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Commissioner Jacobs would like to see whether or not the County should have a bond on <br />large projects for erosion control against a potential violation. <br />Recreation and Parks -Outdoor Recreation Specialist <br />This position will address the anticipated low-impact recreational and educational programs <br />that will be part of the acquisition of parkland that the Board is pursuing. The question is if this is <br />the time to pursue this or if it can wait. <br />Recreation and Parks Director Bob Jones said that there was an opportunity to begin a park <br />management program this coming fiscal year. He said that a person with a degree in Outdoor <br />Management, Recreation Management, or Wildlife Management would be a very good resource for <br />this position in the planning stages of park management. This person would also oversee <br />volunteers in construction of trails and would determine the signage. <br />Social Services -Community Social Services Assistant <br />This position will address the needs of children who are in the custody of the Department of <br />Social Services. The services range from providing transportation, making sure that the family has <br />enough visits to addressing the needs of the children, etc. <br />Denise Shaffer from the Department of Social Services said that there were about 128 <br />children in custody at this time. She said that sometimes the visits with the family had to be <br />supervised by staff to ensure the child's safety and to observe parent/child interaction. <br />Commissioner Gordon asked if DSS had considered any other alternatives to implementing <br />this service. She said that it seemed there were two types of services -transportation and <br />supervision. Denise Shaffer said that DSS has looked at alternatives in the past. Some of the <br />cases are complex and require specialized staff. <br />EXISTING POSITIONS, RECOMMENDED CHANGES <br />Sheriff -Deputy Sheriff I (12) <br />These positions received grant funding for three years. It is not expected that this money <br />will be available this year. The total cost for these positions in terms of County costs is about <br />$183,000. <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked about the third job function, active liaison between the <br />Sheriff's Department and community groups throughout the County. He asked what was being <br />done with the Hispanic community and how many staff could speak Spanish. He made reference <br />to the new Hispanic center that is starting this summer and asked if the Sheriff's Department had <br />any relationship with it. <br />Sheriff Pendergrass said that most of the line officers were given 40 hours of Spanish <br />instruction. He said that three officers were pretty fluent in Spanish. He said that there had not <br />been any meetings or relationship with any Hispanic groups. He said that there were no real <br />problems in the Sheriff's Department with the Hispanic population in Orange County. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis made reference to Hurricane Floyd and the discussions about <br />having more opportunities for communications to develop between the local government and the <br />Hispanic community. <br />John Link said that the staff was developing a plan to present to the Board for better <br />communications with the Hispanic and other minority populations in the County. <br />Commissioner Gordon stressed the importance of being sensitive to all non-English <br />speaking people, not just Spanish speaking people in the County. She commended the Sheriff on <br />his efforts. <br />Soil and Water -Soil Conservationist (2) <br />There may be a decrease in funding for these positions. This item was discussed with the <br />legislative delegation yesterday morning. Assuming there is a cut, the County could face an <br />