including association administration and finances, public policy, insurance and programs, education and communications, technology, and litigation.

We continue our multi-year strategy on “reimaginingCCAP”, visible by our new logo and look, but more importantly by how we actively examine our members’ needs and actively seek the best means and methods to provide what we call WOW service. We hope you took an opportunity to go through our new brochure outlining member services, sent to you in the spring but also available here at the Conference.

Our efforts also include better visibility for the services counties provide to the public, in part through strategic media efforts and in part by providing you tools for outreach – our PA Counties Are and the more focused PA County Human Services Are campaign furnish print and presentation materials useful in conversations with the public, media, and legislators.

These strategies have also helped us take our grassroots policy efforts up a notch. In an era where cases are made with snap communications, graphic presentation, and quick-take data, our membership has taken the tools we offered and made repeated touches with decision-makers. We are also pleased with efforts to coordinate and reinforce the sense of common purpose among our members, and our regional Board members have been particularly effective in reminding their peers to reach out. You will see in the accompanying reports from our policy committees how this is playing out in Harrisburg and Washington, in both legislative and regulatory efforts that cover a diverse and expanding set of public policy issues.

We also acknowledge, as participants in our legislative and regulatory efforts, our affiliate associations, organizations representing chief county professionals in human services, county human relations, county planners, and property assessment professionals, for whom we provide administrative services and legislative and regulatory representation. We also have policy and programmatic ties to county professionals in IT, GIS, elections and corrections.

Board oversight apart from our policy activities also includes education, technology, service programs, finances, and more. Education is a CCAP core mission, an integral part of what we do from the time of our first conference in 1886. What started as an Annual Conference over time added the Spring and Fall Conferences, and in the last couple decades expanded to include specialized meetings and training on a broad array of topics in a broad array of formats. We work to provide a setting for our membership, affiliates, and support staff to get the information they need on new and evolving services and processes, and to take advantage of new ideas and approaches, so they can better meet our constituents’ needs. Opportunities

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include our County Administration Conference, our Solicitors Conference, our GIS conference, and our KEYS staff training series (sponsored by our insurance programs) among others. We also offer specialized individual training in county functions and responsibilities in our Academy for Excellence in County Government, and personal leadership training and development through our Center for Excellence in County Leadership (CEL).

While legislative representation and education are our traditional core missions, we are proud of the options we offer counties to meet insurance and program needs through our member services programs. Every county is a participant in at least one CCAP program, including the Unemployment Compensation Trust, PCoRP, and PComp programs, along with our specialty markets. Our first objective is to create a marketplace, our second objective is to reach stability in pricing and service, and our third is to save money. We have a strong tradition of meeting all these expectations. Currently our programs – all member owned – manage more than $130 million in total assets, and recently our success has resulted in member dividends as well as grant programs.

Our other product and services partnerships include endorsement of the NACo/NRS deferred compensation program, the US Communities cooperative purchasing program, and NACo’s prescription drug, dental and

medical discount programs. At the state level, we endorse the Pennsylvania Local Government Investment Trust (PLGIT), and provide administrative services to the cost-saving Act 22 prison health care program.

Technology services, led by our in-house developed Unified Case Management software, has been CCAP’s greatest growth area in recent years. An important expansion of our services has been to assist counties and county information officers with the new challenges of cybersecurity, through training and direct consultation. These services join long-standing technology programs including website development, software licensing discount programs, IT assessment, and related support services. Many of our programs have achieved national recognition from Microsoft and from peer organizations. We are also facilitators with IT and GIS staff, and interact with the state on shared database projects and on state/county software and reporting interfaces.

Another CCAP activity that is not as visible with our membership is legal representation. Please be clear – this is not to act as counties’ super-solicitor. Rather, our role is to monitor court decisions affecting counties, and as warranted join on an amicus basis, typically when on appeal, having a good fact set, and with potential to set or alter precedent.

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2017 Annual Report County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania 7

This year, two of our more significant matters are treatment of constables for IRS purposes – which we won – and the scope of counties’ liabilities under the Criminal History Records Information Act (CHRIA), which is still pending. Other topic areas include sanctuary municipalities, open records, county administrative prerogatives, tax exempt property and other assessment matters, labor law, tort claims, court funding, prison management, and more.

We have also stepped up communications among solicitors, reinvigorating a Listserv tool for them to compare notes on legal matters and practice, and expanding the content of our training opportunities, which include a stand-alone conference in May and specialized training at the Annual Conference, all of which are CLE certified.

And last, but by no means least, is the Board’s role to monitor and guide the Association’s corporate function, including staffing, organization, and finance. We consider this to be a primary fiduciary role, and we assure you that the agenda materials we are presented are detailed and thorough, and that every member of the Board actively engages in the deliberations. We have reported in prior years and in this report (including later under the Treasurer’s report) on financial, organizational, program and staffing issues we have worked through, all collaboratively and all with the goal of maintaining CCAP as a recognized leader among its peers in Harrisburg and nationally.

We will close with expressing appreciation to the CCAP membership for its steadfast support and active involvement. We are truly grateful for the strength you bring to the organization. And we concurrently thank the staff for their outstanding work in service to the membership. As stated in a values statement they recently developed and adopted,



COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ASSOCIATION OF PENNSYLVANIABOARD OF DIRECTORSRobert Thomas, Board ChairCommissioner, Franklin County

Harlan Shober, PresidentCommissioner, Washington County

Dennis Stuckey, First Vice PresidentCommissioner, Lancaster County

Kathi Cozzone, Second Vice President Commissioner, Chester County

Michelle Kichline, TreasurerCommissioner, Chester County

Basil Huffman, District 1 RepresentativeCommissioner, Forest County

Daniel Vogler, District 2 Representative Commissioner, Lawrence County

Randy Phiel, District 3 RepresentativeCommissioner, Adams County

Preston Boop, District 4 RepresentativeCommissioner, Union County

Terence Farrell, District 5 RepresentativeCommissioner, Chester County

Margaret Ferraro, District 6 RepresentativeCouncil Member, Northampton County

Daryl Miller, District 7 RepresentativeCommissioner, Bradford County

Robert Thomas, Past PresidentCommissioner, Franklin County

Dave Coder, Past PresidentCommissioner, Greene County

Percy Dougherty, Past PresidentCommissioner, Lehigh County

“You are important. Your work is important.

You touch the lives of every Pennsylvanian.”


Jeff Haste, Past PresidentCommissioner, Dauphin County

Craig Lehman, Past PresidentCommissioner, Lancaster County

Jo Ellen Litz, Past PresidentCommissioner, Lebanon County

George Hartwick, IIINACo RepresentativeChair, Human Services CommitteeCommissioner, Dauphin County

Christian Leinbach , Past PresidentNACo RepresentativeCommissioner, Berks County

Mark Hamilton, Past PresidentChair, Academy for Excellence in County GovernmentCommissioner, Tioga County

Erick Coolidge, Past PresidentChair, Agriculture CommitteeCommissioner, Tioga County

Jim Hertzler, Chair, Assessment and Taxation CommitteeCommissioner, Cumberland County

Mike Pries, Chair, Community and Economic Development CommitteeCommissioner, Dauphin County

Malcolm Derk, III, Chair, County Governance CommitteeCommissioner, Snyder County

Larry Maggi, Chair, Courts and Corrrections CommitteeCommissioner, Washington County

John Vatavuk, Chair, Energy, Environment and Land Use CommitteeCommissioner, Somerset County

Rodney Ruddock, Chair, Military and Veterans Affairs CommitteeCommissioner, Indiana County

Terence Farrell, Chair, Technology CommitteeCommissioner, Chester County

NON-VOTING EX OFFICIO MEMBERSJeffrey Snyder, Chair, Committee on Criminal Justice System Best Practices for the 21st Century Commissioner, Clinton County

Kevin Barnhardt, Chair, Comprehensive Behavioral Health Task ForceCommissioner, Berks County

Joseph Kantz, Chair, Resolutions CommitteeCo-chair, Elections Reform CommitteeCommissioner, Snyder County

Michael Pipe, Co-chair, Elections Reform CommitteeCommissioner, Centre County

Crystal Clark, Esquire, CCAP SolicitorMcNees Wallace & Nurick LLC

Karen Bennett, PACHSA PresidentAdministrator, Greene County Human Services

Drew Fredericks, JDCAP RepresentativeDirector, Lancaster County Youth Intervention Center

Adelaide Grace, Pennsylvania Children and Youth Administrators RepresentativeAdministrator, Monroe County Children & Youth Services

Charles Hardester Jr., AAP RepresentativeChief Assessor, Lawrence County Assessment Office

Cheryl Andrews, PACDAA PresidentDirector, Washington County Drug & Alcohol Commission

Terence Brennan, PACAH PresidentAdministrator, Berks Heim Nursing and Rehabilitation

Deborah Duffy, PACA MH/ID RepresentativeHealthChoices Administrator, Lycoming/Clinton Counties Joinder Board

STAFF LIAISONDouglas HillExecutive Director


It is my pleasure to present this report to you as the new-this-year CCAP treasurer. I will start by giving my thanks to Joe Kantz, who served in the role for

many years and who worked closely with the staff and the Board to assure that the Association’s financial practices and reporting are sound.

Two years ago, we reported on the development of a structural deficit in the CCAP finances. In the intervening time, we took material steps to address the matter, and we are now well on the way to its resolution. I emphasize that it is not, and was not, a material threat to the organization, but the report I am presenting this year, as was the case with Joe’s report last year, recognized the need to apprise you of the issue and to inform you of the measures being taken to correct it.

Our 2016 audit was completed by Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, and the auditor and a partner presented a report to the CCAP Board at its March meeting. Copies of the audit were emailed to each chief clerk and county executive in April, and it is available on the CCAP members-only web page. Additional copies are available from CCAP Chief Financial Officer Pam Szajnuk.

They acknowledge that the Association performed well against budget, and that they found all of our methodologies and controls to meet or exceed industry standards. They also acknowledged our findings and initial steps in resolving the structural deficit, and concurred with our opinion that it does not materially affect CCAP’s stability.

They did issue one finding as a part of the audit, based on a recommendation we gave them, that we should capitalize our technology programs. It was in fact the development and growth of the technology programs that was the basis of the structural deficit, where we

had been investing from Association capital reserves while we built up the business. Given our not-for-profit setting, we had not recognized our technology operations, including our Unified Case Management (UCM) products, as more analogous to a commercial operation.

Our recommendation to our audit firm was to assist us in consideration of capitalizing the product, which involved recognizing the software product as an asset, and concurrently changing the accounting methodology for CCAP’s investment in the product as well as incorporating amortization of the asset. After some study, they concurred but based on auditing standards were obligated to recognize this change in approach as an audit finding. So although it is not technically a clean audit, the basis for the finding was a review initiated by CCAP based on our observation that there was a better way to reflect our technology projects in our financial statements.

Putting this change into place had concurrent results in our financial statements, spurring reopening and adjustments of each statement going back to 2013, and reopening the 2017 budget. It is important to note that these changes did not affect our net asset value, but simply changed how they were stated. In addition, it now requires us to amortize the value of the software product, which we are doing over a time period extending through 2018, affecting the apparent bottom line on each budget from 2015 through 2018. Reopening the 2017 budget resulted in an amortization of $324,621, which changed the projected loss for the year from just under $150,000 to just under $497,000, on an overall budget of $10.6 million (other mid-year adjustments were taken as well). With all of these changes, though, we more accurately reflect the value and diversity of the services CCAP offers its membership.

Treasurer’s Report

PROVIDING STEWARDSHIP OF CCAP AND ITS RESOURCES


As to the financial statements themselves, and taking into account the reopening of the 2016 statement, CCAP completed the year within its budget targets. Total revenues were $10.8 million, and total expenses $11.3 million, for a net loss of $492 thousand. We originally budgeted for a loss of $496 thousand, reflecting reserve spending for the completion of UCM product development and, had we not made the amortization adjustment, probably would have finished closer to $400 thousand.

For any members who are interested, we can give more detail on the Association’s growth pattern over the last decade, and particularly our entry into the software marketplace. We can also furnish more information on the business plan for the project, which should result in a break-even for 2017 and a net positive return after that.

We also have in place the Finance Committee, including commissioners, chief clerks, and county finance directors, who worked with the staff on our recovery plan and who now meet a week or so prior to CCAP Board meetings. Their agenda includes a detailed review of financials with specific review of return on investment of each cost center, as well as providing an opportunity to evaluate staffing and program structure to maximize services to the membership. They have been active participants in Association-wide restructuring completed in 2014, and a reconfiguration of our technology business plan in 2016.

The Finance Committee’s work also includes review of the association’s long range fiscal plan, under which our objective is to assure that revenues on a program basis met program needs. We have made adjustments in both cost centers and revenues in each of our service areas to assure that at minimum they are self-supporting. This has progressed well, with the remaining task to assure that, for our core services of legislative representation and member education, ordinary income (primarily dues and conference revenues) increases to a level that fully

supports these services. The membership has each year affirmed a program of dues increases, moving toward that objective, although suspending it for three successive years during the worst of the financial crisis. We have made progress in meeting our objective, although direct member dues accounts for just under 11 percent of our total income. Other revenue sources include insurance and programs (about 46 percent), affiliate contracts (about 13 percent), technology services (15 percent), and meetings, training (about 3 percent) and grants (over 6 percent).

We are now beginning preparation of the 2018 CCAP budget. Between the August Board meeting and the Fall Conference, the Board and staff will evaluate Finance Committee recommendations, conduct program budget reviews, and compare programs against their income sources and the Association’s annual Action Plan strategic priorities. The bylaws then require us to send the Association’s proposed budget, proposed Action Plan, and the specific dues proposal to you for review. The Board will consider and adopt the 2018 budget at its fall meeting, and the membership itself will vote on the Action Plan and the dues schedule at the Fall Conference business meeting.

Thank you for your consideration of this report. I also want to thank CCAP CFO Pam Szajnuk for the excellent work she and her staff do in fiscal management, planning, and accounting. She and the executive staff and I will be pleased to furnish you any additional information you need regarding CCAP finances.

Michelle Kichline, TreasurerCommissioner, Chester County


The Academy for Excellence in County Government CommitteeCREATING INNOVATIVE TRAINING TO GROW LEADERSHIP IN CCAP AND IN THE COMMUNITY

The Academy Committee provides oversight for the Academy’s curriculum, faculty, administration and marketing in regard to meeting the educational

needs of the greater CCAP membership. This year the Academy made a concerted effort to recruit new participants and to offer some incentive programs for current and future participants.

Today, the Academy, a certificate training program, boasts 137 graduates of the core program. Currently, there are 24 persons registered for the 2015-2018 cycle with the next graduation to be held in November 2018.

The committee also supports the development and administration of the annual Center for Excellence in County Leadership (CEL) program for county officials. Eight persons participated in the third year of this intensive three-day workshop and training in June 2017. Produced by The Professional Edge, Inc., the program provides an array of leadership development, interactive

discussion and strategic thinking exercises and includes self-assessments and reading materials geared toward raising self-awareness.

Throughout 2016-17, the Academy was pleased to offer six of the eight core courses and more than 30 elective credit opportunities at various stand-alone and collaborative workshops or Conference breakout sessions around the commonwealth. These workshops are open to all CCAP members and county representatives and garner credit for those enrolled in the Academy program. The Academy continues to stress the importance of a face-to-face learning environment where two-way interaction amongst peers and presenters provides a foundation for success.

The Academy sustained its collaborative efforts with the CCAP Insurance Programs training department as initiated in 2003. Through this type of cooperation, Academy participants, as well as members of the Insurance


Programs, reap the immediate benefits of convenient, combined classes, different locations and top notch instructors with distinct courses that grant elective or core course credit for Academy participants.

Also in collaboration with the CCAP Insurance Programs, specifically PComp and PCoRP, the Academy was able to roll out one of the most extensive reimbursement of program fees in the history of the program. The Academy Achievement Award will be presented to any participant in the program who fulfills the requirements of graduation within an eight year period. These recipients will receive a $400 reimbursement of their initial investment in the program registration and fees at the time of graduation. These disbursements apply to all currently participant

program members as well as future enrollees who complete the requirements. The first disbursements will be distributed during graduation ceremonies in November 2018.

Board meetings in 2016-17 were conducted via a conference call format which has greatly enhanced the productivity of the Board and the ability for all members to actively participate despite physical location or personal schedules.

The Academy operates on a non-grant funded budget with program registration fees offsetting the majority of the training expenses on an annual basis.

Mark Hamilton, ChairCommissioner, Tioga County

ACADEMY COMMITTEEMark Hamilton, ChairCommissioner, Tioga County

Christian Leinbach, Vice ChairCommissioner, Berks County

Tom BakerCouncil Member, Allegheny County

Preston BoopCommissioner, Union County

Kathi CozzoneCommissioner, Chester County

S. Paul CrooksCommissioner, Bedford County

Gary EichelbergerCommissioner, Cumberland County

James Gagliano, Jr.Administrator, Lawrence County

Todd GraybillCommissioner, Juniata County

Janis KemmerCommissioner, Elk County

Tony MussareCommissioner, Lycoming County

Al Penksa, Jr.County Manager, Adams County

Michelle SheddenChief Clerk, Bradford County NON-VOTING EX OFFICIO MEMBERSDavid Brinton, MPALocal Government Policy Manager,Governor’s Center for Local Government Services

Dr. Beverly Cigler, Ph.D. Distinguished Professor, Penn State Harrisburg

Harlan Shober, CCAP PresidentCommissioner, Washington County

Dave SwartzCCAP Fellow, District Director, Penn State Extension

Robert Thomas, Board ChairCommissioner, Franklin County

STAFF LIAISONMandi GlantzDirector of Member and Vendor Relations

STAFF ASSISTANTSLinda RositoRisk Management Training Director

Karen SweigardDirector of Meetings and Education


Agriculture Committee

CARING FOR THE LANDS OF PENNSYLVANIA NOW AND FOR THE FUTURE

As the agriculture industry in the commonwealth continues to advance, our committee continues to participate in various policy, programmatic

and legislative discussions on the impact of agriculture within our local communities. Together with the other committees, the Agriculture Committee advances our priorities to better enhance counties and the agriculture industry across the commonwealth.

As part of our responsibility and commitment for coordinating county policy on issues having an impact on the agricultural community, the Agriculture Committee reviewed its policies and work plan for the year, focusing on Clean and Green legislative proposals, Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation program, the oil and gas industries and their impact on counties, concerns of the conservation districts in terms of funding and policy initiatives, Penn State Extension and its new business model, and state budget line-items that directly affect the agriculture industry. Among these work plan issues, our committee advanced several specific action items to advance our goals as an Association and committee.The Pennsylvania Farmland Preservation program has

experienced widespread support and success. Our state leads the nation in farmland preservation by preserving more than 525,000 acres and protecting more than 5,000 farms as of August 2016 through conversation easements. The growth of the program has been remarkable since its inception. As such, counties continue to provide contributions to the Farmland Preservation program through General Fund dollars, Act 13 funds, bonds, administrative costs, and more. The committee decided that understanding these individual county contributions was an important element of the preservation program. Together with our Extension Fellow and the Department of Agriculture, the Agriculture Committee and CCAP staff worked to create and distribute a survey requesting county contributions to the program. To date, our committee and staff are collecting this information and we look forward to further detail on the counties’ participation in this great, successful program.

While our committee continues to engage with legislators and the administration on agriculture-related issues, we also continue to grow in our longstanding partnership with Penn State Extension located across our 67 counties.


Penn State Extension recently announced changes and restructuring of their operational model, which took effect on July 1, 2017. Committee members and staff continue to monitor any developments and updates on the new Extension business model, and review the impacts to county offices and local operations.

Finally, the Agriculture Committee and staff remain actively involved in commonwealth budget discussions. Our committee continues to monitor the budget situation, especially for the line-items under the committee’s jurisdiction including Penn State Extension, conservation

districts, the State Food Purchase Program, and county fairs.

I want to thank CCAP President and Washington County Commissioner Harlan Shober for my continued appointment as the chair of the Agriculture Committee. I would also like to extend my appreciation to our committee members for their commitment, dedication, and hard work throughout the year. Agriculture continues to be a critical part of our communities and economy, and we’re pleased to offer our contributions in order to keep agricultural issues at the forefront.

AGRICULTURE COMMITTEEErick Coolidge, ChairCommissioner, Tioga County

Stephen Naylor, Vice ChairCommissioner, Perry County

Albert AbramovicCommissioner, Venango County

Malcolm Derk IIICommissioner, Snyder County

Tom GerhardCommissioner, Carbon County

David KovachCommissioner, Columbia County

Jo Ellen LitzCommissioner, Lebanon County

Jim MartinCommissioner, Adams County

Wylie NortonCommissioner, Sullivan County

Jason RenshawCommissioner, Armstrong County

Brian SmithCommissioner, Wayne County

Archie TraderCommissioner, Greene County

Scott WallsCommissioner, Huntingdon County

NON-VOTING EX OFFICIO MEMBERSJohn BellDirector of Local Government Programs, PA Farm Bureau

Dr. Kathy BrasierAssociate Professor of Rural SociologyPenn State College of Agriculture Science

Deborah Crawford, PQMCChief Assessor/Tax Claim Director/Tax Collector, Tioga County Assessment Office and Assessors’ Association

James HercikIndependent Consultant and Assessors’ Association Representative

Dr. Jeffrey HydeProfessor, Agriculture Economics, Penn State College of Agriculture Science

Jon JohnsonSenior Policy Analyst, Center for Rural PA

Cherie Prentice-BrownGIS Manager, City of Lebanon Authority and GIS Representative

Dennis StuckeyCommissioner, Lancaster County

William SturgesExecutive Director, Pennsylvania Rural Development Council

STAFF LIAISON CCAP Government Relations Associate

Erick Coolidge, ChairCommissioner, Tioga County


Property taxes and assessment have long been complicated and controversial issues, both for counties and in the state legislature, and the start

of a new legislative session in 2017 is proving that this remains both a vexing and elusive issue.

As you know, CCAP remains focused on its priority of seeking alternative taxing options such as a capped/limited county option personal income tax, earned income tax, or sales tax, so that counties would at least have the option – on a revenue neutral, dollar-for-dollar basis – to reduce property taxes.

We are not asking for new taxing options to replace the state’s obligation to fund what it mandates, or to increase overall spending. Rather, our effort is aimed solely at permitting counties the option of relieving property taxes by spreading the burden to broader-based, alternative revenue options.

While the General Assembly continues to beat the drum on the issue of school property taxes, our committee is working strategically to make sure counties also have a seat at the table on this issue. We began the 2017-2018 legislative session by reviewing legislation that former CCAP member Sen. John Eichelberger (R-Blair) introduced in the past. From that starting point, our committee developed a comprehensive outline detailing elements that we would like to see in any legislation – such as providing counties with a variety of options and making sure those options can be administered as efficiently as possible. We are engaging with the senator to share our feedback, with the hope of having a bill introduced shortly.

As Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman told our members at a Spring Conference legislative panel several years ago, counties need to force themselves into this discussion. We agree that it will take our concerted efforts as counties to overcome the challenges of moving such a critical issue through the General Assembly. To that end, as part of the committee’s work plan this year, we plan to develop a toolkit to assist counties in educating legislators and

advocating for this priority.

But property taxes also rely on the underlying assessment system to assure that property values are fair and uniform for all – not any easy task under the constraints of current law. In the fall of 2016, the Local Government Commission, a bipartisan, bicameral legislative service agency, created a task force to address recommendations related to modernization, efficiency, transparency and fairness of the assessment process. CCAP and its affiliate Assessors Association of Pennsylvania (AAP) are actively engaged with this task force.

For the current legislative session, the task force will be focusing its efforts on developing contracting standards for countywide reassessments, as well as an operations manual and self-evaluation tool to assist counties with determining the need for a reassessment and for conducting them. Work is also underway to develop and implement a uniform sales validation form to provide better and more complete data for the valuation process. In addition, the task force has already begun work on legislation to provide for training and qualifications of outside consultants and is examining the assessment appeals process.

As this important work goes on, the General Assembly

Assessment and Taxation CommitteeWORKING TO ASSURE DIVERSITY AND EQUITY IN COUNTY REVENUE RESOURCES


Jim Hertzler, ChairCommissioner, Cumberland County

has also demonstrated its ongoing interest in property assessment. Early in the session, efforts to advance legislation that would limit the situations in which taxing districts can appeal property values, which have been ongoing for the past decade, were again renewed. A new twist was added this spring, as commercial property interests sought amendments to allow for the “dark store” method of assessment. This means that big stores that are open for business would be valued as though they were vacant and closed (or “dark”); in other states where businesses have tried this approach, property values have decreased at least 50 to 60 percent, reducing property tax revenues to local governments by millions of dollars and shifting the property tax burden onto residential and agricultural property taxpayers. Thankfully, the effort to implement the “dark store” method in Pennsylvania has

been halted, though it is something our committee plans to keep a close eye on.

We will continue to address other policy matters that come before our committee – issues related to delinquent tax collection on abandoned mobile homes, the reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program at the federal level, and working with the Community and Economic Development Committee on the implementation of the new hotel tax statutes and the $5 county optional fee for local bridge infrastructure.

Finally, the committee conducted its annual resolutions meeting in June to assure the Association’s assessment and taxation policy remains up-to-date and relevant in the policy arena.

ASSESSMENT AND TAXATION COMMITTEEJim Hertzler, ChairCommissioner, Cumberland County George Halcovage, Jr., Vice ChairCommissioner, Schuylkill County

William AmesCommissioner, Lebanon County

Roger BunnCommissioner, Tioga County John CusickCouncil Member, Northampton County Barry DallaraCommissioner, Bedford County

Rich FitzgeraldCounty Executive, Allegheny County

Alice GrayCommissioner, Juniata County Harry HaasCouncil Member, Luzerne County George Hartwick, III Commissioner, Dauphin County Paul HeimelCommissioner, Potter County Michelle KichlineCommissioner, Chester County


Pete SmeltzCommissioner, Clinton County

Jeff ThomasCommissioner, Huntingdon County

Robert ZiobrowskiCommissioner, Franklin County

NON-VOTING EX OFFICIO MEMBERSCharles Hardester, Jr.Chief Assessor, Lawrence County and Assessors’ Association of Pennsylvania Representative Michelle Kichline, CCAP TreasurerCommissioner, Chester County STAFF LIAISONLisa SchaeferDirector of Government Relations


Committee on County Criminal Justice Systems Best Practices for the 21st CenturyWORKING TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES SAFE THROUGH INNOVATIONS AND BEST PRACTICES

The Committee on Criminal Justice Systems for the 21st Century experienced a year of transition and change. Taking stock of our awards program over

the past several years, the Committee has responded to changes in practice and the circumstances surrounding population control, and to the time required to submit entries. In an effort to improve participation and expand the availability of resources for counties seeking solutions to local struggles, the program underwent a number of changes in 2017.

Going back to its roots, the Committee members took stock in our history. In 2003, CCAP commissioned a study of jail overcrowding in Pennsylvania. A bond funding program had expired and counties were feeling some pressure to expand capacity at county jails and detention centers. The intensive study examined overcrowding at 16 county jails, and found, consistently, that population management was a more appropriate approach to the problems of overcrowding, and that simply adding capacity would result in ongoing inefficient practices that would lead counties right back to the same place in the not too distant future. The CCAP Courts and Corrections Committee was assisted in the study by a Jail Overcrowding Task Force, and when the members saw the results of the study, they asked the CCAP Board to adopt a new strategy, one which was dedicated to encouraging counties to adopt the types of best practices that lead to effective population management. One strategy suggested was to change the focus of the Overcrowding Task Force to a committee that would find ways to educate counties on the findings in the report, and to promote the success of counties in implementing best practices.

To promote the county efforts, the Committee created the awards program which was rolled out in 2008. Each year, the program grew in the number of entries received and each year the committee considered some changes to address growth, and expand the focus to honor other accomplishments in county corrections. We added a component for honoring detention centers

and alternative programs several years ago, and began honoring the best practices of county criminal justice advisory boards in partnership with PCCD. The most recent addition to the program is an award category for a county partner – someone who is not a county jail employee, but whose efforts enhance the operations at the jail and result in improved outcomes for inmates, consistent with the best practices goals of the award.

At its highest point, the Committee received award submissions from 24 county operations, and presented a total of 12 awards among the categories. In recent years, the number of submissions has been declining, and the committee has instituted some changes to promote the program more effectively, and to make entering easier for counties. We remain hopeful that our program will soon see an increase in entries, which serve as a benefit to all counties. For example, all entrants have their projects posted on a special section of the CCAP website. The projects are there for other counties to consider, in the event they need some ideas or mentoring. Counties have learned a lot from other counties as a result of the awards program. Every year, there have been counties contacted by others who want to learn more, and replicate effective practices that were learned about from the awards program. After the winners are selected, they are invited to a luncheon program with several prominent keynote speakers, and winning counties select eight attendees. The Committee provides materials so that winning counties can promote the honor with their local media, giving staff of county operations even more to be proud of. Counties can show their citizens the value of services provided in facilities and they role they play in public safety. The Committee worked very hard to design an electronic entry process where counties could complete the required information online, and avoid the labor intensive processes for copying and submitting volumes of materials. Further, the Committee created a minimum scoring standard to assure that only truly worthy projects consistent with the goals of the program would be considered for awards. As the submission deadline drew near for 2017, the committee was concerned with the low


Jeffrey Snyder, ChairCommissioner, Clinton County

number of submissions. After carefully considering the entries, there were no winning entries selected in the jail category. There were several highly qualified detention and alternative program entries, and an excellent Partners Award submission, yet the customary awards luncheon appeared to be in question due to low attendance.

The Committee decided to change the focus from a single event in Central Pa. to an awards presentation at a location and event to be selected by each awardee. Plans are underway to travel to the winning counties during the summer and fall to present the awards to our winners. For the small county jail category, only one entry was submitted. That entry was not qualified under program rules and will be encourage to apply in the future with enhanced detail.

Moving forward, the Committee plans to again consider the changing landscape in county corrections to redefine and appropriately direct the goals of our awards program.

The CCAP Comprehensive Behavioral Health Task Force Report offers some perspective for that evaluation, offering guidance to counties seeking to avoid jail placement for those with mental health and substance abuse issues. The upcoming Justice Reinvestment Initiative is another potential avenue where counties may find a need to adapt practice to affect positive outcomes. The program itself must keep pace with the environment in our county corrections efforts, and I anticipate the Committee investigating new options for our 2018 program.

In the meantime, I urge you to take a look at the webpage where all entries for this program are maintained under the Programs and Services tab – it’s a way to gather ideas for your own county, or a place to generate discussion among county partners. I would also welcome your comments and suggestions don’t hesitate to reach out to me at any point, or discuss your ideas with CCAP staff.

21ST CENTURY COMMITTEEJeffrey Snyder, ChairCommissioner, Clinton County

Ronald Williams, Vice ChairCommissioner, Wyoming County

Preston BoopCommissioner, Union County

Jeff HasteCommissioner, Dauphin County

Dave LohrCommissioner, Fayette County

Carol LollCouncil Member, Erie County

Diane MarsegliaCommissioner, Bucks County

Douglas McLinkoCommissioner, Bradford County

Thomas MullerCounty Executive, Lehigh County

Larry ThomasChief Clerk/Chief Operations Officer, Cumberland County

NON-VOTING EX OFFICIO MEMBERSMark BergstromExecutive Director, Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing

Kevin DeParlosWarden, Lycoming County Prison

Dominick DeRoseWarden, Dauphin County Prison

Jim JonesAdministrator, Central Counties Youth Center

Shirley Moore SmealExecutive Deputy Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections

Warden Janine QuigleyWarden, Berks County Jail System

Joe ScannapiecoShelter Program Director, Lancaster County Youth Intervention Center

STAFF LIAISONBrinda K. PenyakDeputy Director

Wayne BearExecutive Director, JDCAP

STAFF ASSISTANTLori DabbondanzaExecutive Secretary


Community and Economic Development CommitteeWORKING TO UPDATE AND IMPROVE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION AND SERVICE DELIVERY

On behalf of the Community and Economic Development Committee, it has been my pleasure to serve another term as chair of the

Committee. Together with the other CCAP committees, our mission and goal to enhance and promote economic development, preserve our state’s natural resources, and planning for growth across our urban, suburban, and rural communities at all levels of government and private sector industries remains true today. The Committee consistently works on a wide-range of issues that affect all of our local communities – from transportation to workforce development, as well as tourism, sustainability, and blight – our Committee realizes the importance that these areas have across our state.

The Community and Economic Development Committee aims to assure that counties are provided with the adequate tools and resources to address the often complex, multi-faceted issues. In the past, we worked extensively on transportation funding mechanisms to our counties, especially as it relates to bridge infrastructure. With transportation and infrastructure spending being a critical part of our economic well-being, the Committee continues to monitor and engage in discussions with our local government counterparts, the commonwealth, and the federal government through the National Association of Counties. Recently, PennDOT announced their latest initiative, the Road Maintenance and Preservation (Road MaP) program, which will invest an estimated $2.1 billion in highway and bridge construction over the next 10 years. Part of the program’s initiative will include allocations to county governments for local bridge

bundling programs. The initiative, “Local Bridge Bundling program for Counties – Underscoring Transportation’s Value,” will provide counties who have enacted the $5 local Vehicle Registration Fee through Act 89 matching funds for bridge maintenance and local bridge bundling programs. For counties that have passed the $5 local registration fee resolution, a total of $2 million will be reserved for each county with a dollar-for-dollar match, or 50 percent of the combined county and PennDOT funds, and the funds must be non-traditional transportation dollars (i.e., General Fund). We look forward to the continued investments and opportunities made available to counties to improve our bridge infrastructure across the state, and especially appreciate our ongoing partnership with PennDOT. For more information on this program, please visit PennDOT’s website at www.penndot.gov.

Another area that our Committee focuses on is improving our local communities through blight remediation. In 2016, counties were given another tool to combat blight within their county. Act 152 of 2016 allows counties to create a county demolition fund by ordinance or resolution authorizing the recorder of deeds to charge and collect a maximum fee of $15 for each deed and mortgage recorded. The fees must be used exclusively for the demolition of blighted property in the county. To date, a number of counties have implemented the fee, allowing yet another means to improve our local communities’ one step at a time. The Committee continues to address blight related issues under our sustainable communities’ platform item through participation in the General


Assembly’s Blight Task Force and we look forward to those policy discussions as they progress in the state Legislature.

Community and economic development remains a critical aspect to all forms of local government. Our local economies are constantly advancing and our partnerships with the County Planning Directors Association of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Workforce Development Association, the County GIS Professionals, the

Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, and many more allow our Committee to work towards a more comprehensive, holistic approach to economic issues across our commonwealth. I want to thank CCAP President, Commissioner Harlan Shober, for reappointing me to continue these efforts alongside our county partners and Committee members. Especially, I would like to extend my appreciation to all Committee members for their hard work and dedication to these important issues facing our counties.

Mike Pries, ChairCommissioner, Dauphin County

COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEEMike Pries, ChairCommissioner, Dauphin County

Blair Zimmerman, Vice ChairCommissioner, Greene County

Kevin BoozelCommissioner, Butler County

Sandie EgleyCommissioner, Beaver County

George Halcovage Jr.Commissioner, Schuylkill County

Mark HigginsCommissioner, Centre County

Benjamin KafferlinCommissioner, Warren County

Susan KefoverCommissioner, Potter County

Judy Kraft MeadCommissioner, Wyoming County

Matthew McConnellCommissioner, Mercer County

Rodney McCrayCommissioner, Fulton County

Rodney RuddockCommissioner, Indiana County

Paul Rudy Jr.Commissioner, Perry County

Norman WimerCommissioner, Forest County

James YoderCommissioner, Somerset County NON-VOTING EX OFFICIO MEMBERSMichael PipeCommissioner, Centre County and State Workforce Investment Board Representative

Kevin AbramsExecutive Director, Northern Tier Regional Planning & Development Committee

Steve HowsareExecutive Director, Southern Alleghenies Planning & Development Commission and LDD Representative

Terri KaufmanExecutive Director, Southcentral Workforce Investment Board

Amy McKinneyPlanning Director, Lawrence County Director of Planning & Community Development and County Planning Directors Association of Pennsylvania President Joseph Pierce, EsquireEckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC


Justin SmithGIS Coordinator, Cumberland County and GIS Representative

STAFF LIAISONGovernment Relations Associate


County Governance CommitteeWORKING TO UPDATE AND IMPROVE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION AND SERVICE DELIVERY

The County Governance Committee is CCAP’s oldest committee, evolving from our original Legislative Committee – the only policy committee the

Association had for the first ninety years of its history. When county government began its service expansion in the 1960s and 1970s, we added the Human Services Committee, and over time we gradually added the rest of our more specialized policy committees. For County Governance, we are the catch-all; we have jurisdiction over every policy issue that does not fall under any of our other policy committees. Our work plan this year is diverse, including emergency management issues, mandate relief, sunshine act and open records act revisions, election issues, and pensions. We are also completing work with the Local Government Commission, a legislative service agency, on a full technical rewrite of the County Code.

We are into the second year of Act 12, the comprehensive rewrite of the 911 law. We are pleased with the implementation to date, and particularly the solid working relationship we have with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. They have worked closely with the 911 Board, on which we and the 911 directors have majority membership, and are doing solid and detailed work on a broad set of issues – discretionary grants, Next Generation 911 (NG911) inventory, interim funding formula, technology platforms, liaison with county GIS, incentives for system improvements, and the first steps toward migration to NG911. We are beginning to deal with tougher issues – particularly issues with merger of Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP), with significant pockets of Pennsylvania that lack sufficient broadband capacity, and with our march toward an equitable long term funding formula. Still, the relationship between PEMA and the Board serves as a model of state-local cooperation, where long-range planning is truly a product of consensus, professional evaluation, and best practices. Equally important, significant changes like regional systems and even merged PSAPs are based on incentive and not on mandate, giving counties the ability to make choices that best meet local needs and circumstances. The bottom line is that the new Act is a resounding success, and keeps Pennsylvania and its counties at the forefront of 911 service delivery.

Another time-consuming project is revision to the county pension system. While county pensions are sound, particularly in comparison to the state, school and municipal counterparts, we are nonetheless working toward improvements. Our first work product is to revisit Act 96 to make technical and practical changes to improve its structure and management and bring it up to current financial, statutory and market standards. Second, we have a long-standing resolution calling for a county option to switch to a defined contribution plan. Candidly, the project is taking longer than we originally anticipated. Last year we convened a special Pension Work Group under the Committee’s jurisdiction, which includes committee members as well as county professionals, representatives of the Controllers and Treasurers, and representatives from our private sector partners. That work group has identified a set of changes and drafted legislation we hope to introduce this session, but each time we broaden the circle for review we find issues large and small, technical and substantive, that we still need to address. Still, we believe the extra work will yield a solid result. On the defined contribution side, we are experiencing some division on how to approach the issue, but with the recent passage of the state’s version of options, we think we have some better consensus on direction and, importantly, a signal that the legislature can equitably tackle the issue.

We also have Open Records and Open Meetings issues we are working on. With Open Records, legislation is pending that would make a number of changes to the law based on state and local experience with the law in the nine years since its passage. For counties, the revisions address issues where the law in practice does not meet the law as intended, or where unforeseen practical or equity issues have arisen such as the high volume of records requests from prisoners and the fishing requests we get from commercial interests. We have also presented comments on a draft of proposed regulations developed by the Office of Open Records. Open Meetings includes a series of smaller issues, most notably an effort that would expose collective bargaining to both open meetings and open records. We believe doing so would make the process more difficult, and have offered a resolution for consideration at CCAP’s Annual Conference that would


Malcolm Derk, III, ChairCommissioner, Snyder County

make some revisions in this direction but in a way that meets our practical needs.

In other matters, one that has been pending for close to a decade is a full revision of the Emergency Management Code. The revision, developed by PEMA but sidelined while the 911 act revisions were underway, includes numerous structural changes in how emergency management functions are carried out. The newest draft addresses many of the comments we raised with prior versions, including FCC mandates on re-banding and planning relationships with smaller municipalities, and so we anticipate supporting the legislation as it moves through to introduction.

While the Committee also retains responsibility for elections, we are pleased with the work of our Elections Reform Committee and have deferred to them (and relied on them) on most topic areas relating to election and registration administration.

Last, we have completed a multi-year project managed by the Local Government Commission to update the County Code, and the Commission is now preparing the official draft for legislative introduction. The project aims at technical changes to comport with current law and practice. In that context though, the draft includes a more substantive revision to the finance article of the Code, keying off of reforms we achieved under Act 103 of 2002 and directed at the continuing evolution of investment, accounting, and auditing standards.

I would like to conclude by thanking the members of the Committee for their work, and equally important, thank the members of the Elections Reform Committee and the Pension Work Group for the added detail they bring to our agenda. I also thank the full CCAP membership for its support as we work to assure counties are positioned to provide effective and efficient services for our constituents.

COUNTY GOVERNANCE COMMITTEEMalcolm Derk III, ChairCommissioner, Snyder County

Richard Ridgway, Vice ChairCommissioner, Columbia County

Valerie ArkooshCommissioner, Montgomery County

Dave CoderCommissioner, Greene County

Gary EichelbergerCommissioner, Cumberland County

James Gagliano Jr.County Administrator, Lawrence County

Kimberly GeyerCommissioner, Butler County

Mark HamiltonCommissioner, Tioga County

Amanda HoltCommissioner, Lehigh County

Christian LeinbachCommissioner, Berks County

Fiore LeoneCouncil Member, Erie County

Daryl MillerCommissioner, Bradford County

Jeffrey PisarcikCommissioner, Jefferson County

Dee RobinsonChief Clerk/County Administrator, Union County

Mark SatherCommissioner, Huntingdon County

MaryAnn WarrenCommissioner, Susquehanna County

NON-VOTING EX OFFICIO MEMBERSMichelle Kichline, CCAP TreasurerCommissioner, Chester County


STAFF LIAISON Douglas HillExecutive Director


Courts and Corrections Committee

WORKING TO ASSURE A FAIR, BALANCED AND PRODUCTIVE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

The CCAP Courts and Corrections Committee continues its focus on innovation at the county level, supporting activities and best practices

that can provide the counties with local options for addressing growing numbers of inmates with behavioral health concerns. Working in collaboration with the Human Services Committee, the Courts and Corrections Committee recommended to the CCAP Board the creation of a Comprehensive Behavioral Health Task Force. That effort resulted in the publication of a report filled with

recommendations for county practice, public policy, education for commissioners and the public as well as communication goals. While the task force continues its work separate from the Courts and Corrections Committee, there is significant overlap between the policy agenda for Courts and Corrections and the focus areas of the task force.

Working closely with our national partners at NACo, the Committee conducted several educational events for


Larry Maggi, ChairCommissioner, Washington County

members interested in learning more about the White House Data Driven Justice initiative. The concept supports the use of data to analyze and plan for approaches that can not only assist with population control, but achieve better outcomes for decisions around confinement location, use of pre-trial services, re-entry services, and linkages to human services within the community. Counties can utilize the analytics to focus on areas of weakness and bolster supports known to result in reduced recidivism and opportunities to divert from jail at the front end.

The Courts and Corrections Committee was also supportive of the national Stepping Up initiative, working to encourage more counties to participate. Additionally, the Committee has been leading an effort in conjunction with the PA Department of Corrections, the PA Department of Human Services, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) and the Council of State Governments to conduct a Pa. specific Stepping Up conference, including efforts to secure funds to assist counties with start-up costs. A fall event intended to bring county teams together to conduct comprehensive local planning is being developed.

Justice Reinvestment round 2 was a focus in the past year as well, taking up on the first Justice Reinvestment effort with additional support for adult probation. An advisory group was appointed by the Governor and met over the course of a year, supported by the Council of State Governments. The recommendations include support for adult probation by moving away from oversight by the State Board of Probation and Parole, and creating a structure similar to those used to support certain sectors of the judiciary. The legislation to implement the initiative is expected to be considered during negotiations around the state budget for 2017-2018.

The Committee continues to support the strong partnership developed with PCCD in the administration of grants that support county Criminal Justice Advisory Boards through regional specialists and mini-grants, funding to support the development and implementation of evidence based practices for adult probation

departments and support and assistance for counties interested in developing pre-trial programs to divert offenders away from the jail and into more appropriate and effective supervision models. The partnership has also supported continuation of the annual CJAB conference, training in crisis intervention tactics including train the trainer education, and other events that support the work of county staff across the courts and corrections spectrum.

The Committee continues to monitor and guide efforts in the legislative arena. A bill to establish sheriff powers has been re-introduced and consistent with CCAP’s policy position, efforts have been focused on clarifying powers in existence prior to several court rulings that have called them into question. A hearing was scheduled in the House, and further activity is expected, although language in the bill appears to expand powers to be consistent with municipal police officers. More discussions are expected with the Sheriff’s Association and others to reach a conclusion on language in the event this bill is scheduled for a vote in the House Committee. Another proposal aimed at increasing deductions from inmate accounts to pay victim restitution was considered again, voted in the House and sent to the Senate. This proposal would require counties to deduct a percentage of funds from every deposit made into inmate accounts every time they are made, causing administrative difficulties for counties for very little in collected restitution for the victim. While this bill is not likely to move in the Senate in the near future, an ongoing need to monitor remains.

Counties continue to work toward bail reform, and use of options other than monetary bail to secure a defendants appearance. Based on practices in other states where successful programs have saved funds from reduced jail bed days, we face an uphill battle in Pennsylvania to achieve similar results. Further, efforts to assure that the commonwealth assumes responsibility for funding for the courts continues to be a challenge. And with Pennsylvania now being the only state in the United States that provides no support for indigent defense, a renewed interest in finding a means of covering county costs has been a priority.

continued on page 26


In April, a House version of the State budget was adopted and sent to the Senate containing sweeping, painful cuts for the very supports that counties rely upon for adult and juvenile probation, intermediate punishment, mental health and other human services supports that provide options to utilize corrections resources effectively. The committee drove a grass roots effort to achieve restoration of these funds through education of legislators. That budget bill also included cuts for senior

judge support grants, funds counties received based on the number of Common Pleas positions in the counties, the State Sentencing Commission, and others. Courts and corrections related supports are core government services that counties provide on behalf of state government, and are not discretionary on the part of the commissioners. The Committee was pleased to see this battle ending in restoration of these crucial funds for the upcoming fiscal year.

COURTS AND CORRECTIONS COMMITTEELarry Maggi, ChairCommissioner, Washington County

Preston Boop, Vice ChairCommissioner, Union County

Anthony AmadioCommissioner, Beaver County

Kevin BarnhardtCommissioner, Berks County


Todd GraybillCommissioner, Juniata County


Paul HeimelCommissioner, Potter County

Gary HessCommissioner, Schuylkill County

Thomas MullerCounty Executive, Lehigh County

Josh ParsonsCommissioner, Lancaster County

Richard ShochCommissioner, Northumberland County

Jeffrey SnyderCommissioner, Clinton County

Robert Thomas, CCAP Board ChairCommissioner, Franklin County

Vincent VicitesCommissioner, Fayette County

Ronald WilliamsCommissioner, Wyoming County NON-VOTING EX OFFICIO MEMBERSBeth ApplebyAdministrator, Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association

Mark BergstromExecutive Director, Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing

Judge John ForadoraJefferson County and President Judges Association Liaison

Drew FredericksDirector, Lancaster County Youth Intervention Center and JDCAP Representative

Thomas Maioli Jr.Executive Director, Pennsylvania Sheriff’s Association

Mary Beth MarschikAsst Admin. Judicial Security, Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts

Robert McCullough IIIExecutive Director, County Chief Adult Probation and Parole Officers’ Association

D. Edward McFaddenWarden, Chester County Prison and County Prison Wardens Association Liaison

Lawrence MurrayChief of Probation and Parole Officer, Adams County

Janine QuigleyWarden, Berks County Jail System and Pennsylvania County Corrections Association

Robert StanzioneChief Juvenile Probation Officer, Bucks County Juvenile Probation and Chief Juvenile Probation Officers Association Richard SteeleExecutive Director, Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission

Robert WilliamsChief Probation and Parole Officer, Berks County

STAFF LIAISONBrinda K. PenyakDeputy Director



Elections Reform CommitteeWORKING TO PROTECT AND IMPROVE THE CITIZENS’ VOICE

The CCAP Elections Reform Committee is an ad hoc committee charged with reviewing and making

recommendations in election law and practice. In addition to CCAP members, the Committee includes election directors and representation from the Department of State (DOS). The Committee traditionally has bipartisan co-chairs.

Counties are proud of the role they play in this central democratic function. And we are most pleased when the story is the outcome, not the process, of the election. Today we are certainly in the spotlight, with active investigation of Russian attempts to hack the 2016 Presidential election and sometimes misleading reports of how elections are conducted, how equipment is secured, and where vulnerabilities lie. The Pennsylvania experience is that our election equipment and processes are not exposed to the Internet, and DOS, which administers the SURE voter registration system, has in place state of the art security systems. So for Pennsylvania counties, our role is to increase public understanding and confidence, as well as provide educational and policy guidance to legislators and administrators.

Beyond these headline issues, there are many topics and policy matters under review by our Committee. Some arise from our 2014 report and recommendations on election issues, but many are more topical, raised by current circumstances or as policy matters by other interests. An issue we are actively promoting is the rapidly approaching need to replace our election equipment. The Help America Vote Act required abandonment of lever and punch card voting systems and in 2006 resulted, with about $100 million in federal funding, in replacement of voting equipment throughout the state.

While the equipment itself is usable in the short term, both technology and public expectations have advanced significantly and so counties will soon be facing the need to find replacements. The calendar will advance if requirements are added for voter verifiable paper audit trails, a policy matter the CCAP membership will consider as part of this year’s resolutions. Difficulties include evaluation of next generation technology, capacity for state and federal equipment certification, and of course the lack of financial resources, which for statewide replacement is likely to be well over $200 million. We are looking at more cost-effective alternatives, including mail balloting and voting centers, each of which has distinct pros and cons.

State government is becoming increasingly engaged in the issue. Earlier this year DOS Secretary Pedro Cortés convened a special seminar on election issues, bringing in experts and interests from across the country to a meeting that included county and state leaders, election directors, and stakeholders. Both the House and Senate State Government committees have brought in panels of election directors to discuss current issues and make recommendations. The legislature has asked the Joint State Government Commission to study and make recommendations on the matter. And Governor Wolf has moved DOS Deputy Secretary Marian Schneider into his policy team, specializing in election issues and signaling the potential for future initiatives.

A second issue rapidly gaining prominence is the high turnover in poll workers. Many are aging out or burning out – most notably based on a combination of increasingly complex administrative, training, and practice requirements, coupled with

Joseph Kantz, Co-ChairCommissioner, Snyder County

Michael Pipe, Co-ChairCommissioner, Centre County



frustration with voter and media misperceptions of both the elections process and their role in it. We are also pleased with our relationship with DOS. Deputy Secretary Schneider has been a member of our committee, along with Commissioner of Elections Jonathan Marks, and Schneider is expecting to maintain her participation in her new position. The relationship also includes CCAP staff and election director participation in regular DOS meetings with stakeholder groups. Certainly the most direct relationships include assistance in election administration and particularly state funding, staffing and administration of the SURE system. We worked closely with DOS over the last year and a half on successful deployment and continued development of SURE’s online voter registration system, including first-in-the-nation processes for capturing signatures, integration with the ERIC program for cross-checking registrations among more than 20 states, and incorporation of an automatic program interface (API) to facilitate transfer of registration records from state agencies and third parties. We note that OVR quickly overtook manual means of registration and update of registration records, concurrently improving SURE’s accuracy and decreasing the time and effort for county election offices.

There are many improvements still needed in the elections process. Counties continue to experience delays in ballot certification based on prolonged court action on ballot certification. We continue to seek strategies to impress on courts and legislative leaders the cost of these delays and changes and the corollary effect they have on

military and absentee ballots, poll worker training, and voter confusion at the polls.

We are beginning to adapt to absentee balloting delays caused by the regional hub delivery system adopted by the Postal Service, and note that it could be an impediment to consideration of no-excuse absentee and other early voting strategies. We continue to see the need for a full rewrite of the Election Code, including not just major issues already noted here but the many small and technical issues that frustrate election directors, voters and candidates on a regular basis.

Perhaps our greatest short term success though is the work we do with our election directors and DOS on development of shared knowledge and best practices. The Committee places a high value on directors’ participation, recognizing the depth of their knowledge and their insightful recommendations. CCAP staff are regular participants at election director conferences, both sharing policy perspectives and gaining knowledge on emerging issues. And on a day to day basis, the Listserv CCAP hosts for election directors is an active forum to share questions and develop common understanding of statutory and process requirements, as well as new issues arising from DOS or the courts.

For those on the Committee, it has been rewarding to help shape the issues and outcomes that ensure our elections are accessible, secure, and accurate. We are mindful of need to assure public confidence and to promote their active participation.

ELECTIONS REFORM COMMITTEEJoseph Kantz, Co-ChairCommissioner, Snyder County

Michael Pipe, Co-ChairCommissioner, Centre County

Ed AllisonDirector of Elections, Lawrence County

Charles AndersonCommissioner, Westmoreland County

Tim BenyoElections Director, Lehigh County

Daniel Camp IIICommissioner, Beaver County

Monica DutkoDirector of Elections and Voter Registration, Adams County

Jeff GreenburgDirector of Registration and Elections, Mercer County

Harry HaasCouncil Member, Luzerne County

Sherene HessCommissioner, Indiana County

Forrest LehmanDirector of Elections and Registration, Lycoming County

Douglas SmithCounty Clerk, Erie County

Robert Thomas, CCAP Board ChairCommissioner, Franklin County

NON-VOTING EX OFFICIO MEMBERSJonathan MarksCommissioner, Bureau of Commissions, Elections and Legislation, Pennsylvania Department of State


Brinda K. PenyakDeputy Director



Energy, Environment and Land Use CommitteeWORKING TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND

It is my honor to serve as chair of the Energy, Environment and Land Use Committee this year, as there are several important issues impacting

counties for our action – spanning the arena from water management to recycling to shale gas to land use.

I also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge some of our committee members who have stepped up to represent counties on the statewide and national levels. Elk County commissioner Matt Quesenberry began his term serving on the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Sewage Advisory Committee in March, while Bradford County commissioner Ed Bustin has stepped up as the new representative to the Chesapeake Bay Local Government Advisory Committee. We thank them for their commitment in these critical areas.

One of the key issues on the EELU work plan in 2017 remains water quality and management. We continue working in partnership with the County Planning Directors and their One Water Task Force as they roll out their initiative, including assuring greater availability of reliable, accurate and consistent GIS data related to the state’s water resources. CCAP has also been reaching to the DEP as it begins the process of updating the 2009 State Water Plan, offering input and seeking opportunities for counties to participate on regional advisory committees. CCAP and its members will also have a role to play in Pennsylvania’s Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan for the Chesapeake Bay, as one of the key areas of focus is in the development of local area planning goals and a focus on local water quality.

On the federal level, we were pleased to see the Executive Order signed in late February requiring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to review and reconsider the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule that was finalized in 2015. The term “Waters of the U.S.” is a key phrase used in the federal Clean Water Act to determine what waters fall under federal oversight as opposed to state oversight. Both the National Association of Counties (NACo) and CCAP submitted comments on the proposed rule in 2014, calling for the agencies to withdraw and revise the rule in order to address state and local concerns. Our committee looks forward to working with NACo, the EPA and the Corps to develop a rule that truly involves and engages local government.

Recycling has taken a front seat for our committee as well, from two angles. First, CCAP has been working with the General Assembly and other stakeholders to assure the longevity of the state’s Recycling Fund, which provides grants to local governments with recycling programs. Even though the sunset date in Act 101 for the $2 state tipping fee that provides revenues to the Recycling Fund was not set to expire until January 1, 2020, DEP had ceased issuing new contracts for services early in 2017 until the funding stream could be assured. As of this writing, Senate Bill 646, introduced by former Delaware County council member Tom Killion, was making its way through the General Assembly in an effort to eliminate the sunset date and provide a permanent funding stream.

John Vatavuk, ChairCommissioner, Somerset County



Further, efforts are ongoing to address the challenges with the current state law related to electronics recycling.

Although many counties are doing their best to maintain programs where possible, many more have closed their doors due to lack of funding. CCAP has engaged with county recycling coordinators and other interested parties, and is actively involved in legislation efforts coordinated by Senator Richard Alloway (R-Franklin) to try to achieve an effective solution.

And of course, one of our Committee’s priority issues remains to maintain the shale gas impact fee and its distribution structure to local governments regardless of any severance tax proposals. Gov. Wolf again included a severance tax as part of his FY 2017-2018 budget proposal, but it did not include a cap on the amount of impact fee revenues that would come back to local

governments. While there did not seem to be much interest from the General Assembly at press time, it remains to be seen whether a severance tax may be included in the FY 2017-2018 budget.

For the land use side of our Committee, we will again be working closely with the county planning directors. A small work group has been engaged in reviewing the local development permitting process, and in late spring brought before us some recommendations for amendments to the Municipalities Planning Code that we have been reviewing.

We have much to accomplish throughout the remainder of 2017, and will continue to offer our input on the wide variety of environmental programs here in the commonwealth.

ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT AND LAND USE COMMITTEEJohn Vatavuk, ChairCommissioner, Somerset County

Edward BustinCommissioner, Bradford County

Kathy DahlkemperCounty Executive, Erie County

Malcolm Derk IIICommissioner, Snyder County

Percy Dougherty, ChairCommissioner, Lehigh County

Donna IannoneCommissioner, Sullivan County

Clifford LaneCommissioner, McKean County

Jo Ellen LitzCommissioner, Lebanon County

Jack McKernanCommissioner, Lycoming County

Matthew Quesenberry Sr.Commissioner, Elk County

Robert Snyder Jr.Commissioner, Forest County

Scott WallsCommissioner, Huntingdon County NON-VOTING EX OFFICIO MEMBERSJoseph KantzCommissioner, Snyder County

Timothy Kelsey Ph.D.Professor, Agricultural Economics; State Program Leader, Economic and Community Development; Penn State Cooperative Extension

Amy McKinneyPresident, County Planning Directors Association of Pennsylvania, Lawrence County Planning and Community Development

Kelly MegonnelYork County Solid Waste Authority; PROP Representative

Cherie Prentice-BrownGIS Manager, City of Lebanon Authority; GIS Representative

Denny PukoPlanning Program Manager, Governor’s Center for Local Government Services, Department of Community and Economic Development Dennis StuckeyCommissioner, Lancaster County; Agriculture Conservation Easement Board Representative

Daniel VilelloLocal Government Liaison, PA Department of Environmental Protection STAFF LIAISON Lisa SchaeferDirector of Government Relations



Human Services Committee

WORKING TO PROTECT THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE FAMILIES AND PEOPLE WE SERVE

The CCAP Human Services Committee has a vast area of focus, and numerous issues led to another very busy year in 2017. The state budget proposal

introduced by Governor Wolf in February contained mostly flat funding, leaving counties to face a fifth year without restoration of an historic 10 percent across the board cut from 2012. Shortly after the Governor’s release, a House budget bill was adopted containing cuts to mental health, human services development fund, and housing assistance line items causing increased concern that counties will be left without resources to address their greatest challenges.

The opioid epidemic continued as a primary area of focus. Counties across the nation are struggling to address ever-increasing overdose rates caused by a constantly evolving list of substances sought by those addicted to opioids. Despite the availability of Naloxone, an effective overdose antidote, our county children and youth system

is burdened by growing caseloads of children born to addicted parents and cases of severe child neglect. The child serving system, already overburdened by new laws and mandates, is searching for ways to assure a trained and competent workforce remains dedicated to serving families. Efforts to educate commissioners on the importance of retention efforts and staff training were incorporated into several association events during the year.

A major shift in focus came about with the Governor’s proposal to consolidated four agencies of state government under a single unified department. The Department of Health and Human Services would be developed through the unification of the Departments of Aging, Health and Drug and Alcohol Programs with the current Department of Human Services. The proposal has been met with opinions spanning the spectrum, from extreme opposition, to strong support. Legislative


hearings were held across the state with CCAP offering testimony on several occasions. Developed through a collaborative process between CCAP members and their key human services staff, the association published and distributed a comprehensive policy statement to guide the positions of the association as legislation to achieve the consolidation is considered in the General Assembly.

CCAP was also invited to participate in several key stakeholder groups convened by the Governors policy staff to take input on the plan for consolidation. After much deliberation, the CCAP Board of Directors chose to offer support for legislation to facilitate the consolidation after noting that objections previously raised had been addressed and a demonstrated interest in collaborating closely with counties was a major driver behind the proposal.

County human services entities await the implementation

of Community HealthChoices – a managed care model to be implemented beginning in 2018. While many questions remain, the model is expected to integrate the care and services provided to those needing long term care and services typically provided within a nursing home or community setting. The implementation of HealthChoices has been delayed once and the roll out first in the Southwest is expected to help determine where changes are needed to improve implementation through the rest of the state. The committee continues to work in assuring the administration takes into account all potential consequences.

Beginning July 1, 2017, the Human Services Block Grant model is open to any willing and capable county. An additional six counties will join the 30 counties in the block grant in year one of the expansion. Counties in the block grant have found the flexibility to be a crucial component of their ability to tailor services to local need, especially during the budget challenges and funding cuts and freezes that have become common over the past decade. While the national debate on Medicaid Reform takes place, the Human Services Committee remains vigilant in educating counties and policy makers on the potential impacts that Pennsylvania and county human services are likely to experience if flexibility is accompanied by artificial caps. Unlike the Pennsylvania human services block grant model, the concepts contained in national reform efforts are likely to result if segments of the population becoming underserved or without health care services, and possible the most costly service clients being targeted for reduced or eliminated services.

Medicaid expansion, also under scrutiny in the national health care reform debate, has provided addictions and mental health services to a large underserved population in Pennsylvania. Elimination of the expansion will immediately be felt at the county level, and our advocacy efforts continue to focus on maintaining key supports that have permitted Pennsylvania to begin addressing major behavioral health challenges.

George Hartwick III, ChairCommissioner, Dauphin County



HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEEGeorge Hartwick III, ChairCommissioner, Dauphin County

Basil Huffman, Vice ChairCommissioner, Forest County

Valerie ArkooshCommissioner, Montgomery County

Susan ByrnesCommissioner, York County

John ChristyCommissioner, Monroe County

Bruce ErbCommissioner, Blair County

Pat FabianCommissioner, Armstrong County

Wendell KayCommissioner, Wayne County

David KellerCommissioner, Franklin County

Ted KopasCommissioner, Westmoreland County

John MatsonCommissioner, Jefferson County


Leslie OscheCommissioner, Butler County

Matthew OsterbergCommissioner, Pike County

Francis Weiderspahn Jr.Commissioner, Crawford County

NON-VOTING EX OFFICIO MEMBERSKevin Barnhardt, Commissioner, Berks County and Chair, CCAP Comprehensive Behavioral Health Task Force

Henry DesrosiersDirector Veterans Services, Carbon County

Daniel Eisenhauer, Administrator, Dauphin County Mental Health/Intellectual Disabilities Program and PACA MH/DS President

Adelaide GraceAdministrator, Monroe County Children & Youth Services and PCYA President

Cheryl AndrewsDirector, Washington County Drug & Alcohol Commission and PACDAA President

Karen BennettAdministrator, Greene County Human Services and PACHSA Representative

Terence Brennan Administrator, Berks Heim Nursing and Rehabilitation and PACAH President

Susan ClaytorDeputy Director of Administrative Services, York County Juvenile Probation and PA Council of Chief Juvenile Probation Officers

Drew Fredericks Director, Lancaster County Youth Intervention Center and JDCAP Representative

Rebecca May-ColeExecutive Director, Pennsylvania Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Inc. and PA Area Agencies on Aging Representative

Susan MooreCEO, Community Action Association of Pennsylvania

William RossnockChief Juvenile Probation Officer, Northumberland County Probation and Pennsylvania Chief Juvenile Probation Officers Association Representative

STAFF LIAISON Brinda K. PenyakDeputy Director

The Committee continues to monitor efforts to reform the State Civil Service System. Most Pa. counties are still in civil service, and report significant problems with hiring staff. Legislation to reform several elements of the system is moving through the legislature, and while its impacts are not extensive, the outcome will be a step in the right direction for making the system more effective for counties. Additionally, many counties have developed their own merit hire programs as alternatives, allowing them to escape many of the challenges experienced by counties in the civil service system.

Much lies ahead in 2017 and into the years ahead – the unification of state agencies, should it be approved by the general assembly, creates many new opportunities to modernize our business models and improve our partnership with state government. The Human Services Committee is never short of tasks and responsibilities, and while we look forward to positive changes that will impact how counties deliver service, we are always on the lookout for the unintended consequences that arise when state and federal changes are implemented without the full understanding of how counties deliver service.



Military and Veterans Affairs CommitteeADVOCATING FOR THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED OUR STATE AND OUR NATION

With the increased duration and complexity of military service since 2001, there is an equally increased importance for counties to provide

quality services for our veterans and our active military. The CCAP Military and Veterans Affairs Committee was formed to help our counties meet this mission. Like CCAP’s other committees, much of this work is policy advocacy, but our committee also includes in its portfolio an active liaison with the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) and with county directors of veterans affairs, through education and collection of best practices, and through dissemination of public awareness programs.

Since our last report, we have welcomed a new Deputy Adjutant General for Veterans Affairs, Major General (Ret.) Eric Weller. We were pleased to have him join us for a breakout session on veterans issues at this year’s Spring Conference, and we will be meeting with him for a full afternoon at the fall veterans directors training meeting.

We were pleased with the CCAP membership’s adoption of an amendment to the Pennsylvania County Platform last year to clarify and expand the property tax exemption available to qualified disabled veterans and surviving spouses. The resolution seeks to extend it to spouses of military killed in action, and to remove payments received under federal veterans programs from the needs test. We have also adopted a policy position against granting a proportionate tax exemption to veterans with partial disabilities, and the DMVA has now come around to this point of view as well. Relatedly, we were pleased with passage of Act 117 of 2016, which amends the Taxpayer

Relief Act by eliminating veterans’ disability payments from income eligibility under the Property Tax Rent Rebate Program.

An issue of continuing importance to us is educating the public and veterans about fraud relating to veterans, whether fraudulent collection of donations on the pretext of providing services to veterans, or fraudulent practices in providing services to veterans, including collection of fees for services, or acting as a go-between to obtain services, that are in fact free to veterans. We anticipate meeting with new Attorney General and former CCAP member Josh Shapiro to discuss this initiative. The National Association of Counties has also incorporated this issue as a part of its national advocacy program.

We continue to support counties in having their directors of veterans’ affairs achieve the accreditation required under Act 5 of 2013. The accreditation, which is obtained through training established and provided by the DMVA or one of several nationally accredited veterans’ organizations, gives the director important tools needed to help veterans maximize access to benefits.

Relatedly, we supported the DMVA development of the PA Veterans Registry, which also facilitates identification of veterans and enables access to services, as well as this year’s rollout of a specialized Networks of Care web tool specifically applicable to veterans.

We are pleased with the outcomes last year, andimplementation work this year, of CCAP’s task force on behavioral health services. continued on page 36

Rodney Ruddock, ChairCommissioner, Indiana County


While its focus was more directed to the intersection of behavioral health and criminal justice, the report and recommendations also address the sometimes-unique needs of veterans.

At the federal level, as the Veterans Administration continues efforts to improve timeliness and quality of service to veterans, we have watched progress on its strategies, including for example the Veterans Choice Card. The Choice Card is distributed to all veterans enrolled for care at VA facilities, and is intended for back-up care outside the VA system if a veteran cannot be seen by the VA within 30 days or if the VA’s closest medical facility is challenging to access.

Our work plan also includes means for public recognition of veterans. One particular example we call to your attention is a video on the CCAP website of Potter County Commissioner Paul Heimel’s presentation in support of the Educational Center at the Wall. The center is a

facility under development at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington to provide context on the Vietnam War, and they are seeking information from each county on those from the county who served.

We have finished the detail work on technical amendments to the County Code provisions on services to veterans. The County Governance Committee anticipates introduction of that legislation later this year. We are pleased with a new report completed by the Joint State Government Commission to catalog all services available to Pennsylvania veterans. Our members were interviewed as part of that process. The report is available at the Commission website.

We continue our long-standing and active working relationship with the DMVA. Staff from the Division of Veterans Services and Programs are regular attendees and active participants on the Committee. The county veterans directors group also attends our meetings, giving us invaluable local, on-the-street perspective when we develop resolutions and recommendations regarding support of our veterans.

We continue our related tasks of suggesting veterans’ issues sessions for the CCAP conferences, knowing that education of our membership, given our responsibilities for funding and program decisions, is as important as education of the general public.

I appreciate the work and the personal commitment of those on our Committee. I encourage the CCAP membership to communicate with us on programs, questions, and needs that help us all improve our services to veterans.

MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEERodney Ruddock, ChairCommissioner, Indiana County

Wayne Nothstein, Vice ChairCommissioner, Carbon County

Charles AndersonCommissioner, Westmoreland County

Jay BrenemanCouncil Member, Erie County

Herbert Bullers Jr.Commissioner, Jefferson County

Roger BunnCommissioner, Tioga County

S. Paul CrooksCommissioner, Bedford County


Brian HoffmanCommissioner, Sullivan County

Josh LangCommissioner, Bedford County

Charles MartinCommissioner, Bucks County

Stephen NaylorCommissioner, Perry County

NON-VOTING EX OFFICIO MEMBERSBrian NataliChief, Division of Veterans Services and Programs, PA Department of Military and Veterans Affairs

John CyprianDirector of Veteran’s Affairs, Butler County

STAFF LIAISON Douglas HillExecutive Director



Resolutions Committee

DEVELOPING POLICY AND PRIORITIES TO RESPOND TO OUR COMMUNITIES’ NEEDS

Most of our membership would agree that CCAP’s primary service on counties’ behalf is legislative and regulatory representation in Harrisburg and

Washington. To assure we are expressing our members’ views, we observe a detailed and consistent process for development, review, adoption, and reaffirmation of our policies. Establishing policy involves the members, our policy committees, our affiliates and our other partners, all guided by our Resolutions Committee. It has been my pleasure to chair the Resolutions Committee this year, and to present this report to you.

The Pennsylvania County Platform is our primary expression of policy, representing a compilation of all resolutions adopted and reaffirmed over time. The resolutions themselves begin as ideas expressed by counties, work their way through development by the policy committees, and are finalized by the Resolutions Committee for presentation to the membership for consideration and action. A more complete explanation of the process is available in the Government Relations section of the CCAP website.

Our process is somewhat unique in three ways. First, to assure broadest possible participation by our membership, we deliberate resolutions at the conference and then submit them to an electronic vote by the full membership. This process has both preserved the face-to-face give-and-take on content and added broader membership participation in the outcome by including members who were not able to attend the conference.Second, we include a formal process to assure the Platform remains current by having our committee, the

membership, and our policy committees review each plank in the Platform on a cyclical basis to assure that it accurately reflects current circumstances and our membership’s current viewpoint. This process is also helpful in reminding the membership of the scope of issues we are dealing.

Third, while most of the resolutions work revolves around the CCAP Annual Conference, we also have the ability to do resolutions at the Spring Conference and the Fall Conference, as the CCAP Board is permitted to take up interim resolutions subject to subsequent member ratification. So, we are able to respond strategically to issues as they arise.

Adoption of the resolutions is not the end of the process, either. At the Fall Conference our Board and policy committees develop policy work plans for the coming year based on the Platform, and then meet as a committee-of-the-whole to prepare the County Government Priority Statement, which represents the top issues the Association intends to pursue for the coming year. The priority statement is typically released at a media event in January or February, and becomes our touch-point throughout the session to bring a focused and cohesive county message to Harrisburg, Washington, the media, and the public.

Turning to the resolutions under consideration at this year’s Annual Conference, each originated with a member, an affiliate, or one of our policy committees. Each of the policy committees reviewed those under its jurisdiction, and then all were reviewed by

Joe Kantz, ChairCommissioner, Snyder County



Resolutions at the end of June. We sent them out to the membership well in advance of the conference, and we provide a breakout session at the conference to review the proposals received, to give the delegates the opportunity to comment, and to provide one last opportunity to deal with new issues that may have surfaced. Please note that the Resolutions Committee is required to attach a recommendation to each resolution based on our review and our policy committees’ review, and note as well that the only resolutions that we do not forward to the delegates for final action are those that are either not germane to the Association mission or are already elements of the Platform.

The Committee is also responsible for reviewing and making recommendations on bylaws changes coming from the CCAP Board of Directors. No bylaws changes have been proposed for consideration at the Annual Conference.

I hope you will all be active participants in this process that is so important to the Association’s success. It always gratifies me to see our members debating proposals in the hallways of the conference, and to read the post-conference emails that advocate differing ballot positions. Please contact me, any member of the Committee, the CCAP Board, or staff if you have questions about the process or content of our policy deliberations.

RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEEJoseph Kantz, ChairCommissioner, Snyder County

Craig Lehman, Vice ChairCommissioner, Lancaster County



George Hartwick IIICommissioner, Dauphin County

Daryl MillerCommissioner, Bradford County

Rodney RuddockCommissioner, Indiana County

NON-VOTING EX OFFICIO MEMBERSRobert Thomas, CCAP Board ChairCommissioner, Franklin County


Dennis Stuckey, CCAP First Vice PresidentCommissioner, Lancaster County

Kathi Cozzone, CCAP Second Vice PresidentCommissioner, Chester County

Michelle Kichline, CCAP TreasurerCommissioner, Chester County




Technology Committee

PROVIDING TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE TO KEEP COUNTY GOVERNMENT MOVING FORWARD

The Technology Committee began as an ad hoc committee in the early 2000’s and became a CCAP standing committee in 2011. The mission of the

technology committee is to provide guidance to the Association and its technology staff in meeting the Association’s technology needs and in developing and providing services that will respond to and improve technology use and access at the county level. To this end, the committee has overseen the growth of CCAP technology programs for the past seventeen years. Growth has included beneficial programs from the initiation of a statewide Microsoft Enterprise Agreement to the formation of the CCAP IT group and the County GIS Pros, as well as the creation of a new case management system for county criminal justice systems.

This year has seen technological successes as well as improvements. The Committee is taking to heart the IT assessment conducted in early 2016 by a third party vendor. Many of the recommendations have been or are being implemented to help improve the CCAP IT organization, its applications, program offerings and infrastructure. Improvements include realignment of staff to better meet CCAP internal and county program needs, as well as updating and creating a variety of technology policies.

The Committee has also assisted in a review of the newly developed Technology Strategic Plan and Action Plan, which incorporated the Technology Business Plan created in 2012. On a quarterly basis, the technology dashboard report now provides an update on program and project progress for both the Technology Committee as well as

the CCAP Board of Directors.

Moving on, below is a recap of 2017 goals accomplished that cover security offerings, criminal justice applications, website hosting and design, GIS services, infrastructure services, and a strengthening of the state and federal relationships.

CYBERSECURITY Cyber-attacks continue to escalate across the nation. Most recently, the WannaCry virus struck across the globe, and Pennsylvania’s counties quickly responded to ensure their servers and other workstations were appropriately patched. Given the rise of these attacks, there is state cyber legislation being proposed to tighten the notification process to affected citizens when a cyber breach is identified.

Our Committee is providing input to ensure that these legislative changes are appropriate and in line with other state approaches.

The PA CyberSafe group, which consists of county IT and security staff, continues to offer assistance and guidance to help counties become proactive on the cyber security front. The group meets on a quarterly basis and this past year focused on fine tuning the Security self-assessment checklist and working with the state security officer to enter into an agreement with PhishMe, a cloud vendor that provides phishing simulations that counties can administer to all their end users. To date 20 counties have joined the program, and the partnership with the state has significantly reduced the cost

Terence Farrell, ChairCommissioner, Chester County



for participation. This coming year, the PA CyberSafe group will focus on the development of a base set of standard security policies that can be shared with all counties.

The Committee also supported CCAP’s partnership with the Chester County IT Department security officer to help pilot a security toolkit that is helping counties to improve their technology security posture based on national best practices. This toolkit has been administered in four counties and has helped county IT staff identify their most vulnerable areas.

The other initiative that the Committee supported was the delivery of the first ever CCAP PA Cyber Security Forum. Hosted during cyber awareness month, the forum raised awareness, educated and engaged key county stakeholders in short and long-term strategies for cyber prevention. Close to 120 attendees participated in this event, and included county teams consisting of leadership from the commissioners’ office, 911, human services and technology. Due to its success a second forum is planned for October 2, 2017.

PROGRAMS FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICERollouts of the Criminal Justice Unified Case Management system (CJ-UCM) continue with a total of 31 counties having implemented the system in some fashion. UCM is currently deployed in 20 Adult Probation offices, four District Attorney offices, four jails, six Public Defender offices, the Department of Human Services’ Youth Development Centers and Youth Forestry Camps, four Juvenile Detention Centers, and one community-based non-residential program. Additional functionality has been developed, including new risk assessment modules,

automation of the offender web portal registration, and creation of a drug testing interface. In the remainder of 2017, a pre-trial module is scheduled to be developed, as well as e-signature capabilities and an email/text messaging notification to help avoid “failures to appear”. The state solution for Youth Development Centers that utilizes the UCM foundation continues to grow and has added modules to address case planning and standardization of court documentation, home pass approvals and is currently developing medical records management functionality. Finally, Public Defender office implementations continue to grow with another three scheduled to be implemented by the end of 2017.

CCAP is looking to the future and the long-term sustainability of UCM for counties. This strategy includes the recent issuance of a request for proposals to upgrade the CRM software platform to the newest version. Other opportunities such as possible partnerships are being explored as well, with a focus on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that each potential partnership may bring for CCAP.

WEBSITESThe CCAP website program continues to remain stable, with CCAP hosting over 200 various county, municipal and affiliate websites. This year, a website committee has been formed to review the current SharePoint platform being used for the website content management and make recommendations for future use of the platform. The review will take into consideration the many factors of website development including citizen requests for more online services and accessibility needs (ADA).

SOFTWARE AGREEMENTSThis year marked the fifteenth year for CCAP to hold the statewide master agreement for Microsoft products and includes another three year renewal with CDW-G, the licensing specialist provider. Enrollment remains stable, and numerous free technical trainings were offered for county staff as a result of this agreement. The new VMWare state-wide enterprise agreement was recently finalized. VMWare is a virtualization software used by almost every county that helps reduce the overall number of physical servers needed to run county applications. Allegheny County is the first county customer and others are expected to follow.

GISGeospatial service offerings continue to grow. This past May marked seven years that CCAP has hosted the PA GIS Conference and it also saw its highest attendance at 272. This year’s theme was focused on emerging technologies, with innovative sessions covering mobile GIS, the use of drones (UAS) in GIS and data standards. CCAP and the



GIS Pros continue to support the newly formed statewide Geospatial Coordinating Board. Counties are well represented by Chester and Tioga County commissioners, Kathy Cozzone and Erik Coolidge, as well as Barry Hutchins from Lycoming County serving on behalf of the GIS Pros. The three task forces are making progress, with most recent work focusing on the development of a Geospatial Coordinating Board strategic plan. This plan, when completed, will ensure the continuation of the board past 2020, which is when it is scheduled to sunset (per Act 178, which authorized its formation). The PA GIS Pros continue to lead the way with setting priorities for the Geospatial Coordinating Board. Priorities this past year included a great deal of input to the 911 GIS strategic plan, developed in conjunction with PEMA and other statewide stakeholders.

STATE AND OTHER RELATIONSHIPSBeyond the Technology Business Plan, the CCAP Technology Committee also has a goal to continue growing the CIO relationship with state agencies. This past December, a group of county and state CIO’s began meeting to discuss ways to collaborate and share on technology initiatives. This county/state technology liaison group is looking at opportunities including unified access to broadband and fiber, as well as how the new statewide IT consolidation of technology support will affect local government. At the national level, CCAP and the chair of this Committee continue to represent Pennsylvania at the

National Association of Counties through membership on the Telecommunications and Technology Committee, as well as the Technology and GIS committees. This is especially important with critical initiatives in the areas of next generation 911 technologies and FirstNet, The First Responder Network Authority, which was established to create a nationwide interoperable wireless broadband network for first responders. To further NextGen 911 at the state level, CCAP staff and several county CIO’s are now part of the PEMA technology subcommittee, which is providing input to the strategic direction of NextGen 911 capabilities within Pennsylvania.

FOR THE FUTUREWhile all of the above will continue well into the future, the Committee’s focus will be to regularly assess the rapidly changing technology environment and adjust the committee’s goals as needed. Discussions are already taking place around how to effectively deal with data governance, sprawl and analytics. Another area that is being explored for the coming year is mobile application development that can be shared by all counties. Emerging trends such as these are important to staying technology relevant in today’s society and in better serving counties and their citizens. First and foremost we will continue to focus on our mission, which is “to strengthen the county’s ability to provide technology that will enable counties to be more cost effective and efficient with the delivery of technology support for county staff and their citizens.”

TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEETerence Farrell, ChairCommissioner, Chester County

Michael Baker, Vice ChairCommissioner, Indiana County

Glenn AngstadtChief Information Officer, Chester County

Kevin BoozelCommissioner, Butler County

Charles BrennanChief Information Officer, Philadelphia County

Donald CorteseChief Information Officer, Washington County

Karl DemiDirector, Information Services, Lycoming County

Joseph GavlikChief Information Officer, Allegheny County

Thomas GuentherChief Information Officer, Dauphin County

Mark HamiltonCommissioner, Tioga County

David KellerCommissioner, Franklin CountyClifford LaneCommissioner, McKean County

Josh LangCommissioner, Bedford County

Justin LooseChief Information Officer, Berks County

Laura SimonettiDirector of GIS, Mifflin County

Maggie WeidingerDirector, Information Services, Lancaster County STAFF LIAISON Rita Reynolds, CGCIOChief Information Officer


CCAP’s insurance and member services programs continue to not only provide

great coverage and customer service to counties and county related entities, but are returning the benefits of ownership to program members. Since last August, counties and county related entities have received a record $13.8 million from the UC Trust, PCoRP, PComp and PELICAN! This includes $10.3 million in dividends, $1.5 million in grants and credits and the PCoRP electronic prison documentation project for PCoRP members which will cost $2 million.

These excess funds, returned to the members of the insurance programs, would have been the profits made by commercial insurance carriers and would not have been returned to their customers.

Every Pennsylvania county participates in at least one of CCAP’s programs and several participate in nine or ten. CCAP’s menu of member services protect your county’s

assets. They provide coverages and services you cannot find elsewhere. And they are more than that – they are an investment. As noted above, the financial success of CCAP’s programs returns funds to member counties in the form of dividends, risk prevention grants, rate reductions and expanded services. Our vision is to provide long term benefits to CCAP members, and your investment as a member in one or more of our programs will bring you valuable returns. Pooling together makes resources available that would not be available to an individual county.

Our thanks to the more than 90 representatives from the membership who participate on the insurance and member service program governing boards. Their investment of time helps ensure the success of CCAP’s programs.

Here is a report on the member service programs your association makes available to assist your county, in order of when the program began operations.

M E M B E R S E R V I C E S


It was another excellent year for the CCAP UC Trust, resulting in a strong surplus position. The Board was able to declare a $3 million dividend at its May 2017 meeting. This is the fourth straight year with a dividend, totaling over $8 million being returned to the membership. The dividend was sent to all members at the end of May along with a

copy of the Trust’s annual financial audit.

The Trust has 47 members – 42 counties and five county related entities. Equifax provides claims services and representation at UC hearings.

The Trust also provides its members Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services through Mazzitti and Sullivan. In the past year this very popular program assisted more than 1,500 employees and their families with marital/family, emotional, substance abuse, financial, vocational and other concerns. The EAP also provided more than 175 hours of training at member locations and UC Trust sponsored events and supported several counties in times of need through the Trust-sponsored CISM program.

CCAP UC TRUST BOARD OF TRUSTEESDerek Williams, ChairChief Clerk, Tioga County

Jeff Snyder, Vice ChairCommissioner, Clinton County

Ron Williams, Secretary Commissioner, Wyoming County


Ed Bustin Commissioner, Bradford County

Ed DiMattio Council Member, Erie County

Robb Green Controller, York County

Travis Monroe Director of Human Resources, Bucks County

Jeff Thomas Commissioner, Huntingdon County

Chuck Witmer Controller, Centre County

STAFF LIAISONDesiree NguyenDeputy Director, Insurance Pool Operations

Derek Williams, ChairChief Clerk, Tioga County


The Pennsylvania Counties Risk Pool, PCoRP, is CCAP’s largest insurance program, and it continues to grow. Washington and Blair Counties joined in the last

year, bringing membership to 51 counties. At the same time PCoRP is continuing an amazing period of financial strength, with the members’ risk management activities resulting in good claims experience. The added bonus is that this means the membership is seeing unprecedented returns of funds from PCoRP. In the last seven years PCoRP has returned $16.2 million to the members in dividends and grants!

In 2016-17, PCoRP once again was able to return funds to the members of the property/liability pool. The Board distributed a sixth consecutive dividend to the members, for $2.5 million. In addition, the Board not only continued the Loss Prevention Grant Program, but increased the funding up to $20,000 per member for projects and

equipment to improve the safety and security of county buildings and programs. (The total amount to the member is limited to 75 percent of their Loss Fund Contribution or a maximum of $20,000.) This was all part of a June 1 renewal which saw overall costs to the members averaging the same costs as the prior year.

PCoRP also is continuing with its electronic prison documentation system, which provides county jails with the option of installing a system from Guardian RFID, TimeKeeping or Dynamic Imaging, with installation to be paid for with $2 million of PCoRP’s reserves.

PCoRP has 55 members: 51 counties and four county related entities.

PCoRP BOARD OF DIRECTORSFrank Staudenmeier, ChairCommissioner, Schuylkill County

Erick Coolidge, Vice ChairCommissioner, Tioga County

Bill Gaylord, Secretary/TreasurerChief Clerk, Wyoming County

Paul ConklinCommissioner, Clinton County

Paul CrooksCommissioner, Bedford County

Krista Davis Risk Management Coordinator, Centre County

Larry MaggiCommissioner, Washington County

Mark PartnerCommissioner, Juniata County

Dee RobinsonChief Clerk, Union County

Mark SatherCommissioner, Huntingdon County

Norm Wimer Commissioner, Forest County

David WitcheyChief Clerk, Columbia County

Jamie Wolgemuth Chief Clerk, Lebanon County STAFF LIAISONJohn Sallade, CRMManaging Director, Insurance Programs

Frank Staudenmeier, ChairCommissioner, Schuylkill County


PComp CCAP’s workers’ compensation insurance pool, continued its

strong financial condition during the last year. PComp’s membership is 35 counties and 13 county related entities, for a total of 48 members.

For the fourth year in a row, PComp was able to return a dividend to the members, distributing $2.5 million in 2016. In the last four years PComp has returned more than $8.5 million to the members in dividends and Safety Improvement Grants.

PComp staff has been working closely with the members on strengthening return to work programs (RTW). Sample policies have been provided, as well as assistance with update provider panel listings. PComp’s wellness nurse has assisted with RTW by working with claimants and county staff to transition injured workers back to their jobs. This saves members on claims payments, thus reducing the price of their workers’ compensation insurance coverage from PComp.

Started in 1993 when counties asked for another option for workers’ compensation insurance in a tight market, PComp is a self-insured group fund regulated by the Department of Labor and Industry (L&I).

PComp BOARD OF DIRECTORSDan Vogler, ChairCommissioner, Lawrence County

Jim Martin, Vice ChairCommissioner, Adams County

Dee Robinson, Secretary/TreasurerChief Clerk, Union County

Mike Baker Commissioner, Indiana County

Vicky Botjer Chief Clerk, Wayne County

Sabrina FischerDirector of Human Resources, Erie County

Pam Humbert Director of Human Resources, Bedford/Somerset MH/ID

Matt McConnell Commissioner, Mercer County

Mark McCracken Commissioner, Clearfield County

Doug McLinkoCommissioner, Bradford County

Wylie Norton Commissioner, Sullivan County

Rosemary Orner Director of Human Resources/Executive Assistant, SEDA-COG

Jeff Snyder Commissioner, Clinton County

Derek WilliamsChief Clerk, Tioga County

Jean Zore Chief Clerk, Elk County STAFF LIAISONJohn Sallade, CRMManaging Director, Insurance Programs

Dan Vogler, ChairCommissioner, Lawrence County


PIMCC enters its 22nd year of operations with continued savings for members.

Member counties have saved over $47,000,000 by being part of the PIMCC program!

The Prison Inmate Medical Cost Containment program (PIMCC), is an innovative way to help control the expense of providing necessary inmate medical services, while still delivering quality care. Inmate medical costs are often driven by changes in health care delivery and cost shifting. PIMCC gives counties the option of purchasing a money saving consulting service tailored to their changing needs.

Education is a PIMCC priority, and Cost Management Plus, Inc. works with prison doctors and nurses to standardize documentation and procedures. This assists counties to meet their Department of Correction health care requirements. PIMCC annually sponsors a correctional care nurses’ seminar that provides continuing education credits and strengthens county training options. The seminar is open to all correctional and medical personnel. PIMCC members can attend the annual seminar at no charge. Non-members are welcome to attend for a fee.

PIMCC’s email newsletter, PIMCC News, is published quarterly and includes updates on PIMCC program updates, Act 22, the COMPASS application process, state inspections, medications, state and national events and more.

Since the implementation of Act 22 of 2011, PIMCC has served as the liaison to the Department of Corrections and the Department of Human Services to manage the hospital inpatient medical cost reimbursements for all counties. In this capacity, PIMCC has developed an even stronger relationship with hospitals statewide as well as lending support to providers new to the system. The addition of the Act 22 service has also increased the use of PIMCC’s outpatient bill auditing and case management to Associate Members on an as needed basis.

The overall goal of PIMCC is to train, educate and provide a quality managed care program that allows each county member to develop medical cost savings that fit into their unique inmate health care situation. PIMCC works with county prisons providing case management, medical bill auditing and contract negotiation. As the program administrator, Cost Management Plus, Inc., a certified WBE, provides these managed care services to PIMCC.

PIMCC BOARD OF DIRECTORSDave Kovach, ChairCommissioner, Columbia County

Kevin Kodish, Vice ChairCommissioner, Mifflin County

Michelle Shedden, Secretary/TreasurerChief Clerk, Bradford County

Eloise AhnerAdministrator, Carbon County

Terry BrowningWarden, Tioga County

Bill BuntSolicitor, Perry County

Kevin DeParlosWarden, Lycoming County

Dominick DeRose Warden, Dauphin County

Greg Gebauer Warden, Elk County

Bruce Herdman Chief of Medical Operations, Philadelphia Prison System

Jeff HornbergerWarden, Clarion County

STAFF LIAISONDesiree NguyenDeputy Director, Insurance Pool Operations

David Kovach, ChairCommissioner, Columbia County


COMCAREassists counties with the administration of managed behavioral health care, specifically HealthChoices, Pennsylvania’s Medicaid managed care program. Focused primarily on

behavioral health training, COMCARE provides members with multiple education opportunities each year.

The COMCARE Board is dedicating resources to counties interested in sponsoring a 20th anniversary celebration of the commonwealth’s Behavioral Health Carve Out. The project is being managed by Shelly Lyons, a Harrisburg-based public relations and communications firm. The initiative is focused on providing tools counties can use to celebrate the spectacular success of the HealthChoices program. The program has far exceed initial expectations and saved millions of taxpayer dollars, while improving the quality of care delivered to state’s most vulnerable citizens.

COMCARE is again sponsoring a series of educational webinars in 2017. After a successful series in 2016 the Board renewed the contract with Gettysburg based OPENMINDS. The firm is nationally recognized for its extensive market knowledge and management experience in the sectors of the health and human service field serving complex consumers. The organization is planning three webinars and one day long training session in the fall in State College. Topics being discussed include: Potential Impacts to Pa. if the Affordable Healthcare Act is repealed or replaced, Behavioral/Physical Health integration, and the potential benefits of Value Based Purchasing.

COMCARE also sponsors a scholarship program (spring and fall) that provides funding for members to attend national and state behavioral health related conferences and seminars. Also, we are currently researching a half-day in-person educational session for members. Watch for more information on this later in 2017.

Membership in COMCARE is free! All that is required is a membership application that is updated annually.

Jonna DiStefano, PresidentAdministrator, Delaware County Offices of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disabilities

COMCARE BOARD OF DIRECTORSJonna DiStefano, PresidentAdministrator, Delaware County BH/ID

Scott Suhring, Vice ChairCapriol Area Behavioral Health Collaborative

Albert AbramovicCommissioner, Venango County


Rick Kastner, TreasurerLancaster County Drug and Alcohol

Wendell KayCommissioner, Wayne County

Gerard MikeMH/ID Administrator, Beaver County

Wylie NortonCommissioner, Sullivan County

Sally WalkerDirector BHARP, The Behavioral Health Alliance of Rural Pennsylvania

STAFF LIAISONSMichele DenkExecutive Director, PACDAA Lucy KitnerExecutive Director, PACA MH/DS

COMCARECounty Managed Care Resource


PELICAN had a great year of growth, adding 23 new members and

more than doubling its size to 42 insureds.

PELICAN Insurance is a sponsored program of PACAH (Pennsylvania Coalition of Affiliated Healthcare and Living Communities), a CCAP affiliate, and is administered by CCAP. Begun in 2003, PELICAN is entering its fifteenth year of operation.

In January of 2017, the PELICAN SAC was pleased to once again return a $500,000 dividend to its members, as well as also providing renewal rates identical to the prior year.

PELICAN has now been able to provide a dividend for eight straight years totaling over $5,500,000.

PELICAN also has a very popular Loss Prevention Grant program which annually provides each member with up to $5,000 in funding for projects to reduce liability exposures.

PELICAN provides primary and excess nursing home professional liability (medical malpractice) and general liability insurance on a claims-made basis. PELICAN Insurance is a Vermont domiciled Reciprocal Risk Retention Group (RRG) formed under federal law and is owned by the participating nursing facilities.

PELICAN SACKelly Andrisano, President Executive Director, PACAH

James Aurand, Vice President Administrator, Susque-View Home

Dennis BiondoExecutive Director, John J. Kane Centers

Terry BrennanAdministrator, Berks Heim Nursing and Rehabilitation

Diane ClearyVermont Director

Molly Hess Administrator, Philadelphia Nursing Home

Howard Jaffe, Esq. Oak Health and Rehabilitation Centers

Jacqueline McKenna Administrator, Pocopson Home

Edna YoungsterRisk Management Coordinator/Investigative Nurse, Gracedale Nursing Home

NON-VOTING EX OFFICIO MEMBERSJohn Sallade, CRM, Secretary/TreasurerManaging Director, Insurance Programs

STAFF LIAISONAndrew SmithRisk Control Specialist

John Sallade, CRM, Secretary/TreasurerManaging Director, Insurance Programs

Kelly Andrisano, PresidentExecutive Director, PACAH


Scott Suhring, PresidentCEO, Capitol Area Behavioral Health Collaborative

COMCARE PRO Insurance is a Reciprocal Risk Retention Group (RRG) formed under Vermont law. It provides stop-loss liability insurance to Pennsylvania

counties which administer the behavioral health side of HealthChoices, Pennsylvania’s Medicaid managed health care program. COMCARE PRO is approved to provide coverage by the Pennsylvania Department of Insurance. PRO is owned by its members and is governed by an advisory committee, all in compliance with Vermont laws.

COMCARE PRO has ten subscribers covering a total of 26 counties. Membership in PRO is open to members of COMCARE, the County Managed Care Resource.

COMCARE PRO SACScott Suhring, President CEO, Capital Area Behavioral Health Collaborative

Allison Frantz, Vice President Director of Human Resources, Northampton County

Jonna DiStefanoExecutive Director, Delaware County Human Services

Jim GallagherCEO, Northeastern Behavioral Health Care Consortium

Rick KastnerExecutive Director, Lancaster County Drug and Alcohol Commission

Dave McAdoo, MBAExecutive Director, Southwest Behavioral Health Management, Inc.

Brenda StewartAIG, Vermont Resident

NON-VOTING EX OFFICIO MEMBERSDesiree Nguyen, SecretaryDeputy Director, Insurance Pool Programs John Sallade, CRM, TreasurerManaging Director, Insurance Programs


CCAP Deferred Compensation Advisory Committee Dennis Stuckey, Chair

Commissioner, Lancaster County

The NACo Deferred Compensation Advisory Committee continues to meet on an annual basis to review the effectiveness of the NACo 457 Deferred

Compensation Program, discuss marketing strategies and receive program updates from both NACo and Nationwide Retirement Solutions (NRS). The committee works with NRS regional program director, Emanuel Mahand, who is responsible for customer service for the program in Pennsylvania.

The NACo Deferred Compensation Program offers county employees a way to augment retirement savings while postponing the payment of federal, and in many cases, state income taxes. The program allows county employees the opportunity to voluntarily contribute a

portion of their wages to a special account and to direct these contributions to one or more investment options. Thus, the program offers county employees a valuable

savings alternative that can be used to supplement their retirement income and also provides county governments an additional benefit option to offer to their employees.

There are 62 Pennsylvania counties and county jurisdictions that currently participate in the NACo Deferred Compensation Program representing a combined total of more than 6,300 employee participants and more than $215 million in assets.

DEFERRED COMPENSATION COMMITTEEDennis Stuckey, ChairCommissioner, Lancaster County

Roger Bunn Commissioner, Tioga County

Kevin Kodish Commissioner, Mifflin County

Charles Martin Human Resources Associate, Franklin County

Daryl Miller Commissioner, Bradford County

Mark Scott Commissioner, Berks County

The The CCAP Health Alliance continued its growth in 2016, and now has eleven members – seven counties and four county related entities. Members continue to report excellent customer service, costs savings and most importantly, employees who are pleased with their county provided health insurance program.

The Delaware Valley Health Trust (administrator for the CCAP Health Alliance) continued to conduct educational workshops on plan benefits and wellness related topics. Rates for Health Alliance members continue to be lower than those available from commercial insurers and other regional health insurance providers. DVHT’s low administration costs allow return of rate credits to the Health Alliance members, which can be used to further reduce any rate increases.

HEALTH ALLIANCE BOARD OF DIRECTORSErick Coolidge, ChairTioga County Commissioner

Basil Huffman, Vice ChairCommissioner, Forest County

Tiffany Bloyer Director of Human Resources, Franklin County

Barry DallaraCommissioner, Bedford County

Trisha Douglas Director of Human Resources, Clarion County

GeorgeAnna Ferrara Director of Human Resources, Carbon-Monroe-Pike MH/DS

Steve Howsare Executive Director, Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission

Janis Kemmer Commissioner, Elk County

Karen King Director of Personnel, Lawrence County

Matt McConnell Commissioner, Mercer County

Jeff Snyder Commissioner, Clinton County

Arnie Wetzel Director of Human Resources, Berks County

STAFF LIAISON Desiree NguyenDeputy Director, Insurance Pool Operations


Erick Coolidge ChairCommissioner, Tioga County


TAX COLLECTORSThe CCAP Tax Collector Bond Program provides the required bond coverage for all tax collectors in each participating county. Fifty-two counties participate in the program, which covers approximately 1,800 individual tax collectors with over $3 billion in bond limits. The Bond Program is written on a four year term. The current program runs for the January 1, 2014 to January 1, 2018 coverage term. As always, all business for the Tax Collector program is conducted through each individual county’s local insurance producer.

VOLUNTEERSThis program provides $25,000 medical reimbursement and $5,000 Accidental Death & Dismemberment including a $500,000 aggregate for paralysis insurance for community volunteers (including nursing home and conservation district volunteers), court referred alternative sentencing (probation), work release inmates, and juvenile tobacco enforcement program youth volunteers. This coverage is excess over any other collectible insurance. There are currently 40 counties and 10 county related entities purchasing this coverage. Members of this program renew their coverage at various times throughout the year.

PACAH BONDSPPACAH member nursing homes are offered the opportunity to purchase patient trust fund bonds to meet federal law requirements. The bond program, run in conjunction with CCAP, was instituted April 1, 1997 and currently covers 22 homes through the Traveler’s Casualty and Surety Company. The program provides more than $13 million in surety bond limits

CCAP has established several insurance programs to assist counties with some “niche” risk exposures not covered

elsewhere.

ENDORSED PROGRAMSCCAP endorses these programs which were developed by the National Association of Counties (NACo) or other sponsoring entities:

NACo 457 Deferred Compensation ProgramCCAP staff actively works with the teams at NACo and Nationwide Retirement Solutions (NRS) to acquire and retain Pennsylvania counties in the NACo Deferred Compensation Program. Through a marketing agreement with NACo, CCAP includes regular newsletter articles and advertisements in both the CCAP County News and Insurance Matters, and provides NRS with exhibit space at each CCAP conference. Additionally, CCAP has created a Deferred Compensation Advisory Committee which meets on an annual basis to review the effectiveness of the program (see the Deferred Compensation Advisory Committee report above).

The NACo Deferred Compensation Program offers county employees a way to augment retirement savings while postponing the payment of federal, and in many cases, state income taxes. The NACo Deferred Compensation Program allows county employees the opportunity to voluntarily contribute a portion of their wages to a special account and to direct these contributions to one or more investment options. Thus, the program offers county employees a valuable savings alternative that can be used to supplement their retirement income. The program also provides county governments an additional benefit option to offer to their employees.


ANCILLARYINSURANCE PROGRAMS

There are 62 Pennsylvania counties and county jurisdictions that currently participate in the NACo Deferred Compensation Program representing a combined total of more than 6,300 employee participants and more than $215 million in assets.

NACo Live Healthy Prescription, Health and Dental Discount Program TThe NACo Prescription - Health - Dental Discount Program provides relief to uninsured and underinsured Americans who face high prescription, health and dental costs. The program is free to NACo member counties and it has been offering real savings to county residents across the country since 2004. The program, which is administered by CVS Caremark, includes discounts on prescriptions, vision care, LASIK & PRK vision procedures, hearing aids & screenings, prepaid lab work, prepaid diagnostic imaging, diabetic supplies and dental care.

The prescription portion of the program continues to grow, providing average savings of 24 percent on thousands of medications. The savings range from 15 to 75 percent, and the free discount card is accepted at more than 68,000 pharmacies nationwide. Adding the dental and health discount program enables residents to save on all health services through one program.

This program helps residents of NACo member counties save 15 to 50 percent on dental care and is honored by more than 110,000 participating providers nationwide. The dental discounts help people who are uninsured, but can also complement health insurance plans or work with health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts.

The program is FREE for member counties. Prescription help is free to county residents and dental and health services are inexpensive for these same residents. Currently, 44 Pennsylvania counties participate in the program and their county residents have saved more than $32 million on over two million prescriptions. Much like the NACo Deferred Compensation Program, CCAP has contracted with NACo to provide marketing services for this program to include promotion through

advertisements and article publication and conference exposure.

U.S. CommunitiesThe U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance is a government purchasing cooperative that reduces the cost of goods and services by aggregating the purchasing power of public agencies nationwide. U.S. Communities provides world class procurement resources and solutions to local and state government agencies, school districts (K-12), higher education, and nonprofits. State and local governments have access to a broad line of competitively solicited contracts with best in class national suppliers.

More than 90 state associations of counties, cities, schools and purchasing groups endorse or sponsor the U.S. Communities program at the state level. This overwhelming sponsorship by professional government associations strengthens the value of the program and assures significant oversight for program participants. 59 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties are currently using the U.S. Communities program.

Pennsylvania Local Government Investment Trust (PLGIT)PLGIT was created in 1981 to meet the short-term investment needs of local governments, school districts, municipal authorities, and other types of governments in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. PLGIT now serves more than 2,900 public entity investors across the commonwealth. 47 Pennsylvania counties currently participate with PGLIT.

PLGIT offers a wide array of investment options and cash management services to it investors, to include: no minimum investment or balance requirements for PLGIT-Class shares; fixed-rate, fixed-term investment options, including FDIC-insured CDs; unlimited number of accounts; unlimited checking; unlimited next-day transfers; up to two same-day ransfers each month at no cost; direct deposit of subsidy payments and other revenues; online account access, transactions, and online statements; and quick, knowledgeable phone support.



OTHER SERVICESCCAP provides other services to counties as part of the insurance programs mentioned in this report:

Risk Control Risk Control is a risk management technique that seeks to reduce the possibility that a loss will occur and/or reduce the severity of those that do occur. CCAP’s risk control services provide a team of qualified, experienced safety professionals that have years of experience, expertise in workers’ compensation and liability insurance, and are familiarity with counties’ and county-related entities’ risk control needs.

CCAP’s PCoRP, PComp, and PELICAN insurance programs all now offer grant programs to their members to enhance and improve safety programs and correct safety hazards.

Since its inception in 2013, the PCoRP Loss Prevention Grant Program has awarded more than $3 mil in grants. Last year the grant amount per member was increased to $15,000 per member to fund loss prevention and safety projects. In policy year 2017/2018, the grant amount will be $20,000 per member.

Since its inception in 2015, the PComp Loss Prevention Grant Program has awarded over $1.9 mil in grants. The PComp board sets aside funds for the safety improvement program grants to provide PComp members with financial support to fund loss prevention projects that will result in reducing workplace accident frequency and severity. Members applied for a grant up to $11,000 during each policy year with no matching funds necessary. In June 2016, the PComp board announced the continuation of the Safety Improvement Grants program increasing the grant amount to $15,000 per member effective January, 2017.

The PELICAN Loss Prevention Grant Program is also a relatively new program, started in May, 2015. The loss prevention grant program provides an opportunity for PELICAN members to fund loss prevention projects for their nursing facility. The grants are designed to support

the safety committee and the administration by awarding grants to offset the costs of enhancing a nursing facility’s safety or risk management, and maintenance programs. A nursing facility can apply for a grant up to $5,000 during the policy year. Since its inception, the PELICAN loss prevention grant program has awarded nearly $180 thousand with no matching funds necessary.

The PComp Risk Management Assistance Program (RMAP) is an assistance program started in 2008 for members whose experience modification factor is 1.00 or higher. It is a program to assist members who have a high experience modifications (mods) to implement plans to lower their mods by developing and implementing plans and procedures, or providing financial assistance for the purchase of identified safety equipment that will reduce accident frequency and severity, and over time lower their experience modification factor. In 2016, four counties and two county related entities were eligible for this program.

The PComp and the PCoRP programs offer their members a risk manager’s credit. Both boards offer a credit of five percent to members who have a full time risk manager and a two and a half percent risk manager’s credit to members who have a half time risk manager. Currently



there are 28 county risk managers, 10 full time risk managers and 18 part time risk managers.

PCoRP, PComp and PELICAN provide members with a Risk Control Incentive Program. This program is an incentive program for the members to implement and meet certain identified safety criteria. Members partake in risk control activities in order to lessen the chances of loss, and also to reduce the costs of losses when they do occur. In 2016, the PCoRP and PComp incentive programs were revised focusing on adding Cyber Security protocols (PCoRP) and Return to Work policy (PComp). As a result of these changes, PCoRP members can earn a four percent credit, PComp members can earn a five percent credit, and PELICAN members can earn a five percent credit by meeting the requirements.

CCAP is dedicated to providing its pool members with the professional services required to identify potentials for loss and control them in a cost-effective manner. This is accomplished by providing the following types of loss control services available to members of PComp, PCoRP and PELICAN:

• Comprehensive risk evaluations• Hazard surveys• Property appraisal services• Ergonomic risk evaluation• Safety committee audits and reviews• Boiler inspections• Elevator inspections• Fraud hotline• Loss analysis• Loss Control Wellness/Nurse Services• Risk Managers Council• Training and educational services

All value-added risk control services are available to members of PComp, PCoRP and PELICAN insurance programs at no additional expense. Risk control expertise is obtainable by calling (800) 895-9039 and requesting risk control services.

Risk Management Training Programs More than 1,300 officials and employees of Pennsylvania’s counties and county-related entities attended trainings provided by CCAP’s risk management programs in 2016. More than 40 workshops, on a variety of topics, were offered in multiple locations around the state throughout the year. We continue to partner with the Academy for Excellence in County Government and are able to offer additional training opportunities for Academy participants.

PCoRP, PComp, PELICAN, and the UC Trust insurance programs continue to sponsor the risk management training programs. The members of the sponsoring programs continue to be able to attend the workshops at no cost. Members of PCoRP and UC Trust also receive a discounted rate for the CCAP County Administration Conference.

Insurance MattersInsurance Matters is a monthly e-newsletter sent out by the CCAP Insurance Department informing counties on updates within the Insurance Programs. Insurance Matters provides information about the operation and governance of the insurance programs, tips and suggestions for risk control and loss prevention, as well as staff updates and upcoming events!

If you aren’t receiving Insurance Matters and would like to be added to the distribution list, send your email address and contact information to Aubrey Morris, [email protected]. Archived issues of Insurance Matters are available online. Visit www.pacounties.org and click on Program and Services, then Insurance and look for Essential Links at the bottom right corner – and choose Publications. You can also sign up for Insurance Matters there.

ANCILLARYINSURANCE PROGRAMS

The Voice of Pennsylvania’s Counties

PO Box 60796Harrisburg, PA 17106-0769

(717) 526-1010

The Voice of Pennsylvania Counties Since 1886

@PACountiesGR

www.pacounties.org

ANNUAL REPORT · 2017. 8. 14. · excellence in county government. CCAP will provide a strong, ......

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