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2021-10-28 Agenda Review NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35 AGENDA REVIEW MEETING, OCTOBER 28, 2021 PAGE 248 ASSEMBLY The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners met for Agenda Review on Thursday, October 28, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. via in-person and remote in the Harrell Conference Room at the New Hanover County Government Center, 230 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, North Carolina. Members present: Chair Julia Olson-Boseman; Vice-Chair Deb Hays; Commissioner Jonathan Barfield, Jr. (remote); Commissioner Bill Rivenbark; and Commissioner Rob Zapple. Staff present: County Manager Chris Coudriet; County Attorney Wanda M. Copley; and Clerk to the Board Kymberleigh G. Crowell. Chair Olson-Boseman called the Agenda Review meeting to order and announced that the purpose of the meeting is to review and discuss the agenda items for the November 1, 2021 Regular Meeting with discussions as noted: Regular Item 11: Public Hearing - Request by New Hanover County to amend Articles 2, 3, and 5 of the Unified Development Ordinance to Update Height Standards and Setback Requirements for Multi-Family and Nonresidential Structures and Provide for Additional Height Allowances to Accommodate Changing Construction Standards and Structure Types Envisioned for Multi-Family, Mixed Use, and Nonresidential Zoning Districts. In response to Board questions, Planning and Land Use Director Rebekah Roth explained that the intent of the text amendment is to allow four-story multi-family structures in multi-family districts. It will allow structures that are served by elevators a certain number of stories, by scale, as is indicated in the Comprehensive Plan. The structures will increase access for senior residents and those who have mobility issues. One issue found by staff is that there is a maximum foot height allowed. Also, as construction standards change the same number of building stories cannot be obtained today as compared to a couple of years ago. The proposed amendment will provide some flexibility and is generally what the Comprehensive Plan outlines for those areas within the unincorporated area. Staff ensured that taller buildings would not impact existing residential neighborhoods. Public comment periods have been held for stakeholders and no additional public comments were received during the last Planning Board meeting. STAFF UPDATES Mt. Calvary Center for Leadership Development Presentation. Annette Lewis with the Mt. Calvary Center for Leadership development presented the following information:  Mt. Calvary Center for Leadership Development:  Jimmy T. Tate, Ed.D, President:  Dr. Tate is the former President of Roanoke Chowan Community College and Chief of Staff at North Carolina Central University; he served nearly 10 years as an elected official on the Pender County Board of Commissioners, serving as Board Chair, and on numerous Boards and Commissions including the Pender Memorial Hospital Board of Directors and Southeastern Economic Development Commission. He is extremely dedicated to help rural communities reach their full potential. He has served as a Board of Trustees Member with Elizabeth City State University and Cape Fear Community College as well as many boards and commissions locally, statewide, and nationally including previously serving as a member of Duke University Medical School Rural Health Advisory Board. In 2019, he was appointed by the North Carolina Senate to serve on the State of North Carolina Minority Advisory Committee. Dr. Tate has conducted extensive research and lectures on rural leadership development. He teaches in the Political Science Department at the University of North Carolina and serves in various other capacities.  Mary Lisa Robinson, M.H.A., Executive Director:  Ms. Robinson is a longtime native of the rural community of Willard. She also invested most of her career in the State of Maryland, where she served in the field of Healthcare Administration Fiscal Services Management. She is a proud graduate of Bowie State University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a master’s degree in Healthcare Administration. Ms. Robinson, is also a member of the Wallace Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, representing the Business Community.  History:  The Mt. Calvary Center for Leadership Development was developed through a group of leaders of Mt. Calvary University. Several southeastern North Carolina grassroots community leaders came to the university seeking help to train and promote competent and aggressive local leadership. Historically, many communities have had to address many challenges but lack an abundance of trained leadership aimed at their interests. The university accepted the challenge and immediately began to develop the Mt. Calvary Center for Leadership Development, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.  The Center serves mostly low income and rural communities with high unemployment and low educational achievement. There are several who desire leadership positions, but most lack the skills for leadership. This is not because of a lack of aptitude but the lack of training. We believe that training at the grassroots level will enhance the quality of leadership and in turn will enhance the overall status for a community that has been locked out of the equation.  Mission Statement: NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35 AGENDA REVIEW MEETING, OCTOBER 28, 2021 PAGE 249  The Mt. Calvary Center for Leadership Development’s mission is to educate, enable, and prepare grassroots persons to become better individuals and advocates for economic, political, and social change for the betterment of the community.  Programs administered by Mt. Calvary:  VIC Academy:  Mt. Calvary launched a Vocational, Industrial, and College (VIC) Preparatory Academy in the Spring of 2021. This academy's focus is on low-income, marginalized, and minority youth with career exploration, industrial trades, and college preparatory skills. Health science will be embedded in the curriculum with a major focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion for underserved, minority populations. VIC will serve both middle school and high school cohorts. VIC will also focus on helping youth better understand their self- worth, interests, and abilities to aid in personal and professional development through the incorporation of technology. Students will learn about various career opportunities and sustainable professions within the region through mentorship opportunities since Mt. Calvary believes positive role models can successfully help high poverty and at-risk students be successful. With that in mind, a major emphasis will be placed on recruiting students from low-income communities.  Mt. Calvary Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force:  The Mt. Calvary Center for Leadership Development is responding to the urgent needs of communities by bringing diverse groups together, understanding differences, celebrating commonalities, and uniting as Americans.  Leadership Development Programs:  Opportunity To Lead (OLP) Youth Development Program:  The primary goal of the At-Risk Youth Leadership Development Program is to help referred participants improve their interpersonal and professional skills and reduce the rate of school dropouts and recidivism. Key components of this program focus on self-assessment and goal setting, career readiness and entrepreneurship, community engagement, leadership and management fundamentals, resume creation and employability skills, and internship opportunities. Program instructors and facilitators include psychologists, college instructors, faith-based leaders, and business entrepreneurs.  Adult-Community Citizens Leadership Program:  The Adult-Community Citizens Leadership Program works to expand and develop emerging leaders to support our local community. Participants receive instruction from highly certified facilitators who come from throughout North Carolina and bring strong experience to the classes that they lead. Program topics include areas such as leadership and communication, team building and cohesiveness, goal setting and accountability, personal growth objectives and innovation, and many other emerging topics critical for 21st century leaders. All participants complete a capstone paper that highlights a project or initiative that they would like to see developed to pro- actively impact their community or workplace.  Natural Disaster Relief Outreach Program:  Our region was severely affected by Hurricane Florence costing millions of dollars in damages and leaving many parts of the area in peril. Many residents continue to suffer the effects of Hurricane Florence. Many are without homes, or they continue to live in damaged homes. Some people lost their business as a result. Unfortunately, many of those hurt by Hurricane Florence lack the knowledge of the resources to re-build their lives.  The Mt. Calvary Center for Leadership Development seeks to connect people with natural disaster relief and informational resources to assist people with their restoration efforts. Mt. Calvary partners with several agencies in government, business, education, and other areas to serve as a hub of information for those seeking hurricane relief. Many Mt. Calvary friends are first responders and emergency personnel and are taught to prevent injury and loss of life. Mt. Calvary trains leaders to provide information about the basic human needs such as shelter, food, water, and medical services. Mt. Calvary trains students with smart preparation and direct relief response. This includes work assisting people prior to the hurricane and responding after the hurricane. The training at the Mt. Calvary Leadership Development Center will benefit the first responders and the communities they serve.  Community Health Initiative:  The Mt. Calvary Center for Leadership Development is pleased to be one of several vendors granted funding from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to hire and employ professionals in Pender, Brunswick, Hoke, New Hanover, Robeson, Scotland, Bladen, Columbus, and Sampson counties to work with local health departments in working with people impacted by COVID-19. Workers will carry out contact tracing and make sure individuals know the resources available if they need things like supplies, housing, transportation, mental health support, and even legal help.  Community health services provided in New Hanover County:  Vaccine clinics: 18  People served: 2,115  Three community health workers NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35 AGENDA REVIEW MEETING, OCTOBER 28, 2021 PAGE 250  Contact Information:  Pender County center:  Address: 405 US Hwy 117 South, Burgaw, NC 28425  Phone: (910) 300-6322  Duplin County center:  Address: 414 North Norwood St, Wallace, NC 28466  Phone: (910) 665 – 1352  www.mcleadership.org Chair Olson-Boseman thanked Ms. Lewis for the presentation. Senior Resource Center Dental Update. Senior Resource Center (SRC) Director Amber Smith and Health Director David Howard provided the following update:  Senior Dental Services in New Hanover County (County):  Oral health problems in older adults:  One in five people aged 65+ have untreated tooth decay  A high percentage of older adults have gum disease  Nearly one in five of adults aged 65 or older have lost all their teeth. Complete tooth loss is twice as prevalent among adults aged 75 and older (26%) compared with adults aged 65-74 (13%). Having missing teeth or wearing dentures can affect nutrition health.  Oral cancer:  Cancers of the mouth are primarily diagnosed in older adults; median age at diagnosis is 62 years  Chronic disease and comorbidities:  People with chronic diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, heart diseases, and COPD may be more likely to develop gum (periodontal) disease  Physical and cognitive limitations:  Inability to maintain daily oral health routine such as brushing and flossing  Barriers to accessing oral health care:  Living on a fixed income  Cost of oral health care  Limited dental insurance for retirees (not in Medicare)  27% of dentists in NC participated in Medicaid in 2014 versus 42% nationally  Limited dental programs that offer affordable services  Mobility and transportation limitations (homebound and seniors in skilled nursing facilities)  Limited location access and specialist providers  Community snapshot:  Number of dental providers in the County: approximately 250 dentists  Four area dental clinics  Average cost of annual preventative dental care:  $350-$520 per clean (includes two per year)  $180-$400 per filling  $215-$300 for a non-surgical extraction  $1,500-$3,500 per denture set  Medicaid:  Approximately 44,000 County residents receive full Medicaid (unknown how many are aged 55+)  Per the NC Department of Insurance, approximately 6,000 Medicare beneficiaries are eligible for Medicaid  There are approximately 475 residents receiving Medicaid as a qualified Medicare beneficiary.  Master Aging Plan – community assessment  Advocacy (proposed Medicare Dental Benefit Act of 2021)  Rehab Retired Mobile Dental Unit (MDU):  A cost and feasibility assessment are currently in progress. Below are estimated costs:  City permitting approval is to be determined NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35 AGENDA REVIEW MEETING, OCTOBER 28, 2021 PAGE 251 In response to Board questions, Ms. Smith stated there are other potential options for the program such as supporting existing community dental programs, a dental voucher program, and a portable dental program such as Access Dental. Access Dental is a non-profit organization supported by several different foundations. Commissioner Zapple stated that having a set unit at the SRC is a very visible sign of what the County is doing and allows people to come to it. This would also allow the County to have control over the hours. He spoke on the interest in the professional community to help with the program. A brief discussion was held about the retired MDU. Facilities Management is working on repairing the electrical issues. As soon as that is repaired, the vendor servicing the current unit, as well as the vendor servicing the new unit, would perform a full system check and be able to give more detail of what needs to be repaired. Facilities Management is currently coordinating with vendors to evaluate the cost for plumbing and electrical as the site for the MDU is 30 feet away from the building. Staff asked for direction from the Board on how it wants the program to move forward. Ms. Smith stated that by placing the MDU at the SRC, it would reduce available parking. She suggested the possibility of County staff looking at other alternatives such as portable equipment which could be utilized by volunteer dentists and staff can still coordinate with them. Assistance from hygienists would probably still be needed but allows for the service to become mobile, allowing for visits to senior housing complexes. Due to the age and repairs needed to the retired MDU, the Board directed staff to look at the portable dental option. County Manager Coudriet stated the matter will be brought back to the Board as a budget amendment to purchase the service through Access Dental. The package would be the nonprofit provider, under contract to do work at the SRC, but to also be the mobile provider and identify other places in the community. The County would not be in the business of purchasing dental equipment or anything and have the responsibility of finding dentist(s), etc. The County will be coordinate scheduling the older adults and the provider through a nonprofit. Chair Olson-Boseman thanked Mr. Howard and Ms. Smith for the presentation. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, Chair Olson-Boseman adjourned the meeting at 4:53 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Kymberleigh G. Crowell Clerk to the Board Please note that the above minutes are not a verbatim of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners meeting.