Commissioner Rader Digest
04/14/10 9:56 pm
Commissioner Rader Update
April 2010
Here are some topics of interest from recent Board of Commissioner meetings:
Marist School SLUP
Motorized Vehicles
Pension Act
Police Academy
Marist School SLUP
One of my goals as a commissioner has to been to protect the county's environmental assets by adopting and honoring legislation that creates well-defined parameters for what is permissible with regards to development. This goal came to the fore with a Special Land Use Plan (SLUP) application from the Marist School.
Marist is planning to redevelop its campus by expanding and renovating existing buildings, and by adding parking lots, tennis courts and athletic-use fields. I am not opposed to Marist’s expansion, or to appropriate use of the property in question, so I voted in favor of a recent proposal to allow Marist to build taller buildings on its campus. However, parts of the program proposed in this application would expand the school's footprint into a mature, bottomland forest situated in a flood plain.
The applicant proposed that the SLUP be approved in a way that would invalidate existing tree ordinance protection of the forested flood plain, so that the area could be cleared for the athletic-use fields. This action would destroy an important natural resource that absorbs and cleanses floodwaters, and provides wildlife habitat. To grant an exception for this application would also set a legal precedent for other developers to apply for similar exceptions. The cumulative effect of such exceptions would weaken the credibility of the tree ordinance, making it difficult to enforce from a legal standpoint.
For the above reason, I was one of two commissioners, along with Commissioner Kathie Gannon (Super District 6), voting against the requested SLUP after attempting unsuccessfully to remove the anti-tree language. Unfortunately, a majority of the commissioners elected to approve the SLUP as proposed by the applicant.
Motorized Vehicles
In general, motorized vehicles are not allowed in county parks or on county trails. The same goes for bicycles, except on trails designated for such use.
The Board of Commissioners approved ordinances clarifying language in existing regulations to allow an exception for motorized equipment, such as wheelchairs and scooters, used by disabled persons.
Motorized vehicles may be used in parks on designated roadways and/or for maintenance purposes.
Pension Act
Approximately 80 percent of the county's budget consists of wages and benefits for its employees. So given the depressed economic climate, it is logical that significant budget adjustments shall deal with the county employees' compensation packages.
Dekalb's CEO and Board of Commissioners (BOC) are trying to constrain salary costs for the county workforce through outsourcing and early retirement. However, the costs for the county's benefit programs – retirement and health – continue to outpace the county's contributions.
The BOC voted down an attempt to increase the county's share of contributions to the pension plan. The independent pension board recommended the county increase its share from 9.5 percent of paychecks to 10 percent and that the employee contribution increase from 4.5 percent to 5 percent.
The combined 14 percent currently contributed is larger than most private pension plans in which the combined employee and employer contributions to a 401(k) plan typically amount to a maximum of about six percent of a paycheck.
A major difference is that DeKalb County offers a defined-benefit plan whereas private employers generally offer defined-contribution plans. The former guarantees a fixed amount of money coming out of the plan whereas the latter guarantees a fixed amount of money going into the plan.
An actuarial study projects that in 10 years, in order for DeKalb to maintain its current pension benefits, the combined contributions of the county and its employees must amount to 28 percent of payroll. That is not a sustainable trend, as previously mentioned in my January 2010 Update [see link at end].
This unsustainable trend is forcing the county's hand towards major pension reform. Conventional options include increased contributions, within reason, from the county and its employees, or switching to a defined-contribution plan.
Either way, such change is likely to impact the county's ability to recruit employees, particularly within public safety. But a hybrid approach might allow the county to rein in its benefits costs while maintaining a qualified and experienced public safety workforce. To do so, the county would split its pension program, one for public safety employees and the other for general employees. Such concept would need careful analysis and consideration by involved parties.
Police Academy
Recruiting and retaining a qualified and experienced police force should be the utmost priority of county government. DeKalb County, like other metropolitan Atlanta counties, seeks to offer competitive salaries and benefits. But unlike those other counties, DeKalb has the advantage of its own police academy to attract recruits and retain current officers.
For that reason, the Board of Commissioners voted to award $260,000 to the lowest bidder to construct two classroom buildings at the DeKalb police academy. That is an investment that pays for itself with a police force properly trained to protect the life and property of county citizens.
In addition to the academy, it is necessary for DeKalb to offer a pay structure and retirement plan that allows it to compete in the marketplace for scarce assets, namely qualified and experienced police officers.
All other things being equal, logic dictates that it is better to have a police officer with five years experience rather than someone with one year's experience. But it costs more for the former, so the county has the challenge of remaining competitive while dealing with a budget whose future growth is likely to be severely constrained.
To achieve such objectives will require the county to be targeted and judicious in evaluating the public safety budget, as suggested in the discussion above about its pension plan. Public safety is a core government service and, with due respect to other county departments, needs to be the top priority in strategic planning.
Links
January 2010 Update
http://www.commissionerrader.com/reader-rader-updates/items/not-the-time-for-business-as-usual.30.html
Here are some topics of interest from recent Board of Commissioner meetings:
Marist School SLUP
Motorized Vehicles
Pension Act
Police Academy
Marist School SLUP
One of my goals as a commissioner has to been to protect the county's environmental assets by adopting and honoring legislation that creates well-defined parameters for what is permissible with regards to development. This goal came to the fore with a Special Land Use Plan (SLUP) application from the Marist School.
Marist is planning to redevelop its campus by expanding and renovating existing buildings, and by adding parking lots, tennis courts and athletic-use fields. I am not opposed to Marist’s expansion, or to appropriate use of the property in question, so I voted in favor of a recent proposal to allow Marist to build taller buildings on its campus. However, parts of the program proposed in this application would expand the school's footprint into a mature, bottomland forest situated in a flood plain.
The applicant proposed that the SLUP be approved in a way that would invalidate existing tree ordinance protection of the forested flood plain, so that the area could be cleared for the athletic-use fields. This action would destroy an important natural resource that absorbs and cleanses floodwaters, and provides wildlife habitat. To grant an exception for this application would also set a legal precedent for other developers to apply for similar exceptions. The cumulative effect of such exceptions would weaken the credibility of the tree ordinance, making it difficult to enforce from a legal standpoint.
For the above reason, I was one of two commissioners, along with Commissioner Kathie Gannon (Super District 6), voting against the requested SLUP after attempting unsuccessfully to remove the anti-tree language. Unfortunately, a majority of the commissioners elected to approve the SLUP as proposed by the applicant.
Motorized Vehicles
In general, motorized vehicles are not allowed in county parks or on county trails. The same goes for bicycles, except on trails designated for such use.
The Board of Commissioners approved ordinances clarifying language in existing regulations to allow an exception for motorized equipment, such as wheelchairs and scooters, used by disabled persons.
Motorized vehicles may be used in parks on designated roadways and/or for maintenance purposes.
Pension Act
Approximately 80 percent of the county's budget consists of wages and benefits for its employees. So given the depressed economic climate, it is logical that significant budget adjustments shall deal with the county employees' compensation packages.
Dekalb's CEO and Board of Commissioners (BOC) are trying to constrain salary costs for the county workforce through outsourcing and early retirement. However, the costs for the county's benefit programs – retirement and health – continue to outpace the county's contributions.
The BOC voted down an attempt to increase the county's share of contributions to the pension plan. The independent pension board recommended the county increase its share from 9.5 percent of paychecks to 10 percent and that the employee contribution increase from 4.5 percent to 5 percent.
The combined 14 percent currently contributed is larger than most private pension plans in which the combined employee and employer contributions to a 401(k) plan typically amount to a maximum of about six percent of a paycheck.
A major difference is that DeKalb County offers a defined-benefit plan whereas private employers generally offer defined-contribution plans. The former guarantees a fixed amount of money coming out of the plan whereas the latter guarantees a fixed amount of money going into the plan.
An actuarial study projects that in 10 years, in order for DeKalb to maintain its current pension benefits, the combined contributions of the county and its employees must amount to 28 percent of payroll. That is not a sustainable trend, as previously mentioned in my January 2010 Update [see link at end].
This unsustainable trend is forcing the county's hand towards major pension reform. Conventional options include increased contributions, within reason, from the county and its employees, or switching to a defined-contribution plan.
Either way, such change is likely to impact the county's ability to recruit employees, particularly within public safety. But a hybrid approach might allow the county to rein in its benefits costs while maintaining a qualified and experienced public safety workforce. To do so, the county would split its pension program, one for public safety employees and the other for general employees. Such concept would need careful analysis and consideration by involved parties.
Police Academy
Recruiting and retaining a qualified and experienced police force should be the utmost priority of county government. DeKalb County, like other metropolitan Atlanta counties, seeks to offer competitive salaries and benefits. But unlike those other counties, DeKalb has the advantage of its own police academy to attract recruits and retain current officers.
For that reason, the Board of Commissioners voted to award $260,000 to the lowest bidder to construct two classroom buildings at the DeKalb police academy. That is an investment that pays for itself with a police force properly trained to protect the life and property of county citizens.
In addition to the academy, it is necessary for DeKalb to offer a pay structure and retirement plan that allows it to compete in the marketplace for scarce assets, namely qualified and experienced police officers.
All other things being equal, logic dictates that it is better to have a police officer with five years experience rather than someone with one year's experience. But it costs more for the former, so the county has the challenge of remaining competitive while dealing with a budget whose future growth is likely to be severely constrained.
To achieve such objectives will require the county to be targeted and judicious in evaluating the public safety budget, as suggested in the discussion above about its pension plan. Public safety is a core government service and, with due respect to other county departments, needs to be the top priority in strategic planning.
Links
January 2010 Update
http://www.commissionerrader.com/reader-rader-updates/items/not-the-time-for-business-as-usual.30.html
(Commissioner Jeff Rader represents District Two on DeKalb County's
Board of Commissioners. He was reelected in November of 2010 for
another four-year term.)
Please encourage your neighbors to sign up for my e-mail updates. Go to my web site, www.commissionerrader.com, and click on the "news signup" link at the bottom.
Please encourage your neighbors to sign up for my e-mail updates. Go to my web site, www.commissionerrader.com, and click on the "news signup" link at the bottom.