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APPROVED 10!1712006 <br />MINUTES <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />WITH THE BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES <br />WORK SESSION <br />September 14, 2006 <br />5:30 p.m. <br />The Orange County Board of Commissioners met far a Work Session with the <br />Board of Social Services on Thursday, September 14, 2006 at 5:30 p.m. at the <br />Government Services Center in Hillsborough, N.C. <br />COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Barry Jacobs and Commissioners <br />Valerie Foushee, Alice M. Gordon and Stephen H. Halkiotis <br />COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Moses Carey, Jr., <br />COUNTY ATTORNEY PRESENT: Geoff Gledhill <br />COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: Interim County Manager Rod Visser and Clerk to the <br />Board Donna S. Baker (all other staff members will be identified appropriately below) <br />BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES MEMBERS PRESENT: Rosetta Wash and Karen <br />Lang <br />BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES MEMBERS ABSENT: Joe Robbins and Harold <br />Russell <br />DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES STAFF PRESENT: Director Nancy <br />Colton and staff members Gwen Price, Joyce Lee, Denise Shaffer, Lindsey Shewmaker <br />Dennis, Yvette Smith, and Dustin Lowell <br />NOTE: ALL DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THESE MINUTES ARE IN THE <br />PERMANENT AGENDA FILE 1N THE CLERK'S OFFICE. <br />Chair Jacobs welcomed everyone. He said that Commissioner Gordon and <br />Commissioner Carey would be late this evening. <br />Rosetta Wash said that they appreciated the time they get to meet with the Board <br />of County Commissioners and the staff has developed a section on the agenda for major <br />accomplishments. She said that they have one of the most talented Social Services <br />staffs in the state. She thanked everyone. She said that tonight they would discuss the <br />major programs such as Work First. She said that the good news is that the state <br />welfare rolls have dropped dramatically since the start of welfare reform from about <br />130,000 families in 1995 to 35,000 in 2006. The concern is that the people left on the <br />rolls currently are not the easiest people to find work for {i.e., disabled, caring for <br />disabled family members, parents of young children, etc.}. Regarding the food stamp <br />program, she said that a lot of people who are eligible do not apply because of the <br />stigma attached. They are thinking of changing the name of the program that focuses <br />an the nutritional value of foods. She said that they appreciate the subsidies far <br />childcare assistance given by the County Commissioners. <br />Social Services Director Nancy Colton introduced staff and reviewed their <br />responsibilities. She then gave a PowerPoint presentation. <br />Review of Current Operations <br />Nancy Coston said that on this particular budget, Medicaid is excluded, because it is so <br />huge that it blurs the rest of the budget. In looking at the rest of the budget with the <br />