03/28/2024
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There is a lot of talk about COVID-19 spreading, masks, and vaccines. However, the increase in child abuse and neglect, another significant concern, receives little attention.  The Bladen County Board of Commissioners held its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, August 16, 2021. As usual, the issues surrounding COVID-19 numbers, masks, and vaccines were “hot topics.”

Between the discussions about COVID-19, Bladen County Director of Social Services Vicky Smith addressed the Board of Commissioners with a recommendation from the BC Health and Human Services Advisory Board. The request was for the county to hire two new positions in the child protective service department.

“I sit on the health board, and I had a couple of things for you. When I read this here, I had to ask if this is true,” Chairman of the Board of Commissioners Charles Ray Peterson stated, “They are overworked over there, and they have more caseloads than they can handle.”

Peterson read a report from the Bladen County Health and Human Services Advisory Board. In April 2021, an eight-month-old and a two-year-old were unresponsive, and the babies were taken to the hospital and given Narcan (a drug to reverse the effects of a drug overdose).

According to the letter presented to the commissioners, the social worker assessing the case was responsible for the oversight of sixteen (16) cases, well over the state caseload mandate of ten (10).

“We have the Bladen County Substance Misuse Task Force, and I wasn’t even aware of this,” Peterson replied after reading the report, “That right there made my mind up that we need two more workers.”

Commissioner Michael Cogdell asked Smith how many workers she had now. She responded, “We have six (6).”

Cogdell then asked if they run the foster program too. Smith explained, “Child Protective Services accepts reports of abuse or neglect or dependency. They investigate or access. If there is a need that the family can not keep the child safely within the home, a petition is filed through the courts, and it does move to foster care.”

Cogdell then asked if the foster care program needs were rising. Smith responded, yes, there is a slow rise in foster care, and there is an urgent need for Child Protective Services based upon the numbers.

“There has been a 40% increase this year in our cases,” Smith reported.

Commissioner Arthur Bullock asked if two employees in this area would be sufficient for the local Child Protective Services department.

“Our goal is to decrease the task or the workload. If you read in the letter, last year, there was a 100% turnaround in Child Protective Services. That’s a lot of time training…,” Smith added.

Peterson reported $12,000 in overtime pay was needed last year due to the shortage. He also noted the county received a grant that may help with training for the Child Protective workers.

The letter to the commissioners from the BC HHS Advisory Board states, “A cost analysis for two (2) Child Protective Services staff is estimated at $46,074.00 per unit; with employee benefits, each unit price increases to $63,620.56, with an estimated 75% reimbursement amount of $47,715.42 from state and/or federal sources, with the County investment of 25%.”

According to Peterson, the decision could not be made at the Monday evening meeting, and that it would have to be voted on next month at the board meeting.

Moving on to the “hot topic” items being COVID-19 issues, the Board of Commissioners spent most of their time debating how to address vaccines, masks, and funding for the virus. The Health and Human Services Agency Director, Dr. Teresa Duncan, took a seat front and center of the commission board. She gave an update regarding COVID-19 and the vaccination process. Currently, there are 36% of Bladen County citizens fully vaccinated.

She presented a request on behalf of the Bladen County Health and Human Services Advisory Board to consider approving a Bladen County COVID-19 Vaccination Incentive Program funded through the NC Division of Public Health Agreement 717 COVID-19 Vaccines Incentives.

Commissioner Cogdell made the motion to approve the incentive program, and Commissioner Bullock made the second. Chair of the Board, Peterson called for discussion and then opened with a statement, “Well, I’ll start it out. I’m not going to support an incentive to pay people to go and take the vaccine.”

Commissioner Dr. Opheilia Munn Goins then spoke up, “I support it because I believe that if anything can get people out to take the vaccine, this can help.”

She explained people don’t want to get vaccines, but they don’t want to wear masks either, and that’s where I have concerns.

She added, “I appreciate everyone’s opinion, but we all have one.” Then she repeated, pointing her one finger up at Peterson, “We all have one!”

However, Dr. Munn Goins’ opinion was different during the July commission meeting when she stated, “As a County Commissioner, I don’t have a say. I’m not going to tell people to take the vaccine, and I’m not going to tell them not to take the vaccine.”

View the July Board of Commissioner’s meeting with Dr. Munn Goins’ remarks in the video above.

Cogdell stated his reasoning to support the incentive is because it was a “person’s right,” just as much as it is a right to decide whether to wear a mask or not.

Peterson countered Cogdell’s statement reminding him the incentive money is not “free” but is taxpayers’ money.

Bullock interjected and said he supported it “because we should take any step that we can to slow down the virus.”

Commissioner Rodney Hester raised his hand saying, “My thing is, what about the people that have already had the vaccine. What are they getting?” He added, “I think the incentive should be not to die from this virus.”

Commissioner Cameron McGill, “We have to be realistic with ourselves, and it is a personal choice.” He pointed out there are people that are vaccinated that are in the hospital with the virus. “People should be allowed to make up their own minds.”

“My personal opinion is if I entice somebody and they take the shot, I feel like I enticed them to do it and I don’t want to entice someone to do something that I have had a bad experience with doing,” Commissioner Ray Britt said.

Dr. Danny Ellis, one of the commissioners on the Board, stated, “I respect everyone’s opinion, but I was going to say, historically in the healthcare industry, it is unprecedented to offer money for any kind of healthcare services. In my 25 years in health care, I’ve never seen it done except for in studies.” He added, I understand we want to do everything we can, but it’s a little troublesome.”

The motion failed and was not approved to accept the COVID-19 Incentive Program in a three to six vote. Commissioners Ellis, McGill, Britt, Peterson, Gillespie, and Hester voted against the motion, and Commissioners Bullock, Cogdell, and Munn-Goins voted for it.

The request by Dr. Duncan for two temporary positions, 1 Full-Time Registered Nurse and 1 Part-Time Registered Nurse, was tabled until the next meeting.

However, before adjourning, there was three other matters related to COVID-19. The Commission Board approved county employees’ emergency paid sick leave to help with the COVID-19 Pandemic. The emergency paid sick leave is a separate line item for paying employees and will not affect their standard sick pay. The Board also approved the Paid Family Medical Leave Act. Both approvals come with a retroactive date of July 1, 2021. The emergency sick pay and the Paid Family Leave Act Policy will be available through June 30, 2022.

The Board also approved to highly recommend all county employees and all who enter county facilities to wear a face-covering to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Other matters addressed during the meeting were as follows:

 

  • The Consent items on the agenda were approved.
  • Thomas Davidson addressed concerns about the American Rescue Plan and encouraged local government to take advantage of the funds available by the federal administration.
  • Chair of the Bladen County Republican Party, Wayne Schaeffer, stated his concerns with the mask and vaccine mandates. He also noted the “incentive” for vaccines is bribery and could put the county on the hook for adverse reactions with the vaccines.
  • Executive Director Tim Holloman presented a plaque in appreciation and recognition for Bladen County’s 50th anniversary as Lower Cape Fear Water and Sewer Authority Member.
  • Sheila Nance was recognized as the new Bladen County Library Director.
  • The Financial Dashboard for Period Ending July 31, 2021 and the Federal Inmate Summary for the one-month period ending July 31, 2021, was presented by Finance Director Lisa Coleman.
  • The Board of Commissioners approved an AmeriHealth Caritas North Carolina, Inc. Participating Provider Agreement.
  • The Board approved Emergency Medical Services Director David Howell’s request to approve a Transportation Provider Agreement with Modivcare Solutions, LLC.
  • Under the Revenue Department items on the agenda presented by Renee Davis, Administrator and Assessor, the Board approved accepting an unpaid tax report and annual settlement for years 2011-2020 according to NCGS 105-378A. The Board adopted an order directing the Tax Collector to Collect Taxes Charged in the Tax Records and Receipts. The update regarding the revaluation project will be presented in October.
  • Advisory Board Appointments were made for the Animal Control Board, Keep Bladen Beautiful, Library Board, Nursing Home Advisory Board, and Economic Development.
  • In September, Advisory Appointments will be made for the Beaver Management Program Committee, the Watershed Review Board, and the Voluntary Agricultural Districts Committee.
  • County Manager Greg Martin review the county calendar.

The next Bladen County Board of County Commissioners meeting will be held Tuesday, September 7, 2021.

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