1993 Outstanding County Program Awards winners

ENVIRONMENT CATEGORY

BURKE COUNTY
John’s River M.A.R.S.H. Project

Burke County designed the “John’s River M.A.R.S.H. Project” (Matching Aid to Restore State’s Habitats) when the county became aware of a sudden decrease of available wetlands. Wetlands are vital to the survival and livelihood of the wildlife species and ultimately human beings.

The main objectives of the project included enhancing, restoring, and creating wetlands, and establishing a place for waterfowl and other wildlife to breed, rest, and feed. The county also wanted visitors, especially students, to have a chance to learn more about the wetland area and its wildlife.

To effectively accomplish these objectives, Burke County’s waste management department joined with four agencies: Duke Power Company, Crescent Resources, Inc., the North Carolina Wildlife Commission, and Ducks Unlimited.

The group took measures to keep wetland water levels down, to supply boxes for nesting for ducks, and to plant vegetation to be used for cover and food.

This project was unique because it was the only M.A.R.S.H. project recognized for being built on a working landfill. The basic cost of the project was minimal die to the cooperative efforts of the agencies in providing such things as: long term renewable leases, cash donations, purchase and installation of water level control structures and pumps, and a nature trail. Burke County hopes its project will continue to protect and enhance the wetlands, eventually creating ecological balance in the community.

For more information, contact Dale A. Meyer, Burke County Waste Management Director, (704) 433-9500.

CRAVEN COUNTY
Innovative and Alternative Demonstration Program

Craven County is one of the fastest growing counties in North Carolina. With this rapid growth comes the risk of contaminated groundwater, exposure of sewage to the soil surface, or the possible spread of diseases to humans and animals from open water.

Instead of creating a typical countywide wastewater treatment and sewage collection system, an expensive proposition, Craven County developed the “Innovative and Alternative Demonstration Program (ADP).”

The county decided to explore new wastewater treatment options that would protect the environment and the public health, as well as utilize “problem soils.”

The North Carolina Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources, the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, the Craven County Health Department, concerned citizens, private consultants, and North Carolina State University, all became involved in the demonstration project.

First, a Technical Advisory Committee developed guidelines for the selection of 18 suitable sites. The committee consisted of local and state wastewater officials, local citizens, and university representatives with expertise in environmental assessment and onsite wastewater management.

These sites will be monitored for two years and evaluated to see how effectively the sites and types of systems are working. The project, which started in mid-1988, has received $620,000 in funding, from Craven County, the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center, and the North Carolina General Assembly.

Even though the results of the “Craven County Innovative and Alternative Demonstration Program” have not been determined, there is a strong, ongoing commitment to find effective alternatives to specific systems.

For more information, contact George Sawyer, Interim Craven County Manager, (919) 636-6600.

NEW HANOVER COUNTY
Integrated Solid Waste Management System

New Hanover County created the “Integrated Solid Waste Management System” in 1980 when officials realized they had a “landfill crisis.” The main goals were to conserve space in the landfill and prevent groundwater contamination.

The system has three basic elements:
1. A high-tech, environmentally secure landfill;
2. A mass burn waste-to-energy incinerator which uses solid waste as fuel; and
3. A waste reduction program with a focus on citizen participation and education.

The expense of a high tech landfill design, along with the lack of available landfill space, led to construction of the waste-to-energy facility (WTE) to decrease landfill usage.

The county’s WTE, completed in 1984, marked the first use of sophisticated incinerator technology in North Carolina. The waste reduction program included: multi-materials drop-off recycling; in-house office paper recycling; recovery of waste motor oil, appliances, lead-acid batteries and freon; a backyard composting demonstration project; phone book recycling; and education about solid waste.

The success of the overall waste management program has relied on: The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners, two solid waste task forces, a number of county staff, C. Ed Hilton, Jr., (former county engineer), a waste consulting firm (Post, Buckley, Schuh and Jernigan), and the general public.

The program cost was $88,888,905 for fiscal year 1991-1992. Funding came from a combination of tipping fees, a bond referendum, steam sales, electricity sales, grants, and, occasionally, sales tax revenues.

For more information, contact Raymond L. Church, New Hanover County Environmental Management Director, (919) 341-4340.

RANDOLPH COUNTY
Anti-Littering Efforts

Randolph County’s “Illegal Dumping Program” educated residents about this unsightly problem and created an investigation system to cite dumpers and reduce the number of repeat offenders.

The anti-littering project evolved from the county health department’s activities in the early 1970’s and is now part of the solid waste program under the public works department.

The objectives of the anti-littering program are to:
1. Improve the cleanliness of the environment;
2. Get waste cleaned up by the owner of the property or persons responsible for improper disposal;
3. Prevent future dumping through public education and awareness about approved solid waste management; and
4. Improve the public’s image of county government by conducting a low-cost, highly productive public relations-oriented program.

Littering records, positive publicity, and public feedback indicate that the program has met its objectives.

Randolph County depended on and received the cooperation of residents in complying with requests to clean up illegal dumps. The courts also played an active role in making people clean up waste.

As of May 1993, the county had 850 illegal dumping-related incidents on file. Each dumping incident is investigated to see of those involved are repeat offenders.

In 1992, 298 dumps were cleaned up. Only 20 repeat offenders have been cited since 1986. The program creates pride and concern through education and awareness, so that everyone takes an active role in working toward a cleaner environment. Until January 1, 1991. the county financed the litter cleanup campaign through tax revenues. Presently, this program and other solid waste management programs are financed by a user fee system, which makes the program almost self-supporting. The budget for fiscal year 1992-93 was $7,592.

Plans for the future include a two-person crew, which will pick up large items every two weeks at sites where the litterer cannot be identified.

For more information, contact J. D. Smith, Randolph County Solid Waste Specialist, (919) 318-6609.

GENERAL GOVERNMENT

ROCKINGHAM COUNTY
Paralegal Intern Project

The “Paralegal Intern Project” is a cooperative effort between Rockingham County and Rockingham Community College in which students earn curriculum credit and gain valuable paralegal experience by working 110 hours under the county attorney’s supervision.

Interns were not paid, but each received hands-on training in searching titles, doing research, drafting pleadings and other legal documents, and dealing with delinquent tax collection.

In addition to saving the county money in salaries, interns enhanced delinquent tax collection significantly, freeing county staff to work on other pressing matters.

The development and organization of the project involved the Rockingham County tax assessor/collector, the Rockingham County attorney, and an attorney/advisor to the paralegal program at Rockingham Community College.

For more information, contact W. Eugene Russell, Rockingham County Attorney, (919) 342-8347.

ALAMANCE COUNTY
Working Prisoners Program

Alamance County designed the “Working Prisoners Program” to reduce its jail population during the day by allowing non-violent inmates to work on county projects.

The program achieved two primary goals: decreased the cost of incarcerating prisoners and helped relieve tensions in jail by providing meaningful exercise for the inmates.

The program is open to nonviolent misdemeanor or contempt-of-court offenders who volunteer to participate. For each day served in the Working Prisoners Program, the person’s sentence is reduced by one day.

The prisoners work in county facilities such as: parks and recreational facilities, the health department, and court buildings. They mow the grounds, clean buildings, pick up trash, move office furniture, paint and do general landscaping.

Implementing the program required the cooperation of volunteer prisoners, the county manger, the county attorney, the board of commissioners, the sheriff, and the General Assembly.

Thus far, prisoners in the program have performed 1,760 hours of maintenance work. Based on minimum wage, this represents a $7,480 savings in basic salary costs.

However, a total savings of $15,734 in operating costs occurs, based on the hourly salary and benefits of an entry-level maintenance department employee who would have to be hired to do the same work.

To address the concern about county liability, Alamance County officials developed guidelines for the potential treatment of prisoner injuries and disappearance of prisoners.

For more information, contact Joanne Garner, Alamance County Personnel Director/Public Information Officer, (919) 228-1312.

CATAWBA COUNTY
Multi-Jurisdictional GIS

Catawba County is steadily growing due to its cultural, educational, and recreational amenities, as well as its strong and diverse economy.

As a result of this consistent growth, the county experienced increased demands to manage growth and allocate resources appropriately.

The county implemented the “Multi-Jurisdictional Geographic Information System (GIS)” as a tool to track urban development, enhance planning capabilities, improve coordination between the county and its municipalities, and improve government productivity and citizen services.

The Catawba County GIS represents one of the most comprehensive and progressive implementations of GIS technology in the state of North Carolina.

GIS provides the benefits of accurate, extensive, and diverse information. The base map data provides the core of information for computer-based applications for use in planning, zoning, industrial development, engineering, property mapping, emergency services, facility management, and health services.

Communication, coordination and cooperation within county agencies and with outside agencies occurred during the implementation process.

The projected cost is $2,903,174. Funding of the project if provided by: Catawba County, the City of Conover, the City of Hickory, the Town of Long View, the City of Newton, and North Carolina Land Records Management Division.

For more information, contact Twyla D. McDermott, Catawba County GIS coordinator, (704) 465-8387.

ORANGE COUNTY
Integrated E911/CAD/GIS System in Emergency Services

The objective of 911, as stated by the General Assembly, is “to reduce response time to situations requiring law enforcement, fire, medical, rescue or other public safety service.”

The Orange County Board of Commissioners went a step further and authorized a project to design, obtain, and implement an integrated, computerized E911/Computer Assisted Dispatch (CAD)/Geographic Information System (GIS) in to greatly emergency response.

The project will giver emergency responders quick, accurate, and automated information about such things as the location of an emergency, special environmental conditions like stored hazardous waste, medical needs of a resident, prior events or incidents at a specific or nearby address, and available resources - all shown on a single computer screen.

This particular system provides high quality emergency response services at a reasonable cost and has affected all citizens in Orange County by creating a superior level of emergency response that may save lives.

Funding for the telephone equipment at the county’s 911 center came from proceeds of the monthly 911 charges imposed on telephone subscribers under provisions of the Public Safety Telephone Act. The county financed the balance of the project through its ongoing capital improvement plan (CIP), largely funded by a portion of the one-half cent sales tax.

The vendor that provided systems integration services, hardware, and software helped finance the project at a low interest rate, allowing the county to distribute costs across several fiscal years.

The various groups involved in this program include: the county central land records/GIS, county emergency management services, county planning department, county data processing, county sheriff’s office, Chapel Hill fire department, Chapel Hill police department, IBM, Aerial Images, Inc., (in Raleigh), Logistic Systems Inc. (in Montana), Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), Dick Taylor (GIS/CAD selection/design consultant), and Southern Bell Services.

For more information, contact Roscoe Reeve, Orange County Land Records and GIS Director, or Nick Waters, Orange County Director of Emergency Management Services, (919) 732-8181, ext. 2501 or 3030.

HUMAN SERVICES

CATAWBA COUNTY
Employee Sign Language Skills Programs

Catawba County has experienced a major increase in staff contacts with hearing impaired citizens. In recognition of this contact and in accordance with the provisions of the Americans With Disabilities Act, which requires equal access for the disabled, Catawba County created the “Employee Sign Language Skills Program.”

The Employee Sign Language Skills Program provides sign language training to employee volunteers who are strategically scattered throughout the workplace to provide the necessary level of competence for them to assist the hearing-impaired.

Catawba County supported this program by providing classroom space and video equipment, and by photocopying required handouts.

The teacher was an employee in Catawba County government who volunteered her time and services.

Two classes were offered weekly - one at noon and another at 1:00 p.m. for 12 weeks. The class included instruction of the deaf culture, viewing of videotapes which used sign language, voice interpretation, exercises in deaf markers (the alphabet), facial expressions, and body language.

Catawba County now has employees who possess basic sign language skills which enable the county to provide an increased level of service to its citizens.

For more information, contact Steven D. Wyatt, Catawba County Assistant County Manager, (704) 465-8201.

WAKE COUNTY
Step-by-Step

Wake Count undertook the “Step-by-step Program” to provide comprehensive services for substance abusive pregnant women and postpartum women and their children. The goal was to decrease the infant mortality rate.

The program also produced a collaborative effort among community agencies delivering services to the large medically indigent, multi-ethnic obstetrical population of Wake County the Tri-County area (Johnston County, Sampson County, and Harnett County). Some of the overall objectives were to:

• Increase early identification and recruitment of substance abusive pregnant women by 75 percent;
• Decrease the levels of alcohol and drug use among identified pregnant and postpartum women by obtaining abstinence of 50 percent of the women seen and decreasing the amount of substance use of 25 percent of the women seen;
• Improve the physical, mental and social well-being of children born to identified substance abusive women;
• Decrease by 50 percent the number of birth problems among children born t identified substance abusive women; and,
• Decrease the occurrence of child abuse and neglect in the families of identified substance abusive pregnant and postpartum women by 75 percent.

These objectives are being met by:

• Standardized substance screening for all pregnant women at the first prenatal visit;
• Treatment teams and case management service coordination and intervention available for 18 months after delivery;
• Increased diversity of the staff’s ethnic and cultural backgrounds to provide culturally compatible assistance;
• Provision of early and continuous prenatal care, food supplements, and care coordination to all participants;
• Incentives to encourage enrollment and retention in prenatal care and substance abuse treatment; and
• Care for all infants of substance exposed mothers.

Several agencies assisted: the county’s department of health, mental health/developmental disabilities/substance abuse services, Wake Medical Center, the county department of social services, Wake Area Health Education Center (AHE), Drug Action Incorporated, Tri-County Community Health Center, North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women, and Interact (Safety and Support for Victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault).

State and local funds, as well as Medicaid revenues, financed the program. For more information, contact Margaret K. Houseworth, Director Wake County Admission/Emergency/Clinic/Inpatient Division of MH/DD/SAS, (919) 250-3130.

ROBESON COUNTY
Maternity Services

Like most counties, Robeson County has had a problem with medicaid recipients not receiving adequate prenatal care. However, the main difference between Robeson County and other counties is that nearly 60 percent of its pregnant population qualifies for Medicaid - more than 1,100 deliveries per year.

The primary purpose of the “Maternity Services” project was to recruit physicians to deliver babies and provide prenatal care for Medicaid recipients in Robeson County.

Initially, few physicians were willing to participate in the program, but Southeastern General Hospital and the Robeson County Health Department determined that if they could meet Medicaid’s criteria for “full-package” reimbursement (antepartum care and delivery), the maximum amount of revenue available might entice physicians to participate.

Initially, there had been 100 percent turnover of physicians, but the program has helped recruit new physicians t the program, making it more stable.

The long-term impact will be continued reduction is Medicaid payments due to fewer premature births and infant illnesses, the creation of a health care system that will aid the recruitment of industries, and the provisions of many maternity services through the private sector.

For more information, contact William Smith, Robeson County Health Director, (919) 671-3200.

CABARRUS COUNTY
Jobs for Dads Program

Congress enacted the Family Support Act of 1988 as a part of “welfare reform.” In July 1991, Cabarrus County began the JOBS Program, which was one aspect of the legislation.

Although this program helps recipients become self-sufficient and better able to support their children, it didn’t address the problem of absent fathers who wanted to support their children but were unable to do so.

Because of the excessive number of children living with single parents, the need to secure child support payment from dads had become a major social problem.

One of the main objectives of “Jobs for Dads” was educating and training fathers and the helping then find jobs so they could help make child support payments.

If the program could accomplish these goals, the county would realize a considerable reduction in demands on the Aid t Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program.

Also, with training and employment, the self-esteem of these men would improve, thus making them more positive role models for their children and possibly reuniting them with their families.

Presently, 16 individuals have been eligible for the program and five have been employed. However, others lacked basic education and job skills. A future emphasis on basic educational skills could have an even greater impact on the program.

The various organizations assisting the county with the program include the Centralina Private Industry Council (PIC), the Employment Security Commission, the N. C. Department of Labor, and the district court system.

For more information, contact James F. Cook, Jr., Cabarrus County Department of Social Services director, (704) 786-7141.

DAVIE COUNTY
Baby Bundles Program

Davie County created the “Baby Bundles Program” as a way to teach mothers about women’s and children’s health issues, childbirth preparation, and parenting skills.

This program focused on assisting single mothers and pregnant women who were head-of-households, with the goal of developing an incentive program to encourage low-income women to attend prenatal classes in the hopes of reducing infant mortality.

In this program, expectant mothers received classroom instruction and items they needed, such as baby thermometers, with instructions on how to use them. Woman who attended every class received a layette set as a gift.

Participants have done an excellent job in talking about the program’s benefits. Participation in childbirth and pareting classes is up, and more people in the community have expressed a desire to help expectant mothers.

In addition, the program has greatly enhance the county health department’s ability to meet the economic needs of the high number of expectant single mothers.

The “Baby Bundles Program” was funded by the North Carolina Health Start Foundation. Other assistance included clothing donations and monetary contributions from local organizations, churches, and concerned residents.

For more information, contact Dennis E. Harrington, M.P.H., Davie County Health Director, (704) 634-5985.

CRAVEN COUNTY
Innovative Approach to Using Entry-Level Social Workers in Child Protective Services

In response to extensive study and criticism of the state’s child welfare system and reports of increasing child abuse, neglect, and related fatalities, Craven County focused its attention on the need for more qualified staff and competency-based training.

Craven County’s “Innovative Approach to Using Entry-Level Social Workers in Child Protective Services” pairs a newer Social Worker I with a more experienced Social Worker III in child protective cases.

The more experienced staff person performs the complex tasks while the other staff person performs less complex tasks in the child welfare area.

At the same time, the new worker learns by observing the actions of the experienced worker.

For more information, contact Nancy J. Coston, Director, Craven County Social Services, (919) 633-0131.

PUBLIC AWARENESS

ALAMANCE COUNTY
Alamance County Historical Farm

The “Alamance County Historical Farm” was constructed to link the past with the present and to highlight the county’s rich agricultural heritage.

The main objectives of the program were to educate youth and make them aware of their county’s agricultural history, to educate the general public on farming techniques and procedures of past and present, and to preserve Alamance County’s historical background as a major agricultural community.

The farm is an original site dating back to 1830. Buildings were restored to their original use, including a kitchen; the original two-story farm house; a U.S. Post Office; a smoke-house; a livestock barn; a corn crib; and an antique farm equipment museum. Farm visitors can see dairy cows, beef cows, sheep, goats, and a draft team of miles, which the farmers used to plow the fields for corn, oats, wheat, tobacco, cotton, and hay.

The county also incorporated youth programs for 4-H Club members, including “adopt a calf,” in which children care for individual calves daily. Another program introduces youngsters from the Elon Home for Children to gardening and working with animals.

The historical farm project was a joint effort between several local, state and federal groups, with the Alamance County Recreation and Parks Commission taking the lead for planning and implementation.

The county parks department renovated existing farm buildings, while the U.S. Soil Conservation Service and Cooperative Extension Service planted crops and undertook conservation efforts.

Money came from the county commissioners, a capital reserve fund earmarked for development of the farm and other projects at the park and community fundraising efforts.

For more information, contact Joanne Garner, Alamance County Personnel Director/Public Information Officer, (919) 228-1312.

IREDELL COUNTY
Information and Referral System: A finger on the Community’s Pulse

A few years ago, Iredell County residents identified the lack of information about human services and poor access to those services as a critical problem for the county. As a result, the county created an Information and Referral System Agency in 1992.

Today, the agency acts as a clearinghouse for churches and agencies to screen people who call for financial assistance and to coordinate assistance with other sources in the community.

This helps churches ensure that their outreach funds are dispensed wisely to those truly in need. The agency also offers training sessions in clearing/screening for ministers and their secretaries who are not involved in the clearinghouse and training updates for those who are already participating.

The system works because it reaches out to people in need and assists agencies that are planning and expanding their outreach programs. The Information and Referral staff is trained to answer questions about hospital care, finances, services for the needy, and mental health counseling. Sometimes, such immediate assistance is critical for people who are depressed or need food for their families.

The program is funded by Iredell County, local United Way agencies, and towns and cities in the county.

For more information, contact Alice Fortner, Clerk to the Board, (704) 878-3058.

NEW HANOVER COUNTY
Elected Officials Involvement

To illustrate growing solid waste problems, the New Hanover County Board of Health took regional leaders, and elected county and city officials from both New Hanover County and surrounding communities on a bus tour.

While the county had numerous committees on solid waste and strong support and participation from elected officials and residents for county-wide recycling and waste reduction efforts, it lacked a coordinated countywide plan.

To address these concerns, the health board arranged a bus tour of area waste problems to increase awareness and involvement of elected officials.

The tour resulted in a number of meaningful actions by the county.

First, the New Hanover County manager appointed a Local Emergency Planning Committee to develop a comprehensive plan to address municipal sludge disposal, septage and restaurant grease.

Second, the county formed a committee on future solid waste management issues with representatives from the cooperative extension agency, the county manager’s office, the engineering department, the health department and parks and recreation.

The tour also indirectly led to formation of a county Household Hazardous Waste Study Committee.

Some problems needed to be dealt with immediately. To handle these, the Local Emergency Planning committee took the following steps:
1. Municipal sludge - Selected a tract of land in New Hanover County for municipal sludge disposal;
2. Septage - Developed a status statement on septage in New Hanover County and later implemented disposal methods;
3. Restaurant Grease - Advised pre-treating restaurant grease so it could enter the sewage treatment process or be burned at the steam plant.
4. Household Hazardous Waste - Prepared a comprehensive plan for conducting a household hazardous waste that could be discharged to publicly-owned sewage systems, and helped residents remove more household hazardous waste from the home;
5. Recycling - The committee encouraged cooperation between the city and county in evaluating recycling efforts to work toward curbside recycling for every county resident; and
6. Compost Demonstration - The committee involved two industries and secured other cooperation in conducting a composting demonstration for industry sludge and determined the market potential of resulting compost.

For more information, contact Philip R. Ricks, New Hanover County Cooperative Extension Director, (919) 452-6393.

McDOWELL COUNTY
Return of a Native

“Return of a Native” is a video produced by McDowell County as an educational tool to help fourth-grade students learn more county government.

This year, the video was viewed by all county fourth, fifth, and sixth graders; however in succeeding years, it will only be shown to fourth graders.

The video has captivated the young viewers’ imaginations by incorporating enough humor to keep them interested and by stressing local history and the importance of county government.

The video also talks about public education and environmental awareness. Indirectly, the video focuses attention on the county’s natural beauty and the importance of preserving its natural resources.

An important aspect of the video production was intergovernmental cooperation among the participants. Departments wrote their own scripts and county staff volunteered as actors.

Haskell Davis, principal of Glenwood Elementary School and former county commissioner, directed the video at no cost to McDowell County.

Davis shot the film himself and recruited other people and organizations to assist him. On Focus Video Production in Marion provided the sound track and editing while County Road Studios added narration.

For more information, contact Charles Abernathy, McDowell County Manager, (704) 652-7121.

MECKLENBURG COUNTY
A Chance for Change

Knowing that people with mental illness still face a persistent stigma in the community, the Mecklenburg County Continuing Care Division Citizens’ Advisory Committee undertook an educational program.

The group formed a Public Education Subcommittee to achieve two main goals: reduce the stigma and fear the public holds towards individuals diagnosed with chronic mental illness; and educate the public about the problems facing people with chronic mental illness and what services the Continuing Care Division offers to assist these clients.

The Continuing Care Division Citizen’s Advisory Committee devised an action plan, including a video, call “ A Chance for Change,” to make people more knowledgeable about mental illness and related issues.

The video sought to inform viewers about people with chronic mental illness and their struggle to live as independently as possible.

The actual cost of the project was less than $100. Several groups contributed to the program’s success, including the county’s public service and information department, the Advisory Committee’s Public Education Subcommittee, and the members of the full Continuing Care Division Citizens’ Advisory Committee.

For more information, contact Anne Mayer, Program Director, Mecklenburg County Continuing Care Division, (704) 336-3494.