HomeMy WebLinkAboutJanuary_20_2009_Briefing_MinutesIREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
BRIEFING MINUTES
JANUARY 20, 2009
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in Briefing Session on Tuesday,
January 20, 2009, at 5:00 P.M., in the Iredell County Government Center (South Wing
Conference Room), 200 South Center Street, Statesville, NC.
Board Members Present
Chairman Godfrey Williams
Vice Chairman Marvin Norman
Steve Johnson
Scott Keadle
Absent: Ken Robertson due to work commitments.
Staff present: County Manager Joel Mashburn, Deputy County Manager Tracy
Jackson, Tax Administrator Bill Doolittle, GIS Director Chris Bridges, EMS Director
David Cloer, Purchasing Agent Dean Lail, Social Services Director Don Wall, Income
Maintenance Supervisor Lynn Deal, and Clerk to the Board Jean Moore.
Call to Order by Chairman Williams.
Request from Social Services for the Establishment of Four New Income
Maintenance Caseworker II Positions (Two Positions for the Food & Nutrition
Services Program & Two Positions for the Family & Children's Medicaid
Program): Social Services Director Don Wall, along with Social Services Income
Maintenance Supervisor Lynn Deal, explained the need for four new Caseworker II
positions. Mr. Wall shared the following information on the costs for the remainder of
FY 08-09 and for FY 09-10.
$68,379.36 - Total Cost for 5 months
$34,189.68 - Federal Cost
$34,189.68 - County Cost
$164,110.00 — Total Cost for FY 09-10 (12 Months)
$ 82,055.00 — Federal cost
$ 82,055.00 — County Cost
Wall gave the following reasons to justify the new positions (1) increased demand
for services due to unemployment and the economy (2) overworked employees and (3)
lengthy waiting times with clients becoming angry and hostile. Mr. Wall said he had
worked in social services many years, but this was the worst that he had ever seen the
need. He said middle-income citizens were even applying for assistance.
When asked, Deal advised that there were 12 line workers in the nutrition
program plus the supervisors. She said all of the positions were filled at the present.
Deal said it took about one year to be fully trained in the positions.
Mr. Wall said new employees shadowed other personnel for the first three
months, and then they performed intake work. He said that while all 12 line worker
positions were filled, the employees knew how difficult it would be to find other
employment, and this was why there was no turnover.
Mrs. Deal added that more people would be eligible for food stamps if the
stimulus plan proposed by President Obama were approved.
Chairman Williams suggested for the request to be discussed at the regular
meeting, and not be placed on the consent agenda.
Request from Iredell-Statesville Schools Superintendent Dr. Terry Holiday
for a Meeting of the Joint School Tax Force Committee Prior to the Commissioners'
Retreat on February 27: Chairman Williams announced that previously
Commissioners Norman and Johnson served on this committee. He mentioned the
committee had initially been structured where the chairman of the board of
commissioners, along with one other commissioner served. The board members were in
consensus for Commissioner Johnson to remain on the committee and for Chairman
Williams to attend future meetings.
In addition, a list of potential meeting dates was supplied by the school system,
and Chair Williams and Commissioner Johnson chose Monday, February 16, 2009, at
7:00 P.M., as a date and time to meet with the location to be determined.
Iredell County Leave Sharing Policy: Commissioner Keadle said a discussion
recently occurred with a county department about the leave sharing policy. He said it
was his understanding that some employees desired the opportunity to donate their leave
time to a specific employee if a need occurred. Keadle said the employees earned the
leave time, it was theirs, and he felt they should be allowed to donate it to whomever they
chose. He recommended for the ordinance to be amended allowing this option instead of
the mandatory donation to a leave pool or bank.
County Manager Mashburn said that since Commissioner Keadle felt this would
better serve the employees, then the staff would re -review the policy. He said, however,
that he would still like to retain the policy's pool or bank component. Mashburn said
some departments were smaller than others, plus some people were not well known. He
said a new draft would be presented at the February 3 meeting.
(All other agenda items were explained, and a summary about these matters may
be found in the regular minutes.)
Adjournment: Chairman Williams adjourned the briefing session at 6 P.M.
Approval:
2
Clerk to the Board