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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 04-16-2013 APPROVED 5/21/2013 MINUTES Orange County Board of County Commissioners Social Services Board Joint Meeting April 16, 2013 5:30 PM The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Joint Work Session with the Department of Social Services on Tuesday, April 16, 2013 at 5:30 p.m. in the Link Government Services Center, in Hillsborough, North Carolina. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jacobs and Commissioners Alice M. Gordon, Barry Jacobs, Earl McKee, Bernadette Pelissier, Renee Price and Penny Rich COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Mark Dorosin COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: Frank Clifton and Assistant County Managers Clarence Grier, Michael Talbert, and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) COUNTY STAFF ABSENT: SOCIAL SERVICES BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Pat Garavaglia SOCIALSERVICES BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: Claire Millar and Arthrell Sanders SOCIAL SERVICES STAFF PRESENT: Nancy Coston, Denise Shaffer, Lindsey Shewmaker, Sharron Hinton, Dustin Lowell, Tina Clark, and Joyce Lee 1. Introductions Chair Jacobs asked for a moment of silence for those who were injured or lost their lives in Boston. Pat Garavaglia, Chair of Department of Social Services (DSS), said there are DSS members absent tonight due to illness or schedule conflicts. Nancy Coston reviewed the agenda and said DSS is going through the biggest changes in their programs especially in the area of economic support. 2. System Changes i) NC FAST Lindsay Shewmaker and Nancy Coston began a joint presentation of the following PowerPoint Slides: BOCC — DSS BOARD JOINT MEETING Orange County Department of Social Services—April 16, 2013 Lindsay Shewmaker presented the following slides: NC FAST - North Carolina Families Accessing Services through Technology (NC FAST) is an integrated case management system designed to replace 19 legacy systems in the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services - Implementation of this major automation project is being phased in over several years - Staff are currently involved in implementing the first phase, while preparing for implementation of the second phase NC FAST Phases (Graphic) • Phase 1 (Current Phase) - Food and Nutrition Services • Phase 2 and 6 (Next Phase) - Medicaid - Work First - Special Assistance - Refugee Assistance • Phase 3 - Child Welfare • Phase 4 - Energy Programs - Child Care • Phase 5 - Adult and Family Services NC FAST Issues (Learning Curve Graph) NC FAST Issues (Computer Response Time Graph) NC FAST Timeline (Graphic) NC FAST • Implementation of Phase 2 and 6 will include Medicaid, Work First, and Special Assistance Programs • Includes more than 10,000 cases (Chart) DSS Staff Member Lindsey Shewmaker began the PowerPoint presentation and said NC Fast is a web based program that will automate all of the Legacy Systems and combine them into one. She said this will happen in multi-year phases, with Phase 5 slated for completion in 2015/16. She said there are over 6,000 food and nutrition services cases in Orange County and staff has worked to get all of those entered into the system to complete Phase 1. She said the green light for beginning work on the combined Phase 2 and 6 will be June 17, 2013. She referenced these in the slide on NC FAST Phases. Phase 3 is set to begin in the end of 2013 or beginning of 2014. Lindsay Shewmaker referenced the slide on NC FAST Issues and said that this web based application looks very different than what the staff are used to, and it has a very steep learning curve. She referenced the number of cases due, versus the number completed. She said that in December 400 re-certifications for food nutrition services were completed out of 700 that came in. She said it was a struggle to get these done in a timely manner. She said that these are normally completed a month ahead, versus the current time of two weeks ahead. She said that the other issue with the system is that the response times are slow. This is being addressed with the IT department and efforts are being made to increase bandwidth. She referenced the chart and said the counties to the right are the slowest. Referencing the timeline slide, she said that EPass functionality starts at the end of this month and will allow clients to apply online for food and nutrition services benefits. Commissioner McKee asked about what if people do not have access to, or cannot use, internet services. Lindsey Shewmaker said applications will still be available in the traditional ways as well. She said there are also plans to provide teaching to clients on how to use the online applications. She noted that each time a client comes in to the office, that person is missing time at work. She reviewed the rest of the timeline slide. Nancy Coston said that other states who have the system say it takes a year or two for people to become comfortable with the online only service and there will always be a core group who prefer to talk in person. She emphasized the plan to educate and help people feel comfortable using that service, while still maintaining a face to face option. Commissioner Price asked if people will need cable in order for the online system to function properly. Lindsey Shewmaker said she is not aware of the capabilities of the system but she is hopeful that the state is aware of this issue and has designed the system with that in mind. Lindsey said staff will be working, between now and September 9th, to get more than 12,000 Medicaid cases into the system. Nancy Coston said that when each of those Medicaid files is converted, it must be touched in the system and several screens must be filled out for each one. This is why this is a slow process and it is a challenge for employees. She said there is also a compressed timeline with Medicaid because of health reform coming. Nancy Coston presented the following slides: Affordable Care Act • First open enrollment period for qualified health plans in exchanges. • Regardless of decisions on expansion and state exchange, people will begin applying in October • Will have to be ready to accept the "single streamlined" application on that date and apply new rules and transfer information between Medicaid agency and the exchange • Requires process changes - No Wrong Door - Seamless - Streamlined Affordable Care Act (Graph) Work Support Strategies • Work Support Strategies are business process changes that will enable counties to handle system change. Includes: - Policy simplification and alignment - Retention of eligible families - Increased use of performance data - Holistic view of family - New roles for staff • In Orange County, this may result in the creation of resource rooms or other building enhancements What do we need to be successful? • Flexibility to use funds for overtime and temporary staff • Additional technology including increased bandwidth and upgrades • Expedited reclassification and recruitment when vacancies occur • Minor building enhancements • Partnerships with other county departments and outside private and nonprofit agencies • Education of clients, providers, partner agencies, and policy makers about possible transition issues Nancy Coston said that, regardless of whether Medicaid was expanded or not (it was not expanded in North Carolina) one of the requirements of the Affordable Care Act is a seamless opportunity to apply for Medicaid/Subsidized Healthcare. In North Carolina, this means DSS. She said this means that DSS must have a single way to help people who are not eligible for Medicaid but might be eligible for one of the tax subsidies. This interface is being built from the ground up. She said that DSS is naturally where lower income (250% and below poverty level) folks will come. She said the Affordable Care Act also requires that people be able to apply by phone, in person, on the computer, or by mail. She said that all of this is pushing the effort to get the conversion of NC FAST for Medicaid by October 1, as this is the date Affordable Care Act Subsidies can be accepted. She reviewed the coverage percentage graph on the second Affordable Care Act slide. She said the biggest hole is for the adults without children who make less than $12,000 per year. She said these people are not picked up by Medicaid and cannot get a subsidy because the law did not anticipate Medicaid not being expanded. Commissioner McKee asked what the option would be for these people. Nancy Coston said that the Department of Health and Human Services will send these people to rural health clinics, like Piedmont Health. Commissioner Pelissier asked if maybe some of the people who will be able to get insurance through the exchange, could go elsewhere so Piedmont Health could help the people who won't get subsidized. Nancy Coston said that is the hope, as this was all built to get more people insured, which would mean less people would have to be covered. She noted however, that Piedmont is a major recipient of Medicaid right now, and Piedmont says this is necessary to maintain a business model that works. She said the official word is to clean up Medicaid and then move forward. She said that the people in the 100% to 200% poverty level, who do not have health insurance, will get health insurance with a reasonable subsidy. This will be a new insured group as most of these have chosen not to have insurance in the past. Nancy Coston moved to the Work Support Strategies slides. She said this is a philosophy based on what the families need. She said that there will be opportunities, as NC FAST and EPass go live, to let people meet DSS wherever is most comfortable. She said there are minor changes being looked at for next year, including putting computers in the buildings that staff can use in teaching people about online resources. This will help more people utilize that option and free up staff to spend more time with the seniors and others who need the one on one time. She said that entering information into NC PASS allows it to trickle down to everyone in the DSS system and this frees up time on the part of both the applicant and the staff. She reviewed the items needed to be successful. She said the transition in Medicaid will be more difficult than the food and nutrition transition, as there is no simple solution to a medical emergency if cards are not generated fast enough, etc. Nancy Coston presented the following slides: 2. Budget Issues and Impacts Budget Issues and Impacts • Child Welfare Funding Cuts • Work First Cash Changes • Child Care Subsidy Funding • Adult Services Program Changes • Impacts of Sequestration Agency Programs and Services (Graphic) Nancy Coston reviewed the Budget Issues slide and said the child welfare cut was a result of a re-interpretation of policy and it will cause less money to be received each year to child welfare cases. She said the Work First Cash, once moved to the new system, will no longer be issuing checks but will be depositing money into client's bank account. She said this is about 350 cases served at a time, but these are the clients who are likely to not have a bank account or be in good standing at the bank. She said if a bank account cannot be established, the cash will be placed on the same EBT card as food and nutrition. She said this money will be free to spend on items other than food. The likely issue will be people seeing what is known to be a food stamp card used on non food items. She said this will likely cause an issue and DSS is working with banks to try and solve this issue. She said that there will be less spent this year on Child Subsidy and there are still applications being submitted for consolidated subsidy. She said that The Adult Services Program, Adult Care Home Management Program was privatized by the state last year and that funding has been lost, but Mental Health Guardianship cases were given. The guardianship money was not as high and the cases were more challenging. She said the impacts of sequestration have not trickled down yet but are expected to by next year. She said the main childcare funds are not supposed to be subject to this. Chair Jacobs said he, Commissioner McKee, and the Manager met with Congressman Price yesterday and the congressman requested a report on the impact of the sequestration. Chair Jacobs asked Nancy Coston to provide her feedback on this as she gets it. Nancy Coston said the state office is taking much of the hit this year. Frank Clifton said that so much of what is done is directed at the state first and the state moves money around, which changes the impact. Commissioner Gordon said it is important to let the public know how state and federal cuts have impacted local programs. She said this is important; otherwise blame for cuts is incorrectly placed. 4. Success Stories Nancy Coston referred to the graphic slide of programs and services. She said that there are a large number of programs under DSS and she would like to have the managers highlight a few of them. Sharron Hinton reviewed the following: Adolescent Parenting Program • Antonia gave birth to her daughter when she was 15 years old and in the 10th grade at Orange High School • The Adolescent Parenting Program gave her emotional and academic support, parenting education, and access to resources • Despite challenges she successfully graduated from high school and attends Alamance Community College Sharon Hinton said that the goal of the Adolescent Parenting Program is to work with all of the pregnant and parenting teens. She said there are social workers based in each of the local school systems- Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Orange County. She said that the goal of the program is to offer support to help students graduate and to help prevent a second pregnancy. She reviewed the individual success story highlighted on the slide. Denise Schaffer reviewed the following: Consolidated Child Care Subsidy Program • Maximizes use of state and federal funds • Reduces administrative costs so more funds can be used for subsidy (815 children per month) • Provides a seamless transition between funding sources • Maintains one waiting list that clearly defines the number of Orange County families waiting for subsidy (356 kids) • Supports access to other agency programs for families and children • Continues to assure the majority of children are enrolled in high quality child care programs (90%) Tina Clark reviewed the following success story: Consolidated Child Care Subsidy Program • "Debbie" was a single mom struggling to find work and battling substance abuse while trying to raise her 3 year-old. • She began participating in the Work First program and receiving child care subsidy. She was also referred to the Horizons program. • Debbie successfully completed both programs within one year and remains drug free. She has maintained employment and now has her own apartment Sharon Hinton reviewed the following: Youth Enhancement Fund • The Youth Enhancement Fund was established by the Commissioners in 2011 to provide low-income youth with opportunities to participate in recreational activities (Graphic) Sharron Hinton said The Youth Enhancement Fund was established by the Commissioners in 2011 to provide low-income youth with opportunities to participate in recreational activities. She said the program served 103 children last year, with an average of 2 activities per child. She said the funding provided in the first year was at $10,000 and it is at$20,000 for the current year. She said the goal is primarily to provide children with registration fees, for activities like swimming, hockey lessons, and gymnastics. This is a successful program and has a lot of interest from the community. A lot of referrals are received from Parks and Recreation and Hillsborough Youth Athletic Association (HYAA) and from social workers. Commissioner Rich asked if there are problems with transportation for these children. Sharron Hinton said registration assistance is provided and parents are still responsible for transportation. Nancy Coston presented the following: New Initiatives • Food and Nutrition Services Employment and Training • Food Distribution • Second Family Program Expansion • Community Response Program • Emergency Solution Grant • WIA Youth Grant • Drug Treatment Court Nancy Coston said that there are now federal dollars in place to pay for Food and Nutrition Services training for people who have lost jobs in the recession. She said this will be incorporated into other programs as well. Joyce Lee spoke about food distribution. She said that DSS receives food from the North Carolina Food Bank and People Offering Relief for Chapel Hill Carrboro Homes (PORCH). She said backpacks are packed and given to residents who come in needing food. She said that referrals are also done to OCIM and this year 561 referrals have already been done. She noted that this is an increase in people needing food. Dustin Lowell said Second Family Program Expansion works with youth and adolescents who are in the custody of DSS. The organization takes foster children and offers them opportunities such as tutoring, guitar lessons, summer vacations and college visits, among other things. The focus is for this year is on adolescents getting summer jobs, and there is a proposal to lease a county vehicle for a year and provide transportation to and from job interviews and part time jobs. Denise Schaeffer said the Community Response Program is a collaborative project with Partnership for Young Children. Social workers are employed on a contract basis to enhance protective factors in families with a history of issues. She said this program is operating under a three year grant and this is the first year. Sharron Hinton said the Emergency Solutions Grant is the second phase to Homelessness Prevention Grant, a million dollar grant given in 2009 for a three year period. This was to administer prevention and housing for people at risk of becoming homeless. She said this funding stream changed and this grant is now limited to $169,000. She said that$60,000 of this was contracted to IOC in Carrboro to help with shelter operation, and the balance is to go to housing. Sharon Hinton said that the Workforce Investment Act Youth Grant (WIA Youth Grant) was just applied for last week. Currently the Youth Initiative is implemented through JOCCA. She said this was a prime time for Orange County to apply for funding, and DSS anticipates being able to provide a program for at risk and low income adolescents. These programs will provide these youth with opportunities for employment and training opportunities. She anticipates hearing about the grant by July 1 St. Sharron Hinton said Drug Treatment Court is new to DSS and provides administrative oversight for the drug treatment court, working with the district court judges. 5. Social Services Board Chair Remarks DSS Board Chair, Pat Garavaglia thanked the Board of County Commissioners for being so supportive to social services and for continuing to fund the safety net programs. She thanked them for the three, time-limited positions that were budgeted for this past year during the implementation of NC FAST, as well as the overtime pay for employees working on this project. She said the gift cards for food were also appreciated, as well as the childcare assistance for county employees. She said the DSS staff members are dedicated, compassionate and knowledgeable. Chair Jacobs asked about the possible drug testing of poor people to get benefits Nancy Coston said that she heard food nutrition and work first programs were the targeted programs and people will be required to pay for the drug test and bring in the certification. She said the federal funding cannot be used for drug testing and she believes the county will have to reimburse. Chair Jacobs asked if the DSS board taken a position on this. Pat Garavaglia said there was not a quorum at the last meeting, so this issue has not been voted on. She said that she feels it is unreasonable to ask people who cannot feed their families, to pay for a drug test. Nancy Coston said a drug test will cost around $38 and then the background criminal checks will cost too. She said both of these issues are floating around as bills right now. She noted that there will also be the financial burden of staff time to facilitate this. She said the last bill she saw was that DSS would provide and pay for treatment. She said DSS already has the right, in child welfare programs, to ask for a treatment plan if it is believed that a client has a drug problem. She said, in the proposed bill, everyone would be tested. 6. Closing Remarks Chair Jacobs asked for DSS to provide some bullet talking points on this issue for the next agenda review, for a resolution to be brought forth to the Board of County Commissioners. He also asked if a press release could be put out if the Board of County Commissioners passed a resolution opposing this bill. He thanked DSS for their hard work and dedication. The meeting adjourned at 6:51 pm. Barry Jacobs, Chair Donna S. Baker Clerk to the Board APPROVED 6/18/2013 MINUTES BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION April 16, 2013 7:00 p.m. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in a work session on Tuesday, April 16, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. at the Link Government Services Center in Hillsborough, N.C. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Barry Jacobs and Commissioners Alice M. Gordon, Earl McKee, Bernadette Pelissier Renee Price and Penny Rich COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Mark Dorosin COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Frank Clifton, Assistant County Managers Michael Talbert, Clarence Grier and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (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. 1. Northern Human Services Center Project Update Chair Jacobs said discussion of this first item was moved to Hillsborough to make it convenient for residents who live nearby to attend. He said this will continue to be done while this item is under discussion. He will ask staff to give a timeline for discussions and decisions on this issue; and the public will be notified when these meetings will occur and when there will be opportunities for public comment. He gave a reminder that there is no public comment during work sessions. He said the Board wants to insure that, during this process, people who have invested in this project are aware of and participating in what is happening. Commissioner McKee noted that the meeting room does not have good acoustics, and he asked everyone to speak loudly. Jeff Thompson said tonight will be an update on the Northern Human Services Center, and he referred to the November 8th abstract. He said that in November of 2012 the Board of County Commissioners authorized staff to move forward with option 2, which is an adapted re- use of 10,000 square feet of the facility. He said this facility has significant cultural, historical and social significance in the community, and there have been several meetings to gain feedback from the residents. Dave Stancil said he would give a brief history of discussions regarding the facility. He said this building has been looked at by a variety of different groups over the last twenty years. He said the building was rapidly becoming unoccupied and was very costly to heat and cool. As part of the CIP discussions, the board asked that the community be engaged to determine what the residents would like to see done to this facility. He said two meetings were held in 2012; during the first meeting all 10-12 potential uses of the building were listed out. He said that this list boiled down to community center type uses, reunion locations, wireless internet access, and catering and commercial kitchen access. He said that in September two options moved forward: 1) Start from scratch building a new facility; or 2) Keep the core rooms and then build and memorialize around those, keeping the history. He noted that the building has a long history as a school, dating back to 1950. He said the Board of County Commissioners chose option 2. Jeff Thompson discussed the constraints of the facility. He said the building is 37,000 square feet, with low demand and high operational costs. He said that, fully operational, cost would be about $100,000 a year to heat and cool the building. The previous cost estimates, included in the CIP to do renovations, were in the range of$2-3 million dollars. He said there are restraints for water and sewer. The capacity is 2400 gallons per day and the Cedar Grove Project is taking 1000 gallons. This leaves a net capacity of 1400 gallons per day. He said Environmental Health has sized this capacity to be appropriate for a 10,000 square foot facility. The Board of County Commissioners chose to bring it down to a 10,000 square foot facility with re-adapted re-use that meets the needs of a community center. He said, with that information, a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process was started in November to find an architect, and a resident design advisory committee was formed. He said an architect was chosen out of Raleigh - MBAJ Architect. He said the qualifications of this firm included previous community center projects, experience with adaptive re-use design, and historically significant design experience. He said this project schedule allows for design in 2013-14 and construction in 2014-15, with a $2 million budget for construction and a $250,000 budget for design. Jeff Thompson said there is an asbestos abatement process tied in with the construction. He said that there were several discussions with the public and architects regarding the fact that some parts of the building would not have to be cooled or heated. He gave an example of a portico space tied back to Cedar Grove Park. He said that there have been discussions of a potential Emergency Services sub-station and a tower complex to service emergency services communication needs, as well as retail needs, such as wireless. He said the department is now prepared to bring the contract with MBAJ Architects forward for formal approval and to start the process of interfacing the public with the programming and design. He said this process will move into summer, and there would be a presentation of plans and ideas in the fall. He said the goal, after final approval from the Board, would be to take it to bid for construction at this time next year. Commissioner Pelissier said there were about 10 people who signed up in September to be on the design committee. She asked if more citizens would be allowed to be involved and Jeff Thompson said yes. Frank Clifton said the architectural firm is expecting a lot of community interaction, and the design committee meetings will be held up in that area. Commissioner Price asked if the architectural firm would be presenting a proposal that looks at the entire footprint of the building, or just the wings mentioned earlier. Jeff Thompson said those wings are being looked at in an un-conditioned space configuration which allows for outdoor usage. He noted that there are huge asbestos issues in many areas of the building, such as ceilings, window parts, HVAC and flooring. He said that the deconstruction gives some efficiency since the abatement can be done as part of it. Commissioner Price said she met with community members earlier this month, and had talked with staff. She said there is interest in preserving as much of the building as possible, and she requested that the architect bring back another option for preserving the whole building. She said it is apparent that the building can be considered a landmark for Orange County, and there is a wealth of history in the classrooms. She said, even if the unusable space has to be simply preserved for future construction at least that would preserve the history. Jeff Thompson said the firm can certainly do a holistic view of the facility with cost estimates. Frank Clifton said, in looking at options, there will be significant cost allocations, restrictions and benefits to be considered. He said the overriding issue is dealing with the realities of doing anything in the face of so many hurdles with septic, asbestos and other issues. Commissioner McKee said the failure of sewer system has been mentioned, and the health department is creating a timeline of how the system has functioned. He said he would like to see this in the next abstract on this topic. He said he would like to see this process stay on schedule with the timeline, with approval in June 2013 and proposed opening in early 2015. Jeff Thompson said this timeline contemplates the entire fiscal year. He reviewed the timeline from public programming, development, design, approval, bidding, and final construction. He said the construction looks like an 8 month timeline, as long as there are no unanticipated issues. Commissioner Price said there are a lot of uses for this facility, and she wanted to reinforce that there is a lot of history significance with this facility. Commissioner Pelissier agreed with Commissioner McKee about keeping the timeline on track. She asked if other options were considered, such as a farmers market, and would this kind of option add significantly more to the costs. Jeff Thompson said there are already parks and recreation staff members on site with Cedar Grove Park and if there were no heating and cooling or interior costs, it would not be as costly. He said this assumes that the structure can be saved without increasing the $2 million number, and there would still need to be roofing and window replacement to make it suitable, even for a farmers market. Jeff Thompson said $250,000-$500,000 would likely be required to do this correctly. Michael Talbert said when the CIP was put together last year, it was based it on a 10,000 square foot facility that saves the cafeteria, existing kitchen, the existing gymnasium and perhaps the principal's office. He said that if the desire is to mothball portions of the facility, this will add substantial capital costs. He said if it is just an open area only, that would be a different scenario. Jeff Thompson said part of the septic system has significant storm water infiltration, which swells the system up, and this will need to be corrected. He said these corrections will have to be made under the slab in the classroom wings. Frank Clifton said the old sewer system is terra cotta and to solve these problems, the buildings will have to be taken down to access under the foundation. He said Board of County Commissioners will be provided as much of this information as possible. Chair Jacobs clarified that the dates in bold on timeline — June 18th and October 15th —will allow public comment at Board of County Commissioners' regular board meetings. He said he has heard that the Board wants to stay with this timeline; the board wants to leave open the possibility for more people to be part of design group; and the board wants to put all options on the table with no pre-determinations. He said that the Board will then sort through the options, listen the community and consider resources, before making a decision or recommendation. Commissioner Rich asked if the Board would have the costs in front of them at all times when making decisions. Frank Clifton said efforts will be made to keep the Board apprised and he committed to send a copy of the Health Department report on the septic. Chair Jacobs said it is the Board's CIP and the Board can chose to do more in the future and extend out plans over the next few years. Commissioner Rich asked about the accuracy of the estimates on asbestos cleanup. Jeff Thompson said the department is very comfortable with the scientist that has been through the building. Commissioner McKee clarified that the budget is $250,000 for deconstruction and abatement and Jeff Thompson said yes. Commissioner McKee was asked about the availability of local firms bidding on this project construction and he wanted to be very clear that the spirit of the law will be followed on making this project available to any qualified contracting firms. Chair Jacobs pointed out that state law prohibits discrimination. Frank Clifton said that there will be general contractors who may not be local but will hire local subcontractors for some of the work. Commissioner Price asked about minority contractor firms. Chair Jacobs said this is covered in the state laws. He said that efforts have been made in the past to give priority to local or minority contractors and this is constrained by state law. 2. County Commissioners: Boards and Commissions —Annual Work Plans/Reports • Parks and Recreation Council (PARC) - Neal Bench, Chair and Dave Stancil, Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation (DEAPR) Director Neal Bench expressed appreciation for the invitation to speak, and he thanked the Board of County Commissioners for serving the county. He said there is a lot of diversity on the PARC board, and the members are thankful for their appointments. He said DEAPR has had the pleasure to work with all of the current Parks and Recreation staff members, and there have been several joint meetings and information sessions as part of putting together a PARC Master Plan. He thanked the outgoing PARC Chairs. He said some of the goals of the council are: to assist with the creation of the updated master plan for parks and recreation; to assist with surveys; to attend information sessions; and to lend their thoughts to various issues. He said, with regard to the outside agency funding applications, the current council would like for the county to look at the scoring system, relative to any outside agency that has not done prior business with the council. He said that it appears that first time agencies are at a slight disadvantage in the scoring process compared to agencies that have done prior business with the county. He feels this may cause the county to lose out on opportunities to use some very good agencies. Commissioner Price asked if the council is moving forward favorably with the Mountains to Sea Trail. Mr. Bench said there have been favorable opinions expressed about this and he hopes that the County will come to a conclusion as to the minimal affectation to private property. Commissioner Pelissier asked about the item regarding communication with schools about recreational use of school facilities. Mr. Bench said the council is favorable to recreational opportunities for joint use of facilities. He said that there was a letter of understanding generated with the school system, that facilities should be available for use to the maximum. He said this is with an understanding that the schools, especially high schools, use the facilities extensively; and there will be times when the fields are available but can be damaged by too much use. He said the question of whether school principals and administrators are on board is still being worked on, and there is some forward progress. Commissioner Gordon said that in the Intergovernmental Parks Work Group, this policy discussion with the school boards has been revitalized, and there has been substantial forward progress. Commissioner Rich agreed that there has been comprehensive forward movement. Commissioner Gordon said she and David Stancil met with representatives of the two school boards, and they were willing to work on this issue. Mr. Bench clarified that there was some cooperation happening all along, although there was some back and forth. He said there was some use of the facilities and the goal is to maximize the use. Chair Jacobs said this has been one of the most chronic issues in the County with regard to an inability to cooperate. He noted that David Stancil has worked on this for quite a while. Chair Jacobs noted that terms were extended for several of the council members, in order to allow for completion of the master parks plan. He asked when an update would be given. Dave Stancil said this process is in the middle of focus groups and is scheduled to report to the Board in May. Chair Jacobs asked Dave Stancil to send dates and times of information sessions. Chair Jacobs said the last item of the PARC is the possibility of a working farm component park site. He noted that there is a judge in the county who would like to have a working farm for misdemeanants to work off some of their debt to society. He gave an example of this, from a similar farm in Oregon, in which the workers pay per hour was given as restitution to the victims of their crimes. He said that perhaps, with a partnership between the judicial system, the agricultural preservation community and the parks community, there could be a creative solution. • Advisory Board on Aging - Heather Altman, Chair(with Department on Aging Director Janice Tyler) Advisory Board on Aging Chair Heather Altman said the board tries to have engaging meetings and she is representing her 12 member board, as well as 19,000 senior citizens. She thanked Commissioner Pelissier for serving on the Master Aging Plan steering committee. She said that the Commissioners presence is missed, and she gave an open invitation for the Commissioners to join the board meetings in future. She said this is an extremely active board, and many members work on sub-committees and are working hard on the Master Aging Plan. She said there is usually a waitlist to join the board. She said the board is so inspired by Janice Tyler and her staff and their commitment to Orange County and its senior citizens. She referenced the Master Aging Plan and said the board is actively working on 32 of 41 year one implementation strategies and is moving forward toward Phase 2. She said this plan outlines a variety of objectives and strategies looking at health and wellness for seniors in Orange County. She listed some examples of implementations as follows: • Creation of a Chinese language service capacity • Provision of educational seminars at the Senior Centers • Development of a Department on Aging Information Dissemination Plan • Development of an Emergency Medical Services falls prevention program • Application submission for funding of a Mobility Manager/transportation assistance program • Expanded advocacy for use of transit tax • Expansion of Low cost mental health counseling at the Seymour Center • Creation of a Long Term Care Learning Collaborative Commissioner Rich asked about Heather Altman's career life as it relates to her volunteer life. Heather Altman said she is the Director of Community Connections at Carol Woods Retirement Community. Chair Jacobs noted that he and Commissioner Gordon both served on the first two iterations of the Master Aging Plan. Heather Altman said this is the eleven year mark of the Master Aging Plan and this is an awarding winning program. She said this was the first plan of its kind implemented in the state. Chair Jacobs asked how guidance and service is made available to seniors Janice Tyler said there is an aging helpline number and this is intended to be the one- stop shop. Heather Altman said there is a 411 and a 911 number and it can meet any need. Janice Tyler said the board will be hearing more information about long term care facilities in the near future. Chair Jacobs suggested that information on the hotline be given to the public affairs officer for a possible press release. • Agricultural Preservation Board - Howard McAdams, Co-Chair; (with Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation Director David Stancil) Howard McAdams said the board is increasing the number of acres in the voluntary agriculture districts. He said that a year ago, there were 2,956 acres and there are now 4,597 acres in the districts. He said that by June 1 there will be 5,463 acres. He said agriculture is thriving in Orange County and strawberry season is approaching in May. Commissioner McKee said there is some transition being done into the enhanced voluntary agriculture districts, which will provide a few more benefits. Commissioner Pelissier said there was mention of a meeting with all county agriculture boards for joint planning and she asked what came out of this. Howard McAdams said that meeting was a year ago. Chair Jacobs asked if the board did get a report. Dave Stancil said this meeting was noted as part of an answer to the question regarding the board's most important accomplishments and it did not go by a 12 month standard. He said this meeting was part of the creation of the Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Plan and there was an outcome that the Board of County Commissioners approved. This plan is now being implemented. Chair Jacobs encouraged the board to convene another meeting in the coming months and he offered to provide suggestions for topics. Chair Jacobs referred to the last page of concerns and emerging issues, and working with the tax administrative office. He asked Dave Stancil if there has been a meeting yet and he encouraged staff to do so before the legislature makes changes to the use value system. Commissioner McKee said, having been involved in these transfers, he can say that the staff working in the tax office are accommodating and competent. Chair Jacobs noted that Orange County has the highest use value percentage in the region, partially because the County's policy to be accommodating. He suggested that information be put on the website. • Arts Commission -Alice Levinson, Chair( with Arts Commission Director Martha Shannon) Martha Shannon said Alice Levinson was ill and unable to be here tonight. Martha Shannon said the Arts Commission has a role to play in carrying out Goal 3 (Economic Development) and Goal 6 (Quality of Life) of the BOCC's Goals and Priorities Fiscal Year 2009-10. She read directly from the abstract notes as follows: The role of the OCAC in tourism is to help local artists and arts agencies create the "product" (visual art exhibits, musical concerts, studio tours, theatre performances, etc.) that both locals and visitors come to Orange County to enjoy. The arts help create more vibrant and prosperous communities. The presence of creative professionals in a given area is the single most important factor associated with what visitors will spend. Arts industries & events draw audiences. Nonprofit arts and culture organizations in Orange County spent a total of $85.4 million during FY 2010, supporting 3,352 full-time equivalent jobs and generating $8.0 million in local and state government revenue. Through the creative industries, Orange County has an opportunity to further increase job creation, attract investments, generate tax revenues, and stimulate the local economy through tourism and consumer purchases. In addition, creative industries contribute to the contemporary workforce, making creative contributions to industries' products and services and infusing culture into community development. Orange County can use the arts to boost the economy in a variety of ways, from incorporating arts into economic development and community development plans to supporting arts education and promoting arts assets as boosts to cultural tourism. By investing in the arts and incorporating arts and culture into economic development plans, Orange County can reap numerous benefits — economic, social, civic, and cultural —that help generate a more stable, creative workforce; new tourism; and more livable communities. The arts teach our children the skills that will make them successful in the 21 st century workforce — innovation, imagination, critical thinking, and collaboration. The single most effective way to achieve sustainable economic growth and to enrich the quality of life of all citizens is to develop the arts at all levels. The Arts create jobs. The Arts create vibrant Orange County communities. The Arts make money for Orange County. The Arts inspire Orange County children to excel. The Arts communicate across cultures in Orange County. The Arts express Orange County's identity and heritage. The Arts Experience changes lives. Martha Shannon reviewed the following annual programs: • Administer two grant programs (spring and fall) that fund artists, schools, arts agencies and nonprofit organizations sponsoring art projects • Lead two grant-writing workshops for artists & organizations prior to OCAC grant deadlines • Apply annually to NC Arts Council for Designated County Partner renewal • Sponsor Quarterly Artists' Salons, featuring speakers on professional development for artists • Write and distribute press releases, online newsletters, monthly e-newsletters, grant guidelines/applications and other occasional publications • Serve as clearinghouse of arts information on/for Orange County by responding to artists, non-profit organizations, schools, and the public via phone, email, mail, social media, etc. • Update and maintain website with information on our programs and services including a searchable online local arts directory utilizing our database • Coordinate 5th District Congressional High School Arts Competition for Orange County; participate at the district-level competition and reception • Co-sponsor Emerging Artist Program with arts councils in Durham, Chatham, Person, and Granville counties ■ Co-sponsor Piedmont Laureate Program with arts councils in Durham, Wake & Alamance Counties. She reviewed several upcoming events. Chair Jacobs referenced the last item under goal #3, to resume public art projects on county property funded by annual CIP allocations, and asked about the allocations. Martha Shannon said that the Arts Commission was added as a line item to the CIP for public art projects about 8 years ago and had this funding for several years. She said the commission would like to have this re-instated if the Board will approve it. Chair Jacobs said there has been some discussion of this. • Economic Development Advisory Board (EDAB) Donald Bryan, Chair(with Economic Development Director Steve Brantley) Steve Brantley thanked the Board of County Commissioners for re-constituting this advisory board and he listed the member representatives. He said the board has met 5 times so far and moves around to different locations. Donald (D.R.) Bryan said this is a new board and one of the things that has been done is to look at the county and determine issues and areas of concern. He identified the following three issues: • Need to diversify the tax base • More sales tax dollars need to stay in the county • Need for job creation He said, regarding economic development districts along 85, the question is whether anything can be done to attract manufacturing facilities or retail, to increase job creation. He said the board is trying to support the existing sections of the economy - agriculture, arts and tourism. He said one issue is figuring out how to work with UNC and UNC Hospitals to make sure that, as jobs come out of those institutions, those jobs stay in Orange County. Commissioner Rich asked if there are any women on the committee and several people answered, saying there are about 4-5. Frank Clifton said there is one vacancy on this board in the manufacturing sector and the board will be bringing forth prospective applicants in the coming months. Commissioner McKee asked the board to give the Board of County Commissioners their perception on how to keep the County moving forward, economically. He expressed his appreciation for the contribution and efforts of the board. Commissioner Pelissier asked, if the board would be reviewing some of the rules and regulations regarding streamlining the permitting process for economic development. Donald Bryan said this had not been discussed but that it can be done if the Board of County Commissioners would like to see this happen. Frank Clifton said there are several elements here, including the perception of anti- business. He said there was an analysis of economic development in Orange County, done by graduate and law students at UNC, and this will be shared with the board members. Commissioner Rich asked if there was a strategic plan for retaining the graduates coming out of UNC and other local colleges and keeping incubators in Orange County. Steve Brantley said there had been a meeting this past week regarding UNC holding classes at Durham Tech to create opportunities for people to leverage assets with the university and then carry that into existing businesses. He said the Town of Chapel Hill is amenable to this partnership. Chair Jacobs said, regarding streamlining permitting process, one chronic problem is coordinating planning and economic development. He said people need to be directed to take new ideas to the economic development side to get guidance through the system, before being told no by the regulatory side. Chair Jacobs said that there is a focus on the economic development districts and he hopes the board does not lose track of the Efland Corridor and the Highway 57 Small Area Plan. He said these are an important component in the effort for development. Steve Brantley said yesterday an existing building in Efland was shown. Chair Jacobs said the Cornelius Street Corridor is another area and has good infrastructure in place. Commissioner Gordon thanked Donald Bryan and the other members for being part of this board. Steve Brantley said there is a Planning and Inspections Advisory Board position to fill, and that will add to the coordination. • Human Relations Commission (HRC) - Colin Austin, Chair(with Housing, Human Relations and Community Development Director Tara Fikes) Tara Fikes introduced Colin Austin, HRC Chair. Colin Austin said the HRC report was submitted late last year and he would be giving updates. He said the past few months there has been a lot of transition, as James Spivey, who was an instrumental staff person, retired. He recognized Tara Fikes for taking over the reins during the transition. He also noted that a lot of the veteran members rotated off the board. He said the focus is on recruiting new members that reflect the diversity of the county. He said the report lists many activities from last year, and there have been several events so far in 2013, such as Human Relations Month and the Pauli Murray Awards. He said there have been many events around the community celebrating the 150th anniversary of the emancipation proclamation. He said this was an excellent way to engage school age children. He said there continues to be work, through a subcommittee, on building integrated communities and engaging immigrant communities in the county. He said that this is played out through engaging organizations that work with immigrants. He said the goal is to recruit additional members from the immigrant community to the Human Relations Commission. He said the board has been engaged in some tenants' rights issues and in helping low income renters understand their rights. This was done in partnership with law students and Justice United. He said the board has a low profile role and hopes to facilitate issues being brought forward to the attention of the Board. He discussed a new subcommittee on the collateral consequences of having a criminal record. He noted the work being done to educate employers and to educate citizens on how to re-establish themselves. He encouraged the Board to continue to use the 5 established social justice goals. Chair Jacobs noted that there are three new commissioners that are not familiar with the social justice goals and he asked Tara Fikes to coordinate a session to educate them on these goals. Commissioner Gordon asked about the women's issues being pursued by the HRC, and who on the Commission was interested in those issues. Colin Austin said when the Commission for Women was disbanded, HRC took on that cause. One of the commission's members came onto HRC, so there is one woman on the HRC interested in women's issues. Commissioner Gordon asked if there are any specific issues or if this is a general goal. Colin Austin said this is only a general goal. Commissioner Gordon suggested that HRC keep women's issues in mind when selecting future applicants. Commissioner Pelissier said she was heartened that the HRC wanted to work on the "ban the box" issue. She said she is part of the Partnership for Homelessness and she encouraged HRC to get in touch with Hank Elkins, who is heading up this process. She said it is important to discuss this and come up with more momentum. 3. Discussion of the Steps to Redesign the County Web Site Jim Northup reviewed the key areas of the website that need improving and introduced Carla Banks from the Public Affairs Office (PAO) Carla Banks said data and content management is being transferred from Information Technology to the PAO. She referred to a visual of the website while reading the information from the abstract as follows: The current Web site offers a host of online services (the most in the state), which was referenced to in the Strategic Information Technology Plan presented by the School of Government. Unfortunately, the existing design, framework and navigation of the current Web site does not allow these online services or any other unique features to be appreciated...mainly because the site lacks sophisticated functionality and it's not considered to be user-friendly by most people who visit the site. These issues were also outlined in the analysis conducted by the School of Government based on the responses given by the Board of County Commissioners and employees who were asked to share what they did not like about the Web site. The summary of the survey responses indicated: • The Web site looks outdated in terms of layout and design • Gaining access to information is difficult based on the current navigation options (i.e. too many clicks and there are no drop down menus to serve as a guide) • Staff efficiency is hindered by the difficulty in updating or creating Web content Redesigning the Web site will result in enhancing the online services currently available, allow for the addition of tools that will improve citizen engagement...while elevating the County's image by displaying a modern, professional and user-friendly Web presence that will mirror our neighboring towns and counties. • The first component of the redesign effort is to upgrade and improve the experience for people who visit the Web site, which speaks to the functionality and user-friendly elements that are outlined in Attachment A • The second objective is to streamline staff efficiency with the installation of an actual Content Management System. This component will minimize the time and effort required to create and modify pages on the Web site A display of example Web sites were shown to the Commissioners and included: Durham County, Quakertown, Diamond Bar, and Kissimmee. Quakertown, PA - Design Scheme, Navigation and Traditional Drop-Down Menu in vertical ladder style Diamond Bar, CA - Subtle Backdrop and updated design layout compared to Orange County Kissimmee, FL - Language Translation, Kissimmee en Espanol, Calendar Carla Banks said that Kissimmee had similar issues and those were addressed in a re- design effort, so that has been a good example. She referenced the language translation issue and said that the solution would involve not only Spanish, but other languages. She said there had been work with the attorney's office to create a disclaimer for the translation. She said this is the poor man's version of translation, as it addresses the need without employing professional translators. Commissioner Pelissier said this is a great feature and it addresses all of the languages. Chair Jacobs said that the Diamond Bar site incorporated humor and he liked that. Frank Clifton said a lot of sites have audio content, which takes additional capacity but can be important for visually impaired residents and this is a long term goal for the county. Chair Jacobs said it should be optional and Frank Clifton said yes. Commissioner Price liked the "Upcoming Events" tab on the Diamond Bar website. Chair Jacobs asked Carla Banks to send the Board links to award winning websites from counties comparable in size to Orange County. Frank Clifton said David Hunt is an asset for his internal photography that is used on the website. Commissioner Rich asked about the timeframe. Carla Banks said the goal is to launch in January 2014. Commissioner Rich asked about social media. Carla Banks said the county's twitter and facebook designs would be started next month. She said these will be integrated into the website design so that website updates will be automatically fed into social media. Commissioner asked where and how the social media content will be generated. Carla Banks said it would be a platform for press releases, flyers and written materials. She said the website will be modeled for mobile devices. Jim Northup said there is a cost component to this, so the board is preparing for July 1St and is starting to work with vendors. He said that these numbers will be brought forward for approval. He said the total conversion will take about 6 months. Chair Jacobs asked when the board will be apprised of the process. Frank Clifton said that incremental evaluations will come forward for approval, as well as a general preview of the website before it rolls out. Commissioner Rich said she just wanted to know if the tweets are coming from staff. Commissioner Gordon asked what the board will be approving incrementally. Frank Clifton said certain elements of the website will be brought forward as it progresses, leading to the ultimate preview of the website before breakout. Jim Northup said this update is to let the Board know the status of where things are now as well as where this is going. Commissioner Gordon said she is interested in how it looks and feels and how it works. She is interested in the general look and how user friendly it is. Jim Northup said these issues are being addressed as things proceed, and this is just the first step in the process. He said the user friendly piece is being addressed. He said that the process is standardized template based, which will make it easier to change major components without having to work code. Carla Banks gave an example of creating a new section with content on the airport. She said the content management system is much more user friendly for the staff in making changes or adding content. Jim Northup said the staff has been encouraged by this system. Commissioner Gordon expressed concerns about the agenda process, where the entire agenda has to be downloaded rather than being able to visit one item of interest. She said this is a common thing people would want. Frank Clifton referenced a prior discussion regarding example agendas. He said that the capacity does not exist to do what Commissioner Gordon wants, unless a package is purchased. He said this would cost in the ballpark of$75-$80,000. He said the current system is only $2,500 and works well. He suggested a work session to further discuss this. David Hunt said the agenda is a single PDF file and it is indexed on the left. He clarified that, in order to offer the public a single file for just one part of the agenda, the board would have to close each agenda item out and save comments. He said that, although the single file system may not be best for members of the public wanting a specific agenda item, it is what works best for the board. Chair Jacobs asked if there is capability to have videos on the newly designed website. Carla Banks said she would like to have streaming video on the site and it would be embedded into the site or video links David Hunt said there are some departments currently using video links, so there is capability for this. Chair Jacobs clarified that there would be a proposal in the budget cycle, followed by a re-visit along the way. 4. Threat Assessment and Response Workgroup Update Jeff Thompson introduced the threat assessment work group: David Hunt, Jim Groves with Emergency Services, Darshan Patel with Emergency Services, Sheriff Pendergrass, Archie Daniels with Sheriff's office, and Michael Talbert. Jeff Thompson began the presentation of the following PowerPoint slides: Facilities Security: Threat Assessment, Planning, and Response April 16, 2013 Link Government Services Center Intended Outcome: ■ Workgroup Introduction ■ Sustainable Framework: -Assessment - Planning - Training - Response • Receive BOCC Feedback • Discussion Workgroup: • Sheriff's Department - Captain Archie Daniel • Emergency Services - Jim Groves - Darshan Patel • Manager's Office - Michael Talbert • Clerk's Office - David Hunt • Asset Management Services - Jeff Thompson - Wayne Fenton Guiding Principles: • Assess and address all threat types • Base preparedness planning • Building specific preparedness • Consistent, cyclical training Guiding Principles: ■ Assess and address all threat types: • Acts of God • Accidents - Fire - Hazardous Materials - Infrastructure - Mass Casualty • Violence in the Workplace Jim Groves presented the following slide: Guiding Principles: ■ Base Preparedness Planning: - Emergency Operations Framework Darshan Patel presented the following slides: Guiding Principles: • Building Specific Preparedness: • Emergency Action Plans ("EAP") Designed for: - Each facility - Each occupying department - Covers all threat types - Emphasis on occupant training, response Jeff Thompson resumed the presentation: Guiding Principles: ■ Consistent, Cyclical Training: - Basis in EAP - "Know Your Building" program - Annual Building "Stress Test" activity Priority Facilities: • Criteria: - Probability of workplace crisis - Public interface - Public meeting setting - Cash presence • Dept. of Social Services • Gateway Center—Tax Admin • West Campus Office Building • Southern Human Services Center • Link Govt. Services Center Next Steps • DSS Trial Implementation: - EAP - "Know Your Building" Training - Desk Drill - "Stress Test" Drill - Lessons Learned • Implementation of EAP in other facilities Jeff Thompson reviewed the guiding principles of the workgroup. He said that a consistent cyclical training program is most important. Jim Groves reviewed the Basic Preparedness Planning information. He said that the Emergency Operations Framework (EOF) is basically how the county does business for significant emergencies and disasters. He said this outlines authorities, and assigns goals and responsibilities within County government and Emergency Response Services. Darshan Patel said the Building Specific Emergency Action Plan (EAP) takes the principles of the EOF and applies them to a specific building. This covers medical emergencies, weather emergencies and workplace threats. He said the EAP gives a response framework and allows for specific training regimens for managers and employees in the building. Jeff Thompson said the "Know Your Building" program is specific to the building features and processes for the employee and public who visit those buildings. He said the goal is to do stress test drills once per year, per building. He said the drill is done and then the responses of the building occupants, first responders and security systems are evaluated. Commissioner Rich asked if the "Acts of God" can be changed to "Acts of nature", and Jeff Thompson said yes. Commissioner Pelissier asked how training of the EAP is done with employees of each building. Darshan Patel said there would be "zone wardens" identified and trained along with their department directors in a two day seminar. He said all other employees would be given written materials along with a one day seminar. He said there will also be reminder materials available in each building for employees to refer to. Commissioner Price asked if the zone wardens would have annual refresher courses. Darshan Patel said there will be a one day refresher each year, before the stress test drill is done. Commissioner McKee asked who would oversee the actual stress test. Jeff Thompson said it would be Asset Management. Commissioner McKee asked if the departments are going to be evaluated on performance and he expressed concern that he does not want this to bleed into personnel evaluations. He asked for details on what kind of evaluation would be done and what would be done to make improvements based on the evaluations. Frank Clifton said, in each case, the department director will identify the zone warden and would provide the necessary tools and plans. He said if this does not work, the plan will be adjusted; and if the chosen employee is not suitable, then someone else can be appointed. David Hunt said about a month ago there was a drill at the Library and the safe spot was across the street. He said it was determined, after the drill, that this was not a safe location because of having to cross a busy street. He said this will now probably be changed and this is an example of adapting based on the drills. Chair Jacobs asked about performance checking and maintenance on Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). Darshan Patel said there is a service contract with the vendor for all AEDs in the county. He said the systems are tested, maintained and certified on an annual basis. Chair Jacobs asked about signage and said that in some buildings it is not apparent where the AEDs are. Darshan Patel said all AEDs are now being put into a marked box with an overhead sign to mark the location. Chair Jacobs asked how safety is coordinated for the local sports facilities and open spaces. Archie Daniels said the threats now are so different than those of the past. He said that SWAT or SERT used to be the normal response team; however incidents often so quickly now. He said that factoring in and training for this type of quick response is part of this agenda. He said that the sheriff's office has been able to work with other departments to get up to date floor plans of county buildings and share them with the officers as part of rapid response training. He said there has been training for all local schools and now there is ongoing training for 35 different government buildings. He said that the desire is to have the Commissioners and the government employees to be aware of this training and to act without questioning in the event of an emergency. Jim Groves said that if there is a significant event at one of the sporting events, there is an incident accident plan for this as well. He said there are unified command posts at each of the sporting events. Darshan Patel said EMS, Sheriff's office and all other emergency response partners also participate in a UNC led group called the Emergency Response Group. He said this group discusses and plans for events in and around campus. Archie Daniels said there is also still coordination, prior to major events, with the FBI and other agencies. He said the Sheriff's office also meets every day to brief about these sorts of things. Frank Clifton said Orange County is one of those communities where there are less restrictive activities, such as Halloween on Franklin Street. He said that, even with preparation, there is still the potential for something to happen. The focus is to prepare for the best response to prevent negative outcomes. He stressed the importance of inter-agency cooperation. Commissioner Gordon asked about the preparation for a nuclear event. Jim Groves said the focus is a 2 mile emergency planning zone for the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant and Orange County is well outside of this. He noted that the county is in the 50 mile ingestion pathway. He said this makes it less of a hazard though, and the plant is very pro-active and very amenable to working with local agencies. Commissioner Gordon asked about the planning for the 50 mile ingestion radius from Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant. Darshan Patel said a lot of this has been incorporated into the statewide Radiological Emergency Planning Documents. He said there are 67 counties incorporated into the 50 mile radius zone between the three nuclear facilities. He said the plant program and the state would bring in much of the resources for response, and there would be coordination with the counties. He said there are plans in place to effectively respond. Commissioner Gordon said that she would like to see these plans. Chair Jacobs said there was a report to the Senate that recommended expanding the emergency planning zone beyond 10 miles. He said there have also been reappraisals of the 50 mile safety zone and the impact there. He said he would forward on this article. Jim Groves said he could offer a meeting with the Duke Power representative. Commissioner Gordon said she recommends that the Board get a briefing on this issue. Commissioner Price asked when the scanning information is updated on the Orange County Sherriff's Office website. Jim Groves said this is done daily. He said there is also an interactive crime lab to give information on specific neighborhoods and areas. Commissioner Price said that the schools and libraries often have people exiting through the entrances, and she feels this is a concern for first responders needing access in the event of an emergency. Jim Groves said this can be brought up in the next meeting with officials. 5. Closed Session A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Rich to adjourn into closed session at 9:57. "To discuss and take action regarding plans to protect public safety as it relates to existing or potential terrorist activity and to receive briefings by staff members, legal counsel, or law enforcement or emergency service officials concerning actions taken or to be taken to respond to such activity." [N.C.G.S. 143-318.11(a)(9)] Approval of Closed Session Minutes VOTE: UNANIMOUS Reconvene into Regular Session A motion was made by Commissioner Rich, seconded by Commissioner Gordon to reconvene into regular session at 11:00pm. VOTE: UNANIMOUS ADJOURNMENT A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Gordon to adjourn the meeting at 11:00pm. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Barry Jacobs, Chair Donna S. Baker Clerk to the Board