Okaloosa County BOCC — March 18, 2013 — 2013-2014 Strategic Plan — reading text

of the County’s RESTORE Act Program Objective To prepare Okaloosa County for opportunities available from the RESTORE Action in preparation of the disbursement of funds. Action/Strategies e) Creation of RESTORE Act Advisory Committee and commencement of regular meetings f) Hire professional firm/agent to assist with development of the County’s 5-year Plan g) Complete development of the County’s 5-year Plan consistent with the rules established by the U.S. Treasury Department h) Work in concert with members of the Consortium of Counties to better compete for projects/funds available through other RESTORE Act fund sources Goal 3 Ensure maximum service delivery capabilities of County employees Objective To replace aging and outdated equipment and vehicles using cost effective and energy efficient replacements whenever possible Action/Strategies a) Ensure program of office equipment, copier and computer replacement b) Begin program of fleet replacement c) Ensure replacement plan for general equipment and tools Goal 4 Provide for space needs of government offices Objective To provide the necessary space for county government needs while reducing financial burden through elimination of rents Action/Strategies a) Plan and execute renovation of Shalimar Annex to reduce county rent burden b) Continue funding Facility Maintenance’s renovations of old Fort Walton Beach Hospital building c) Monitor continued renovation of courthouse in Crestview 16 Goal 5 Use technology to maximize effectiveness of County offices and employees Objective To make use of available technology so as to effectively use limited human resources Action/Strategies a) Explore further use of Polycom system to reduce downtime due to in-county travel b) Continue use of MediaTrac to further automate agenda process Goal 6 Enhance service delivery and maximize staff potential by providing appropriate training, education and job experiences Objective To fully develop staff through training and education Action/Strategies a) Continue to train and guide staff on Sunshine Laws and other legal issues b) Train staff in safety and other Risk Management-related issues c) Develop supervisory and management skills in staff d) Assist in training and selection of new county administrator however deemed appropriate by the Board to assure a seamless transition 17  COURT SERVICES MISSION STATEMENT The mission of Pretrial Services (PTS) includes the minimizing of unnecessary and expensive incarcerations in the County jail by expediting the judicial process by providing critical and timely information on those incarcerated. In addition, PTS promotes public safety by supervising eligible defendants while their cases are pending in court. The Okaloosa County Law Library (OCLL) provides free access to law related information through a collection of legal materials, in both print and electronic format, to the judiciary, legal community and general public. VISION STATEMENT Pretrial Services is designed to provide pretrial assessments and other court related services on people who have been arrested and are facing incarceration while they are processing through the court system. The vision of PTS is to continue to provide sound information to the judiciary, so that they may make good decisions on what type of bond and what conditions of bond are appropriate to assure public safety. Pretrial Services will also provide information to law enforcement agencies through a newly developed database. This database will provide law enforcement the information needed to make informed decisions relating to defendants that are being supervised by Pretrial Services. As we see numerous new military persons/families to this area, the program will continue to provide a high level of service to the Judiciary, public, and county jail in order to keep the jail population reduced while keeping the public safe. In addition, with Board support PTS will continue to oppose any legislation which would limit the effectiveness of pretrial programs across the State of Florida and would therefore cause severe jail overpopulation, jeopardize public safety and result in the County spending approximately $12.5 million on a jail expansion. Access to the written laws of this nation is essential to ensure equal access to the courts. The public provision of legal resources is necessary not only for the layperson, but for all court users and the community as a whole. 18 OCLL anticipates increase demand for its services as more people elect to handle their legal matters themselves and not hire the services of an attorney. OCLL seeks to maintain its current level of services in light of decreased funding, providing patrons with accurate up-to-date legal information. Assist our customers in their effort to use the legal system effectively Continually improve our services Cultivate new technologies to best serve customers Exhibit our values in our daily work Seek to maximize our budget dollar Support each other in our individual and team efforts to improve the library OPERATIONAL PHILOSOPHY We strive to provide the most information possible to the judiciary on defendants, so that informed decisions can be made when deciding how a person should be released from jail and who should remain in jail. PTS also refers eligible defendants to other court programs such as Drug Court, Mental Health Court, and Veterans Court. In addition, by providing a high level of supervision of certain defendants, we will help defendants get the assistance that they need to be able to stay out of jail, provide for their families, and be a productive member of society. We will provide information to defendants to help them access mental health and substance abuse treatment and any other court-ordered treatment or programs. PTS will continue to work in the best interest of the court system to keep the jail population down and to minimize failures to appear in court. The Law Library Board and staff are committed to excellence on every achievable level. We believe that all patrons are important, and free and open availability to legal materials and resources is essential to a free society. 19 PRETRIAL SERVICES GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES Goal 1 Assist the County Jail, judiciary, and other court agencies in managing and reducing the jail population and facilitate the release of defendants to reduce incarcerations Objective To manage and reduce jail population by providing information to the Judiciary so that informed decisions can be made on what type of bond and conditions of bond are necessary to protect the public and reduce incarcerations Action/Strategies a) Provide the judiciary with information on those defendants who have been arrested within the last 24 hours; provided 365 days a year b) Refer defendants to diversionary programs such as Drug Court, Mental Health Court, and Veterans Court c) Provide the judiciary with weekly input on persons who remain incarcerated Goal 2 Assist the judiciary in ensuring that defendants under the supervision of PTS appear at all court dates Objective To strive to keep the percentage of defendants who fail to appear (FTA) for a court date below 5% keeping with the current rate for Okaloosa County of less than 3% Action/Strategies a) Maintain at least weekly contact by phone and sometimes in person with pretrial defendants to remind them of scheduled court dates b) Maintain relationship with other court agencies so that current court dates and notifications can be relayed to the defendant 20 Goal 3 PTS will supervise defendants placed under pretrial supervision by the court thus minimizing and reducing the potential danger to the community Objective To maintain a high level of supervision which will ensure that defendants abide by any and all conditions set forth by the court and in the best interest of public safety Action/Strategies a) Maintain proper records which contain information regarding defendant’s weekly contact with the pretrial office and other information regarding their compliance with court-ordered conditions b) Electronic monitoring/GPS tracking of certain defendants who have been charged with violent offenses, sex offenses or are otherwise placed on a GPS monitor by the judiciary c) Communicate with other agencies to determine whether or not a defendant is in compliance with court-ordered conditions such as substance abuse and mental health treatment Goal 4 Reduce inmate housing costs to Okaloosa County by supervising defendants and utilizing electronic monitoring while maintaining public safety Objective To supervise defendants and utilize electronic monitoring to maintain a high level of supervision of defendants that might not otherwise be eligible for release at a cost savings to the county Action/Strategies a) Maintain supervision of pretrial release defendants while their cases are pending at a cost savings to the county of $69 per day per defendant b) Weekly contact in person with each defendant on an electronic monitor to receive monies owed that will cover the complete cost of monitoring c) Charge a weekly fee to defendants on an electronic monitor that is less than the cost to the county for housing an inmate per week d) Maintain proper records on each defendant who is on an electronic monitor to make sure that fees are received from and are current on each defendant e) Deposit any excess electronic monitoring funds in the county’s general fund account 21 LAW LIBRARY GOALS, OBJECTIVES & STRATEGIES Goal 1 Maintain current levels of service in light of decreased funding. Objective To maintain the two branches of the OCLL at current levels of service Action/Strategies a) Maintain existing office furniture and equipment; no new purchases b) Make legal information available to users in the most appropriate and relevant format, providing general, substantive and procedural materials c) Continue to update Florida publications in hard copy on a 3 or 4 year cycle to reduce costs d) Continue to be open to the public with minimal closures e) Continue to provide computer access to legal databases free of charge to patrons Goal 2 To increase public awareness of OCLL and its services Objective To increase library use by the general public Action/Strategies a) Network within existing county and city organizations – chambers and schools b) Provide workshops on legal research and how to utilize law library resources c) Utilize public service announcements of local media 22  EXTENSION SERVICE MISSION STATEMENT The mission of University of Florida’s Okaloosa County Extension Service is to develop and provide research-based information and educational programs to the