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s042413Planning RetreatApril 24, 2013 Planning Retreat The Randolph County Board of Commissioners met in special session at 12:00 noon at the Randolph Community College Foundation Conference Center for a Planning Retreat. Commissioners Holmes, Frye, Kemp, Lanier and Haywood were present, as well as, County Manager Richard Wells; Finance Officer Will Massie; County Attorney Ben Morgan; Assistant County Attorney Aimee Scotton; Stacy Griffin, County Human Resources Director; Michael Rowland, Information Technology Director; Paxton Arthurs, Public Works Director; James Chriscoe, Maintenance Director; Cheryl Ivey, Clerk to the Board and Amanda Varner, Deputy Clerk to the Board. Other County Department Heads were in attendance and made presentations where so noted later in these minutes. Mark Browder, with Mark III Employee Benefits, also attended and made a presentation, which is noted below. At 12:15 pm, Chairman Holmes called the meeting to order. Update on Employees Medical Plan Renewal Mark Browder, representing the County's health plan broker, Mark III Employee Benefits, advised the Commissioners that after seeking bids on the County employees' medical plan for the 2013-2014 plan year, Cigna was the selected vendor. The decision was based on overall service, plan performance and fixed cost (reduced by 20%). There are no plan changes or premium increases for 2013-2014. He said that plans are to communicate the following to employees this summer: 1) incentive for employees to participate in the wellness program will be a discounted premium structure; 2) to maintain free medical coverage, employees must participate in fall biometric screenings. Health coaching will be available for health improvement and the County will partner with The Hope Center as a local resource. Update on Capital Improvement Plan Assistant County Manager/Finance Officer Will Massie said that other than the replacement of patrol cars and a couple of ambulances that have traditionally been included in each new annual budget (with a current annual budget of $801,417), departments have had few capital needs addressed since before the recession. He stated that unlike the public schools and community college, County departments lacked a recurring financial resource for capital needs. Departments have made do and held the line for many years now to the point that bubbles are building that will have to be addressed soon. Mr. Massie presented the following Capital Replacement Schedule summary: Capital Replacement Schedule Estimated Costs by Year Capital Costs FY 13-14 FY 14-15 FY 15-16 FY 16-17 FY 17-18 Dept. Equipment $ 556,495 $ 209,871 $ 580,441 $ 342,057 $ 485,154 Vehicles 1,107,617 1,126,767 991,267 1,165,467 1,066,267 Countywide Technology 522,671 382,420 469,091 544,966 531,805 Building Maintenance 185,000 366,500 137,500 2,500 50,500 TOTALS: $2,371,783 $2,085,558 $2,178,299 $2,054,990 $2,133,726 Mr. Massie presented a funding proposal specifically to address the capital needs of County departments. He said that currently the County receives the Article 40 Sales Tax (1/2%), which is distributed, as follows: Restricted for school capital outlay 30% $1,650,000 Unrestricted 70% $3,850,000 $5,500,000 Mr. Massie proposed using 30% of the unrestricted amount to fund both capital replacement and a capital improvement reserve fund for County departments, as shown: Restricted for school capital outlay 30% $1,650,000 Committed for County Capital 30% $1,650,000 Unrestricted 40% $2,200,000 $5,500,000 Proposed Schedule for Use of Capital Reserve Fund for Capital Replacement by Fiscal Year 2014-15 FY 13-14 FY 14-15 FY 15-16 FY 16-17 FY 17-18 30% Article 40 Sales Tax Proceeds $544,966 $531,805 $1,650,000 $801,417 $1,650,000 $801,417 $1,650,000 $801,417 Current Budgeted Funding Applied $801,417 $2,000,000 $300,000 $801,417 $560,000 Return to County of cash advance -RCC project * Decline in Debt Service payments Resources Available $3,101,417 $1,361,417 $2,451,417 $2,451,417 $2,451,417 Balance of capital reserve remaining at year end $729,634 $5,493 $278,611 $675,038 $992,729 * Mr. Massie suggested using the money that RCC is reimbursing the County (from the Article 46 Sales Tax proceeds) for the cash advance that the County provided to RCC for the construction of the new CEIC building. Mr. Massie stated that setting money aside for future projects was fiscally conservative, similar to the plan for funding the Randleman Dam project. County Commissioners asked questions of Mr. Massie about the proposal and expressed interest in a funding strategy to keep the needs of County departments and facilities addressed. Update on County Technolo2y Needs Michael Rowland updated the Board on the County's technology status and needs, emphasizing the critical need for a technology replacement plan due to sorely outdated equipment. He said that due to the Technology Strategic Work Plan, the County has been able to handle expensive "big ticket" items each year, but there is no funding source for replacement of PCs, laptops, mobile data terminals and tablets; servers; network infrastructure equipment; and network infrastructure software. Mr. Rowland relayed to the Board replacement goals and suggested replacement cycles, which are based on industry standards. A summary of Mr. Rowland's proposed technology replacement plan costs follows: 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 $522,651 $382,420 $469,091 $544,966 $531,805 Mr. Rowland also told the Board that he would be requesting an additional position for his department in the upcoming budget process. Update on County Facilities James Chriscoe, County Maintenance Director, said that his department is responsible for the maintenance of 38 County buildings. He stressed that with limited funding and personnel it has become increasingly difficult to keep these facilities in good shape. Every building needs painting and most of the buildings need carpet replaced. The heating/cooling units in several buildings are in need of replacement. He provided a five-year summary of estimated costs for maintenance needs: 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 $185,000 $366,500 $137,500 $2,500 $50,500 Mr. Chriscoe also told the Board that during the budget process he would be requesting two new positions that will be used solely for painting. Update from Board of Elections Melissa Johnson, Elections Director, said that there were 80 election -related legislation bills being considered in the General Assembly, many of which, if enacted, will have fiscal impacts on Counties. She said that current election equipment that was purchased in 2005 will have to be replaced at some point and will be very expensive. She suggested planning and saving for this big expenditure. Update on Animal Shelter MiMi Cooper, Public Health Director, reiterated her previously requested critical need for a new animal shelter. She said that temporary fixes and renovations have helped but they are at the point where the old facility has made it difficult to control communicable disease. The County Commissioners advised Ms. Cooper to move forward with plans for a new shelter and to report back to them with cost estimates. Break At 2:30 pm, the Board recessed for a short break. Retreat Resumed At 2:45 pm, the retreat resumed. Update from Soil and Water Conservation District Craig Frazier, Soil and Water District Supervisor, said that the recent Farmer Appreciation Day was a success and will be repeated next year. He encouraged the Board to restore previously cut funding to Resource Conservation & Development, which is now Piedmont Conservation Counsel. Day Reporting Center Update Pam Smith, Day Reporting Center Director, updated the Board on the plan to partner the Juvenile Day Reporting Center with a similar County Schools program and mental health. The newly merged program will be housed in the Randleman Community Center. County Maintenance staff will be responsible for building interior walls for the new office space that will be leased by one of the other partners. Ms. Smith also stated that during the budget process she will be asking for a social worker position, but no additional funding will be needed. Update from Building Inspections David Bryant, Building Inspections Director, spoke in support of a capital improvement plan, citing needs for replacement vehicles and outdated technology equipment in his department. Report from Register of Deeds Register of Deeds Krista Lowe updated the Board on some proposed legislation and shared pictures depicting the need for repairs to her building and grounds. Update of New Tae and Tax Law Debra Hill, Tax Supervisor, updated the Board on the new tag and tax law that will be implemented in July. Under the new law, vehicle property tax and vehicle registration renewal will come together as one bill in the mail and will be paid with one simple payment to NCDMV online, by mail or in person. Public Library Update Ross Holt, Public Library Director, spoke in support of a capital replacement plan, citing the need for vehicle replacement and outdated technology upgrades at the library. He provided a cost estimate for capital needs, as follows: $36,246 in 2014-15, $9,246 in 2015-2016, $9,246 in 2016-2017 and $31,246 in 2017-2018. Child Support Enforcement Update Damon Brown, Child Support Enforcement Director, stated that the currently leased office space for his department is too small. Plans were discussed about the possibility of utilizing the space in which the Juvenile Day Reporting Center is currently housed for a new venue for Child Support, once it has been renovated. Mr. Brown also said that he is currently researching scanning software solutions for their records. Cooperative Extension Reguest Carolyn Langley, Cooperative Extension Director, told the Board that a formal request for a full-time horticulture position would be requested at their May 6 meeting. However, since there is a possibility that she may not be able to attend the May meeting due to some health issues, she wanted to give the Board the information now. In the event that she is not able to be at the May meeting, Will Massie will present the request. She said that she is requesting that the Commissioners provide a 65% match instead of the current 51% match to State funds for the Horticulture Extension Agent position. If approved, there is no additional money needed this fiscal year, as lapsed salary will cover the costs. However, an additional $6,300 in salary and $2,275 in benefits would be needed in the upcoming budget year. Break At 4:16 pm, the Board took a short recess. Retreat Resumed At 4:30 pm, the Board resumed the retreat. Update from Social Services Beth Duncan, DSS Director, and Richard Park, DSS Business Manager, updated the Board on the progress of the conversion to NCFAST (conversion of 19 social services programs and all paperwork into one single, digital application), saying that while it has been challenging, the process has gone relatively well, especially compared to other counties. They relayed local economic challenges, shifts in state leadership/policies, reduction in federal funding, building needs and staffing needs, and upcoming plans. These plans include the rebuilding of the reception area, improving customer service, reorganizing the Income Maintenance Division, relocating and eligibility unit to Archdale, finishing the NCFAST conversion/training, and planning for the Federal Health Insurance Exchange. They spoke in support of County technology and capital improvement initiatives. Richard Park also advised the Board that they would be requesting four new positions in the upcoming budget. Sheriffs Office Update Jane Leonard, Assistant to the Sheriff's Office Business Manager, provided information to the Board on the 15 -year capital needs of the Sheriff's Office and Jail. Specific items needed included 1) Jail (estimated cost --$890,200): camera system, environmental and locking control systems, HVAC equipment, water boilers/heaters, laundry equipment, kitchen equipment; 2) Other divisions (estimated cost --$5,518,875): generator, additional vehicles, bulletproof vests, tasers, weapons, radios, fingerprint equipment, radars, cameras, body wire, x-ray imaging equipment; and 3) Space needs at the RCOB Sheriffs Office, Archdale satellite office and at the jail at an estimated cost of $10,920,000. Emergency Services Update Donovan Davis, Emergency Services Director, reiterated his previously stated request for additional personnel. He said he would again be asking for four telecommunicator positions in the upcoming budget. He also asked the Board to keep in mind the need for a new Trinity ambulance base, a replacement facility for the Liberty ambulance base and the establishment of bases and personnel for the southeast and southwest sections of the county. Mr. Davis also mentioned the need to update the ambulance fee schedule and that the reverse 9-1-1 notification system that was purchased with Homeland Security grant funding in 2005 is no longer operational and the company has gone out of business. Update from County Attorney Ben Morgan, County Attorney, provided some resolutions to the Board for their consideration that had been adopted by other counties in support of 2nd Amendment rights. Adjournment There being no further business, the Board adjourned at 6:16 p.m. J. Harold Holmes Phil Kemp Arnold Lanier Darrell L. Frye Stan Haywood Cheryl A. Ivey, Clerk to the Board