April 10, 2019 at a Budget Workshop Meeting of the Southampton County
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April 10, 2019 At a budget workshop meeting of the Southampton County Board of Supervisors held in the Board room of the Southampton County Office Center, 26022 Administration Drive, Courtland, Virginia on April 10, 2019. SUPERVISORS PRESENT Ronald M. West, Vice Chairman (Berlin-Ivor) Dr. Alan W. Edwards (Jerusalem) Carl J. Faison (Boykins-Branchville) S. Bruce Phillips (Capron) Barry T. Porter (Franklin) R. Randolph Cook (Newsoms) SUPERVISORS ABSENT Dallas O. Jones, Chairman (Drewryville) OTHERS PRESENT Michael W. Johnson, County Administrator (Clerk) Lynette C. Lowe, Deputy County Administrator/Chief Financial Officer Richard E. Railey, County Attorney Vice-Chairman Ronnie West states it is 6:30pm and I would like to call this budget workshop meeting to order. I will now ask everyone to rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. Vice-Chairman West states that Chairman Jones was out with surgery, asks for prayers for recovery. Vice-Chairman West states good evening. The first speaker is Lorraine Green Whitehead. Smart Beginnings – representative Lorraine Green Whitehead, Executive Director. Mrs. Whitehead thanks the Board for support of the program which has allowed Smart Beginnings to provide significant change in the early childhood experiences of at-risk children, providing them with a greater possibility for a better life. Mrs. Whitehead provided a brief synopsis of what services the program provides including: x Workshop materials for early childcare providers; x Provide resources for skills development in areas; x Assist at child care centers to maintain licensure and the Virginia quality ratings; x Developing data capacity action plans that will identify which children are not ready for kindergarten according to assessment; x Host and facilitate the Western Tidewater childhood collaboration which builds a system of services and resources making them more available to meet the needs of families. These members include the school system, the health department, DSS, the Children’s Center, Headstart, home visiting health services, local hospitals, YMCA and library; x Smart Beginnings is a sleep-tight Hampton Roads crib distributor, providing cribs and safe sleep information to mothers with limited resources; Mrs. Whitehead concludes by asking for the Board’s continuing support in order to help raise our children up out of poverty into college and career readiness. Vice-Chairman West asks the Board for questions or comments. There being none, he thanks Mrs. Whitehead for her presentation and expresses appreciation from the Board for what she does through Smart Beginnings. The next speaker is Phillip Bradshaw. Paul D. Camp Community College – Philip Bradshaw, CFO (speaking in the absence of President Lufkin). Mr. Bradshaw indicates that the request this year is the same as last year (as promised). He shares the following about PDCCC: x PDCCC is one of the few community colleges (out of 23 in the state of Virginia) that has had an increase in enrollment. He adds that one of the biggest areas of enrollment is dual- enrollment with Southampton High School being one of the strongest high schools with dual enrollment in the college system, leading to students that will graduate from college April 10, 2019 before graduating from high school; which is a tremendous amount of financial savings for parents; x A food pantry has been set up at both campuses and the center in Smithfield because students are coming into the campus without food and are mal-nourished; x PDCCC is working with the Port of Virginia to provide training for individuals to work in warehouses. This program will kick-off in the next couple of months; x Work-Force Center has increased the number of programs and certifications that it provides based on workforce in our service region; x PDCCC’s athletic program is growing and is in the second year of baseball. The games have at times been attended by over 400 people. PDCCC’s softball and baseball teams have been so successful this year that they will probably make regional playoffs; x PDCCC has upgraded the City owned Armory Field (where the softball team plays) and paid for all upgrades including pushing the fence back all the way to the sidewalk and raised up. These upgrades were made through donations; x PDCCC has hired local resident Clay Hyatt to run the newly started men’s and women’s soccer program which will add at least 15-20 additional students on campus. The soccer games are expected to begin this fall. Mr. Hyatt also serves as the student activities coordinator; x According to a recent economic analysis of the impact to athletics for our region, over $700,000 a year is being generated. Mr. Bradshaw concludes that Paul D. Camp College is growing and appreciates the County’s support. He reminds the Board that the college cannot use state fund tuition for anything five feet from the building and beyond. This includes no parking lot repairs, lights, trees, grass-cutting, etc. These funds must be local and/or donations. Vice-Chairman West asks the Board for questions. Mr. Porter questions when the golf program would begin at the college. Mr. Bradshaw answers that is under consideration. Mr. Porter adds that PDCCC has contracted with the Country Club for access with no charge at the course. He further adds that the college is looking at cross-country and tennis as well. The goal is to add a program each year as long as the funding is available. The next speaker is Bob Hayes. Western Tidewater Free Clinic – Bob Hayes, Board Member, thanks the Board for the opportunity to speak for consideration of the Western Tidewater 2019-2020 fiscal year funding request of $40,170. He continues the clinic is grateful for the funding that Southampton County has given since 2007 in a total amount of $104,250. Mr. Hayes shares some of the services the clinic has provided over the last twelve years: x Care to over 5500 unduplicated patients through more than 155,000 on-site visits since 2007. The services provided are medical, dental, women’s health, pharmacy, vision and mental health; x Patients have received over 250,000 free medications worth 47.2 million dollars; x 52% of patients are from Suffolk, 23% from Isle of Wight, 10% from Southampton County and 11% from Franklin; x The clinic served 1627 patients through 19,000 visits in 2018. This included 590 dental patients; x 6% of patients have an income at or below 100 percent poverty level; x Medication provided last year was valued at 8.6 million dollars. Free; x Volunteers help the clinic control operating cost donating over 8900 hours equivalent to 4.3 full-time employees; x Southampton resident Dr. Sharon Sheffield serves on the Board of Directors and volunteers one evening a month providing medical services; x Donations of $858 was given by five Southampton County residents; April 10, 2019 x In 2018, the clinic served 168 Southampton County residents as patients, visiting for services over 2000 times. This included 62 dental patients. This represents 10.5% of the total dental patients seen at the clinic. The cost of care averaged about $1200 per patient/per year; x In 2019, the operating budget for the clinic will be $1.9 million dollars; Mr. Hayes states that because the clinic is a long way from Southampton County, a representative comes to the Franklin Cooperative Ministry building in Franklin twice a month to interview future patients on eligibility or re-interview them if a repeater. Mr. Hayes summarizes by asking the Board to remember that the cost is $1200 per year per patient and that the clinic served 168 patients last year from Southampton County and expects to serve the same number or more this year at a cost of $201,000 to provide services for those patients. Mr. Hayes again made the request for $40,170 which is 10.3% of the amount being asked from all the municipalities. He concludes that for every dollar donated to the clinic, the clinic provides $6 worth of services. Mr. Hayes again thanks the Board for the money provided over the years and adds that he hopes the Board will continue. Mr. Hayes made himself available for questions. Vice-Chairman West asks the Board if there were questions. The next speaker is Steve Zollos. Senior Services, Steve Zollos, CEO for Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia states that this is a one stop resource for services for seniors. Mr. Zollos states that they service all the jurisdictions from Norfolk to Isle of Wight, Southampton and Franklin. Mr. Zollos states that Senior Services is requesting $10,545 in matching funds this year, $6960 of which will be used for direct services and $3585 for I-Ride services. Mr. Zollos offers an explanation of the services that Senior Services provides: x I-Ride provides transportation to primarily seniors, persons with disabilities and veterans. Anticipates 530 seniors and persons with disabilities and care-givers with 18,000 plus units of service this coming year; x Farmers Market vouchers which provides needing seniors with $40 checkbooks for fresh produce from local farmers; x Benefits counseling for benefits such as Medicare; x Care Transitions for persons leaving the hospital coming home, the goal being to lower the re-admissions rate which is typically about 18 and 20% for seniors being re-admitted within thirty days. As a result of this program, this rate is lowered to 7 or 8%; Mr. Zollos states that the funds requested last year have been fully utilized already. He states that as for return on investment, the total value of the project for Southampton is $264,274, which is a significant return on investment.