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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1987-08-04 Special Meeting ~._.__.___ l...- ~9; MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING, AUGUST 3, 1987 (CONTINUED) Discussion of Participation of Constitution Week Assistant County Manager, Mary Gornto, conunented on Constitution Week, September 14-18, 1987, celebrating the 200th anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution. She stated County officials have been asked and forwarded forms by Dianne Avery, Conununity Schools Coordinator, to participate in school programs. Assistant County Manager Gornto requested any Conunissioner wishing to participate in the celebration to return their form as soon as possible. '1 L J ADJOURNMENT Conunissioner Retchin MOVED, SECONDED by Vice-Chairman Dolan to adjourn. Upon vote, the MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Chairman O'Neal adjourned the meeting at 11:04 o'clock P.M. Respectfully submitted, ~~~~ Clerk MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING OF AUGUST 4, 1987 ASSEMBLY A meeting of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners was held jointly with the New Hanover County Social Services Board on Tuesday, August 4, 1987, at 6:00 o'clock P.M. in the Department of Social Services Building, 1920 Rankin Street, Wilmington, North Carolina. ,. L Members present were: Commissioners Jonathan Barfield, Sr.; W. Albert Corbett, Jr.; Fred Retchin; Chairman Nolan O'Neal; County Attorney Robert W. Pope; County Manager G. Felix Cooper; and Deputy Clerk Joyce B. Bragg. Vice-Chairman John M. Dolan was absent. Chairman O'Neal called the meeting to order, stating the purpose of the Special Meeting was to discuss various directions for welfare reform. PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION BY SOCIAL SERVICES BOARD AND STAFF Social Services Board Chairman, W. K. Hobbs, thanked the Commissioners and staff for their interest and attendance. He expressed special appreciation to Commissioner Retchin, who serves on the Social Services Board, for keeping the Commissioners informed regarding the Social Services Programs and needs. Social Services Department Director, Wayne Morris, stated that on a national level there is going to be a welfare reform. He cautioned everyone that they should focus on what needs to be changed. He stated the welfare reform would have very little impact on Medicaid, and some of the services that DSS delivers, i.e., chore services for the elderly, and protective services for children. It will impact very directly on the AFDC program, which is the only approved welfare program in existence, and represents a case load of a few more than 4,000 people, or approximately 1700 families in New Hanover County. ,. L The "Blueprint for the Future" booklet served as an agenda for the remainder of the meeting. Mr. Morris expressed concern for seeking methods of changes in the system that will provide incentives for people to become self-sufficient, breaking the cycle of dependency. The necessary basic national decision is not to immediately cut expenditures for welfare, but whether we l___ 5~ MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING OF AUGUST 4, 1987 - (CONTINUED) are ready and willing to put in the resources, funding primarily, to break the cycle of welfare dependency. The Moneyhan bill will abolish AFDC and set up a Child Support supplement payment system in its place. President Reagan has recommended funding of demons tat ion projects in the states. " Mr. Morris stated that DSS must have some kind of work program. They began the Community Work Experience Program in January, 1987. John Wasson defined the program, stating that the Moneyhan bill proposes extending the Medicaid from four months to twelve months to assist those who try to work. LJ Commissioner Retchin stated that the Community Work Experience Program itself is not enough. There are many things that need to be done and it will take a lot of time, effort and commitment by a lot of people; a total community commitment. Education is the primary need and needs to get started right away. Childcare and teenage pregnancy are other things that need to be addressed in the community. He stated that DSS will need to work with the school system, and every community agency trying to develop programs for the needs of the clients. Commissioner Corbett stated that there are not enough jobs in industry to accommodate the growing number of clients. Commissioner Barfield asked why the emphasis on clients who have been on welfare and where are the new clients coming from? [ John Wasson stated that the people just coming into to AFDC have not been in it that long and are not trapped in the generational dependency, that they are in the formative stage. Mr. Hobbs stated that there is not enough funding, that it is a matter of chosing that particular group as potentially the best to serve. Mr. Wasson answered the second question that new clients come from women, whose husbands take off. They may be 35 years old, with three children and have never worked before. Their only resource is AFDC. Others are women who have worked and are unemployed for different reasons and need AFDC to survive. Commissioner Barfield stated that there are clients who have the incentive to live a good life, have the makings and want the dignity that comes with employment. The incentives for them to work are more crippling than they are beneficial to the person receiving welfare. He stated that he had talked with people who would like to have a jOb and a supplement for whatever that jOb does not take care of. This would give them the dignity and a sense of self accomplishment. He recommended that supplements should not be conditional. He stated that his comments are constructive critizism as he perceives the program. A lengthy discussion was held on the programs now in effect and emphasis was placed on a community-wide effort to educate, create new jObs, and place more people in jobs. I' ~ Commissioner Barfield stated that we have a saturated work force and JTPA is now giving job training. Commissioner Retchin commented that in New Hanover County, we have relative low unemployment rate, but it is not true in Brunswick and Pender Counties. We should try to work closely with neighboring counties to develop more jobs in those areas. Mr. Hobbs emphasized that a recognized commitment and reali ty of the work experience program and the opportunity for that are initially going to require more costs. If the cycle is broken successfully, it will require financial resources ~lso. 00 MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING OF AUGUST 4, 1987 - (CONTINUED) Commissioner Barfield inquired where they would apply for the funding? Commissioner Retchin stated funds would mostly come from State and Federal government. Mr. Morris stated that in reality, the County Commissioners would have to fund the projects. Mr. Wasson asked Commissioner Barfield to discuss the possibility of appointing a DSS social worker to serve on the JTPA Committee. Commissioner Barfield stated that he would talk to the proper person to implement this. 'l LJ Commissioner Barfield explained that the people on welfare rather enjoy the life they are living, because they know nothing different, that individual evaluations would be the best way to educate the recepients. Chairman O'Neal stated that various factors related to education should be the main interest and focus on the children. If they are not trained at home, then it must be done in Daycare and the School System. More volunteers are needed to help with this project. Commissioner Barfield questioned the involvement of DSS staff has with the Headstart Program. Julie Jackson, a Board member of the Headstart Program, stated that DSS staff refers children to Headstart, that she was on the selection' committee with the task of deciding who was already receiving care somewhere, trying to balance it out, so that they could serve more children. She stated that Headstart is a Federally funding program and does not come from DSS's budget. Commissioner Barfield stated one community effort to include DSS, County Commissioners and a few others to get behind a program like Headstart, to encourage Federal Government funding or even fund it locally, in order to catch a lot of children before they get to the point of illiteracy or the incentive to do better than their ancestors is destroyed. He stated that sometimes children will give parents the incentive to be educated. r L Ms. Jackson stated that Headstart is now serving only four year olds, less than last year. The primary target group is AFDC mothers who have first priority this year. They have eight or nine classrooms. Mr. Barfield commented that the Peabody building should be full of students, thus dealing with the future. Ms. Jackson stated there are 580 active cases that are waiting for care now, in the age group of birth through 13, mostly in the critical age range of two to four. They have 18 daycare centers working with them. They stay full, however there are not enough funds. Four centers will close next month if funds are not made available. ' Commissioner Barfield requested that the Headstart Program be investigated to determine what we can do locally for the children. r- Mr. Hobbs requested a future opportunity to approach the Comissioners with an assessment of the CWEP Program. L DISCUSSION OF GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES BUILDING The Commissioners and Social Services Board discussed scheduling a groundbreaking ceremony for the Social Services Building on August 25, at 8:00 o'clock A.M. INTRODUCTION OF DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES' SUPERVISORS All of the supervisors of the Department of Social Services introduced themselves, stating the name of their department. T '--- 6( MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING OF AUGUST 4, 1987 (CONTINUED) ADJOURNMENT Mr. Hobbs extended an invitation to the Commissioners to attend any Social Services Board meeting, stating he is looking forward to a good relationship with the Commissioners as he serves as Chairman of the DSS Board. " I u Chairman O'Neal thanked the Social Services Board for the invitation to the special meeting and dinner. Chairman O'Neal adjourned the meeting at 7:30 p.m. Respectfully su ~1:agg, Clerk " I Li " I LJ ~-------------,