Agenda - 06-15-2010 - 4a - Laserfiche WebLink

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� 1 Frank Clifton said that this department is now in rental space and staff is looking at a 2 place in an office building as an option to relocate. The lease runs out in December. Getting 3 rid of the lease would reduce expenses about $55,000. 4 5 • Cooperative Extension —Section 9 6 Interim Cooperative Extension Director Joey Knight said that this budget has a decrease 7 of about $63,000. This budget proposes elimination of the breastfeeding program, which 8 includes the Community Health Aide position, which will be reassigned to a similarly skilled 9 vacant position within the County. The impact on salary and benefits is a reduction of about 10 $42,000. Also, as of January 1, 2011, all positions within Cooperative Extension will become 11 State employees and will be budgeted as a contract personnel line item. 12 Joey Knight said that the breastfeeding program definitely needs to be taken over by the 13 Health Department or another agency because the employee that is there now has trained 14 about 250 Hispanic mothers per year in breastfeeding. 15 Discussion ensued about the arrangement of County/State employment. 16 Commissioner Jacobs said that the County Commissioners received an email from 17 someone at Piedmont Health Services explaining why the breastfeeding program is 18 irreplaceable. There was also an email from Alice Pettit, who used to be in Cooperative 19 Extension, saying the same thing. Before he is ready to eliminate this, he would like to let the 20 Health Director see those emails and have her address whether this service is going to be 21 replaced. 22 Commissioner Jacobs said that he would like to see the actual dollar amounts that are 23 cut for a service throughout the budget, specifically. 24 25 • Economic Development (Section 14-1), Visitors Bureau, and the Arts 26 Commission (Section 36) 27 Michael Talbert said that the Economic Development arm is seeing a reduction in the 28 budget of$131,000. This is coming from reduction of general operating expenses, reduction in 29 membership dues and subscriptions, reduction in advertising efforts, and reductions in 30 communications to corporations. The largest part of the reduction is the transfer of the Arts 31 Commission from Economic Development to the Visitor's Bureau. 32 In the Visitor's Bureau, there are some significant changes with delivery of service. The 33 budget is being reduced with decreases in mailings and an increased use of electronic 34 communications, generat operating reductions such as reduced subscriptions, and a reduction 35 in a local art grant contribution. The Arts Commission is seeing reductions of about $149,000 36 from reduced mailings, reductions in advertising and promotions, and reduction in convention 37 and trade shows. There will be one new position for the Arts Commission for about $80,286. 38 The operating capital is not funded and the occupancy tax is expected to bring in about 39 $840,000. The budgeted allocation from the Town of Chapel Hill is $150,000. 40 Commissioner Jacobs asked if a letter was ever sent to Chapel Hill about the occupancy 41 tax and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker said that it was mailed yesterday and the copies are in 42 the various packets this week. 43 Commissioner Jacobs made reference to page 36-2 and the last section, which says, 44 "expand sales departmenY', but the sales position was eliminated last month. He asked how 45 the sales department would be expanded. 46 Economic Development Director Brad Broadwell said that he does not know if this 47 should be altered in the notes. His understanding was that the sales person was being taken 48 away and the outside sales source in Washington D. C. was also being taken out of the budget. 49 He does not know anything about outside sales except what is happening with the staff.