By Barbara Marschall

Guest Commentary

During the past year, it was my honor to serve Scott
County as chairperson of the Board
of Commissioners and a privilege to serve on this board for the past 11 years.

The year 2007 was like many others, marked by small opportunities,
daily challenges, routine responsibilities, little celebrations, momentary
setbacks and the quiet work of good people striving to do their very best to
make Scott County and this world a better place.

In other ways, 2007 was like no other. Each year offers new and
unique challenges and opportunities. That’s what makes life as a county commissioner
interesting. We always have issues to face, questions to answer and problems to
solve.

It has become tradition for the chairperson to review the triumphs
and challenges of the past year and provide a glimpse of what may come in the
year ahead. Despite the many challenges both behind and ahead of us, Scott
County remains as vital as ever.

The County Board
has adopted five strategic initiatives which drive the daily operations and
business decisions made for Scott County.
These initiatives are focused on the mission statement – to deliver quality
public services to all citizens in an effective, professional and efficient manner.

Following is a summary of those strategic initiatives and some of
the 2007 programs, projects and activities established by county government to
serve you, the taxpayers.

1. Develop strong public partnerships and an active and informed
population:

Phase one of the Regional Public Safety Training facility in Jordan
is complete. The facility will be available in January to provide training for police,
fire, emergency responders, public works and hazmat personnel. This project is
supported and advanced through SCALE, the Scott County Association for
Leadership and Efficiency.

The Scott County Meth Task Force is actively engaged in both
prevention and education efforts to reduce the use of meth and the subsequent
cost to taxpayers for clean-up of meth labs, child protection when parents are
arrested, court costs and incarceration of meth users in our jail. The number
of meth cases prosecuted by the county attorney decreased from 135 cases in
2005 to 95 cases in 2007.

The new county Web
site is more user-friendly and easier to navigate
when looking for information on various aspects of county government. The
homepage features “hot news,” highlights and a calendar of upcoming events.

Considerable accolades were received for our participation in the
“Beyond-the-Yellow-Ribbon” campaign and other reintegration programs promoted by
our Veterans Service Office.

Our “Future Leaders of Scott County” program brought 100 students
from middle schools throughout the county to the government center for a day in
April to learn about county government and interact with staff.

The Sheriff’s Office sponsored its annual Catfish Derby in August.
Fifty local kids accompanied the sheriff and his deputies for a day of fishing
on the Minnesota River.

2. Create safe, healthy and livable communities:

Migration to the regional 800 megahertz radio system is underway. This
state-of-the-art system allows emergency responders to more readily communicate
with and among each other, across and throughout the Twin Cities region.
Improved communication enhances public safety and aids minimal response time in
an emergency.

Various road construction or improvement projects have been completed
throughout the county. The highway department is gathering data on crash rates,
crimes and incident mapping for future needs to increase safety.

Immunization clinics staffed by public health nurses served 456
children who were uninsured or underinsured through the Minnesota Vaccines for
Children program, plus another 136 people under 19 not eligible for this program.
In addition, numerous flu vaccines were given in anticipation of the flu
season.

Public Health continues to track infectious diseases and
prevention strategies which address the increasing trends for tuberculosis and
persistent rates of sexually transmitted disease infection in our communities.

Our Business Continuity Plan enables us to maintain the critical
functions of local government in the event of a disaster. From planning for
potential bioterrorism attacks to preparing for a pandemic flu outbreak, Scott
County and its emergency response partners are preparing for the “what ifs.”

3. Manage the challenges and opportunities derived from growth and
development:

After much work, an unprecedented amount of public input and an
entirely new approach to land-use planning, the 2030 Comprehensive Plan is
almost complete. The plan addresses not only land use, but how and where to
address the needs of people.

A parks program manager was hired to implement plans and strategies
for our county parks.

The BlueXpress transit service is a partnership between Scott
County and the cities of Prior
Lake and Shakopee
that now serves over 250 riders per day going to downtown Minneapolis.
The Southbridge Crossings station celebrated its grand opening in July.

4. Provide a supportive organizational culture which enhances the county
mission:

Unlike business and organizations that undertake efforts to
enhance customer service to fix a problem, Scott
County staff focuses its efforts on
making our great customer service even better. Providing high-quality public
services and a positive experience for all customers is the goal.

Our “Scott University”
has provided leadership and development opportunities for 94 employees who have
completed the program. Fifteen participants are enrolled in the current
session, and we’re collaborating with Dakota
County to develop a joint program
for department managers.

5. Sustain the county’s excellent financial health:

In an effort to provide timely, relevant and understandable
financial information, the management team begins budget discussions in
February each year. Financial information is posted on the Web site, and
regular updates are given during County
Board meetings broadcast on
public-access channels.

Scott County
has completed various initiatives to streamline and economize spending through
the use of technology and strategic budgeting, by creating detailed fiscal
analyses on long-term capital debt options and by using outside vendors for
such services as jail food preparation and laundry.

Prior Lake resident Barbara Marschall is a commissioner on the Scott County Board. She can be reached at (952) 496-8744, by e-mailing bmarschall@co.scott.mn.us or by
mailing the Scott County Government Center, 200
W. Fourth Ave., Shakopee, MN 55379.