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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 06-04-2015 APPROVED 9/1/2015 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Budget Work Session June 4, 2015 7:00 p.m. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a work session on Thursday, June 4, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. Chair McKee called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. He reviewed the following items at their places: - Salmon sheet—Vehicle Replacement— Internal Service Fund - Flier celebrating 30 year of the Orange County Arts Commission, as well as a lapel pin 1. Schools a.) Durham Technical Community College, Pg. 143 & 147 Dr. Ingram, President, thanked the Commissioners for their time, and said the past year was a successful one. He said when the Orange County Campus was opened seven years ago there was a vision of strong partnerships with the local schools and employers. He said this year has exceeded expectations. He said more high school graduates are choosing Durham Tech for their higher education. He said he looks forward to developing further relationships with their new neighbors, UNC Healthcare. He said last week representatives from Morinaga Foods visited the campus, and they are excited about working with their employees in work development courses. He said Durham Tech is requesting funding for two initiatives, which it currently offers in Durham County, via its portion of the Durham County '/4 cent sales tax: 1.) provide for a college liaison working in Orange County Schools and 2.) prepare high school drop-outs to take the GED. Commissioner Jacobs asked if the Legislature's decisions have affected Durham Tech. Dr. Ingram said the House version of the budget was supportive of Community Colleges, although the Senate version does not look promising. Commissioner Jacobs asked if Dr. Ingram could give more detail regarding Durham Tech's relationship with the new UNC Hospital. Dr. Ingram said Durham Tech has been working with the Hospital on identifying some of their training needs. He said it is hoped that the second building at the Orange County Campus of Durham Tech would be a healthcare facility, to provide training for the UNC Hospital staff. Penny Glock, Durham Tech Orange Campus Director, said there have been about 4 meetings between the two entities in the recent months. She said the hospital anticipates a need for additional nurse assistants II, EMS programs, clinical trials and other areas. She said the low lying fruit is being sought at this time, but it is hoped that the partnership will continue to grow in the years to come. Commissioner Jacobs said Dr. Ingram has previously mentioned the possibility of Durham Tech being included to receive funds from the 2016 bond referendum. He asked Dr. Ingram if a master plan is being developed. Dr. Ingram said O'Brian Atkins was engaged in late March to update the campus master plan, and are still in the process of doing so. He said the Orange County campus is being reviewed first, in anticipation of the bond. Commissioner Price said Durham County was very proactive in facilitating public transportation for students. She asked if there are plans to do something similar in Orange County, and how the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) can help. Dr. Ingram said any student can purchase a Go Pass, which gives free bus service from any of the Triangle Transit systems. He said it is a five day pass, and will cost the school about $90,000 this year. He said public transit is important in the area and the region, and the school is working with Triangle Transit to expand their services in reference to Durham Tech. Commissioner Rich asked if Dr. Ingram or Penny Glock could elaborate on how the high schools are taking advantage of Durham Tech. Penny Glock said the Orange County Campus has the Career and College Promise Program, which has the College Transfer Pathway. She said this offers students the opportunity to take tuition free classes, while they are in high school, towards an Associates Degree in Art or Science. She said the scheduling is designed to coincide with high school needs, wherever possible. She said the program is growing, and it is hoped that more high school students will participate. Commissioner Rich clarified if the students are on a degree path, then the tuition is free while they are in high school. Penny Glock said yes. Commissioner Rich asked how this cost is offset. Dr. Ingram said the State provides tuition exemption. He said the cost is simply written off by the State. Commissioner Rich said this is a fantastic opportunity for high school students, and hopes many will take advantage of it. Dr. Ingram said that is where the college liaison position would prove most helpful. Commissioner Price asked if$90,000 for the Go Pass comes from a particular funding source. Dr. Ingram said it is paid for by student fees. Commissioner Dorosin referenced page 148, regarding the request for funds to provide a 2% wage increase to staff whose salaries are paid with Orange County funds. He said Orange County has a living wage ordinance. He asked if the employees paid by Orange County funds earn the County's living wage, which is $12.76 per hour. Dr. Ingram said Durham Tech's salary schedules are pegged to exceed the minimum living wage for both Durham County and Orange County. b.) Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS), Pg. 143 & 152 Superintendant Tom Forcella said the BOCC has most of the District's information but he wanted to take the opportunity to stress the importance of the ability to fund the mandates from the State for salary increases but also the desired changes within the system to benefit students, such as working with Durham Tech. He said there are also funds in the budget for support in Advanced Classes for minority students as well as economically disadvantaged students. Todd LoFriese, Assistant Superintendant, said the highlights of the Legislature's proposed budget are salary increases for teachers and all school employees. He said to make the local match is about $1.2 million. He said this budget also establishes medical and State retirement matches. He said the proposed County budget will leave an $800,000 deficit. He said there has been a steady reduction in positions in the past several years, including gifted specialists and custodians. He said there was $1.5 million in reductions last year. He said the next positions to be reduced would be Media Assistants who would be very unfortunate to lose. Commissioner Burroughs said 31 one positions were cut last year. She asked for the consequence to the students, if the per pupil amount stays at $81. Tom Forcella said the largest areas where $81 per pupil would be felt would be available programs, and potentially class size. He said if the State mandates salary increases the District must comply. Commissioner Dorosin asked what would happen if the $800,000 deficit left by the current budget were to be funded. Tom Forcella said that would just take care of the very top mandates required by the State. Todd LoFriese said one example is the school resources officers and this is part of the District's continuation budget. He said this is one area where additional assistance would be needed. Commissioner Dorosin clarified if the extra $800,000 was provided it would still be necessary to eliminate teachers. Todd LoFriese said yes. Commissioner Dorosin asked for clarification regarding the potential State mandated increases. Todd LoFriese said it is a 6% increase for new teachers and 2% for tenured teachers. Commissioner Dorosin asked if it was relevant that teachers in CHCCS already made more money than teachers in other counties. Todd LoFriese said this does not matter. It is an increase across the State regardless of current salary. c.) Orange County Schools (OCS), Pg. 143 & 225 Pam Jones, Acting Interim Superintendant, said the last time OCS met with the BOCC, Dr. Del Burns requested that the BOCC set the OCS Board of Education compensation. She said this still needs to be done as the Board of Education cannot set the rates themselves. Pam Jones said in the budget message, previously presented, Dr. Del Burns indicated that with the $81 increase, it would still be necessary to reduce their expenditures in order to meet the proposed funding of$81. She said OCS has also reduced their workforce since 2008 which affects programming. She said OCS are also looking to implement the strategic planning outcomes and that is not part of their proposed budget. Chair Halkiotis thanked Pam Jones for filling in for the month of June and he thanked the Board of Commissioners for the opportunity to be there tonight. He presented a handout that paints a picture of OCS. He said the District has been slowing bleeding positions since 2007. He said the positions total over $1 million. He acknowledged the financial generosity of the BOCC and added that the State Legislature has not been so kind. Chair Halkiotis said the budget presented a month ago did not include projected increases once the legislature adopts their budget. He said OCS are not awash with money. He said over the last couple of years they have cut down to the "bare bones." He said many positions need to be added back in. Chair Halkiotis said OCS cannot afford to keep losing students to charter schools. He said there are 478 charter school students that have left the OCS. He said there must be an assessment of why students are leaving and a redesign of the system to address the reasons. Chair Halkiotis said the OCS Board Members have asked if the Board of County Commissioners would increase the salaries of Board Members to be commensurate with those of the CHCCS. Commissioner Dorosin asked if the new Superintendent had a start date. Chair Halkiotis said July 1. Commissioner Jacobs thanked Dr. Halkiotis for acknowledging the support of the Board of County Commissioners. He asked if the Manager would look at the salaries of the OCS Board of Education. Commissioner Jacobs said the BOCC continues to fully fund a portion of Communities in Schools (CIS) for CHCCS. He said OCS took the services provided by Communities in Schools in house, and wonders why OCS did not ask for the same continued funding from the BOCC. Pam Jones said the programs were reviewed and OCS found it was doing much of the programming already. She said the services were taken in house in order to maintain the integrity of the programming and to move the programs in a different direction. Chair Halkiotis said it was a recommendation brought to the OCS Board by Del Burns. He said an audit of CIS was conducted, at the expense of OCS, and the results were found be unacceptable. He said it was concluded that CIS was not in the best interest of the students. He said OCS will be providing the program and will probably provide it better. Commissioner Jacobs asked if OCS had remained with CIS how much funding would have been received. Chair Halkiotis said he did not know but the Board concluded this was the best decision in the interest of the OCS students. Pam Jones said it was around $125,000 from the County and now OCS is putting in that $125,000. Commissioner Jacobs asked if both school systems had been funded equally for CIS. Bonnie Hammersley said the request from CIS for the 2015-16 budget was $102,000, and the County reduced it per ADM (Average Daily Membership) due to OCS no longer participating, by $35,200. Commissioner Price said she understood that when CIS received their funding last year, that $20,000 went to OCS. She said she received this information from CIS board members. Commissioner Burroughs said she is the liaison to CIS. She said in the CIS budget $22,000 went straight to OCS. She said the remaining amount of funding from the BOCC was for running the program in both districts. She said there was never a definitive split between the OCS and CHCCS. Commissioner Jacobs asked if$35,000 goes to the Executive Director's position. Paul Laughton said yes. He said part of the $102,000 given this year went towards the Executive Director's salary. He said this year the total funding is reduced by $35,200. Commissioner Jacobs asked if the number of actual students last year was lower than the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) projections. Pam Jones said yes. There were 176 fewer students than projected. Commissioner Jacobs asked if the reduced number of students affects the OCS budget. He asked if OCS still receives funding for the 176 students that did not enroll. Pam Jones said no, the funding is not received if the students do not enroll. Commissioner Jacobs asked if funding was still received from the BOCC. Pam Jones said yes, funding is still received from the County. Chair Halkiotis said it is reflected in the loss of 7 teaching positions. Commissioner Jacobs asked if the County had not given funding for the 176 students that never enrolled would the cuts have been greater, and if there is a way to budget for this. Pam Jones said it affects the allocation of teaching staff, but does not reduce the fixed costs. She said the loss of students is not from one school but rather spread across the District. Chair Halkiotis said this can ultimately lead to the increase in class size. Chair Kelly (CHCCS) said enrollment this year was 150 students lower than the projected amount. He noted that some years the prediction is too high while other years it is too low leading to a wash from decade to decade. Commissioner Dorosin said the Public Schools Forum of North Carolina ranks both Orange County School Systems as the best in the State. He asked the Chair if there would be any discussion regarding the Schools this evening. Chair McKee said it is normal procedure to hear from all the departments and have a general discussion on the entire budget at a later meeting. Commissioner Dorosin suggested it may be beneficial to amend this process in the future. He said he sees benefits to having some discussion while members of the school districts are present to answer questions. Commissioner Jacobs said until the other half of the budget is heard it is difficult to make commitments. 2. Sportsplex, Pg. 418 John Stock said the 10th anniversary of the Sportsplex is approaching in December. He said in that time the Sportsplex has moved from being a financial drain on the County, to sustaining a $550,000 operating surplus last year. He said this year was challenging as needs were uncovered during lobby renovations. He said the building was analyzed as a whole and it was discovered that the entire sprinkler system needed upgrading. He said the biggest issue discovered was the sub floor heating under the ice rink was in need of repair. He said, as a result, what was expected to be a big surplus year was not. He added that since renovations and repairs were completed there has been a rush back to normalcy and growth. John Stock said the Sportsplex budget is fairly conservative but expects that revenues will increase. Commissioner Jacobs asked if there are groups which receive discounts to the Sportsplex. John Stock said Orange County employees, seniors, all State government employees, Town of Hillsborough, structured corporate discounts, Veterans, and subsidized discounts for Department of Social Services (DSS) clients. Chair McKee noted the Sportsplex parking lot is often full, an indication of its popularity. John Stockton expressed his thanks to the BOCC for their ongoing support. 3. County Departments • Sheriff, Pg. 388 Paul Laughton reviewed the highlights of this department and said these are reallocated funds. ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget includes three (3) new Jail Alternatives program positions, consisting of a Jail Alternatives Manager (1.0 FTE), a Pre-Trial Services Coordinator (1.0 FTE), and a Drug Treatment Coordinator (1.0 FTE). This program has been funded in previous years through contracts within the Department of Social Services, so there are no additional County costs associated with the creation of these positions. The FY 2015-16 Budget also includes the addition of a 1.0 FTE Court Liaison position (salary and benefits of $71,614) to enhance coordination between all criminal justice stakeholders. ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget includes an increase of$22,329 in Non- Permanent personnel for additional court coverage. ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget includes an increase in Contract Services to cover the costs of outfitting a projected fifteen (15) new vehicles, as part of the proposed Vehicle Replacement Schedule for FY15-16, as well as an increase in the medical inmate contract. ■ The Capital Outlay of$85,715 in FY15-16 includes the purchase of a firearms training simulator to train officers in various scenario situations. ■ The office will continue to provide Reserve Deputies in the elementary schools within Orange County Schools (OCS) system in FY15-16; this cost of approximately $184,000 is paid by Orange County Schools. Sheriff Blackwood thanked the staff and Board of Commissioners for helping him with this budget process. He said the firearms training simulator is an important tool for their officers. Commissioner Rich said Orange County does not currently have a Safe House for domestic violence victims and said she understood the Sheriff may be supportive of establishing one in the future. Sheriff Blackwood said if corporate partners can be engaged and volunteers recruited, a facility should be able to be established. He said the problem being faced is not the securing of a physical structure but rather the long term programs that occur in such a Safe House. He said many victims have nowhere else to go. He said having the safe place to go is a first step but there must be long term resources to empower victims to long term safety. Commissioner Rich said she believes this to be a very important issue and real need within Orange County. She said she would like to see numbers and know what corporate partners say about helping. Sheriff Blackwood said the next steps would be to look at a facility that is working elsewhere and then try to move forward with best practices. Commissioner Rich asked if there was a way to move this process forward. She said she anticipates this being a project that will need funding and so brought it up during budget conversations. Sheriff Blackwood said he would be willing to move forward starting tomorrow. Chair McKee said this topic could be added to the Board's next work session. He expressed doubt that a petition would be necessary to move this forward. Commissioner Pelissier said the additional position for the Court Liaison was one of the recommendations from the Jail Alternatives Work Group. She asked if the Jail Alternatives Manager position fell under Social Services. Sheriff Blackwood said no. Sheriff Blackwood said the Jail Alternatives Manager/Director would serve directly under the Captain of the Jail Detention Center. He said this person would have a law degree, the ability to search out and author grants, and extreme management capabilities. He said the Court Liaison position is being funneled in from a person within the agency already. He said the Orange County Jail has done a horrible job equipping its inmates for future success and reduced recidivism. He said the Jail Alternatives Program seeks to address this failure. Commissioner Pelissier said the average number of inmates per month is projected to decrease and asked if there is are specific reasons for this. Sheriff Blackwood said there is intention to create programs for re-entry. He said the processes by which people enter the system are being adjusted with different intake questions being asked. He said UNC Mental Health is helping to determine best practices. He said that it is a priority for those with mental health diagnoses to be known and given proper and appropriate treatment. Commissioner Pelissier commended the Sheriff and his department. She said she heard a panel of Judges speak regarding the lack of alternative services available for people within the criminal justice system. She asked if the Sheriff would please keep the BOCC alerted to road blocks encountered so that the Board can assist in creating resources. Sheriff Blackwood said the Judges, attorneys and jail personnel work well together and he said the philosophy in Orange County is committed to treating mental health needs properly. Commissioner Price reinforced what Commissioner Rich said about a Safe House in Orange County. She said the need for a domestic violence shelter is paramount and she is supportive of this idea. Commissioner Dorosin said a member of the public came to speak on the issue of pre- trial services, and asked if there are plans for the transition process. He also asked if any current employees who are performing well would be asked to remain. Sheriff Blackwood said there will not be any lack of services during this transition period. He said there are no County employees currently in these positions as they are filled by contracted employees. Commissioner Jacobs said the Sheriff projects a 50% decrease in break-ins. He asked if this prediction is based on anything in particular. Sheriff Blackwood said he is fairly certain that numbers given regarding break-ins during the prior year were not accurate. He said the numbers he is presenting are based on the Uniform Crime Report from SCI and the numbers that he has developed since taking office on December 1. Commissioner Jacobs asked if the new positions being re-allocated regarding the Jail Alternatives Program, pre-trial services, drug treatment and Court liaison have been run by the legal community. Sheriff Blackwood said he started this conversation over a year ago with members of the Public Defender's Office, other attorneys, Judges, and the District Attorney's office. He said all were not only supportive but excited about the overall concept. Bonnie Hammersley said she has had conversations with the District Attorney and there was support but some concern about the transition process. Commissioner Jacobs asked if there was an update regarding electronic monitoring. Sheriff Blackwood said a training program was just completed today. He said it covered a great deal of information that should better equip officers in issues of domestic violence. He said he would like to see electronic monitoring reduced if not eradicated altogether. Commissioner Jacobs mentioned the possibility of a Safe House being incorporated into the future expansion of the Southern Human Services Center. Commissioner Jacobs asked if there was an update for the jail regarding the local 10% food campaign. Sheriff Blackwood said food services at the jail are overseen by Captain Sellew. Sheriff Blackwood said he would like to embrace this concept and possibly start a garden at the future jail to serve not only the jail but others in need outside the jail, if possible. Chair McKee asked if Sheriff Blackwood would expand on training and the new body armor. Sheriff Blackwood said since he assumed office on December 1, there has been 3,821 hours of training accumulated, approximately 27 hours per officer. He said body armor, upgraded weaponry, radios, and uniforms in cars were goals that he brought with him into office. He said all of these goals, except radios, have been met without any additional funds. He said these achievements lead to a safer department, as well as the public. • Solid Waste Department, Pg. 408 (Including fee schedule change requests, Pg. 497 and Non-Departmental Items, Pg.328) Darrell Butts, Budget Management Analyst, reviewed the following information: Budget Highlights ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget includes an additional $10,092 in the Training account. This increase will allow for the mechanics within the department to receive additional specialized training, which will reduce the need to send vehicles off-site for maintenance. ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget includes no revenues from Tower Lease Fees. There has been a delay in the tower agreement and no revenues are expected in FY15- 16. ■ The 1.0 FTE Research & Data Manager in this division's budget was reclassified and transferred from the County Manager's office during FY14-15. ■ Continue to fund the planning, education and preparation for ongoing improvements at remaining convenience centers, long-term maintenance and monitoring and other programmatic changes per BOCC. ■ Continue to conduct enforcement of littering, illegal dumping, licensing and other county solid waste ordinance. ■ Prepare for implementation of new convenience center and recycling program funding mechanism to be levied in summer 2015. Division: Landfill Budget Highlights ■ The FY 15-16 Manager Recommended Budget includes $129,557 in Contributions from Solid Waste Reserves for landfill post closure care. ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget includes the addition of a 1.0 FTE Weighmaster. The addition of this position will convert a long-term temporary employment position into a fulltime permanent position. The total County cost for this position is $45,622, including $1,780 in operating expenses and one-time start-up costs. The position will function as the second Weighmaster and provide coverage when the current Weighmaster is out of the office. This position will also be responsible for litter collection along Eubanks Road and a portion of Rogers Road. Division: Recycling Budget Highlights ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget includes the addition of 2.0 FTE Solid Waste Collector Driver positions. One of these positions is recommended to start on July 1, 2015 with the other recommended to start on January 1, 2016. The position recommended to start on July 1 st will be a backup driver (to provide coverage in the event that a driver is out of work or due to a vacancy) and will also be responsible for maintenance and delivery of roll carts. The position recommended to start on January 1 st will serve as an additional driver for the rural recycling program, which is necessary due to the phase-in approach of rural recycling. These positions have a combined total County cost of$19,943, including $1,200 in operating and one time startup expenses. The costs for these positions is offset by a decrease in the Temporary Personnel account. Division: Sanitation Budget Highlights ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget includes the addition of two (2) 0.750 FTE Solid Waste Convenience Center Operator positions and increases two (2) current 0.625 FTE Solid Waste Convenience Center Operator positions to 0.750 FTE. All of these position changes are recommended to become effective on February 1, 2016. These positions are necessary to staff the Eubanks Road Convenience Center (scheduled to open in Spring 2016). Due to the additional recycling and re-use programs, additional staff hours are needed to ensure proper staffing levels. • The increase in hours for the current positions has a total County cost of$2,896, which is entirely personnel services. • The 2 new 0.75 FTE positions have a total County cost of$26,574, including $2,110 in operating expenses and one-time start-up costs. ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget includes a decrease of$41,083 in the Vehicle Supplies account. This decrease is due to the reduced cost of fuel and the replacement of older vehicles with new vehicles that get better miles-per-gallon. ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget includes a decrease of$28,114 in the Landfill Fees account. This decrease is due to an increase in the proper separation of materials and due to the fact that there have been no inclement weather events with significant vegetative waste. ■ Continuation of the SWCC Improvements Project by completing Phase II of the Solid Waste Convenience Center Improvements at the Eubanks Road Center. ■ The General Fund contribution to Sanitation in the FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget is $1,718,018; this is a decrease of$138,525 from FY14-15. Commissioner Jacobs asked if there is a status update regarding the landfill gas harvesting. Gayle Wilson said revenue is received from the University of North Carolina, and for next year about $60,000 is anticipated. He said these funds stay in the solid waste budget. Commissioner Jacobs said he has always been concerned about paying someone from Goldston to pick up food waste in order to compost it. He asked if it would be possible to collect and compost food in house in Orange County. Gayle Wilson said in order to compost, the food must be mixed with mulch. He said mulch is a great source of revenue for the County and diverting some of it towards composting would be an economic loss. He said there would also need to be a location available to do the composting. He said that composting appears to be a fairly high priority with the Solid Waste Advisory Group (SWAG) and when directed he will move forward on this issue. He said food waste is being collected from a variety of commercial establishments. He says residential food waste is expensive to collect as it must be done twice a week. He said there are a lot of public health issues related with it. He said it can be done, but is expensive. He said a first step may be to increase the number of commercial entities that participate in the collection process before moving onto residential collection. Commissioner Rich said if food waste is being collected from restaurants where is it going. Gayle Wilson said it is collected and composted by Brooks Contracting in Chatham County and is then bought back by Orange County at a discounted rate and sold at the Eubanks Road facility. Commissioner Rich said the Commission for the Environment was very interested in this concept and she would like to see this initiative move forward. Commissioner Pelissier echoed interest in this concept. She asked if there are opportunities to recycle plastic used by farmers. Gayle Wilson said he does not know much about this topic but can research it. Chair McKee said he believed a House bill just passed that allowed open burning of this plastic. Gayle Wilson said when the newly renovated Eubanks Solid Waste Convenience Center (SWCC) opens it will be easier to gauge the possibility of collecting food waste. Commissioner Price asked if the new collection fee was $103 or $107. Gayle Wilson said the fee fluctuated up from $103 to $107, as the 2015-2016 budget took shape. He said the fee of$103 was based on the 2014-2015 budget. Commissioner Jacobs said he would like to be more aggressive with the food waste issue and asked if the manager could work with staff to look at options sooner than 15 months. He said that UNC may be a good partner. Commissioner Rich asked if Muriel Williman from Solid Waste could come to a meeting to talk to the Board about this issue. • Library Services, Pg. 321 (Including fee schedule change requests, Pg. 471) Christal Sandifer, Budget Management Analyst, reviewed the following information: Budget Highlights The FY15-16 Manager's Recommended Budget includes: ■ Personnel Increase: ($19,895) for temporary personnel, to comply with approved Living Wage and additional 300 hours for research related to addressing families in poverty through literacy and outreach strategies ■ Operations Increase: ($37,024) across multiple areas, in support of strategic plan, including: materials for Cedar Grove Kiosk, advertising projects, Literacy Corner for Youth Services, and e-audio. Christal Sandifer also referenced page 471 and a fee reduction on fines for overdue DVDs, from $1 per day to $.50 per day. She said additionally the sale of flash drives is being proposed at $3 per drive. Commissioner Rich asked if there was an update regarding the creation of a new interlocal agreement that is being created by the Elected Official Work Group. Chair McKee said discussions are still in process with Chapel Hill and thus the County did not add or reduce funding until resolutions are reached. Bonnie Hammersley said the work group directed both Managers to work on a resolution, and this is being done currently in order to bring it back to the work group. Commissioner Rich asked if an increase is anticipated in the future. Bonnie Hammersley said she anticipated that this may happen. Chair McKee said a budget amendment can be made after an agreement is reached. Commissioner Rich said the Commissioners that are not part of the work group are not well kept in the loop about the discussions. Chair McKee said the Board should have been notified that the issue had been turned over to the two Managers. Commissioner Jacobs said said one of the reasons the issue was sent to the Managers was the lack of forward vision and the lack of agreement on terms in the interlocal agreement. Commissioner Jacobs commented that the Board has lost the practice of reporting back to the whole Board on issues and meetings where one or more Board members or the Manager attends. Commissioner Pelissier reminded the Board that the interlocal agreement that was executed a few years ago expires on June 30, 2015 and the Board has made a commitment to work on this agreement. Bonnie Hammersley said the other reason that the two Managers are meeting is because there are a number of agreements that the Town of Chapel Hill and Orange County have, and a way to bring these agreements into both budget discussions is being pursued. Commissioner Jacobs said Cheryl Young found the study that was done in the 1980s in reference to how much people in the corporate and unincorporated areas received, in contrast to every tax dollar paid. He said this study has been discussed at Library Services and at the SWAG. He said it has been agreed upon to conduct an updated version of this study. Commissioner Rich said the study from the 1980s should be shared with Chapel Hill (pages 22-23). Commissioner Pelissier thanked the Manager for looking at the holistic picture. Commissioner Pelissier asked if the Library Services' budget adequately reflects the Library Services' adopted strategic plan. Lucinda Munger said the 4 priorities were considered, and in some areas items have already been completed. She said the focus is on collection replacements, technology and community relations. Commissioner Burroughs asked if a-books have any limits in their usage. Lucinda Munger said a-books do not wear out physically, but the vendor contracts call for them to expire after a certain number of uses. She said this typically happens after 26 uses. Commissioner Price asked if a-books are typically for adults or children. Lucinda Munger said most are for adults. She said the collection for children is growing slowly. Commissioner Price asked if there has been an increase in adult usage of the library. Lucinda Munger said yes, and it is increasing every year. Commissioner Jacobs said when there is a Southern Branch Library it will be a consolidation of two existing services and asked if there are available staff, resources, computers etc, that could move to a new facility. Lucinda Munger said this has been considered. She said if a Southern Branch opened tomorrow, 1.75 staff members, 3000 adult materials, and 9 computers would go to the new facility. She said no furniture would go. • Animal Services, Pg. 57 (including fee schedule change requests, Pg. 485) Darrell Butts reviewed the following information: Animal Services: Administration and Programs Budget Highlights ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget significantly offsets departmental operating costs with revenues from shelter services, animal control contracts, pet licensing and other streams budgeted in the amount of$661,418. ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget completes the process of achieving full cost recovery for animal control services from the Towns of Hillsborough, Chapel Hill and Carrboro that Animal Services provides under agreement with budgeted revenues totaling $218,218. ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget decreases the operating budget for the Community Spay Neuter Program from $66,350 to $64,150 given a reduction in reimbursements received from the NC Spay/Neuter Reimbursement Program; using $5,500 in donations from the Orange County Community Fund to support this program. Animal Services: Animal Shelter Division Budget Highlights ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget uses donated funds for medical care from the Orange County Community Giving Fund to support additional veterinary services and to treat one or more specific health conditions previously limiting the adoptability of cats and dogs. ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget includes a more flexible and discretionary fee schedule for adoptable animals in order to remain highly competitive in the regional marketplace and place as many adoptable animals as possible in a revenue neutral manner. Animal Services: Animal Control & Protection Division Budget Highlights ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget increases the annual cost for animal control services for Carrboro from $67,768 to $79,305 in the final year of a three year phase-in of total costs (including the annualized cost of vehicle replacement). ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget increases the annual cost for animal control services for Hillsborough from $45,473 to $49,775, as a result of an increase in their share of "county service" from 12 percent to 13 percent. ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget increases the annual cost for animal control services to Chapel Hill from $86,752 to $88,638 primarily as a result of cost of living adjustments in compensation. • Asset Management Services, Pg. 68 (including Internal Service Fund— Vehicle Replacements, handout provided at the meeting) Darrell Butts reviewed the following information: Asset Management Services: Administrative Division Budget Highlights ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget includes $48,613 in the Facilities Maintenance division's Contract Services account. These funds are for OE Enterprises to perform custodial services at additional County facilities (Cedar Grove Community Center, Whitted Meeting Facility) and intensely used areas that require additional care (Senior Centers, Adult Day Health Program). These funds are budgeted in lieu of 2.0 FTE Facilities Maintenance Technician I's that the department requested. The expectation of this contract is to provide the same quality of service through OE Enterprises as would have been provided by County staff. The quality of service provision will be closely monitored and evaluated. ■ Mandated energy costs —Asset Management Services has again budgeted for a 10% rate increase for electricity and a 15% rate increase for natural gas for FY 14-15, based on available data. Despite these rate increases, the overall utility budget request includes an increase of less than 1% in utilities due to the divestiture of, and lowering of utility intensity within, certain buildings as well as continued implementation of efficiency measures. ■ Vehicle replacement funds are being accumulated through the Internal Service Fund ("ISF") established in FY12 (with an effective date of July 1, 2013). An additional $.10 per mile driven will inure to this fund. An estimated 3 million miles will be driven County-wide during FY15-16, equating to an estimated $300,000 in budgeted contribution to the ISF. ■ For FY15-16, the Fleet Services division includes a net cost of Personnel and Operations of$1,379,541 less the chargebacks to departments of$1,327,170 for a net cost of$60,371. ■ For FY15-16, the Fleet Services division projects a decrease in unit costs for gasoline and diesel. The Solid Waste Department will continue to acquire diesel fuel from the County's fuel station located at the Asset Management North campus, and will continue to be charged back for diesel fuel acquired at this facility. Jeff Thompson, Director for Asset Management Services, reviewed the vehicle replacement fund. • Board of Elections (BOE), Pg. 83 Darrell Butts reviewed the following highlights: Budget Highlights • The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget includes revenues of$54,495 (an increase of$54,395) due to Municipal Elections scheduled in 2015 and filing fees for Primary Elections. • The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget includes an Increase in Personnel, Printing, Advertising, Departmental Supplies, Computer Supplies, and Equipment due to budgeting for 4 elections in FY15-16 and an increase in the number of one-stop voting sites. Commissioner Dorosin referred to the table on page 84 and asked if the number of eligible voters could be ascertained. Tracy Reams, Board of Elections Director, said she could check the most recent census. Commissioner Dorosin agreed that voter education and outreach should be expanded. He said two specific areas of need are offenders, who have satisfied the requirements of their sentence, who need to re-register and students approaching age 18. He suggested the BOE work with the schools to send out "birthday registration" cards as students approach age 18. Tracy Reams said voter education is already done at schools but she is not sure if the schools would release names and birthdates. Commissioner Dorosin said there may be some creative options. Commissioner Jacobs asked if there is a specific location where residents register for the draft. Tracy Reams said the post office. Commissioner Jacobs asked if outreach could be done there. Tracy Reams said she would research the idea. Commissioner Jacobs asked if the new voter machine still takes paper ballots. Tracy Reams said the new voter machine still takes paper ballots and it is just a new machine. Tracy Reams said a meeting was held for the public to view the new machine. She said she has been asked to make available a time for the Board of County Commissioners to review the new machines as well and is working on scheduling this soon. Commissioner Rich asked if there are procedures in place to handle the new rules of having identification in order to vote, and who will provide enforcement. Tracy Reams said her office would handle these issues, as is done currently, by filing a challenge against such voters. She said there will be some training regarding how to determine what a reasonable resemblance on identification is. She said the precinct official will make this call and will air on the side of the voter. She said if a resemblance is not considered reasonable the official will go to the Chief Judge where a decision will be made. She said if the voter is deemed not to resemble their identification they would cast a provisional ballot and the BOE makes the final determination. Commissioner Jacobs asked if there will be a separate primary for the State vs. the President. Tracy Reams said yes. She said the provisional date for the Presidential Preference Primary is March 8, 2016. She said the rest of the primaries will be in May. Commissioner Jacobs asked if the expense to the counties to add the Presidential Primary is known. Tracy Reams said in Orange County the estimate is between $107,000 and $117,000. Commissioner Jacobs asked if the cost for the State primaries is known. Tracy Reams said it is in the millions, and she would get the exact figure to the Board. • Child Support Enforcement, Pg. 98 Christal Sandifer reviewed the following information: Budget Highlights The FY15-16 Manager's Recommended Budget includes: ■ Economic recovery has not reached most of the families we serve and therefore affect collection rates. Our collections ($5,255,000) provide acutely needed income to Orange County families ■ Revenue Increases: Federal Support Enforcement ($45,000); IV-D Refunds ($3,075) • Community Relations & Tourism, Pg. 101 Christal Sandifer reviewed the following information: Budget Highlights • The FY15-16 Manager's Recommended Budget includes: • Occupancy Tax Rates and Revenue: Occupancy Tax revenues continue to increase due to strong travel economy. In FY14-15, Orange County's 3% Occupancy Tax collections have increased an average of 14% each month; year-end revenues are expected to exceed the original budget by 10% ($107,940). • Fund Balance Appropriation: Available fund balance totals $354,000. In FY15-16, the Visitors Bureau will appropriate $90,000 from fund balance, a decrease of$102,000 from the current year. Next year's appropriation will fund several additional marketing and community engagement initiatives, including: food focus on area's pasture to plate scene; LGBT weddings; and kiosk for UNC Hospital in Hillsborough. These proposed initiatives have received support from the Visitors Bureau Advisory Board. • Town Contributions: The Town of Chapel Hill's contribution will remain the same at $200,000 ■ Position Reclassification: Increase $11,096, reclassification of Visitors Bureau Director position (1.0) FTE, to Community Relations Director position (1.0) FTE. The position is responsible for direct oversight of the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau and the Orange County Public Affairs division. This position is housed in Chapel Hill, at the Visitors Center and supervised the Hillsborough-based Public Affairs Director, as well as the five member Visitor Bureau staff. • Position Reclassification: Decrease $2,476, reclassification of Sales Manager position (1.0) FTE, to Social Media/Database Administrator (1.0) FTE. The position will develop proactive alignment of all social media and database content. Sales leads will be coordinated through a vendor. Laurie Paolicelli, Director of the Visitors Bureau, said the past two years have been record breaking for occupancy revenues and guest to Orange County. She said revenues were up 17 percent which boosted the fund balance substantially. She said her Board requested to use these funds for two major initiatives: marriage equality campaign and promoting local farm-to-fork tourism draws. She said due to these two initiatives the fund balance looks low. Carla Banks said the past year was very productive in the Public Affairs Office. Commissioner Jacobs asked Laurie Paolicelli if the fund balance is back in her purview. Laurie Paolicelli said yes. Commissioner Jacobs asked if the Carolina Inn is ever approached to pay sales tax. Laurie Paolicelli said the Carolina Inn is part of the North Carolina Revenue and Taxation code. She said it is deemed a "necessary instrumentality" for the State to do its business. She said about one third of major donors are tax exempt. She said the topic of approaching the Chancellor and the Board of Governors about changing this has arisen on occasion and she would be supportive of such a conversation. Commissioner Jacobs said he would encourage her and the Visitors Bureau Board to pursue this making the Inn equal to its competitors. Commissioner Jacobs asked if the new UNC Arts facility has long term impact on the Carrboro Arts Centers. Laurie Paolicelli said this Arts facility came as a surprise since this extension was part of the Arts Center planning. She said the newly proposed space will serve Orange County well and she is not sure that it will cancel out the Carrboro Arts Center. She said feels there is room for both. Commissioner Jacobs said he brought this issue up because if the County partners with the Carrboro Arts Center going forward, the impact of the UNC facility would have to be considered. Commissioner Rich said the Visitors Bureau is still paying the County for some services that other departments are not, such as rent. Commissioner Rich said any taxes from visitor spending goes into the Visitors Bureau Budget, and Chapel Hill contributes but Carrboro and Hillsborough do not. She said it would be nice to have Carrboro and Hillsborough give some of their tax dollars back to Orange County as they have voting seats on the Board of the Visitors Bureau. The Board decided to adjourn the meeting at 10:30pm and, with the exception of Cooperative Extension and Emergency Services, defer the rest of the departments until June 9, 2015. • Cooperative Extension, Pg. 107 Darrell Butts reviewed the following information: Budget Highlights • The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget includes an increase of$11,791 in Personnel Services due to staff reductions by NC State University. Orange County will pay a greater share of salaries for 3 employees. • All employees within the Cooperative Extension Service are State employees and are budgeted as contract personnel, as per the Memorandum of Agreement with the State. • The $20,000 in revenue includes class fee revenue at the W. C. Breeze Family Farm; the County continues to contribute $10,000 for the programs at the Breeze Farm and is included within the department's Operating budget. Commissioner Jacobs asked if there is an update on the Memorandum of Agreement regarding increased County control at the W. C. Breeze Family Farm. Carl Matyac, County Extension Director, said he has had conversations with all stake holders, and all seem in favor of such a memorandum. He said a draft has been created for a long term plan for the farm. Commissioner Jacobs asked if the Board will see the memorandum before it is signed. Bonnie Hammersley said absolutely. Commissioner Jacobs asked if there is an update regarding Carl Matyac's department's funding sources. Carl Matyac said the department is funded about 60/40 (State/County). Commissioner Jacobs said of the remaining State funded positions how much is the State actually contributing. Carl Matyac said he does not have those total amounts but he will get the figures to the Board. Commissioner Jacobs said it appears that if the County does not pick up funding the positions will go away. He said if this is the case the County should have a projection and a plan. Carl Matyac agreed. Commissioner Pelissier noted the expected increase in local farmers selling to local markets. She asked if there are specific reasons for this increase. Carl Matyac said these numbers are from Agricultural Census Data generated by the United States Department of Agriculture a few years ago. Commissioner Pelissier asked if it this information is specific to Orange County. Carl Matyac said yes. • Emergency Services, Pg. 271 Darrell Butts reviewed the following information: Administrative Division (including Emergency Management) Budget Highlights ■ Staff leadership training continues to be a priority in forging a culture change within the organization. A significant portion of the training/development budget is to support this critical initiative. ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget includes an increase of$12,000 in the Motor Pool account in this division for the motor vehicle surcharge from $.08/mile to $.10/mile. Emergency Services budgets all motor pool costs through the Administration division. Fire Marshal Division Budget Highlights ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget includes an increase of$20,972, for a total of$46,775 in the Rescue Services account. This increase will provide water rescue equipment to the 4 fire departments that did not receive equipment in the FY14-15 Commissioner Approved Budget and will also allow for the purchase of other specialized rescue equipment. Communications Division Budget Highlights ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget includes the movement of a 1.0 FTE ES Systems Technician position from the Administration division into the Communications division. The total FTE count is not affected by this transfer; however the budgets associated with each division are affected. ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget includes a $10,000 increase in the Certifications & Licenses account due to an increase in initial certifications for new hires and a necessary update to Emergency Police Dispatch (EPD) and Emergency Fire Dispatch (EFD) certifications. ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget includes an increase in the Telephone account of the Emergency Telephone Fund of$103,272; this increase is to support NextGen 911 capabilities (for text to 911). EMS Division Budget Highlights ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget includes a reclassification of the 0.5 FTE Public Health Preparedness Coordinator to a 1.0 FTE Deputy EMS Operations Manager. This position is recommended to start on January 1, 2016 in order to help offset some of the increased costs. The total County cost for this position is $27,758, including $4,952 in operating expenditures and one-time start-up costs. This reclassification is actually a net savings to the County in total cost for this fiscal year, as the 1.0 FTE Deputy EMS Operations Manager will only have a half-year of costs in this fiscal year. ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget includes $50,864 in Capital Outlay. These items include replacement of ambulance equipment, an interactive smart board for training and meetings, and furniture for EMS co-location sites. ■ The FY15-16 Manager Recommended Budget includes an increase of$250,000 in EMS Charges. This increase is due to an increase in current year actuals that is expected to continue in the future. Jim Groves, Director of Emergency Services, said his department has been trying to improve the services that are provided to Orange County and its visitors. He said this involves a variety of technical advancements which will allow faster, safer and more complete service. Commissioner Rich asked if Jim Groves had input regarding the potential 911 center at the Southern Human Services Center (SHSC). Jim Groves said it would be ideal to have a 911 back-up center at the SHSC. He said the current plan does not provide a redundant 911 call center. He said moving to the SHSC insures that there is a Emergency Services presence in multiple areas of the County and allows for the system to be on two different providers in the event that one line gets cut. Commissioner Jacobs asked if Emergency Services will be able to enforce illegal burning with the new House bill allowing farmers' to burn plastic. Jim Groves said he just learned about the bill this evening and it will need to be researched further. A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs to adjourn the meeting at 10:38 p.m. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Earl McKee, Chair Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board