Tulare County looks to shift some of its budget burden

County officials on Tuesday will discuss the transfer of management of Tulare County Association of Governments activities from the county to management by the TCAG.

The meeting, which is open to the public, will take place at 9 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors Chambers, Administration Building, 2800 W. Burrel Ave., Visalia.

The board will be asked to:

-- Approve the deletion of 14.5 positions and county employees from the Resource Management Agency as well as the addition of the same 14.5 positions and county employees to TCAG management effective July 1.

-- Authorize, meet and confer with the Service Employees International Union about the impacts of the change.

-- Approve the transfer of authority for reporting and supervision purposes to TCAG Executive Director Ted Smalley.

-- Approve the removal of the budget for TCAG activities from the county’s budget process effective July 1.

TCAG exists under a joint powers agreement executed by Tulare County and the cities of Dinuba, Exeter, Farmersville, Lindsay, Porterville, Tulare, Visalia and Woodlake.

Tulare County provides the employees and manages a budget for TCAG in the Resource Management Agency’s budget in the county’s general fund. TCAG regularly reimburses the county for all costs.

In other action, supervisors will also be asked to reaffirm Resolution No. 2009-0332, which was adopted May 5, declaring a local health emergency based on H1N1 influenza in Tulare County.

The World Health Organization had raised the pandemic alert level to five, indicating widespread human infection and that a pandemic is imminent.

Reaffirmation of this proclamation will allow Tulare County to take all the necessary actions to obtain aid from state and federal officials and minimize regulatory burden to provide relief in the event accumulated economic losses are recoverable.

-- Contact Alex K.W. Schultz at 784-5000, Ext. 1045.