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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 05-31-2018 Budget Work Session1 APPROVED 9/4/2018 MINUTES BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BUDGET WORK SESSION May 31, 2018 7:00 p.m. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a work session on Thursday, May 31, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Dorosin and Commissioners Mia Burroughs, Mark Dorosin, Barry Jacobs, Earl McKee, Mark Marcoplos, Renee Price and Penny Rich COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: None COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager Travis Myren and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) Chair Dorosin called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. A motion was made by Commissioner Marcoplos, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs to add a closed session at the end of the meeting for the purpose of: Consulting with an attorney employed or retained by the public body in order to preserve the attorney-client privilege between the attorney and the public body, which privilege is hereby acknowledged. [N.C.G.S. 143-318.11(a)(3)] VOTE: UNANIMOUS Travis Myren made the following PowerPoint presentation, and facilitated the accompanying discussions: Budget Work Session #2 County Fire Districts Public Safety General Government Support Services May 31, 2018 Southern Human Services Center Fire District Tax rates - graph Recommended Fire District Tax Rates – graph Recommended Fire District Tax Rates and FY 2018-19 Revenue District Requests – page 324 • Eno Fire District o One cent increase from 8.68 cents to 9.68 cents 2 o Pay off Elliptical Tanker o Install Generator and Paving at Station #1 o Equipment Replacement • Little River Fire District o One cent increase from 4.92 cents to 5.92 cents o Purchase Land and Construct New Station #2 o Station #2 Provides More Residents with Six (6) Mile Proximity to Fire Station to Qualify for Lower Insurance Premiums o New Fire Engine for Station #1; 1994 Engine Move to New Station #2 County Fire District and Station Map Commissioner Jacobs asked if the Eno Fire District’s rate increase is related to lowering the Insurance Service Officer (ISO) rating. Chief Hayes said no. Commissioner Jacobs asked if they are still at a 7. Chief Hayes said yes. Commissioner Jacobs asked if there is a strategy in place to lower the rating. Chief Hayes said they are trying to replace some equipment and increase the staff, and hopefully within two years operations will improve. Commissioner McKee arrived at 7:07 p.m. Chair Dorosin said the rates do not tell the whole story, and he appreciated the slide about how much each one generates. He said it would be useful to have this information in table format going forward, as well as a dollar amount that equates to the rate increases, and how the monies are spent. Commissioner Rich asked if the community is being informed about this tax increase. Travis Myren said each community has its own networks for communication, but the increase is largely communicated through the budget process. Commissioner Jacobs referred to the chart on page 328, and said the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) asked for this chart a few years ago. He said the ISO ratings have come down in the past few years, thanks to the efforts of the Chiefs and their boards. He said he appreciated the follow through on providing this information. Chief Phillip Nasseri said all of their boards are from their own communities, and tax increases are well published within their communities. He said every year the chiefs have lowered the ISO ratings, and the State has ramped up the frequency of its inspections. He said ISO ratings will continue to improve every 2-5 years, with a plateau of class 5 for a residential rating. He said commercial and industrial ratings can be lower. He said any money spent is to improve public safety, and improve the ISO ratings. Travis Myren resumed the presentation: Public Safety • Courts – page 121 o County Funds Space and Associated Equipment for Court Functions o Reduction of $9,000 to Remove Jury Master List which is Funded Every Other Year • Criminal Justice Resource Department – page 122 o Total expenditure budget - $605,329 3 o Department Added Program Areas Last Fiscal Year  Administrative Assistant  Contract for Jail Psychiatry  Five Global Positioning System (GPS) Units for Pretrial Electronic Monitoring  Misdemeanor Diversion Program Coordinator  Mental Health Liaison for Court Involved Youth o Department Continuation Budget Funded Using Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) Funds  Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) Board funds ($444,328 of $550,000) Mental health maintenance of effort (MOE) funds ($128,500) • Criminal Justice Resource Department – page 122 o FY2018-19 Recommendations – Contingent on Outside Funding  Add 0.5 FTE Family Treatment Court Case Manager - $34,486 (ABC)  ABC Board has Approved $35,000  Add Electronic Monitoring Funding for Five Units - $15,000 (ABC)  No Outside Funding Secured; Budget Amendment to be Proposed  Add Hours for Jail Psychiatry - $5,000 (Mental Health MOE)  MOE Funds are Encumbered o CJRD Expansion and Remodeling - $275,000 (CIP page 31)  Gateway Building or 1954 Courthouse - $240,000  Dry Sprinkler System for Register of Deeds - $35,000 Chair Dorosin asked if the decision is made to go with the courthouse, rather than the Gateway building, what would happen to the $35,000 for the sprinkler system. Travis Myren said it would go to a different project, as these would no longer be physically co-located. Chair Dorosin asked if the $35,000 was just in there for the co-location. Travis Myren said yes. He resumed the presentation: Diversion Outcomes on Detention Population-graph-page 10 slide Caitlin Fenhagen, Criminal Justice Resource Director, said she attributes these positive outcomes to the whole court system, court stakeholders, and law enforcement; not just her department. Commissioner Jacobs said John Roberts sent an email to the Board about allegations of ADA violations at one of the courthouses. John Roberts said the allegation referred to the old courthouse, and the complaint was filed with the Clerk of Courts, and is not a formal legal complaint yet. Chair Dorosin thanked Caitlin Fenhagen and her staff for their work with the Criminal Justice Resource Department, and commended the good work being done. He said he wanted to extend the County’s appreciation. Caitlin Fenhagen said many challenges remain, and in the future her department will be looking to divert persons completely from the jail. She said the next step is to look toward law enforcement assisted diversion, and possibly a diversion facility. She said the mental health work in the jails, and the peer support work in the detention center now will start to bare fruit with people in the community frequently seen at the detention center. She commended law enforcement for its willingness to discuss diversionary programming. 4 Caitlin Fenhagen commended the ABC board for its unfailing support of her department’s efforts. She said she has been told they will receive a grant from the Department of Public Safety for a local re-entry council, and they are awaiting the official word, but they have already started to meet as a re-entry council. She said this council would work with those reentering the community after incarceration, but also with those facing any type of barrier due to a previous incarceration. Chair Dorosin referred to the ABC information, and asked if the ABC Board has increased some monies, and whether those funds are recurring. Travis Myren said the $35,000 to support the position is recurring. Chair Dorosin clarified that the Board of County Commissioners cannot compel the ABC Board to give them money Travis Myren said that is correct. Commissioner Price said the ABC Board appreciates knowing where its donations are going, since it did not know this in the past. Commissioner Price said the BOCC seat on the ABC board is a non-voting one. Commissioner Jacobs said it struck him how quickly this new approach and department has been created and everyone from the BOCC to law enforcement and the court community wanted to make this happen. He said it has been great to have Caitlin Fenhagen take charge. Travis Myren resumed the presentation: • Emergency Services – page 306 (page 11 slide) o Total expenditure budget - $10,777,377  Total County Costs Decreased by $454,830 from FY2017-18 Budget  Motor Pool Charge Backs Removed from Department Budget  EMS Revenue Increase of $256,285 Contributed to Net County Cost Reduction o Administration Division  Telephone Charges Reallocated from Communications - $33,175  Decreased Uniform Costs ($10,000)  Decreased Training Costs ($7,500)  Chair Replacement (5) - $1,000 o Emergency Management Division  New Division Created by Reallocation from Administration  Everbridge Notification System (OC Alerts) Expense - $20,069  Matches Full Cost of the System  Increased Costs Offset by Partner Agency Revenue • Emergency Services (ES) – page 310 o Fire Marshal Division  Future Allocations of Rescue Equipment ($36,135) Determined by Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment o Communications (911) Division – Emergency Telephone Fund  Funded with 911 surcharge on Wired and Wireless Phone Bills  Revenue Increase in Subscriber Fees – ($165,685)  Replace All 911 Servers and Workstations - $45,791  20% Local Share  Backup Center, Priority Dispatch Maintenance - $21,570  Four (4) Chairs for Telecommunicators - $5,000 • Emergency Services – page 310 5 o 911 Communications Performance Measures – graphs: Call Taking Efficiency and Average Duration of 911 calls Commissioner Rich asked if there was a reason for the blip. Dinah Jeffries, Emergency Services Director, said there was a lot of new staff that had to be trained, which took longer than expected. Commissioner Price referred to the capital outlay – page 306 – and asked if there are specific recommendations for the BOCC to not fund certain items. Travis Myren said that was an aerial drone. He said at least one other department has a drone that could be used in an emergency, and hopefully drone prices will fall as the technology becomes more mainstream. Commissioner Price asked if reimbursement is provided when emergency staff goes to other areas of the state to assist. Kirby Saunders, Emergency Management Coordinator, said yes, there is 100% reimbursement from that locality. Bonnie Hammersley said one of the guidelines for department heads for capital outlay was only for replacements and nothing new. She said the drone would have been a new purchase. Chair Dorosin asked if there is a reason why a drone might be needed. Kirby Saunders said primarily for search and rescue, and damage assessment. He said drones can also carry 12-15 pounds of payload, and this is an up and coming technology for Emergency Services. Commissioner Marcoplos asked if the cost is known. Kirby Saunders said around $30,000, with most of that being in the optics. Commissioner McKee said years ago a child with autism got lost in the park in the northern end of the County, and if a drone had been available, the search could have moved more quickly. Commissioner Price clarified that the Sheriff’s department has a drone. Kirby Saunders said yes, and ES is working with the Sheriff’s office to share this. Dinah Jeffries said this may be an initiative that can be looked at on the risk assessment with the fire department, and looking at pursuing that as a project to cover the County for the use of all of them. Commissioner Jacobs referred to the Fire Marshal, and said it was expressed to him that there is no phone number on the County website to reach the Fire Marshal. Dinah Jeffries said the Fire Marshal, and all employees, can be reached through the main ES number Commissioner Jacobs said it may be helpful to make that clear on the Fire Marshal page of the website. Travis Myren resumed the presentation: • Emergency Services – page 314 o Emergency Medical Services Division (EMS)  Increase in EMS Revenue Collections – ($256,000)  New Paramedic Academy - $11,000  Equipment Replacement - $40,282  Medical Supply Cabinets, CO Detectors, AED’s General Government • Tax Administration – EMS Revenue - graph Commissioner Rich asked if the paramedic academy could be detailed. 6 Dinah Jeffries said Durham Tech is no longer providing this, so Emergency Services is doing so via a partnership with Lenoir Community College. She said the paramedics in the academy have to travel to Lenoir at least once a month, which is an expense for the County. Kim Woodard, EMS Operations Manager, said Durham Tech went to a curriculum program, which took the paramedics into a two-year program, and no longer allowed the County to sponsor them as they are working. She said over the past six years, this paramedic academy has been extremely successful, with a 59% retention rate. She said the program at Lenoir Community College is an online-hybrid program, with students traveling to Lenoir for an entire weekend, at least once a month. Dinah Jeffries said a negative of the Lenoir program is that it is on line and not face to face, and so the County is providing additional training and support. Commissioner Rich asked if the County speaks with Durham Tech about things like this, because this is not the way to go. Dinah Jeffries said talks started last year with Durham Tech, and she thought progress was being made. She said Durham Tech lost a lot of staff, and now it is a bit of a revolving door at Durham Tech for this program. Commissioner Price said it does not make sense to have a Durham Tech campus in Orange County, or be connected to the campus in Durham, if the services that people need are not being provided. She said Commissioner Marcoplos is the BOCC representative on the Durham Tech board, and maybe he can bring this to Durham Tech’s attention. Commissioner Marcoplos said he made a note to talk to Dinah Jeffries about this, and he will bring this up at the next Durham Tech board meeting. Commissioner McKee said he has also tried to make progress, but to no avail, and he may start talking about defunding Durham Tech going forward. Commissioner Price said some of the rationale is that Durham Tech wants to have a certain level of accreditation, but there should be more accommodation of Orange County’s needs. Chair Dorosin said Durham Tech has been helpful with some areas, such as training Morinaga employees, and this sounds like another specific need. He said there ought to be a way to move this up Durham Tech’s priority list. Commissioner Rich said the County should not be sending staff to Lenoir County. Kim Woodard said there is a paramedic academy work group, which looked into all various options. She said this group concluded that Durham Tech is the most ideal option, and is where students want to go. Commissioner Jacobs said it may be helpful to find out how Durham Tech is funded from the State, because Durham Tech may be getting more money for economic development to train people, than it does for helping the County. He said if this is the case, the County should have a conversation about how the County’s funding can benefit the County. Commissioner McKee said mission is also important, and there is a hospital right next to the Orange County campus, causing Durham Tech to focus on medical training. He said community colleges seem to focus on core areas of training and, items outside those core areas, receive less emphasis. Kim Woodard said that is exactly correct, and the EMS program has repeatedly lost space to the nursing assistants program. Commissioner McKee said despite this being the case, he is still in favor of pushing Durham Tech for more. Commissioner Price said if Durham Tech wants to put together a program, it can do so, because it has done so in Durham. She said Durham Tech is also coming to the BOCC for money for expansion, and if Durham Tech is not already meeting the County’s needs, there is little reason to provide more funding. Travis Myren resumed the presentation: 7 Public Safety • Emergency Services – page 314 o Emergency Medical Services Performance Measures- graph- slide 16 Commissioner Jacobs referred to the average response time versus mean response time, and said averaging going up to Caldwell versus going to West Hillsborough are totally different times. He asked if there is a way to share the mean, or by area of the County. Dinah Jeffries said yes. Commissioner McKee asked if any of these reductions in responses times are related to co-location. Dinah Jeffries said yes. Commissioner McKee said this fact should be emphasized. Travis Myren resumed the presentation: • CIP - Emergency Medical Services Substation - $1.5 million (p. 53) o Standalone Station in Efland – 24 hour station o Replaces Mt. Willing Road  Leased until 2019 for $1 from Efland Volunteer Fire Company, Inc. o Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Demonstration  Roof mounted, 61kW system  Estimated cost of $76,000 to $100,000 after Duke Energy grant/rebate  Useful life of 25 years  11-13 year payback of County investment  Model for future PV installations on new construction Efland Substation Site Map (aerial photo) Efland Substation Site Map with Potential Building Pads (aerial photo) Commissioner Marcoplos asked if there is a schedule for this process. Travis Myren said a purchase agreement is ready to go, pending approval by the BOCC. He said closing on the property could happen in July. Commissioner Marcoplos asked if building could begin in the fall. Jeff Thompson, Asset Management Services Director, said design would happen in the fall, with building in the spring. Dinah Jeffries said she appreciated the Board’s support of Emergency Services. Travis Myren resumed the presentation: • Sheriff – page 432 (slide 20) o Total expenditure budget - $13,424,193 o Reclassification Review for Sheriff’s Personnel - $230,000  Deputy I and II  Detention Officer  Sergeants and Command Staff o Recommended Budget Decreased Net County Costs by $514,300  Expenditures Decreased by ($214,300)  Motor Pool Charges Removed from Department Budget and Absorbed Directly by the General Fund  Revenue Increased by $300,000 8  Federal inmate revenue adjusted to reflect actual collections • Capital Investment Plan Recommendations o Body Worn Cameras in CIP - $300,000 (page 52)  75 Units for Sherriff’s Personnel o Northern County Campus (Detention Center page 32) - graph o Detention Center Size Analysis Underway o Discussion for Next Work Session Commissioner Jacobs asked if there is an update on the Hillsborough approval process. Travis Myren said Hillsborough has approved both the land use amendment, and the zoning. He said if everything tracks and a bed size is determined by the time the BOCC adopts a budget, and some design is put in place, a site plan can be given to Hillsborough by September, at which time the rights will be vested. He resumed the presentation: • Non-Departmental Expenditures – page 419 o No significant budget changes Sheriff Blackwood referred to the use of the drone, and said the work done between Emergency Services and his office has become seamless. He said he cannot say enough about Kirby Saunders, and the integration of the system with the Sheriff’s department allows all employees to be tracked, which allows for recovery of funds in certain situations. He said this is invaluable work, and has helped the Sheriff’s Department immensely. Sheriff Blackwood said the same is also true of the work being done with the Criminal Justice Resource Department. He is very proud of the work being done with both of these departments. Chair Dorosin referred to the $300,000 revenue increase based on federal inmate revenue, and asked if this reflects higher numbers of inmates, longer stays, etc. Sheriff Blackwood said the numbers show that fewer inmates are being kept. He said he contacted the Federal Marshal to revisit the cost of keeping federal inmates. He said this conversation was discouraged, but he said the County would no longer keep federal inmates if a conversation did not take place. He said Travis Myren worked very hard on the numbers, and after a lunch meeting with the Federal Marshal, the rate was increased from $65/day to $98/day. He said immediately there was a dip in the number of inmates sent to Orange County, but this has leveled out again. Commissioner Jacobs said he has talked to the Sheriff about monitoring parks since there is a County facility getting ready to open near his home. He said the Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation (DEAPR) does not monitor parks, and this is of concern to park neighbors, as well as those who may run into trouble while in the parks. Sheriff Blackwood said the lack of any patrolling in the County’s parks and trails is of great concern. He said this has to change, and he has looked as several counties throughout the state that have a parks patrol. He said is trying to get an idea of what would be needed in Orange County, and ideally, there would be officers who could frequent these areas. He said it is incumbent upon the County to get some deputies in the woods, if only for visibility and as a deterrent to delinquent behavior. He said searching for a missing person is one thing, but if a crime occurs, the crime scene needs to be managed. He said the best way to prevent trouble is to have people, with law enforcement powers, in and out of the woods with frequency. He said a small outhouse, as the entrance of each park, with the equipment for rescue and police, would allow for much greater safety. Sheriff Blackwood said he hopes to get the body cameras ordered by July 1st. 9 Commissioner Jacobs thanked the Sheriff for his awareness and responsiveness about the parks. He said this is a missing piece in County safety, which he hopes can be addressed in the near future. Commissioner Rich asked if any of the parks are being patrolled, and said she walks daily in the Carolina North Woods and has never seen a University of North Carolina (UNC) officer. Sheriff Blackwood said park rangers govern the state parks. He said these parks are not being patrolled, and this is a manpower issue. Commissioner Jacobs said the County has purchased lands from the Duke Forest over the years, and the Sheriff’s department has been asked to patrol the parking lots. Travis Myren resumed the presentation: General Government • Board of County Commissioners – page 75 o Total expenditure budget - $917,031  Increase of $3,320 over FY2017-18 o Board of Adjustment Meeting Coverage - $11,160  Partially Offset by Decrease in Overtime that is also Budgeted in Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Medical Services  Provides Video and Sound Support to Replicate Board of Commissioner Coverage • Board of Elections – page 80 o Total expenditure budget - $689,184  Decrease of ($140,830) over FY2017-18 o Temporary Personnel and Operating Accounts Decreased  One Countywide Election in FY2018-19 Chair Dorosin said there is a bill that has been introduced in the legislature requiring criminal background checks and fingerprinting for all poll workers, and asked if this is accurate. Rachel Raper, Board of Elections Director, said this bill has been changed and only county directors and office staff will need to comply with this requirement. Chair Dorosin asked if this will have any significant financial impact on her department. Rachel Raper said no, the bill in its current format will have no significant impact. Travis Myren resumed the presentation: • County Attorney – page 110 o Total expenditure budget - $592,423 o Increase of $1,750 over FY2017-18 o Two (2) Employees will be Shared with Human Rights and Relations Department John Roberts said his office is having some staff issues, and he appreciated management staff looking into this issue. Travis Myren resumed the presentation: • County Manager – page 113 o Total expenditure budget - $3,197,734  Increase of $41,895 o Administration  Reallocated $50,000 of $100,000 for Program Evaluation Studies to Racial Equity Training for County Employees 10  Three Year Plan to Extend Training to All Permanent Employees o Arts Commission  Funded by Occupancy taxes  Established Benchmark for Occupancy Tax Contribution  Ten Percent (10%) of Prior Year Actual Collections  Resulted in $13,743 Increase in Commission Budget o Risk Management  Increase Expenditures for Bonds and Insurance - $10,000  Property insurance, general liability, public officials, employment, cyber  Bonds and Insurance (graph) o Risk Management  Decrease expenditures for workers compensation – ($50,000)  Workers Compensation (graph) o Risk Management  Decrease expenditures for Unemployment Compensation – ($50,000) o Partnership to End Homelessness  Costs shared with Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough Based on Population  No Anticipated Program Changes o Food Council Coordinator  Add 1.0 FTE Food Council Coordinator - $71,000  Contingent on Funding Partnership with Towns Based on Population  County $27,690  Chapel Hill $29,110  Carrboro $10,650  Hillsborough $3,550  Interlocal Agreement Modeled After Partnership to End Homelessness  Maintain Fiscal Agent Relationship Pending Approval of Interlocal Agreement and Recruitment Process Commissioner Price asked if the function of the Food Council Coordinator could be explained. Travis Myren said the Food Council has its own mission and charge, and will also play a coordinating role with the other food providers. He said this would model the Partnership to End Homelessness (PTEH) coordinator position. He said there are projects and events that this staff person would coordinate. Commissioner Price asked if there is a specific goal since the Council does not provide direct services to the population. Commissioner Rich said the food council does not provide food, but has two different groups that are currently meeting: an economic development group and a group of food providers. She said the Coordinator would coordinate monthly meetings of the providers at the Rogers Road Community Center. She said this allows the efforts of food provision to be coordinated to eliminate duplication of services, and also allows food to be spread out as far as possible, to serve as many people as possible. She said there is no way to know this information without a coordinating effort. She said the economic development portion comes from the farmers, and the coordinator will work with the farmers and suppliers to get food to other markets, such as schools, for example. 11 Commissioner Rich said there is a group of women entrepreneurs out of Piedmont Food and Agricultural Processing Center (PFAP), and the Coordinator is helping to connect these women with neighboring counties. Commissioner McKee said the proposed coordinator position is contingent on funding from partnering governments, and asked if all these entities are committed. Travis Myren said the Town of Carrboro has approved its contribution, and Chapel Hill has not taken the vote yet. Commissioner Rich said it is in the Town of Chapel Hill’s budget. Commissioner McKee said the Food Council needs to do a better job of reaching out to farmers. Commissioner Rich said she would like to coordinate with Commissioner McKee on this, and she has met with farmers and outreach is taking place. She said if Commissioner McKee is aware of farmers who have been missed, she would be keen to get their names so that contact can be made. Commissioner McKee said he would like the Food Council to come down from its 30,000 feet view to more of a 3 feet view. He said there are many people that are not receiving meals and food, and unless the Food Council can show him that more food is being put on the table for people, he will not support it. Chair Dorosin suggested that Commissioner McKee and Commissioner Rich get together and have this discussion. Commissioner Marcoplos asked if the coordinator position already exists. Commissioner Rich said there is a part-time a coordinator. Commissioner Marcoplos said a full time person would result in being able to expand the scope and reach of the Food Council. Chair Dorosin referred to the Partnership to End Homelessness, and said it does not provide direct services, but coordinates all of the providers to make sure areas of the County are not being missed, or having duplication of services. He said it also helps to coordinate information from the state and federal governments. Commissioner Rich said the part-time Food Council coordinator researches and applies for grants, which would continue should this position become full-time. She said the Food Council also partnered with UNC last year, and graduate students worked on special food projects. Commissioner Price said this position is worthwhile, but she still has concerns about people actually getting food. She said most providers do not provide food on holidays and weekends. She said there were several requests for outside agencies funds from agencies that provide actual meals, which were denied due to a tight budget. She said these budget cuts equate to meals being cut as well, and this concerns her. She said she is not opposed to the coordinator position, but if there is a finite amount of money, she would rather see meals being put on the table. Chair Dorosin said Orange County’s portion of the coordinator position would be $27,000. Commissioner Price said if the Board approves this position, would the County proceed without the funds from the other governmental entities. Travis Myren said no, the recommendation is clear that the position is contingent on the participation of all entities. Commissioner Price asked if the current part-time coordinator would stay on, if this position is not approved. Commissioner Rich said no. Commissioner Marcoplos asked if the City of Mebane was approached to contribute to any of these types of programs. 12 Travis Myren said not on this one, but staff is trying to build relationships with the City of Mebane. Chair Dorosin said the County should make a determined commitment to be connected to Mebane. Commissioner Price said Corey Root, PTEH Homeless Program Coordinator, gives reports but asked if there is an update regarding the County’s efforts to end homelessness. Commissioner Burroughs said the numbers of the people on street are down, but the numbers of people passing through the system are up. Commissioner Price asked if these figures could be provided in next year’s budget process. Commissioner Jacobs said it is important for the elected officials to have relationships with other entities, and especially with Mebane. He said Mebane’s board is about to make changes to its board, and Orange County needs to re-engage with the Mebane. Chair Dorosin suggested scheduling a good neighbor program with Mebane. Commissioner Marcoplos said there is a meeting scheduled for the fall and it may be wise to get to know the Mebane board a bit first. Commissioner Rich said Mebane was not in the Schools Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (SAPFO) numbers. Bonnie Hammersley said Mebane is included in the numbers. Travis Myren said staff did make a SAPFO presentation to the Mebane board a couple of months ago. He resumed the presentation: • Register of Deeds – page 428 ( page 32 on slide) o Total expenditure budget - $1,024,923  Net County Costs Decreased by ($148,890) o Revenue Changes - ($188,600)  Excise Stamps on Property Sales – ($203,000)  Decrease in Revenue for Birth Certificates, Death Certificates, etc. - $12,500 • Register of Deeds – page 428-page 33 slide - graph • Tax Administration – page 462 o Total expenditure budget - $3,740,619  Increase of $30,115 over FY2017-18 o Targeted Reductions in Operating Expenses Due to Operating Efficiencies – ($129,200) o Add 1.0 FTE Collections Specialist for EMS Billing - $72,450  Emphasis on Timely Billing and Collections  Includes $20,000 for Office Renovation  Offset by Increase in EMS Revenue in Emergency Services Tax Administration – Sales Tax Collection History-table Tax Administration – Sales Tax Collection History-table Commissioner Price referred to the ambulance collections, and asked if these are due to residents being unable to pay, or unwilling. She asked if, it is due to an inability, is this because North Carolina does not have Medicaid expansion. Dwane Brinson said there is an assistance program through the Department of Social Services (DSS), and when this service came back in house, an informational insert about this 13 assistance program was included in the bill. He said there is about $10 million in delinquent bills, much of which came from the service being transitioned back in house a few years ago. He said the current collections process is much more affective than the previous outsourced service provider. He said this position would look to target these delinquent collections, and get people caught up via the best means for them. Commissioner Price said there is about $70 million in tax assistance annually, part of which is the present use value for farming. She asked if the number of people, and the amount of money involved in the tax relief program, is known. Travis Myren resumed the presentation: Tax Administration – Tax Base History-table Commissioner Jacobs asked if the County is back on a 4-year revaluation schedule, and if permanent staff is working on this. Dwane Brinson said yes, and permanent staff is working on the 2021 revaluation. He said the last time the revaluation was delayed to 2017 he believes a resolution was passed reverting back to a 4-year cycle. Commissioner Jacobs said staff should be commended on how quietly the revaluation went. Dwane Brinson said the appraisers did a very good job working with the taxpayers and defending appeals. He said that one of the reasons is the tax base is larger than expected, and the appeals were much less than expected. Travis Myren resumed the presentation: Tax Administration – Tax Rate History - table Tax Administration – Simulated Incremental Rate Increase - table Commissioner McKee asked if this is assuming revenues remain constant. He referred to slide 37, and said if there has been a jump in the tax base, it would seem to reduce the need for this type of a continual increase. Travis Myren said the model assumes the regular 1.4% yearly property tax base increase due to new construction. He said if there was a shock and a large amount of property came onto the tax role, then these rates would be lower. He said a shock in terms of an increase would be due to new construction, and a decrease would not show until a revaluation. Dwane Brinson said just today staff received the first quarter sales ratio study from the Department of Revenue, and at first glance, the number of sales in the first quarter in Orange County was surprisingly high, with 471 qualified sales. He said this was near the top of many counties in the State. Chair Dorosin asked if, with the slow population growth in the County, these home sales are just people moving around within the County. Dwane Brinson said possibly, and he said there is also a lot of residential new construction. Travis Myren resumed the presentation: • Non-Departmental – page 376 o No budget changes Support Services • Asset Management Services – page 64 o Total expenditure budget - $5,568,059 14  Increase of $1,026,960 over FY2017-18 Budget o Facilities Maintenance Division  Recurring Capital $13,300 for Automated External Defibrillator, Portable Generator Replacement, Ice Melt Spreader Replacement o Fleet Maintenance Division  Remove Charge Back Process for Non-Revenue Generating Departments  Results in $1,007,060 Charge Back Reduction in AMS  Results in Same Expenditure Decrease for General Fund Departments = Budget Neutral Commissioner Price referred to the 17-18 outcomes, page 69, which state several low priority projects are being addressed in rank order. She asked if these ADA projects have now been taken care of. Jeff Thompson said the highest priority projects have been taken care of (outside of maintenance), and staff is working through the lower priority ones. He said the only remaining major project is the front entrance to the Whitted Building. Travis Myren resumed the presentation: • Vehicle Replacement Recommendations – Purchase - table – slide 40 Chair Dorosin asked if the proceeds from sold vehicles go into the general fund, or are they used to offset vehicle expenses. Jeff Thompson said in the past the monies have gone to the internal services fund, but now the monies are going to the general fund. Travis Myren resumed the presentation: • Vehicle Replacement Recommendations – Lease-table- slide 41 o $25,000 per year for Five Years Commissioner Rich asked if the County tries to buy hybrid cars. Jeff Thompson said yes. Travis Myren resumed the presentation: • Community Relations – page 101 o Total expenditure budget - $273,439  Decrease of ($18,435) Compared to FY2017-18 Budget (Website) o Maintenance for New Website - $8,000  Mid-August Implementation o Internal Web/Publications Designer Saved $8,000 in Outside Design Fees o Integrated Message Monitors Installed in Twelve (12) County Locations Commissioner Price asked if staff is doing any radio. Todd McGee, Community Relations Director, said yes, and the County still has its agreement with WCHL. He said the outside agency funds for WHUP and WCOM are within his budget, and in July the County will do a promotional agreement with them, allowing for more visibility for the County. He said when the money came from the outside agencies funding, it was considered a donation; but when it comes from his budget, it gets the County two radio spots per month on each station. Commissioner Rich said Chair Dorosin and Laurie Paolicelli, Visitors Bureau Director, are on the radio regularly. 15 Commissioner Price asked if the County was paying for special events or programming. Todd McGee said the agreement with WCHL is that the County gets 20 PSAs monthly, with up to four different PSAs. He said there are also two on-air interviews per month, which are spread out to promote various County departments. Commissioner Marcoplos asked if a schedule of the on-air interviews could be provided to the Board. Travis Myren resumed the presentation: • Finance and Administrative Services – page 318 o Total expenditure budget - $1,505,605  Increase of $99,720 Over FY2017-18 Budget o Cash Handling Audit Initiative - $69,750  Audits for Twelve (12) County Departments that Process Transactions Chair Dorosin asked if the audits would be done in house. Gary Donaldson, Chief Financial Officer, said no these audits will be done by the County’s external auditor Mauldin and Jenkins. He said this firm also completed audits for the Register of Deeds, the Sportsplex, and Animal Services, which showed no material findings, but did show process improvements through system implementation. Commissioner McKee thanked Gary Donaldson for putting this cash-handling audit in place. Travis Myren resumed the presentation: • Human Resources – page 348 o Total expenditure budget - $956,785  Increase of $21,340 over FY2017-18 Budget • Employee Pay and Benefits – page 469 o 2% General Wage Adjustment Effective 7/1/18 - $980,000 o Employee Performance Adjustments – $675,000  Employee Base Hourly Rate Adjusted Based on Performance  Hourly Rate Equivalent to Existing Performance Tiers  Exceptional - $1,000 = $0.48 per hour  Superior - $750 = $0.36 per hour  Proficient - $500 = $0.24 per hour  Rate Adjustment Continues into Subsequent Years  Resolves Compression by Operation Chair Dorosin asked if the 2% wage compensation adjustment applies to appointed employees. Brenda Bartholomew, Human Resources Director, said yes. Chair Dorosin asked if the proposed performance tiers are affected by percentage. Brenda Bartholomew said no they are not. She said the dollar amount will be added to the salary, but will equate to an hourly wage, which will increase accordingly. Chair Dorosin said that also helps with compression. Commissioner Price referred to the operations expenses in Human resource, and said the amount is going down. She asked if there is a reason for this. Brenda Bartholomew said she asked for additional funds to put a program in that would look at equity issues for salaries. She said this is not dire, and can be done in house with existing resources. Travis Myren resumed the presentation: 16 • Employee Pay and Benefits – page 469 o Health Insurance Increase (Active Employees & Pre-65 Retirees) - $750,000 o Post 65 Retiree Health Insurance Cost Increase - $95,000 o Dental Insurance Cost Increase - $125,000 o Living Wage for Permanent/Benefitted Employees  Maintain $15.00 per hour for Employees Qualifying for Benefits  Salary Schedule Adjusted to Maintain Grade Separation in Ranges 9 through 13 o Living Wage for Temporary Employees  Increase to $14.25 ($0.50 increase) Effective 7/1/18 for All Temporary Employees Consistent with OC Living Wage - $27,190 • Employee Pay and Benefits – page 469 o Maintain Salary Savings Expectation - $2 million o Discontinue Voluntary Furlough Program  One Employee Currently Enrolled in the Program o Personnel Ordinance Changes  Adjustment to Performance Pay Program  Retiree Access to Insurance Benefits if Alternatively Employed Commissioner Marcoplos asked if the voluntary furlough program could be explained. Brenda Bartholomew said it was meant to offer some costs savings to the County during a financial down time. She said an employee could go out, work less hours, but still accrue time as though a full time employee. She said it has become less and less popular over the years. Brenda Bartholomew said she would send information to Commissioner Marcoplos. Commissioner Marcoplos asked if time was accrued, to what was it accrued to, and what value did it have. Brenda Bartholomew said it was a benefit to the employee, but yet they would receive a wage decrease, which was the County’s savings. Commissioner Jacobs asked if there have there been many dislocations from changing health insurance carriers. Brenda Bartholomew said a minimum as of now, and staff has met repeatedly with Blue Cross Blue Shield, who assures minimum disruption. She said staff is ready to help with any problems that do arise. Commissioner Jacobs said the County is not doing a very good job of reflecting the population of Orange County in its workforce, and asked if there are any proactive strategies in place to diversify recruiting. Brenda Bartholomew said her department has discussed this greatly, and will look at this strategically over the next three years. She said this will done in concert with the County Manager’s plan, including the Racial Equity Training (REI), talking about diversity inclusion in general, and partnering this with onboarding. She said she will focus on diversifying interviewing panels at all times. She said staff is also considering sending out applications, and referring applicants without name. Commissioner Jacobs asked if there are numbers for employees with disabilities. Brenda Bartholomew said any disability is self-reporting during the hiring process, and many do not self-report. She said one cannot ask directly, and the record keeping is somewhat suspect. She said good records are kept on anything that comes to staff with respect to any disability issues, particularly reasonable accommodation. She said staff has done a lot of work in that arena over the last couple of years. Commissioner Jacobs said the County used to contract with OE enterprises for a variety jobs, and asked if this still occurs. 17 Brenda Bartholomew said she has had some discussions with a state department that does this kind of partnering. She said there is a lot of work to do in this area. Chair Dorosin said the newly proposed compensation program, and efforts to diversify the work force, bring him great hope. Travis Myren resumed the presentation: • Information Technologies – page 357 o Total expenditure budget - $3,328,135  Increase of $119,881 Over FY2017-18 o Software Maintenance and Licenses - $114,504  Funds Maintenance for 116 Software Programs o Transfers Financial Responsibility for the Library Hotspot Program to the Library Commissioner Rich asked if there is progress with Information Technology training for staff and security issues. Jim Northup, Information Technology Officer, said at this moment the County has not had any security breaches for at least a couple of years. He said the trend is moving towards “secure the human” trainings, which pays attention to the employee base. He said there is less hacking, and more malware and Orange County is not an attractive target. He said most risk is due to employees clicking on targeted emails, and those emails are designed by other countries, large organizations, criminal organizations, etc. to make it very attractive to click on them. He said his department is conducting mandatory security trainings every 6 months for staff to remind them of these risks, as well as doing fake fishing emails, which can identify any employees or departments that may need extra training. Jim Northrup said a new network engineer came on staff a few months ago, and the operations team is constantly working on security initiatives and appliances. He said the biggest danger is not finding that someone has penetrated the network, but rather that someone is already on the network. Questions? CLOSED SESSION: A motion was made by Commissioner Burroughs, seconded by Commissioner Marcoplos to go into closed session at 9:42 p.m. for the purpose of: To consult with an attorney employed or retained by the public body in order to preserve the attorney-client privilege between the attorney and the public body, which privilege is hereby acknowledged. [N.C.G.S. 143-318.11(a)(3)] VOTE: UNANIMOUS RECONVENE INTO REGULAR SESSION A motion was made by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Rich to reconvene into regular session at 10:05 p.m. VOTE: UNANIMOUS ADJOURNMENT 18 A motion was made by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Rich to adjourn the meeting at 10:05 p.m. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Mark Dorosin, Chair Donna Baker Clerk to the Board