February - 2007

Corrections receives professional reaccreditation by ACA

The Adult Services Division of Johnson County Department of Corrections has been reaccredited for another three-year term by the American Correctional Association (ACA).

Announcement of the reaccreditation was made Thursday, February 8, by Antonio Booker, interim director of the Adult Services Division, to the Johnson County Board of Commissioners during its weekly business session.

Booker, along with four other staff members of the division, accepted recertification awards from the ACA on January 21 at the organization’s Winter Conference Awards Luncheon in Tampa, Florida. Others in attendance were Linda Hadel, accreditation manager; Michael Rey, deputy director of operations; and Phill Greer and Sharon Brown senior case managers.

All four programs within the Adult Services Division – Residential Center, Intensive Supervision Program, Electronic Monitoring and Therapeutic Community – were recertified by the ACA through 2010.

“This accomplishment proves that our corrections programs are some of the best in the country, and the continued accreditation by the ACA is certainly as indication of that,” Chairman Annabeth Surbaugh.

Johnson County Corrections remains the only correctional department in Kansas that’s fully accredited by the ACA. The state has 31 community corrections programs.

According to Deputy County Manager Hannes Zacharias, accreditation of the Johnson County Corrections adult programs by ACA provides many benefits to the county, including the opportunity to evaluate local operations against national standards. The accreditation process also helps Johnson County Corrections staff to identify and remedy deficiencies and upgrade the quality of services and programs.

Through these types of national benchmarks, local correctional agencies are able to increase public accountability and credibility by improving overall management functions; establish measurable criteria for service and program upgrades; defend against possible lawsuits through appropriate documentations; and provide a safe and humane environment for both personnel and offenders, Zacharias said.

The reaccreditation effort, which began in October, entails an audit process requiring that Johnson County Corrections be a full compliance with mandatory file standards and 90 percent compliance with non-mandatory file standards covering three consecutive years. Following reviews of standard files, auditors then monitor the facility through physical inspection, staff and offender interviews, and adherence to policy and procedures.

Hadel, in her role as accreditation manager, explained that ACA accreditation requires adherence to policies, procedures and standards that raises the accountability of the Adult Services Division to a higher level.

“It ensures staff training and development, assessment of program strengths, measurable criteria to monitor operations, fiscal accountability, a safer and healthier environment for staff and offenders and performance-based benefits,” she said.

Performance-based standards also serve as measurements that evaluate programs and operations and reflect areas of accomplishment and reflect trends and patterns.

“The success of this audit cycle is reflective of the staff working to a higher level of standards on a daily basis,” Booker said. “All staff within the department is to be congratulated on a job well done!”

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Public Works clears roadways, announces new ‘snow emergency’ telephone number

Crews from the Johnson County Department of Public Works and Infrastructure continued to plow and clear rural roadways Wednesday, February 13, in Johnson County following the latest winter storm that blanketed the county with several inches of new snow.

County Engineer Mac Andrew said the department began dispatching its snow removal crews and trucks about 7 p.m. Tuesday, February 12, with the arrival of the storm and continued clearing efforts throughout the night and into the Wednesday morning rush hour.

“We have a lot of high winds and blowing today so drifting could be a problem but the Public Works crews are out in the middle of this, as always,” he said. 

When dispatched, the county employees will treat the road surfaces with a mixture of salt to treat the ice/snow and sand to provide better traction for motorists. The department maintains 513 miles of roadway in the unincorporated/rural areas of Johnson County.

The department’s initial snow-plowing, road-treating policy in a winter storm is to focus on the county’s arterial or main roadways and hilly sections of rural neighborhoods to provide safer driving conditions for motorists traveling in Johnson County. Once the main roadways have been plowed, the county crews will begin clearing the paved secondary roadways.

The 234 miles of gravel roads in the county are usually only plowed if the snow accumulation is more than 3 inches or blocked by drifting snow.

The department now has a new “snow emergency” telephone number for requests to clear a roadway after the office is closed for regular business or for additional information about the county’s snow-plowing policy. That number is (913) 715-8353.

Johnson County residents living in cities should contact their local city public works departments regarding the plowing and clearing of roads and streets in their communities.

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Topeka woman named as new director of Corrections Department

Elizabeth “Betsy” Gillespie, the first female warden of a men’s maximum facility in the State of Kansas, has been named the new director of the Johnson County Department of Corrections.

For the past six years, Gillespie has served in her present role of director of the Shawnee County Department of Corrections at Topeka. She also was deputy secretary of the Kansas Department of Corrections for three years in a professional career spanning almost 33 years.

Selection of the new Johnson County Corrections director was announced Tuesday, February 20, by Deputy County Manager Hannes Zacharias.

“Betsy worked in nearly every area of corrections that’s possible. That makes her uniquely qualified to lead the Johnson County Department of Corrections,” Zacharias said. “She was the top choice of the selection committee. She will be a wonderful addition to our management team and a good fit for our corrections department.”

In a national search for the new director, the county received 40 applications for the position, narrowing the list to 15 finalists. Five finalists were interviewed by the selection committee.

Gillespie has worked for Kansas Department of Corrections for 22 years and is eligible to retire from Shawnee County and Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) service, but said she became interested in the Johnson County opportunity because she wasn’t ready for retirement.

“I’m not ready to retire. That’s not in my language because I have too much enthusiasm and energy to quit working,” she said. “I’m now looking forward to serving Johnson County.”

The new corrections director plans to assume her Johnson County duties on April 9. Her service to Shawnee County will end on February 28, paving the way for a month-long break from work, vacation, and brief “retirement.”

Gillespie will not be first female director in the history of Johnson County Corrections. That milestone occurred more than a decade ago when Peggy Kanche directed the department until 1992.

She has been the director of the Shawnee County Department of Corrections since August of 2000. The department includes a 557-bed Adult Detention Center and a 70-bed Juvenile Detention Center.

Johnson County Corrections oversees the 72-bed Juvenile Detention Center in Olathe and the 200-bed Residential Center at the New Century AirCenter, Gardner, which will open an additional 232-bed Residential Building No. 4 by late summer. The department offers a wide assortment of programs at both the adult and juvenile centers, including detention, house arrest, counseling, education opportunities, and services to improve the lives of offenders.

The two Adult Detention Centers, totaling 534 beds in downtown Olathe and at the AirCenter, are operated by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.

Prior to her current position, Gillespie served as warden from December 1997 to August 2000 and deputy warden for 11 months in 1997 of the Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility at Larned, Kansas, located in Pawnee County. She was responsible for operations of both the 150-bed maximum-security unit and the 200-bed minimum-security facility.

When she became warden at the Larned facility, Gillespie also became the first female warden of a men’s maximum-security facility in Kansas.

Her other services to the Kansas Department of Corrections include serving as:

• Deputy warden from February 1995 to January 1997 at the El Dorado Correctional Facility when she was recognized as the first female deputy warden of a men’s maximum-security facility in Kansas;
• Deputy secretary of corrections for Community and Field Services for the Kansas Department of Corrections at Topeka from May 1992 to February 1995;
• Corrections warden from April 1988 to May 1992 and program counselor for the work release program from May to September 1987 at the Wichita Work Release Facility; and,
• Program counselor from September 1987 to April 1998 and corrections counselor in the pre-lease program from March 1984 to May 1987 at the Winfield Pre-Release Center.

From June 1978 to March 1983, Gillespie worked as a correctional officer for the Pennsylvania Bureau of Corrections, working at the State Correctional Institution at Muncy, Pa. She began her correctional career in September 1974 when she established and managed an adult education program at the Greenwood (South Carolina) Correctional Institution, an all-men correctional facility. The program was funded by Piedmont Technical College in Greenwood in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Corrections.

Gillespie graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in music education from Southwestern Oklahoma State University at Weatherford. Following her gradation, she taught one year as a music teacher for elementary students and directed choirs in junior and senior high schools at the public school district in Sperry, Oklahoma.

The new Johnson County Corrections director and her husband, Joseph, will celebrate their 35th anniversary in August. He is assistant director of Student Health Services at the University of Kansas at the main Lawrence campus.

The couple has one son, Donnie, who works for HMN Architects, Overland Park, and lives in Roeland Park with his wife, Kellie, and their two children, Jackson, 4, and Samantha, 2.

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Johnson County receives triple-A ratings in bond sales totaling $57.6 million

Johnson County’s now has dual triple-A bond ratings from two of the largest bond-rating agencies in the nation.

Both Moody's Investors Service and Standard and Poor’s Rating Services awarded Johnson County the coveted “AAA” designation in reviewing plans by the county to issue $42.2 million in General Obligation Bonds for wastewater projects and $15.4 million in Lease Purchase/Lease Refunding Revenue Bonds for the 416-bed jail expansion along with refinancing two late-1990s bond issues to save money in interest repayments.

Johnson County is one of approximately three dozen counties among 3,141 counties in the nation to receive the highest possible bond ratings for a local government from both agencies.

“Triple-A ratings from both Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s rating agencies demonstrates — in the strongest possible way — that Johnson County’s financial position is solid and secure, putting us in the top one percent of all counties in the nation,” said Annabeth Surbaugh, County Commission Chairman. “Being among the most highly-rated counties means we will be able to pass along real savings to our residents while we continue providing high-quality services at the most advantageous price. It reaffirms the Board’s commitment to being good stewards of our taxpayers’ money.”

County Manager Michael B. Press agreed.

“It’s a grand slam,” he said, noting the top rating involved two different types of county bonds from two different highly-respected bond-rating firms. “It’s very good news for the county, and it’s very good news for Johnson County taxpayers. The careful way we handle the county’s finances is rewarded with lower interest rates, which saves tax dollars.”

The issuance and sale of the $57.6 million in bonds were approved Thursday by the BOCC and Public Building Commission (PBC) in separate actions by unanimous votes.

Prior to Thursday’s bond transactions, Standard and Poor’s had rated the county “AAA” in general obligation bonds. In raising its rating from “Aa1” to “AAA,” Moody’s cited the county’s “sound financial operations characterized by revenue diversity and flexibility as well as strong reserves, and modest debt levels with average principal retirement” for improving the county’s bond rating to the highest level.

The upgrade for the county’s lease purchase revenue bonds was the first triple-A rating for the PBC. Prior to Thursday, the county was rated “AA” by Standard and Poor’s and “Aa2” by Moody’s. According to Budget Director Scott Neufeld, previous PBC bonds have received a lower credit rating since they were not general obligation bonds backed by property tax revenue.

Neufeld said the “AAA” rating was important because it allows County Government to obtain the most favorable interest rates when selling bonds to finance the construction of capital projects and other necessary capital improvements.

“A triple-A bond rating reflects a tremendous vote of confidence for Johnson County by the national financial community,” Neufeld said. “As a result, we are able to sell county bonds at the lowest possible rates.”

In its review, Moody’s believes the county’s financial operations will “remain sound due to prudent financial management, the presence of strong reserves, and ample financial flexibility.”

The triple-A bond ratings were announced Thursday in the issuance of three different bond transactions, totaling $57.6 million, and acceptance of the best bids by the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) and the PBC.

$42.2 million in General Obligation Public Improvement Bonds by the BOCC for 18 wastewater projects, including improvements to the Blue River Wastewater Treatment Plant and Douglas L. Smith Middle Basin Treatment Plant, both in Overland Park; Leawood Sanitary Sewers; and extension of sewer service to parts of southern Overland Park;

$10.5 million in Lease Purchase Revenue Bonds by the PBC for partial funding of the Phase II expansion of the Adult Detention Center at the New Century AirCenter, Gardner; and, $4.9 million in Lease Purchase Revenue Refunding Bonds for 10-12 years by the PBC to refund the current outstanding balance of $3,520,00 in 1997 bonds for improvements to the Courthouse, Juvenile Detention Building, and Med-Act Support Services Facility and $1,270,000 in 1999 bonds for the Transportation Maintenance Facility.

The General Obligation Bonds were sold to Piper Jaffray which offered the best interest rate of 4.068 percent for the 20-year wastewater bonds. The net interest cost will be slightly less than $19.4 million.

The best interest rate for the 20-year Lease Purchase Revenue Bonds for the jail expansion project was 4.170 percent by Morgan Stanley DW, Inc. The net interest rate will be slightly more than $4.8 million.

The Lease Purchase Revenue Refunding Bonds were sold to Harris N.A. with the best bid of 3.899 percent. The net interest cost will be roughly $1.2 million.

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Peterson helps to kick off metro program to reduce diesel emissions from school buses

School buses from all Johnson County public school districts will soon add new technology to reduce both children’s exposure to diesel exhaust and the amount of air pollution created by smog-forming diesel emissions from the buses.

A new school bus retrofit program was officially launched Wednesday, February 21, by Kansas City’s Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) with the announcement of a large grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson was among the featured speakers and announced the initial awards made under EPA’s Clean School Bus USA program in the 10-state region covered by the Blue Skyways Collaborative. Blue Skyways was formed in 2006 to encourage voluntary air emissions reductions in North America’s heartland and includes Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and New Mexico.

Johnson presented an oversized check for $215,984 to Johnson County Commissioner Ed Peterson, First District, who accepted the check on behalf of MARC, the organization which is administering the school bus retrofit program.

Peterson, co-chairman of MARC’s Air Quality Forum, also was among the featured speakers during a morning program at the Northgate Middle School, Kansas City, Mo.

“This funding will leverage nearly $1 million in federal Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality funds and $50,000 in Kansas Supplemental Environmental Project funds to enable the bistate Kansas City region to install emissions controls on over 1,330 school buses,” he said.

The Clean School Bus USA grant program addresses the problem of pollution from the diesel engines on school buses. Diesel emissions can also enter the passenger cabins of buses, exposing children to hazardous air pollutants as they ride to and from school. And diesel emissions contribute to the ground-level ozone pollution problem in the Kansas City region.

New technologies have produced cleaner burning bus engines, but replacing an older bus fleet isn’t always practical. MARC’s program is working with area school districts to retrofit older school buses with diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs). The devices fit like mufflers and work as catalytic converters to reduce volatile organic compounds by about two-thirds. They also reduce particulate matter by more than 20 percent and carbon monoxide by 40 percent. DOCs require no additional filters, typically need no maintenance, and cost approximately $700 per bus.

Peterson views the school bus retrofit program as an important step in regional commitment to improve air quality by reducing pollution from diesel vehicles.

Peterson said federal funding support for MARC’s school bus retrofit program was an important component of the Kansas City region’s Clean Air Action Plan, which he played an active leadership role in crafting. The comprehensive voluntary Clean Air Action Plan was established to provide cleaner air for the region’s residents in the near term and for future generations and to maintain ground-level ozone attainment for the metropolitan area. The plan was honored with a Clean Air Excellence Award by the EPA in 2006.

The pollution has health implications for everyone, especially children. According to data by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, more than 25,000 children in the metro region suffer from asthma.

“Many of these kids ride buses to and from school and are exposed to diesel emissions in loading areas and while onboard the buses. Because their bodies are still developing, children are more susceptible than adults to the effects of air pollution, and those with asthma and other respiratory conditions are especially vulnerable,” he said.

“The health effects of exposure to fine particulates and carbon monoxide are well documented, and to the extent that we can limit our kids’ exposure to these pollutants, it is nothing less than our moral obligation to do so.”

The Clean School Bus USA program will assist nine public school districts in Missouri: Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Grandview, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Library, North Kansas City, North Platte, and Park Hill.

MARC is using additional funds to extend the program to retrofit buses in all six Johnson County school districts – De Soto, Olathe, Gardner-Edgerton, Shawnee Mission, Blue Valley, and Spring Hill – along with three Wyandotte County school districts – Bonner Springs/Edwardsville, Turner, and Kansas City, Kansas.

In addition to the school bus retrofit program, Peterson said other efforts through the Clean Air Action Plan will seek to install pollution controls on local power plants; retrofit diesel control technology on vehicles of local fire departments and other major diesel operators; encourage local governments to implement ozone reduction programs, similar to the one started by Johnson County four years ago; and development of transit alternatives.

“No single agency or group can solve the region’s air quality problems, but together we can make sure that our children, grandchildren, and generations to come have clean, healthy air to breathe,” Peterson said in closing.

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Applications sought for 2007 Johnson County Heritage Trust Fund Grant Program

The application process for the 2007 Johnson County Heritage Trust Fund Grant Program now is under way. The program is making available $250,000 for eligible organizations to apply for local history and heritage grants.

Completed applications must be delivered to the Johnson County Manager’s Office by 5 p.m. Monday, April 16, for consideration by the Johnson County Heritage Trust Fund Grant Review Board.

The trust fund was established by the Johnson County Board of Commissioners in 1991 to recognize the importance of preserving the valuable heritage and history of Johnson County. Projects that promote historical activity in the county are invited to apply for funding grants.

Governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations in Johnson County are eligible to apply for grants. Applicants must meet the requirements set forth in the policies and procedures. The seven-member grant review panel reviews and recommends projects for funding to the Board of County Commissioners.

Revenue for the trust fund is derived from a one-cent increase in mortgage registration fees that is in surplus of the amount Johnson County is required to contribute to the Kansas Heritage Trust Fund, established by the Kansas Legislature in 1990. That legislation created the state fund to support the preservation of historic properties in Kansas. It also provided that no county would contribute more than $100,000 to the state fund annually.

Review of the applications by the grant board will occur in June. Recommendations for recipients of 2007 Heritage Trust Fund Grants will be made to the Board of County Commissioners by either late July or early August for final approval.

Applications and additional information is available at http://www.jocogov.org/heritagefund/heritage.htm or by contacting Megan Laha in the County Manager’s Office at (913) 715-0737.

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