Child Support Department Opens July 6 in Bradford Avenue Location HE CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT OFFICE located in Eutaw Village Shopping Center Tclosed Tuesday, June 29, as the agency’s operations transfer from the state of North Carolina to Cumberland County effective July 1. On July 6, the county’s new Child Support Department will open for business on the third and fourth floors of the Mental Health Center’s facility at 109 Bradford Ave. During the time the office is closed, clients can call 910-486-1092 or 1-800-992-9457 for information or assistance. Child support agents work closely with the court system, which sees about 1,500 to 2,000 new cases each year. To assist in the transition from a state-run to a county-operated department, the court system canceled child support court for about a month. Held two days a week, child support court will resume on July 14. Austin Keating, the Child Support Department Director, is overseeing both the operational transition and physical transfer for the office. “The services provided to the public will not change, and we anticipate that productivity and services will increase with the county adding staffing and enhancing our technology,” Keating said. “We look forward to this new endeavor and know that our customers will in the near future experience the results of everyone’s efforts.” Keating Named County Child Support Director ARRY AUSTIN KEatING has been appointed the first director of Cumberland County’s new Child Support Department. The county is taking over responsibility Hfor child support enforcement from the state on July 1, and Keating is overseeing the transition. Keating has more than 25 years of child support enforcement experience. Prior to accepting the new county director’s position, Keating was employed by the state of North Carolina as the Social Services Program Manager for the Cumberland and Harnett County Child Support Enforcement office for three years. He is very familiar with child support enforcement in Cumberland County, having served as a child support agent for seven years (1987-1994) and as the supervisor of the state-operated county office from 2003 to 2007. Keating earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of North Carolina at KEATING Pembroke and worked for the Robeson County Department of Social Services as an eligibility specialist and then a child support agent from 1983 to 1987. VOLUME VIII, Issue 4 • July 2010 1 County Manager’s Message HE FY 2011 COUNTY BUDGET was adopted on June 21 and for most permanent employees hired before June 20 that means a 2 percent cost-of-living Tincrease with the first full pay period in July. Unlike other counties, we are very fortunate that employee furloughs or job cuts were not needed to balance the budget. The budget includes a new county department. The Child Support Department will open JAMES MARTIN July 6 in the Mental Health Center on Bradford Avenue and is expected to eventually have 66 employees. As we start this new fiscal year, going green will continue to be a goal of county government. Twenty departments have earned their green certification from Sustainable Sandhills, and in the next few months, a “green team” will be developing environmental policies for county employees. You will be hearing more about this in the future. In the meantime, I encourage you to do all you can to reduce your environmental footprint at work and at home. Reuse, recycle and conserve whenever possible. Finally, I hope you enjoy safe and well-deserved vacations, day trips and other recreational activities this summer. Budget to Include DSS Offers Relief 2% Employee COLA from the Heat; Increase Seeks Fan Donations HE CUMBERLAND COUNTY BOARD HE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES is OF COMMISSIONERS adopted the accepting donations of new box fans from civic TFY2011 budget on June 21. The general Torganizations, churches, businesses and individuals fund budget totals almost $286 million and in the community willing to help. Fans may be dropped includes a property tax rate of 74 cents per $100 off at the DSS building, 1225 Ramsey St., between the valuation, a reduction of 2.6 cents from the current hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. rate of 76.6 cents Donated fans will be distributed to those in our There is good news for county employees. The community whose income falls below 200 percent of budget includes a 2 percent cost-of-living pay the current poverty level, and who have a family member increase for most permanent county employees in the home under the age of 2, over 60, or with a heat- hired before June 20, 2010. The raise is effective sensitive medical condition. beginning with the first full pay period in July. Regarding 401-K contributions to employee DSS is also opening an auxiliary accounts, the adopted budget does not include a lobby from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., county contribution to employee 401-K accounts. Monday through Friday, You may recall that last July the county’s 1 percent throughout the summer contribution was indefinitely suspended in an when a heat advisory is effort to avoid harsher budget cuts in the future. issued or the heat index In other areas, the county commissioners reaches 100. earmarked six-tenths of a penny of the county- Contact the Adult wide tax rate, which is expected to total $1.2 Services Department at million, for a jail expansion capital project. The 910-677-2388 for more board also approved transferring $1.8 million from information. the designated Health Department renovation reserve to the jail expansion reserve. 2 Employee Briefs New Director at Animal Services DR. JOHN LAUBY, the county’s contract veterinarian, has been appointed the Animal Services Director. Lauby has been the county’s contract veterinarian for more than 15 years. Thank You I would like to thank all county employees who donated leave during my recent illness. I am so thankful and blessed to be able to be back at work. Again, thank you for your kindness! Kay Williams, Public Health Dental Hygienist for Cumberland County Editor’s Note: The county’s voluntary shared leave program allows employees to donate annual leave to other LAUBY employees who have exhausted all other leave and who meet the requirements spelled out in the county policy. The policy is posted on the Intranet. Attorneys Honor Late Grainger Barrett The Government and Public Sector Section of the North Carolina Bar Association recently honored the late GRAINGER R. BaRRETT as the 2010 recipient of its Outstanding Government and Public Sector Attorney Award, which has now been renamed the Grainger Barrett Award for Excellence in honor the our longtime county attorney who died last July. Sharon Barrett accepted the award on behalf of her husband. Rodriguez Elected to Board RODRIGUEZ JOANIE RODRIGUEZ, senior Veterans Service Officer, has been elected as an Executive Board Member for the North Carolina Association of County Veterans Service Officers. County Wins Financial Reporting Award Cumberland County has been recognized for excellence in financial reporting. The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada awarded its Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to ASSIstaNT COUNTY MANagER AMY CANNON, the county’s financial director, for the county’s comprehensive annual financial report for fiscal year 2009. The award is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management. CANNON Blood Drives Save Lives In the span of just a few hours on June 21, Cumberland County employees helped save up to 93 lives, according to the Cape Fear Valley Blood Donor Center. At the center’s blood drive that morning at Headquarters Library 24 people signed in and 17 units of blood were collected. Later that afternoon at the Courthouse, 21 donors signed in, and 14 units were collected. Each unit collected has the potential of saving up to three lives. We hope to schedule blood drives for county employees once a quarter. American Heart Association News Be on the lookout soon for news regarding the winners in the American Heart Association raffle drawing and mark your calendars for the 2010 Start! Sandhills Heart Walk on Saturday, October 9th at Festival Park. If you are interested in participating, contact Kelly Rogers, AHA Director of Corporate Relations at (919)463-8327 or [email protected] for more information. 3 Animal Services Extends Adoption Hours UMBERLAND COUNTY ANIMAL CSERVICES has extended Cumberland County hours for pet adoptions. The new hours are Monday through Animal Services Friday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. NEW Adoption and Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 4:30 Hours: p.m. The shelter is located at 4704 Corporation Dr. Call 321-6852 for more information or e-mail ccac@ Monday through Friday co.cumberland.nc.us. 9:00 am to 5:30 pm Animal Services Director Dr. John Lauby said the move is an and attempt to increase the number Saturdays of adoptions by offering a longer time frame for residents to visit 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm the shelter and find a pet they want to take home. Web Site Offers Inspection Tracking ommercial building permit applicants can now track building plan reviews online thanks to a new service offered by CUMBERLAND COUNTy’S PLANNING AND INSPECTIONS CDEPARTMENT. Owners, contractors and designers who have submitted commercial construction plans to the department can access the progress of their plan review via the County Web site at http://www.