ဟံၣ်My WebLinkဘၣ်ဃးဒီး1993-05 A Newsletter for ct L[K] Employees and Retirees of Tompkins County 7 * 1 1 1993 Volume 6, Number 5 HUMOROUS LABELS NOTES FROM YOUR EMPLOYEE WELLNESS COMMITTEE by Louise McEwen by Dan Winch 1. We're still working on scheduling the self- defense classes with Kathleen Address labels are usually full of Garrity; as soon as days and hours are firm, we'll notify all departments. errors, generally with the spelling of 2. We're hoping to get the Weight Watchers At -Work Program rolling surnames. Check this one out!! again with an informational on June 2, registration on June 9 and eight - Sometimes when I order things that week session beginning June 16. We need at least twelve signups so if could be expenses as a rep that I interested and you haven't signed up, please call me at Personnel immediately (274- 5526). could deduct on my income tax, I add 3. Wellness Committee members celebrated National Employee Ilealth and to the address, "Tompkins County Fitness Day on May 19 by placing bowls of apples in County offices; we Board of Reps ". Somehow I do not hope you enjoyed and also enjoyed some of the activities planned for think that I fit the intent of the person that day. Pam Purvis had sent out the informational poster. making out this label!! 4. We will meet again on June 10: if you have any comments or suggestions, please let a Committee member know. SHIP TO 5. We welcome two new members - Janice Johnson, Youth Bureau, and Michelle Eighmey, Public Works. )411 DANIEL M. WINCH /11* 0 THOMPSON COUNTY BROAD 40 ,e4 U 310 BURDGE HILL RD NEWFIELD NY 14867 rU How about accumulating some humorous addresses from County staff QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS and do a feature in the Corridors. I'm by Mamie Kirchgeuner - Human Resources sure people are willing to submit Just a reminder - the Human Resource Committee of the humorous entries themselves so no one Employee Council is willing to try and track down answers to gets hurt. any employment related questions you might have. Questions should be directed to any member of the committee: LILAC TRIP CANCELED Barbara Karaviotis - Mental Health - 274 -6300 Frank Justice - Probation - 274 -5380 by L<aghann Barham Mamie Kirchgessner - Human Rights - 274 -5307 The bus trip to the Lilac Festival was Pat Nowakowski - Data Processing - 274 -5407 canceled due to not enough Sophie Stark - Sheriff's Department - 257 -1345. reservations, but we are very interested in planning future trips. If you have Your identity will be kept confidential if you request, but the any suggestions, please call Margo Committee would like to publish in County Corridors answers Koonce at 272 -9257 or Peter Coats to questions of general interest. Call or write the above 274 -6688. mentioned committee members. L YOUR HELP IS NEEDED THANKS TO LOUISE McEWEN by Maryanne Banks Dear County Employee: 7kafr& tyoa 4ottlae, fat all de About 170 children are in foster care in our County. Many ra dew deft me otreit ?le foot ?ut0- require supervised visits with their parents. The visits strengthen the *wen ‘elfit cad oat Flue parent -child bond and increase parenting skills, toward improving and eta44 Flue S‘teld cad ea?k de preserving family situations. To encourage these goals, we are designing a visitation room Emeertfesteit Pool 4 Penny mud and playground area. A 9x9 room contains only a table and a few toitizeeated sad Get act 7 daft? chairs. 4¢aau< ufat 9 would hwe dare We are asking for your assistance in providing a fun and safe u<GClsout tau. Vaa mete aluratje ac environment for these visits by your donation of items that we can use &ad 41fticel, and Callia9 to take with families during their visits. The kinds of things we can use are: time ictz ffce paper plates /cups, egg timer, diapers /wipes, first aid kit, microwave lad eee44, *dal oven, small refrigerator, futon couch, chairs, beanbag chairs, coat 1 4 '., rack, rocking chair, pillows, child's table or small picnic table, plastic j �• : crates, games, books, puzzles for all ages, crayons, chalkboard/chalk, , tape player, clock (battery), polaroid camera with fills, fence, playground equipment, gift certificates, etc. PERSONNEL PERSONALS If you have donations or questions, please contact a committee member (Amy Carpenter, caseworker intern 274- Congratulations to: 5527 or 256 -2518 or Dody Smith, foster mother at 564- Mitzi Banner, and her husband, proud parents of 9547). THANK YOU! Chad, born April 23. Mitzi is a Medical Examiner at DSS. LEGAL ADVICE FOR SENIORS Sue (County Attorney) and Deane Cook on the birth of their second child Jennifer Elaine, born May 10. by MarilynStrassberg Aging Services Specialist Stephanie Delczeg, caseworker at DSS in Childrens The Office for the Aging has contracted with Neighborhood Services, is getting married in June. Legal Services to provide free legal advice on certain civil Welcome to: matters to Tompkins County residents age 60 and older. An Robert S. Slocum, Principal Account Clerk/ Typist at attorney can give advice on such civil matters as establishing County Office for the Aging. a Power of Attorney, rights of nursing home patients, Social Sympathy to: Security and SSI appeals, Medicare and Medicaid denials and Hugh Hurlbut (Personnel- Retired) on the loss of his landlord/tenant problems. If you need such legal advice, brother -in -law on May 11. please call the Neighborhood Legal Services at 273 -3666 for Don Franklin, Assessment, on the loss of his mother an appointment or Marilyn Strassberg at the Office for the on May 16, 1993. Aging, 274 -5482, for more information. On Leave: Belinda Malpert from DSS is taking a temporary leave. Elizabeth Arthur will fill in. Liz worked here as a student from Cornell, then Case Aide, and VOLUNTEERS SERVING Independent Living Coordinator, going back to LEGALLY BLIND SENIORS Syracuse U. for more learning. Welcome back! The First Quarter of 1993 saw an upswing in the number of Gratitude toward: visually impaired elderly who registered with the Office for the Interns in Intake/Homefinding at DSS graduating this spring: Mike O'Neil from CU and Lori Aging and began receiving support services. Fortunately, the Massicotte from IC. Mike has agreed to do case Office for the Aging also has had an increased number of reviews for the Preventive Services project. volunteers come forward to serve as "Friendly Visitors" for Peter Caine from CU who will intern in the those whose visual impairment has left them legally blind. Independent Living area in Preventive Services. These volunteers meet - usually on a weekly basis - and help Other CU students who have been invaluable to the with reading, writing, walks outdoors, or just offer an Services Division and will be leaving: Mandi Liebling opportunity for friendly conversation. For more information (Intake Homefinding), Heidi Andrews, Jeanne on these support services or on becoming a "Friendly Visitor", Tibbits (Childress Services), Stacie Heck, Anne Mettler (Child Protective Services, and Amy please contact David Stoyell or Marilyn Strassberg at the Carpenter (Preventive Services). Office for the Aging 274 -5482. COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S by Scott Heyman, County Administrator REPORT.... TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT In last month's Corridors I invited applications for the position of Executive Assistant to the County Administrator, but noted Total Quality Management is an approach to the that some reorganization of my office might occur. management of private, public, and not - for - profit I am planning to recommend to the County Board that the organizations whose popularity is soaring around the world. position of Executive Assistant to the County Administrator It is based on American management ideas that were taken (Labor Grade 12) be reclassified downward to Secretary (Labor to Japan at the end of World War II where they flourished. Grade 9). Some of the higher level duties of the existing The Japanese have used "TQM" to create new standards of Executive Assistant position will be assigned to the existing organizational efficiency and product /service excellence. Principal Account Clerk Typist position in Budget and Finance. People who work in TQM organizations cannot say This change will reduce the total payroll for Budget and enough good things about it. Briefly, supervisors become Finance and for Administration and will provide added flexibility leaders who view their primary job as getting their that we think will make sense for both offices. employees the resources they need to get their work done, All of this means that a position of Secretary will need to be and who see their own employees as the best source of filled, contingent on County Board approval. This will be an Exempt position under Civil Service, which means that no test information about better ways to do that work; customer ever has to be taken but also means that no Civil Service satisfaction becomes the highest goal of the organization, protection applies either. Please fill out an application and one that everyone strives toward together; and an forward it to Personnel if you are interested. To those of you organization - wide commitment to continuous improvement who applied for the Executive Assistant position, I am sorry. is fostered. However, my office is not exempt from any of the budget cutting Interested? Joseph Sensenbrenner practiced this that has been taking place and we have to look at every vacant approach as Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, from 1983 to position as a means of improving efficiency and saving money. 1989. He hosts and moderates a four - hour videotaped Have a happy. , , presentation on his experiences and on TQM in general. I have secured a copy of the tape and it will be shown in the Old Jail Conference Room at the following times: Tuesday, May 25, from 8:30a.m. to 12:30p.m. Tuesday, June 8, from 10:00a.m. to 2:OOp.m. .. summer ! Wednesday, June 9, from 8:30a.m. to 12:30p.m. A I l and Friday, June 25, from 12:30p.m. to 4:30p.m. 4PAZ WHO ARE WE? Many, if not all, County departments, and many County programs within departments, have adopted formal "Mission Statements" or "Statements of Purpose" over the last couple of years. These have been encouraged by me and by the Board of Representatives as a means of establishing for the record "who we are" -- why we're here and what we're here to do. In many cases they only seem to state the obvious, but sometimes the obvious is not obvious to everyone. For the better part of a year, the Fiscal Affairs Committee of the County Board has been attempting to draft a Statement of Purpose for County government and for the County Board of Representatives. Their initial draft is printed below. These drafts are being submitted through CORRIDORS for the review of any and every County employee who would like to have something to say about them. Please send any suggestions whatsoever that you might have on these Statements of Purpose in care of my office, and I will make sure that the Board of Representatives sees your comments. There is strong agreement on the Committee that a Statement of Purpose should in a real literal sense be the statement of all the employees of an organization. Since Tompkins County, as an organization, "belongs" to the people of the community, widespread public input will be requested as well. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE FOR TOMPKINS COUNTY GOVERNMENT - DRAFT Tompkins County government exists to promote safety, health and well -being of all who live, work and visit here by providing mandated and desired services which the community wants and for which it is willing to pay. The County provides two kinds of service -- those that aid and assist, and those that regulate. The primary objective of all officials and employees of County government is to provide service to their community cheerfully, efficiently and effectively. 1 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE FOR THE TOMPKINS COUNTY 3; BOARD OF REPRESENTATIVES - DRAFT The Tompkins County Board of Representatives is the chief policy - making body for Tompkins County government. This means that the Board of Representatives selects which services the community wants and for which it is willing to pay; establishes priorities among those services; maximizes outside revenues to support those services and to minimize local taxes and fees; sustains a viable tax base through targeted efforts to develop and vitalize the local economy; establishes the appropriate balance of various kinds of local taxes and fees; and assures that taxes and fees are used efficiently and effectively to provide priority services. To accomplish all these things, the Board of Representatives annually takes the following actions: 1. Informs the Public. Develops an annual strategy to assure that the public receives sufficient, accurate, timely information about County services so that citizens may have meaningful involvement in local government decision - making and be aware of available services. 2. Plans. Assures that there exist for each department of County government a Statement of Purpose and specific goals and objectives which have been approved by the appropriate committee of the Board of Representatives and are available for public review. 3. Assesses Service Delivery Needs. Assesses the current state of service delivery needs and accomplishments. In doing this, the following are examined: a. The strength of public support for addressing the particular need through County government involvement; b. Appropriateness of County government involvement in addressing the particular need, and the . 07-7\- _.... desirability of addressing the need through the use of public or private resources; ' c. Severity of the need for the service; d. Probability of success of meeting needs based on the management strength and approach of the provider department or agency; e. An inventory of other existing public and private services available to meet the need to determine I , the extent of unmet needs and the mix of prevention, intervention, remedial and regulatory services needed; and f. Number, dispersion and demographic characteristics of those experiencing the need. 4. Levies Taxes and Fees. Assesses the resources available to support services that have been determined to be needed, including the amounts and kinds of taxes and fees to be levied. The following are taken into account in making these assessments: a. Ability to pay; b. Desirability of requiring payment directly from service recipients; #4 Ott c. The leveraging effect of taxes or fees in producing other income; 4:. 0, d. Whether the payment method promotes a desirable goal; and e. Whether an appropriate balance among taxes and fees exists (since all taxes and fees are less than perfectly fair). The views of the public regarding all of the above will be carefully considered. 5. Allocates Resources. Based on all of the above processes, allocates available resources when it adopts a budget for Tompkins County government. EMPLOYEE COUNCIL by Cheryl Nelson The May 5th meeting was a very informational one. Board members Charles Evans, Barbara Mink and Nancy Schuler were present. I again want to thank these representatives for attending and participating. Charles Evans conveyed to the Council that it is allright for employees to speak to Board members. This point was very informational for those employees who had been told directly or felt that speaking to Board members was unauthorized or inappropriate. Nancy Schuler asked the Council for its assistance in developing a list of questions or concerns that employees might have for candidates for the job of Personnel Commissioner. Even though the request was coming late in the interview process, it was discussed that this Employee Council would be an appropriate vehicle for getting employee input in the filling of vacancies of department heads in these departments that are support and service to all departments within the County. The Human Resources Committee, headed by Barbara Karaviotis, is collecting any questions relevant to the Commissioner of Personnel. The next Council meeting will be June 2, 9- 11a.m., at the Ithaca Tompkins Transit Center, Willow Ave. IHAP ') EIP CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL CARE NEEDS (CSCN) by Suzanne Stopen, Director PHCP CSCN "I'm having trouble paying for my 9 year old's insulin medication and my doctor told me to call "... "My child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and I could use .1 �,* some support around our educational choices "... 11 Johnny is 2 1/2 and isn't t talking yet. I'm worried something is wrong"... I* it I I iV These statements are typical examples of calls the Tompkins County Health Department CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS division regularly receives. This division promotes appropriate, comprehensive family centered services in the community to meet a family's own needs and goals. The division serves children from birth to age 21 who are physically disabled or have a long -term illness. Their diverse needs are met through 3 programs: Infant Health Assessment Program (IHAP), Early Intervention Program (EIP), and Physically Handicapped Children's Program (PHCP). The IHAP tracks children birth to 3 years who are at risk for delays or lags in growth and development. Infants at risk could be an infant born to a mother under the age of 16 years, those infants with a medical problem at birth, or an infant weighing Tess than 3 pounds 15 ounces. The EIP provides support and guidance while evaluations are being done. The PHCP provides financial assistance and case management for as long as a child is eligible, the family is interested and /or until the child reaches 21 at which time referrals are made to other agencies to continue services. If you are concerned in any way about your child's growth and development, or if your older child has a disability or long term illness, give this program a call at 274 -6644 or write to Tompkins County Health Department, 401 Harris B. Dates Drive, Ithaca, NY 14850. PEOPLE DON'T CARE HOW MUCH YOU KNOW - TIL THEY KNOW HOW MUCH YOU CARE. INK • I want to thank all managers and middle managers for your vote of confidence in reelecting me to a two - year term representing middle IA Ay management on the "All Managers Negotiating Committee "; it's a good feeling to know that one's judgment and expertise are valued by one's peers. For personal reasons, I have chosen to resign from the official committee, however, as I have OAP notified our chair, I will continue =_ =_ to attend meetings and contribute +e what I can in a meaningful and constructive way. I would urge all managers to do likewise. Once again, thanks for your vote! Louise McEwen, Benefits Manager 1 Who's on First? RETIREMENT UPDATE... This is a story about four by Louise McEwen, Benefits Manager On May 13, Social Security and NYS Employees' Retirement System representatives people named Everybody, held a half -day seminar at TC3 for several counties including Tompkins. As some Somebody, Anybody, and of you know, you could not get into the seminar because of our late notice from Nobody. There was an important Albany, and the quota had been met. I have tried to schedule a similar meeting for job to be done, and Everybody Tompkins County only at TC3 but because of problems getting a room suitable for was sure Somebody would do it. the seminar, I will probably have to postpone this until September. In the meantime, Anybody could have done it, but if any of you have problems or questions pertaining to your Retirement which cannot Nobody did it. Somebody got wait until September, I would remind you that Retirement representatives are still angry, because it was Everybody's at the Horseheads Village Hall each second and fourth Tuesday of each month (no job. Everybody thought Anybody appointment necessary). I will keep you posted on the seminar as soon as scheduled could do it, but Nobody realized -- the program on May 13 was very informative and all employees 45 years and over Everybody wouldn't do it. So should plan to attend the Tompkins County meeting. Everybody blamed Somebody - ` when Nobody did what Anybody _.. -- - - • - -- - . _ could have done! ' - .a _~ \I P ` J� _ , it . An 911 . , Nliki. -0.--..•.. UNCLASSIFIEDS _____ _ = - �. WANTED TO BUY: �.- _' . •,4 `--_�� _ �i� - • Used Softball Glove - Left °°``" ` `' 1 ' - - - _ � •. -- handed, Adult. Call Susie � - -' - - w -- " j - �% �a �.�A� J.~ evenings 539 -6967. - , J ' - S � j" �' APARTMENT TO SHARE: FREE UNCLASSIFIEDS Newfield area. Bright, sunny, carpeted, 2 bedroom apt. $235 per month, includes utilities. Classified ads up to 25 words in length are free to County employees, retirees and their Call 564 -0082. immediate families. Ads may be for any purpose except no personal ads will be accepted. No County addresses or telephone numbers may be listed in the ads. Use this coupon to FOR SALE: send your ad to Corridors c/o Central Services. PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT LEGIBLY! 1986 Ford Escort - Auto - Air. $700 or B.O. 838 -3102 after 5. FOR SALE: 1982 Plymouth I- Iorizon excellent engine - $150 or B.O. 589-6453. FOR SALE: Bright and airy, redecorated 2BR ` mobile home, quiet section of well kept park near Cornell. Convenient parking and bus. Cats COUNTY CORRIDORS okay. Affordable at $7,500. Articles and opinion pieces for County Corridors are selected by the volunteer Call Susan at 273 -0135. editorial board based on their interest to Tompkins County employees and retirees. Material is solicited from current employees, retirees and others. FOR SALE: Material for publication is selected by the editorial board which reserves the right RV 1988 Mallard 24' Mini to edit any submissions. The editorial board is made up of: Bill Chapp, Social Motor -Home 31,600 miles. Many Services; Sharon Cooper, Assessment; Iretta Ellis, Airport; Scott Heyman, County extras, excellent condition. Administrator; Louise McEwen, Personnel; Ruth Pond, Purchasing and Central Double bed, full bath, sleeps 6. Services; Marilyn Strassberg, Office for the Aging; and Judy Tynyk (Chair), Weights Asking $17,000. 533 -4010. and Measures. BUMPER STICKER Correspondence may be sent through County inter - office mail to: County OF THE MONTH Corridors, c/o Purchasing and Central Services: or contact any board member, or via US Mail to: County Corridors, c/o Purchasing and Central Services, 125 E. Since I gave up hope Court St., Ithaca, NY 14850 I feel much better!!