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Minutes of the OPC Steering Committee meeting Thursday, January 22 , 2004 Europa Center Training Room Present Margaret Brown, Steve Carpenter, Jimmy Clayton, Gwen Harvey, Sandra Herring, Charlie Horne , John Link, Tom Maynard, Leann Nease - Brown, Margaret Pollard, Janet Sowers , Judy Truitt , Johnny Whitfield Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 2 : 10 p . m . InterLocal Agreement Steve Carpenter asked when the group would schedule a meeting to talk about the Agreement . John Link wanted to know if the IA or the business plan would indicate how the LME would be financed . He asked if the business plan would be referenced in the IA and wanted to know when the group would start creating a budget and how much area-wide services would cost whoever is providing them . Mr . Link stated that he wants to get started talking about the budgeting and programming pieces . Tom Maynard informed the group that more information has become available on the funding of the LME . Direct funding in the amount of $ 2 . 03 per citizen/month would start in July. With our catchment area of about 217 , 000 , that would give the OPC LME about $ 5 . 4 million/year . This amount is somewhat higher than current administrative expenses . Mr . Maynard wonders if we would have to submit a budget to the State for approval or will we be able to spend money at will . However, there are few specific answers and they are pressing the State on how the rules will play out . The $ 5 . 4 million in funding does not include service monies . Service monies are to be earned by services . The governing group will have to decide how to place money across all 3 counties and which services to buy. The counties are to decide what they wish to use their money for. Mr . Link reiterated that he is anxious to get to the budgeting issues . Mr. Carpenter said he assumed the IA was about governance , not business issues , and that that would come later ( 1 - 2 years down the road) . Leann Nease-Brown stated that the agreement is vague with regards to financing . She said she is seeing 3 layers of issues : 1 ) There has to be a government structure — what is called the LME — financed largely by the State 2) What programs will we continue to provide and for how long under system reform ? 3 ) Are there services that we ( as counties ) wish to fund , or programs we wish to provide without regard for what the State does ?