MONTANA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES

2005-2006 ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

June 2005

 

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS        18 / 172 responses (10%)

 

 

1.    How often and how responsive / helpful were your contacts with any member of the MACo staff?

VERY OFTEN

OFTEN

OCCASIONALLY/FEW

NONE

1     (6%)

10 (58%)

6     (35%)

0

 

VERY HELPFUL

ADEQUATE

SOMEWHAT HELPFUL

NOT HELPFUL

NO RESPONSE

9   (64%)

5  (35%)

0

0

0

 

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

We call with important issues and always have a useful response

 

I call or email occasionally. Your office is so busy I only contact MACo when I am almost sure they would know the answer off the tip of your tongue

 

Everyone was friendly and helpful

 

 

2.    MACo currently provides an array of  “administrative services” such as answering questions on budget, personnel, procedures, and other general governmental issues to assist member counties in dealing with the day-to-day operations of county government.  These services are:

VERY VALUABLE

VALUABLE

NOT VALUABLE

NO OPINION

10   (55%)

8   (44%)

0

0

 

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS­­

Always helpful when I call or email

 

MACo staff has a vast knowledge pool that is very helpful

 

 

 

3.    MACo currently provides legislative services for counties, such as lobbying, legislative updates, legislative impact analysis and interim committee monitoring and reporting for MACo and local government program purposes.  These services are:

VERY VALUABLE

VALUABLE

NOT VALUABLE

NO OPINION

10   (55%)

7   (38%)

0

1   (5%)

 

            ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

MACo is the eyes and ears for the counties during legislative session.  Heads up are appreciated.

 

This is the most valuable asset we have.  It is difficult to outguess the legislation

 

Make sure you keep lobbying efforts geared toward (MACo) needs, not just one or two counties

 

 

4.    MACo endeavors to provide continuing county liaison with the Executive Branch and various State agencies and provides counties with status reports and periodic updates.  These services are:

VERY VALUABLE

VALUABLE

NOT VALUABLE

NO OPINION

3     (16%)

15   (83%)

0

0

 

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

I am not aware of what MACo does with the different agencies.  Maybe I missed it in the newsletters or other communications

 

MACo staff has connections that serve an important need for local government

 

5.   The MACo newsletter (MACo News), which is published monthly, is

VERY VALUABLE

VALUABLE

NOT VALUABLE

NO OPINION

1   (5%)

16   (88%)

0

1   (5%)

 

            I WOULD LIKE TO READ ARTICLES ON:

 

I always enjoy the MACo news when I remember to read it.  It is possible to send an email when the newsletter comes out.

 

Excellent publication.  There are important points brought to our attention.

 

Liked it better when it came hardcopy

 

6.  The MACo website (http://maco.cog.mt.us) is:

VERY USEFUL

USEFUL

NOT USEFUL

NO OPINION

2   (11%)

8   (44%)

1   (5%)

7   (38%)

 

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

            I don’t use it as much as I should.

 

            Great website-use it often for information

 

            I don’t use near as much as I should

 

            Haven’t used

 

            It is a bit hard to navigate, but is getting slightly better.

 

           

7.          ●       Workers’ Compensation Self Insurance  (JPA)

VALUABLE

SOMEWHAT VALUABLE

NOT VALUABLE

NO OPINION

14    (77%)

4    (22%)

0

0

 

·         Property and Casualty Insurance Coverage  (JPIA)

VALUABLE

SOMEWHAT VALUABLE

NOT VALUABLE

NO OPINION

16    (88%)

2    (11%)

0

0

 

·         PERsonnel Services to Counties  (JPIA Members Only)

VALUABLE

SOMEWHAT VALUABLE

NOT VALUABLE

NO OPINION

14    (77%)

4    (22%)

0

0

 

·         LAND USE PLANNING   (jpia Members Only)

VALUABLE

SOMEWHAT VALUABLE

NOT VALUABLE

NO OPINION

8    (44%)

6   (33%)

0

4  (22%)

 

 

 

 

 

·         RISK MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS AND TRAINING (JPA & JPIA Members)

VALUABLE

SOMEWHAT VALUABLE

NOT VALUABLE

NO OPINION

9   (50%)

8   (44%)

1   (5%)

0

 

 

·         Nationwide Employee Retirement Benefit Program

VALUABLE

SOMEWHAT VALUABLE

NOT VALUABLE

NO OPINION

2   (11%)

3    (16%)

1    (5%)

12    (66%)

 

·         health insurance program

VALUABLE

SOMEWHAT VALUABLE

NOT VALUABLE

NO OPINION

3   (16%)

0

1    (5%)

14   (77%)

 

            ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

JPT is and has been a good source of health insurance

 

This program (D) duplicates and competes with an already successful health insurance program offered to counties

 

Don’t use the last two.

 

(Nationwide) hasn’t done very well lately

 

Rates?

 

Nationwide has never met with our employees.                       

 

 

8.     MACo hosts and organizes several meetings throughout the year.  They are:

 

·         District Meetings

VALUABLE

SOMEWHAT VALUABLE

NOT VALUABLE

NO OPINION

10    (55%)

8   (44%)

0

0

 

·         Annual Conference

VALUABLE

SOMEWHAT VALUABLE

NOT VALUABLE

NO OPINION

10   (55%)

8   (44%)

0

0

 

·         elected officials Orientation & commissioner certification

VALUABLE

SOMEWHAT VALUABLE

NOT VALUABLE

NO OPINION

8   (44%)

8     (44%)

0

2   (11%)

 

·         Mid Winter Meeting

VALUABLE

SOMEWHAT VALUABLE

NOT VALUABLE

NO OPINION

8     (44%)

10  (55%)

0

0

 

 

 

●    Loss Control / Risk Management Conference 

VALUABLE

SOMEWHAT VALUABLE

NOT VALUABLE

NO OPINION

5    (27%)

12   (66%)

0

1     (5%)

 

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

.The pool system is the best.  The system works.

 

Conferences and meetings are good relationship building tools.

 

 

                       

 

 

 

GENERAL COMMENTS:

 

Sometimes the district meetings reiterate what we do at the annual conference.  Need to be sure, we are not duplicating same information.  We feel the meetings are important but it is difficult to go to a lot of conferences and still keep up at home.  I guess that is not a reflection of MACo’s value to us, just a juggling act.

 

MACo appears to have improved overall during our tenure.  We wish that MACo Health Insurance could somehow improve rates.

 

We question why at district meetings and meetings where the whole membership is not present why both Harold and Sheryl attend.  We feel the idea of an associate director was to be a available in Harold’s absence.  We can see both of them attending meetings when the whole MACo membership is present.

 

MACo is a valuable resource to counties…, which is much appreciated.  However, delegates/members from the larger counties seen to “run the show”, so to speak, and often use their power in an inappropriate manner (i.e. as it related to Gordon Morris in that particular case they were mean spirited, petty and wrong)

 

Great Job Folks!!  Need to funnel more money into OLD COMMISSIONERS RETIREMENT FUND!!

 

More training sessions in eastern MT.  Try to shorten mid-winter conference

 

The off legislative years need some different workshops.  As most of the presenters are not something I have learned a lot from or did me much good.  This is something you may want to look at.

 

Staff has been helpful.  Know they are busy, but the always get back to you.

 

The counties hired Harold Blattie to run MACo.  The counties need to give him the reins to a point and let him hire the staff he needs within the budget to run MACo.

 

The system works well for the most part.  The risk might be serious overload as more tasks are assumed.