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061120 Department Budget MeetingJune 11, 2020 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. Chairman Darrell Frye, Vice -Chairman David Allen, Commissioners Kenny Kidd, Maxton McDowell, and Hope Haywood were present. Also present were County Manager Hal Johnson, Finance Officer Will Massie, and Clerk to the Board Dana Crisco. Required social distancing was maintained throughout the meeting due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting was livestreamed on Facebook. The meeting room capacity was limited to 50 people. County department heads were given the opportunity to present their budget requests. Chairman Frye announced that if Department Heads were pleased with their budget, they could leave and it would be considered a yes. Administration Finance Officer Will Massie said that he was pleased to report a minimal increase to the budget for Administration. There is a small increase in property and worker's compensation insurance, but due to minimizing costs of unemployment and other expenses, operating costs are lower this year than last year. Human Resources Jill Williams, Human Resources Director, said this pandemic has been a challenge to all employees. She thanked County employees for continuing to provide services to citizens. She thanked the Commissioners for their support, including implementing a step/grade classification plan, a three-year classification plan study, and shifting Emergency Services to a 12 -hour shift schedule. These efforts help to support recruitment and retention and the health and well-being of our employees. The County turnover rate is at 16.4%. With the support of the Commissioners over the last few years, the County continues to be able to offer competitive benefits and compensation with hopes to retain quality employees. Information Technolo2y (IT) Michael Rowland, IT Director, thanked the Commissioners for the IT budget and their support. Maintenance costs continued to increase, the state continues passing more 911 operating costs to the County. IT is working to implement the technology maintenance plan which has varying costs from year to year. Tax Debra Hill, Tax Assessor, thanked the Board for the opportunity to speak. Budget allocations have shifted around but the requested amount is similar to previous years. Elections Melissa Johnson, Elections Director, thanked the Commissioners. The department has been much more operationally efficient in their new location. There is only one election, the Presidential election, this fiscal year. Since it is generally more expensive, costs remain about the same. There has been an increase in absentee ballots by mail. There is an elections bill that has been approved that will provide personal protective equipment (PPE) for poll workers and voters. 06/11/20 Chairman Frye asked if a lot of mail in requests are expected. Ms. Johnson said based on state numbers, it is estimated to be a 40% increase. The biggest concern right now is finding poll workers. Poll workers that assist on Election Day have an average age of 68 years old. Register of Deeds Krista Lowe, Register of Deeds, said she was satisfied with her budget and that her budget was remaining at the same level. The only request was for a new document scanner to replace the old one. Public Buildings (Maintenance) Robert Cross, Maintenance Director, said he is asking for a slight increase due to an increase in square footage to maintain. He would like to stockpile some supplies that are not as readily available. Chairman Frye asked if Maintenance was involved in sanitization. Mr. Cross responded that his department does sanitize in many areas, especially at the Courthouse where there is high traffic. Sheriffs Department Sheriff Seabolt said his office had made changes to reduce their initial budget request. They are requesting only 19 officers versus 28. The Detention Center expansion is expected to be completed by March 2021. The current facility is staffed with 83 full-time employees. There is one full-time and one part-time opening. They will need a transitional housing unit in order to house prisoners during the renovation. The new proposal is to hire the 19 new employees in two stages; ten in October and the remaining nine in January. This revision is $568,738 less than the Sheriff's original request. According to the State, the expansion cannot be opened and adequately staffed with less than 19 new positions. Sheriff Seabolt said they originally asked for 27 new fleet vehicles but have reduced that request to 18. Several fleet vehicles are old with 120,000-150,000 miles. They have worked to reduce other requests and increase revenues where possible. They changed inmate commissary vendors and increased from a 30% return with previous vendor to a 44% return which equates to a $22,000 increase in commission revenue. They are receiving a grant from Paytel in the amount of $26,600. Justin Brubaker, Business Manager, said they also revised their capital outlay request. He explained the cost reduction from their original budget request realized by hiring in two stages. This reduced personnel cost can be shifted to help fund capital outlay. The 18 vehicles requested will cost $555,207, with a total of $762,963 including radios and setup. The initial capital outlay request was $883,000, with a total of $1,195,451 including radios and setup. Chairman Frye asked when they would actually have to order and pay for those vehicles. Mr. Brubaker said they usually order in August and then receive the vehicles four to six months later. They place a purchase order and pay for the vehicles once they are received. Commissioner Allen said that by August, the Board will have a better idea of sales tax revenues. 06/11/20 Major Steven Nunn said they are at the mercy of the manufacturer. They will only accept orders for a short window, then they close ordering. The Sheriff's Office cannot buy off the lot and receive State Contract pricing; that pricing is only available by special order. Commissioner Haywood asked when orders will start being taken. Major Nunn said the end of July is when the dealership will start taking orders for the next year. Generally orders cannot be placed after October. Typically the vehicles are received in January or February. Commissioner Allen asked if there was any particular reason that different makes of vehicles were in the request. Major Nunn said undercover vehicles should not look like police vehicles. Animal Services County Manager Hal Johnson introduced Heather Wood, Ashley Morris, and Jonathan Moody. It was one year ago that the Commissioners made the commitment to establish Animal Services as a new department. Mr. Johnson showed an organizational chart for Animal Services and said administrative liaisons have been established. Ms. Wood is the Animal Services Operations Manager. Ms. Morris is the Animal Services Business Operations Manager. Mr. Moody has experience as a sworn law enforcement officer and is an Animal Control Officer who will act as the Law Enforcement Liaison. Tammy Walker who was unable to attend is the Animal Control Field Operations Manager and works in conjunction with Ms. Wood and Ms. Morris as a management team. Social media has expanded substantially due to Ms. Wood's and the department's efforts. The budget will remain the same as last year. $150,000 was allocated last year for facility upgrades. Paxton Arthurs, County Engineer, is working with Animal Services on upgrades. All of the positions are full at this time. Chairman Frye asked if all of the capital that was budget last year has been spent. Mr. Johnson answered no, the money is being carried forward in the new budget. Commissioner Haywood said she read that the pandemic has reduced the number of animals in shelters because more people are adopting. Has that happened here? Ms. Wood said she has seen an increase in adoptions but intake has remained the same with more owner surrenders than stray animals. Commissioner Haywood asked if the New Leash on Life program is continuing. Ms. Wood answered yes but at this time they are unable to do the presentation at the Senior Center because of the pandemic. Chairman Frye commended the management team on their professionalism and quick adaptation to the changing Animal Services environment. Commissioner Kidd said he frequently hears great comments about customer service of Animal Services. 06/11/20 Commissioner Allen said the Animal Services staff has turned a negative experience into a positive one. He asked if adoptions were up due to the pandemic or if it was stemming from increased marketing. Ms. Wood said the increase can be attributed to both; Heather Stewart has public relations experience and manages the Facebook page. There are many people working from home or staying at home who want to adopt and foster. It has been a blessing to Animal Services. Commissioner Haywood said the monetary investment in Animal Services has been a wise decision. Emergency Services Donovan Davis, Emergency Services Director, said that he appreciated the cautious approach to this year's budget. There are 11 positions requested to transition to 12 -hour shifts. Archdale and Randleman will transition in July. Trinity will transition in January and the remaining the next year. There has been a phenomenal increase in morale since moving to 12 -hour shifts. The need for ambulances has not been addressed in this budget. The platform for 911 is being changed in response to a state and national requirement. A new technology position will be vital for this transition. The new software will continue to allow for texts and will also allow photo and video files. He discussed the paging system aging out and mentioned that eventually it would have to be replaced. Commissioner Allen mentioned a bill for funding for radio towers. Mr. Davis said everything they've seen thus far was only available to Highway Patrol. If we could finance the tower, Highway Patrol will outfit it. Building Inspections David Bryant, Building Inspections Director, requested a Specialist position. He said his department was struggling and was not able to keep up with new State requirements. Since his budget was created, his department has two vehicles that were total losses. They desperately need three vehicles. They are currently borrowing one from Maintenance. There will be some money coming in from insurance that will lessen the requested amount. His department is $200,000 over projected revenues for the year. Without vehicles, they cannot perform inspections. Adult Day Reporting Center Hal Johnson said the Adult Day Reporting Center was happy with their budget. Juvenile Day Reporting Center (JDRC) Pam Resch, Juvenile Day Reporting Center Director, thanked the Commissioners for their support. She said the JDRC Board has cut their funding this year by $11,000. The 19-20 budget absorbs that loss. She will continue to search and apply for grants as they become available. She said that she wasn't requesting any changes be made to her budget, except for a new case manager position. She is asking for the County to increase the funding by $30,000 to help cover the additional personnel cost. She said 80% of the kids coming into the program are identified as having substance abuse issues. This stems from the opioid epidemic. They are struggling to provide help for community youth. This in-home substance abuse worker is needed. Cooperative Extension 06/11/20 Kenny Sherin, Cooperative Extension Director, said he was satisfied with his budget. Programming for 4-H has been significantly impacted by the pandemic. Typically, part time employees are hired to help with summer activities. This year, due to the pandemic, these positions will not be filled. Commissioner Haywood clarified that Farmer's Markets were essential businesses. Chairman Frye asked if there were any packaging issues with meat producers. Dr. Sherin said Randolph County hasn't really experienced these issues. He mentioned there are a lot more people with "backyard birds" since the pandemic hit. Commissioner Allen said it's important to know in advance what your plan is when running a commercial growing operation. Will there be other supply issues as things normalize? Dr. Sherin says everything is pretty well adjusted now. With the shift of people not eating in restaurants, supply has transitioned. The Board expressed appreciation for the work he's done during his time with the County. Public Works Paxton Arthurs, Public Works Director, said he was happy with the Public Works' budget and had no additional requests. Commissioner Kidd asked about the status of the Randleman convenience site. Mr. Arthurs said it should open the following Monday. Public Health Tara Aker, Assistant Public Health Director, said that their budget included a request to upgrade an existing position to a Physician Extender position. This position has been needed for a while, especially during the pandemic. This practitioner would have a broader scope than their current staff. She asked that the Board consider reclassifying this position. Chairman Frye thanked Public Health for their work in the Emergency Operations Center with the ongoing pandemic. Social Services (DSS) Tracie Murphy, Social Services Director, thanked the Board for the opportunity to speak and their continued support of Social Services. She said "all great change is preceded by chaos." She hosted a leadership seminar for her staff in January focusing on change. They had no idea that in March, there would be an event of large change facing the County. The DSS Board is a great advocate that holds Social Services accountable and offers them a voice in the community. DSS has a number of performance measures to adhere to. The department is meeting or exceeding all of their performance measures. In this budget, she has request six additional Child Welfare positions. Four will be trainees who are trained on the job and offered continued education opportunities. One position will be a trainer. The other position will be an Assistant in legal cases. Investigations have increased from 06/11/20 100 to 150 cases per month. This trickles down and puts additional workload on other employees, including the legal team. The number of petitions for care increased exponentially in the last three quarters. Chairman Frye asked if the spike in petitions was related to COVID-19. Ms. Murphy said it can't be attributed to the pandemic and she's not sure of the reason for the spike. Schools are the number one reporters but numbers have not stopped increasing even with schools out. Chairman Frye asked how DSS is finding foster homes for the additional children. Ms. Murphy said it's not easy, particularly with older children. Some children may have traumatic pasts. There are less than 45 foster homes in Randolph County. There are roughly 150 children in the custody of Social Services. Commissioner McDowell asked if human trafficking is prevalent in Randolph County. Ms. Murphy said trafficking does happen in Randolph County. Sometimes it's not recognized. It doesn't always look a certain way. Sometimes it looks like regular people doing regular things. Commissioner McDowell is on the Social Services Board and said the work of social workers is a labor of love. He empathizes with them taking care of the kids who may be caught up in things they have no control over. He has a lot of respect for the social workers and foster parents who are involved. Opioid addiction, domestic violence, and mental health issues are often what face Ms. Murphy's employees. Veterans Services Chad Gurley, Veterans Services Director, thanked the Commissioners for their support of Veterans Services. Their new space has lent itself to touching the hearts of visiting veterans as they have a number of relics on display. They want to give qualified representation to all veterans coming into the office. With the Boards help, the office has expanded from two full-time positions to three full-time positions and one part-time position. Mr. Gurley discussed the benefits that his office has helped to obtain on behalf of veterans since his arrival in 2018. He is asking that his part-time position be upgraded to a full-time position. This position will be responsible for uploading all of their paper files into a specialized software allowing veterans to sign paperwork from remote locations. This position is also assigned a caseload and is responsible for managing social media. Mr. Gurley is very appreciative of the good staff he has. He takes his work very personally and promoted Randolph County Government and Veterans Services to officials in Washington D.C. He is working through a doctorate degree studying reintegration issues for veterans in Randolph County. Through his project, he is evaluating the needs of Randolph County veterans. He believes we need a clinic in the county for veterans. Transportation is an issue now with how far away veteran's clinics are. There will be a government sponsored veteran's claims clinics where claims and decisions will be made on the spot. This is a revenue opportunity for the county as this is a national event. The federal government will provide funding and the state will provide service officers, but Randolph County will spearhead the event. Also upcoming is a veteran's stand down, which provides haircuts, meals, and clothing to veterans who have a need. He plans to work with the library to get veteran's stories on tape to recognize the heroes in our backyard. 06/11/20 Chairman Frye commended Mr. Gurley for his work with the veterans. He has heard nothing but high accolades for Mr. Gurley's work. Commissioner Haywood asked if Telehealth at Wal-Mart is helping veterans. Mr. Gurley responded that Telehealth is a two-year pilot program that will go away unless something is said. His job is to make sure telehealth is "hyped up" because it is the gateway to getting a clinic in this county. There has been great feedback about the program, but veterans would prefer more privacy when addressing their health needs. Child Support Services Damon Brown, Child Support Services Director, was pleased with what was included in the Proposed Budget for Child Support. He thanked the Board for their support. Commissioner Kidd said he has heard a lot of positive comments about Child Support Services. Public Library Ross Holt, Public Library Director, said he was satisfied with the Library budget. One and a half additional positions were included for the Randolph Room relocation project. Unfortunately, the pandemic has put capital projects on hold. The outlook is very positive for the relocation, but the cost is coming in higher than expected. Putting a library collection on the bottom floor has added some cost. The requested positions are not immediately needed and that request can be revisited when the project moves forward. The library continues to provide services to the community during the pandemic. Phone and digital services continue to be provided. Curbside services have been offered as well. Nearly 5,000 books are being checked out every two weeks. The staff has utilized online continuing education opportunities. Virtual programming will continue even after libraries open to the public; it has been a very successful program. The library will continue increasing accessibility within County protocols. Mr. Holt remembered the loss of a staff member after her unexpected passing. He thanked Jill Williams and the Employee Assistance Program for their assistance in helping the staff grieve together. Adjournment At 7:55 p.m., on motion of Allen, seconded by Haywood, the Board voted unanimously to adjourn. Darrell Frye, Chairman David L. Allen Kenny Kidd Maxton McDowell 06/11/20 Hope Haywood Dana Crisco, Clerk to the Board 06/11/20