2003 Outstanding Award Winners

General Government

El Bibliobus
Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania counties

The “El Bibliobus” program was born from a 2000 assessment of the library needs of the Hispanic communities of the region (Haywood, Madison, Transylvania, Buncombe and Henderson). The study was commissioned by the participating libraries and paid for with a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant. The results of the assessment specified the primary barriers to use of the library were the lack of the library staff’s ability to speak Spanish, lack of transportation, lack of Spanish materials and a basic cultural understanding, or misunderstanding, of the library’s purpose.

The report itself suggested the use of a Bookmobile, or “El Bibliobus” as best meeting the needs of this rural area. The libraries agreed and collaborated to find funds to establish a mobile outreach service, with Buncombe County Bookmobile as the centerpiece.

In December 2001 the Bibliobus started service, and the response was overwhelming. The project was so successful that another LSTA grant was awarded in 2002 to continue and expand it. By 2003 the size of the project nearly doubled.

Unlike the traditional Bookmobile, “El Bibliobus” is a five-county collaboration that brings the resources of multiple libraries to the people in order to battle illiteracy. It visits schools, trailer parks and churches as well as workplaces and special events.

This is the 12th year the NCACC has been sponsoring the Outstanding County Programs Awards. The intent is to recognize and share information with other counties about programs that involve a uniquely innovative process, solution or idea to address a county or multi-jurisdictional issue and/or to prevent a future problem from developing.

For more information on the “El Bibliobus” program, contact Ed Sheary at (828) 250-4711.

Employee Health Clinic
Catawba County

Catawba County’s Employee Health Clinic was implemented in October 2002 in an effort to enhance and promote employee wellness, reduce health insurance and workers’ compensation costs, reduce sick leave usage, provide onsite care for routine illnesses and injuries and offer prevention and early detection of potential health problems.

Through in-house management and better coordination between the employee, nurse practitioners and the employee’s supervisor, Catawba has managed to provide a better level of communication and find a quicker return-to-work solution.

The program is not intended to take the place of the employee’s primary physician, but all involved benefit in cases of convenience and reduction of regular medical care. The per-visit cost is also less expensive than a doctor, which saves the county and employees money.

For more information on the “Employee Health Clinic” program, contact Debbie Bradley at (828) 465-8253.

Establishing Ethical Expectations
Mecklenburg County

Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones was appointed in the fall of 2000. Soon after his appointment he established Mecklenburg County’s organizational values, of which ethics and accountability became focal points.

The Mecklenburg Board of Commissioners appointed the deputy county attorney and a Citizens Advisory Committee to review and update existing code of ethics, addressing issues occurring with previously serving boards. That committee recommended changes and drafted a code of conduct for all citizen advisory board members and elected and appointed officials. The Board then adopted a code of ethics that applies to all managers, supervisors and employees. And the newly appointed County Manager took his message of ethical expectations on the road to meet with all supervisors and managers, giving a real boost to the significance of his message.

The Human Resources Department incorporated their action into human resource policy and developed a communication and training plan. A brochure was designed to enhance communication and three-hour training classes were developed to expand on the code of ethics and allow in-depth discussion of ethical dilemmas. To date, 122 ethics training classes have been held with 1,495 participants successfully completing the program.

School Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance
Orange County

Orange County, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough and the Orange County School District and Chapel Hill/Carrboro School District began discussing the need for a School Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) in early 1999. School funding, which is regulated by the Board of Commissioners, had become an increasingly dominant element of the county’s general fund and capital investment plan.

With housing growth accelerating in all jurisdictions within the county and the ensuing student membership growth creating a burgeoning demand for new schools, a regulatory program such as a School APFO was necessary to synchronize the available and future supply of school capacity with the demands of new housing. A School APFO ensures, to the maximum extent feasible, that new housing developments will be approved only when it can be reasonably expected that school capacity will be available to accommodate such projects.

The APFO was adopted on July 14, 2003, but the development took nearly four years. Tasks included standardization of information between both districts, a Memorandum of Understanding to set agreement on base assumptions and service levels, a consistent regulatory framework between local governments and a school ALPO implementation system. There was no budget to accomplish the final School ALPO but thousands of hours of time were offered by elected officials, school districts, boards and staff, district attorneys and administrative and planning staff.

For more information on the “School Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance” program, contact Craig Benedict at (919) 245-2585.

Human Services

Food Stamp/Medicaid Application Project
Caldwell County

In January 2001, Caldwell County Social Services Staff saw the number of applications for the Food Stamp and Medicaid programs increasing due to sagging economic conditions. In response, they developed a single combined application for the two programs. The applications, each of which was dozens of pages long, have now been reduced to one manageable document used by each caseworker to serve adult clients and families in both programs. Because less time is spent taking applications, caseworkers can now enroll more clients each day, holding off the need for additional staff.

Staff decreased the number of forms used for Family Eligibility cases from 34 to 20. Forms used in Adult Eligibility decreased from 35 to 19. In July 2001, staff implemented the Combined Food Stamp/Medicaid Application Project, reducing time spent from 90 minutes to 60 minutes. The caseworker’s accuracy rate, averaging 95 percent, is consistently above the state’s goal. In January 2001, there were 2,060 active Food Stamp cases in Caldwell County. Rolls rose to 3,001 by September 2003.

For more information on the Combination Food Stamp/Medicaid Application program, contact Randee Davis at (828) 426-8200.

Tooth Ferry
Durham County

Durham County’s “Tooth Ferry,” a mobile dental van created to bring dental services to children in need, is a joint project of the Durham County Health Department, Duke University and Durham Public Schools. The van is operated by the Durham County Health Department and provides dental services to 12 elementary schools in Durham.

The idea of taking dental services to the children was developed in 2001 when a Durham County Health Department dental screening assessment performed in the elementary schools identified one out of three children had visible dental cavities or were currently infected or in dental pain. Since private dental practices rarely accept Medicaid patients, the “Tooth Ferry” fills a valuable void in the community.

The “Tooth Ferry” is unique in that it required grant support only for start-up and is now sustainable through third-party reimbursement, which allows the van to also serve children without Medicaid.

For more information on the “Tooth Ferry” program, contact Brian Letourneau at (919) 560-7650.

Mapping Initiative for CRASH
Pitt County

The Safe Communities Coalition of Pitt County was incorporated as a self-supporting non-profit group in 2000, but originally was established in 1996 by the National Traffic Safety Administration, as one of four demonstration projects in the country addressing highway safety related issues at a local level. The Coalition is comprised of more than 60 partners working together to reduce injuries in Pitt County and is now sustained by money received from its projects and small injury prevention-related grants.

The Coalition’s main goal is to identify areas of safety concern and to develop injury prevention strategies like C.R.A.S.H. that make Pitt County’s roads a safer place to travel. A major component of C.R.A.S.H. involves an intensive mapping effort that displays data compiled from fatal and severe vehicle crash reports from 1995-2003. The maps allow law enforcement personnel to establish intense patrol in the identified areas.

Data suggests that when more officers are visible in these dangerous corridors speed and crashes decrease. According to the NC Crash Fact Book, published in 2001, Pitt County decreased from fifth in the state for traffic related fatalities in 1995, to 35th in 2001. Success was further noted in 2002 when the NC Traffic Crash Report data showed more than 50 percent reduction in fatal crashes from 26 fatal crashes in 2001 to 11 fatal crashed in 2002.

For more information on the C.R.A.S.H. program, contact James F. Rhodes at (252) 902-3250.

Public Education/Participation

Color Me Healthy
Durham County

“Color Me Healthy” is a nutritional and physical activity program developed to reach children ages 4-5. The purpose of the program is to address obesity through early intervention while teaching children how to make healthier choices. The program is delivered several times a year to childcare providers in Durham County through a three-hour training workshop.

The premise is that behaviors are formed during early childhood. Once children begin attending day-cares and pre-schools, many habits are formed and lessons are taught. “Color Me Healthy” is unique because it delivers user-friendly materials. After teachers and childcare providers attend and complete the training workshop, they leave with a “Color Me Healthy” kit containing all the materials including templates, picture cards, games, checklists, web resources and a teacher’s guide to use the program.

All counties in North Carolina have the opportunity to become trained in the “Color Me Healthy” program during the annual “Color Me Healthy” training update provided by Cooperative Extension.

For more information on the “Color Me Healthy” program, contact Suzzette Shaw Goldman at (919) 560-0537.

Neighborhood College
Durham County

Durham’s Neighborhood College provides information about key city and county services in a comprehensive 10-week series of classes. Participants have a chance to meet and interact with city and county staff and learn about government. Classes are held on Thursday nights and one Saturday morning. They are divided into two sessions: Fall (September-November) and Spring (February-April).

Both governments work together in every aspect of the project from research and implementation to attending all sessions each week. Both entities also contribute $5,000 annually to fund the project, which accepts 25 students who pay $25 to attend.

For more information on the Neighborhood College program, contact Deborah Craig-Ray at (919) 560-0000.

CharMeck.org
Mecklenburg County

“CharMeck.org” is the result of a unique collaboration between Mecklenburg County Government and the City of Charlotte. Online surveys revealed that citizens wanted to conduct business over the Internet rather than waiting in lines at various government locations. City and county employees formed an Internet Management Committee (IMC) that led to the collaboration.

The result was a custom-designed system that updates immediately and allows citizens to instantly publish services (what do you mean by publish services?) and forms on a joint Website, “eServices.CharMeck.org”. The site is a single page index of hundreds of useful online options that save citizens time and money.

For more information on the “CharMeck.org program”, contact Roger Kortekaas at (704) 336-2597.

Outreach and Education for Solid Waste
Orange County

The Orange County Solid Waste Management Department places strong emphasis on educating the public about solid waste management and waste reduction. Beginning in 1987, the focus of solid waste management changed from strictly managing the waste at deposited at the landfill to include waste reduction, recycling and other alternatives. The scope of public education broadened dramatically to increase public involvement in these programs and to ensure proper use of the landfill.

The county’s investment and commitment have paid off with a 40 percent reduction in waste when compared to the state’s delineated base year of 1991-92, which is acknowledged by the State Solid Waste Management Division to be the best in North Carolina.

Other aspects of solid waste management include managing construction and demolition waste, illegal burning, hazardous waste reduction and proper use of the Orange County Landfill.

For more information on the “Outreach and Education for Solid Waste” program, contact Gayle Wilson at (919) 968-2885.

Easy Readers
Randolph County

The “Easy Readers” calendar was developed to promote all seven branches of Randolph County’s public libraries. The calendar, which shows librarians in a light-hearted and humorous vein, lists known upcoming and regular activities at the libraries for 2004. Librarians also posed on motorcycles in Harley Davidson attire.

The library staff saw this endeavor as a clever way to increase community awareness of the library’s systems, programs and resources, while promoting the staff throughout the county. Even though calendar sales generated some profit, the project extended beyond being a fundraiser.

Calendars were placed in a prominent location at all seven branches and a local Harley Davidson retail store. The calendars were sold out by November at which point the county ordered more.

For more information on the “Easy Readers” program, contact Richard Wells at (336) 318-6814.