Changing of the guard
The December Board meeting starts with the change of the Board’s leadership followed by the Board’s renewal or expulsion of county officers. Nothing so striking as expelling any county officers occurred in fact all were allowed to keep their jobs. The big change was Commissioner Brown’s elevation to Chairwoman and Commissioner Hester’s demotion to common commissioners. Before Commissioner Hester relinquished his chairmanship he spoke glowingly of the county officers and of the Board’s accomplishments during his reign. One of the accomplishments he listed was the purchase of computers for the Commissioners. In part the computers were intended to eliminate the printing of paper copies of the Board’s meeting packet. Sadly, as Chairman, Mr. Hester rejected the use of the technology and required the taxpayers buy paper to print a copy of the Board’s meeting packets for him and at least two other commissioners; the same Board packet posted on the County’s own website. Praising an accomplishment that one apparently opposes puts a shadow over the whole praising. For those following along on the audio file, listen as Ms. Brown politely says she will stay in her current seat because she has her computer on.
Antonia Pedroza, DSS Director
Ms. Pedroza, our newest DSS Director, spoke to the Board for the first time. Her presentation although apparently factual was a sad tale of the State’s failed computer system Near the end of her presentation, Ms. Pedroza asked the Board for help with resources and staffing. Obviously, Ms. Pedroza is unaware that Vance County’s political leadership’s favors starving DDS of resources.
Public Comments
Lawrence Brame was back for his third attempt to get the Commissioner and or the Water Board to hear the public’s outrage over the difference between the promises made in May 2005 to the reality of September then November 2013. Mr. Lawrence said when signed up for water he was promised 5,000 gallons a month for between $35 – $45 a month. In September 2013 he and the public learned 3,600 gallons a month would cost $63. That number was changed in late October to 3,500 gallons for $55 a month. Mr. Brame added that the contract he signed said a wet tap would cost $20 a month now it will cost $30 a month. Mr. Lawrence concluded his comments pointing out that links on the County’s website transfer the user to Envirolink, Inc, a private for profit company headquartered outside of Vance County. Chairwoman Brown stated the obvious, we have issues that we need to discuss and resolve with this water project. She then instructed Mr. Asycue and Mr. McMillen to meet with Mr. Lawrence to find a resolution. Will the resolution apply only to Mr. Lawrence or to the entire community? Will the resolution correct the discrepancy between Mr. McMillen’s statement that dry taps pay $30 a month while the County’s published guide states for dry taps there is “no requirement to connect … and no base fee until connection made.”
Committee Reports and Recommendations
As an unwelcomed relative at the Thanksgiving dinner table Neighborhood Specialization Program was back on the agenda. This program is the one where the commissioners approved spending some two million dollars of taxpayers’ money to build ten houses where not one potential buyer is willing to move. After a couple of years of ignoring this problem the time has come to have the vandalized houses occupied or refund the two million dollars. The solution devised by the commissioners allows the transfer of the properties to FWV Opportunity. FWV will then lease the properties through one of the many Federal subsidized housing programs. In the County’s haste to craft a contract to transfer ownership the meaningless phrase “pure profits” is included in the back of the envelope proposal. Commissioner Garrison asked Mr. Asycue what was the meaning of the phrase “pure profits”; then suggested the County’s Attorney should craft a document governing the transfer.
Turn-Out Gear the protective clothing worn by first responders when responding to the scene of an emergency. Chief Hedrick asked the commissioners to authorize the purchase of new turn-out gear to replace the worn turn-out gear. Grant funding for turn-out gear is scarce and any funding requests had been slashed from the budgets. (A good way to avoid a tax increase is to deny funding of turn-out gear.) Commissioner Hester’s verbal assault of this request was a surprise; especially following the Board’s placid discussion of the issues with the Neighborhood Specialization Program. One wonders why Commissioner Hester did not berate the County Manager for requesting $1,600 taxpayers’ money for a golden plaque to immortalize Mr. Hester’s and other commissioner’s names on the side of the Farmer’s Market building. Or why Mr. Hester and others did not object to spending $1,500 of taxpayers’ money to put a door on the same building. Instead the commissioners attacked Mr. Hedrick’s request for $48,720 for turn-out gear used to protect our first responders. The objections vaporized when the commissioners heard that an OSAH inspection could flag the turn-out gear as unsafe. Suddenly, all except two commissioners approved the purchase of turn-out gear for our first responders.
Water Board
One would think by now the Commissioners and Water Board would no longer accept generic statements such as: signups are continuing, or up to 600 connections, or a lot of plumbing requests. Maybe Chairwoman Brown will demand that Mr. Asycue report the data any business board would be asking as a new product developed or rolled out.