REVISED
Addition?Item No. 1a
THE BOARD OF
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
DURHAM, NORTH
CAROLINA
Tuesday, September 6, 2005
1:30 P.M. Worksession
AGENDA
1. Citizen Comments?Marvin Jones
10
min.
Mr. Marvin Jones has requested time
on the agenda to speak to the Commissioners
about gang prevention. County Commissioner Cousin will also speak on
the issue.
1a. Durham County
Assistance to Jackson County, Mississippi
20
min.
County Manager?s
Recommendation: The Manager recommends that the Board receive
the presentation and advise if any further action is desired.
2. Application
for Ambulance Franchise?Tri-Star Medical Transport, Inc.
15
min.
At its regularly scheduled meeting
on June 27, 2005, the Board considered a request for a non-emergency ambulance
franchise from Tri-Star Medical Transport Inc.
The information considered included a report from the EMS Director that
provided the actual application and information from a background review
completed by the EMS Director. The
report also indicated that the Durham County
EMS Council had considered the application at its regularly scheduled meeting
on May 19, 2005 but provided no recommendation.
After hearing comments from Tri-Star, AAA Transport, Johnston Ambulance
Service, and the EMS Director, the Board directed staff to provide additional
information from the current non-emergency providers to include personnel,
vehicle, and response time data.
Staff compiled the requested
data. In addition, an informal
satisfaction survey was conducted of the larger nursing facility user
group. Results of the survey indicate
users are currently satisfied with the service level of the existing
non-emergency ambulance providers. This
information was presented to the Durham County
EMS Council at a special called meeting on July 7, 2005. After lengthy discussion and review of the
additional information, the EMS Council unanimously decided that public
convenience and necessity were currently being satisfactorily met and
recommended that the Tri-Star application for a non-emergency ambulance
franchise be denied.
This matter was placed on the
Board?s August 1, 2005 Worksession for consideration. The applicant, Tri-Star Medical Transport,
Inc., asked the Board to consider additional new information. The matter was rescheduled for the September
Worksession to allow time for the staff to receive and review the new
information. No new information was
submitted; however, on August 18, 2005 a letter was received from Tri-Star
Medical requesting to delay its application stating a need to collect more
data. Staff has advised that a delay
could not be granted, and the application would be presented as is since no
additional information had been submitted.
3. Classification
and Compensation Study
60
min.
On April 11, 2005, the Board
approved a service contract with Fox Lawson & Associates, LLC for a
comprehensive study and revision of the County?s
current classification and compensation system.
Dr. James C. Fox, Chairman of Fox Lawson and the lead consultant for the
study, will be present to initiate the market analysis phase of the
Classification and Compensation Study.
Dr. Fox will provide an overview of the project and discuss factors
regarding a Pay Philosophy for Durham
County.
4. Presentation on Restructuring the County?s Audit Function
30
min.
On the heels of the 2004 Human
Resources Audit, an Audit Assessment Task Team was assembled from across the state
for the purpose of evaluating the audit process and to make recommendations on
completing the benefits audit. In
addition, recommendations were made by the Audit Assessment Task Team for
restructuring the County?s Audit
Function. The two principal
recommendations that came from the Audit Assessment Task Team were as follows:
1. A benchmarking survey should be
performed to assess the appropriate size and structure of the Internal Audit
Department.
2. Internal Audit should report to the
highest level within the County
organization (i.e. the County Manager
and the Board of County Commissioners)
with consideration given to establishing an Audit Review Committee that can
serve as a third party in receiving/reviewing audit reports and addressing
unresolved issues related to the audit process.
It was also recommended that if the County
was to establish an Audit Review Committee that the structures and recommended
practices be utilized from the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) and the
Government Financial Officers Association (GFOA).
The staff work was completed for
each of these recommendations made by the Audit Assessment Task Team and
presented to the BOCC for consideration at the June 6, 2005 Worksession. The BOCC, during its June Worksession,
instructed staff to make several changes to the Audit Policy and the Audit
Charter. Those changes have been made
are highlighted in bold italics in each document.
The following documents are included for the Board?s consideration:
·
Resolution
Authorizing the Establishment of the Audit Oversight Committee for Durham County Government
· A new Audit policy
· A new Audit Charter
· Code of Ethics
· Audit Oversight Committee By-Laws
In addition, a copy of the minutes
from the June 6, 2005 meeting is included noting the changes that were directed
by the Board.
5. Personnel
Ordinance Amendment
20
min.
When the
Durham County Personnel Ordinance
was adopted, the intent of the ordinance was that no property rights would be
conferred by the adoption of the Ordinance.
However, the term ?permanent employee? was used throughout. This term was the common term generally used
at that time in typical personnel ordinances.
Since the adoption of the ordinance, the courts have generally held that
the adoption of a personnel ordinance grants property rights. This is especially true when terms such as ?permanent
employee? are used.
The
proposed amendments would change the terminology used in the ordinance from
?permanent employee? to ?regular employee?, and would specifically delineate
that property rights are not being created by the ordinance. This change would bring Durham County into line with other local government
jurisdictions, including the City of Durham.
This
proposed change would not affect the employees covered by Chapter 126 of the
General Statutes, e.g. Mental Health, DSS, Public Health, and Emergency
Management. It also would not affect the
departments that have elected department heads or employees of the Board of
Elections.
Resource Person(s): Chuck Kitchen, County Attorney, and Tony Noel, Interim Personnel
Director
