1962-05-21 Regular Meeting
Y
Wilmington, N. C. May 21, 1962
I ASSENBLY -
The regular semimonthly meeting of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners
was held today at 9:00 A. M. in the Commissionerst Room of the County Court House viith the
following members in attendance: Cha.irman J. M. ]-Ia11, Jr., Commissioners Peter H. Braak,
Ernest R. Mayhan and John Van B. Metts,.Jr.; Count.y Auditor T. D. Love and County Attorney
I L. Bradford Tillery. Mr. Broadhurst was absent due to a death in the family. •
IIqVOCATION - '
The Chairman called the meeting to order and in the absence of Reverand J.
Ray Butler, Pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, called on the Executive Secretary, Mr. W..G.
Houck,for the invocation.
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES
The recessed minutes of Nray 7th and the minutes of the.Special Meeting on M,ay
14th, which also served as a regular meeting, were .upon mot7on of Mr. Nietts, seconded by ,
Mr. N'rayhan, unanimously approved with the changing of the word "mercantile" in the Insur-
ance paragraph t,o "industrial". I I _+_,
COMNUNITY HOSPITAL -
P,r. Edward L. Ward, Chairman of the Board Directors of Community Hospital,
with Dr. J. G. Boyes, Jr., Chief of Staff and Charleso ?-Anderson; ?'a? appeared
before the Board and presented some urgent needs of the hospital. h:r. blarcl remarked that
the physical condition of the plant was better than at any time since he had been familiar
with it but that some upgrading in the personnel department needed to be done particularly
with reference to the resident physicians. He ?introduced Dr. J. G. Boyes, Jr. who made
the following remarks:
Shortly after the final brick was laid on Community Hospital some 18 years
ago, a fine medical staff moved in to care for the negro community- private and
charity. During succeeding years the direct care of welfare patients was delegated
more and more to hoLSe physicians with the private doctor in nominal attendance.
Salaries of inedical personnel gradually fell behind.current trends and the caliber
of house officer has deteriorated generally. The previous wealth of attending
doctors became increasingly annoyed with inadequacies and one by one they resigned.
? During this interval the traffic load has progressively increased for out- ' patient services among welfare card carriers. The welfare in-patient bed occupancy
' has increased in number and the duration of hospital stay has doubled. The conduct
of care of welfare patients has deteriorated for lack of adequate attending and
house physicians until today the hospital is on the brink of being unable to care
for the indigent.
II
Presently the hospital is as structurally sound as the day it was built. dt
is adequately equipped to care for the routine medical problems that arise. It is ?'
? not a hospital equipped to manage all technical problems that require highly spec-
! ialized equipment and personnel. The administration has recently been placed into
? excellent hands, i??hereas formerly the hospitai was accredited for intern training
it no longer i5.
i ?
? With the building and administration presently on good control, there remains '
the final problem of personnel before it may expect re-accreditation. The problem
of personnel resolves itself into three facets - nurses, house staff, and attending ?
physicians. The nursing department is understaffed, uade?}?a?Ce.d, and to some degree
inexperienced. Responsibilities of care has of necessity heen deiegaLe6 iti isuid? ed ;? =-
incidences to licensed practical nurses.
Salaries of nurses have remained below starting salaries for nurses in other
I local hospitals - and considerably below salaries offered in other communities
throughout the state. The ratio of technical and nursino personnel per patient is
below minimum recommended standards set by the North Carolina Medicare Association.
The hospital staff has never reaped a,harvest of graduates from its own school be-
cause of discrepancies in salaries here and elsewhere in the state. It has, how-
ever, enjoyed the aid of nurses-in-training to the respective medical departments.
HOUSE STAFF
When accredited,the hospital enjoyed the aid of four negro interns at salaries
compatible with the existing times as a teaching hospital. Within recent years,
the hospital has had progressively increasing difficulty with procuring of resident
house staff. Those obtained have in general been substandard in proficiency and
have accepted salaries below those offered elsewhere.
The law of supply and demand has forced hospitals throughout.the nation to
offer salaries upwards to $10,000 a year for well trained resident physicians. There
q is, in general, a 2ack of available American interns thnouohout the nation so Lhat
hospitals in the United States are host to some.8,000 foreign doctors. Negro phy-
sicians are even less available in the south because of infiated salaries offered in
northern negro and white hospitals.
Presently, we have one resident physician to service in-patients and the larger
I out-patient department. Other local hospitals report increased demand for emergency
room care. We consider one physician per 25 patients the ideal ratio and one phy-
sician per 40 patients as the minimum ratio.
The present attending staff is reduced to (1) five negro physicians of the com-
munity who carry the load of their own private practice but also the ever increasing
indigent load; and (2) handful of white physicians limited by specialization. This
small staff is replete with surgeons and sparce on medical men. The medical patient
occupies the bulk of the bed occupancy of Community Hospital.
The increased indigent load coupled with the lack of supportive 1pedical personnel
at Conmunity 13ospital has made the hospital unattractive to many physicians of
continued-
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Minutes of the Meeting Nay 21, 1962 Continued
COMiNUNITY HOSPITAL -
(Continued)
Wilmington. The New Hanover County Nedical Society recently has been made aware
of the criticai nature of the hospital situation. It has offered its support with ,
staffing the hospitalirif existing deficiencies can be corrected',
In summary, we believe that if the hospital is to continue to care for the
negro people adequately and obtain accreditation again, the following steps are
necessary:
(1) Procurement of at least two well traired medical house staff physicians
at a salary compatible with national trends.
(2) Improvement in nursing staff personnel.
Only then, may we hope to attract again physicians to Community Hospital
to care for ever increasing indiger.ts of our town.
Nr. Ward then observed that to secure resident physicians they were in competition ?
with VA Hospitals which pay a minimum salary of $8,000. He requested that consideration
be given to increasino the appropriation for resident physician salaries from $14,000
to $20,000 per year in the 1962-63 Budget. No formal motion was made on this matter
but the Chairman received a favorable nod from each member of the Board present and
authorized them to proceed with their plans on that basis. He explained that some of
the items were over-drav,m in the Budget and some were under expended and asked permission
for making adjustments as necessary for the rest of the year within the total Budget.
This was approved by common consent. Mr. Nietts observed that Dr. Boyes has made a great
contribution to Community Hospital for which the Board was very appreciative.
` WILA7INGTON COLLEGE - I
Dr. John T. Hoggard, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Wilmington College
and Mr. A. Rex Willis, Comptroller, explained that the College had earned $4,983.87 in
quarter hours allowed by the State which is available on a matching fund basis and that
if the Commissioners would grant permission for them to transfer that amount from the
funds now earmarked for building purposes they would be able to collect it from the
State. Upon motion of Mr. Metts, seconded by Pfir. Braak, the Bo:ard unanimously agreed
to transfer $5,000 from the monies on deposit for huilding purposes to the operatino
(expense.
AtEW HANOVER MEN:ORIAL HOSPITAL -
Compiying with the agreement at the meeting on May 14th, Mr. M. C. Brown '
reported that he had discussed the matter of Bond Anticipation Notes with his committee
which they would need to se11 in order to finance their projected plans for the next
12 to 18 months. Their anticipated needs are as follows:
June 1, 1962 $10,000.00
July i, 1962 60,000.00
October 1, 1962 104,000.00
25,000.00
50,000.00
250,000.00
$ 495,000.00
,
Repayment to the County
Purchase of land
Architects' fee
As an operating expense- Bank acct.
Niscel. Expense, Auditors, etc.
Architects fees
After discussing the various questions which were raised, Mr. Metts offered a motion
that the Chairman be authori2ed to consult whomever he chose along with Mr. W. E. Easter-
ling, Local Government Commission, and be empowered to act on the sale of Bond Antici-
pation Notes up $500,000.00. It was seconded by hir. Braak and unanimously adopted.
IWELFARE QUARTERS -
Pursuant to instructions at the last regular meeting, the subject of renovatin
the Isaac Bear Suilding for administration quarters.for the Public Welfare Department
was reconsidered. Several questions were asked that no one could clear up with referencE?'
to the requirements for receiving the $6,500.00 extra 5tate allocation so Mr. Netts i
offered a motion that a decision be delayed until Mr. R. Eugene Brown was consulted and
precise information secured about what funds the State will pay totiaard the renovation
program and Y704T it will be paid, also that h;r. J. Alex NcMahon, General Counse2 for the '
State Association of County Commissioners, be contacted and his opinion considered. It I
was seconded by Mr. Mayhan and unanimously approved. •
BEER PERMITS -
Mr, following applications for Beer Permits were reviewed and upon motion of
Nr. $raak, seconded by Nr. Mayhan, unanimously approved and referred to the 5heriff for
his consideration and investigation: li
Norman G. Foster T/A IVormants Package House Harper Ave., Carolina Seach ,
George K. Saffo T/A Ambassador Coffee Shop 109 N. 3rd St. City
/NATIONAL GUARD UIVITS - I
Chairman Hall reported that he had received an answer from his letter to '
Congressman Alton A. Lennon opposing the reduction of National Guard Units in North ,
Carolina. He read the letter to the Board in which Congressman Lennon pledged his un-
tiring efforts to resist the plan to eliminate or weaken any of our State units. No
action was required on this subject. I
CORPS OF ENGIAIEERS
The Chairma +read a letter from Colonel R. P. Davidson, District Enyineer,
advising that he was b?ang transferred to take up new duties at Redstone Arsenal, I
Alabama. He expressed his appreciation for the cooperation which he had received 4ihile ,
in the Wilmington District and his regret at not being here to introduce his successor,
Colonel Joseph S. Crrygiel. Mr. Metts then introduced the followino Resolution which was j
seconded by Mr. Mayhan and unanimously adopted: ?
(continued) I+
?
Minutes of the Ivieeting
I CORPS OF ENGIDIEERS - (Continued)
/
WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners of New Hanover County recognizes the import-
ance of the duties incumbent upon the U. S. Corps of Engineers in the 4lilmington
District, and
W]-IEREAS, Colonel R. P., Davidson, who has served with distinction as District
' Engineer for this District, has now been called to other duties, and
WHEREAS, this Board is desirous of recording its appreciation for the spendid
cooperation which it has had £rom Colonel Davidson.
, ?.
; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by this Board that Colonel R. P. Davidson is com-
- mended for outstanding service in the position which he has held in the Wilmington
District.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the best wishes of this Board go with Colonel David-
son in his future activities, .
BE IT FURTHER RESOLUED that a copy of this Resolution be delivered to Colonel
Davidson and that a copy be spread upon the official minutes of this meeting and
a copy sent to the Chief of Army Engineers,
Done at Wilmington, IVorth Carolina this 21st day of Nay, 1962.
STATE CONVENTION - . ?
Mr. Mayhan observed that the annual State Convention of the Association of County
Commissioners is scheduled for Morehead City from June 17th - 19th and suggested that they
be invited to meet in New Hanover County in 1964. After a brief discussion of the proposed
hotel accomodations, Mr. Mayhan offered a motion that the Chairman be authorized to invite
the State Convention to meet in New Hanover County in 1964. It was seconded by Mir. Braak
and unanimously carried.
AIR CONDITIONERS - ,
Mr. Mayhan observed that froRi time to time air conditioning had been mentioned
for both the Recorders Court Room and the Superior Court Room and since we had our new
electrical-service installed he felt consideration should be given to this matter. After
a brief discussion, it was decided to review the plans and specifications tahich were sub-
mitted by Henry Von Oesen and Associates to see if they could noi be modified and used
for this pnrpose. He aiso reported that the office of the Recorders Court Clerk needed
room air conditioners immediately and offered a motion that the Executive Secretary be
authorized td secure informal bids for window air conditioning units and have them install-
ed as soon as possible i, the Recorders Court Offices. It was seconded by Mr. Braak and
B unanimously approved.
NEGRO DETENTION HOME
-
I P'ir. Braak explained t.hat in accordance with the discussion last week, he had ?
surveyed the quarters in connection with the Jevenile Detention Home and suggested that
j two additional rooms with toilet facilities be constructed to the present buildina which
will increase the square footage sufficiently to take care of the normal number of juven-
I iles and that no more than $2,000 be appropriated out of the Airport Easement Fund to pay
, for the materials and that prison labor be used so far as possible. It was seconded by
' Mr. Metts and unanimously adopted. ,
KATIONAL RIVERS AND HAI2BOR5 COAGRESS -
Chairman Hall reported that for the maximum va(?lfare of our water borne traffic ?
interests it is necessary to deepen the Cape Fear and Northeast Rivers above the
bridges and suggests that favorable consideration be given to sending a delegation to
the Nationai Rivers and Harbors Congress, both oi the above projects were given a Class
I I priority rating for the deepenina of the channel to 38 feet and Beach Erosion problems
I were considered as essential projects.
AUDITORtS REPORT -
County Auditor T. D. Love reported that it is always necessary to make adjust- /
ments toward the end of the year in some of the accounts because they were underestimated
or for some unusual reason overspent. After explaining the reasons for each, he presented
h the following requests and transfers or additonal appropriations:
Airport Easement
General Emergency
u n
n u
n n
? n
n n
n n
n u
n n
n n
it n
n ir
n n
n n
n ir
n u
County Home Emero.
u n n
n n n
n n n
n n n
County Farm - Building
" " - Clothing
MaV 22, 1962 Continued
to ,lury Fee $2500.00
to Auditor - Interest State Revenue 18•47
" Cierk Sup. Ct.- Statty, Supplies 350.00
" Commissioners 60.00
Coroner - Autopsy 225•00
" Jail - Laundry 75.00
- Medical 100.00
" Recorders Court-Books, Binders 360.00
" Telephone - Recorders Ct. 25.00
" Superior Ct. - Convey Prisoners. 60.00
" " " - Special Attorney 750.00
- Special Ct. Reporter 567.50
" Tax Listing-Dues, Subscriptions 5•00
" " 't - Rent 50.00
" Prepaid Tax Discount 230•99
Airport - Tools and Supplies 50.00
" County Aid - Social Security 1,000.00
" Sheriff - Radio 50.00
'.' Hospitalization 16;000.00
" County Home - Clothing 100.00
" 't " - Gas 200.00
" ° 't - Kitchen Supplies 50.00
" County Farm- Capital Outlay 35•07
" " " - Rent Equipment 122.00
" County Farm - Feed . 500.00
- Nedical 400.00
contin ued-
II-i
,
Minutes of the N;eeting May 21, 1962 Continved
? AUDITOR's RE?ORT - (Continued) ?
i Transfers-
? County Drainaae - Cap. Outlay to County Drainage - Rep. Equip. $175.00
" " - Tools, Suppiies " " " - Clothing 12I4.,42 I
!i General Emergency Fund " Recorderst Ct, - Salary 200.00
Airport- Ins. Liability Premises to Airport - Cap. Outlay 50.00
- R2pairs Building 100.00 I
i
I After discussing the various items as they urere presented, Mr. Metts offered a motion
that the adjustments and appropriations necessary be approved. It was seconded by
Mr. Braak and unanimously carried.
ADJUSTM.ENT -
Upon motion of Mr. Braak,
to adjourn their meeting.
seconded by Mr. h°etts, the Board unanimously voted
W . G. Hovck, Executive Sec'Netary
Wilmington, N. C. June 4, 1962
? CALL TO ORDER - .
The regular semimonthly meeting of the Plew Hanover County Board of Commiss-
ioners was held on this date at 9:00 A. M. in the office of the Commissioners with the
' follotiaing members in attendance: Chairman J. M. Hall, Jr., Commissioners Peter H.
I Braak, Leon E. Broadhurst, Ernest R. iwayhan and John Van B. Netts, Jr., County
? Auditor T. D. Love and County Attorney L. Bradford Tillery.
I IWOCATION -
The meeting was called to order by the Chairman, who asked Reverend Ray
Collins, Pastor of the Church of God, to open the meetino iaith a prayer for guidance.
APPROVAL,OF THE MINUTES -
Upon motion of Nr. Metts, seconded by Nir. Mayhan, the minutes of the meeting
of May 21st, 1962 were unanimously approved as written.
SALE OF BOND At'JTICIPATIOAi NOTES
County Attorney L. Bradford Tillery reminded the Board that they had author-
ized and empowered the Chairman to act to the best interest of the County in the sale
of Bond Anticipation Notes up to $500,000. After consultation with Mr. W. E. Easterlinc
of the Local Government Co;nmission, it was decided to advertise for bids on these Bond
Anticipation Notes. The public advertisement was run in the Wilminyton Morning Star of
May 31st, 1962 and the date set as June 12th, 1962. After a brief discussion if this
report, Commissioner Leon E. Broadhurst moved that the following Resolution be adopted:i
WHEREAS, the bond order hereinafter described has been finally adopted by
the Board of Commissioners, and tYie bonds authorized by said bond order have not
been issued, and the Board of Commissioners desires to borrow money for the pur-
pose for which the bonds are authorized by said bond order as hereinafter pro-
vided:
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Commissioners of the County of
New Hanover as follows:
(1) The sum of $500,000 shall be borrowed in anticipation of the receipt of
the proceeds of the sale of the bonds authorized to be issued by the bond order
entitled "Bond Order authorizing the issuance of $5,500,000 Public Hospital Bonds
of the County of New Hanover", adopted by the Board of Commissioners on August 21,
1961, for the purpose for which said bonds are authorized to be issued, and
negotiable notes each designated "Pubiic Hospital Bond Anticipation Note" shall be
issued for said sum so borrox,red.
(2) Said notes shall be dated Juile 25, 1962, and shall be payable June 25,
1963, and shall bear interest from their date at a rate which shall not exceed
six per centum (6%) per annum, Such interest shall be payable at the maturity
of said notes. Each of said notes shall be signed by the Chairman'and Cler}c of
the Board of Commissioners of said County and the seal of said County shall be
affixed to each of said notes.
(3) The potaer to fix the rate of interest to be borne by said notes and to
determine the denomination or denominations of the notes and the place of payment
of the notes is hereby delegated to the Chairman and Clerk of the Board of Com-
missioners of said County who are hereby authorized and directed to cause said
notes to be prepared and to execute said notes when they shall have been sold by
the Locai Government Commission of PJorth Carolina. Said Local Government Com-
mission of North Carolina is hereby requested to sell said notes in the manner
prescribed by the Local Government Act of North Carolina.
Commissioner Peter H. Braak seconded the motion, and the motion was adopted. Those
voting for the motion were Messrs. Leon E. Broadhurst, John Van B. Metts, Jr., Peter
H. Braak and Ernest R. Mayhan. No one voted against it.
? I