Commissioners, county administrators, managers, and assistants gathered at Stonewall Resort in Lewis County, WV August 4th through 7th for the 2013 CCAWV Annual Meeting for two and a half days of training and networking. This year's theme was "Blazing New Trails", and the agenda was filled to the brim with valuable training for what is sure to be a challenging year ahead. With the Affordable Care Act looming and jail costs soaring, CCAWV had plenty of material to tackle.
After an opening reception on Sunday evening, Commissioners rolled up their sleeves and dove in to a full schedule bright and early Monday morning. Dave Barton of SVG and Willie Parker of the Harrison County Commission spoke about the Federal Affordable Care Act, which is set to roll out this October. Vanessa VanGilder of Behavior Health Sciences presented "Disaster Planning and Recovery". Kevin Snead of the National Floodplain Insurance Program and Richard Carte gave attendees an "Update on Floodplain Permitting/Biggert Waters Act of 2012". Larry Walker and Barbara Gandy from the Division of Labor educated commissioners about "Prevailing Wage Issues and Construction Projects". Secretary of State Natalie Tennant and House Speaker Tim Miley were on hand to discuss issues facing West Virginia counties. Another distinguished guest was NACo 1st Vice President Riki Hokama, who traveled all the way from Maui, Hawaii to join the meeting. During the lunch break, Mr. Hokama addressed commissioners about county goings-on at the national level.
Jimmy Lees rounded out the day's speakers with a lively presentation on "Pretrial Release Programs and Drug Courts". CCAWV's Roundtable of Regional Jail Best Practices followed directly, providing commissioners with innovative ways to reduce rising jail costs.
West Virginia State Auditor's Training kicked off Tuesday morning with a talk by State Auditor Glenn Gainer III. The Auditor's Office presented on a wide variety of topics, covering everything from "The Dos and Don'ts of Major Construction" (presented by Cindy Whetsell of Lewis County), to "The Tax Exoneration Process" (presented by Jan P. Mundrinich of the State Tax Department), to "Taxable Fringe Benefits" (presented by Shellie Humphrey of the WV State Auditor's Office).
Wednesday morning began with a discussion led by Ora Ash, Deputy State Auditor, on Maximum Allowable Rainy Day Fund Balance, Requirements for Grants to Other Entities and Allocation of Funds, etc. After some updates, Joe DeLong, the Executive Director of the WV Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority delivered a powerhouse speech about the impressive lengths he and his team have gone to in an effort to rein in Regional Jail spending. John Sorrenti of the WV State Auditor's Office closed the meeting with a presentation on "Dealing with Media" - something that is increasingly important in today's media-drenched world.
Commissioners headed back to their home counties with a bounty of information, in addition to memories of new bonds forged and old ones renewed. Thanks so much to everyone who worked hard to make this year's meeting a success!
