1992 Outstanding County Program Awards winners

General Government Category

CATAWBA COUNTY
“Catawba County Teacher Internship Program”

The “Catawba County Teacher Internship Program” is an outgrowth of discussions held between three area school superintendents and the county manager.

Officials knew teachers needed more information on county government that they could share with their students.

Realizing that teachers must earn 15 units of credit every five years to renew their teaching certificates, school and county officials developed a program that allowed educators to learn more about local government while earning certification credits.

The program, which started in 1991, offered two options: Option A consists of two two-day sessions in which spokespersons from different county departments make presentations on the duties and responsibilities of their respective departments.

Under Option B, teachers observe and obtain first-hand knowledge of a departmetn by observing activities in that department.

The costs of the program are minimal. The only actual expenses are the purchase of folders, the reproduction cost of materials, postage for mailings to participants, and the time contributed by department representatives.

Thirty-three teachers participated in the first year of the program, and they recommended it so highly that the program was offered again this summer. For more information, contact J. Thomas Lundy, Catawba County Manager, (704) 465-8201.

CRAVEN COUNTY
“Craven County Solid Waste and Recycling Program”

The Craven County Solid Waste and Recycling Program is a comprehensive waste management system that is unique in two respects.

First, it is the only unified volume-based solid waste collection system in the state. Second, it is the only program that has united municipalities and unincorporated areas into a single county-wide system.

The county undertook the project in response to the rising cost of solid waste managmeent and growing pressures to reduce dependence on landfills.

The solid waste and recycling program involved the transition from a rural “greenbox” drop off system to a unified county-wide curbside trash and recyclables collection program.

Another key objective was the equitable distribution of the cost of solid waste collection and disposal through a “user-fee” system.

The Craven County system requires each household (and small business) to purchase an adhesive-backed tag ($1.25 each) which must be applied to each container of garbage.

Trash bags must sport the stickers before they can be collected at curbside or accepted at any of the seven convenience centers. The garbage may be placed in bags not to exceed 33 gallons or 50 pounds.

The county also employs a monthly base fee of $3.00 to cover the fixed program costs. Once a week, a curbside recycling service collects newspapers, glass containers, aluminum, steel cans, and drink containers.

Additionally, seven staffed convenience centes located throughout the county are open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. to accpet hard to handle recyclables.

For more information contact, Tyler B. Harris, Craven County manager, (919) 636-6600.

LEE COUNTY
“Gateways to Greenways”

The Kiwanis Park Greenway is the “Gateways to Greenways” of Lee County. Several components are still under construction, but the project should be compoleted sometime this month.

The $72,100 project is an example of a leisure facility developed through the combined efforts of a community’s citizenry and its government.

The Kiwanis Park Greenway was undertaken for several reasons:

1. To conserve the land on both sides of Buffalo Creek, which currently forms the boundary of existing Kiwanis Family Park;
2. To expand existing fitness and walking trail mileage at Kiwanis Family Park through the construction of footbridges;
3. To provide new leisure opportunities, such as bicycling trails; and
4. To utilize the existing Kiwanis Family Park as a pilot segment of a greenway system in Lee County, a concept that has received acceptance in Lee County as well as throughout the state and nation.

The county had to overcome several obstacles, including obtaining fee simple titels to the eight contiguous properties, getting grant funds, finding out a floodplan study was needed and dealing with the presence of a wetlands area by building an expensive elevated walkway.

For more information, contact William Cowan, Lee County Manager, (919) 774-8403.

RANDOLPH COUNTY
“Randolph County Central Permit Program”

The Randolph County Central Permit Program was designed to accomplish three major goals: First, to streamline the development permit process while making the system more convenient and accessible to the public.

Second, to make maximum utilization of the county’s computer capailities while allowing the common maintenance of a parcel date base, and third, to ensure that all county regulatory permits are consistent with each other an with state and federal laws.

This board of ocmmissioners undertook the program because of the frustration felt by both citizens and dvelopers with the existing permit system.

For example, citizens often had to travel from location to location in order to obtain the appropriate permits or applications.

In addition, Randolph County has one of the highest growth rates in the state, which aling with a decentralized permit system, made it nearly impossible for the county to keep up with the status of the permits it had already issued.

The Randolph County Central Permit Program was a joint effort involving the departments of Planning and Zoning, Building/Electrical Inspections, and Environmental Health Departments.

The primary office for the permit system is in the Randolph County Office Building, with a satellite office in Asheboro.

The unique aspect of the program is its use of a computer system that involves more than 190 separate but interconnected computer programs that monitor each permit to ensure that each is consistent with various federal, state and local regualtions.

The Randolph County Board of Commissioenrs also adopted a specialized Central Permitting Ordiannce, which was a synthesis of procedures affecting all permits issued by the county.

The Central Permit Program has operated since October 14, 1991. During the first six months of operations, the Central Permit employees processed and issued approximately 4,500 permits and applications.

For more information, contact Hal Johnson, Randolph County planning director, (919) 629-2131.

HUMAN SERVICES

HERTFORD, NORTHAMPTON, GATES, MARTIN AND THE MID-EAST COMMISSION
“Roanoke-Chowan Narcotics Task-Force”

Four years ago, a group of law enforcement officials and local district attorney began discussing the increased use of illegal drugs within the area.

Realizing that no single county had the money or manpower to stop the flow of drugs by itself, the gorup formed a task force.

Results were positive; after the Task Force went into operations, drug arrests for 1990 and 1991 increased 166 percent. Even more significantly, all were felony arrests.

The Narcotics Task Force received enthusiastic support from private sector organizations, businesses, and industries. Civic groups requested presentations by theTask Force commander and demonstrations by the Task Force drug dog. Businesses and indistries assisted with equipment donations.

The Taks Force has impacted the five counties and the region, inclduing parts of Virginia. Other groups are trying to organize similar task forces.

At least eight other regions in North Carolina have requested presentations or assistance from the Roanoke-Chowan Task Force.

For more information, contact Robert (Bob) Paciocco, executive director, Mid-East Commission, (919) 946-8043.

CUMBERLAND COUNTY
“Exemplary Youth Program: Education for Employment”

The Job Training Program at Walker-Spivey School is designed to serve special needs students ages 16 to 21 identified as Trainable Mentally Handicapped (TMH), Behaviorally and Emotionally Handicapped (BEH), Willie M, and Autistic.

Other students may have physical, visual or other conditions that place them in the category of multiple handicapped youth.

The program teaches the students how to perform in a work environmenta thrugh classroom instruction, simulated work experiences in school, and participation in on-the-job training at community work sites.

Groups, organizations, and local businesses in the community provided training and employment opportunities for youth with multiple barriers to employment.

This past year, 44 students participated in on-the-job training at nine community work sites.

For more information, contact Pauline B. Goodman, Job Training Service Center director, (919) 323-3421.

MOORE COUNTY
“Civilian and Military Intervention Strategies for the Elderly”

Five years ago, the U.S. Army Special Forces from Ft. Bragg and the Moore County Department of Aging met to discuss the possibilities of providing community services to meet the needs of the aging population in Mooore County.

Together representatives identified such things as heating fuel, home weatheriziation/home improvements and health care as critical needs and identified specific strategies for addressing each of them.

For instance, more than 30 soliders from the JFK Center/Special Forces from Ft. Bragg cut wood from land donated from a local landowner.

A local merchant donated the chainsaws and the county maintenance department and the department of aging provided the trucks. Members of the local Jaycees and Special Forces unit distributed wood to at least 35 elderly clients.

Volunteers installed smoke detectors, built handrails and ramps and made other minor repairs.

The Moore County Department of Aging also needed help in providing physical examiniations to those clients determined to be “at-risk,” moderately impaired and/or frail in their homes.

The Special Forces Paramedic Unit Teams became involved. These teams are comprised of registered nurses, flight surgeons, therapists, and First Aid Specialists.

More than 25 clients received medical attention, four of whom had not been to a doctor in at least five years due to insufficient income.

The Moore County Health Department donated medical supplies, such as a cholesterol machine and staff time.

For more information, contact Suzanne LaFollette-Cameron, executive director, Moore County Department of Aging, (919) 947-2881.

UNION COUNTY
“Union County Norplant Program”

The Union County Health Department has a large maternity clinic, serving many patients in the family planning program. However, existing birth control methods had failed to effectively reduce unwanted pregnancies.

This led the Union County Board of Commissioenrs to request that the Health Deaprtment make Norplant, a new form of birth control, available to low-income patients.

Norplant uses five matchstick-size implants inserted in a woman’s upper arm. The inserts provide birth control protection for five years.

The Health Department used available resources to keep the cost of the prgram to a minimum. Since it was already providing family planning services to low-income patients in Union County, health officials simply incorporated Norplant into that program.

The Union County commissioners appropriated $10,000 for the Norplant Program and the Union County Health Department matcvhed this allocation.

The program is expected to reduce the county’s costs for AFDC, Medicaid and pre-natal and post-natal care.

For more information, contact Lorey H. White, Jr., Union County health director, (704) 283-3815.

WAKE COUNTY
“Wake County Department of Social Services and Volunteer Emergency Families for Children (VEFC) Program”

In early, 1989, Wake County Department of Social Services was contacted by Volunteer Emergency Families for Children (VEFC), a nationally recognized model program in Virginia, whose sole purpose is to mobilize the resources of the total community to meet the crisis shelter care needs of children caught in difficult family circumstances.

Volunteer host families in the VEFC agree to take care of a child in crists for a period of 21 days or less. The families provide this service to DSS at no cost, saving the county room and board charges that it normally would pay.

The program also provides respite and visiting resource care for children in group homes and tratment programs, which had been identified as a major need in the foster care program.

But even more important is that, in many cases, this is the child’s only interaction with a well functioning family.

The Wake County DSS found that in 1991 the program served 150 children with more than 700 days of care, a VEFC record for any community program in operation.

For more information, contact Elaine Rakouskas, program manager, Wake County Deaprtment of Social Services, (919) 856-7438.

ENVIRONMENT

DAVIE COUNTY
“Davie County Recycling Program”

Davie County started its Recycling Prgram to protect the environment and to reduce waste going to the landfull.

The county began with a recycling drop-off site at the county landfull. Then, with the cooperation of the Town of Mocksville, the program began curbside pickup, which now serves, 5,500 homes.

County civic groups, volunteer fire departments, and others have sponsored local community pick-ups.

Davie County has exceeded the original goal of 25 percent reduction and has realized a 50 percent reduction in landfill waste.

The Davie County Recycling Program is anticipated to save taxpayers thousands of dollars in landfill costs. However, the ultlimate goal of the recycling program is to achieve complete waste recycling through the use of demolition site re-utilization.

Recently, Davie County purchaes a stump grinder that grinds all demolition wood amterial into chips which is used by a local industry for fuel.

Other counties are now using Davie County’s equipment to grind their wood refuse as well.

One of the most unique features of the Davie County Program is that it is the first program in the state to utilize inmate labor from the N.C. Department of Corrections to sort recyclables.

For more information, contact Larry G. South, Davie County manager (704) 634-5513.

MOORE COUNTY
“Water Quality - It’s Not a Game of Chicken”

The booming poultry industry in eatern Nort Carolina has brought its banes as well as its blessings.

Aling with added jobs and revenue, the industry brings the problem of disposing of dead chickens and chicken manure in an environmentally safe manner.

Recognizing this, the Moore Soil and Water Conservation District officials started looking at the safest means of disposing of chickens and chicken waste.

Their research indicated that they should try composting even though it had not yet been studied or permitted in North Carolina.

The project was based on compost research conducted at the universities of Delaware and Maryland. The next step was to find a poultry producer willing to try the new procedures.

Withe the assistance of the Region H Resource Conservation and Development Council, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service, and others, a composter and dry stack were built on a poultry farm in Moore County.

For more information, contact the Moore Soil and Water Conservation District, (919) 947-5183.

ORANGE COUNTY
“Guidelines for Development in the University Lake Watershed”

University Lake is the primary water supply for the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Because of its close proximity to the towns and to Intestate 40, the University Lake Watershed is attractive for development.

To regulate development and protect water quality, Orange County implemented four zoning districts in the wateshed over the course of eight yers.

But regulations proved to be unpopular with landowners and developers who did not understand them. To improve communication with the public and ensure compliance with reylations, the Planning and Inspections Department produced a guide using simple, straight-forward language, examples, and illustrations.

“Guidelines for New Subdivision Development in the Unicersity Lake Watershed” is a handbook that combines all applicable requierements into one-quick easy-to-read reference guide.

For more information, contact Marvin Collins, Orange County planning director, (919) 732-8181.

PITT COUNTY
“Pitt County Government Recycling”

The “Pitt County Government Recycling” program is unique in that it offers every citizen the opportunity to become involved in solid waste management.

The project used existing programs and facilities rather than adding more prgrams. For instance, Pitt County was the first in the state to use modified jeep trailers, Pepsi delivery trucks, and 55 gallon containres to collect beverage cans at business sites.

It also was the first area to collect used clothing and eyeglasses at drop-off centers, and to process yard waste to make mulch for gardeners.

The county engineer, the Recycling and Keep America Beautiful coordiantor, the landfill superintendent and the assistant landfill superintendent were all involved in the creative development and implementation of the program.

A small number of citizens, who felt that solid wste management meant placing waste material in a can and having it disappear, resisted the change.

However, a concerted public relations effort aimed at both children and adults overcame this initial resistence.

For more infromation, contact Joy Hudson, Pitt County recycling coordinator, (919) 830-6391.

PUBLIC AWARENESS

CALDWELL COUNTY
“A Citizens’ Guide to Caldwell Future Focus”

“A Citizens’ Guide to Caldwell Future Focus” represents a major effort to inform all Caldwell County citizens about the results of a three-year long strategic planning project.

The Future Focus planning project involved 65 citizens working more than 1,000 hours to study issues such as education, housing, business, and industrial development.

After the study was completed, the group agreed that the success of the project relied on public awareness of the project’s results and recommendations.

The major obstacle was publishing and communicating the information with limited financial resouces. The Western Piedmont Council of Governments staff, who had worked on the project, were eager to help create a newsletter.

The Caldwell Communit College and Technical Institute provided publication staff support. The last hurdle was getting the newsletter distributed.

The publisher of the Lenoir News Topic solved that problem by agreeing to print and insert copies of “A Citizens’ Guide” into the newspaper. Approximately 26,000 copies have been distributed to county residents.

The project’s total cost consisted of about $600 for film processing and paper stock.

For more information, please contact Neil Emory, Caldwell County Manager, (704) 757-1300, or John Thuss, Caldwell County chairman of the board, (704) 728-6713.

CAMDEN COUNTY
“County-wise Newsletter”

Camden County does not have a radio station or newspaper within its boundaries, which means that many people did not know what was happening in county government.

The board of commissioners has mde “open government” a high priority, and decided that it was important to develop a way to keep citizens informed aboutkey issues.

Because Camden County has one of the lowest tax bases in the state, county officials knew the production of a newsletter would be difficult.

Even so, the county purchased a bulk rate permit and commissioners approved funds for printing a newsletter every three months (quarterly).

The newsletters have included information on solid waste management and collection, recycling, water bond referendum information and controversial issues coming before the board. The newsletters are mailed to all households in the county.

The county manager and clerk ususally write the newsltter material, so the publication has not placed a hardship on other staff. Printing and postage costs comprise the largest expense.

For more information, contact Jerry Allen, Camden County manager, (919) 338-1919.

CATAWBA COUNTY
“Behind the Scenes in County Government”

Catawba County developed “Behind the Scenes in County Government” in an effort to reach those people who want to learn about county government but who do not read the local papers.

The initiative was especially important in 1991-92 when the county undewent a somewhat controversial revaluation.

Assistant County Manager Steve Wyatt developed a low-tech, low cost approach to meeting this communication need. He approached the major local radio stations and asked them for five minutes of prime time air play each week.

His efforts paid off when one of the stations, WIRC, in Hickory, agreed to give the county the popular 12:10 - 12:15 p.m. time slot on Wednesdays.

Ratings for the program have been high.

Each week’s program is recorded at the county manager’s office on a high quality cassette recorder. The format is basically a conversation betwen Wyatt and a guest, usually a county employee engaged in some noteworthy event or program. Wyatt works with interviewees to help them overcome their fear of being taped for broadcast.

The county feels the weekly radio program is the most cost effective public relations efforts in the state. The expenses are limited to the cost of an audiotape and transprting it to the station.

The program is also unique in that the county controls the agenda items. This allows the county the opportunity to spotlight programs and initiatives tha tmight not get much press in the local media.

For more information, contact Steven D. Wyatt, Catawba County assistant county manager, (704) 465-8201.

ORANGE COUNTY
“In Touch with Orange County”

“In Touch with Orange County” (also known as the “24-Hour Courthouse”) uses video, audio, and graphics equipment to create a multimedia program to help citizens learn about county/community services at the touch of a button.

The system features a microcomputer equipped with a touchscreen, housed in an attractive cabinet (kiosk) echnology provided by Public Technology Inc. and IBM.

The microcomputer can access ober 200 files of county and community inforation, inclduing himan services, license and permit information, county leisure activities, general information, county board meeting schedules, and current events. The ability to regularly update information via modem ensures thea the information is accurate and timely.

The computer is connected to a video laserdisc player, a modem and a printer. Users rceive information in both visual text and graphics form. Users can receive aprinted copuof any of the 200 files of information.

“In Touch with Orange County” also has 21 short videos which provide an introduction to county services and facilities. A survey solicits user comments and helps gauge the use of the system.

In April, Orange County installed its first unit in the University Mall in Chapel Hill.

The second unit is mobile, and can be moved from place to place (schools, other public buildings, festivals, etc.)

A special county appropriation of $50,000 was awareded for purchase of equipment, training, production of the video and audio components by an outside vendor, and construction of the kiosk.

Maintenance costs are limited to the purchase of paper and ribbons and staff time to update the information.

The 200 files were provided by the department heads and formatted by the data processing office.

WTVD-TV in Durham donated a cameraman and equipment to film necessary video shots, which reduced the outside contract costs by $5,000.

For more information, contact Sharron Siler, Orange County Management analyst, (919) 732-8181.