As the Navajo County Board of Supervisors met on April 25, board member Dawnafe Whitesinger spoke of chairing the County Supervisors Association (CSA) meeting for small counties earlier in the month.
She noted that in that meeting she had conversations with leaders of other small counties regarding their shared concerns, and they were able to talk with legislators about the work that they’re doing.
“One of the things that I got out of that conversation was that I feel there is a change, not so much in the larger areas that are represented, but in the conversation about rural communities,” she said.
“I know that CSA has done a lot of work in trying to communicate to the public about the deficiencies that are existing within counties and our challenge to do more with less. We are still being challenged with special initiatives and laws that the state is requiring us to do. The silver lining to me was that it’s good to hear lawmakers talking about rural Arizona communities,” related Whitesinger.
Tina Slankas, an emergency management and cyber security coordinator for the City of Phoenix, attended the meeting to advise the board of the very serious issue of cyber security and terrorism.
Slankas noted that Bureau of Justice Statistics show that 17.6 million people, or seven percent of all U.S. residents 16 or older, were victims of identity theft in 2014. Some of the more popular cyber crimes included hacking, phishing, malware, ransomware, credit card fraud, social media account takeovers and fraudulent tax returns. “This isn’t something that is just hitting us in major corporations or big companies, it’s also something that hits really close to home,” she said.
According to Slankas, in 2013 people were sending about 204 million emails every 60 seconds, and, “These numbers double every year.” In addition, she noted, “Everything is getting a computer, whether it is your refrigerator or your light bulb. There are reasons why we are going to smart technology in everything from self-driving cars to things that we use in our day to day business.” This means that every day, more and more often, people are increasing the potential for theft of their information.
Slankas explained that computers not only access critical infrastructure, but also health, credit card and tax information, creating a multi-million dollar theft industry for criminals.
She noted that there are three categories of criminals. First are those who have found that it’s a lot easier to steal money online than rob a bank at gunpoint. Hackers are the next group and go after high government officials, stealing information and disrupting information to bring attention to their causes. Nation states are the third type of criminal, looking at other country’s information to see how they can reduce the research and development cycle by stealing the information from other countries that have already done the work.
Ransomware is a big problem for both big industries and individuals. With ransomware, information is captured, encrypted and then literally held for ransom until a fee is paid. The solution recommended by Slankas is to make sure all information is backed up. “Please go and invest in an external hard drive,” she said, noting that they are inexpensive and easy to find. She recommends not paying to have information restored, because it may only be a limited restoration and the money obtained will be used to perpetuate the development of the ransomware program.
In another presentation, Navajo County Communications Director Adam Wolfe provided the board an overview of his work, which involves informing people about the county and the events taking place. Wolfe explained that he manages the website, Twitter and Facebook pages for the county, as well as the one for the sheriff’s office, and emergency management and preparedness.
Each of the Facebook pages have “Likes,” or people who are linked to the page and receive updates. The county page has the most with 9,754 likes, and features posts such as emergency updates on fires and accidents, and history of the area.
“These pages really reflect everything that Navajo County has,” he said, noting that they also inform the public about events that they may not have been able to attend by providing photos, posts and live streaming of events.
Youth accomplishments are posted on the county Facebook page, as well as a Photo of the Day, usually a submission from the public. Future plans are to provide more information pertaining to the state legislature. Wolfe is also looking to further develop video communications. He noted an idea he has to add what he calls six-second stories, or six-word stories. “It’s a simple short explanation of why we love this area. I think it would be a great way to showcase what we have,” he said.
Wolfe noted that the most viewed posts from the past year include the post regarding condolences for fallen Show Low police officer Darrin Reed with 282,593 views, followed by a post of the board honoring the Hopi cross country champions with 30,000 views. The total views to multiple posts on the Cedar Fire were 299,854.
The board approved an attachment to an intergovernmental agreement with the Navajo Nation that will provide Navajo County $1.5 million from the Navajo Nation for engineering services and construction improvement to Hopi BIA Route 60. The county’s responsibility will be to accept the funds, procure engineering and construction services, act as a fiscal agent and provide monthly fund reports until the project is completed.
Luther Lee, the tribal engagement representative of Congressman Tom O’Halleran, was introduced to the board. He works with the tribes throughout District 1 and stated that his job is to listen to the Congressman’s constituents and to forward any concerns they may have. He can be reached by email at luther.lee@mail.house.gov or by calling (928) 286-5338.
In other business April 25, the board:
* Approved a proclamation declaring the week of April 24-28 as the Week of the Young Child.
* Approved nine tax exemptions filed as requests for redemption of waiver.
* Approved a special event liquor license for the Heber-Overgaard Chamber of Commerce for its annual July 4 and Oktoberfest activities.
* Approved the appointment of Kelley Dowdle and Krista Wilkinson as Justices of the Peace Pro Tempore.
* Approved the re-appointment of Robert Van Wyck as Superior Court Judge Pro Tempore.
* Approved a renewal of a professional services agreement with Connie Baine, RDH, AP for dental hygienist services for the period of March 1, 2017, through Feb. 28, 2018, at a rate of $45 per hour.
* Approved an amendment to extend the supply and delivery of culverts and bands with Pacific Ponderosa Co. for one additional year from May 10, 2017, through May 9, 2018.
* Approved an agreement with the Town of Taylor for a project involving Old Shumway Road. The county will provide engineering design and construction staking for the Old Shumway Road Project, which consists of approximately 560’ of new asphalt concrete pavement. The town will provide traffic control services for the construction of the project and construction surveillance. After the completion and acceptance of the construction of the project by Taylor, the county will reimburse the town for 50 percent of the cost, not to exceed $36,000.
