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The Health Board did endorse the concept as contained in th~ <br />proposal to consolidate health, environmental, protection, and natural <br />resources functions of state agencies into a department of health and <br />environment. <br />---- Chair Marshall stated that in discussing the reorganization the <br />steering committee of the Human Services Committee of the County <br />,commissioners Association did not accept this as a new department. They <br />andorsed two of the four subheadings under the Secretary and Deputy <br />Secretary --~ the Assistant Secretary for Health Services and the Assistant <br />Secretary for Environmental Protection. They questioned why some of the <br />things listed under the Assistant Secretary for Natural Resources and the <br />Assistant Secretary for Administration were there. They expressed that who <br />is in the regional offices and who is in control of these offices is of <br />importance to the local governments that work with the environmental <br />protection people. <br />Representative Joe Hackney stated that the study commission has met <br />seven times. He outlined the process that had been followed in obtaining <br />input from citizens and from other professionals in North Carolina and other <br />states. The lack of coordination is a most serious problem. Each <br />department refers to its function as carrying out the environmental laws of <br />North Carolina which is not the case. The concept of consolidating is the <br />only thing the commission has agreed to. <br />Senator Russell Walker stated he had some problems with the proposed <br />plan. He talked about the issues of competition for the budget dollar and <br />whether or not sanitarians should be made state employees. Information will <br />be forthcoming on both these issues. <br />-, Representative Joe Hackney stated that the administrative <br />organization including the regional offices, is not one that will be <br />addressed by this Legislative Committee. <br />„~ <br />In answer to a question from Commissioner Carey, Joe Hackney stated <br />that from the models they have seen in other states, there is a general <br />consensus both in the academic and in the governmental, communities that the <br />consolidations has worked and that coordination is much improved. <br />2. Dairy Cattle valuation <br />Tax Assessor reported that he reviewed the method he used in pricing <br />dairy cows. Using the rationale that a dairy cow becomes inventory when the <br />cow is held for sale, the $900 value on a producing dairy cow could be <br />reduced by 40~ to $540 which also corresponds very closely with the salvage <br />value of a dairy caw when sold for beef. <br />In answer to a question from Commissioner Willhoit, the average <br />holstein is $550 going out of the herd. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis expressed concern with the fact that the tax <br />value for dairy cows increased from $350 last year to $900 this year. <br />He disagreed with the State classifying cattle as manufacturing units. <br />Kermit Lloyd explained the procedure he followed to arrive at the <br />$900 valuation for dairy cows. <br />Commissioners Hartwell and Carey endorsed Lloyd's recommendation to <br />lower the price of dairy cows from $900 to $540, and the price of two year <br />olds (not yet producing) from $450 to $300 with the effective date of <br />7anuary 1, 19s8. <br />There was a consensus of the Board that the valuation of dairy caws <br />could be adjusted as recommended by Kermit Lloyd .and approved by the <br />Administration. <br />Dairy. Farmer Bobby Nichols asked for information on how to list his <br />cows and Kerma.t Lloyd responded. Nichols stated that the dairy farmers <br />