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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-14-2024 winter retreat1 February 14, 2024 IREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FALL RETREAT WORK SESSION February 14, 2024 The Iredell County Board of Commissioners reconvened the February 6, 2024, meeting for a work session on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, at 9am, at the Iredell County Cooperative Extension. Board Members Present Chair Melissa Neader Vice Chair Bert Connolly Scottie Brown Gene Houpe Brad Stroud, Sr. Staff present: County Manager Beth Mull, Deputy County Manager Susan Robertson, Finance Director Deb Cheek, Assistant Finance Director Caroline Taylor, Budget Analyst Daisy Lopez, County Attorney Lisa Valdez, and Clerk to the Board Amy Anderson. Call to Order: Chair Neader called the meeting back into order. Invocation: By Chair Neader. Partner’s Behavioral Health: Jeff Eads and Jerry Campbell gave an update on Partner’s Behavioral Health. Partner’s is shifting to total care to include physical, behavioral, and pharmacy health benefits for Medicaid patients with severe chronic conditions. Eads assured the Board that Partner’s behavioral services will not be affected by the change. Campbell went over the different suicide prevention programs being provided throughout the County. Strategic Planning Discussion County-wide Survey: Strategic Planning, Grants & Communications Manager Kimberly Fullerton presented an update on the Strategic Planning Process. Strategic Planning tells the target audience where the County currently is, the direction the County is going, and how the County will get there. The process used to develop the plan should ensure a shared vision, collective understanding, and acceptance of the direction. Vision, mission, core values, and strategic objectives are all components of a Strategic Plan. The current Iredell County Strategic Plan includes Economic Development, Public Health and Well -Being, Public Safety and Justice, and General Government. Fullerton added that the plan was developed in FY18. Plans are good for three to five years. Fullerton feels the current plan has been maxed out. The demands in government change over time. Residents come and go and for the ones who stay, their circumstances and preferences evolve. It is important to monitor the demographics, desires, and opinions of the community and reevaluate policies and operations to maintain relevance. The planning process includes four phases: gaining insights, visioning, building the plan, and managing results. A strategic plan does not include everything. County officials and staff 2 February 14, 2024 are doing the work they set out to do by serving the citizens. Fullerton said community surveys are an intricate part of gaining insights. Residents provide input on community needs and priorities that the County needs to turn up the dial. Community input was not included in the last plan. Fullerton recommended working with ETC Institute for community surveys. The ETC Institute has designed and administered over 4,000 statistically valid surveys for organizations in 49 states. Within NC, the ETC Institute has administered 16 community surveys. Fullerton provided sample survey questions. The institute also provides a GIS mapping location from each survey result. Commissioner Houpe said it would be helpful to know the remedies. Fullerton said it is important to make connections with other jurisdictions to share ideas. Mull said it is time to take the strategic plan process to the next level and the most important piece is community engagement. Chair Neader asked for clarification on the GIS component of the surveys. Mull gave example questions. A person living in the southern end of the County may be satisfied with a specific service but a person in the northern end is not satisfied. The person filling out the survey will be required to give an address. Fullerton noted that the ETC Institute will look at census data and stratify that by race, income, and demographics. The ones chosen for the survey will verify their address. The survey can be expanded outside the allotted amount however the results will be separate. Chair Neader asked if the survey could be posted on the website. Fullerton and Mull said yes, but the results will be looked at separately. Mull asked for approval to move forward with the survey piece. The money is available in general governmental for professional services. It is important to start now so some of the data will be available through the budget process. Chair Neader asked how to ensure the population is balanced out in the surveys. Commissioner Stroud asked how many surveys would be sent out. Fullerton said around 500 – 600 surveys. The number is based on mathematics and the results should be the same no matter the number of surveys completed. Chair Neader asked about the cost. Mull said the community assessment would cost around $20,000. Vice Chair Connolly asked if the Board would be able to view the questions before the surveys are sent out. 3 February 14, 2024 Mull noted the Board will be involved in the process. Commissioner Stroud supports the concept but shared concerns over 500-600 surveys will be an accurate sampling. Mull said it may not be. If the Board wishes to move forward with updating the Strategic Plan and engaging the community, they can assist in drafting the questions and the company provide their professional recommendation. The Board agreed by consensus to move forward with the community survey piece. Chair Neader asked if Fullerton would take on more of a communication role as well. Mull said Fullerton and Clerk to the Board are working together to update the website with board decisions after each meeting. The Strategic Plan will remain a very important aspect of Fullerton’s responsibilities however everything ties in together. Economic Forecast Residential & Commercial Growth Update: Planning Director Matthew Todd expects the number of erosion control permits for FY24 to trend upwards and match FY22 numbers. The number of single and multi-family units continues to grow. The current number is more than 4,000, however, it is difficult for staff to track Mooresville numbers. The Board discussed ways to help and potentially incentivize local farmers to preserve farmland. Revenue Projections: Assistant Finance Director Caroline Taylor gave an update on revenue projections. Unemployment is a key indicator in the labor market. When workers are unemployed and lose their wages, they also lose their purchasing power which has a cascading effect. The unemployment rate in December 2023 was 3.2%. The unemployment rate is expected Residential Permits 2023 Totals Type Iredell County Mooresville Statesville Troutman Harmony Mobile Home - New 91 0 4 1 1 SFD 501 395 611 762 3 SFD - Modular 26 3 1 2 0 SFD - Townhome 0 200 21 30 0 Duplex 2 50 15 0 0 Apartment Units 0 1450 134 0 0 Total HU 529 2098 782 794 3 4 February 14, 2024 to rise to above 4% through 2024 but a healthy economy has an unemployment rate of 3-5%. Personal income statistics tell a lot about how workers and businesses are faring and offer clues to our financial health and future consumer spending. Generally, an increase in income results in an increase in the demand for goods and services while a decrease in income results in a decrease in demand. In 2022, the median family income for Iredell County was $86,900; the median family income for NC was $82,000. Consumer spending is a good gauge for consumer health. Consumer spending reflects the current level of demand in the market. Even with elevated inflation and higher interest rates consumer spending fueled a surprisingly strong economy in 2023. Consumer spending is likely to slow down over the next year. Inflation is the general price level rise of goods and services in the economy. Too much inflation can mean the economy is overheating while very low inflation can be a sign of economic recession. Moderate inflation is associated with economic growth. If economic growth accelerates very rapidly, demand grows even faster, and producers raise prices continually. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is widely used to gauge inflation. The CPI measures the monthly change in prices paid by consumers. In December 2023, the CPI was 3.4%. Construction is one of the most visible sectors of our economy. Every recession in the past 40 years (except for COVID-19) has been predicted by a decline or flattening in the growth of construction employment. Looking at personal finances like credit card balances, home equity line balances, and checking account balances – all of these things continue to indicate that the businesses and people of NC are healthy from an economic standpoint. Inflation has been creeping up but so have wages and seem to be keeping up with inflation. Taylor said the 2024 Budgeted Revenues: $203,227,660 and 2025 Projected Revenues: $211,350,000. Taylor estimates an increase of 4% or around $8 million. Taylor said the sales tax estimated revenues are around $59 million. Taylor said using the estimated ad valorem there will be an estimated $3,990,000 increase in education current expense. Per pupil funding will increase from $2,223 to $2,299 . Commissioner Houpe said there is a misconception that the funding has decreased. Mull said the Board has agreed to not decrease the per pupil funding. The school system’s current expenses may go down if there is a decrease in the number of students. The funding is based on per pupil. Taylor said the Fund Balance as of June 30, 2023, was $104,267,664, an increase of $23,921,974 from June 30, 2022. Personnel Human Resources Director Sandra Gregory gave an update on the Employee Wellness Clinic. Clinic savings for December were $11,880.39. Physical Therapy visit savings were $825. The nurse advocate continues to be a success. There was an increase in engagements from 198 to 353 in one month. 5 February 14, 2024 Gregory said there were 232 hires for 2023; 17% resigned within the first year; and 36% participated in the onboarding survey. The number one reason for leaving was personal reasons. Retirements are continuing to increase. Gregory said there are currently 140 vacancies in the County. Commissioner Stroud asked about internal reclassifications and promotions. Internal applicants are limited to 9% for promotion and 5% for reclassification but someone outside the County can be hired at a different rate. Mull said there is now a form in place. Example: If an employee is going to a position that is four grades higher there are points given for each grade and years of service. Commissioner Stroud thanked Mull and Gregory for addressing the issue. Commissioner Stroud understands why the County participates in Substantial Equivalency but feels it should move on from it. The Health Department and DSS are required to follow Substantial Equivalency. Stroud feels that department directors sometimes get frustrated with the limited applications they receive. Vice Chair Connolly suggested that the Department Directors should receive all of the applications. It is important to look at the person specifically because of the number of vacancies. Connolly feels the department director should be the one looking at the person’s credentials. Some are unable to articulate on paper. Mull said the issue seems to be with applications, not substantial equivalency. Vice Chair Connolly asked how the applications are broken down. Gregory said HR looks at the applicant's experience and education to see if it marries up to the position advertised. She noted if all of the applications are sent to department directors the County will have to come out of substantial equivalency unless the directors are trained on the State’s requirements for application screening. For substantial equivalency, the entire county must have HR best practices in place. Mull said DSS and the Health Department are subject to the State Personnel Act. The County has to show HR best practices and procedures in place to make sure there are no discriminatory hiring practices. Valdez said the County has substantial equivalency because it meets certain policies and procedures. Even if the County had substantial equivalency for DSS and HD, the State would still look at the Countywide policies and procedures to grant substantial equivalency. It is those countywide policies and procedures that need to mesh. She cautioned that department directors do not need all the information on applications. That would possibly open up a new can of worms. Valdez said there is some middle ground to be found. Commissioner Houpe said department directors may see potential in an applicant or application that the process would prevent them from ever seeing. 6 February 14, 2024 Gregory said the process protects the County. Chair Neader said the process may restrict too much where a department director is unable to hire someone. Commissioner Houpe said the process may eliminate an applicant that the department director would want to interview. Gregory said that is where the qualification piece comes in. Mull said before substantial equivalency there were situations where the County got called on the carpet for not hiring the most qualified candidate. The hiring individual had an incredibly qualified candidate and did not interview the applicant but hired their brother’s son with no qualifications. The most qualified candidate contacted the County and asked how the other candidate was more qualified and there was no valid answer to give. Mull said the County is too big to have this happen because it is an uncontrolled liability. Commissioner Houpe asked who makes the final hiring decision. Mull said the department director. Commissioner Houpe asked if directors could look at the applications with HR. Mull said all of the hiring managers have been invited to sit with HR while applications are screened. Commissioner Houpe asked for staff to look for potential middle ground and report back to the Board on March 18. Valdez feels the issue is not substantial equivalency, it is more of everyone understanding the hiring process and who is responsible for what. Valdez cautioned that directors may not know HR best practices. She said there is a lot of liability involved in the hiring process. Vice Chair Connolly said the County has so many vacancies and the applicant pool is not what it was before. The Board discussed the time frames for job postings. The Board asked staff to look at the policy for ways to improve it. Commissioner Stroud suggested the employee termination and grievance ordinance be looked at. He explained his thoughts are not directed towards one person. According to the ordinance, the County Manager is the only person who can terminate. Mull said the County Manager has to approve a termination. Commissioner Stroud said the County Manager has to approve a termination and the first step after is an appeal within a certain number of days with the director and HR, and the next step is HR and County Manager, and then the employee can appeal to the Personnel Advisory Board. 7 February 14, 2024 The advisory board makes a recommendation, but it is still the County Manager’s decision whether or not the person is terminated. Mull explained by that point the employee has already been terminated. Commissioner Stroud feels one person serves as judge and juror in the process. Stroud suggested the advisory board’s recommendation be sent to a different party. In any other place, there is an oversight committee. Mull said terminations come through the directors to HR and they go through the pre- dismissal requests to ensure accuracy. The County Manager has to approve the pre-dismissal conference. The department director and HR participates in the conference. At that point, the decision to terminate or not is made. Most of the time, the County Manager is not made aware if they move forward with termination or not. Mull reviews the pre-dismissal to give the okay for the pre-dismissal conference. If the decision is to terminate, the director and HR send the termination letter. If the employee wishes to appeal, they have a choice to appeal to the County Manager or Personnel Advisory Committee. If the employee appeals to the County Manager, she goes through the process with a fine-tooth comb. Mull noted she has overturned terminations in the past. If the employee wishes to appeal to the advisory committee. The committee makes a recommendation to the County Manager. Mull said if the advisory committee overturns the manager’s decision, she would respect that, and the employee would be reinstated. Mull noted the advisory committee has not overturned a decision since she has been county manager. Mull is not judge and juror in every situation. She serves as both if she decides to uphold the termination. Valdez said the Personnel Advisory Committee makes a recommendation to the County Manager. The County Manager is not required to follow their recommendation. Mull said she would respect the committee’s decision. Commissioner Stroud explained the suggestion is not a vengeance, it is more about leaving it better than you found it. He asked staff to revisit the ordinance to see if there is any room for improvement. The average commissioner is not familiar with the County’s personnel policies. Mull noted she does make termination decisions with department directors and if they decide to appeal it goes to the Personnel Advisory Committee. Gregory asked Commissioner Stroud who he suggested to make the decision. Commissioner Stroud is unsure. He asked for staff to look at the policy and let the Board know their options for changes and/or improvements. Valdez will look into the policy, but the attorney’s role is to provide advice. The County’s personnel decisions are inherently through statutes rest with the County Manager. Valdez understands Commissioner Stroud’s decision although Mull has said she would uphold the advisory committee’s recommendation but that is not how the ordinance is written. Chair Neader said a different county manager may not have the same thought process as Mull. 8 February 14, 2024 Mull said there have not been many appeals to the Personnel Advisory Committee. Gregory said there have been three in her 13 years as HR Director. New Position Requests: Mull went through the following new position requests. The requests have not been vetted. General Government • 1 – Tax Assessor • 1 – Mapping • 1 – Human Resources Public Safety • 1 – ECOM • 41 – EMS • 1 – Fire Marshall • 2 – Animal Services • 8 – Detention Center • 5 – Sheriff’s Office Human Services • 33 Social Services (there is some State reimbursement) Cultural & Recreational • 3 – Parks & Recreation • 1 – Library Development Services • None Special Revenue • None Part-Time New Position Requests • 2 – Social Services Reclassification Requests • 116 position reclassification requests Mull said the number of reclassification requests is unprecedented. 9 February 14, 2024 Commissioner Houpe asked if the policy has enough steps to obtain additional pay through education. Mull said there is a certification program built in each department. Costs: Full-time Positions (98): $6,550,300 Part-time Positions (2): $49,700 Reclassifications (116): $500,000 Total (salary & fringes) if all were approved: $7,100,000 Mull reiterated that these requests have not been vetted. Commissioner Stroud asked if any of the DSS position requests are mandated. Robertson said DSS has to meet a state report card and if there are not enough people to do the work the department will fail the report card. Mull said a 1% pay scale adjustment equals $780,000. One percent merit on July 1 would be $780,000 and 1% merit on January 1 would be $390,000. Mull said a pay scale adjustment and merit adjustment are both necessary. She said due to the high number of new position and reclassification requests, staff needs to vet the request to determine how much money is available to provide pay scale and merit increases. Mull will make a recommendation at the retreat in March. EMS: Mull said EMS Director Blair Richey is going to break down some of the new position requests. Richey said the County continues to grow which increases call volume. Currently, every unit has two paramedic positions assigned to it. As long as one paramedic is on the unit at all times the unit maintains its ALS status. There are 13 approved units during the day and 11 approved units at night. Mull said there are some EMTs already in the apprenticeship who sometimes ride on a unit. Vice Chair Connolly asked how many people are in the apprenticeship. Richey said there are 13 in the paramedic class and four are starting the EMT class. Richey noted there are a few training agreements that are being wrapped up. These positions should be paramedics soon. Richey said there is a shortage of paramedics throughout the State and the COVID pandemic brought the issue to light. Richey is a part of a task force that will present the problems to the State legislature. Richey presented the 3rd Man Program. This program will respond to the increase in call volume, manage employee burnout by lowering workloads and stress, and continue to allow time off requests to be honored. EMS is routinely looked at as a stagnant profession, and the program 10 February 14, 2024 would create additional opportunities for promotions. The program will allow additional trucks once apprentices have graduated. The program will also help control costs. Richey reported 25,178 overtime hours and 19,914 part-time hours in FY23. This figure does reflect vacancies and granted time off requests. Richey said this is approximately five units a day that staff are being flexed and moving paramedics around to ensure trucks are on the road every day. Approximately there are 7.64 shifts a day are being covered for sick and/or vacation. Richey noted the number does not reflect the actual number of hours the paramedic is working so the number may be high. The average overtime wage is $50. MOTION by Commissioner Houpe to approve 24 EMT positions for the 3rd Man Program. VOTING: Ayes – 5; Nays – 0 A budget amendment for the two ambulances will be brought to a later meeting. Vice Chair Connolly requested the new ambulances have daytime running lights. Richey said there is a need for Community Paramedics in the southern end of the County. Mull said the community paramedic program was started with a grant and it has proven to be beneficial. The program has expanded with opioid settlement to provide a more well -rounded service. Mull said Mt. Mourne Volunteer Fire Department has agreed to house one of the Community Paramedics. The cost can be covered by Opioid settlement funds. Vice Chair Connolly asked if Community Paramedics can run emergency calls. Richey said yes. MOTION by Commissioner Houpe to approve two Community Paramedic positions covered by Opioid Settlement Funds. Two positions will man one QRV. One will be stationed at Mt. Mourne Volunteer Fire Department. VOTING: Ayes – 5; Nays – 0 Open Discussion & Wrap-Up The Board discussed the 20/70 Watershed Resolution. The State has to approve acreage going from one jurisdiction to another. Since staff has not heard back from the State, Mull suggested amending the resolution to transfer the 167 acres and reserve the additional 100 acres to be released by the administration based on criteria established by the Board. Commissioner Houpe explained that he received a call regarding the Novant acquisition of Lake Norman Regional Center and Davis Regional Medical Center. Novant is potentially looking for a letter of support. Commissioner Houpe is hopeful that Davis Regional will return to some sort of medical facility in addition to mental health. 11 February 14, 2024 Chair Neader said Iredell Memorial has invested money into its expansion. The Board or county does not intend to throw any shade toward them. Valdez said she has a meeting scheduled with Novant’s attorney and will follow up with the Board. Valdez suggested the Board support the need in the County versus the actual transaction. MOTION by Vice Chair Connolly to adjourn at 4:02pm. The next regular meeting is scheduled at 6pm on February 20, 2024.