100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

Vance County Manager Jordan McMillen provided WIZS with the following reports and recommendations from recent committee meetings:

Properties Committee

Lease Extension – Alliance Rehabilitation Center.  The committee (Brummitt[C], Taylor & Wilder) met on Tuesday, March 24, 2020, to discuss a request from Alliance Rehabilitation Center to extend their existing lease of a county building.

Alliance Rehabilitation Center or the Addition Recovery Center (ARC) has occupied the property on County Home Road since 1975 and serves as an adult male halfway house. Each resident participates in an intensive, long term substance abuse outpatient program related to their substance use disorder and is authorized to remain in halfway house service for up to one year. Long term residential treatment facilities are rare and research shows that ½ of those who achieve a year of sobriety will experience a relapse and only 15% of those who achieve five years of sobriety will experience a relapse. All residents of the area Oxford Houses are “graduates” of the ARC program.

As a part of ARC’s lease, they have maintained the building over the years replacing windows, the HVAC system and any other maintenance as necessary. ARC holds current liability and property insurance on the property as required by the existing lease.

The committee reviewed a draft lease agreement extending the lease for an additional five year period and recommended proceeding forward with the extension. Staff intends to provide the required 30-day notice in The Daily Dispatch and seek board approval for extending the lease at the May meeting.

Eaton Johnson – Final Plan Review and Hold of Bid Release. The county’s architect was on hand to review the final plans, budget, and schedule related to the project. The committee initially asked staff to proceed with bidding but then asked staff to hold off in releasing the bids due to the uncertain economic environment. The original plan had bids being released on March 31 with an opening date of April 28.

Staff is also working with the county’s financial advisors to coordinate the release of bids to banks for financing once direction is given to release the project to bid. Related to the budget, the committee was informed that city stormwater requirements are required even though the site is outside the Tar-Pamlico River Basin. This will require the county to pay a fee (as much as $65,000) to a bank for a stormwater-related nutrient buy down credit in lieu of building wet retention ponds on the site. County staff has been in touch with the city manager and has learned there may be an exception to this if City Council were to approve a waiver. Staff will regroup with the committee over the next month or so to re-evaluate the project timeline.

Public Safety Committee

First Responder Medical Requirements. The committee (Wilder[C], Brummitt & Taylor) met on Wednesday, March 25, 2020, and discussed requirements that are being implemented to ensure volunteer fire department members are certified to provide first responder duties.

In order to respond with patient contact, the county’s medical director requires that individuals possess the minimum of a medical responder certification which requires 60-80 hours of training initially and 32 hours of continuing education over the next four years. The committee was informed that the medical director has extended the deadline to January 1, 2021, for all departments to comply.

The committee asked for periodic updates on whether volunteer departments were meeting the requirements.

COVID-19 Protocol Change for Dispatching First Responders. The committee was given an update on the changing response protocols for fire departments as a result of the coronavirus. Based upon guidance from the state and the county’s medical director, fire departments will not be dispatched to low-level first responder calls and will only be dispatched to “echo” level or life-threatening situations.

This is being put in place because of the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for the first responders and to ensure they are not exposed unnecessarily to coronavirus.

Community Paramedic Program. The committee received a report from EMS Director Javier Plummer outlining the planned implementation of a community paramedicine program for the county. The committee was informed that funding is being included in the budget for a new position which could begin January 1, 2021.

The full-year cost of the position is approximately $61,000 with salary and benefits. The position is designed to operate in expanded roles by assisting with public health, primary healthcare and preventative services to certain populations within the community. The position would work to provide and connect patients to primary care services as well as to integrate local health agencies and assist with post-hospital follow-up care. The position is designed to help in reducing 911 requests for non-urgent, non-transport services and would assist with decreasing “frequent flyers,” or citizens who over-utilize EMS services.

The committee discussed the value of the program for the hospital, the county’s EMS, as well as the community as a whole.  The committee discussed interest in finding funding sources through the hospital, Cardinal Innovations, or other means to help in offsetting costs for the county in operating the program.

Redistricting. The committee heard from the fire marshal on efforts being made with the volunteer departments to identify potential areas with the existing fire district boundaries in need of changes. Thus far, few recommendations have come from the fire chiefs on potential areas for changes, although conversations are ongoing.

The committee asked the fire marshal and the fire association president, Wayne Seaman, to proceed with meetings amongst fire chiefs to assist in identifying areas to be considered for change. The committee would like at least one of its members to be invited to participate and be included in the conversations.

The committee mentioned two potential areas for changes as follows: 1) area south of city limits between Bearpond and Goldenbelt district 2) area between Goldenbelt and Epsom District near Flemingtown Road. The committee intends to come back and discuss potential district changes once input is provided from the chiefs.

Combination Fire Department.  The committee moved this agenda item to its next meeting. 

Human Resources Committee

Workers’ Compensation Leave Policy Amendment.  The committee (Faines[C], Wilder & Taylor) met on Thursday, March 26, 2020, to discuss an amendment to the worker’s comp leave policy. The current policy dating from 2006-2007 discontinues the county’s payment of health insurance benefits for an individual if they are injured on the job and out of work for beyond three months. The injured individual is covered 100% for issues related to the incident through workman’s comp, and is given the opportunity to cover the cost of health insurance after three months.

The committee reviewed and suggested language changes that would extend the period to six months. The committee recognized the need to prevent an individual from taking advantage of county paid benefits but agreed with extending the timeframe. The coverage is reinstated 100% when the individual returns to work.

Recommendation: Approve revised language to workman’s compensation policy increasing the time period for county provided health insurance from three months to six months. 

Manager Evaluation Format.  The committee continued its work finalizing a revised manager evaluation form. After reviewing several formats in previous meetings, the committee made final tweaks to a format that will meet what is needed for the manager and allow for further tweaks in the future to be utilized for department head evaluations. The committee recommended proceeding with the new format.

Recommendation: Approve the revised manager performance appraisal form as presented. 

Families First Coronavirus Response Act.  The committee heard an overview of the newly signed federal law that extends the criteria for employees qualifying for family medical leave and also provides emergency paid sick leave to employees. The emergency paid sick leave is available for the following qualifying reasons:

1. The employee is subject to a federal, state, or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID-19;
2. The employee has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine related to COVID-19;
3. The employee is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and is seeking a medical diagnosis;
4. The employee is caring for an individual subject to an order described in #1 or self-quarantine as described in #2;
5. The employee is caring for a child whose school or place of care is closed (or child care provider is unavailable) for reasons related to COVID-19; or

The law provides up to 80 hours of paid sick leave at regular pay for employees experiencing items 1-3 and provides 80 hours of paid sick leave at 2/3 pay for employees experiencing items 4 and 5. A resolution ratifying the act may be required in the future.