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They are asking for two positions. One is a Public Health Preparedness Coordinator, which is a <br />full-time nurse position to be hired with the recurring federal funds to the State. This person would be <br />responsible to develop the plans and the memorandums of agreement and training and exercise plans to <br />test the plans. The second position is a Medical Reserve Corps Volunteer Coordinator. This is a health <br />educator position that would be responsible for recruitment and training of volunteers under the direction of <br />the Public Health Preparedness Coordinator. She said that they are closely coordinating this effort with <br />EMS. There are sufficient funds in the sources to cover the salary, benefits, and other costs of the <br />positions. She read the Manager's recommendation. <br />Commissioner Carey said that it is about time that this money started trickling down from the <br />federal government to counties. He said that this would be an interesting opportunity to experiment with <br />volunteers on this scale. He asked for more information on what the volunteers could do between disasters. <br />Rorie Summers said that the flu clinic was an example of what the volunteers could help with. Also, <br />another free clinic in the evening could be developed. Volunteers could be used for community outreach <br />and screening clinics, blood pressure monitoring, and diabetes monitoring. <br />Chair Jacobs agreed with Commissioner Carey. He said that they talked two budget seasons <br />ago about grant-funded positions. He asked why it would not be a permanent time-limited position far the <br />Public Health Preparedness Coordinator. Rorie Summers said that with time limited positions they have a <br />high turnover rate. The label of time-limited versus permanent makes a difference. <br />Chair Jacobs said that they have had this discussion before. He said that the flipside of this is <br />that the County rarely lays people off and usually makes them permanent employees if the grant funds run <br />out. <br />Jahn Link said that they did have a discussion about time-limited versus a permanent full-time <br />position, with advance approval by the Board of County Commissioners, even if the grant runs out. They <br />would make sure that the employee would understand that this position would have to prove itself. <br />Commissioner Carey encouraged the Board to support this. <br />Chair Jacobs asked Personnel Director Elaine Holmes for a list of grant-funded positions and <br />the terms, and how many positions have become permanent. <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Carey, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to accept the <br />Manager's recommendation to build the capacity of the Orange County Health Department to carry out its <br />responsibilities in public health preparedness and emergency response as part of the overall Orange <br />County emergency response through acceptance of funds available and establishing two public health <br />preparedness positions; and accept the additional allocation of funds from the North Carolina Division of <br />Public Health in the amount of $69,199; and accept the $50,000 grant award from the US Department of <br />Health and Human Services Public Health Service for development of a Medical Reserve Corps in Orange <br />County, and authorize a permanent full-time public health nurse position to fulfill the duties as the Public <br />Health Preparedness Coordinator effective December 1, 2003, and authorize a permanent full-time public <br />health educator as the Volunteer Coordinator effective December 1, 2003 to fulfill the duties associated with <br />creating a Medical Reserve Carps in Orange County, subject to the continuation of grant funds. <br />VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br />Commissioner Carey would like a periodic report on how many volunteers they actually get and <br />use for the medical reserve corps. <br />c. Proposed Task Farce to Review Humane Society of the United States iHSUSI Final Report <br />and Current Status of f~range Caunty Animal Shelter operations <br />The Board considered moving forward with a representative and timely process in the review of <br />recommendations contained in the final report from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and <br />consider approval of Proposed Task Force to Review the HSUS Report and Current Status of Shelter <br />Operations, with modifications as may be desired; and approval of the Central Grouping of Major Issues far <br />Orienting the Work of the Task Force, with modifications as may be desired for the following suggested <br />timeline: <br />December 9, 2003 BOCC Appoints Task Force members <br />