Recommendation for Restructuring COG

Reorganization Committee

November 1998

Goal To develop a Kalamazoo County Compact among the

twenty-five (25) governmental jurisdictions that will lead the County forward by positively resolving major issues:

Land use planning Water and wastewater governance Revenue sharing Consolidated services Economic development Other goals

Structural Changes To accomplish this goal COG will need to

extend its influence by building a structure that assists collaboration between the units of government, is balanced and fair in its voting and funding mechanisms, has a strong executive director and an effective steering committee including members from outside the public sector…business/ education/healthcare/foundations.

Structural Changes

If the following changes are put into effect, we believe that COG will become a progressive and proactive organization capable of developing a Kalamazoo County Compact among all jurisdictions.

Structural Changes

1. Hire an executive director that is on a par

with other top local government officials.

Structural Changes

2.Create a Steering Committee

1 City of Kalamazoo 1 City of Portage 1 Kalamazoo County 1 Large Township 1 Small Township

1 From Small Unit (Village or Small City)

1 Large Business * 2 Education,Health-

care,Foundation *

* CEO Level

Steering CommitteeResponsibilities

Executive Director and staff report to Steering Committee

Creates Agendas for COG Acts as monitor of COG committees Overall leadership

Structural Changes

3. COG should meet monthly and the steering committee twice a month. The venue for Council meetings needs to be larger with better parking facilities. The executive director and staff could be housed separate from the meeting facilities.

Municipalities Current Dues Current Votes Pop('90Cen) EST Operating Budget Year

Kalamazoo County 5,000 3 225,185 59,310,300 1998

Kalamazoo 5,000 3 81,277 46,831,436 1998

Portage 5,000 3 41,042 30,108,911 1998

Texas 2,000 2 7,711 1,251,285 1998

Kalamazoo 2,000 2 20,976 5,567,534 1998

Oshtemo 2,000 2 13,401 3,880,292 1999

Comstock 2,000 2 11,834 1,890,650 1998

Kal County Rd Comm 1,000 1 14,016,508 1998

Richland Twp(non-mem) 1,000 1 5,099 618,200 1998/99

Ross 1,000 1 3,979 734,925 1998/99

Cooper 800 1 8,442 846,115 1998

Pavilion 800 1 5,500 870,200 1998

Schoolcraft Twp 500 1 3,707 653,504 1998/99

Brady 400 1 3,166 387,000 1998/99

Parchment 300 1 1,958 1,031,778 1998

Prarie Ronde 300 1 1,365 288,153 1998/99

Alamo 300 1 3,276 412,048 1998/99

Augusta 100 1 927 260,500 1998/99

Climax 100 1 682 200,000 1998 (Est)

Galesburg 100 1 1,863 486,019 1998/99

Richland 100 1 465 206,441 1998

Schoolcraft 100 1 1,579 625,376 1998/99

Vicksburg 100 1 2,216 2,000,000 1998 (Est)

Charleston 100 1 1,744 180,000 1998 (Est)

Climax Twp 100 1 1,539 194,050 1998/99

Wakeshma 100 1 1,378 182,830 1998

TOTAL DUES/VOTES @ 100% 30300 36 225,126

Structural ChangesVoting Policy

After serious consideration of other COG’s voting and dues structures, and careful consideration of the positives and negatives of COG’s current policies, the Committee recommends the following voting and dues policies.

Structural ChangesVoting Policy

4. The voting policy is based on the premise that every member gets at least one vote and that additional votes are assigned based on a combination of population and SEV. The County was given the same number of votes as the highest jurisdiction.

VotesKalamazoo County 3 8.5Kalamazoo 3 (1+4.5+3) 8.5 42.30%Portage 3 (1+2.5+3) 6.5

Texas 2 (1+.5+1) 2.5Kalamazoo 2 (1+1+1) 3Oshtemo 2 (1+.5+1) 2.5 18.90%Comstock 2 (1+.5+1) 2.5

Richland Twp(non-mem) 1 (1+.5+.5) 2Ross 1 (1+.5) 1.5

Cooper 1 (1+.5+.5) 2Pavilion 1 (1+.5+.5) 2

Schoolcraft Twp 1 1

Brady 1 1 38.70%

Parchment 1 1Prarie Ronde 1 1Alamo 1 1

Augusta 1 1Climax 1 1Galesburg 1 1Richland 1 1Schoolcraft 1 1Vicksburg 1 1Charleston 1 1Climax Twp 1 1Wakeshma 1 1

TOTAL DUES/VOTES @ 100% 35 55.5 100%

*

PROPOSED COG BUDGET YEAR 2 AND 3

Executive Director $70,000-100,000Assistant Director 50,000 - 75,000Support Assistant 30,000 - 45,000Fringes 45,000 - 70,000Interns 20,000Office Expense 40,000Rent 21,000Utilities 4,000Legal 15,000Overhead/Misc. 40,000Research 100,000Travel 10,000Training 7,000Printing/Publishing 10,000

Totals $462,000-$557,000

Proposed COG Budget 1999 %

Executive Director $40,000 - 58,000 58Assistant Director 12,500 - 18,000 25Support Assistant 15,000 - 22,000 50Fringes 19,000 - 28,000Transition Staff & Support 40,000 Interns 0 0Office Expense 20,000 50Rent 10,000 50Utilities 2,000 50Legal 12,000 75Overhead/Misc. 20,000 50Research 33,000 33Travel 3,000 33Training 0 0Printing/Publishing 3,000 33

Totals $229,500 - $269,000

Structural ChangesDues

5. Dues. The formula is 1/10 of one percent of each jurisdiction’s operating budget, except for the County. The budget calls for the County to match the dues of all other jurisdictions. This dues structure represents an increase in total dues from approximately $30,000 to over $200,000 per year.

Municipalities Current Dues Proposed dues

Kalamazoo County 5,000 99,706Kalamazoo 5,000 46,831Portage 5,000 30,109

Texas 2,000 1,251Kalamazoo 2,000 5,568Oshtemo 2,000 3,880Comstock 2,000 1,891

Richland Tw p(non-mem) 1,000 618Ross 1,000 735

Cooper 800 846Pavilion 800 870

Schoolcraft Tw p 500 653

Brady 400 387

Parchment 300 1,032Prarie Ronde 300 288Alamo 300 412

Augusta 100 261Climax 100 200Galesburg 100 486Richland 100 206Schoolcraft 100 625Vicksburg 100 2,000Charleston 100 180Climax Tw p 100 194Wakeshma 100 183

TOTAL DUES/VOTES @ 100% 29300 199,412

M unicipalities Current Dues Current Votes Pop('90Cen) EST Operating Budget Year Votes EST Dues

Kalamazoo County 5,000 3 225,185 59,310,300 1998 8.5 99,706

Kalamazoo 5,000 3 81,277 46,831,436 1998 (1+4.5+3) 8.5 46,831

Portage 5,000 3 41,042 30,108,911 1998 (1+2.5+3) 6.5 30,109

Texas 2,000 2 7,711 1,251,285 1998 (1+.5+1) 2.5 1,251

Kalamazoo 2,000 2 20,976 5,567,534 1998 (1+1+1) 3 5,568

Oshtemo 2,000 2 13,401 3,880,292 1999 (1+.5+1) 2.5 3,880

Comstock 2,000 2 11,834 1,890,650 1998 (1+.5+1) 2.5 1,891

Richland Twp(non-mem) 1,000 1 5,099 618,200 1998/99 (1+.5+.5) 2 618

Ross 1,000 1 3,979 734,925 1998/99 (1+.5) 1.5 735

Cooper 800 1 8,442 846,115 1998 (1+.5+.5) 2 846

Pavilion 800 1 5,500 870,200 1998 (1+.5+.5) 2 870

Schoolcraft Twp 500 1 3,707 653,504 1998/99 1 653

Brady 400 1 3,166 387,000 1998/99 1 387

Parchment 300 1 1,958 1,031,778 1998 1 1,032

Prarie Ronde 300 1 1,365 288,153 1998/99 1 288

Alamo 300 1 3,276 412,048 1998/99 1 412

Augusta 100 1 927 260,500 1998/99 1 261

Climax 100 1 682 200,000 1998 (Est) 1 200

Galesburg 100 1 1,863 486,019 1998/99 1 486

Richland 100 1 465 206,441 1998 1 206

Schoolcraft 100 1 1,579 625,376 1998/99 1 625

Vicksburg 100 1 2,216 2,000,000 1998 (Est) 1 2,000

Charleston 100 1 1,744 180,000 1998 (Est) 1 180

Climax Twp 100 1 1,539 194,050 1998/99 1 194

Wakeshma 100 1 1,378 182,830 1998 1 183

TOTAL DUES/VOTES @ 100% 29300 35 225,126 55.5 199,412

*

Direction

The committee recommends strongly that COG become the facilitator of collaborative action among all governmental units in the same way that Regional EDGE has become the facilitator of collaborative action in the business community.

Direction

Regional EDGE, like COG, has no power in and of itself. Its effectiveness comes from its ability to convene the marketplace, to help businesses identify and remove blocks to their success and to facilitate businesses collaborating with the rest of the community from schools and higher education to governments.

Direction

In a similar way, COG has no official power in and of itself. But through this restructuring, we believe COG can build on its past successes and become an effective “convener” of governments in the county and eventually in the region.

Direction

Through the influence of the Executive Director, the Steering Committee, and the Council, COG can organize and facilitate governments’ efforts to become more efficient and to effectively address the challenges facing Kalamazoo County and the region.

TIME LINE

December 10: Vote on Reorganization January 1: Steering Committee

in Place May 31: Executive Director in

Place August 31: Executive Director

issues Preliminary Work Plan & Report

Committee Members John Bultje, Mayor, City of Parchment Ron Commissaris, Supervisor, Texas Township Gary Cramer, Supervisor, Kalamazoo

Township (Chair) Robert Jones, Mayor, City of Kalamazoo James Schultz, President, Village of Augusta Charlotte Sumney, Chair, Kalamazoo County Board Robert Thompson, Supervisor, Schoolcraft

Township Thomas Breznau, Facilitator