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060817 BudgetJune 8, 2017 Budget Meeting (County Department Presentations) The Randolph County Board of Commissioners met at 6:00 p.m. for a special budget session in the 1909 Randolph County Historic Courthouse Meeting Room, 145 Worth Street, Asheboro, NC. Commissioners Allen, Frye, Haywood, Kidd and McDowell were present. County department heads were given the opportunity to present their budget requests. Also present were County Manager Hal Johnson; Finance Officer Will Massie; Amanda Varner, Clerk to the Board; and Dana Crisco, Deputy Clerk to the Board. Register of Deeds Krista Lowe, Register of Deeds, was pleased with the department budget being proposed which is at the same level as last year. She said that records before 1986 will be indexed in FY 2017-18 and the Board will not have to fund that because of Automation funds made available by the Legislature years ago. Administration Will Massie, Assistant County Manager/Finance Officer, said that the Administration budget is pretty much the same as it has been and is satisfied with what has been proposed in the budget. There is an increase in the property liability insurance due to the addition of the new Emergency Services Headquarters and the Northgate complex. Human Resources Jill Williams, Human Resources Director, provided an overview of year one of the classification study. The classification study, which is being conducted by the Piedmont Triad Regional Council, is a one-third study with all County positions being evaluated over a three- year period from 2016 - 2018. Ms. Williams talked about the first year of the classification study and its potential impact on those positions. She explained that positions increasing to another grade would be placed at the same step level and those increases are reflected in the Proposed Budget. Ms. Williams addressed the cost of turnover. She said that hiring costs, training costs and lowered productivity all factor into the expense. She calculated some figures based on an average salary of $30,000 to $40,000 and using the number of 124 separations at a 16-20% loss came to between $684,000-920,000. She said that management was requesting a 1% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for all County employees. Chairman Allen asked who the County was competing with for employees. Ms. Williams said that it is everybody; competition comes from other local government agencies and also private companies depending on the type of position. Information Technolny (IT) Michael Rowland, IT Director, presented the differences in the upcoming budget. He stated that they were in the fourth year of infrastructure updates. Part of the budget increase is for the 06/08/2017 storage and network upgrades. Software maintenance has increased 6% due to restrictions from the 9-1-1 Board. Mr. Rowland requested that a GIS Specialist be reclassified and moved from grade 116 to 117. The job description expands the position to require more advanced skills than currently required and would be a backup for the GIS Mapper. He finished by thanking the Board for their continued support. Tax Debra Hill, Tax Assessor, thanked the Board for the opportunity to speak. She stated that the License Plate Agency has increased fees to the County due to the higher volume of tax collection. The County also absorbs the credit card fees not passed along for new and renewed license tags. Therefore, the increase in the Tax Department portion of the Proposed Budget covers both. Chairman Allen asked when the next revaluation would be. Ms. Hill said that it would be in 2019 and would be reflected in the 2019-2020 budget. Elections Melissa Johnson, Elections Director, thanked the Board for the opportunity to speak. She mentioned that they still didn't know if there would be a municipal primary election or when it would occur if they did. (Filing period July 7th, 12:00 pm through July 21St, 12:00 pm) Ms. Johnson presented the following capital needs in the Proposed Budget for her department. She said that these purchases should last her department for another twenty years and would make them one of the most updated in the state. Equipment Purchased Need Request Model DS 200 Precinct Scanner 15 15 $ 89,625.00 4GB Jump Drives (for use with DS 200 Scanner) 10 5 $ 525.00 Model DS450 High Speed Digital Image Scanner Installation/Training Fee 1 $ 49,950.00 $ 3,575.00 ExpressVote Ballot Marking Device (ADA device) 27 $ 94,500.00 Implementation Services $ 3,300.00 Installation/Acceptance Testing $ 2,300.00 Shipping and Handling $ 2,400.00 Trade-in allowance 36 -Model 100 scanners 41 -Model 100 ballot boxes 1 -Model 650 scanner 45-Automarks $ (43,705.00) Voting Booths Replacements for booths 20+ years old 270 Laptop Computers Replacements used as electronic poll books 47 TOTAL $ 202,470.00 06/08/2017 Ms. Johnson said that her staff and the Board of Elections wanted to thank the Commissioners for the purchase of the Northgate complex. It will allow her department adequate space for staff, equipment, and one-stop voting. Public Buildings (Maintenance) Robert Cross, Maintenance Director, thanked the Commissioners for allowing him to serve the citizens. He said he was pleased with his budget. He did remind the Board that there will be two more buildings to oversee once the new Emergency Services Headquarters opens and the Northgate complex is renovated. Sheriffs Department Sheriff Robert Graves thanked his staff for all of their hard work on a daily basis. He also thanked the Commissioners for their work on the Proposed Budget. He said one thing that was not included in the Manager's Proposed Budget was four (4) additional full-time jailer positions; one per shift at the Randolph County Jail. He stated that he had a current staff analysis done and it was found that the Sheriff's Office was short by approximately eight staff members. He said the addition of one jailer to each of the four shifts will not solve the overcrowding problem but will certainly help the jail operate in a safer and more secure manner. Each shift currently has a total of twelve jailers, which includes shift supervisors. At night and on weekends, those twelve must operate the entire facility without help from the jail's administrative staff to fill-in if anyone on the shift is out sick or on vacation. He stated the jailers' responsibilities will range from processing and admitting inmates to working directly with inmates within the jail pods and cells. Other duties would include patrolling the facility and assisting with daily operations, such as administering medication and food, inspecting inmate mail, and other related assignments as necessary. A jailer would have an annual salary of $36,235 with an additional estimate of $13,748 to cover benefits and taxes for a total cost of $49,983. The total for all four positions requested would be $199,932. Commissioner Kidd asked how many inmates and staff were at the jail today. Sheriff Graves said there were 254 inmates and nine officers on duty tonight. He stated that the School Resource Officers would be used at the jail while school was out for the summer in order to allow for some vacations. Emmency Services Donovan Davis, Emergency Services Director, thanked the Commissioners for all of their support given to his department. He said hiring and retention is a priority for the FY 2017-18. Mr. Davis said he requested four (4) Community Health Paramedic positions, one (1) Assistant EMS Operations Officer, and four (4) Telecommunicators in the 9-1-1 Communications Center. The positions were not funded in the Proposed Budget. He requested that the Board consider adding an Emergency Intake Specialist (call taker) position to the Classification Plan and approve four (4) positions beginning January 1, 2018. The 06/08/2017 cost of salaries and benefits for six (6) months will be $82,000. He stated that if approved, the total cost (salaries/benefits) for one year will be approximately $164,000 beginning with the FY 2018-19 budget. (These four (4) Emergency Intake Specialists were in place of the Telecommunicators in the initial budget request to the County Manager.) He stated it is an immediate priority to add the four (4) Emergency Intake Specialist positions in 9-1-1 so the department can continue to provide quality service and meet the required standards of the State. Call volume continues to increase. The telecommunicators now answer over 300 calls to 9-1-1 per day with an average 9,900 calls per month. This is a significant increase since the last time positions were added. These totals do not include the nearly 270 calls to administration lines each day and the continuous radio transmissions that produce over one (1) million transactions per year. There are currently six employees per shift. According to NC 9-1-1 Board Standards, EMS is required to answer all incoming 9-1-1 calls within ten seconds from the time the phone starts ringing. In addition, they are also required by the NC Office of EMS to dispatch medical calls within 60 seconds from the time the phone rings, by the NC Department of Insurance (DOI) to dispatch fire calls within 60 seconds of the phone ringing, and law enforcement calls must be dispatched within 90 seconds of the phone ringing. Being penalized for violating one or more of these standards can have a financial impact on the department and on the citizens. For example, if EMS does not score the highest number possible on fire DOI inspections, it can affect each fire department's rating, which in turn creates higher insurance premiums for citizens and business owners. If EMS does not consistently meet the NC 9-1-1 Board Standards, they can penalize them by reducing the amount of funding provided each year. He said call takers are answering both the phones and the radio calls allowing no one to concentrate fully on either one. Mr. Davis said he had mentioned in the past the need to separate the call taking and radio dispatch functions so staff can provide better focus on the incoming telephone caller and radio dispatch for field personnel. The addition of these Emergency Intake Specialist positions will help to start that transition. He also requested consideration in adding one (1) EMS Assistant Operations Officer position to the Classification Plan. This person will assist the EMS Operations Officer in daily management of the 24-hour EMS division, advance the Community Health Paramedic program, and develop and strengthen the current Quality Management Program to further ensure that Randolph County Paramedics are providing the best clinical care possible. Mr. Davis stated the cost for salary and benefits for the EMS Assistant Operations Officer will be $31,000 for six (6) months. The position would begin January 1, 2018. The total cost for the next fiscal year will be approximately $62,000. Providing the best services possible to citizens and visitors is a daily mission of EMS. He said he appreciated the Board and the County management team for recognizing the importance of what is done in Emergency Services. (Mr. Davis did not make a presentation regarding the four (4) Community Health Paramedic positions previously requested.) 06/08/2017 He summarized his request for the FY 2017-18 fiscal year. 1) Add an Emergency Intake Specialist classification 2) Add an EMS Assistant Operations Officer classification 3) Approve four (4) Emergency Intake Specialists for a total of $82,000 4) Approve one (1) EMS Assistant Operations Officer at a cost of $31,000. The grand total for these requests comes to $113,000. He thanked the Board for the time to work with them face to face. Commissioner Frye asked if these positions were part of the new 9-1-1 Center. Mr. Davis stated that they were because there was not space for additional personnel in the current facility. Building Inspections David Bryant, Building Inspections Director, said he was happy with the budgeted amount for Building Inspections. He said revenues have increased $100,000 over what had been budgeted for the current year. He stated that the funds for the demolition of abandoned structures would carry over to the new budget because those had not been used yet. He said the process was much more involved than they realized and Aimee Scotton was working with the court to proceed. Commissioner Frye asked if any of the structures had been demolished and mentioned two that were priorities. Ms. Scotton said that one owner had been served but the owner of the other property had yet to be served. She added that the owner that had not been served did not reside in Randolph County so they had no control over getting them served. She said that the legal process had taken much longer than anticipated. Mr. Johnson commented that he did not realize how long and drawn out the process would be. He said that it had been very frustrating for the Legal staff and the Building Inspections Department. Ms. Scotton mentioned that a bill was introduced in the legislature that mirrors laws for cities to demolish unsafe structures making it less cumbersome for counties. Chairman Allen inquired about fees and the increased revenue. Mr. Bryant said there had been a rise in construction activity not an increase in fees. Adult Day Reporting Center Pam Smith, Adult Day Reporting Center Director, thanked the Board for their support and said that a priority for her office from the Strategic Plan had been to reduce opioid addiction. She stated that one of the programs of the Day Reporting Center provides substance abuse treatment and education. She said addiction affects all aspects of the offender's life; jobs, physical health, and relationships. She stated that of the 276 clients treated last year, 83% were in substance abuse treatment programs. The program has both in and outpatient treatment components. She said that opioid addicts have been needing to go to an inpatient facility in order to have a positive outcome. She mentioned that bed availability was scarce. She has been collaborating with the Health Department to develop a plan to decrease the number of opioid addicts in Randolph County. Ms. Smith said in order to help facilitate that goal, an existing part-time male position would require the addition of ten hours and become a thirty hour per week full-time male position. This increase would aid in the drug screening process and in case management in the office and court. This position requires a male since the majority of clients they serve are male. The effect of 06/08/2017 adding hours to this position would create an increase of $19,493 in the budget for her department. She said that last year the program was able to provide a savings of $2,357,290 to the County and the tax payers by keeping the clients out of jail. This year they have already saved $1,511,315. Commissioner Kidd asked if he understood correctly that this position helped save money at the jail. She responded that it did by keeping clients out of the jail and it saved taxpayer money as well by reducing property crimes and potentially redirecting the offender to be a productive citizen. Commissioner Frye asked how many clients were currently being served. Ms. Smith stated there were 103 active clients. Juvenile Day Reporting Center Megan McKinnon Parker, Juvenile Day Reporting Director, said she was pleased with the budget and explained the differences from the previous year were for merit increases and COLA, if approved. Chairman Allen inquired about no longer managing the office and treating youth in Montgomery County. She said it had been a benefit to her office allowing them to focus on Randolph County youth. Planning and Zoning Jay Dale, Planning and Zoning Director, asked that the Board consider the $8,000 increase in his department budget for possible legal fees for the upcoming year. Mr. Johnson asked about the status of the House Bill that would allow the Planning Board to make final decisions without Commissioner approval. He explained in the case of an appeal on the Planning Board's decision, the Commissioners would have a public hearing and make the ruling on the case. Mr. Dale responded that it had passed at the State level and would next come to the Board of Commissioners for their approval. Chairman Allen asked if there would be training for Planning Board members to address the change. Mr. Dale said there would be at an expense of $5 per member. The School of Government will conduct the training. Commissioner McDowell commented that other counties may be requesting similar legislation for their Planning Boards and commended Mr. Dale and his department on the research and time they took to make the legislation possible. Cooperative Extension Jonathan Black, Cooperative Extension Director, said he was happy with his department's budget. He thanked the Board for their support of his department and of the citizens. The budget included additional funding to support educational programming efforts in the areas of 06/08/2017 agriculture, family and consumer science, and 4-H youth development. They have filled all positions and have evaluated program funding needs related to those positions. He said they do expect an increase in both revenues and expenditures related to changes in the community's educational needs and resources provided by his team. In addition, he thanked the Board for providing funding for the lease on the temporary building space and for the outstanding support for the Randolph County Agri -Business Civic Center and the agriculture community in Randolph County. He provided statistics as follows: • His department had face-to-face contact with 34,578 citizens in last calendar year. • $3,389,700 gains were realized in agriculture. • Over 10,000 participants were registered in the 4-H program. • 14,080 youth will participate in summer classes. • Agriculture provided over $568 million in value to Randolph County. Chairman Allen commented that funding from the State for Cooperative Extension programs may become the responsibility of the County. Commissioner Frye asked about the increase in this budget for Cooperative Extension. Mr. Black responded that it was for the rent of the current office space at Hillside Shopping Center. Soil and Water Jenny Parks, Soil and Water Department Head, said they are happy with what the Manager had included in the Proposed Budget for Soil and Water. Public Works Paxton Arthurs, Public Works Director, said he is happy with the Public Works' budget and had no requests. He took the opportunity to talk about the changes with Waste Management running the Landfill and Convenience Sites. His role will be engineering and project management. His department will receive State revenue from recycling efforts in the county. Public Health Susan Hayes, Public Health Director, was happy with the budget. She said that she had requested a change in fees. If approved, the animal control fees for municipalities bringing animals to the shelter would become the same as for citizens ($15). Another change will involve the spay and neuter program. Currently when dogs and cats are adopted, the owner is responsible for spaying and neutering them. In the future, Animal Control will have the pets spayed or neutered before they leave the shelter and pass the cost along to the owner in the adoption fees. Ms. Hayes said she was very proud to work for Randolph County and appreciated the Board of Commissioners. She spoke of hearing a comment from someone working in another county who said how well Randolph County departments worked together and what a progressive county that Randolph County was. She stated that she agreed and commended the Board on their leadership to achieve it. 06/08/2017 Social Services (DSS) Beth Duncan, Social Services Director, thanked the Board for the opportunity to speak. She recognized her Board Chairman Sam Frazier and her Department Managers. She said the Board of Social Services approved the department's budget at their last month's meeting; a copy of which was provided to each Commissioner. She reviewed a few of the highlights that have affected their budget; personnel requests, potential State legislation, NC Fast, and office space. She said the personnel request is to fund four (4) Social Work Trainees and add a Training Officer. The reason for this, she stated, was due to the lack of qualified individuals applying for vacant positions. With this personnel request, current employees would be trained in order to have the qualifications to fill those vacancies. She presented some legislative issues that could potentially affect the County. One in particular was regionalizing Social Services offices. At their July meeting, the Board of Commissioners will ratify an individual poll taken June 8th to adopt a resolution against regionalization. The North Carolina Families Accessing Service through Technology (NC Fast) has implemented automation in the application process of the Food and Nutrition and Medicaid programs. She said the next program to be automated will be the Child Care Subsidy Program. She stated that Social Services does not have enough information to predict increases at this time. Ms. Duncan stated that office space is at capacity in both the Asheboro and Archdale locations. Commissioner Frye said that Braxton Craven School may be a resource once a new middle school is built. Commissioner Frye asked if the requested positions will be funded by the County or the State. She replied that it would depend on what could be sent to the State for reimbursement. In conclusion, Ms. Duncan said the requested budget takes into consideration the forecasted programmatic and staffing needs anticipated in carrying out mandated services to empower, protect and educate citizens who cannot take care of themselves. Commissioner McDowell praised Ms. Duncan and her staff for their hard work and knowledge. Commissioner Frye stated that the Commissioners are not responsible for making the rules for Social Services yet the County is expected to take on the financial burden. Commissioner Haywood asked how many citizens were enrolled in Medicaid. Ms. Duncan responded that over 34,000 individuals were enrolled in Medicaid which comprised 26,000 households. Veterans Services 06/08/2017 Terry VanVliet, Veterans Services Director, was absent but Mr. Johnson said she is satisfied with the Proposed Budget amount for Veterans Services. Child Support Enforcement Damon Brown, Child Support Services Director, was pleased with what was included in the Proposed Budget for Child Support. Public Library Ross Holt, Public Library Director, said he was satisfied with the Library budget and had no additional requests. He noted the amount was higher than last year due to increasing costs. He updated the Board on the Parents as Teachers Program with the new grant -funded position in the Proposed Budget. He then shared visitor statistics and results of recent surveys about the libraries in the county. Last, he spoke of the Real 2 partnership of the Library, Randolph County Schools, Asheboro City Schools and Uwharrie Charter Academy. Real 2 allows students to use their school assigned lunch number at any Randolph County library or online instead of a physical library card and eliminates overdue fees for the students. Final Comments Chairman Allen thanked the department heads and commented that before he was a Commissioner, he had no idea of the extent of things that the Board must undertake and still cannot imagine what goes on in the departments every day. Adjournment At 8:00 p.m., on motion of Frye, seconded by McDowell, the Board voted unanimously to adjourn. David L. Allen, Chairman Darrell Frye Stan Haywood Maxton McDowell Kenny Kidd Dana Crisco, Deputy Clerk to the Board 06/08/2017