Minutes - 06-18-2001 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

Commissioner Gordon asked about the ERCD and Agricultural Economic Development Specialist positions. Donna Dean said that she has since responded to the County Commissioners on these two positions and the update is included in the budget document. John Link said that the change in this status is the receipt of a grant. Page 33 has a copy of the grant letter. Fletcher Barber said that they actually asked for $20,000 but the position is going to be funded 50°~. Chair Halkiotis said that this is wonderful news and he thanked Extension Director Fletcher Barber and Economic Development Director Dianne Reid. Environment and Resource Conservation The other position is an Environment and Resource Conservation Open Space Design Specialist. This is on page 27. David Stancil said that the idea of this position was an ecologically minded landscape architect to help the County in the design of open space. He said that this position could pay for itself because concept designs are quite expensive. They are talking to the School of Design at NCSU. Commissioner Brawn asked if we this person will be expected to take an area of the Northern Park and do a design. David Stancil said that this person would be out there with the contractor to be sure the trails are done right. Arts Commission The recommendation is to go from part-time at 30 hours to full-time at 40 hours. Commissioner Gordon asked what would be done with these extra hours. Arts Commission Director Ann Kaplan said that part of the time would be to help arts organizations around the County to be profit bearing. Other responsibilities include working mare strongly with the EDC and with the Skills Development Center. Commissioner Brown questioned if the expansion of the position is based on their strategic plan and Ann Kaplan said yes. Commissioner Brown said that some of the arts organizations did not want to be profitable and they were concerned about the Arts Commission pushing them toward being profitable. She said that this goal was not totally supported by the Arts Committee. Tax Assessor's Office The recommendation is to convert the position of Tax Clerk in the Revaluation division from time-limited to permanent. Tax Assessor John Smith said that revaluation never ends. The main thing that this position is designed to do is to gather new information. He said that by the year 2005, it will be impossible to do revaluation using the current methodology. Chair Halkiotis made reference to use value and compliance and asked if the Assessor's Office is monitoring use value to be sure that people are in compliance. John Smith said that they are finding that most are in compliance. There may be less than 1 °k not in compliance. Chair Halkiotis said that it was significant that Orange County has the highest percentage of the total landmass in use value of any surrounding county. Health Department Health Director Rosemary Summers said that the expansions in dental are due to the sheer increase in the workload. There has also been an increase in revenue in the dental program with third-party billing and private pay percentages. One of the intensive home visiting positions is funded by Smart Start and the other two and a half are a combination of state funds and revenues through Medicaid reimbursement. There has been great difficulty in keeping staff in this program because of the time-limited status of the positions. The positions have turned over three times in three years. The Public Health Nurse I is due to the low record of reconciling our immunization rates with the statewide registry. The Health Department has had an increase in communicable disease incidence in the last 4-5 years and they need the increase in staff to respond to daily needs.