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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 05-09-2000APPROVED 4/3/01 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION MAY 9, 2000 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met on May 9, 2000 at 7:30 p.m. in the Boardroom of the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina to hold a work session on various items as listed below in the agenda. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Vice-Chair Stephen H. Halkiotis and Commissioners Margaret W. Brown, Alice M. Gordon, and Barry Jacobs COUNTY COMMISSIONER ABSENT: Chair Moses Carey, Jr. COUNTY ATTORNEY PRESENT: Geoffrey Gledhill COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr., Assistant County Manager Rod Visser, and Clerk to the Board Beverly A. Blythe (all other staff members will be identified appropriately below) NOTE: ALL DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THESE MINUTES ARE IN THE PERMANENT AGENDA FILE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE. ALL RECORDINGS OF THE MEETING WILL BE KEPT FOR 5 YEARS. There were no changes to the agenda. 1. ORANGE COUNTY CONSOLIDATED HOUSING PLAN/FY 2000 ACTION PLAN This item was carried forward from the May 3~d regular Board of County Commissioners meeting. The staff is asking for the Board to adopt a resolution that would approve the FY 2000- 2005 Consolidated Housing Plan, and approve the program activities included in the plan. Housing and Community Development Director Tara Fikes said that the plan was one that must be adopted by HUD every five years. This document details the housing needs of very low- income and moderate-income families. She outlined strategies and plans for addressing those needs in the upcoming five-year period. She suggested that the priorities remain the same as in the present document. This document has to be approved by all four local governments, and the Towns of Chapel Hill and Hillsborough have approved the plan. The Orange County Board of Commissioners and the Town of Carrboro will consider approval tonight. The second resolution is to authorize the Orange County HOME Program design program. The staff anticipates having $438,000 in HOME funds available in the coming year. The HOME Program Council, which consists of staff members from the jurisdictions, received proposals from local non-profit organizations asking for funding for various projects. These requests totaled $1,062,500. The Council reviewed the requests and they have a recommendation that is on page four of the agenda abstract. The Council recommends allocating funds for the following: ~:~ $80,000 to the Orange Community Housing Corporation for the Meadowmont Town Home development ~:~ $62,500 to provide second mortgage assistance to five first time homebuyers by Habitat for Humanity ~:~ $30,000 for the Urgent Repair Program of the Orange Community Housing Corporation ~:~ $100,250 to Seeds of Sheba, asingle-room transitional housing operation in Chapel Hill ~:~ $120,000 of acquisition funds for the Orange/Person/Chatham Mental Health Agency to assist them in acquiring properties to rent to their patients ~:~ $100,000 for the Community Revitalization Loan Program Tara Fikes made reference to page 12 of the agenda abstract that included a report of how housing funds were expended over the last five years. Also, on page 16 is a project description summary for the current year that shows all of the proposals that were received for funding and shows the Program Council's recommendations. Commissioner Jacobs made reference to page 49 and public policies that are impediments to fair housing and said that some of the Commissioners took issue with the educational impact fee posing an impediment. He made reference to page 50 and residential segregation, which does not refer to development patterns and developer choices. He also made reference to page 51 and the number of fair housing complaints. He said that this could, in part, be attributed to a lack of awareness, but not totally. He made reference to page 54, under Priority 1 C and the fact that we keep repeating the statement that an estimated 10-20% of the County's septic systems fail at any given moment. He said that he thought this had been refuted. He made reference to page 15 and the $265,000 housing price in Orange County. Tara Fikes said that the housing price in Orange County has been changed to $247,661. She will try to get separate figures for Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, and Orange County. Commissioner Jacobs made reference to page three of the Executive Summary and said that he would like to know what program is in place to inspect houses if they lack indoor plumbing. Tara Fikes said that they track this through other people and the houses, which lack indoor plumbing, are usually in one area of the County. She said that there was not a systematic inspection system in place. She said that staff relies on Environmental Health for information as well as other non-profits that have closer contact with the residents of these homes. Commissioner Jacobs made reference to page five and the sixth bullet and said that it should say "land use strategies." He made reference to page seven and verified that the last line should read "project homestart." Tara Fikes said that this plan could be amended because she was required to do an annual action plan, which may incorporate changes. She will strike the mention of the 10-20% of septic systems in Orange County. Commissioner Gordon made reference to discrimination based on the source of income and said that this should be clear. She asked if it was discrimination if someone was not allowed to rent because of his or her inability to pay. Tara Fikes said that a lot of times there is money available through housing vouchers. She said that this distinction could be made clear indicating that the plan is not talking about people who do not have any type of resources available. Commissioner Halkiotis made reference to the indoor plumbing issues and said that the last data he saw was from the 1990 census and asked if there was any other formal method to get this information. Tara Fikes said that sometimes the Rural Center commissions a study throughout the state, but there was not really another formal method of determining how many do not have indoor plumbing. Commissioner Jacobs said that Orange County just hired a Health Educator to work on the Waste Treatment Management Plan, and part of that is going to be two years of community outreach to septic system maintenance. He said that maybe incentives could be offered for people to get plumbing systems. He suggested that the two departments -Environmental Health and Housing and Community Development -work together. Commissioner Brown asked about the clarification for Project Homestart and how the facilities were being used with the Durham/Orange Coalition for Battered Women. John Link said that there has not been an agreement between the InterFaith Council and the Coalition for Battered Women to use this facility. He said that there was a new group that was proposing to provide services for citizens in Orange County that are in need of services for battered women. There is still no resolution on how the third building is going to be used. Commissioner Brown asked for a written report from the InterFaith Council (IFC) on how the third building is being used. She said that when she looked at the original application for the construction of the third building, it was very clear that the fundraising was for a shelter for battered women and for families coming from the homeless shelter. She said that these are two very distinct services. Regarding the specific proposals or recommendations, Commissioner Brown asked for additional information on Seeds of Sheba. Tara Fikes said that this is a single room transitional housing project. It is anon-profit organization. They have 12 single men there now from the shelter in transition to permanent housing. They have a substantial need for renovations. The property is owned and not rented. Commissioner Brown would like to know how much the rent is per unit. She questioned the possibility of using tax dollars to help out a privately owned residence. Commissioner Jacobs asked if the expenditures were being approved tonight. Tara Fikes said that no money would be expended until there was a development agreement and a full development plan. Commissioner Halkiotis asked if the Seeds of Sheba received a grant from Chapel Hill and in what amount. Tara Fikes will get that information. Commissioner Halkiotis asked about the Abundant Life Center. Tara Fikes said that she has limited information about that Center. She will provide additional information. Commissioner Gordon said that following the criteria they have set for affordable housing might eliminate some of the questions and concerns the County Commissioners have raised. Commissioner Jacobs asked about the urgent home repair program and Tara Fikes said that there was still $30,000 available for that program. Commissioner Jacobs would like to see a shorter wait for the County's home repair program. He also asked about the Children's Therapeutic Center and the reason for not funding it. He asked if there were other Commissioner goals that address concerns about youth. Tara Fikes said that this could be addressed in special populations. The Children's Therapeutic Center is a residential care facility for at-risk youth. The center would be acquiring an existing house to provide housing for 10 youth between the ages of 8-21. Commissioner Brown made reference to the discussions in Social Services about the need for a facility for youth in the County. She asked if this was what Marti Pryor-Cook was talking about. Tara Fikes will find out and let Commissioner Brown know. Tara Fikes will be bringing back more information on the Seeds of Sheba and the Children's Therapeutic Center (including any and all grant monies that have been given). Commissioner Gordon suggested and the Board agreed to add a #3 to the recommendation, which says that the Commissioners asked the staff to research a certification process to determine eligibility for applying for funds. The County Commissioners asked that staff research and bring back a recommendation as soon as possible. A motion was made by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Brown to approve the resolutions as stated below adding a #3 in the recommendations as stated above which was agreed to by consensus. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ORANGE COUNTY 2000-2001 HOME PROGRAM DESIGN BE IT RESOLVED, by the Orange County Board of Commissioners, that the Commissioners as a member of the Orange County HOME Consortium approve the following activities for the 2000-2001 HOME Program subject to the additional review of specific projects. New Construction Funds would be allocated to Orange Community Housing Corporation, an approved Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) to assist in the construction of thirty-two (32) townhouses in the Meadowmont development. $80,000 Funds would be allocated to Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, Inc. to provide second mortgage assistance to five (5) first-time homebuyers. $62,500 Housing Rehabilitation Funds would be allocated for the Urgent Repair Program administered by the Orange Community Housing Corporation. Eligible properties must have repair needs that pose a threat to the life, safety, or health of the occupants, or need accessibility modifications for an elderly or disabled occupant earning less than 50% of median income. $30,000 Funds would be allocated to the Seeds of Sheba for renovation/repair of transitional housing units in Chapel Hill. $100,250 Property Acquisition Funds would be used to assist the Orange-Person-Chatham Mental Health Agency acquire, and if necessary, rehabilitate houses in Orange County for rental occupancy ~ County residents with disabilities. $120,000 Funds would be allocated to the Community Revitalization Loan Program to support the purchase, rehabilitation, and resale of housin to eli ible first-time homebuyers. $100,000 Program Administration $43,800 TOTAL PROGRAM FUNDS $ 536,550 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Manager is hereby designated as the authorized representative of the County to act in connection with the submission of this plan and to provide such additional information as maybe required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE SUBMISSION OF THE FY 2000-2005 ORANGE COUNTY CONSOLIDATED HOUSING PLAN BE IT RESOLVED, by the Orange County Board of Commissioners, that the Commissioners authorize the County Manager to submit the Orange County Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development Programs Annual Update to the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, including all understandings, assurances, and certifications required therein. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Manager is hereby designated as the authorized representative of the County to act in connection with the submission of the Consolidated Plan Annual Update and to provide such additional information as may be required by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. VOTE: UNANIMOUS 2. RECOMMENDED NEW POSITIONS AND CHANGES IN EXISTING POSITIONS Commissioner Halkiotis asked that each presentation be precise and to the point as to its importance and how this additional position will help in the delivery of services. RECOMMENDED NEW POSITIONS Aging -Social Worker I John Link said that this position would provide more service to the frail elderly, which are those who are still able to stay in their own homes but are very close to being dependent upon someone. This person would identify the frail elderly and create a game plan for keeping them independent as long as possible. Department on Aging Director Jerry Passmore said that this program for the frail elderly would be on a cost share basis. There are currently 28 people who are ready for this program. These people make too much money to qualify for any Medicaid programs, but not enough to provide these services for themselves. Child Support -Child Support Officer This position would address the very large caseload in the Child Support Department. Two- thirds of this position would be funded by federal funds. Child Support Director Janet Sparks said that this position has a particular emphasis on the Work First and interstate cases. There are presently 4,000 cases and 8 Child Support Officers. Commissioner Gordon asked about the financial impact. Janet Sparks said that the amount of the incentive that the County receives is based on 105% of the TANF (Work First) collections. Planning and Inspections -Inspections/Planning Clerk There has been some sharing of responsibilities of support staff for inspections and planning. This position would assist the Code Enforcement Officer III. Planning and Inspections -Code Enforcement Officer III This position is directly related to the number of inspections being requested. The Planning Director has identified that there needs to be a more intensive effort with each inspection in order to abide by the state building code. Planning Director Craig Benedict said that from 1997-2000 the amount of inspection requests have increased from 5,000 to 10,000. Commissioner Halkiotis asked how the Planning Department was impacted by the amount of school construction that is going on now. Craig Benedict said that the school construction was being absorbed with the current staff. Commissioner Jacobs asked if the Code Enforcement Officer would fill the function of a Zoning Enforcement Officer. He asked if Orange County provided inspections for Hillsborough. Craig Benedict said that Orange County provides all inspections, and plan review for Hillsborough. Commissioner Brown asked if there was a relationship between inspecting a building and someone coming back later and saying that it was a faulty inspection and whether there would be any liability to the County. Geoffrey Gledhill said that until recently the Public Duty Doctrine provided protection for inspections departments. In the last month, the North Carolina Supreme Court has cast a doubt about the validity of this document. He is not sure if the County is protected at this time. Craig Benedict said that the inspectors were licensed by the Department of Insurance and their licenses would be on the line if they were negligent. Commissioner Brown asked for Craig Benedict to come back with some information on the increase in services and fees for Planning and Inspections and for Erosion Control. John Link said that this information would be coming after the summer break. Commissioner Jacobs would like to see whether or not the County should have a bond on large projects for erosion control against a potential violation. Recreation and Parks -Outdoor Recreation Specialist This position will address the anticipated low-impact recreational and educational programs that will be part of the acquisition of parkland that the Board is pursuing. The question is if this is the time to pursue this or if it can wait. Recreation and Parks Director Bob Jones said that there was an opportunity to begin a park management program this coming fiscal year. He said that a person with a degree in Outdoor Management, Recreation Management, or Wildlife Management would be a very good resource for this position in the planning stages of park management. This person would also oversee volunteers in construction of trails and would determine the signage. Social Services -Community Social Services Assistant This position will address the needs of children who are in the custody of the Department of Social Services. The services range from providing transportation, making sure that the family has enough visits to addressing the needs of the children, etc. Denise Shaffer from the Department of Social Services said that there were about 128 children in custody at this time. She said that sometimes the visits with the family had to be supervised by staff to ensure the child's safety and to observe parent/child interaction. Commissioner Gordon asked if DSS had considered any other alternatives to implementing this service. She said that it seemed there were two types of services -transportation and supervision. Denise Shaffer said that DSS has looked at alternatives in the past. Some of the cases are complex and require specialized staff. EXISTING POSITIONS, RECOMMENDED CHANGES Sheriff -Deputy Sheriff I (12) These positions received grant funding for three years. It is not expected that this money will be available this year. The total cost for these positions in terms of County costs is about $183,000. Commissioner Jacobs asked about the third job function, active liaison between the Sheriff's Department and community groups throughout the County. He asked what was being done with the Hispanic community and how many staff could speak Spanish. He made reference to the new Hispanic center that is starting this summer and asked if the Sheriff's Department had any relationship with it. Sheriff Pendergrass said that most of the line officers were given 40 hours of Spanish instruction. He said that three officers were pretty fluent in Spanish. He said that there had not been any meetings or relationship with any Hispanic groups. He said that there were no real problems in the Sheriff's Department with the Hispanic population in Orange County. Commissioner Halkiotis made reference to Hurricane Floyd and the discussions about having more opportunities for communications to develop between the local government and the Hispanic community. John Link said that the staff was developing a plan to present to the Board for better communications with the Hispanic and other minority populations in the County. Commissioner Gordon stressed the importance of being sensitive to all non-English speaking people, not just Spanish speaking people in the County. She commended the Sheriff on his efforts. Soil and Water -Soil Conservationist (2) There may be a decrease in funding for these positions. This item was discussed with the legislative delegation yesterday morning. Assuming there is a cut, the County could face an additional $31,000 in costs for these positions. There is no federal funding involved in these positions. The state is proposing to cut the funding from one half to one quarter. Commissioner Gordon suggested that the County fund one position instead of three- quarters of two positions. The other position would be a half-time County, half-time state position. Commissioner Brown asked about the involvement of these positions in animal waste issues. She asked how this program was doing in Orange County. It was answered that this program was a great success and these two positions would work with the farmers to help with the mandates. ERCD - Planning/Water Resources Technician This is a request for an increase in hours. Aging -Office Assistant II (2) This is a request for an increase in hours. Social Services -Social Worker III This is a request for an increase in hours. Orange Public Transportation -Transportation Coordinator This is a request to extend this position an additional fiscal year. Health/Personal Health -Senior Public Health Educator (Bilingual Coordinator) This is a request to extend this position an additional fiscal year. This is agrant-funded position. Health/Personal Health -Intensive Home Visiting (4 positions) This is a request to extend these positions an additional fiscal year. These are grant- funded positions. John Link clarified that no action was to be taken on the new positions and the changes in the existing positions tonight. The suggestions from the Board will be incorporated into the budget. 3. EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2000-2001 John Link indicated that there were two decisions to be made on the employee compensation for 2000-2001: ~:~ The amount of the Cost of Living Increase ~:~ The amount of the In-Range Salary progression Personnel Director Elaine Holmes said that the recommended amount of the cost of living increase is 3%. This is based on cost of living and market factors. She made reference to the low unemployment rate in Orange County and said that the County is having trouble recruiting for technical and specialized jobs. The staff is recommending that in-range salary progression continue as a half step to continue to pursue the objective of providing for employee advancement. Commissioner Gordon asked Elaine Holmes to get the information on what Triangle J Council of Governments was doing for employee compensation as comparative information. Commissioner Jacobs suggested that the Manager come back with scenarios for a cost of living increase of 2%, 2.2%, 2.5%, and 3%. The 2.2% is from the 10-year average. Commissioner Brown would like to see a list of the recipients of the Meritorious Service Awards. She is concerned about the recruitment issue and suggested looking at a cafeteria plan for next year. She also mentioned getting paid for vacation that is not used. Elaine Holmes said that any vacation leave over 240 hours is rolled over and becomes sick leave. In the long term, sick leave is creditable for retirement service. She said that she has an intern in her office that is working on pulling together information on cafeteria plans. She will report to the Board on this topic later this year. Discussion ensued on the Meritorious Service Award and how it relates to innovation and efficiency. Commissioner Halkiotis asked for a listing of everything the County does for its employees with regards to benefits. He asked about the projection of costs for medical benefits for next year. Elaine Holmes said that Blue Cross/Blue Shield was going to continue the current plans for at least another year. She said that there might possibly be a significant increase in the premiums. Commissioner Brown asked for a number of the people who are taking advantage of the 401 k. Elaine Holmes said that before the 401 k contributions were initiated, about 32% of employees were making a voluntary 401 k contribution. Presently, over 80% of employees are making a contribution. Commissioner Gordon would like to see a write up of all the employees who are eligible to be rated and how many people got each performance rating. Commissioner Brown would like to see a list of all of the unfilled positions in the County. Commissioner Jacobs is interested in knowing how many people might take advantage of expanding the definition of domestic partners. 4. ORANGE COUNTY'S LEGISLATIVE AGENDA FOR 2000 AND APPROVAL OF FINAL LEGISLATIVE ITEMS FOR PUBLIC HEARING The Board agreed to go forward with the items on the green sheet as presented. These items will be put in a resolution form for approval on next week's agenda. 5. CLOSED SESSION "To discuss the County's position and to instruct the County Manager and County Attorney on the negotiating position regarding the terms of a contract to purchase real property" in accordance with North Carolina G.S. 143-318.11(a)(5) A motion was made by Commissioner Brown, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs "To discuss the County's position and to instruct the County Manager and County Attorney on the negotiating position regarding the terms of a contract to purchase real property" in accordance with North Carolina G.S. 143-318.11(a)(5) VOTE: UNANIMOUS ADJOURNMENT With no further items for the Board to consider, a motion was made by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Brown to adjourn the meeting. The next meeting as listed on the regular meeting calendar will take place on May 16, 2000 at 7:30 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Stephen H. Halkiotis, Vice-Chair Beverly Blythe, Clerk to the Board