by vote of the people - Jefferson County Clerk

The
Winter Edition 2014
PLATES MAKE
EVERYONE SPECIAL
A message from the Jefferson County Clerk
A new year is here, once again, and
it is always a time for reflection on
the past year and a time to reset
goals for the future. Please find the
Clerk’s Office’s annual 2013 report of
accomplishments in this edition.
Frank Friday, Esq. Director,
Govt. & Community Relations
In the last 20 years, we in
Kentucky have had no shortage
of opportunities to select a special
design or personal license plate.
Perhaps the most often seen is the
college and university plates, where
you can show the old school spirit.
There is an individual plate for each
of the state’s 8 public universities
and 19 private schools. A $10 fee in
the application for these plates goes
to each school’s scholarship fund.
These can also be personalized for
an annual fee of $25.
There are also now 19 different
military related license plates (see
our article featuring the League of
Kentucky Sportsmen plate on page
5) and 15 motorcycle military plates
for veterans of various branches and
winners of medals. A $5 fee goes
into the state’s Veterans Fund from
most of these plate applications,
while plates for Gold Star parents
and Medal of Honor winners have no
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fees.
Recently, I met with my executive staff
to plan divisional goals for 2014. My
priority is to continue to provide quality,
first rate service for the residents
of Jefferson County. Within the
Motor Vehicle Division, we will begin
preparing, training and transitioning
as well as keeping you informed as
we move forward with the state’s
new Kentucky Automated Vehicle
Information System (KAVIS). These
changes will affect the technology
used daily by the clerks in every type
of motor vehicle transaction they
conduct. I will also be doing some
upgrades to the Dixie, West and
Jeffersontown Motor Vehicle branches
as well as technology upgrades.
After a year off from any elections,
the Election Center has not been
sitting idle as they have been going
through redistricting, the process of
redesigning area maps with accuracy
of city boundaries as they prepare for
BY VOTE OF THE PEOPLE
Direct democracy referenda are a
common occurrence in many states,
where the voters are allowed to
say yes or no on a particular issue.
Although there is no federal level
procedure, virtually every state allows
some form of issue level voting. In
Kentucky, it is primarily to do with
amendments to our state constitution,
changes to the structure of local
government and sale of liquor. Other
The V.I.P.
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Bobbie Holsclaw
the May 20th, 2014 Primary.
Many local and state offices are
up for re-election.
If you have any questions or
suggestions as to how the
Clerk’s Office can better serve
you, please let us know. Do not
hesitate to visit our website and
fill out a comment card to let us
know how we are doing.
Frank Friday, Esq. Director,
Govt. & Community Relations
states, especially in the Midwest and
far West, allow a more extensive
form of legislating through the ballot
box.
In Kentucky, we might again see the
use of our law on direct ballot issues,
though, as several Constitutional
measures are being discussed. To
change the state constitution, each
house of the General Assembly must
pass a measure by vote of 3/5 of all
the members serving, and it is placed
on the next general election ballot
where a simple majority of the voters
must approve it. (The Governor does
not have a veto of an amendment).
Only two amendments may be
proposed in a year, but these can
be very large items. In the 1970s, a
complete re-write, for example, was
A quarterly publication of the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office
(continued on page 2)
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1
The V.I.P. is a quarterly publication
of the Jefferson County Clerk’s
Office for the benefit of our
employees and customers.
Mission Statement:
We are committed to providing
service that reflects Value,
Integrity, and Performance.
We believe every citizen deserves
V.I.P. service.
www.JeffersonCountyClerk.org
PLATES MAKE EVERYONE SPECIAL
One can also find several nature related
plates such as the Bobcat, Butterfly and
Cardinal plates courtesy of the Kentucky
Heritage Land Trust, for an additional
$10 fee and $25 to personalize. Several
other state administered funds also
provide their own special license plate
design for a fee.
Then there are similar arrangements for
over a dozen specialty plates related to
private organizations, from the Friends
of Coal, to the Choose Life, to the
Kentucky Colonels. But the donation fee
here is voluntary.
Certain elected officials, i.e., judges,
state legislators, and members of
Congress have their own unique license
plates. Usually, this will be personalized
to show the numbered district they
represent.
Even in the standard license plates
there is some variety; a customer
can choose between the “In God We
Trust” design or the “Unbridled Spirit”.
There is also a Farm design for the
We thank our contributing writers for
this issue:
Angela Davis Clark, Director
Human Resources Division
Frank Friday, Esq. Director
Government & Community Relations
Jordan Kelch, Public Relations
If you have ideas for future articles of
interest, please contact the
Managing Editor at 574-0045 or email
[email protected]
BOBBIE HOLSCLAW
Publisher
NORE GHIBAUDY
Editor-in-Chief
Photograph of Ms. Holsclaw courtesy
of Ewa Wojkoska and Today’s Woman Magazine.
Director’s photos by Ewa Wojkoska.
JOANNA DAVIS
Graphic Design
regular customer available for any
farmer’s truck for the regular license
fees. These, of course, can be
personalized with one’s own letters
and numbers for the $25 fee.
Perhaps the biggest proliferation of
new plates has come for motorcycles.
Just a few years ago Kentucky had
only the small simple plate that said
“Motorcycle” on it , but the popularity
of these vehicles led their owners to
ask for their own extensive inventory
of plates. There are now 18 different
varieties including one for disabled
riders.
Before the age of hand-held games,
a common activity for children on
long car trips was to count the
number of different license plates
they see. Back then, you might only
see a couple, depending on the route
of travel. Today, thanks to Kentucky
and other states, if any children still
bother to try this, they will see far
more than they can keep track of!
BY VOTE OF THE PEOPLE
done of our state judiciary system, all
in one amendment vote. Items that
may be considered this year include
expanded gaming and automatic
enfranchisement of released felons.
Kentucky law also allows a fairly easy
pathway for citizens to bring certain
items of re-organization to the voters of
a particular territory. In 2000, Jefferson
County voters adopted the current
“consolidated local government” system
to merge the old city and county.
Lexington has a similar special system
called an “urban-county” government.
Perhaps the biggest difference between
the two is that, in Lexington, the mayor
and council run for election on a nonpartisan basis.
Kentucky also has extensive provisions
to add or consolidate counties,
depending upon the wishes of the
voters. The last new county to be
created was McCreary County in 1912.
Any new county has to have at least
400 square miles of territory and there
are no current counties with 800 square
miles, so it would be impossible to
have a new county split from one old
one. Given the lack of growth in many
places, it would probably be better to
consolidate many of our counties, but
little movement has been taking place
www.JeffersonCountyClerk.org
(continued from page 1)
(continued from page 1)
on that front.
The most frequent type of public
issue referenda we see in our state
is the so-called “wet-dry” local option
election, to make it legal or illegal to
sell alcohol. This may involve territory
as small as a precinct to as large
as a county. These votes are held
separately from any other primary or
general election, no closer than 30
days, although the regular election
officers for those precincts affected
are used.
In addition to simple wet versus
dry, Kentucky also has special
limited status, called “moist” where
certain venues may be allowed to
sell alcohol, such as a golf course,
historic site, vineyard, or small
restaurant after a referendum. In
the past, much of Kentucky was
dry territory owing to local opinion
against all alcohol sales and in a
recent tally there
were still 50 counties
considered dry. Today,
however, local option
elections are most
often the result of
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Frank Friday, Esq. Director,
Govt. & Community Relations
page 2
2013
Jefferson County Clerk’s Office
Accomplishments
LEGISLATIVE
• Passage of SB 1. The Military Overseas Voter Act. Greatly facilitates efficient voting by overseas
service members through federal post-card registration and electronic transmission of ballots. It
also establishes a commission for further reforms which Bobbie Holsclaw sits on to represent the
Kentucky clerks.
• Comment card data base. Community Affairs has an ongoing project to collect email addresses.
This can be used in furthering JCCO public information.
• Successful conclusion of Support the Troops campaign. We raised over $35,000 for USACares
in the last decade with our Support the Troops signs. The last of these signs were given out in the
summer of 2013, and displayed all across the county.
ELECTION CENTER
• Maintained voter registration rolls.
• Continued training of personnel to better implement the Election Process.
• Established better communication throughout all election departments.
• Created a Facebook page to assist in election officer recruitment. It has, to date, approximately 160
likes.
• Added a link on the web page that allows voters to check voting status by searching the state voting
system.
• Bobbie worked with the state committee to get election laws improved for military and overseas
absentee voters.
• Completed redistricting from the last census as directed by the State Legislature.
• Crossed-trained staff but will continue striving to become more accomplished next year.
• Visited and trained many Jefferson County nursing home staffs in procedures for absentee voting.
FACILITIES PLANNING & LOGISTICS
• Enhanced the aesthetics of our Motor Vehicle branches.
• Closed our Central MV branch and worked on the design, construction, moving and opening of the
new Highview Branch.
• Coordinated the construction and design to the completion of the newest and eighth MV branch,
Fairdale.
FINANCE
• Continued to work on the KAVIS project along with Motor Vehicles and IT to ensure the successful
implementation of this system for Jefferson County as well as the State.
• Provided guidance to ensure impeccable audits and reach financial goals while maintaining a good
working relationship with other departments.
• Cross-trained employees, not only within Finance Administration and Operations, but also with
Delinquent Tax.
• Improved the balancing procedures, ensuring proper cash handling and placement of fees by
resolving any issues immediately.
• Continual coaching and training of the Finance staff to maintain employee relations, work ethics and
knowledge of processes
• Crossed-trained staff but will continue striving to become more accomplished next year.
The V.I.P.
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A quarterly publication of the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office
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HUMAN RESOURSES
• Conducted EEO and ADA Training for Management.
• Coordinated with LMG to get JCCO employees recertified in CPR/First Aid.
• Conducted “Above and Beyond” Customer Service training for all employees of the JCCO.
• Conducted Personnel Policy Manual and Employment Law Training for New Managers and
Assistant Managers.
• Conducted Customer Service Training for the Motor Vehicle Division employees.
• Met with interested employees to discuss the Unscheduled Absence policy and to solicit their
comments.
• Because of our safety considerations, the agency received a $8449 premium reduction from KEMI.
• Continued to stay abreast of all Employment Law Updates and Changes: Affordable Care Act;
SB 2, Retirement Legislative Changes; EEOC interpretation of the definition of “supervisor”;
EEOC interpretation of using Background Checks when making Employment Decisions; New I-9
Employment Eligibility Verification form; and National Labor Relations Board and denial of
mandatory Notification of Employer Rights posting.
• Received $700 credit for 4th qtr of 2012 and $240 credit for 2nd qtr of 2013 on Unemployment
premium.
• Submitted EEO4 report.
• Updated the Request to Fill Vacancy form.
• Made policy amendment to the Unexcused Absences policy.
• Made policy amendment to the Funds Accountability policy as it relates to credit cards and checks.
• Implemented Workplace Violence Prevention Policy.
• Attended Employer Reporting Compliance and Education Training sponsored by Kentucky
Retirement Systems.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
• Implemented a cloud-based disaster recovery plan for the JCCO virtual server platform.
• Upgraded and expanded data storage for the JCCO virtual server platform.
• Replaced aging computer and voting machine equipment throughout the JCCO to ensure continuity
of service.
• Updated and upgraded the telephone renewals system.
• Opened the Fairdale Branch Office.
• Moved the Central Branch Office to the Highview Branch Office.
• Pilot program for kiosk-based renewals.
• Began installing VOIP telephone system for the MV Call Center.
• Retired old optical library for JCCO land records.
• Switched to the State’s new Web-based voter registration application.
• Gradual migration to Windows 7 operating system.
• Completion of land records redaction project.
LEGAL RECORDS DIVISION
• Legal Records maintained VIP service in production (2013 production levels exceeded
2012 by 20%).
• Placed more than 90% of all condos and subdivision plats on the website by December 31, 2013.
• Redacting software was implemented and we currently check for accuracy to redact deeds thru
2006 and mortgages thru 2005.
• Continue to recover and label Triple Index books that are in disrepair.
• Continued working on Image error reduction through site verification. We continue doing quality
control on archived documents especially years 2002-2004.
• The Division Manager designed a program to train all employees in customer service etiquette on
a continual basis.
• Pursued and were awarded a Local Records Grant ($34,064) from the Kentucky Department of
Library Archives for the purposes of placing microfilm on disc.
• Secured additional document storage space by partnering with Metro Archives.
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MOTOR VEHICLE DIVISION
• Started to train staff on the new KAVIS system to be launched by the state in 2014 as well as
educate our customers to ensure a smooth transition.
• Began to inform the public of the new system and essential laws that will change while working
closely with the Government & Community Relations division.
• Continue to train staff on every aspect of their jobs so they have the necessary tools to offer
VIP service.
• Conducted customer service training for MV staff members.
• Opened the new Fairdale Branch.
• Relocated the East and Highview Branches.
• Revived the round table forums with dealerships and financial institutions.
• Trained Dealer’s and Runners on dealer work.
COMMUNICATION, MEDIA & PUBLIC RELATIONS
• Enhanced the JCCO website.
• Updated strategic marketing objectives, taking into consideration new technological options.
• Began Internet advertising for renew program on media websites.
• Worked within the various neighborhoods (East, Fairdale and Highview) to keep residents informed
of branch closings and openings.
CELEBRATING THE COMMONWEALTH’S
NATURAL RESOURCES WITH
THE LEAGUE OF KY SPORTSMEN
Conservation and sustainability
may sound like modern concerns,
and they are, but a group of
Kentucky sportsmen, far ahead of
their time, prove that preserving the
Commonwealth’s
natural resources
has been an
important issue
for the better part
of 80 years. It
was in 1935 that
these Kentucky
citizens came
together, not only
to combine efforts
and strengthen
influence, but to
create and solidify
a more credible
and long lasting
conservation
policy, aimed at
benefiting Kentucky citizens and
the state itself. It was through
these goals and endeavors that
the League of KY Sportsmen was
formed.
Founding the organization was just
the beginning, and the sportsmen
The V.I.P.
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knew that. The logical next step
was to foster a working relationship
with the Department of Fish &
Wildlife; through this alliance, the
sportsmen expanded their influence
and were able to work towards a
more businesslike administration.
After years of growth, the League
of KY Sportsmen has assisted in
Kentucky’s rise to prominence, now
considered one of the leading states
for hunting and fishing in America.
When purchasing a “League of
Kentucky Sportsmen” license plate,
$10.00 of the initial and renewal
of registration fee is a voluntary
donation. The initial
cost, as well as the
cost each time a plate
is issued, is $44.00.
The annual renewal
cost is $31.00. This
plate is available
for personalization
with an additional
$25.00 application fee
annually. Application
must be made at
your local County
Clerk’s office. This
personalized plate is
limited to a maximum
of 5 characters.
By Jordan Kelch
Public Relations
A quarterly publication of the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office
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Human Resources
STATE PENSION REFORM
(This article is for informational purposes only based on my interpretation of the changes. Those employees needing specific information about
their retirement benefits must consult with the Kentucky Retirement Systems).
Angela Clark,
Director, Human Resources
On March 26,
2013, the General
Assembly passed
bills stabilizing and
modernizing the state’s
pension system.
The companion
bills, Senate Bill
2 and House Bill
440, passed both
chambers (House
and Senate) of the
General Assembly.
This legislative
package creates
funding to pay
the State’s full
recommended
annual pension
contribution
without threatening
key state services.
SB2 makes
fundamental
changes to the
pension plan in order
to address long-term
sustainability issues.
It creates a hybrid
cash-balance plan
for future state and
local employees hired
on or after January
1, 2014, which gives
those new employees
better portability
of their pension
benefits. The
hybrid plan would
guarantee retirees
a rate of return
on investments
instead of a
defined pension
benefit.
Member
Changes
for Those
Who Begin
Participating in
CERS on or after
January 1, 2014:
Contributions
Owed: Employee
contributions (5%);
plus employer contributions; plus
health insurance contributions
(1%).
Sick Leave: Unused sick
leave cannot be used towards
retirement if the employer
participates in the sick leave
program.
Retirement Eligibility: No early
retirement. Nonhazardous
employees have to be age 65
with at least 5 years of earned
service credit; or their age +
years of service must equal to 87
(with minimum retirement age of
57).
Retirement Payment: Refund of
accumulated account balance; or
Lifetime Annuity; or Survivorship
options.
Health Insurance: No changes
since September 1, 2008.
Member Changes for All
Members:
Cost Of Living Allowance (COLA):
For members retiring on or after
January 1, 2014, they will receive
COLA only if: (1) the funding
level in the system is greater
than 100%, (2) the COLA will
not reduce the funding less than
100%, and (3) it is authorized by
the legislature; or, the legislature
prefunds the COLA.
members who are not vested will be
refunded member contributions and
interest; and cash-balance members
who are vested will be refunded the
entire accumulated account balance.
New Beneficiary Payment Option:
Beneficiaries now have the choice
to decline monthly payments
and instead opt to receive the
remaining balance of the member’s
contributions and interest in a
one-time payment directly to the
beneficiary (minus 20% for federal
income tax), or partially or directly
rolled over to an Individual Retirement
Account (IRA) or employer plan.
Employer Changes:
Pension Spiking: For members
retiring on or after January 1, 2014,
the law will require an employee’s
last participating employer to pay
the actuarial cost resulting from
annual increases in an employee’s
creditable compensation greater than
10% over the employee’s last five
(5) fiscal years of employment. This
means that increases in creditable
compensation caused by overtime,
compensatory time (excluding any
lump-sum payment at the time of
termination) and bonuses may be
subject to this provision. The only
exception is if the increase is the
result of either a bona fide promotion
or career advancement.
Kentucky Retirement Systems Does
Senate Bill 2 Affect You?, https://kyret.
ky.gov/about/Pages/Does-Senate-Bill-2Affct-You, retrieved 01/03/2014
Kentucky.gov: - Governor, Legislators
Approve and Fund Historic Pension
Reform, Governor Steve Beshear’s
Communications Office, http://
migration.kentucky.gove/newsroom/
governor/20130326pensionreform.htm,
retrieved 01/06/2014
Kentucky Retirement Systems Legislative
Updates handout produced by KRS
Purchases/Refunds: Refund
re-contributions will no longer
change participation date; cashbalance members may only
purchase omitted or refund
service -- not other types of
purchase services; cash-balance
www.JeffersonCountyClerk.org
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GEARING UP FOR THE ELECTION SEASON
By Jordan Kelch
Public Relations
The first of January signals more than
the beginning of a new year – here at
the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office,
the start of 2014 marks the countdown
to the Commonwealth’s Primary and
General Elections, each scheduled
to take place on May 20th and
November 4th, respectively. While
2013 saw no elections in Jefferson
County, it did offer ample time for the
bipartisan staff of the Election Center
to draw up goals, review processes
and prepare for the upcoming season.
With a wide-ranging field of both local
and state offices up for grabs, 2014
promises to be a year of political
interest, conversation and possibility.
One unique facet to the impending
elections of 2014 is that they
are taking place on the heels of
redistricting, a comprehensive,
detailed process which can most
simply be explained as the redrawing
and redesignation of precinct lines.
The project typically takes place
once a decade, directly following the
Census, when the Elections Office
prepares for an onslaught of major
changes to districts, precincts and
voting locations. While the most
recent redistricting cycle began in
2011, with Metro Council Redistricting
being approved in October of that
year, the entire proposal was frozen
due to the Kentucky House and
Senate Redistricting being ruled
unconstitutional. Fast-forward to the
fall of 2013 when Holly Robinson and
Dave Grider, Mapping and Statistics
Administrators for the Jefferson
County Election Center, picked the
project back up and began redrawing
the lines of Jefferson County. “Many
areas will have new precinct names,
though we try to keep everyone in the
same polling locations and precincts.
Some polling locations from the
past will return, and some new ones
will be used,” Ms. Robinson said.
In total, Jefferson County gained
52 new precincts making the grand
total 623; keep in mind that some of
these recent additions are no-voter
precincts (unpopulated areas that
must still be designated) and smaller
precincts. At this time, Jefferson
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she claims membership. For instance,
if you are a registered Democrat in the
state of Kentucky, you can only vote
on the Democratic ballot come May.
Same holds true for members of the
Republican Party. Primaries are an
opportunity for a solitary political body
or alliance to nominate a candidate
who will advance to the general
election and challenge the nominee
of the opposing side. In Kentucky,
those registered as Independent are
not eligible to vote in the primary.
Interestingly enough, of the seven
states that border Kentucky, only
one other holds closed primaries,
being West Virginia. Indiana, Virginia,
Tennessee, and Missouri all have
open primaries, while Illinois and Ohio
allow citizens to choose which ballot
they would like to fill out. However, in
Ohio, if you are a registered Democrat
and choose to fill out a Republican
primary ballot, you have, in the state’s
eyes, changed your party affiliation.
Therefore, come the next primary, you
will be a registered Republican.
County’s redistricting has been sent
to the state board for approval; once
granted, it will go to the Legislative
Research Commission for the final
green light.
Another notable characteristic of the
upcoming elections is the amount
of local races set to appear on the
ballot. Jefferson County residents will
be voting for Louisville Metro Mayor,
County Attorney, County Clerk,
County Sheriff, Property Valuation
Administrator and several seats in
Louisville Metro Council. While a
good deal of incumbents have filed
to run again in their respective races,
challengers who would like to throw
their hats in the race have until the
filing deadline, set to hit on Tuesday,
January 28th.
Of course, the field of candidates
always narrows after the primary
election. Here in the Commonwealth,
primaries are closed, therefore an
individual must fill out the ballot that
represents the party for which he or
While different states have varying
electoral methods, one variable
holds true for all elections – the
incredible importance of distributing
factual, up-to-date information. The
Jefferson County Clerk’s Office and
the Election Center take this element
very seriously, which is why our
county offers a wealth of knowledge
at the click of a mouse. For anyone
interested in details regarding
candidate filing, term limits, precinct
locations and other information
pertinent to election season, the JCCO
would like to direct attention to the
election website, accessible from our
main page, www.jeffersoncountyclerk.
org, or via the url www.elections.
jeffersoncountyclerk.org. Whether you
are attempting to confirm your voter
registration as active, view a sample
ballot, nail down which precinct
location you are to utilize, answer
questions about In-House Absentee
Voting or research the representatives
who serve your community, the
Election Center website is an efficient,
up-to-date tool certain to assist. Check
it out, and we will see you at the polls.
A quarterly publication of the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office
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Milestones
Congratulations!
PROMOTIONS
November 16, 2013 to January 15, 2014
Ashley Hornback
R. Curtis Hoskins
Jason McGhee
Patrick Shartzer
Michelle Warnell
Meredith Wiseman
Ashley Vincent
CSR to CSA
PC Specialist I to PC Specialist II
CSR to CSA
PC Spec. I to
Netwk/Admin. Webm.
CSR to CSA
CSR to CSA
CSR to CSA
Highview Branch
IT
West Branch
IT
MV Records
East Branch
Dixie Branch
ANNIVERSARIES
November 16, 2013 to January 15, 2014
Patricia English
MV Records Dept.
Sheila Duncan
Network & i Series Support
Frank FridayGovernment
& Comm. Relations
Lavonne Johnson
Dealers/Specials
Sue Toole Administration
David Summerfield
IT
Roger Wilson
Legal Records
Joni Monks
Dealers/Specials
5 Years
15 Years
15 Years
15 Years
15 Years
15 Years
15 Years
25 Years
NEW HIRES
November 16, 2013 to January 15, 2014
Rebecca Bell
Andrea Baskerville
Mary Hall
Kimberly Merrill
Fairdale Branch
Downtown Branch
Westport Branch
Westport Branch
BY VOTE OF THE PEOPLE
11/18/2013
12/16/2013
12/16/2013
12/16/2013
(continued from page 2)
neighbors unhappy with the conduct and atmosphere surrounding specific
establishments that sell liquor.
A wet-dry vote may be held on petition of voters in that territory equal in
number to 25% of the voters for that place in the last general election. No
subsequent local option election may be held until three years pass. And all
the costs of the elections are borne by the county, perhaps the main reason
these are so frequently held in Kentucky.
MAY 20
2014
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