Public Service Ethics Laws and Principles for County Officials Tuesday, November 16, 2:30 – 4:30 p.m.

This workshop will include an overview of the full range of public service ethics laws and principles affecting county officials’ public service along with video examples of missteps.  Attendees will also receive a complete set of the Institute for Local Government’s ethics reference materials.

For those who sign in and stay for the full session, they will satisfy state law (AB 1234) ethics training requirements

Redistricting 101: It’s Time to Draw the Lines Tuesday, November 16, 2:30 – 4:30 p.m.

It’s time again for counties to prepare for local redistricting.  The decennial federal census is complete and counties will begin the process of adjusting the boundaries of county supervisorial districts in 2011.  Join the following experts who will help you understand the state and federal laws involved and what your county should be doing to prepare for and execute this significant task:

• Debora Seiler, Registrar of Voters, San Diego County
• Karin MacDonald, Director of the Statewide Database, UC Berkeley Institute of Government Studies

Pension Investments: How Risk Affects Rates Wednesday, November 17, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Join representatives from the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) and the San Bernardino County Employees’ Retirement Association (SBCERA) as they discuss how decisions regarding asset allocation, risk and risk pooling can affect the rates counties pay for retirement benefits. Also hear what the latest experience studies are telling pension actuaries and how that information will influence employer rates beginning in 2012.  Lastly, these experts will discuss how pension systems will manage the signficant market losses faced by retirement funds in 2008.

Panelists:

• David Lamoureux, Supervising Pension Actuary, CalPERS
• James Perry, CFA, CAIA, Investment Officer, SBCERA

Counties and Medical Marijuana: A Roundtable Discussion Wednesday, November 17, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Since the passage of Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, local governments have faced various uncertainties with the legal and illegal usage of medical marijuana. Counties are facing issues related to land use and zoning, environmental problems and public safety and law enforcement, to name a few. 

This workshop will feature a panel of speakers from different counties that have dealt with various medical marijuana issues in their respective communities. 

Moderators: Supervisor Susan Adams, Marin County; Supervisor Mark Lovelace, Humboldt County 

Panelists: 

• Sari Steele, Principal Deputy County Counsel, Los Angeles County
• Jeanine Nadel, County Counsel, Mendocino County
• Supervisor Bob Williams, Tehama County

Health Care Reform Lands in California: What Counties Need to Know Thursday, November 18, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

In the first of what will grow to be a series of workshops on national health care reform, CSAC is offering a workshop titled, “Health Care Reform Lands in California – What Counties Need to Know” at the 116th Annual Meeting. CSAC has invited a distinguished panel of county experts from the health, mental health, and human services areas, as well as a representative from the California HealthCare Foundation, to discuss the impact of the landmark Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act law on counties. 

The panel will also elaborate on efforts at the county level to prepare for the 2014 implementation of the law, and also how the new Section 1115 Medicaid Hospital Waiver will affect early implementation in California.

California Counties and Water: A Roundtable Tuesday, November 16, 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.

What would a CSAC Annual Meeting be without a lively discussion of water! This informal session, facilitated by Yolo County Supervisor Mike McGowan and Tulare County Supervisor Alan Ishida, will provide participants with the opportunity talk about the big picture as well as local water challenges, whether related to supply, quality or regulatory issues. This dialog among counties is a potential starting point for future discussions regarding water and if necessary the refinement of CSAC water policy and direction.