Jackson – County Administrative Officer Terri Daly presented the Board of Supervisors Tuesday with a Strategic Plan Update designed to “improve communication and cooperation both internally and externally.” Daly said “this isn’t just a make-work project…everyone has to-do lists that are already pretty lengthy at this point.” Rather, her plan intends to streamline county systems and help to reduce the bureaucracy inherent in government bodies of all sizes. Chairman Ted Novelli said that he and the other Supervisors have received random questions via phone and email about everything from traffic right-of-ways to “beetles in trees.” He said they try and answer as many questions as possible. Daly said the Supervisors’ clerks have worked hard to answer the variety of calls they receive and have never complained, considering staff reductions due to budget cuts. She called them a “model department.” Novelli said it would be nice to implement a system where calls could be properly diverted to the appropriate department. Daly read through a list of “Six-month Strategic Objectives” and a “Three Year Goal” to put strategies in place. The six month plan included a request for department heads to produce departmental status updates, reviewing the External Communications Plan, developing a County Services Directory and redeveloping the website to be more user friendly. Earlier in the meeting Supervisors heard a presentation from IT Director Jeff White on the revamped county website, now up and running online. Three-year goals included identifying training needed to increase staff awareness of county resources, developing a list of questions regarding the county’s core values, reviewing federal stimulus opportunities and creating a prioritized list of county codes and policies. Daly posed the question: “Before we get to the point where we have money again, where do we add staff back?” She also told the board she had written a letter cancelling the county’s state lobbyist contract as it had proven to be “ineffective.” She recommended putting more staff resources behind Supervisor Richard Forster’s efforts as a member of the Regional Council of Rural Counties, an organization that works hand-in-hand with member counties in areas of State and Federal advocacy, program development and outreach. No formal action was taken. Supervisors unanimously supported Daly’s ongoing efforts. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.