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061118 BudgetJune 11, 2018 Special Meeting — Public Input 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, Kidd, and McDowell were present. (Commissioner Haywood's seat is vacant.) Also present were County Manager Hal Johnson; Finance Officer Will Massie; County Attorney Ben Morgan; Amanda Varner, Clerk to the Board; and Dana Crisco, Deputy Clerk to the Board. The purpose of this special meeting was to hear requests for funding from outside agencies, requests from six fire departments seeking an increase in their district fire tax rates, and to hold required public hearings for the proposed budget and for appropriating and expending County funds for economic development. Zoo City Sportsplex Asheboro City Manager John Ogburn presented their request again for the Zoo City Sportsplex which plans to have several athletic fields, volleyball courts, walking trails, a playground, and several picnic shelters at an estimated $6.5 million. Mr. Ogburn said there are three public policy reasons to support the request: the Randolph County Strategic Plan, local government cooperation, and long term positive impact. The Strategic Plan identifies long-term issues impacting the public health, safety, and well- being of the county's citizens. He reviewed several goals and strategies from the Strategic Plan that they feel support the funding and implementation of the Zoo City Sportsplex. He said the Zoo City Sportsplex will serve as a tangible quality of life improvement and will enhance the recruitment and marketing efforts in Randolph County. Mr. Ogburn said "it is a unique opportunity to combine the assets and talent of the YMCA, the City of Asheboro, the Randolph County philanthropic and charitable giving sector, and the NC Zoo to create the finest regional sports facility in southern central North Carolina." He said sports tourism is a growing national trend in the travel business and regional sporting events have an economic impact on an area. He said they would target and attract visitors, encouraging them to spend more time and money in Randolph County. The location of this proposed park close to the NC Zoo will allow the Zoo and the Sportsplex managers to collaborate and market both facilities to create a sports tourism destination which will create overnight stays in hotels and patrons for restaurants. Mr. Ogburn stated that the City and County already cooperate through many public service functions such as elections, tax collection, 9-1-1, library services and economic development. He reminded the Commissioners that the City had collaborated with the County by committing to run water and sewer lines and make street improvements for some of the capital projects. "The Zoo City Sportsplex builds upon that mutual cooperation to further the City's Strategic Plan, the City's Recreation Master Plan, the County's Strategic Plan, the Heart of North Carolina Marketing Plan, Piedmont Triad Destination Marketing Organization Tourism Plan and the NC Zoo's marketing plan." 6/11/18 Mr. Ogburn expressed that this would be a long-term positive impact and said now is the time for the project to move forward. They requested a $1 million dollar contribution ($200,000 a year for 5 years) to help fund this project to its completion. Communities in Schools (CIS) Paula Owens, Communities in Schools Executive Director, said her request of $70,000 is the same as last year and provides direct support to students in Randolph County and Asheboro City Schools (35 schools), grades K-12, in the form of academic assistance, basic needs/resources, life skills/social development, and enrichment/motivation. County funding is 18% of their total revenue. She said they have been able to secure some additional grants and plan to grow their presence in the eastern area of the county by making a part-time position into full-time. Ms. Owens gave an update on the success of the Back Pack Program and the tremendous volunteer support it has obtained. She said it meets a need that no other agency is addressing. She estimated that they will distribute around 520 bags to 150 students during the summer. Randolph Vocational Industries (RVI) Mike Ayers said their target population is any disabled adult that lives in Randolph County. They have been able to place 24 people into permanent jobs and 37 in full-time employment. He said State funding has been cut for vocational rehab and assignments and referrals are down 47% statewide. The State also requires them to be accredited and the fee for that process is around $9,000. Mr. Ayers said in 2017-18 they subsidized some income by opening a greenhouse which their clients have enjoyed working in and selling plants. He said that the County funding provides continued and quality services to individuals with disabilities and said they requested a little more than had been proposed. (Requested $25,000 and $20,000 included in Manager's Proposed Budget) They have explored new sources for contract work and have some new jobs coming into the agency. They are actively fundraising and seeking grants. He thanked the Board for their continued financial support for disabled adults. Central Boys and Girls Club (CBGC) Holly Ferree, Vice President of Resource and Development of the Greater High Point Boys and Girls Club, thanked the Board for their continued support. She said because of the support 94% of the students maintained or improved average or above average grades on their report cards. She explained that they moved to Asheboro Community Church in 2017-18 due to health concerns with the building they were in, but things are going well. They have signed a 2 -year lease with the church. She said they could use a little more space and will continue to look at that concern. 6/11/18 They have consistently had 60 children a day. Last year they served 173 youth between the ages 6-18 and have a goal to get the average daily up to 70. She said 95% of the kids live in poverty, 70% are in a single parent home and CBGC services are needed. The kids involved in the program have provided 537 volunteer service hours to the community, and 92% passed the gang prevention program. With support from the City, County and other agencies they continue to keep their fee at $2 per year. Ms. Ferree introduced the new Unit Director of the Central Asheboro Club Marasia Moss and she gave a program update. She said they are working on a Healthy Habits program and have planted a garden for healthier food options. They are also concentrating on fitness as a healthy habit. They requested $26,250 but only $25,000 was included in the Proposed Budget. Commissioner Frye asked what the additional amount was for and she said it was a cost of living to offset expenses of insurance for employees. Central Piedmont Community Action (CPCA) Natasha Elliott, Executive Director, 703 Farr St., Asheboro, said funding was cut $295,000 in their Community Service Block Grant program and may not have the funding to continue with a location in Randolph County; and would likely have to reduce case manager and analyst hours to 32 hours per week. Therefore, they requested $34,000 to supplement the pay, fringe benefits, telecommunication and rent for the office as well as $5,000 in overhead. She said she believes the case management piece is the most important to the clients and their family in assisting them to become self-sufficient and move out of poverty. Child care is often part of the equation. James Martin, a recovering drug addict and graduate of their program spoke and explained how the CPCA had assisted him by providing counseling, education support, transportation, food, jobs, and housing to help him start over when he had nothing. They gave him "hope" when he had nowhere to turn but didn't want to turn to drugs again. He has been able to obtain his driver's license, works full-time, is now a double major in human services and substance abuse and has opened a half -way house in Randolph County. He said "people who have no hope will revert to criminal activity." He said he visits the jail and prison to spread the word of hope to inmates. Commissioner Frye inquired about their budget. Ms. Elliott said the State had cut the funding for Randolph County from $277,011 to $220,129. Each County's cut is based on its allocation of poor per county. They are funded through the Office of Economic Opportunity in the DHHS. Commissioner Frye asked how many people they serve and she responded they served 55 Randolph County families in 2017-18 and estimates 35 families in 2018-19. She said they assist the whole family in the process. "If a mother wants to go to college and has an 18 -year-old that wants to go to college also," both are funded. Commissioner McDowell commended Mr. Martin for his success. Salvation Army 6/11/18 Major Luis Viera, Commander of the local Salvation Army, said they are on a very tight budget and often turn people away. He estimated they had to turn away close to 500 between April and September 2017. They requested $40,000 (not included in Proposed Budget) to fill the gap in months they don't receive donations. They are seeking grant funding from foundations and corporate sponsors but staff is spread thin and unable to focus full-time on that. They would like to expand services such as offering emergency repair assistance for homes or cars and providing transportation (a car or even a bicycle) to those trying to make ends meet but projects like those need dedicated funding. Chairman Allen told Maj. Viera he appreciated everything the Salvation Army does for the Community. Shelter of Hope Paulette Handy, spoke on behalf of the Shelter of Hope, a homeless shelter for men that opened in 2010. She said they are trying to provide a full-time counselor to aid the clients in adjusting to a productive life and starting over and to obtain their mental health license in order to better serve those who want to break addictions. She said many do not know basic life skills. They currently house 30-32 homeless men and have a waiting list. Twenty currently have jobs. The Shelter requested $20,000 but it was not included in the Proposed Budget. She said without the funding, the Shelter would not be able to provide the services necessary for clients to re-enter society. Commissioner McDowell asked how often they provide meals and Ms. Handy explained they prepare breakfast and dinner and turn no one away. They have sandwich items available for those who want to fix something for lunch. Commissioner McDowell also asked how long a client can stay. She said one has 30 days to start looking for employment and the shelter monitors applications. Once employment is gained they can stay another 60 days and could move to transitional housing where they would pay $100 a week for housing and food. Commissioner Frye asked if any of the clients qualify individually for assistance through Medicaid or Veteran Affairs. She said she doesn't know and unaware of resources for that information. She said they have been setting up visits with the County Veteran's Service office to see if any qualify but are unaware what happens after that. Family Crisis Center Dare Spicer, Executive Director of the Randolph County Family Crisis Center, thanked the Board for the many years of support since 1978. They requested a $51,000 allocation but only $41,000 is proposed. They use the County funding towards the match for the Governor's Crime Commission grant which in turn provides additional monies for the Children's Advocacy Center as well as the Family Crisis shelter. Ms. Spicer gave an update on services. In the last three years they have served 600 adults 6/11/18 and only 14 returned for services. She attributed that to having a therapist on site and credentialed staff to provide the case management services to the clients. The fully staffed Children's Advocacy Center sees two to three sexually abused children a week. Ms. Spicer said they plan to add a focus on teen dating abuse this year. "We as a community have got to do something about our kids. Domestic violence starts young and we need to educate" them as to what abuse looks like and that it isn't acceptable so they do not end up in a shelter, severely injured or dead. Commissioner Frye said it is hard to fathom the numbers and is heartbreaking. Ms. Spicer replied that the goal is to stop the cycle by educating citizens. Randolph County Arts Guild Sheila Barnes, Acting Executive Director of the Randolph Arts Guild, extended gratitude for the continued support of the Guild and its programs. The requested funds are used to leverage resources that will be used in support of their programs. Last year, 270 adults and 138 youth participated in programs provided. Programs have included classes, camps, painting, cake decorating, pottery, workshops, lectures, performances, conferences, special events and exhibitions, including the new emerging artist series, which gives people a chance to perform on a stage for the first time. They have partnered with RCC's Small Business Center to provide a program for artists who want to start their own business. They have added a county -wide art club that helps students develop a portfolio for college if they want to pursue art further. She said citizens are fortunate to have a place such as the Arts Guild available. They are requesting 8.5% of their total operating budget or $20,000 to continue the programs and explore new ways to connect to the arts. Randolph County Senior Adults Senior Adults Director Martha Ogburn thanked the Board for including their request of $267,585 in the budget as it is used for local matching funds. Westside Fire Department Recil Williamson, Chief of Westside Fire Department, requested a fire tax increase to .13 from .12 to convert a part-time to full-time and establish another full-time position to fill gaps in service. He said their calls have increased around 25% in the last two years and are up 30% this year from last year this same time. They need the personnel and equipment to continue to serve since volunteers are not available. Many companies do not let their employees leave for calls anymore. Chief Williamson said they lost property values to the new 64 loop. He is also concerned with the potential increase in calls along that new roadway and the increase in fire calls in the last five years. 6/11/18 Westside has received a donation of land and a building and plan to use it as a training center. Funding would also go toward the maintenance of this property. He said there is already a training center in Randolph County but it takes people too far out of the district if there were to be a call. East Side Fire Department Eric Hoffman, Chief of East Side Fire Department, requested a fire tax increase from .11 to .135 and gave background he felt justified the request. They have the same issues as other departments in the lack of volunteers. He said they also have those that are retiring with 30-40 years of service to the department. Those participating in the youth training get their certifications and then want to move into full-time positions. Their volunteers receive $7 reimbursement per call. East Side uses part-time employees during the day but that is basically to get a truck out. He explained standards and regulations that are established in regards to the number of firemen required on scenes in order to fight a fire, handle a medical call, etc. Often more than one station responds to a call in order to meet the number of personnel and equipment needed. This is an expense to all departments. East Side would like to provide a decent wage and insurance for those hired. They also need to maintain older equipment and replace some that are at their life limit. Chief Hoffman said their call volume is up and have concerns about the significant addition to roadways with the new Hwy 64, which also took property value funding from their service district just as it did for Westside and Ulah. He said his board is made up of citizens of his district and no firefighters. They are the ones who recommended an increase to make up for the loss in property values and the expenses to maintain service. Chairman Allen asked about the department's audit. Chief Hoffman said it was turned into their CPA, Maxton McDowell, in November and have been waiting on the response. Guil-Rand Fire Department Darren Pierce, Chief of Guil-Rand Fire Department, requested an increase in taxes to .15 from .1262. He said his district operates five stations that cover 80 square miles and provides fire, rescue and emergency medical services to a population of approximately 30,000 people in Guilford and Randolph Counties. He estimated that 50% of the district is agriculture, wild land, open space, or under developed properties; 44% is residential and 4% industrial with three major highways running through their district. They have 31 full-time employees (15 firefighters, three battalion chiefs, three captains, three lieutenants) and are seeking to replace the 12 part-time firefighters with full-time. They have 24 volunteer firefighters who are sometimes unavailable due to career obligations. Major factors across the nation that are contributing to the struggle of finding volunteers: increased time demands, obligations at home and work, increased training demands, steadily 6/11/18 increasing call volume each year, and loss in community involvement with less interest in volunteering. As the number of volunteers decrease, they have been forced to change their focus and hire more career population to serve their district. He thanked the Board for their support and said the increase will allow them to provide a greater level of service to the citizens, community and personnel, which are their top priorities. Their last increase was in 2012. Julian Fire Department Jeff Folwell, Chief of Julian Fire Department, said their current fire tax rate of .125 provides $110,685 in revenues and the requested rate of. 13 5 revenues would total $119,536. Issues also facing their department: • Lack of participation from the volunteers • Average age of their volunteers is 42.5 • Increased need for paid part-time staffing • Continued increase in call volume • Loss of revenue from properties purchased for the mega -site • Property valuations are being re-evaluated by the County and expect a decrease • Building improvements needed to house 24-hour staffing living quarters • Replacement of aging fire suppression equipment Chief Folwell said they plan to work toward 12 -hour part-time shifts on Monday -Friday giving them 24-hour coverage during the week and providing an 8 -hour part time shift on Saturday and Sunday. They plan to continue to seek grants for staffing and other department needs, work on recruitment and retention for the future of the department, provide a junior firefighter program and operate on a paid per call program for the volunteer firefighters. He said it is their mission to serve and protect the citizens and businesses of their fire district as they have for almost 47 years and need the financial help to do so. Chairman Allen informed Chief Folwell that a $5,000 special appropriation had again been included in the budget for Julian. Chairman Allen said he had also checked with the Tax Department and informed Chief Folwell that the loss of income from the properties would not go into effect until the following year and wouldn't affect this budget. Commissioner Frye asked if they have enough manpower to respond to calls and Chief Folwell said they have missed two calls and neighboring departments had to take the calls. Tabernacle Fire Department Brent Powell, Chief of Tabernacle Fire Department, requested an increase to .13 from .1054. They currently have three full-time positions working 24-hour rotating shifts and two part-time positions working 8-5. He said the three cent would equal around $96,000 to go toward three more full-time positions. That would give them two 24-hour people every day adding comfort that one wouldn't respond alone. They have 24 volunteers and out of those almost half work for 6/11/18 other departments full-time. He said their calls have increased 30% since last year. Their last increase was in 2014. Chairman Allen asked Chief Powell if any residents commented on the request for an increase. Chief Powell said he hasn't had any negative responses from any residents in their district. Level Cross Fire Department Steve Russell, Chief of Level Cross Fire Department, said he is in the same position as everyone else regarding volunteers and currently has 21. They requested an increase from .12 to .15 to keep the three paid full-time, two part-time and one paid chief that they have. They haven't had a raise in almost four years. The funding will also go toward funding a new station since they've outgrown their 1970 station. He said they hosted a community meeting regarding their plans and citizens seemed happy with the reasons for the requested increase. Budget Public Hearings - Rules of Procedure County Attorney Ben Morgan read the guidelines established for the budget public hearings. Public Hearing — Appropriations for Economic Development Corporation (EDC) Chairman Allen said appropriations and an expenditure of $334,500.00 in County funds for economic development to the Randolph County Economic Development Corporation requires a public hearing, pursuant to Section 158-7.1 of the North Carolina General Statutes, if the board proposes to appropriate and expend County funds for economic development. At 8:17 p.m., the Chairman opened the public hearing and invited citizens to speak. Walter Sprouse, EDC President spoke in favor of the request and said the funding is the same as last year. He said the EDC has much to do this year especially concerning the Greensboro -Randolph Megasite. He said it is also their quest to develop product and have more available buildings and sites. Other goals include boosting their marketing, finishing a new website, and collecting data for a very competitive marketplace. They plan to focus more on site consultants who work with international projects. The by-law changes last year made sure public elected boards had voting representation on the EDC Board. The County Manager and Chairman serve, as well as several Mayors. Mr. Sprouse said they appreciate the cooperation they've had from the County over the last 33 years and assured them the funding will continue to be use effectively and efficiently. Hearing no further comments, Chairman Allen closed the public hearing. Proposed Budget Public Hearing At 8:21 p.m., the Chairman stated that pursuant to NCGS 159-12 the governing board must hold a public hearing on the proposed budget. All individuals who wish to address the budget must be afforded an opportunity to speak. He opened the public hearing and invited citizens to speak concerning the Proposed Budget. 6/11/18 Hearing no comments, Chairman Allen closed the public hearing. Discussion In conclusion, Chairman Allen said the Board has appreciated the input of the agencies. He reminded everyone of the June 18th meeting at 6:00 p.m. to adopt the final budget. Adjournment At 8:21 p.m., on motion by Frye, seconded by McDowell, the Board adjourned. David L. Allen, Chairman Darrell Frye Kenny Kidd Amanda Varner, Clerk to the Board Maxton McDowell 6/11/18