Minutes 12-06-2021 Virtual Business Meeting

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15 comprehensive. She said Orange County leads in ratios of counselors in schools, but is still less than what is recommended by national standards. She said she would like to see these additional dollars focused on mental health and SEL with broad definitions. She said she has not attended school board meetings recently, and does not know what school boards are doing to address issues. She said she wants to leave it up to schools to determine on what to spend the money specifically, but does also like to have a plan because of ESSR funds the schools boards got this year. Chair Price asked the County Manager if she could explain the current situation with counselors and social workers in the schools. Bonnie Hammersley said she wanted to share a conversation she had with the superintendents. She said the schools will provide a spending plan to school boards for approval, then to the BOCC for approval. She said there would be an agreement that this would not go to current expense, and they are intended to be ongoing funds. She said they also discussed that schools should be able to determine priorities within plan. She said ultimately the BOCC would have the opportunity to speak into the plan, but she has always relied on superintendents as experts in their fields. She said both schools boards requested funds in their expansion budgets for these issues, and she imagines these are the most pressing needs, as students were not in school for many months. She said a question was raised as to whether these funds could also be used for mental health for school employees. She told the schools to work with the boards and bring the plan forward. She said they also talked about metrics, which the schools thought should be different. She said the BOCC will approve a framework of funds, but will have to go through additional approval for more details. Commissioner Hamilton said CHCCS had $1 million in its expansion budget for SEL and mental health, but the county could not fund it. She said there are words in the information provided about what the plan is, but she does not feel comfortable approving it unless it is clear it is just a framework. She said anyone who is paying attention and reading the documents would make the assumption that if it is in the document it will be done. She said she wants to be specific. Commissioner Richards said employees have gone two years without increases, and there have also been no trainings. She said this may be a onetime opportunity to catch up more with employees. She asked if there is any consideration to this issue. Commissioner Richards asked if the Sportsplex is meant to be self-sustaining. Bonnie Hammersley said the Sportsplex is an enterprise fund, and does not receive general funds from the county, but the county is the safety net. She said the county did provide some support during COVID-19, but the Sportsplex is now back on track. She said the county has two enterprise funds: Solid Waste and Sportsplex. Commissioner Richards said she assumed part of the funds available came through department austerity measures, and asked if departments had delayed projects, etc. that can be corrected. Travis Myren said department savings from delayed projects have been re-budgeted. Bonnie Hammersley said the 5% reduction of operating funds was meant to be sustainable, i.e.: there is no expectation for the money to be put back. She said this is not uncommon in county government. Commissioner Richards asked if salaries will be maintained in the new budget. Bonnie Hammersley said the county is currently 6% behind the market before this increase. She said she cannot say what will be done in next budget because projections are not available yet. She said the full impact of the pandemic is not known, as the pandemic is not over. She said she hopes to make up some of the loss.