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Outstanding! NCACC awards 14 county programs The NCACC is honoring 14 innovative county programs as winners of 2004 Outstanding County Program Awards. Now in its 13th year, the awards recognize 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. The awards are arranged in three categories – Public Education/Participation, General Government and Human Services. The Association received almost 80 applications for awards, and three teams of judges met in late February and early March to select the winners. Honorees will be presented with a framed certificate at an upcoming meeting of their county's board of commissioners. The Board of Directors approved the creation of the Outstanding County Program Awards in 1991 as a way to recognize innovative programs that other counties might want to emulate.
Public Education/Participation Building inspections listserv and discussion board Johnston County is one of the fastest growing counties in the nation. As a result, there is a need to inform as many citizens as possible, as quickly as possible, when there are changes to building regulations. The Johnston County Building Inspections Listserv and Discussion Board are proactive public participation tools in support of community development activities. They offer to the building community the latest news and notices regarding building issues, code changes and new building regulations. The listserv also offers citizens a chance to critique, both positively and negatively, the way the Inspections Department does business. Each entry is responded to in a timely fashion, usually within the same workday. This practice goes well beyond the general public notification statutes and is a way to involve citizens who traditionally wouldn’t otherwise be involved in county government. By utilizing electronic communications, the county also realizes cost savings. For each item that is posted to the listserv instead of mailed out, the county saves approximately $111 (37 cents for each postage stamp, multiplied by 300 names on the listserv). The program was set up using existing staff and resources. No additional funds were needed to implement these changes. For more information on the listserv, please contact Stephanie Clifton, office manager in the Planning, Zoning and Inspections Department, at (919) 989-5150. Capital Trees Program In a fast-growing region like Wake County, natural resources are often victims of development. Wake County established the Capital Trees Program in 1993 to promote the significance of trees in Wake County and to encourage respect for natural resources. The Capital Trees Awards Program identifies and presents biennial awards to celebrate special trees within Wake County. The Capital Trees Educational Program educates and involves residents to plant and sustain the urban and community forests throughout Wake County. For 10 years, the program received yearly funding of $8,000 to $10,000 from an Urban and Community Forestry grant from the USDA Forest Service, with part-time staffing provided through the Wake County Keep America Beautiful program. Currently, the entire budget and staffing is provided through Wake County Keep America Beautiful. The Capital Trees Program has several educational components. Youths with court-ordered community service assist volunteers in potting and weeding the 2,000 tree seedlings each year. Youths learn about the value of trees and potential natural resources careers, and some have even been hired for summer employment at the greenhouse due to their experience with the Capital Trees Program. Education is also provided to members of city councils during biennial awards presentations, to school students during planting demonstrations and Arbor Day ceremonies, and to citizens through partnerships on pruning and appearance workshops. Several municipalities have changed their local ordinances to protect “champion” trees in their jurisdictions. This is the result of state legislation allowing local governments to regulate tree cutting and clearing on private property prior to development. The Triangle J Council of Governments’ (TJCOG) obtains the 2,000 tree seedlings per year through the National Tree Trust (NTT). They are grown for a year at the City of Raleigh nursery at Marsh Creek and then distributed to all seven counties in the Triangle J region for fall planting. For more information, contact Wake County Keep America Beautiful Coordinator Lois Nixon at (919) 856-6779 or lnixon@co.wake.nc.us. ‘Do the RIGHThing’
Many times, the most difficult part of an EMS ambulance driver’s job is actually getting to the accident scene safely. Many drivers on the road don’t know the proper way to yield to emergency response vehicles or that state law even requires them to move out of the way when an emergency vehicle is approaching. As a result, EMS technicians for the Pasquotank-Camden Ambulance Service decided to take matters into their own hands and develop an educational program to inform the public about the proper way to yield to emergency vehicles. “Do The RIGHThing” was created specifically to address North Carolina laws in detail concerning yielding for emergency vehicles. “Do The RIGHThing” is an educational campaign that is proactive, not reactive. It is a locally created program, which helps citizens get a better feel for the issue. Digital images of Fire, Police and EMS apparatus from many surrounding agencies have been utilized in the presentation to give it a more “regional” feel. “Do The RIGHThing” involved every public safety agency in Pasquotank and Camden counties, including the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. Specific discussions were held with organizations like the North Carolina Motor Carrier Enforcement, which led to the addition of the section entitled “Passing Parked Emergency Vehicles.” After the program was completed, staff conducted an extensive media campaign. Local radio professionals donated their time to make public service announcements, which were aired on several local radio stations. Portions of the program are currently being aired on local public access television stations, and local newspapers did lengthy articles to help spur and maintain public interest. The program was initially developed as a PowerPoint presentation. Audio has also been added so it can be presented without a narrator. This enables the presentation to be presented to any group at any time. For more information, contact Pasquotank County Emergency Services Director Dean J. Schaan at (252) 335-1524 or schaand@co.pasquotank.nc.us. ‘The Tax Department on the Road’ Revaluation can be tough on taxpayers and tax departments. Many tax collectors might feel like hitting the road after revaluation notices are sent out, and that’s exactly what the Moore County Tax Department did. “The Tax Department on the Road” was an educational effort by the tax office to provide citizens with a higher level of service. The tax department held meetings at 15 locations throughout Moore County in March 2004. Key representatives of the tax department were at each location to answer questions from citizens about the revaluation process. Each location was also connected to the Internet, so that staff could access all computer records maintained at the department. This enabled the staff to provide the taxpayers with information on appraisals, maps, zoning regulations, comparable sales and other key information that was used in the revaluation process. Staff was able to make any changes to records on the spot. The tax department worked with municipalities, community centers and private gated communities to make sure that all areas of the county were reached. In 20 days, more than 6,000 taxpayers, representing more than 15,000 parcels – or 25 percent of the county tax base – visited one of the remote offices. For more information, contact Tax Administrator John E. Parris at (910) 947-6388 or eparris@moorecountync.gov. General Government Breaking glass and building relationships
Recycling stations across the state accept clear, brown and green glass, but the low value of the material and the high cost of hauling recycled glass to a viable outlet have most counties operating a program that is in the red. In an attempt to improve the economics of this program, a team of New Hanover County employees worked to develop a new system for processing and recycling the hundreds of tons of glass collected annually. After much thought, planning, and trial and error, a simple method of crushing and screening the glass was developed using equipment and tools on hand (a loader, screening mesh, large containers). The resulting material is being used as road base at the local landfill. The new program saves money in hauling and traditional road base material purchasing. The county saved more than $8,700 in the program’s first year of operation. Once this program was proven to be sustainable, New Hanover worked to inform other counties and municipalities about it in hopes that it would help improve others’ recycling programs. As it turned out, several counties were strongly considering discontinuation of glass recycling due to financial conditions but are now looking at New Hanover’s method as an alternative. Neighboring Pender County was experiencing all-too-familiar problems with its glass program. After learning of the new approach, they began shipping glass to New Hanover. This processing arrangement is saving Pender County a notable amount of money while providing New Hanover with more material to use as road base. For more information, contact Solid Waste Planner Jason Hale at (910) 341-4373 or jhale@nhcgov.com. Citizens Well-Check Program A single daily phone call has made a big difference in the lives of many Wake County seniors. Sheriff Donnie Harrison knows from personal experience just how big a difference that call can make. After Harrison’s mother died, the sheriff would call his father – who lived hundreds of miles away – as many as three times a day to check on his well-being. Because of the reassuring nature the call had on both father and son, Harrison set up the program as a way to help alleviate families’ concerns for their senior members. This program is for citizens 65 and over who have a medical or physical disability and no one to check on them. These individuals are called daily by an automated system at an appointed hour to ascertain their well-being. Seniors are prompted to indicate they are OK by pressing “6” on their telephone’s keypad or “9” if they require emergency assistance. If there is no response, the line is busy or an answering machine picks up, the system retries the call every 10 minutes. Calls that repeatedly go unanswered will lead well-check personnel to call a secondary contact to physically check on the program participant. A deputy will be dispatched to the seniors’ residence if the Sheriff’s Office is unable to make contact with anyone who is able to check on the senior’s status. The program began July 14, 2003, with the help of a $3,454 grant from Project Safe Neighborhood and three volunteers. Nine seniors participated in the pilot program, and 28 seniors are currently doing so. For more information, contact Sheriff Donnie Harrison at (919) 856-7565 or donnie.harrison@co.wake.nc.us. Property development assistance for non-professionals To citizens who are unfamiliar with the world of property development, the permit application process can be a confusing and frustrating maze of codes and regulations. Randolph County extended a helping hand to those non-professional developers by forming a team of county employees to assist in the process. In June 2004, the Planning and Zoning Department put together a specialized Property Development Advisory Team that consisted of representatives from the Central Permit Office, Planning and Zoning, Environmental Health, Building Inspections and the Fire Marshal’s Office. Property development technicians in the Central Permit Office identify applicants who may need the Advisory Team’s services. A plan review officer then works with the applicant to determine what the proposed development will entail and assists in writing the proposal before scheduling an appointment with the Advisory Team. The meeting allows each applicant to speak with all development department representatives at the same time to ensure a clear understanding of the applicant’s plans. After the meeting, the applicant receives a written schedule of all permits and requirements necessary for the development. Because the program employs existing staff members, there is no actual cost. It does require some time commitment from Advisory Team members, who meet weekly. For more information, contact Planning Director Hal Johnson at (336) 318-6556 or hcjohnson@co.randolph.nc.us. ‘Share It!’ Integration of Web broadcasting of building permit data Two Johnston County departments used the World Wide Web to free their tax appraisers from unnecessary field trips. The county’s Building Inspections Department and Tax Office were not integrated to share new construction information, resulting in tax appraisers visiting properties before construction had begun on lands that building permits were issued for. The two departments collaborated to implement a Web-based solution that allows not only tax appraisers but anyone with Internet access to view the status of a building permit. The county Tax Office has enjoyed an estimated 35 percent reduction in field trips for its appraisers, resulting in annual savings of roughly $4,500 in mileage reimbursements and $24,550 in staff time. For more information, contact Tax Administrator Pat Goddard at (919) 989-5130 or pat.goddard@johnstonnc.com, or Planning and Building Inspections Director Steven Finn at steven.finn@johnstonnc.com. Little River Regional Park and Natural Area
A tract of land that was originally viewed as a potential landfill is now a 391-acre park that straddles the Durham-Orange county line, thanks to a collaborative effort by two county governments, two non-profit land trusts and community volunteers. In 1999, a 178-acre parcel in the northeast corner of Orange County was identified as a possible landfill site. The site was eventually rejected, and the deliberations prompted Orange County officials to discuss locating a park adjacent to the site. Both counties had interest in protecting the land from a preservation standpoint, but the tract is also upstream from the Little River Reservoir – the City of Durham’s drinking water supply. With a four-way partnership that included two non-profits (the Triangle Land Conservancy and Eno River Association), Durham and Orange counties jointly applied for and received four grants to fund the acquisition and development of the land. Volunteers contributed an estimated 2,500 hours to the project, constructing seven miles of nature trails and another seven miles of bike trails. Existing farm outbuildings were renovated and transformed to serve as maintenance sheds, informational bases and shelters. The park opened in December 2004, with 255 acres in Durham and 136 acres in Orange. Both counties fund ongoing maintenance equally. The Orange County Recreation and Parks Department manages the park, which includes picnic shelters, a playground, a park office, visitor parking and restrooms. For more information, contact Jane Korest, open space and real estate manager, at (919) 560-7955 or jkorest@co.durham.nc.us. Human Services ‘Step It Up’ employee fitness and wellness campaign
When an employee assessment survey revealed that less than 7 percent of its employees were active for at least 20 minutes five or more times per week, Surry County decided to challenge employees to “step it up.” The county spent $11 on a pedometer for each employee, and asked them to take more than 10,000 steps a day. The average person takes between 3,000 and 6,000 steps daily. The team-based, 10-week program boasted three goals: decrease insurance costs by focusing on health maintenance, risk reduction and disease management; decrease absenteeism; and increase job satisfaction and productivity. More than 70 percent of Surry County’s 676 employees participated in the program in 2004, and eight of the county’s 18 departments had a 100 percent participation rate. The winning team was recognized via newsletter and was treated to an awards luncheon by a county commissioner. For more information, contact Wellness Coordinator Elke Ragland at (336) 401-8413 or raglande@co.surry.nc.us. Mental Health Maintenance of Effort Funds Grant Program
After joining a Local Management Entity (LME) as part of the state’s mental health reform effort, Henderson County faced a dilemma. By joining eight other counties in the Western Highlands LME, the county’s costs for mental health services had dropped. However, due to the state’s “maintenance of effort” mandate, which requires that each county maintain its levels of funding from year to year for human service activities, Henderson needed to continue funding mental health services at the same level it did during the previous year, when it employed a local mental health service provider. The county has experienced a recent upswing in the number of psychiatric patients being processed through local hospital emergency rooms, transported by the Sheriff’s Department and Emergency Medical Services, and diverted into the county’s detention facility. To combat the mental health emergencies, the county manager’s staff implemented a grant program using maintenance of effort funds and solicited applications from mental health service providers. The county awarded $528,342 in grants to three providers/programs to train public school staff in crisis response, establish a therapy/jail diversion program for delinquent or undisciplined adolescent girls, and to develop programs that will increase access to the mental health system. County leaders hope the unique grant will help divert citizens in need of mental health services from emergency rooms and detention facilities. For more information, contact County Manager David Nicholson at (828) 697-4809 or davidn@hendersoncountync.org. Medical Access Program Cumberland County found that a little coordination can go a long way to helping its needy citizens. In 2002, Cumberland County’s Health, Mental Health and Social Services departments joined with the county hospital system, Better Health of Cumberland County and The Care Clinic to form a community partnership to create the Medical Access Program (CCMAP). The intent of the program is to provide a coordinated system of care to fill the chronic need for medications by its indigent residents. Prior to the collaborative effort, the partner agencies were individually attempting to address the problem but ended up duplicating services or providing sporadic service. Operating as a non-profit agency, CCMAP is funded through $250,000, three-year grants from the Duke Endowment and the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust and a $750,000, three-year expansion grant from the N.C. Health and Wellness Trust Fund Commission. Partnering agencies provide in-kind contributions. Partner agencies and local private physicians began referring patients who meet certain qualifications and are in need of prescription assistance to the program in July 2002. The average patient receives $2,900 in medication each year, although some students have received more than $10,000 in medication from CCMAP in one year. The program is helping patients avoid the emergency room and remain productive. CCMAP also provides low-cost pharmacy services to the county jail by supplying overstocked medications, which were obtained at a reduced price through state contract bulk purchases. For more information, contact Program Director Catherine Roach at (910) 433-3702 or croach@capefearvalley.com. More efficient Food Stamps workbook An increase in the number of Food Stamp Program participants led Moore County’s Leah Harris to develop a more efficient workbook. Using the existing DSS-1698A workbook and other materials to ensure all areas of eligibility were addressed, Harris constructed a new workbook that consists of four pages – a 20-page reduction from the previous book. Moore County began using the book in January 2003. Over the next 18 months, the county absorbed an ongoing increase of 410 cases (from 1,625 to 2,035) without adding any staff members. The workbook allows staff members to perform interviews in 30 fewer minutes, resulting in a monthly savings of more than 170 staff hours. Considering the caseload increase, the streamlined workbook saved the county from having to add an additional position. The Moore County team continues to meet state timeliness standards and maintain a 100 percent accuracy rating in Quality Control case monitoring. For more information, contact Leah Harris, income maintenance supervisor, at (910) 947-7377 or lharris@moorecountync.gov. Child welfare faith community partnership Wake County Human Services partnered with 41 local churches to help support foster families and families who are at risk of needing foster care for their children. The partnership began in December 2001 as part of the Family-to-Family Initiative, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The county invited more than 80 churches, primarily located in Raleigh’s inner city, to a lunch and information session. Child Welfare leaders, foster parents and youths shared information with church leaders about the overrepresentation of African-American children from inner-city Raleigh who are in foster care and the fact that too many of these children were being sent out of county because of a lack of foster homes. The churches that have provided help have:
For more information, contact Faith Initiative Project Manager Alma Shelton at (919) 250-4461 or ashelton@co.wake.nc.us. |
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