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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 06-11-2013 APPROVED 9/17/2013 MINUTES BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BUDGET WORK SESSION June 11, 2013 7:00 p.m. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Budget Work Session on Tuesday, June 11, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jacobs and Commissioners Mark Dorosin, Alice M. Gordon, Earl McKee, Bernadette Pelissier, Renee Price and Penny Rich COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: 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. Chair Jacobs said the Board will discuss recommendations and complete the budget mark up at the Thursday meeting. He said the idea is to be done and have something that staff can work on and bring back for the June 18th meeting. Commissioner Rich asked for clarification on the meaning of a budget mark up. Chair Jacobs said the Board will merge their recommendations and adjustments, and then direct staff regarding the changes. He said staff will then add these changes up and tell the Board where things stand financially. Commissioner Rich clarified that while the Board is moving money around, the finance staff will be keeping track of everything. Chair Jacobs said number crunching will happen on June 13th Frank Clifton said staff has already tracked some suggestions during the past discussions and will do more on June 13th Chair Jacobs noted the following items at the Commissioner's places: - Memo regarding outside agenda funding - Goldenrod sheet about internal service fund for vehicle replacements - Request for funding from PFAF. - PowerPoint regarding pay and benefits for employees and retirees - Envelope with materials for the June 13th meeting - Purple and yellow information sheets from the public affairs director 1. FY2013-14 Fire District Tax Rates (Pg. 139) Paul Laughton said ten fire districts are asking for tax increases, and there are three new fire service districts this year. He said each of the districts have either a chief and/or Board member present tonight. He noted that Attachment A lists the current recommended tax rate, as well as the amount that one cent equals per district. He reviewed the historical data for each of these districts, as outlined in Attachment B. Paul Laughton said representatives are here to answer questions or explain requests for tax increases. Commissioner Gordon asked if North Chatham had approved the fire service district agreement. John Strowd said the Board has approved two contracts as of last night, the Southern Triangle, and the Damascus draft agreement. Commissioner Gordon thanked them for their cooperation. Chair Jacobs noted that Commissioner Price will be late due to a conflict. Commissioner Dorosin said, in considering the variety of potential tax changes, it would be helpful for him to see what the total tax impacts will be to each person in these districts. Frank Clifton said staff can probably give a list by area, but the key will be the county tax rates overall. He said the school districts will be more complicated. Commissioner Dorosin said he does not want to make things overcomplicated, but he would like a sense of the overall impact. Frank Clifton noted that none of the fire districts are within the towns. He said a chart could be compiled to total out the increases based on what the Board decides to do. Commissioner McKee said some of these increases for the departments outside of Chapel Hill were driven by efforts to reduce ISO ratings. Commissioner Dorosin asked to what extent these terms have been agreed to as part of the process of creating those districts. He asked if the Board is bound by contract, or is in the process of negotiation. Commissioner McKee said he feels that, regardless of the letter of the law, the Board is honor bound to adhere to the negotiations with Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and North Chatham, for the change in the Southern Triangle area. He noted that he had reservations about the 15 cents. Commissioner Dorosin said this was his sense of the issue. Michael Talbert said both White Cross and Orange Grove are moving forward with stations. He said the contracts approved for the three new districts set a tax rate, not to exceed 15 cents. He said the wording in the contract allows the Board to re-set this amount each year. Chair Jacobs said the Board has asked for several years about reducing ISO ratings, and it is encouraging that the fire departments are working on this by adding extra stations. Commissioner Gordon said she wanted to thank the departments for their service as public safety officers. Cedar Grove Fire District$204,527 ❑ The tax rate for this district is recommended to remain at 7.36 cents for FY 2013-14. In FY 2012-13, the department is in the process of working with the contractor and Orange County Planning Department on the addition to Station #2 to include a training room, kitchen and new office. The department has also installed additional dry hydrants, purchased equipment that is needed on their trucks for ISO, and plans to lower their insurance rating in the near future. ❑ In FY 2013-14, the department plans to complete the addition to Station #2; the department has been saving for the last few years for this addition with the hopes to have a large portion of the building paid for, continue to work on lowering the district's insurance rating, and continue to train firefighters for level I & II certifications. ❑ Their Five-Year plan includes working on replacing a 1986 model brush truck and a 1985 squad truck, work towards setting aside funds to replace the engine at Station #2; their goal is to keep engines and tankers on a rotation that will not allow them to be more than 20 years old before replacing them, and add two part-time staff during peak daytime hours. Greater Chapel Hill Fire Service District$281,144 ❑ This is one of three new Fire Service Districts that replaces existing Fire Protection Districts. ❑ The Town of Chapel Hill will provide fire protection for the new Greater Chapel Hill Fire Service District. See map of the new Greater Chapel Hill Fire Service District within this section of the document. ❑ On February 27, 2013, the Chapel Hill Town Council voted unanimously to enter into a service agreement to extend the Town's current fire district into the affected neighborhoods for a period of 5 years with a 15.00 cent tax levy per one-hundred dollar valuation of real and personal property. ❑ The tax rate for this district is recommended at 15.00 cents for FY 2013-14. Damascus Fire District$82,329 Southern Triangle Fire Service District$164,905 ❑ The North Chatham Fire Department will continue to contract with Orange County to provide fire services to the citizens in both the Damascus Fire Protection District and the new Southern Triangle Fire Service District within Orange County. There will be a separate agreement for the Damascus Fire Protection District since a different NC General Statute provides the County authority to contract for Fire Protection. ❑ See map of the new Southern Triangle Fire Service District within this section of the document; there are no changes to the Damascus Fire Protection District. ❑ The tax rate for both the Damascus Fire Protection District and the new Southern Triangle Fire Service District is recommended at 8.80 cents for FY 2013-14. Efland Fire District$473,961 ❑ The tax rate for this district is recommended to increase from 4.66 cents to 7.00 cents (an increase of 2.34 cents) for FY 2013-14. The increase will be used to provide two (2) paid firefighters in the district during weekdays (this should improve their response times and improve the quality of service), and purchase apparatus to keep the equipment up to date. The increase will be balanced by the savings homeowners in the district will receive by their ISO rating improving from a 7 to a 6. ❑ In FY 2012-13, the department put into service a new Rescue Pumper, updated radios as per the new FCC regulations. The department had their ISO inspection in 2012 and improved the ISO rating from a 7 to a 6, and hired a third party bookkeeper to handle their financial records. ❑ In FY 2013-14, the department has requested to add two (2) firefighters during the day to keep their response time where it should be (with the increases in call volume, the department needs to supplement their volunteers to ensure a proper number of responders are available when needed. The department is also updating their building pre-planning information and moving it to an electronic form accessible from the apparatus, will continue working with Orange County Emergency Services to make the transition to the new OSSI CAD system, continue to maintain vehicles, equipment, and station, continue with annual mandatory training and monthly fire, medical, and rescue training, as well as continue the fire prevention, firefighter assistance, and junior firefighter programs. ❑ Their Five-Year plan includes continuing to fund their capital assets account to help make future down payments on replacement apparatus and provide for the replacement of assets such as radios, airpacks, and other equipment, continue to look for a Station #3 site, replace a 1990 tanker truck in the FY2015 timeframe. Eno Fire District$572,361 ❑ The tax rate for this district is recommended to increase from 5.99 cents to 7.99 (an increase of 2.0 cents) for FY 2013-14. The increase is due to the requirements of the new Orange County Fire Contract related to the department's responsibility of provided water rescue services, replacement of their current Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBAs), upgrade the SCBA fill station to meet new pressure requirements, increase daytime paid staff coverage from 5 days/week to 7 days/week, and to provide funds to purchase a new tanker. The increase is also needed to meet the needs of the district's 5 year purchasing plan. ❑ In FY 2012-13, the department purchased a new Fire Chief vehicle, purchase radios and pagers to comply with new FCC regulations, and purchased needed equipment for ISO re-grade. ❑ In FY 2013-14, the department plans to replace all SCBA and bottles, increase daytime paid staff from 5 days/week to 7 days/week, begin the purchasing process to replace an old Tanker, and upgrade the SCBA fill station to be in compliance. ❑ Their Five-Year plan includes replacement of a 1983 Tanker, have a self-sufficient water rescue team, replace a 1994 Tanker, replace an old SUV, begin the purchasing process to replace two pumpers, move from daytime to 24 hour paid staff, acquire land for a new Station #1 or renovate current facilities, and staff Station #2. Little River Fire District$172,989 ❑ The tax rate for this district is recommended to remain at 4.06 cents for FY 2013-14. ❑ In FY 2012-13, the department purchased five SCBA units, six additional pagers, five sets of turnout gear, 2 new desktop computers and printers; lowered their ISO Rating from a 9 to a 7, reprogrammed VHF pagers and radios, and made repairs to the fire station.. ❑ In FY 2013-14, the department plans to purchase a new Rescue/Mini-Pumper and applicable equipment, reprogram 800 Mhz radios and purchase additional 800 Mhz radios, purchase additional pagers, install additional dry hydrants, recruit new volunteers, and maintain their current ISO rating. ❑ Their Five-Year plan includes maintain/lowering their ISO rating, paving of parking lot, installation of additional dry hydrants, purchase additional Turnout Gear to meet updated standards, researching the feasibility of adding part-time staff and feasibility of buying land for Station #2, purchase additional pagers, and continue recruitment efforts. New Hope Fire District$537,516 ❑ The tax rate for this district is recommended to increase from 8.95 cents to 9.45 cents (an increase of .50 cents) for FY 2013-14. The increase is due to operational cost increases for professional services, computer and server replacement, upgrades to Firehouse software and the CAD link to the new OSSI software in the 9-1-1 Center, as well as an increase in funding for apparatus replacement. ❑ In FY 2012-13, the department lowered their ISO rating from a 9 to a 6 providing substantial savings form homeowners insurance premiums, continued firefighter level I & II level certification classes, three new firefighters completed the Fire Academy at Alamance Community College, conducted fire prevention and fire safety programs in the district, provided ICS 300 Class for members of the department, as well as members of 3 other departments, coordinated Community Watch program with the Sheriff's Office and residents of the district, and provided 16 public fire safety programs to 318 adults and 517 children. ❑ In FY 2013-14, the department plans to continue to train firefighters to level I and II levels, provide Emergency Vehicle Driving and Medical Responder classes, provide fire prevention and home safety programs for community outreach, provide ICS 400 Class for department members and Board of Directors, continue to meet NFPA 1720 Standards for volunteer fire departments as budgets allow, replace utility pickup truck used for support functions and medical responder calls, replace elliptical tanker with a new tanker that meets current NFPA 1901 Standards, continue recruitment and retention program for volunteer members, host mutual aid training with the mutual aid departments for ISO requirements and enhance service to the residents of the district. ❑ Their Five-Year plan includes continued strategic planning to provide enhanced and efficient services to the residents of the district, apply for grants for offsetting revenues for personal protective equipment and self-contained breathing apparatus that meets NFPA Standards, continue standards based training for quality assurance, maintain administrative and training requirements to maintain their improved ISO rating, replace one engine due to age of vehicle, and work with other departments to implement the Orange County Chief's Association Strategic Plan. Orange Grove Fire District$454,823 ❑ The tax rate for this district is recommended to increase from 5.00 cents to 6.00 cents (an increase of 1.00 cents) for FY 2013-14. The increase of 1.00 cents is the second year of a two year plan; in FY 2012-13, the tax rate increased by .92 cents (from 4.08 cents to 5.00 cents), for a total tax rate increase of 1.92 cents over the two year period. The increase is needed to help cover the costs of land and construction of Station #3 in the western portion of the district, and purchases of equipment and two additional fire trucks for the new station over the two fiscal years. ❑ In FY 2012-13, the department will begin construction of Station #3 on Nicks Road, their Station #2 was approved in February 2013 by the N.C. Department of Insurance, purchased a used truck for Station #3, purchased 4 sets of turnout gear continuing their practice of rotating equipment, developed three more water sources as they work to improve their ISO rating, updated all 800 MHz and VHF radios, and gained several new members replacing those who retired. ❑ In FY 2013-14, the department plans to finish construction of Station #3 in the western portion of their district, lower ISO rating from a 9E to an anticipated 7, expand water point availability, increase the number of radios, purchase equipment, truck, gear for Station #3, and continue and expand efforts to improve the ISO rating for more residents of the district. ❑ Their Five-Year plan includes ISO improvement plan with goal of reducing homeowner insurance costs, continue collaboration with other county fire departments, work to improve working relationships with the County, continue and expand member training program to reach 1503 Standards, and acquire equipment to comply with NFPA, and update aging equipment. Orange Rural Fire District$937,032 ❑ The tax rate for this district is recommended to increase from 5.61 cents to 7.36 cents (an increase of 1.75 cents) for FY 2013-14. The increase is needed to replace outdated and/or non-compliant equipment. With the upcoming mandated radio system upgrades, the district's 10 year old radios will be inoperable. To remain on the Viper system, the department will need 36 portable radios at a cost of$201,123. Other areas of need are compliant safety changes needed to their SCBAs, and the purchase of specialized rescue equipment to meet new rescue service needs. ❑ In FY 2012-13, the department certified four additional members to Child Passenger Safety, replaced a thirteen year old pick-up truck for first responder calls, certified four members to advanced rescue training, assisted three mutual aid departments with their ISO grading, thus improving all grades, purchased additional mobile data devices, coordinated with Orange County to house EMS crews at their Station #2, certified Station #3 with the State — lowered insurance premiums for affected houses, sold a 20 plus year old tanker, entered into an agreement with Cedar Grove to extend fire protection into their class 10 area, certified three CPR instructors, moved routine truck maintenance in-house to reduce costs, and purchased pre-owned VHF radios for back- up communications during disasters. ❑ In FY 2013-14, the department plans to replace ten year old non-compliant 800 Mhz radios, replace a 20 plus year old tanker with more versatile pumper/tanker, train all members to water rescue, train all members to structural collapse rescue, train four additional members in advanced rescue training, certify all members in rapid intervention training (firefighter rescue), train 4 additional members to advanced rescue training, make improvements inside Station #3, pay-off truck loan, and work with other departments to fill rescue service voids throughout the County. ❑ Their Five-Year plan includes hiring a full-time Fire Chief, coordinate with the Town of Hillsborough to design and construct Station #4, hire six additional personnel, seek re- grade of district's ISO classification, coordinate with the Town of Hillsborough to purchase a pumper once it reaches twenty years old, equip trucks with mobile computers and AVL, upgrade air packs to meet new standards on face piece integrity and low air alarms, and relocate Station #2 to cover class 10 area. South Orange Fire Service District$509,684 ❑ The Town of Carrboro will continue to provide fire protection for the South Orange Fire Insurance District. Fire protection for residents in this district is provided under contract between the County and the Town of Carrboro Fire Department. ❑ On December 4, 2012, the Town of Carrboro Board of Alderman voted to approve a resolution to modify the existing South Orange Fire Insurance District. See map showing the new South Orange Fire Service District within this section of the document. ❑ The tax rate for this new Service District is recommended at 10.00 cents for FY 2013- 14. Southern Triangle Fire Service District(See Damascus Fire District) ❑ Refer to the section regarding Damascus Fire District for this department's achievements. ❑ North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department serves people in this district as well as those in the Damascus Protection District. White Cross Fire District$321,144 ❑ The tax rate for this district is recommended to increase from 7.00 cents to 8.80 cents (an increase of 1.80 cents) for FY 2013-14. The increase is consistent with the March 19, 2013 agenda abstract to the Board of County Commissioners requesting a tax rate increase of 1.80 cents to cover the costs of a new substation, additional paid staff, purchase of a new Tanker for the new substation, and to cover the increased operational costs. ❑ In FY 2012-13, the department held 13 State of North Carolina firefighter certification classes, installed dry hydrants at all water points, found and certified one new hydrant at a new pond, began the process of replacing old 1 '/2" attack line with 1 %" attack line on the first out engines, and no firefighter sustained any injuries during the year while operating at emergency scenes or while training. ❑ In FY 2013-14, the department plans to find and purchase land for a substation, construct the substation, purchase an additional tanker to certify the substation, and add additional part-time staff. ❑ Their Five-Year plan includes the replacement of their 1987 tanker, provide additional rescue services, lower the ISO Grade to a class 6, change over to LDH supply line, complete the transition to 1 %" attach line, and purchase a used service company/rescue truck to put into service. 2. Pay and Benefits Presentation (Pg. 281) Nicole Clark reviewed the following PowerPoint slides: Pay and Benefits for Employees and Retirees BOCC Budget Work Session June 11, 2013 Work Session Purpose To consider and provide direction on pay and benefits for employees and retirees for FY 2013-14 Key Pay and Benefits Plan Recommendations • A COLA of 2% for permanent employees • An Employee Performance Award of$500 or $1,000 • Funding for a health insurance increase of up to 8% • Maintain the living wage at $10.97 per hour • Extend the six-month hiring freeze and the voluntary furlough program • Continue the annual $715 County contribution to non-law enforcement employees' supplemental retirement accounts, the mandated Law Enforcement Officer 401(k) contribution of 5% of salary • Implement a County supplemental retirement contribution match of up to $1,200 annually for all employees • Address increased costs for retiree health benefits Past Actions: FY 2012-13 Pay and Benefits Plan • A COLA of 2.0% for permanent employees • An Employee Performance Award of$500 or $1,000 • Funding for a health insurance increase of up to 23.0% • Increasing the living wage to $10.97 per hour • Implementing recommendations of the FY 2011-12 internal Classification and Pay Study • Extending the six-month hiring freeze and the voluntary furlough program • Continuing the $27.50 per pay period County contribution to non-law enforcement employees' supplemental retirement accounts and the mandated Law Enforcement Officer 401(k) contribution of 5.0% of salary Addressing increased costs for retiree health benefits Position Classification and Pay Plans The Manager recommends: • A Cost of Living Increase (COLA) of 2.0% for all permanent employees hired on or before June 30, 2013, effective July 1, 2013 • An increase to the salary range maximums by 2.5% to allow those employees at or exceeding the range to receive the 2.0% COLA • An employee performance award of$500 for proficient performance and $1,000 for exceptional performance, effective with permanent employees' annual performance review dates from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014 • Individual positions and classifications are reviewed as needed • County salary schedule is competitive with the market • Salary compression is a concern County Contribution to Retirement Benefits The Manager recommends: • Continuing the 5.0% contribution employer contribution to the Local Government Employees' Retirement System 401(k) program for sworn law enforcement officers • Maintaining the $715 annual County minimum contribution and matching employees' contributions up to an additional $1,200 annually for all employees • Fifty-four of the 100 counties contribute to the NC Supplemental Retirement Plans through Prudential • McDowell and Orange contribute a flat dollar amount • Average contribution is 3.6% • Cities: Chapel Hill 5.0%, Carrboro 3.0%, Durham 4.5%, Mebane 5.0% • Counties: Alamance 2.0%, Chatham 4.5%, Durham 5.0%, Wake 5.0% Employee and Retiree Health Insurance • Potential 8.0% premium increase, based on early claims data, effective January 1, 2014 with the same level of coverage • RFP responses are not firm due to limited plan year performance data • Fully insured and self-funded responses provided • Actual plan designs, premium structure and total cost will be presented at the September 5, 2013 Regular Meeting with a decision needed by the Commissioners • Decision is needed on September 5 in order to comply with federal notification requirements Orange County Living Wage • Recommend maintaining the Living Wage of$10.97 an hour - Most recent calculation would result in a decrease to $10.89 • Calculation based on the region including Orange, Durham, Alamance, and Wake Counties Six-Month Hiring Delay • Recommend extending the six-month hiring delay that was implemented in FY 2010-11. • Total savings from the hiring freeze is projected to be more than $2.0 million. Voluntary Furlough • Recommend extending the voluntary furlough program that was initially implemented in FY 2009-10. • Anticipate cost savings of$50,000 in FY 2013-14. - Fewer participants with longer furlough periods Retiree Health Benefits • The County Manager recommends restricting 50.0% of the increase in the FY 2012-13 fund balance for the long-term liability of funding retiree health benefits • As retiree health care costs increase due to the increase in retirees and the increase in health care costs, the County must plan for its future liability Summary • Focus is on retaining a talented workforce that is committed to serving the residents of Orange County. • Employees are very concerned about pay and health insurance. Preserving employee pay and benefits continues to be a priority. The County's financial condition continues to improve. Commissioner Price arrived at 7:30pm. Referring to the retiree health benefits, Nicole Clark said the average age of the 297 retirees is 65.9 years, compared with the average age of the 820 active employees, which is 45.6. She said the County provides coverage based on the retiree's age. She said those who have not reached 65 remain on the group health insurance plan and are eligible for the dependent subsidy. Retirees then enroll in Medicare Part A at age 65, which is of no cost to the retiree or the County, and part B, which deducts a premium from Social Security benefits. She said the County pays for both a Medicare supplement to cover gaps left by Medicare, and part B, which covers prescription medication. She said changes were made last year to address the increasing liability for retiree health insurance. She said these changes increase eligibility requirements, require retirees eligible for Medicare due to disability to enroll in Medicare, and cap the individual County payout for Medicare supplements in part D. Commissioner Dorosin asked how many of the County employees earn the living wage. Nicole Clark said there are no employees making that amount. She said this is for permanent employees and most of the positions have a minimum salary or hourly rate that is higher. Commissioner Dorosin asked about retiree benefits. He noted that the recommendation is to increase the flat amount. Nicole Clark said the County currently offers $715 per employee per year for the 401 K. She said the recommendation is, for those employees that do contribute to their 401 K, that the county matches up to an additional $1200. Commissioner Dorosin asked how he should compare that with these percentages. He asked what percentage range this puts the County in. Frank Clifton said Orange County is very low and the 401 k has never grown, even as salaries or contributions grew. Commissioner Dorosin questioned the usefulness of this information. He would like to see Orange County's percentage for the 401 k contribution compared to the other counties. He would like to see what 3% or 4% cost would look like. Chair Jacobs suggested staff omit the department heads and look at the remaining mean salary. Nicole Clark said the average annual salary for an Orange County employee is approximately $45,000; so $715 is 1.57%, including department heads. She said the true number is likely closer to 3%. Frank Clifton said 3% is the new recommendation only if the employee contributes, and that is not true in a lot of other governmental entities. Commissioner Gordon said there was a time when staff looked at Orange County benefits compared to others, and at that time the County looked good. She said a comprehensive comparison of all benefits would need to be done in order to get the overall picture. Chair Jacobs agreed with Commissioner Gordon, and said that Orange County usually does better than the state and other counties. He said it is difficult to compare when only one area is considered, versus looking at the overall picture. Commissioner Rich asked where the $1200 figure comes from. Frank Clifton said the staff looked at other entities, both governmental and private/public entities, and considered what benefits are being offered. Commissioner Pelissier referred to the hiring delays and asked why there were longer delays for Emergency Services personnel. Frank Clifton said Emergency Services positions are very strenuous jobs, and hourly shifts have been changed from 24 hours to 12 hours. He said these are difficult positions to fill and maintain. Commissioner Price said there may be some cases where it does not make sense to wait 6 months to hire someone, especially if it means services have to be cut. She hopes the Board will not make this a fast and hard rule. Clarence Grier said a department can request a waiver, and these are usually approved and positions are hired. Mark Browder reviewed the following PowerPoint excel spreadsheets regarding health insurance: Health insurance update (slide 1) June 11, 2013 Work Session 2012 Plan Experience (slide 2) 2013 Renewal (slide 3) Option 1 Rates (slide 4) 2014 Renewal Estimate (slide 5) 2013 Plan Experience (slide 6) Health Care Reform Timeline (slide 7) PPACA (slide 8) Mark Browder said the first few slides are a review from his previous presentation to the Board. He reviewed the 2012 Plan and said the HSA plan ran well, however the PPO plan did not. He said that, all in all, 2012 was a decent year. He referred to slide 3 and said there were a few benefit changes that resulted in an 8.5% increase, which was a competitive renewal for the 2013 plan year. He said slide 4 is a reminder of the current rates and contribution strategies for the County. He referred to slide 5 and directed the Board to note the red highlighted lines in the middle of the page, labeled PPACA. He said these are three fees or taxes being applied to the plan for 2014. He noted that the health insurance reinsurance fee is eliminated from the cost to the plan if you are self-funded program. This gives an incentive to being self-funded. He reviewed the claims experience data on slide 6. He reviewed each row of data on slide 7 and said that the top, light blue row is the $1 per member research fee that will be paid by United Healthcare this year. He said the next row down, labeled "Notification of Changes", will go into effect on October 1, 2013. He noted that the auto enroll program is a new requirement for employers with over 200 employees, and employees will be automatically be enrolled into a health plan. He said the County needs to decide which plan to use for auto enrollment if employees fail to choose one on their own. Referring to the yellow row, he noted that 30 hour employees will be considered eligible for health insurance and will be enrolled in a plan. He said that there will be significant effort on the part of staff to determine eligibility for this. He said the transitional reinsurance fee will apply to the health plan for the upcoming year to help pay for catastrophic claims in the marketplace. He reviewed the final overview slide and said the re-insurance fee is expected to drop off over the next two years. Chair Jacobs confirmed that Mark Browder will be back again in September to answer questions. 3. Outside Agencies: Recommended Allocations FY2013-14 Pg. 209 Clarence Grier reviewed the following: Synopsis - In FY 2012-13, Orange County appropriated $1,038,700 to 36 Outside Agencies. - The County received 56 Outside Agency funding requests, for FY 2013-14. One agency, approved for funding in FY 2012-13, did not submit an application. Requests totaled $1,549,923, an increase of$511,223 over FY 2012-13 appropriations. The 21 requests from new agencies total $337,423. - County departments, advisory boards, and members of the County management team evaluated each application. - The County Manager recommends funding for 38 agencies, in FY 2013-14. The recommendation totals $1,030,100, a decrease of$8,600 from the FY 2012-13 Approved Budget. Nine (9) agencies would receive an increase; one (1) agency would receive a decrease (Pre-Trial Services - $15,000); and one (1) agency's funding (JOCCA-$20,000) would be eliminated. Three (3) new agencies are recommended for funding. - If funds are approved, one agency's funding would be administered through a departmental service contract ($95,000). Two other organizations received funds through this format, in FY 2012-13 ($10,000 each). Clarence Grier referenced a handout at the Commissioner's places, outlining the decision process for the outside agencies that did not receive funding. He noted that a request was received today from Piedmont Food & Agricultural Processing Center (PFAP) for a funding increase. He said Tonya Walton handled most of this process and she is here to answer questions. Frank Clifton outlined this process for the benefit of the new Commissioners. He noted that the Board of County Commissioners does make changes to these outside agencies each year, and this is their prerogative. Commissioner Dorosin asked where he can find a full listing. Clarence Grier said this is available on pages 209-11 in the budget book. Commissioner Gordon referred to attachment B, pages 6-7. She said, a few years back, the Board tried to create a more systematic approach to funding outside agencies, and these guidelines were developed. She said the advisory boards also provided feedback. She feels that this is a systematic and objective process, and she is inclined to follow what comes out of it. Commissioner Price asked when she should address it if there is a particular agency she would like to see funded. Chair Jacobs said this should be done now. He said nothing has to be decided tonight, but this is a good time to inform the Commissioners of thoughts and opinions. Commissioner Price said she would like for the Board to consider funding the Jackson Center and Voices Together, even if it is not for the full requested amount. Commissioner McKee seconded Commissioner Price's opinion on the Voices Together program. He said he has observed this program and feels it should receive some funding. He said the participant number is low but the impact is big. Commissioner Pelissier said Voices Together is a good program; however she feels there is a counterpoint to be made. She said the criteria for funding states that if non-profit is fully funded by the county government then it should be part of government, rather than a non—profit. She said that even if full funding is not given, most of this program's funding still comes from the County, and she thinks that the schools should help fund this program. Commissioner Dorosin referred to page 211 and said the information seems misleading. He thinks many of these organizations have applied before and didn't get funding. This is information he would be interested in knowing. Commissioner Price noted the recommendation is to give Habitat for Humanity half of what was requested. She asked if their application is available for review. Chair Jacobs said this is available on the disk provided. Chair Jacobs said Habitat for Humanity is addressing 10 or 15 houses for that amount of money. He referred to pages 164 and 167, and said he has been a big supporter of the Urgent Home Repair Fund. He said this program is spending $65,000 on administration and $68,000 for the repairs and is only doing 20 homes. He questioned, if Habitat is doing the same program, why the County is doing it too; and he questioned the amount being spent on administration. He noted that both are designed to assist homes in getting up to code. He suggested a comparison of both programs to see if a partnership would be cost effective. Frank Clifton said he believes the Urgent Home Repair Fund is a federally funded program and most of the administration costs are incurred in complying with the grant requirements. He said this is a brand new program for Habitat and the effectiveness is still being evaluated. Chair Jacobs said the county took on this program about 10 years ago. He said that if someone else can do it more cost effectively, that needs to be considered. He would like more information and some comparisons. Commissioner McKee said he believes that Habitat has lost some funding. Commissioner Rich asked about the Boys and Girls Club. She said the club is trying to open in Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. She would like to see some funding for them. Commissioner Price said some non-profits just need a jump start. Commissioner Pelissier said she would like some more information on the request from PFAP on Thursday. Chair Jacobs said he would like more information on Senior Care of Orange County. Chair Jacobs said, when mental health reform was devastating the community, the County adopted Club Nova. He said this is a unique and valuable program, along with the Community Housing Trust. He said these programs serve a purpose that the Board of County Commissioners have considered very important, and so support is given to them each year. Commissioner Rich said she would like to insure that the programs that are given money by the County are adhering to County policies, such as LGBT rights. She is concerned about the YMCA. Chair Jacobs asked if the Board can get more information and links to all of the applications. He asked for more information on the summaries for the increases, decreases and denials of funding. Frank Clifton said the County sustained with what funding was available, but there was not enough to fund them all. 4. Discussion of County Department's FY2013-14 Budget Requests ■ Information Technologies (Pg. 172) Darryl Butts reviewed the following highlights: Budget Highlights • Consistent with the recommendations of the IT Strategic Plan, the FY 2013-14 Manager Recommended Budget includes the following six (6) new positions with staggered starting dates during the fiscal year (total Salary & Benefits of $147,915 and one-time start-up costs of$20,400) • Network Engineer (1.0 FTE) — effective January 1, 2014 • Applications Division Head (1.0 FTE)— effective January 1, 2014 • Applications Systems Analyst (2.0 FTEs) — effective April 1, 2014 • Applications Systems Analyst (2.0 FTEs) — effective May 1, 2014 • An offsetting decrease in Personnel Services in FY 2013-14 is due to the transfer of four(4.0 FTEs) GIS staff from Information Technologies to Tax Administration, which occurred during the current fiscal year. • Increase in software licensing fees of$116,000 is due to new applications implemented and the corresponding new maintenance agreements, as well as expansion of the computer fleet. • Increase in consulting services of$5,000 is due to implementation of additional technologies. • Increase in network lease of$10,000 is due to increasing the internet bandwidth from 25Mbps to 50Mbps. • Of the $2.2 million departmental budget, $881,500 is for Software Maintenance and Licenses and Network Leases. • Revenues reflect the Towns' % share of the operating costs for the annual support and maintenance of the Property Information Management System (PIMS). Jim Northup, Information Technologies Director, said he is excited about the new services that will be offered to the County as part of the strategic plan. Commissioner Gordon said she is glad to see an IT strategic plan. She said this allows the County to see where the department is going and how to phase things in. Jim Northup agreed. Commissioner Pelissier agreed with Commissioner Gordon's comments. Commissioner Pelissier asked what the cost will be for a full fiscal year of these 6 positions. Paul Laughton said the net County costs for all new positions is $560,000. He said the cost for next year will be about $1.6 million, for a full year impact. Clarence Grier said the cost will be about $400,000 more next year. Chair Jacobs questioned why the County would hire someone just before the end of the fiscal year. Frank Clifton said this is an attempt to stagger out the process, as the employees have to be worked through the system and the training process. Jim Northup said it will change the dynamic of the team, and staggering them is good. Jim Northup said part of the Information Technology Plan was to put together a governance team, and this is being done. Commissioner Dorosin said staggering makes sense, but he questioned why positions are started in May and not July when the new fiscal year begins. Frank Clifton said it is just part of the phasing of the hiring process, and it gets you through calculations of the fiscal year. Commissioner Dorosin asked if this decision is driven by the needs of the department Jim Northup said the needs of the department are great, as outlined in the strategic plan. He said the department is only half staffed. Chair Jacobs asked Commissioner Dorosin if he would like staff to provide a dollar amount for the savings, if these employees started on July 1 versus May 1. Commissioner Dorosin said yes. Paul Laughton said the amount saved by hiring in July would be approximately $32,000 total. ■ Planning and OPT, including Efland Sewer, Pg.221 (including Fee Schedule change requests, Pg. 346 and Non-Departmental items, Pg. 188) Darryl Butts reviewed the following budget highlights: Administrative Services Budget Highlights: • Continued work on BOCC identified 2009-12 priorities and updated in 2013, including further implementation of adopted small area plans, a joint land use plan with the Town of Hillsborough, and work on economic development districts and processes. Current Planning Division Budget Highlights • Imposition of additional State regulations, most notably storm water, will continue to complicate the permit review and approval process and compliance implementation. • Staff resources are being evaluated. Comprehensive Planning Division Budget Highlights • Complete Safe Routes to Schools Action Plan, Comprehensive Transportation • Plan, and assist in monitoring and implementation of the OC Transit Plan. • Lead Joint Planning Process with the Town of Hillsborough. Building and Inspections Budget Highlights: • The increase in Operations for FY 2013-14 includes a $.05/mile surcharge in Motor Pool to help with future vehicle replacement. Special Projects/GIS Division Budget Highlights: • One of the two Planner positions in this division has been vacant since June 29, 2012. This position was hired in April 2013 and the second position is in the hiring process. This division has not been able to complete as many work items because of these short-term lapses, and understanding that institutional training regarding the Orange County process is metered. Engineering Division Budget Highlights: • Efland Sewer Budget-- page 346- The Efland Sewer System rate is proposed to rise 1.4%, from $13.20 per 1000 gallons to $13.39 per 1000 gallons. This is a continuation of the policy established in fiscal year 2011-12 to bring the Efland Sewer rate in line with the City of Mebane's out of town sewer rate. The cost to run the system continues to increase, however, at a greater rate than the revenue from sewer charges. As a result, the shortfall in the operating budget is projected to be slightly higher than last year. • The FY 2013-14 Manager Recommended Budget includes a General Fund subsidy (Transfer from General Fund) of$103,050, compared to $99,050 in FY 2012-13. Orange Public Transportation Division Budget Highlights: • The increase in Revenues in the FY 2013-14 Manager Recommended Budget includes anticipated revenues ($88,000) associated with the '/2 Cents Sales Tax for Transit and the associated $7.00 tag fee. The allocation of these revenues for support of existing services or new services is under review and will be discussed by the Board of County Commissioners. • The department has received notification from the State of decreased Section 18G and General Transportation funds in FY 2013-14. Darryl Butts directed the Commissioners to page 346 and noted the fee schedule change for Efland Sewer fund, as outlined in the budget highlights above. He said this will mean the fee matches the city fee structure. Frank Clifton said Efland will soon be taking ownership and operation of the expanded sewer system, and the County will be out of the sewer business. Craig Benedict reviewed the remaining budget highlights. He said he has been closely monitoring state legislative action and changes proposed to impervious areas, Jordan Lake Rules, storm water regulations, building inspections, and transit. Commissioner Pelissier referred to the performance measures for OPT and noted the increase in cost per hour and asked if this was due to the indirect cost. Craig Benedict said this is correct. Commissioner Pelissier said she wants to make sure the Board is comparing apples to apples when allocating percentages of sales tax revenue for transit to OPT and Chapel Hill. Craig Benedict said this is being done, and the low $43 per hour rate may allow for the addition of service hours as things move forward. Commissioner Gordon noted that the cost per hour is less for OPT than any other entity in this region, and it is very low. Frank Clifton said one of the distinguishing differences, when considering cost of TTA and Chapel Hill Transit, is that both have a dedicated maintenance operation. He said OPT maintains its own units out of the garages, and this cuts down on overhead. He said that if services were expanded to require a specific maintenance facility, the cost would go up. He said this maintenance facility cost is a big factor. Craig Benedict said there will be some re-organization within, as there has been some turnover with Storm Water Erosion Control Officers. Commissioner Rich asked how many buses are in the fleet. Craig Benedict said there are 19 small buses that hold 27 passengers. He said there are also 5 or 6 vans. Chair Jacobs referred to the non-departmental section on page 188. He noted the Piedmont Council funding of$2000, while it is also listed as an outside agency asking for $3000 and receiving no money. He questioned how much was requested by this program. Tonya Walton said these requests are for the same agency but not the same function. Chair Jacobs asked for information on the work with park and school site planning with Mebane. Craig Benedict said conversations have been had with Mebane, and this is on the docket and will come to the Board in the future. Chair Jacobs asked if this will come to the Board it in time for their meeting with Mebane in September, and Craig Benedict said yes. Commissioner Gordon asked how the transit consolidation plan is going. Craig Benedict said this is not going as well as he would like. He said the DOT funded this at 100%, but gave all of the money to the consultant before the project was done. He said it was meant to be a two part program. He said the project has stalled until the DOT can find out how to pursue additional money to complete the two phase program. ■ Public Affairs, Pg. 234 Tonya Walton said this is the department's first separate budget. She said the expenditures budget totals $312,052. She reviewed the following highlights: Budget Highlights: • Approximately $108,000 in existing funds will be transferred from the County Manager's budget with the creation of the Department of Public Affairs, on July 1, 2013. In FY 2012-13, the funds provided for the Department Director's personnel costs and limited operational needs. • The FY 2013-14 Manager Recommended Budget includes a new Graphic Design Specialist position (1.0 FTE), effective January 1, 2014. The position will create marketing and public relations materials, for the County and its departments. Personnel, operating and start-up capital costs total $38,582, for the first six month of the position; on-going, annual operating expenses total $69,266. Carla Banks thanked the finance department, as well as the county manager and Tonya Walton, for their assistance in this budget process. Commissioner McKee asked if the department has figures of how much savings would be accrued with this new position to offset the cost currently being paid for graphic design. Tonya Walton said this information is not known yet. She said staff knows of some non-general funds/departments that are outsourcing graphic design needs. She said that most departments are handling it on their own. Carla Banks said she has provided a sheet that outlines what the cost would be, based on coming into the position and flying solo. She is accustomed to having this position, and she said it would save money to do these in-house rather than outsourcing. Commissioner Gordon referred to page 234, which mentions vision statements and communication plans. She asked if these have been developed. Carla Banks said these are being put together, and the estimated timeline is about 6 months out. Commissioner Gordon said she was disappointed that the department had not started out with a strategic communications plan to guide the investment. She would like to see a plan sooner rather than later. Carla Banks said that has been one of her key objectives, and it is on the list. Commissioner Dorosin said there was a purple sheet at their places with a description of a public relations coordinator position. Carla Banks said she is changing the title from a graphics designer to a public relations coordinator in order to be more inclusive of the responsibilities of the job. Chair Dorosin asked if there was enough graphic design work for full time. Carla Banks said graphic design is a large part of the job. Chair Jacobs said he cannot support this position without a strategic communications plan. He said the Board has learned from the Information Technology strategic plan and how much easier it was to make staffing decisions. Carla Banks said she is flying solo now, and she sees it as a detriment to not hire this position. She said she feels that her interpretation of a strategic plan is different from the Board's concept. She cannot see the link to hiring or not hiring. Chair Jacobs said he cannot speak for Commissioner Gordon, but he would like to see a vision for the department before he funds it. He said he would like to participate in a conversation about a plan before he signs off on the direction of the department. Commissioner Rich asked if the outsourcing of a brochure comes out of the departmental budget. She said if so, the departments should know what is being spent on graphic design, and this information should be available. Tonya Walton said there is a lot of time being put into this. She said she could get data on printing cost, but this does not consider layout and other responsibilities. Commissioner Rich said that is important to track, in order to justify a new position. Carla Banks said there are many employees in departments that devote significant time to developing materials. She said the outcome is not professional, as the departments do not have the proper design software or printing tools. She said this is not the image she wants for Orange County, and it puts a different light on how the County presents information. Commissioner Pelissier said she has been on the Partnership for Homelessness for several years, and she remembers the struggle the coordinator had in coming up with a professional looking annual report. She said that this should not be the case in the County. Carla Banks said she is trying to create consistency. She is accustomed to having staff, and this is a component of public affairs that is an essential service. Commissioner Price asked what the $11,000 in capital outlay will cover. Carla Banks said this would cover the start up equipment for a new employee. She said her budget was designed so that everything that comes out of Public Affairs is for the benefit of all the departments. Commissioner Price asked if the costs are itemized, and she referred to the objectives on 234. Carla Banks said there is some itemized detail included, starting on page 106, and additional information can be provided if this is not enough. Frank Clifton said the attempt is to do as much of this in-house as possible to avoid fees. He said Carla Banks works closely with the Visitor's Bureau and Economic Development with a combination approach that saves dollars. He said there are many other departments with outreach, and some of this is trial and error. He said this is a new position and a new department. Frank Clifton said staff could go back and talk with the School of Government about consulting. He said Carla Banks is using interns when she can, and one is bi- lingual and is translating many of the County outreach efforts. Chair Jacobs said there is a scheduled conversation about this in the fall. Commissioner Price asked what type of advertising the $60,000 will go towards. Frank Clifton said this will be for any operational costs, such as advertising, programming, creating brochures. Commissioner Gordon said she would like to see a rationale for creating a new department. Frank Clifton said it is a specific function that supports county departments and the Board of County Commissioners and consolidates cost into one area for advertising. Carla Banks referred to the orange packets that the Board received recently, and said this is an example of her work. ■ Human Resources, Pg. 169 (including Non-Departmental items, Pg. 182) • Employee benefit information can be found in the Governing and Management Non-Departmental section and in Appendix A. Tonya Walton said the expenditure budget is about $725,000 and this is an increase of$24,000, related to COLA adjustments. Director Nicole Clark thanked the Board for their support. Chair Jacobs asked for the definition of an automated performance management system. Nicole Clark said the department went live with an automated application process in January of last year. She said there is another module that allows performance evaluations to be completed online, which eliminates paper and allows for the establishment of common core competencies and automated ratings. Commissioner Dorosin asked about the dollar amount for the cost of living increase. Nicole Clark said it is approximately $950,000. ■ Aging, Pg. 33 Tonya Walton reviewed the following budget highlights: Administrative Services Budget Highlights: • Revenue Increase: Transfer of$175,000 contribution for Aging's Community Based Services Division, from Carol Woods Retirement Community, for Master Aging Plan 2012-2017 implementation costs. (Note: These funds have been available and tracked in the General Fund operating budget for several years, but were recorded differently, prior to a recent change in accounting practices.) Community Based Services Budget Highlights: • Personnel Increase: The department received a Facilities Maintenance Supervisor (1.0 FTE), from Asset Management Services, in FY 2012-13. The position will be responsible for the on-going maintenance of both the Seymour and Central Orange Senior Centers, including daily operations, weekly, monthly and annual maintenance inspections and coordination of services through Asset Management Services. Personnel costs total $78,703. • Revenue Decreases: Loss of$12,990 from the Friends of Senior Centers organizations, which funded nonpermanent personnel to work two evening shifts, at both senior centers, and Saturday hours at the Seymour Center. The FY 2013- 14 budget includes funds to cover the lost revenue. • Transfer of$175,000 contribution to Aging's Administration Division, from Carol Woods Retirement Community, for Master Aging Plan 2012-2017 implementation costs. (Note: These funds have been available and tracked in the General Fund operating budget for several years, but were recorded differently, prior to a recent change in accounting practices.) Eldercare/Aging Transitions Budget Highlights: • No significant budget changes, in FY 2013-14. RSVP 55+ Volunteer Program Budget Highlights • Revenue Reductions — Programs Impacts: Corporation of National and Community Service CNCS), RSVP federal sponsor, is changing the focus of RSVP nationwide. Due to current year budget cuts, RSVP programs have been directed to downsize which includes limiting the number of service agencies to those that make a measurable community impact and fall within the new federal focus areas: Education, Environmental, Healthy Futures, Veterans and Military Families, Disaster Services, Economic Opportunity. We anticipate that volunteer numbers will also decline due to station (work site) reductions. Limited volunteer referral services will be offered to terminated agencies, but they will not be official work sites. Senior Health Coordination/Wellness Program (Grant Fund) Budget Highlights • United Way of the Greater Triangle Revenue: The United Way of the Greater Triangle did not renew support of the Wellness Project. The $8,000 loss represents a 13% reduction in the grant project's revenues. To offset a portion of the loss, the department has budgeted additional Fit Feet Clinic revenue ($10,000), based on actuals from prior years' performance Chair Jacobs asked about the Farmers' Market Outreach program. Janice Tyler said any farmers that want to come are welcome. Chair Jacobs said people in Efland have missed having programming at their community center. Janice Tyler said programming is not provided anymore, because the programs were consolidated a couple of years ago when the Central Orange Senior Center was opened. She said outreach was done in Efland and Cedar Grove before this decision was made, and the participant numbers were very low. She said these people are now being bused to the Senior Center. ■ Animal Services, Pg. 44 (including Fee Schedule change requests, Pg. 347) Darryl Butts reviewed the following budget highlights: Administration and Programs Budget Highlights • The increase in Operations in FY 2013-14 is due to a countywide $.05/mile surcharge in Motor Pool to help offset future vehicle replacement costs, an increase of$3,000 in Contract Services for animal disposal fees, and operating costs associated with the new recommended Administrative Assistant I and Animal Control positions. • Animal Services:Animal Shelter Division • The FY 2013-14 Manager Recommended Budget includes a new Administrative Assistant I position budgeted to start January 1, 2014 (Salary & Benefits and Capital Outlay of$23,381) with offsetting revenues of$6,300 from Spay/Neuter Fund. This position will provide daily management of the volunteer program (currently over 125 volunteers donating over 800 hours of volunteer time), and assisting with additional programs related to the County's Community Spay/Neuter program, as well as the co-location program for pets in disaster sheltering. • Creation of new differential impoundment fees for owner recoveries to offer reduced fees for sterilized pets resulting in increased reclaim revenues ($5,000). • Increase micro chipping of pets by offering microchips at four rabies clinics and requiring that all pets recovered are micro chipped resulting in increased microchip revenues ($10,125). Animal Control & Protection Division Budget Highlights • The FY 2013-14 Manager Recommended Budget includes a new Animal Control Officer position (1.0 FTE) dedicated to the Town of Carrboro. The direct personnel, operating, and capital outlay costs for the position ($58,222) will be paid by the Town. • The increase in revenues for FY 2013-14 includes an Agreement with the Town of Carrboro to provide animal control services ($58,222), and an increase of $11,089 in the amount of the Hillsborough animal control agreement, based on a correction to the indirect costs calculation. Bob Marotto said the Assistant Program Coordinator position is warranted by the large increase in volunteers and volunteer hours. He said the range has gone from 400-600 to 800-1100 hours, and there are over 1500 people in the program over the course of the year. He said there is only one person in charge of that program. He has serious concerns about the sustainability of the program without the coordinator addition. He said Hillsborough has been added to the agreement since 2009 and Carrboro will soon be added. He said, with staff's intention to bring back the unified ordinance in September, he would suggest the Board consider removing the fees from the new fee schedule and delaying this addition until later. Commissioner McKee said he appreciated the suggestion to delay the fees. Commissioner Price asked about the spay/neuter fund and the differing request amounts. Paul Laughton said there is $12,600 available from the spay/neuter fund to help underwrite a position. He said that, for the first half of the year, this will directly underwrite a part time or temporary position. He said a permanent position would then be created in January, and the other half of the money would be re-directed into the operating budget to underwrite part of the cost of that permanent position. Commissioner Gordon said she would like to see the budget without the revenues associated with the Ordinance changes. Darryl Butts said the budget would be $14,000, and he can provide details on this. Bob Marotto said there would be additional deductions made to the expenditure line item to obtain the chips to microchip stray animals. Commissioner Gordon said the information needs to be systematically presented. Darryl Butts said this will be done. Commissioner Gordon asked for an explanation of how the animal recovery fits into the budget. Bob Marotto said there was a set of differential rates folded in to the ordinance for the recovery of sterilized and reproductive animals. He said this is part of the $14,000. ■ County Attorney, Pg. 92 Tonya Walton said the County Attorney's budget totals $526,000 with an increase of$37,000. Budget Highlights • Personnel cost increase reflects a mid-year, position reclassification • Flat operation budget Attorney John Roberts said the General Assembly is putting out a lot of legislation that will affect Orange County, and this will be looked at over the summer. He commended the Information Technology department, and he said the new leadership has said that contract review can now be digitized. Commissioner Dorosin said there is a mention of costs recovered through delinquent collections. He said other departments have a revenue line, and he wonders why these revenues aren't credited to this department. . Clarence Grier said this goes back to the department that generated the fees. Commissioner Dorosin asked about the difference between a legal specialist and a staff attorney. John Roberts said the current legal specialist is a licensed attorney, and she was originally in the Human Relations department. He said her position was terminated, and she was moved into his department. He said she does quite a bit of legal work and some paralegal work. Chair Jacobs suggested the Board do two more departments. ■ DEAPR-Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation, Pg. 99 (including Fee Schedule change requests, Pg.331 and Non-Departmental items, Pgs. 188 and 201) Tonya Walton reviewed the following budget highlights: Administrative Services Budget Highlights: • Motor Pool: Increase ($9,580) reflects needed repairs, increased fuel costs and a $0.05 mileage rate increase, in FY 2013-14. • Fee Schedule Request: Proposed changes, effective July 1, 2013, include eliminating the cost ranges for tournament vending permits ($100 per day, formerly $100-$300), setting a firm rate for recreation equipment rentals ($25 per use, formerly staff determined) and creating a drop-in pass program at Central Recreation Center ($3 per day, $15 semi-annually, $15 annually). Natural and Cultural Resources Division Budget Highlights • Manager Recommended Budget includes $20,000 to construct 1-2 secure well-net monitoring sites. Parks Division Budget Highlights • The Parks Division continues to experience increasing deferred equipment costs (replacement, repair and maintenance), and an increase in motor pool costs due to fuel prices. Some of the most-pressing of these needs are included in the budget. • Increases in seasonal staff reflect the limited opening of Blackwood Farm Park and FY 2012-13's living wage increase. In the last four years, the County has opened three parks without additional full-time staff. Historically, seasonal staff has been hired to address the dramatic increase in park usage during April-October. Recreation Division Budget Highlights: • Participant Insurance: The department will fund participant insurance ($9,000) for all youths, in FY 2013-14. The funds will provide each participant with adequate recreation insurance and a proposed fee increase will offset the cost. • Efland Cheeks: Increased seasonal staff ($3,850) will provide building supervision and program assistance at the Efland Cheeks Community Center for the United Voices of Efland and the Efland Community. Soil and Water Conservation Budget Highlights: • No significant budget changes, in FY 2013-14. Dave Stancil said the department has accomplished a lot of goals, including resolution of the 10 year dilemma for youth baseball and softball. He said the Eurosport Soccer center continues to see revenue increase. He said there are also talks about making the Efland Cheeks Community Center more accessible. Commissioner Gordon asked where Twin Creeks Park fits into their plans. Dave Stancil said, in the CIP, Twin Creeks Park is beyond the 5 year horizon. He said it is a fairly significant park, and at this time there is funding for road construction; but no funds exist to build any practical segment of the park, other than the greenway. He said this will be looked at again next year; however this is a multi- million dollar project, and a number of things will have to happen to make it work. Commissioner Gordon asked Dave Stancil about the abbreviation of DEAPR and said that it would be a good idea to include the whole department name the first time the department is referenced, before using the abbreviation. Commissioner Dorosin said there was mention of doing more outreach with a survey. He asked what is going to be done to get more diversity. Dave Stancil said the Hispanic, African-American and Asian populations are all under- represented. He said there were a number of surveys sent out to target these groups, and at the end of the day he hopes to have a good, true base of resident opinion. ■ Health Department, Pg. 148 (including Fee Schedule change requests, Pg. 348 and Non-Departmental items, Pg. 193) Darryl Butts reviewed the following budget highlights: Finance and Administrative Services Division Budget Highlights • Facilitated quality improvement projects for different divisions in health department. • Expanded credit card payment acceptance for Personal Health and Dental Clinic clients. • During FY 2012-13, the department hired a Health Informatics Manager and created a Health Informatics section within this division. • The FY 2013-14 Manager Recommended Budget includes increases in Operations for Training($6,433) —to provide additional workforce development opportunities for staff; Contract Services($11,800) — consultation work to support health informatics and data integration in the transition to coding changes in billing and notification to patients, as well as Board of Health strategic planning data analysis; Innovation and Accreditation Projects ($23,700) —these are a continuation of projects started in FY 2012-13 and are paid with Medicaid Maximization funds. • The increase in Revenues in FY 2013-14 reflects the increase in Medicaid Maximization funds to cover the costs of the Innovations and Accreditation Projects. Dental Health Division Budget Highlights: • The FY 2013-14 Manager Recommended Budget includes an increase in hours of a Dental Hygienist position by .30 FTE (from a .50 FTE to a .80 FTE); Salary and Benefits increase of$18,701, which is completely offset by User Fees and Medicaid funds. • Discontinued Smart Smiles program due to the loss of Smart Start funds; this used to go toward dental screening in schools. Now the focus will be more on health education and dental health in schools. Health Promotion and Education Services Division Budget Highlights: • The FY 2013-14 Manager Recommended Budget includes the transfer of a Nutrition Program Manager position and a Registered Dietician position to the Personal Health division. • The FY 2013-14 Manager Recommended Budget includes a new Senior Public Health Educator position (1.0 FTE), effective July 1, 2013, to work on Board of Health Strategic Plan priorities such as Access to Care; Child and Family Obesity; and Substance Abuse/Mental Health. (Salary & Benefits of $58,360) • The increase in Operations in FY 2013-14 includes increases in Training —to provide additional workforce development opportunities for staff; and in Contract Services —for consultative services related to the smoke free law (offset by State/Federal funds), as well as other Board of Health strategic plan goals. • The decrease in Revenues in FY 2013-14 is due to transferring the Nutrition Services program to the Personal Health division to promote continuity of care for clients receiving clinic services, and funds from Piedmont Health Services related to the transfer of the of the Nutrition Program Manager position to Personal Health. Environmental Health Division Budget Highlights • The increase in Revenues in FY 2013-14 is due to a projected increase in the State allocation based on 100% compliance in food and lodging inspections. • The hiring of the Permit Development Specialist (.50 FTE) in FY 2012-13 is allowing enhancements to Environmental Health Services. As of January 2013, the Environmental Health reception desk now remains open during the lunch hour for walk-in and phone customers, increasing accessibility to the public by 11%. • Environmental Health professional staff is no longer required to regularly provide reception desk coverage and have returned to normal duties consistent with their position, which will enhance productivity and accessibility by 15%. Personal Health Division Budget Highlights • The FY 2013-14 Manager Recommended Budget reflects the transfer of a Nutrition Program Manager position and a Registered Dietician from the Health Promotion and Education division to Personal Health. • The FY 2013-14 Manager Recommended Budget includes the conversion of a vacant Public Health Nurse II position to a Medical Office Supervisor position, and the surplus of$20,657 from this conversion has been transferred to the division's temporary personnel line item. This increase, along with an increase of$14,000, to establish a temporary nursing/provider pool to mitigate reduced clinic schedules and delays in services due to unforeseen medical leave of permanent staff. These changes reflect some of the increases in Personnel Services for FY 2013-14. • The increase in Operations for FY 2014-13 includes an additional $100,395 in Pharmacy Supplies; increased by an additional $50,395 to continue giving vaccines to school system staff, as well as county employees (revenue received from insurance reimbursements will cover the additional costs); also includes the continuation of the Nicotine Replacement Therapy program at $50,000. • The Capital Outlay for FY 2013-14 of$18,000 includes the purchase of sic (6) kiosks for patients to check for Medicaid eligibility. The patient kiosk systems are interactive computer stations used to help improve efficiency and the patient's experience by giving them the option to sign up for Medicaid and insurance benefits all in real-time. • The additional revenue in FY 2013-14 is due to efficiencies in the new patient management and billing system created through ongoing training and development in billing, and moving the Nutrition Services Program and its associated revenue to this division from Health Promotion and Education. • The Department's multi-year Reducing Health Disparities Grant includes a Manager Recommended two year time-limited Registered Dietician position (1.0 FTE). (Salary & Benefits of$62,647). The position costs are totally offset by grant funds and revenue from third party billing charges, and are budgeted outside of the General Fund. • There are two (2) new fees recommended in FY 2013-14: Birthing Classes at $8.69/ hour and Adult TD vaccine at $35.0011 • The Board of County Commissioners approved the reclassification of a Public Health Nurse II position to 1.5 FTE Medical Office Assistants in FY 2012- 13, at no additional County cost, to add support for increased clinic efficiency. • Increased inventory of purchased vaccines due to decrease in state- supplied vaccine available. • Nutrition Services Section moved to Personal Health Services Division • Awarded contract in FY 2012-13 with UNC Family Medicine through Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities Grant Funding to offer Diabetes Self-Management Education Program and Medical Nutrition Therapy to referred clients (Year 1 Funding, $67,767). This project was established in a multi-year grant fund outside of the General Fund. Colleen Bridger said County dollars cover County controlled funding increases, and all other increases have been covered by non-county dollars. She said the department saw about 9000 patients this year, and had 6000 visits at the dental clinic in Hillsborough. She said two-thirds of patients seen in the dental clinic are uninsured. She said the hope is to expand dental services in the future, but without having to come to the Board for money. She said the department is working to increase efficiency, and she said access to service is exceptional. Commissioner McKee said he has a concern about the soft implementation for the smoking ordinance enforcement, which ends in July. He has heard that pressure has been applied to law enforcement to enforce this ordinance. Colleen Bridger said that is a rumor that is not true, and she would encourage Commissioner McKee to speak with the chief of police. Chair Jacobs said it is not clear whether the sliding scale applies to dental fees or not. Colleen Bridger said the sliding scale does apply to the dental patient, and 50% of patients slide to the zero pay. Chair Jacobs asked how the department is doing in attracting southern Orange County residents to the dental clinic. Colleen Bridger said transportation needs can be tracked, and thus far the needs is zero in that area. She said vouchers for free transportation were set aside for this and none have been used. She said there has been a decrease in the patients seen from Chapel Hill and Carrboro, though not as steep as she expected. She said many have also come back after leaving to explore other options. Commissioner McKee asked if Piedmont Health Services is providing dental service and Chapel Hill. Colleen Bridger said yes, and a partnership is being worked on. Commissioner Gordon said she is glad to hear that there is interest in dental service for people in the southern end of the County. Chair Jacob reviewed the follow up items needed for the next meeting, which included: - Percentage of the 401 K in terms of the overall package - Animal Services Budget, without the ordinance fee • Housing, Human Rights and Community Development, Pg.161 DEFERRED • Library, Pg. 176 (including Fee Schedule change requests, Pg. 332 and Non-Departmental Items, Pg. 201) DEFERRED • Social Services, Pg. 244 DEFERRED • Board of County Commissioners, Pg. 63 DEFERRED • County Manager, Pg. 95 DEFERRED • Finance and Administrative Services, Pg. 135 DEFERRED • Internal Service Fund —Vehicle Replacements DEFERRED 5. CIP Follow-up DEFERRED 6. Closed Session-deferred ADJOURNMENT A motion was made by Commissioner McKee seconded by Commissioner Pelissier to adjourn the meeting to 6:OOpm on June 13, 2013 VOTE UNANIMOUS Barry Jacobs, Chair Donna Baker Clerk to the Board