Board Policy Manual

Butler County

Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Six South Second Street, Suite 420
Hamilton, Ohio 45011
  (513) 867-0777

 Board Policy Manual

 

Table of Contents

 

 

Ends

            Ends Polices (A-1)

 

Executive Limitations

            Global Executive Constraint (B-1)

            Provider Contracting (B-2)

            Treatment of Staff (B-3)

            Financial Planning and Budgeting (B-4)

            Financial Condition and Activities (B-5)

            Asset Protection (B-6)

            Compensation and Benefits (B-7)

Emergency Executive Director Succession (B-8)

Communication and Support to the Board (B-9)

 

Board-Executive Director Linkage

            Global Board-Executive Director Linkage (C-1)

            Unity of Control (C-2)

            Accountability of the Executive Director (C-3)

            Delegation to the Executive Director (C-4)

Monitoring Executive Director Performance and Executive Director Comp. (C-5)

 

Governance Process

            Global Governance Commitment (D-1)

            Conflicts with Previous Policies (D-2)

            Governance Style (D-3)

            Board Job Description (D-4)

            Agenda Planning (D-5)

            Board Officers (D-6)

            Board Members’ Code of Conduct (D-7)

            Board Committee Principles (D-8)

            Cost of Governance (D-9)

 


POLICY TYPE:                                                                                                                              ENDS

 

POLICY TITLE:                            ENDS POLICIES (A-1)

 

 

Those residents who are or who may be directly or indirectly affected by substance abuse in Butler County will lead healthier, safer, and more productive lives. 

 

·                    Fewer Butler County residents will be dependent on, or engage in high risk use of, alcohol and other drugs.

 

1.                 Fewer Butler County residents will be impacted by alcohol and other drug-related legal issues.

2.                 Fewer Butler County residents will be impacted by alcohol and other drug-related health problems.

 

 

 

  


POLICY TYPE:                              EXECUTIVE LIMITATIONS

 

POLICY TITLE:                            GLOBAL EXECUTIVE CONSTRAINT (B-1)

 

 

The executive director shall not cause or allow any practice, activity, decision, or organizational circumstance that is either unlawful, imprudent, or in violation of commonly accepted business and professional ethics.

 

 


 

POLICY TYPE:                              EXECUTIVE LIMITATIONS

 

POLICY TITLE:                            PROVIDER CONTRACTING (B-2)

 

The executive director shall not enter into any provider contract that is inconsistent with Ends policies or involves unacceptable means.

 

Accordingly, the executive director shall not:

 

1.                 Enter into or maintain any contracts with providers that do not demonstrate a commitment to best practices and outcome evaluation. 

2.                 Enter into or maintain any contracts with providers that do not provide services in an environment that is safe, dignified, pleasant, and supportive.

3.                 Terminate or substantially change any provider contracts without the authorization of the board.

4.                 Enter into any contracts with new providers without the authorization of the board with the exception of individual case arrangements.

 

 


 

POLICY TYPE:                              EXECUTIVE LIMITATIONS

 

POLICY TITLE:                                                                                                                            TREATMENT OF STAFF (B-3)

 

 

With respect to the treatment of staff, the executive director shall not cause or allow conditions that are unfair, undignified, discriminatory as defined by federal and state law, or otherwise illegal.

 

Accordingly, he or she shall not:

 

1.                 Operate without written personnel policies that:

a.     clarify personnel rules for staff,

b.     protect against unfair treatment of staff, or

c.     provide for effective handling of grievances.

2.                 Prevent staff from grieving to the board when internal grievance procedures have been exhausted.

3.                 Fail to acquaint staff with their rights under this policy.

 

 

 


 

POLICY TYPE:                              EXECUTIVE LIMITATIONS

 

POLICY TITLE:                            FINANCIAL PLANNING AND BUDGETING (B-4)

 

 

Financial planning for any fiscal year or the remaining part of any fiscal year shall not deviate materially from the board’s Ends priorities, risk fiscal jeopardy, or fail to be derived from the board’s biannual Community Plan.

 

Accordingly, the executive director shall not allow budgeting that:

 

1.                 Contains inadequate information about:

a.     credible projection of revenues and expenses,

b.     separation of capital and operational items, and

c.     planning assumptions.

2.                 Expends more funds in any fiscal year than are conservatively projected to be available.

3.                 Provides less for board prerogatives during the year than is determined by the board in accordance with the Cost of Governance policy.

4.                 Permits board administrative expenses that exceed 12% of anticipated revenue.

 


 

POLICY TYPE:                              EXECUTIVE LIMITATIONS

 

POLICY TITLE:                                                                                                                            FINANCIAL CONDITION AND ACTIVITIES (B-5)

 

 

The executive director shall not allow fiscal jeopardy or a substantial deviation from board priorities established in Ends policies.

 

Accordingly, the executive director shall not:

 

1.                 Fail to maintain positive cash flow.

2.                 Fail to maintain an operations reserve for positive cash flow and financial contingencies.  

3.                 Expend funds for provider contracts in such a manner as to deviate substantially from board priorities established in Ends policies.

4.                 Expend funds in excess of the total amount allocated by the board for the board administrative budget.

5.                 Expend funds in excess of the amount budgeted for staff salaries.

6.                 Make a single purchase or financial commitment:

a.     wherein normally prudent protection has not been given against conflict of interest;

b.     of over $10,000 without having obtained comparative prices and quality unless approval of the board is obtained;

c.     of over $25,000 without the approval of the board;

d.    that is not in accordance with requirements for competitive bidding where applicable as established by the state of Ohio.

(This prohibition does not apply to employed personnel, provider payments for services, the MACSIS client information/claims management system, and consultants funded with private foundation or federal grants.)

7.                 Receive, process, or disburse funds under controls that are insufficient to meet the Auditor of State’s standards.

8.                 Allow government filings to be overdue or inaccurately filed.

9.                 Fail to provide the board with a monthly financial report that includes at a minimum, expenditures and revenues year to date and statement of cash position.

10.            Acquire, lease, or dispose of land, and/or facilities without prior board approval.

11.             Without the authorization of the board, formally request from the County Commissioners the placement of a property levy or other revenue generating tax issue on the ballot.

 


 

POLICY TYPE:                              EXECUTIVE LIMITATIONS

 

POLICY TITLE:                            ASSET PROTECTION (B-6)

 

 

The executive director shall not allow the assets to be unprotected, inadequately maintained, or unnecessarily risked.

 

Accordingly, he or she shall not:

 

1.         Fail to follow a proactive approach to asset maintenance and planning.

2.                 Develop property rental fees without regard to:

a.     board financial goals, and

b.     support of provider services.

3.                 Fail to acquire and maintain a facility reserve fund adequate to cover liability and maintenance/repair needs.

4.                 Unnecessarily expose the organization, its board, or staff to liability claims.

5.                 Fail to protect information and files from loss or significant damage.

6.                 Endanger the organization’s credibility and public image.

POLICY TYPE:                              EXECUTIVE LIMITATIONS

 

POLICY TITLE:                            COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS (B-7)

 

 

The executive director shall not cause or allow jeopardy to fiscal integrity or public image with respect to employment, compensation, and benefits.

 

Accordingly, he or she shall not:

 

1.                 Change his or her own compensation and benefits.

2.                 Promise or imply permanent or guaranteed employment.

3.                 Establish non-competitive compensation and benefit levels for staff.

4.                 In developing a budget allocation for staff salaries, fail to consider the following:

a.     the financial condition of the board,

b.     overall board operation efficiency and effectiveness, and

c.     staff needs of the board.

 


 

POLICY TYPE:                              EXECUTIVE LIMITATIONS

 

POLICY TITLE:                            EMERGENCY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SUCCESSION (B-8)

 

 

The executive director shall not fail to have at least one staff person familiar with board and executive director issues and processes.

 


 

POLICY TYPE:                              EXECUTIVE LIMITATIONS

 

POLICY TITLE:                            COMMUNICATION AND SUPPORT TO THE

                                                            BOARD (B-9)

 

 

The executive director shall not permit the board to be uninformed or unsupported in its work.

 

Accordingly, he or she shall not:

 

1.                 Neglect to submit monitoring, decision preparation, and other information required by the board (see policy on Monitoring Executive Director Performance) in a timely, accurate, and understandable format.

2.                 Fail to advise the board if the board is not in compliance with its own policies on Governance Process and Board-Executive Director Linkage.

3.                 Fail to marshal for the board as many points of view and options as are needed for fully informed board decisions.

4.                 Fail to provide a mechanism for official board, officer, committee or ownership/stakeholder communications.

5.                 Fail to report in a timely manner an actual or anticipated non-compliance with any policy of the board.

6.                 Fail to support the identified training needs of the board.

 

 

 


 

POLICY TYPE:                              BOARD-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LINKAGE

 

POLICY TITLE:                            GLOBAL BOARD-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LINKAGE (C-1)

 

 

The board’s sole official connection to the operational organization, its achievements, and conduct will be through an executive director.

 

 

 


 

POLICY TYPE:                              BOARD-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LINKAGE

 

POLICY TITLE:                            UNITY OF CONTROL (C-2)

 

 

Only decisions of the board acting as a body are binding on the executive director.

 

Accordingly,

 

1.                 Decisions or instructions of individual board members, officers, or committees are not binding on the executive director except in rare instances when the board has specifically authorized such exercise of authority.

2.                 The executive director can refuse requests for information or assistance that are disruptive or require significant staff resources.

 

 


 

POLICY TYPE:                              BOARD-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LINKAGE

 

POLICY TITLE:                            ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (C-3)

 

 

The executive director is the board’s only link to operational achievement and conduct; therefore all authority and accountability of staff are considered the authority and accountability of the executive director.

 

Accordingly,

 

1.                 The board shall never give instructions to person(s) who report directly or indirectly to the executive director.

2.                 The board shall refrain from evaluating, either formally or informally, any staff other than the executive director.

3.                 The board shall view the executive director’s performance as identical to organizational performance.  Organizational accomplishment of board-stated Ends and compliance with Executive Limitations policies will be viewed as successful performance.

 

 

 

 


 

POLICY TYPE:                              BOARD-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LINKAGE

 

POLICY TITLE:                            DELEGATION TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (C-4)

 

 

The board shall instruct the executive director through written policies that prescribe the organizational Ends to be achieved and Executive Limitations policies to be followed, allowing the executive director to use any reasonable interpretation of these policies.

 

Accordingly,

 

1.                 The board will develop policies instructing the executive director to achieve certain results, for certain recipients, at a specified cost.  These policies will be developed systematically from the broadest, most general level to more defined levels, and will be called Ends policies.

2.                 The board will develop policies that limit the latitude the executive director may exercise in choosing the organizational means.  These policies will be developed systematically from the broadest, most general level to more defined levels, and they will be called Executive Limitations policies.

3.                 The executive director may use any reasonable interpretation of the board’s Ends and Executive Limitations policies to make all additional decisions.  The board will respect and support the executive director’s choices.

4.                 The board may change its Ends and Executive Limitations policies, thereby shifting the boundary between board and executive director domains.

5.                 To facilitate compliance with state regulations, the Board explicitly delegates the following responsibilities to the Executive Director

1.     Approval of payment of vouchers and submission of these to the county auditor for payment

2.     Exercise of control over out-of county travel by staff.