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06-10-2021 Meeting Minutes BOC June 10, 2021 1 PERSON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS JUNE 10, 2021 MEMBERS PRESENT OTHERS PRESENT Gordon Powell Heidi York, County Manager Kyle W. Puryear Brenda B. Reaves, Clerk to the Board C. Derrick Sims Katherine Cathey, Assistant County Manager Charlie Palmer Amy Wehrenberg, Finance Director Patricia Gentry The Board of Commissioners for the County of Person, North Carolina, met in recessed session on Thursday, June 10, 2021 at 10:00am in the commissioners’ boardroom 215 in the Person County Office Building. Chairman Powell called the recessed meeting to order. County Manager, Heidi York followed up with the Board related to questions about new or changed fees noting there were no substantial changes and in some cases with the Fire Marshal related fees, some were relocated from other areas. She added that health department fees are reviewed each year and follow the state recommendations. Ms. York stated she had received an email from Dr. Senegal as a follow up to the Board’s discussion on the enrollment of PCC. Ms. York asked Person Industries’ Director, Amanda Everett to provide an overview of its services and funding sources. Ms. Everett told the group that Person Industries (PI) serves individuals with intellectual developmental disabilities and considers them consumers. Ms. Everett stated PI’s goal was to work with their consumers to gain employment in the community. She added each consumer brings with him or her their own Medicaid funding and PI earns revenue through its contracts with production companies and receives a local appropriation. PI works with community businesses to enhance production needs to gain contracts for its consumers for vocational and production training as well as provides transportation with the appropriate ratio for staff and consumers. Ms. Everett said PI currently has two locations and noted discussions have taken place for many years to merge the two locations to one location. She added no additional staff would be requested to operate when the merger is complete. Commissioner Gentry asked Ms. York if the merger process could be accelerated, and Ms. York responded noting a feasibility study was the first step and was budgeted in Fiscal Year 2022 to assess the operations’ efficiency and the equipment needs for the two locations to operate under one roof. Ms. York stated a plan for new equipment related to the merger needs would be budgeted in Fiscal Year 2023. Ms. York said there are approximately three years left on the current lease and the lease payments costs are low. June 10, 2021 2 Commissioner Gentry said her preference that PI was more financially independent of county funding. Ms. Everett said the City of Roxboro might be working toward a recycling program, which would be great for the recycling center. Ms. Everett stated by the end of June she expected to have 70% of PI’s consumers to return to PI. Ms. Everett thanked the Board for their support. Commissioner Gentry requested quarterly updates on PI’s progress. Ms. York opened the floor for commissioner adjustments to the budget. Commissioner Gentry requested holding off funding the recommended position for the Department of Social Services to which the Board consented. Vice Chairman Puryear requested the identified new revenue of $365,983 be placed into the Contingency Fund. Chairman Powell stated he would like to see some additional funding go in the Economic Development Catalyst Fund. Ms. York stated a savings of $29,363 was reflected due to one sheriff vehicle being purchased in this fiscal year. Finance Director, Amy Wehrenberg explained some corrections to the budget that came up since the recommended budget was delivered to the Board. The additions included corrections to the Governing Body budget in the amount of $1,100 for printing that was inadvertently left out and an increase to the NC Association of County Commissioners membership dues by $254; also added expenditures for a Tier 2 Emergency Management grant for $1,000, an Emergency Medical Services grant in the amount of $21,500 for the Regional Approach to Cardiovascular Emergencies (RACE) project focusing on Cardiac Arrest Resuscitation System (CARS) out of hospital cardiac arrest. With the changes as described, there was $102,283 surplus to which the Board consented on appropriating $52,283 to the Economic Development Catalyst Fund and the remaining $50,000 to go into Contingency Fund. Ms. Wehrenberg noted a tweak to the DSS position revenue would also need to come out. The surplus amount was then noted on the running total as $101,168 to which $51,168 was earmarked to go into the Economic Development Catalyst Fund and $50,000 to go into the Contingency Fund. Ms. Wehrenberg made the Board aware that the increase in the property tax revenue was also reflected in the Fire Tax revenue; $103,272 would be designated in the unallocated fire fund. Ms. York added three VFDs would be pursuing certification for a reduced ISO fire rating this summer and the unallocated fire funding would be used to fulfill any bonus noting $7,500 per rating points was given to the VFD on a recurring basis. June 10, 2021 3 The following spreadsheet depicts the adjustments from the Recommended Budget to the Adopted Budget. A motion was made by Vice Chairman Puryear and carried 5-0 to instruct staff to prepare a Budget Ordinance for Fiscal Year 2021-2022 to be brought before the Board at the June 21, 2021 meeting. June 10, 2021 4 Commissioner Gentry asked for clarification if the Assistant County Manager job description included any duties related to economic development to which Ms. York replied that about ten years ago, there were duties assigned to the Assistant County Manager for economic development however, the job description was changed and no longer included such. Chairman Powell thanked Ms. York and staff that worked on the prepared budget and he felt the balanced budget the Board has put together for adoption supports mandated services, education and public safety. Vice Chairman Puryear informed the group that the Board of Equalization and Review (BOER) finished the hearings for tax value appeals on June 9, 2021 and said the Tax Office staff did a great job on adjusting values before the appeals went before the BOER. Commissioner Palmer said the Roxboro City Manager told him he was expecting the Board of Commissioners to vote on the NCDOT presentation related to options to slow traffic on Morgan Street between Semora Road and Chub Lake Road. Ms. York stated the presentation was for information and input by the Board as the decision to change the facility to slow traffic is by the City of Roxboro. Ms. York stated she spoke with the City Manager and would again contact him to further discuss noting the Board of Commissioners had no objections to the option presented by NCDOT. Commissioner Sims stated he would need to see final drawings prior to him voting support of a change. Commissioner Sims opined that a budget work session set aside for the Board to discuss its budget should not include public comments from individuals attending the meeting as the budget public hearing was the place for such. Chairman Powell agreed with Commissioner Sims comments. Commissioner Sims said that the Chairman should be the one to recognize individuals wishing to address the board. ADJOURMENT: A motion was made by Vice Chairman Puryear and carried 5-0 to adjourn the meeting at 10:48pm. _____________________________ ______________________________ Brenda B. Reaves Gordon Powell Clerk to the Board Chairman