Colorado Commissioner Sallie Clark elected as officer & 2nd VP to National Association of Counties (NACo)

On July 22, 2013 in Tarrant County, Texas, Commissioner Sallie Clark was elected to serve as Second Vice President of NACo at the annual summer conference in Fort Worth, Texas. Elected officials representing counties from all over the United States chose El Paso County Commissioner Sallie Clark to serve as 2nd VP of the National Association of Counties (NACo).  NACo is the official organization representing approximately 3000 counties in Washington D.C.  Placing her name in nomination for the NACo office, Commissioner Roy Charles Brooks of Tarrant County Texas told conference delegates, “Sallie Clark is a woman who has been tested by fire.  Her county like many communities across our nation has had a devastating natural disaster this year. Over 700 homes and thousands of acres were destroyed by 2 wildfires and through it all, Sallie has been strong and worked hard to help her community recover.”  As her main nominator, Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe added, “Sallie Clark is a great representative for El Paso County and Colorado and she will be a great representative for all of us working to maintain local control for critical county services.”  Commissioner Sally Heyman from Miami-Dade Florida added, “We come from different parts of the country and different political parties but we share a common passion for public service and helping others.”

 

"This gives me the opportunity to ensure that Colorado concerns are heard clearly in Washington,” Commissioner Clark commented. ”Colorado citizens know why it is so important for the federal government to adopt responsible management practices that reduce the risk of wildfires and why it is critical to maintain our roads and bridges.  Our leaders on Capitol Hill must also be aware of the need to support our military and veterans and understand the importance of maintaining local control over the services that directly impact the lives of our citizens.  These are the kinds of issues that we work on at NACo everyday and I look forward to making a difference as we address these and many other issues during my years as an officer in NACo leadership.”   Because NACo leadership is structured as a “straight line of succession,”  Commissioner Clark will serve a one year term as 2nd Vice President, moving up to 1st Vice President at the NACo conference next summer and will become President of NACo in 2015.”We’re excited to have Sallie representing Colorado in NACo leadership,” noted Commissioner Dennis Hisey, Chair of the El Paso County Board.  ”There were four good candidates for this important office.  Sallie worked hard on her campaign.  She had a lot of help and support from Commissioners all over Colorado as well as all over the country who have come to see her as a creative problem solver who will make things happen.”

 

Commissioner Clark represents El Paso County Commissioner District 3 on the Board of County Commissioners.  Her district includes all of the Westside of Colorado Springs as well as Manitou Springs and the Ute Pass area extending to the Teller County line.   She was appointed last year to serve on the NACo Board of Directors last year by President Chris Rodgers from Douglas County, Nebraska.  She also serves on numerous NACo steering committees and policy groups.

 

For more information on Commissioner Sallie Clark, visit www.SallieClarkCommissioner.com or  www.ElPasoCO.com

Commissioner Sallie Clark participates in NACo Smart Justice Symposium

This week, I had the chance to build on my participation with National Association of Counties (NACo) and explored justice and public safety priorities such as juvenile justice reform, workforce development, jail population management and related jail heathcare issues at the 2013 Smart Justice Symposium, held Jan 31-Feb. 1.
Hosted by Los Angeles County, our NACo Justice and Public Safety (JPS) Committee discussed these critical priorities with justice and public safety experts from across the country and considered how county officials can best shape federal policies and funding levels to ensure that services for communities are efficient and effective.

Seven sessions were held over the two days addressing:

• Latest innovations and successes on juvenile justice reform
• Pretrial justice programs and how they can improved public safety and help counties better manage jail populations
• Workforce development plan and strategies to curb recidivism
• New national health care law and how it relates to county jail populations strategies to curb child sex trafficking
• Relationships between counties and their state in the management of jail populations

The Smart Justice Symposium is part of NACo President Chris Rodgers' presidential Smart Justice initiative which aims to build knowledge and capacity for successful justice policies and practices among the nation's counties. It also provides a closer examination of the need for intergovernmental collaboration and public partnerships in an effort to create safer communities and spend taxpayer money more effectively.

The NACo Smart Justice Symposium builds on the focus of NACo's Justice and Public Safety platform and legislative agenda. The opportunity to hear directly from experts on many of the critical justice and public safety issues affecting counties across the country and the critical matters explored at the meeting will improve and enhance public safety in states and local communities.

In my role as NACo's JPS Court Subcommittee Chair, I participated in panel discussions and facilitated a workshop and conversation on pretrial services, offering alternative sentencing options that can help to reduce jail populations. In addition, along with our chair of the JPS Committee Nancy Schouweiler, Commissioner from Dakota County, MN, I was able to tour a portion of the Los Angeles County jail facility whose Sheriff's Department and County Supervisors are responsible for housing approximately 18,000 inmates at various locations with a budget of nearly $3 billion per year. LA Supervisor Don Knabe and Sheriff Lee Baca both presented at the Symposium.  To see a full agenda of the Smart Justice Symposium, visit www.naco.org

*Commissioner Clark serves on the NACo Justice and Public Safety Committee as the Court Subcommittee Chair.

END OF RAINBOW EDGES NEARER FOR FALLS NEAR MANITOU SPRINGS

Thanks to efforts by Commissioner Sallie Clark, the Manitou Environmental Citizens' Action (MECA), El Paso County Parks, citizens and volunteers gathered on Saturday, April 21st to bring Rainbow Falls back to its original splendor, encouraing more families and citizens to enjoy this historic and beautiful area. Coincidentally, the clean up took place on Earth Day.

Clean up activities included painting over destructive graffiti on the bridge and picking up trash along the trails, roadway and in the water fed by Fountain Creek. Over the last seven years, El Paso County, MECA and many other organizations have been making strides in improving the area, which until recently, had been under private ownership. Thanks to persistent efforts and the transfer of ownership to the County, picnic tables and trash cans have been installed, graffiti has been sandblasted from the rocks, the parking lot has been increased and trails have been built, including the restoration of the overlook trail with railings. One of the projects included that of Boy Scout Martin Rendleman, for his successful Eagle Scout project to build a trail access and picnic area near the entrance to the park area.

Rainbow Falls, located just west of Manitou Springs off of Serpentine drive is on the old Ute Pass Stagecoach route and is a historically significant recreation destination. After years of neglect and abuse by vandals, the property was deeded to El Paso County for a $10 transfer fee. Families are now using the area in the park and picnic area and law enforcement has come together to assist in changing the culture of destructive graffiti on the natural outcroppings and the waterway.

L'Aura Montgomery Williams, the founder of MECA, said, "Through increased family recreation and utilitization as well as citizen and sheriff/police patrols, Rainbow Falls is no longer a haven for graffiti vandals. We are sending a message that the Falls is now a park to be enjoyed, not  a place to be destroyed."

Financial contributions can be made through the MECA website: www.MECAcolorado.org

EL PASO COUNTY COMMISSIONER SALLIE CLARK AND DA DAN MAY WORK TO COMBAT CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT

Commissioner Clark with Paul Richards

Spring of 2012 has been a busy one for the El Paso County Board of Commissioners with many projects and events happening in the Pikes Peak Region.In the coming weeks, I'll be sharing some important issues that I've been involved with. 

Each year in April, the Commissioners recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month and this year was no different. With more the 12,300 reports of child abuse and neglect, El Paso County leads the state in referrals. As a member of the Child Welfare Allocation Committee at the State level, it's more important than ever to make sure counties (including El Paso) need to receive our fair share of dollars to answer these calls and keep Colorado's most vulnerable children safe from abuse and neglect. In April, I had the opportunity to take the message to the radio and TV waves and I personally appreciate their support of this important and yet difficult to discuss issue.

A County in Crisis? NOT ONE MORE CHILD Initiative: Last year in El Paso County, we saw the alarming number of 10 child fatalities due to abuse or neglect. All of these little ones were under the age of five and six of the 10 were not even one year old.   

After seeing these tragic numbers and knowing that we were close to crisis mode, District Attorney Dan May and I started the "Not One More Child" initiative with the goal of not seeing one more child in El Paso County die due to abuse or neglect.   

Dr. Bruce Perry at a recent child abuse prevention forum

Now more than 100 representatives from law enforcement, military installations, the Department of Human Services, hospitals and community groups like Family Connections, KPC Kids Place, Pikes Peak United Way, CASA, TESSA and Safe Passage are all working toward the goal of "Not One More Child" in El Paso County dying due to abuse or neglect.  To reach our goal we have divided the group into six smaller task groups. 

-  A Hotline Committee: looking how one local call number, to include online resources, can assist parents in crisis 

-  Mentors: researching how best to connect new parents with mentors and support systems

- A Communications Committee: creating the messaging to reach out to the community

-   A Data Committee: analyzing the data about child fatalities over the last five years

-   First Responders: creating more avenues for first responders to reach out to parents

-  The Medical Community: researching the best ways to reach out to parents in the hospital as well as at doctor’s offices before and after birth

Not One More Child Initiative Meeting

    Since the initiative began in January we have seen great media coverage on important resources for parents.  All the local hospitals either have a Crying Baby Plan presented to new parents or are working on getting one. We have a data report looking at the child fatalities over the last five years. First responders are putting together information to hand out to families they encounter as well as creating a special training for first responders to identify at risk families. We are all working together and very aware of what other local organizations are doing so there is not a duplication of efforts and we are not all working in our own little silos but leveraging the power of all the organizations involved so not one more child will die due to abuse or neglect. If you are interested in becoming involved in this effort or would like to learn more about it.  

    If you are interested in attending the upcoming meetings, please contact me by email: sallieclark@elpasoco.com

  

   Coming soon...No Man's Land-West Colorado Avenue project on the road to success, Rainbow Falls Restoration and Clean Up, Fort Carson Growth Plan, Cheyenne Mountain Shooting Range, and more!