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080320August 3, 2020 The Randolph County Board of Commissioners met in regular session at 6:00 p.m. in the 1909 Randolph County Historic Courthouse Meeting Room, 145 Worth Street, Asheboro, NC. Chairman Darrell Frye, Vice -Chairman David Allen, Commissioner Kenny Kidd, Commissioner Maxton McDowell, and Commissioner Hope Haywood were present. Also present were County Manager Hal Johnson, Finance Officer Will Massie, County Attorney Ben Morgan, Clerk to the Board Dana Crisco, and Deputy Clerk Sarah Pack. Dr. Robert Shackleford, President of Randolph Community College, gave the invocation and everyone recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Required social distancing was maintained throughout the meeting due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting was livestreamed on Facebook. The public could attend the meeting but the meeting room capacity was limited to 50 people. Public Comment Period Pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 153A-52.1, Chairman Frye opened the floor for public comment and closed it after no one wished to speak. Consent Agenda On motion ofAllen seconded by Haywood the Board voted unanimously to approve the Consent Agenda, as presented, as follows: • approve Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting Minutes of July 6, 2020 and Special Meeting Minutes of June 25, 2020 and July 15, 2020, and Closed Session Minutes of July 15, 2020; • approve Budget Amendment for Library Trust Fund ($25, 000), as follows: 2020-2021 Budget Ordinance General Fund—Budget Amendment # 2 Revenues Increase Decrease Appropriated Fund Balance $25,000 Appropriations Increase Decrease Library Support $25,000 approve Budget Amendment for Public Health C.A.R.E.S. Act Funding ($85,204),as follows: 2020-2021 Budget Ordinance General Fund—Budget Amendment # 3 Revenues Increase Decrease Restricted Intergovernmental $85,204 Appropriations Increase Decrease Public Health $85,504 • approve Budget Amendment for Encumbrance Carryforwards ($3,327,953), as follows: 2020-2021 Budget Ordinance General Fund—Budget Amendment # 4 8/3/20 Revenues Increase Decrease Appropriated Fund Balance $2,796,336 Restricted Intergovernmental $311,242 Trans er om Well -Being Reserve $293,242 Transfer from Economic Development Reserve $38,375 Appropriations Increase Decrease Administration $225,094 Information Technology $159,280 Tax $155,219 Elections $98,660 Register o Deeds $17,744 Public Buildings $549,558 Sheriff $196.251 Animal Services $197,570 Emergency Services $333,013 Other Public Safety Appropriations $30, 000 Planning & Zoning $26,795 Building Inspections $20,588 Cooperative Extension $26,861 Other Economic Development Appropriations $268,375 Public Works $2,000 Public Health $321,895 Social Services $387,503 Veterans Services $4,200 Other Human Services Appropriations $201,124 Public Library $74,105 Other Cultural and Recreational Appropriations $143,360 • approve Dental Fee Changes for Public Health. Proiect Safe Neighborhoods Update Matt Martin, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, introduced himself. He gave an overview of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) sites in the Middle District. He introduced District Attorney Andy Gregson and Project Safe Neighborhoods Coordinator Rodney Trogdon and credited the County's program success to their hard work. PSN focuses on the most violent offenders in the community and uses prosecution and outreach to incite change. Case investigation has been prioritized with over two dozen cases going to federal prosecution. He thanked the Commissioners for their faith in the program and said the future is bright. Chairman Frye asked how the County's crime numbers are affected by neighboring urban areas. Mr. Martin said that surrounding areas "export" some of their criminals to Randolph County. 8/3/20 Mr. Gregson discussed a recent case where 35 guns were stolen in a break-in. The criminals were caught in Ohio and extradited back to Randolph County. He thanked the Commissioners for their buy -in on the program. The PSN program has recently had the first check-in call: one participant did not show up, four have reoffended, two have already been indicted, one is in prison already, and one is awaiting trial. PSN has identified 50 more potential participants in the program. Mr. Gregson said four things are paying dividends. The program is sharing information among law enforcement agencies. The Randolph County Court System has developed a close relationship with the US Attorney's office. Twenty-four criminals who were very serious offenders have been taken off of the County's docket (most have already been indicted). Officers are able to have training that was not previously available. He introduced Prosecutor Mary Ann Courtney. He thanked Commissioners for their investment in the program and gave credit to Mr. Trogdon for his dedication to the success of the program. Mr. Trogdon thanked the Board for their participation in the program. He had been a probation officer for 32 years and pointed out his familiarity with the success of PSN. He takes great pride in the program. They had their first call-in after a little over a year which is a good indicator of the program's strength. He compared the program to a pool; sometimes water splashes out and you have to add water back in. This is reminiscent of the way offenders are added to the program. Commissioner Haywood said the representation at the check-in call from community leaders, law enforcement, the court system, and local agencies was impressive. The interest of the attendees was not simply fighting crime but also inciting change in the offenders' lives. Chairman Frye said offenders keep getting younger. He said to keep up the good work. Commissioner McDowell said that human trafficking is becoming more noticeable in the county. Sometimes trafficking gets pushed under the table. Mr. Trogdon said they have been working with Dare Spicer from the Family Crisis Center. Recently, there was a webinar with Cabarrus County to discuss trafficking issues. Commissioner Haywood suggested that this type of information would be helpful for school guidance counselors as well. OE Enterprises, Inc. Update Margaret Samuels, CEO and President of OE Enterprises (OE), introduced Joe Bumgarner, Director of Business Development. She thanked the Board for their support of Randolph Vocational Industries (RVI) over the years. Randolph Vocational Industries merged with OE last year. OE is a community rehabilitation program providing support to community members with significant disabilities. For those individuals who face challenges in obtaining and maintaining employment, OE offers job placement, training, and support. Ms. Samuels gave a brief overview of the company's finances and aspects of the business model. She discussed services provided by OE and the workplaces of the individuals the program serves. Some business models have varied slightly due to the pandemic, but OE is still offering support in job searching. 8/3/20 Mr. Bumgarner discussed several partnerships that OE is involved in. OE is working with several companies to supply workers who may or may not have disabilities. OE has eleven contracts with other agencies to provide works for a variety of jobs including government entities, community centers, and more. They also have apartnership with Labcorp, where employees work in the shipping and receiving area preparing new computers for Labcorp employees and breaking down the old computers for recycling. Chairman Frye asked if finding qualified workers was challenging. Mr. Bumgarner said that in working with other agencies, finding places for employees has been easy. Initially it was difficult, but once partnerships were formed, finding workers became simple. OE is also reaching out to middle and high school children to prepare them for entrance into the workforce. Commissioner Haywood asked if most workers can work within their county. Mr. Bumgarner said yes, but the biggest issue they are facing is transportation. OE has a contract with the Regional Coordinated Area Transportation System (RCATS) which has worked well for transportation to their facility in the county. Often, they are troubleshooting transportation issues. Ms. Samuels thanked the Board again and said the vision they had in January abruptly changed due to the pandemic. Classes and workshops have moved to an online platform, but socially distanced home visits have continued. Ms. Samuels provided the Board with a packet of "thank -you" cards. Commissioner Allen thanked Ms. Samuels for the services that OE has brought to Randolph County. Commissioner Kidd thanked Ms. Samuels on behalf of the families of workers with OE who were nervous about the safety of working during this time. GM Art Products LLC Building Reuse Grant Crystal Gettys, Randolph County Economic Development Corporation Business Recruitment Director, said that GM Art Products, LLC (GM) is a subsidiary of Jerry's Artorama, which is a large art supplier that ships worldwide. There has recently been such a high demand for art supplies that they have been unable to keep up. They created this subsidiary to make and package frames. This will create 22 jobs in the first two years with over 40 jobs in the first five years. The company has identified a building in Trinity and is under contract on the property. Closing is anticipated in August. The building will need some upgrades and they are going before N.C. Commerce for a $100,000 Building Reuse Grant that requires a 5% match. They have met with the City of Trinity who agreed to provide $2,500 of the $5,000 required for the 5% match. The County is being asked for $2,500 also. Chairman Frye pointed out that the original request was $150,000 but the company qualified for $100,000. Commissioner Allen commented on the nearly $40,000 average wage and benefits that will be offered to workers being well above the average wage for Randolph County. Public Hearing 8/3/20 At 6:46 p.m., Chairman Frye opened the floor for public comment and closed it after no one wished to speak. On motion of Fry, seconded by Allen, the Board voted unanimously to approve the Resolution Authorizing the County of Randolph to Provide One -Half of the Local Match Grant Requirement ($2,500) for GMArt Products, LLC Economic Development Project. CARES Act Initial Expenditures/Budget Amendments County Manager Hal Johnson said the Federal Government has provided the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) to give financial resources to address COVID-19 pandemic issues. Through the Federal CARES Act in May 2020 the N.C. General Assembly allocated $150 million of COVID Relief Fund monies to counties. $2,587,509 was allocated to Randolph County. In July, the State received additional Federal CARES funding. This raised Randolph County's allocation to $5,375,790. Of this total, the state legislation requires that 25% be allocated to municipalities, which is $1,343,948. On July 15, 2020, a Zoom conference meeting was held with the mayors, city managers, and finance officers of Randolph County municipalities. Commissioner Chairman Frye, Vice -Chairman Allen, Finance Officer Will Massie, Public Health Director Susan Hayes, County Wellness Administrator Sam Varner, and Mr. Johnson were on this call to explain this funding. Although the legislation requires that 25% of the funds be allocated to the municipalities, it requires the County government to have the responsibility (and liability) to ensure that the funds allocated to municipalities are being used specifically for COVID-19 purposes. As a result, the municipalities will send their COVID related invoices to the County Finance office and, after review to ensure compliance, the invoices will be paid by the County from municipal funding allocations. The following is a listing of COVID funding allocated to each Randolph County municipality utilizing the formula established for sales tax distribution: Muni Allocation 25% $1,343,948 ARCHDALE $289,081 ASHEBORO 633,175 FRANKLINVILLE 29,418 LIBERTY 64,420 RAMSEUR 40,832 RANDLEMAN 101,920 SEAGROVE 5,536 STALEY 10,018 THOMASVILLE 7,911 TRINITY 161,637 $1,343,948 8/3/20 Randolph County's final portion of the CARES funding is $4,031,842. The following is an explanation of the process used by Randolph County to approve CARES funding. On March 16, 2020, Commissioner Chairman Darrell Frye declared a Local State of Emergency due to issues created by the COVID-19 pandemic. This Declaration activated the County Crisis Management Team (CMT). The Randolph County CMT was previously established to provide tactical direction enabling Randolph County's overall response and recovery efforts during a major disruptive crisis. The CMT works closely with the previously established County Business Continuity team. The CMT has reviewed Departmental concerns and is making specific recommendations on the use of the $4,031,842 CARES Act relief funds available to the County. The CARES Act funds are being used to cover payroll expenses incurred by Public Safety employees directly impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic, Detention Center COVID-19 testing costs, personal protective equipment, and public building/vehicle sanitation equipment and supplies. Recommendations are also being made for enhanced cleaning procedures and to hire several full and part-time employees who will screen citizens and employees prior to building entry. Funding can only be used through December 2020. The following is a breakdown of initial COVID related expenditures approved by the Crisis Management Team: 1. Public Health Media Campaign Radio, Newspapers, Billboards, Facebook, and Google Ads ($27,700) 2. Additional Public Health Community COVID-19 Testing Locations This Public Health outreach will focus on those populations without access to insurance or a primary care provider. Testing locations will be provided at Northgate Commons and in the Archdale/Trinity area. Other locations will be opened in the Ramseur, Northeastern Randolph, and Liberty areas at later dates. The County is working with MAKO, a College of American Pathologist accredited North Carolina based laboratory, to offer the diagnostic testing. MAKO has already partnered with many health departments in the state. A total of 400 tests would be provided: 200 at each location. The cost per test is $110. ($44,000) 3. Detention Center Body scanner for screening all inmates ($139,000) 4. COVID-19 testing of all inmates It is estimated that ten tests per day will be needed. ($365,000 for a year) 5. Screeners/Enhanced Cleaning Staff a. Public Health Two (2) Public Health Nurses/COVID-19 Support 8/3/20 b. Courthouse Three (3) part-time screeners (two (2) at the front and one (1) at the side entrance) c. Detention Center One (1) full-time Sergeant position d. County Office Building One (1) screener e. Department of Social Services Two (2) Housekeepers Chairman Frye clarified that the funding (and therefore the jobs) will expire on December 31, 2020. Mr. Johnson confirmed. 6. Sanitizing & Screening Equipment Digital ozone generators to sanitize vehicles, additional ultraviolet equipment sanitizers, portable sinks, evaporator cooling fans at the Detention Center. 7. Free Standing Temperature Machines Additional details forthcoming. 8. Emergency Services Ten (10) Mitel desktop telephones for the Emergency Operations Center ($2,890) 9. Public Safety COVID-19 Payroll Reimbursement Cost: Federal guidelines relative to the CARES Act allow use of the funds for "payroll expenses for public safety, public health, health care, human services, and similar employees whose services are substantially dedicated to mitigating or responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency." County use of CARES funding will expand to address coronavirus response needs. At this time, County Finance Officer Will Massie and Mr. Johnson are recommending that approximately 70% ($2,800,000) be reserved for anticipated public safety payroll reimbursement. Commissioner Haywood said that Health Educators were hired who are bilingual and have helped not only with citizens, but with businesses as well. They've set up a virtual training program for businesses to utilize in educating their employees on proper health and safety procedures during a pandemic. Commissioner McDowell stated the money is only available until December 31, 2020. If the money is not spent, it must be returned to the federal government. The County is responsible for not only County expenditures, but municipal expenditures as well. Chairman Frye said that the same sentiment holds true for money that is available for Randolph Health. Mr. Massie discussed a proposed budget amendment for relief fund allocation. He showed a chart of the financial distributions of the relief fund money. The second budget amendment was $2.5 million for COVID-19 related expenses for Randolph Health. This would be accounted for in the County's special revenue fund. 8/3/20 Chairman Frye pointed out the difference in funding that was available to Guilford County versus Randolph County. He reminded the Board that CARES money for Randolph Health cannot go to a successor organization. On motion of Allen, seconded by Kidd, the Board voted unanimously to approve the Budget Amendment for the Coronavirus Relief Fund Allocation, as follows: 2020-2021 Budget Ordinance General Fund—Budget Amendment # 5 Revenues Increase Decrease Restricted Intergovernmental $4,007,044 Increase Decrease Investment Income $1,000 Appropriated Fund Balance $2,587,509 Appropriations Increase Decrease Medical Expenditures $49,730 Public Health $195,128 Personnel Reimbursements $323,026 Compliance $391,297 Municipal $1,243,948 On motion of Haywood, seconded by McDowell, the Board voted to approve the Budget Amendment for the Coronavirus Relief Fund Allocation for Randolph Health, as follows: 2020-2021 Budget Ordinance General Fund—Budget Amendment # 6 Revenues Increase Decrease Restricted Intergovernmental $2,500,000 Appropriations Increase Decrease Medical Expenses -Randolph Health $2,500,000 County Manager's Update The County Manager did not have any updates. Commissioner Updates The Commissioners did not have any updates. Chairman Frye announced that on August 13, 2020, at 6:00 pm, there will be a closed session meeting between the Board and Asheboro City Council to discuss matters related to Randolph Health. Closed Session At 7: 25 p.m., on motion ofAllen, seconded by Kidd, the Board voted unanimously to enter into closed session pursuant to NCGS 143-318.1 ](a)(4) to discuss matters relating to the location or expansion of industries or other businesses in the area served by the public body, including agreement on a tentative list ofeconomic development incentives that may be offered by the public body in negotiations and to discuss competitive healthcare by or on behalf ofRandolph Health. 8/3/20 Regular Session Resumed At 8:23 p.m., regular session resumed. Adjournment At 8:23 p.m., on motion ofAllen, seconded by McDowell, the Board voted unanimously to adjourn. Darrell Frye, Chairman David Allen Kenny Kidd Hope Haywood Maxton McDowell Sarah Pack, Deputy Clerk to the Board 8/3/20