Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutDSS Board minutes 020819MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES February 18, 2019 1 THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES MET ON MONDAY: February 18, 2019 at the Hillsborough Commons, Hillsborough, North Carolina. BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES MEMBERS PRESENT: Tamara Dempsey-Tanner, Ann Wilkerson, Susie Enoch, Jamezetta Bedford and Pat Garavaglia. GUEST: None. BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES MEMBERS ABSENT: None. STAFF PRESENT: Nancy Coston, Director; Lindsey Shewmaker, Human Services Manager; Sharron Hinton, Human Services Manager; Crystal Mitchell, Human Services Manager; and Micah Guindon, Business Officer. I. Call to Order and Introductions DSS Chair, Tamara Dempsey-Tanner, called the meeting to order at 4:10 pm. II. Board Comments Ann Wilkerson wanted to commend staff for the annual staff meeting. It was very enjoyable and staff seemed very appreciative. III. Public Comments None. IV. Agenda Changes None. V. Action Items On a motion by Pat Garavaglia, the Board approved the minutes of January 18, 2019. Ann Wilkerson seconded the motion. The motion was carried without dissent. VI. Items for Discussion and/or Decision 1. Budget Presentation Nancy Coston presented the proposed FY2019-2020 Social Services budget. There is an overall increase of $354,000 to the budget which includes cost-of-living and mileage rate increases. There are three time-limited to permanent staff requests and a request for one new staff member in child welfare. Two of the time-limited positions are in child welfare and staff are asking to make those permanent. The other time-limited position is in facility maintenance and staff are requesting to make that one permanent as well. The new position request is for a Social Worker I which would help manage some of the additional requirements from the state. Overtime and temporary staff costs were reduced to cover the costs of the new position request. Staff work hard to maximize all available state and federal dollars and there is additional revenue included in this year’s budget to offset some of the increased expenditures. MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES February 18, 2019 2 Ms. Coston went through the narrative section of the budget documents to highlight performance indicators, workload measures, and budget highlights. She highlighted the additional funding request of $50,000 for the in-home aide program. This program provides in-home aides for seniors and disabled adults who have needs of daily living. The needs for this program have continued to increase. There has been a recent increase in the number of children in foster care as well as the number of children eligible for adoption and there are costs included for that. Ms. Coston informed the Board that it was likely there would be a waiting list for child care subsidy sometime next year. There will be approximately $6,000,000 in subsidy from the state available to Orange County next year but the requests for child care continue to increase. There is a significant increase included in the budget for adoption assistance and foster care board payments. Sharron Hinton gave a brief overview of the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council and the related budget information. Pat Garavaglia moved that the Social Services Board accept the proposed budget as submitted and forward it on to the County Manager and the Board of County Commissioners for review and approval. Tamara Dempsey-Tanner seconded the motion. The motion was carried without dissent. 2. Medicaid Transformation Lindsey Shewmaker updated the Board on Medicaid Transformation. The Prepaid Health Plans (PHP) have been selected and Orange County will be in the first phase of the launch. Beginning this summer, Medicaid recipients in Orange County will need to select a PHP and a Primary Care Provider. The state has contracted with an enrollment broker to assist clients with the transition but there are still many questions and it is likely that additional work will fall on Social Services staff. 3. Director’s Report The agency is sponsoring a food drive through the middle of March to assist families impacted by the federal government shutdown earlier this year . The 2019 Community Read sponsored by the Orange C ounty Human Relations Commission will be centered around the novel Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City , by Matthew Desmond. Advisory boards are encouraged to participate if possible. The Spring Job Fair is scheduled for Wednesday March 27th from 10:00am -2:00pm at the Hillsborough Commons building. VII. Announcements Tamara Dempsey-Tanner moved to adjourn the meeting at 5:30 pm. Pat Garavaglia seconded the motion. The motion was carried without dissent. Submitted by: Nancy Coston DSS Director MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES February 18, 2019 3 Tamara Dempsey-Tanner Chair