Nov 09, 2021 Board of Supervisors Work Session

AND, UM, SO WE, WE HIT THE NORTH, UM, DR.

DALEY TOOK HIS BOOT AND WENT TO THE NORTH END WITH ONE GROUP AND I TOOK THEM ON A BOOT AND WAS AT THE SOUTH END WITH ANOTHER AND PROXIMALLY CHIEF PANZANO.

WHAT ABOUT HER, UH, CAPTAIN MADDICK ABOUT $12,000 WAS RAISED.

SO IT WAS AWESOME.

THE BEAT THAT THE TOURISM TRAFFIC WAS VERY WELCOMED THIS WEEK.

AND THEY, THEY DID AS GOOD.

SO YEAH.

MA'AM THAT IS AWESOME.

UM, SO TONIGHT I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO UPDATE THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS KIND OF ON SOME PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE.

UM, I KNOW THAT WE DID SUBMIT, UM, AS FAR AS FOR AN INCREASE IN APPROPRIATIONS, BUT THAT OUT OF THAT INCREASE, THERE WAS ONLY 1,000,040 2,644 THAT IS ACTUALLY FOR FACILITIES AND THAT'S FOR THE, A, AND A, FOR THE, UM, LF K BLUE RIDGE TECH PROJECTS THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT UTILIZING FEDERAL DOLLARS FOR.

SO JUST TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT SOME OF OUR PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON RIGHT NOW, OF COURSE, THERE'S, THERE'S ALWAYS SMALL PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE, UH, FOR INSTANCE, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE WAITING ON THE CARPENTRY SHOP DOOR TO BE REPLACED AT BLUE RIDGE TECH.

UM, WE'RE, WE'RE HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH SUPPLY CHAIN THERE.

IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE INSTALLED BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS, BUT THEN IT KEEPS JUST GETTING PUSHED BACK, PUSHED BACK AND PUSHED BACK, UM, WHERE WE ARE STARTING NOW THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE A AND E UM, CONTRACTS WITH, WITH, UM, THE ARCHITECTS.

THAT'S KIND OF BEEN OUR FOCUS TO GET THAT DONE BECAUSE ALL OF OUR FUNDING IS KIND OF TIME SENSITIVE WHEN IT COMES TO OUR PROJECTS.

BUT, UM, WE ARE GOING TO ALSO START LOOKING AT THE, UH, ROOF AT BLUE RIDGE TECH RIGHT NOW, CURRENTLY.

SO, UM, GO AHEAD AND START MOVING WITH THE H UM, THE DESIGN AND, AND LET GREG PRIVACY DO HIS PART WITH GETTING THAT MOVING, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE THAT MILLION DOLLARS IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND AND ON THE COUNTY SIDE, UH, FROM LAST YEAR, ALONG WITH THE MILLION THAT WAS PUT IN FOR THE BUS TRANSPORTATION, AND I WILL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE THAT WE DID APPLY FOR THAT GRANT, UM, FOR THE BUSES.

SO WE'RE HOLDING TO SEE IF WE ACTUALLY, UH, RECEIVED THAT GRANT OR NOT.

UM, THE REIMBURSEMENT ON THE BUS ON THAT BUS GRANT, IF WE WERE TO BE AWARDED IS $20,000 PER BUS.

SO WE WERE GOING TO TRY TO SNAG 10 BUSES IF WE CAN GET THAT GRANT.

OTHERWISE, UH, TYPICALLY WE FIND OUT IN DECEMBER, JANUARY, IF YOU QUALIFY FOR THAT GRANT, UM, IF WE DON'T QUALIFY FOR THE GRANT, THEN WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND PURCHASE THE BUSES, UM, OUT OF THAT FUND.

SO WE REALLY NEED TO SEE IF WE CAN GET THAT GRANT FIRST.

UH, BUT WE ARE LOOKING THERE.

SO WE'RE GOING TO START WITH THAT, UH, ROOF AT THE BLUE RIDGE TECH, UM, OUT OF THAT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND, THAT'S SITTING ON THE COUNTY SIDE.

CAN YOU NOT BOTHER THE BUSES AND THEN GET REIMBURSED? NO, SIR.

THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT.

I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE NOT, I DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER EVERYBODY KNEW THAT OR NOT.

YEAH, NO, YOU'D HAVE TO YOU THAT WE ACTUALLY HAD TO SEND SERIAL NUMBERS IN ON THE BUSES THAT WE WERE GOING TO DEMOLISH

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OR TAKE OUT A SERVICE.

AND SO YOU CANNOT PURCHASE THE BUS BEFORE YOU'RE AWARDED THE GRANT.

EVERYBODY KNOWS.

UM, VNH OF THE GRANT, SIR, IS THAT IT WOULD GIVE US TWO MORE BUSES.

YES, SIR.

AND SO WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THE, UH, THE ROOF, AS I MENTIONED AT BLUE RIDGE TECH WITH THAT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND.

UH, THE BIG TICKET IS THAT WE DO HAVE OUR, OUR FUNDS AND, UH, WE JUST SENT IN FOR SUBMISSION FOR A STATE GRANT.

AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE STATE GRANTS FOR HVHC AND ALONG WITH OUR C R M C R S A AND R A R P A FUNDS, UM, THE STATE GRANT IS GOING TO TOTAL ABOUT A MILLION, 14,491, THE C R R S A FUNDS.

WE HAVE TARGETED THEIR $3,085,533.

AND THEN OUT OF THE, UH, AI RPA FUNDS 4 MILLION.

SO TOTAL FOR THE PROJECT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WITH LMK IS GOING TO BE AROUND 8 MILLION, $100,000.

AND THAT PROJECT IS SLATED.

OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, ALL ESTIMATES, ALL ESTIMATES ARE JUST ESTIMATES BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY OPENED THE BIDS.

SO WHEN LOOKING AT THAT, THAT PROJECT, THAT LMK ALONE, IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT THE PROJECT WOULD RUN ANYWHERE BETWEEN 16 TO 18 MILLION.

RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 8 MILLION, UM, TO GO TOWARDS THAT PROJECT.

AND THE FOCUS OF THAT WOULD BE WITH THE HVHC.

SO WE CAN DO THAT IN SECTIONS.

WE CAN DO THAT IN PARTS.

AND SO WE, WE KNOW THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE ONE-TIME FUNDS, UH, THE CRSA FUNDS, UH, THEY EXPIRE IN 23, THE RPA FUNDS EXPIRE IN 24.

UM, SO WE DO HAVE A DEADLINE, UH, TO UTILIZE THESE FUNDS AND SAVE OUR TAX PAYER SOME DOLLARS BY USING THESE ONE-TIME FEDERAL DOLLARS TO HELP WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF OUR FACILITY AT LF K.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A MILESTONE SECTION RIGHT NOW, AND IT GIVES US SOME FLEXIBILITY, UM, AND FINISHED THE GRANT FINISHED ON TIME FOR THE GRANT, WITH THE TIMELINES THAT ARE GIVEN TO US.

UH, SO WE WILL USE PHASES PHASE ONE DURING THE SUMMER OF 22.

UM, AND I'LL JUST KIND OF GO THROUGH THESE A LITTLE BIT.

SO OUR SCHEMATIC DESIGN, WE'RE ACTUALLY MEETING WITH THE ARCHITECT TOMORROW, UM, AT, I BELIEVE IT'S ONE O'CLOCK.

UH, SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR FIRST CONVERSATIONS WITH THE ARCHITECT CONCERNING LSK AND THE HVHC.

UM, THEN WE WILL LOOK THROUGH, UM, DESIGN DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'LL RUN THROUGH JANUARY TO MARCH, UM, CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS, MARCH 16TH TO MAY, UH, THEN WE'LL SEND OUT FOR BIDS ON MAY 31ST.

SO AT THAT POINT IN TIME, THEN WE'LL FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT THE TOTAL COST TO, TO TOTALLY RENOVATE LMK WILL BE.

UM, AGAIN, WE DO HAVE THE FUNDS OF $8 MILLION SETTING THERE THAT IS PRIORITY FOR H VAC, BECAUSE THIS IS ONE THING THAT THOSE FUNDS CAN BE USED FOR IS, UM, H VAC.

UM, AND THEN WE'LL DO THE BIDDING JUNE 1ST THROUGH JUNE 30TH OF 22 COURSE, OUR CONTRACT PERIOD, BE FOR A MONTH.

AND THEN WE WOULD START LOOKING AT CONSTRUCTION WITH, WITH HOPEFULLY A FINAL COMPLETION, UM, WITH EVERYTHING FOR, UH, JULY 31ST, 24.

UM, NOW THAT IS JUST THE HPAC SIDE OF THINGS.

UH, NOW WHAT WE ARE DOING IS WE'RE HOPING THAT OUR BIDS CAN COME IN PRETTY GOOD.

UM, AND IF HVHC IS A LITTLE BIT LOWER, YOU GUYS KNOW HOW LMK IS, IS MADE UP.

IT IS IPOD SYSTEM.

SO ALL OF THE CLASSROOMS ARE LIKE THIS, AND IT'S AN OPEN SPACE AND YOU MAY HAVE FIVE DIFFERENT CLASSROOMS IN THERE WITH JUST PARTITIONS THAT MAY DIVIDE THEM.

THERE IS NO CEILING THAT DIVIDES A PARTITIONS.

AND SO A LOT OF THIS IS DEALING WITH THE CORONA VIRUS AND MAKING SURE WE CAN BRING IN AIR OUTSIDE.

AND ALSO, UM, SO WHAT WE'VE PUT INTO THE GRANT IS THAT IF WE HAVE ANY REMAINING FUNDS AVAILABLE, SO SAY FOR INSTANCE, WE HAVE THE 8 MILLION AND THE, UH, THE HEVC RUNS US AROUND FOUR.

SO THAT'LL LEAVE US WITH ACTUALLY, IT'S GOING TO LEAVE US WITH 2 MILLION BECAUSE THE DESIGN, THE A AND D IS GOING TO RUN A MILLION.

SO THAT'LL LEAVE US WITH 2 MILLION.

THEN OUR, OUR IDEA IS WE'RE GOING TO GO IN AND DO ONE POT AT A TIME UNTIL WE CAN USE ALL OF THOSE FUNDS.

AND SO THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD PICK A POD OF SAY, IT'S A FIFTH GRADE PART, OR THE FOURTH GRADE POD, OR THE THIRD GRADE POD, AND DO ONE POD AT A TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BUILD THOSE INDIVIDUAL WALLS TO KIND OF SEPARATE EACH OF THOSE CLASSROOMS AND KIND OF GET AWAY FROM THAT OPEN CLASSROOM SYSTEM THAT, THAT IS CURRENTLY AT LF.

K UM, THE, UM, A QUESTION,

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THE ARCHITECTURAL FEE.

DO YOU DO BID THAT OUT, UM, TO GET THE LOWEST BID, CORRECT? YES.

WE'VE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH THE BID PROCESS AND EVERYTHING THAT TO ME SEEMS RIDICULOUSLY HIGH TO DO.

I MEAN, IT'S A BUILDING THAT'S BEING REMODELED, NOT BUILT FOR THIS.

THAT'S TWO PROJECTS, THAT'S BLUE RIDGE TECH AND, UM, BLUE RIDGE TECH, R A AND A, AND FOR A L F K E JUST THE HVAC, UM, ARCHITECTURAL WAS A MILLION DOLLAR THAT'S FOR BOTH.

THAT'S THAT, THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT FOR DOING THE, A AND D FOR BOTH OF THOSE PROJECTS.

SO WE'LL HAVE THE, A AND D DONE ON BOTH OF THOSE PROJECTS STILL SEEMS OFF ME.

I, I, I MEAN, I, THAT JUST ASTOUNDS ME, BUT OKAY.

BUT YES, WE DID.

WE DID SEND THAT OUT FOR BID.

UM, AND, UH, ACTUALLY I BELIEVE GRIM AND PARKER IS THE LOWEST BIDDER.

UM, OUT OF ALL THE, AND I BELIEVE WE HAD SOMEWHERE AROUND 15 ARCHITECTURAL FIRMS THAT, THAT ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH THE BID PROCESS AND I DID ALL OF THOSE ARCHITECTURAL FIRMS MEET THE CRITERIA WITHIN THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE SET OUT.

NOT ALL OF THEM MET THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE SET OUT.

SO A LOT OF THOSE WERE PUSHED TO THE SIDE BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T BIDDING, UH, WHAT WE WERE ASKING, I THOUGHT YOUR FIRST, UM, NUMBER I SAW WAS 900 AND SOME THOUSAND, AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS EXTREME.

WHAT RAN IT UP OVER A MILLION? SO AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT'S TWO PROJECTS.

AND AGAIN, WHEN YOU THINK OF, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE, YOU LOOK AT ESTIMATES.

SO THE ESTIMATE AND THAT'S, FOR INSTANCE, RIGHT NOW, WE'RE SAYING THE ESTIMATE TO TOTALLY RENOVATE LF K IS GOING TO BE 16 MILLION, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR TRUE BUDGET IS UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY OPEN THE BIDS AND FIND OUT WHAT THE COST IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE.

YES, YOU CAN VALUE ENGINEER, GET THE COST DOWN.

BUT RIGHT NOW THAT'S AN ESTIMATE ON WHAT WE THINK THE COST IS GOING TO BE WHEN YOU OPEN BIDS.

AND I'VE BEEN ON PROJECTS TO WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU HAVE AN ESTIMATE THAT WHAT YOU THINK THE PROJECT'S GOING TO COST.

ONCE YOU GET ALL YOUR BIDS BACK, YOU OPEN BIDS, AND THERE ARE A LOT HIGHER THAN YOUR ESTIMATE.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE DO GET THOSE ESTIMATES FROM ARCHITECTS, BUT AGAIN, TIMES ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT RIGHT NOW.

AND THINGS SEEM TO BE RUNNING A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN THEY TYPICALLY WOULD BE IN ANY NORMAL YEAR FROM JUST, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, BUT YES, WE DID HAVE A, WE DID HAVE A ESTIMATE OF WHAT WE THOUGHT THE A AND D WAS GOING TO BE.

SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE, REMEMBER THAT A LOT OF TIMES ON THOSE, THOSE SHEETS THAT WE GIVE, THOSE ARE ESTIMATES AND NOT A TOTAL HARD, HARD NUMBER.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

UM, THEN AS FAR AS LOOKING AT THAT, THAT'S THE LSK AND THE, AND THE, UH, AND BLUE RIDGE TECH WITH, WITH OUR FEDERAL FUNDS.

WE, UM, ALSO WANTED TO LOOK AT WITH EAGLES AND MORRISON, UM, LOOKING AT WHAT OUR CARRY OVER MAY BE FROM THE 20, 21 YEAR SCHOOL YEAR, AND SPLITTING THAT BETWEEN TRANSPORTATION, CONTINUING TO PUT, HAVE THAT TRANSPORTATION FUND, TO COMPLETE OUR FLEET AND UPDATE OUR BUS FLEET, BUT ALSO THEN PUT THAT, PUT THOSE, UM, SPLIT THOSE FUNDS.

SO WHERE WE'D HAVE SOMETHING GOING TOWARDS E WILSON MORRISON, UM, REALLY WHAT WE NEEDED.

HE, WILSON MORRISON IS PROBABLY NOT JUST A RENOVATION AT THE, WITHIN THE AUDITORIUM BECAUSE WE REALLY NEEDS SOME ADDITIONAL CLASSROOM SPACE THERE.

UM, WE JUST REALLY HAVE PEOPLE ON TOP OF EACH OTHER.

WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH, UM, REALLY THE ROOMS FOR, UH, TEACHERS OR OUR STUDENT SUPPORT COACHES TO DO REMEDIATION AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

AND SO WE WERE GOING TO LOOK AT BRINGING IN A MODULAR OR PORTABLE, BUT WE HAD TO DO A AND D FOR THAT.

UM, SO INSTEAD OF SPENDING A AND A TWICE ONE FOR A MODULE AND THEN A AND E FOR A DESIGN.

SO I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT IS, IS A DESIGN THAT WOULD ENCOMPASS BOTH WHAT, BOTH THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE AS FAR AS FOR A FACILITY FOR PHYSICAL EDUCATION, SUCH AS A GYM OR SOMETHING WITH ADDITIONAL CLASSROOMS ADDED TO THAT.

AND THEN THAT, THAT MEETS BOTH OF THE NEEDS THERE AT E WILSON MORRISON.

SO I REALLY THINK THAT'S THE DIRECTION WE NEED TO GO WITH E WILSON MORRISON, BECAUSE AS WE, WE ADDED OUR INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES, WE FOUND OUT THAT WE HAD A LIMITATION ON OUR SPACE WITHIN EAGLESON MORRISON.

UM, SO AT THIS POINT, DR.

BALLENGER E WILSON MORRISON IS GOING TO GET ADDITIONAL CLASSROOM SPACE GYMNASIUM.

NO, THEY WOULD BE BOTH.

SO WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO DO IS YOU WOULD LOOK AT DOING A GYM WITH CLASSROOMS ON THE END OF SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE.

SO YOU'D HAVE TO INCLUDE THAT INTO THE DESIGN DESIGNS.

[00:15:01]

YOU WOULD HAVE TO PAY ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING TO PUT IN A, AN OUTDOOR UNIT, LIKE A SEPARATE POD OR WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO YEAH.

THAT IS WHAT MR. WAS TELLING ME, BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE TO DO FOOTERS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

UM, THERE E WILSON MORRISON.

SO HE SAID IT WAS GOING TO TAKE SOME A AND E TO GET THAT DONE AS WELL.

HUH? YEAH.

A MODULAR WOULD BE, I HAD NO IDEA.

I THOUGHT MODULARS WERE JUST THAT LIKE ON WHEELS.

SO, SO, SO HE LOOKED INTO IT AND WE WERE GETTING PRICING ON IT.

AND THEN HE SAID, WELL, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO A AND D ON THIS.

AND SO THERE'S REALLY NO SENSE TO DO A TWICE ON TWO DIFFERENT PROJECTS THERE, WHEN YOU CAN ROLL IT UP INTO ONE PROJECT AND REALLY GET, YOU KNOW, STRETCH YOUR DOLLAR TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY.

AND WE HEAR THAT A GYMNASIUM IS IN THE WORKS FOR THAT, THAT SCHOOL.

SO THAT'S GREAT.

AND THAT SHOULD FREE UP THAT ROOM THAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY USING UPSTAIRS FOR OUR CLASS.

THAT WOULD, YES.

MA'AM.

AND ACTUALLY YOU COULD ACTUALLY DIVIDE THAT POSSIBLY INTO TWO, A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT REMEDIATION ROOMS. SO THAT WOULD GIVE US EXTRA SPACE THERE.

AND THEN BY ADDING CLASSROOMS TO THE DESIGN OF THE GYM, UM, THAT WOULD GIVE EXTRA ADDITIONAL SPACE THERE.

THE, THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AT HE, WILSON MORRISON IS THE FOOTPRINT.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO LOSE SOME OF THAT ASPHALT.

WE'RE GOING TO MAYBE LOSE SOME OF THE PARKING.

WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO GET SOMEBODY IN TO LOOK AT THAT AND SEE WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE BEST SOLUTION THERE AND HOW WE COULD PUT SOMETHING IN THAT AREA, BECAUSE PARKING IS A PREMIUM RIGHT THERE.

PERHAPS WE SHOULD INVITE THE SCHOOL TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ONE OF THE TOWN COUNTY IS ON MEETINGS.

SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT PARKING BECAUSE IT DOES IMPACT YOUR ABILITY TO HOST TEACHERS AND ALL SORTS OF THINGS DOWNTOWN.

CAUSE THERE'S NOWHERE FOR EVERYBODY TO POP IT IN THE MEETING IN DECEMBER.

MA'AM PERHAPS SHE CAN COME BACK.

MA'AM THANK YOU.

BE HAPPY TO, I THINK WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT PARKING IN GENERAL IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S A CHALLENGE.

SO YEAH.

SO, AND CURRENTLY WE ARE GETTING THE PRICING ON TO FINISH OUT OUR FENCE THAT HE, WILSON MORRISON.

WE DID HAVE THE BEAUTIFUL GATES THERE AND ACTUALLY HAD A LITTLE ACCIDENT WITH ONE OF THE BUSES.

IT HIT THE GATE.

UM, SO WE ARE REPLACING THAT GATE.

UM, SO, UH, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A NICE FENCE UP WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO, TO, TO TOTALLY CHANGE HE WILSON MORRISON, UH, THEY DID A GREAT JOB ON THE ASPHALT WITH, UM, UPDATING THAT ALSO UPDATING THAT, UH, THAT PLAYGROUND AREA.

AND SO WE ARE GETTING THOSE CLOSE TO FINISH OUT THAT FENCING THIS YEAR, AROUND THAT PLAYGROUND AREA AND AROUND WHAT DOES THAT STREET RIGHT THERE THAT RUNS JUST, UM, IT RUNS DIAGONALLY.

YEAH, I KNOW.

WHAT ABOUT, CAN'T THINK OF THE NAME OF IT.

I CAN'T EITHER.

IT'S NOT PAID AND THAT'S THE OTHER ONE.

IS THE AREA STILL OPEN FOR THE STUDENTS TO PLAY BACK? IT IS, IT IS NOW WE ARE GETTING SOME W WE, WE ARE LOOKING AT SOME FENCE GATES, UH, BECAUSE WE DID HAVE SOME, UM, UH, I'M GOING TO SAY A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO WE HAD, UH, OR MAYBE A FEW WEEKS AGO, WE DID HAVE SOME, UM, STUDENTS OR CHILDREN OR INDIVIDUALS, I GUESS OVER THE WEEKEND, JUST DO A LOT OF DAMAGE TO THE FACILITY.

UM, THEY WERE TEARING OFF THE GUTTERS OFF OF SOME OF THE OUTBUILDINGS.

THEY WERE TEARING OFF THE NUMBERS OFF OF THE WALLS.

UM, THEY BENT THE NEW RIMS THAT WE PUT UP ON, ON THE GOALS.

UH, THEY WERE TEARING DOWN THE NETS.

SO REALLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS, AND WE'VE ADDED ADDITIONAL, UM, CAMERAS.

WE ADDED ADDITIONAL LIGHTING BACK THERE.

WE TRIED TO MAKE THINGS NICER SO THAT MAYBE CHILDREN WOULD WANT TO TAKE CARE OF IT, UM, ADDED ADDITIONAL TRASH CANS.

SO WE'RE GOING TO PUT THOSE, THOSE GATES UP.

AND IF WE HAVE ANY MORE VANDALISM, THEN WE'LL SHUT THEM FOR A LITTLE BIT AND THEN WE CAN OPEN THEM BACK UP.

BUT WE, WE WANT OUR SCHOOL WHEN OUR KIDS, WHEN, WHEN THOSE CHILDREN COME TO SCHOOL THAT EQUALS A MORRISON IN THE MORNING, THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WALK THROUGH TRASH THAT WAS LEFT THE NIGHT BEFORE FROM WHOEVER'S USING THAT FACILITY.

AND SO I KNOW WE'VE, WE'VE WORKED WITH, UM, OUR COUNTY SHERIFF AND WE'VE WORKED WITH FRONT RURAL POLICE TO, TO KIND OF INCREASE, UM, PATROLS IN THAT AREA A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE HAVE HAD A LOT THAT THAT'S KIND OF BEEN A VANDALISM SPOT.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO ADDRESS THAT TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY.

AND SO WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO ADD GATES AND WE ARE GOING TO LEAVE THEM OVER OPEN UNTIL WE HAVE ANOTHER ROUND OF VANDALISM.

AND THEN WE MADE IT, WE MAY SHUT IT FOR AWHILE BECAUSE I, I, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE TO PROTECT OUR BUILDINGS AND WHEN, WHEN SOMEBODY TEARS GUTTERING OFF OR THEY, THEY BREAK THOSE RIMS OR TEAR DOWN A GOAL OR, OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE, THAT, THAT IS AN ADDITIONAL DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE TO PUT BACK UP IN THERE.

THAT'S UNFORTUNATE.

[00:20:01]

IT IS.

UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, W WE ARE MAKING, UH, PUTTING A FOCUS THERE AND, UM, FOR OUR CHILDREN AND HE WILSON MORRISON AND AT LSK AND, UM, REALLY AT ALL OF OUR BUILDINGS.

SO, UM, BUT THAT'S KIND OF AN UPDATE ON OUR PROJECTS.

YOU KNOW, THE BIGGEST THING IS THAT WITH THE RFK, AGAIN, THOSE ARE ALL FEDERAL DOLLARS IN GRANTS.

THAT'S 8 MILLION, $100,000 THAT WE HAVE TO GO TOWARDS A PROJECT THAT MAY RUN ANYWHERE BETWEEN 16 AND 18, IF YOU DO THE ENTIRE COMPLETION, BUT WE ARE GOING TO BID THAT OUT IN PHASES WITH HVHC BEING THE, UM, THE FIRST PRIORITY AND DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE, UM, THE DOCUMENT WITH THE INCREASE IN APPROPRIATIONS? THOSE ARE ALL FEDERAL FUNDS AGAIN.

UM, I CAN JUST RUN THROUGH THAT, THE, UH, INSTRUCTION THAT'S, AGAIN, OUR CARES FUNDING, AND THAT WILL BE FOR OUR STUDENT SUPPORT COACHES OR INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS, ALL THE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT STAFF THAT WE'VE HIRED THIS YEAR.

UM, AND THEN THE FACILITIES IS A MILLION, SO THAT'S A BULK OF, OF EVERYTHING, THE TECHNOLOGY THAT IS ANOTHER GRANT.

UM, SO THAT'S ALL GRANT MONEY.

IT'S NOT NO COUNTY MONEY INVOLVED IN THAT AT ALL.

IT'S ALL FEDERAL DOLLARS ALL GOING TO BE REIMBURSED.

SO NO TO SAY, GRANT JUST COVER THIS YEAR FOR THOSE NEW HIRES, OR IS THAT A PHASE FOR, SO IT'S A TWO YEAR, SO WE'VE, WE'VE DONE A TWO YEAR GRANT.

NOW WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING ON A GRANT THAT, UM, IS DUE HERE IN DECEMBER THAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO GET THAT FOR A THIRD YEAR.

SO, SO WE ARE WORKING ON ANOTHER, ANOTHER GRANT THROUGH THE VIDEO THAT WE CAN HOPEFULLY EXTEND THAT TO THREE YEARS.

I HAVE A QUESTION.

UM, THE, THE DOLLARS FOR THE STUDENT AIDES ARE THE TEACHER AIDS.

WHERE ARE THEY GOING? I MEAN, I'VE HAD SEVERAL OF MY CONSTITUENTS THAT HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT ON THE SPECIAL EDUCATION GROUPS ARE THE TEACHERS WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH NEF ASSISTANCE TO DO THEIR JOB DURING THE DAY.

AND IT APPEARS, IT APPEARS TO ME TO QUESTION, IF WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE EXTRA MONEY, COULD WE HELP THE SPECIAL EDUCATION PEOPLE, OUR TEACHERS, MORE BY GIVING THEM AN ADDITIONAL ASSISTANT TO WHERE SOME OF THE HIGHER LEVEL STUDENTS ARE NOT READING TO THE LOWER LEVEL STUDENTS BECAUSE THE TEACHER CAN'T DO IT.

AND THEN THE HIGHER LEVEL STUDENT GETS LEFT OUT.

SO MR. MAY, IF I WILL SAY THAT OUR, OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSES ARE PRETTY WELL STAFFED.

UM, NOW WE DID ALSO GET, WE JUST FOUND OUT, UM, THAT MR. HIRSCH TOLD ME AGAIN ABOUT A FEW WEEKS AGO THAT WE DID GET ADDITIONAL DOLLARS.

UM, AND FOR, FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION, I THINK IS THROUGH ONE OF THE FEDERAL FUNDS, UM, THAT HE HAS IS HIS SIX 11 OR IDA.

UM, AND SO WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT UTILIZING THOSE FUNDS AS WELL TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL STAFFING, UH, THROUGH, THROUGH SPECIAL EDUCATION.

BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE RIGHT NOW WITH ALL OF OUR GRANTS, WITH OUR LEARNING GRANT, WITH THE CARES FUNDING, UM, WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL, UH, AND ADDITIONAL 51 STAFF MEMBERS.

SO THAT'S AN ADDITION OF ABOUT FOUR PER BUILDING IS WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT WE'VE ADDED THIS YEAR.

WELL, I JUST TOLD THAT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE A DOG IN THAT FIGHT, BUT I DO HAVE CONSTITUENTS THAT ASKED ME QUESTIONS, AND I NEED TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THEM.

AND YOU ANSWERED THE BIG ONE THAT SAID, I GOT MORE MONEY TO DO THIS.

AND WE'RE ACTUALLY HIRING 51 MORE PEOPLE TO DO IT FOR FOUR TO A SCOPE, WHICH WILL HELP.

AND I HOPE IT'S ENOUGH.

NOW THAT'S GOING TO BE WHILE I, WELL, AND I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR THAT THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT, THAT HE GOT THROUGH, UM, THERE ARE SIX 11 OR IDA.

THAT'S NOT GOING TO HIRE 51.

SO USING OUR CARES FUNDING AND OUR LEARNS GRANT, THOSE ARE GRANTS THAT WE'VE APPLIED FOR, THAT WE'VE WENT IN AND ALREADY HAD, AND WE'VE ALREADY PUT THOSE

[00:25:01]

OUT IN OUR GOD.

WE HAVE PEOPLE AND WE STILL HAVE SOME VACANCIES OUT THERE, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE FILLING THOSE.

SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE 51 THERE.

SO THIS WOULD BE AN ADDITION TO THAT.

UM, AS WE LOOK AT THAT, TO SEE HOW MUCH IT WAS A LOT, JUST TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION OUT THERE.

YES, SIR.

AND ELIMINATE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE COMING IN, BECAUSE THEY'LL EVENTUALLY SEE THIS.

AROUND FROM BUILDING TO BUILDING.

AND MENTIONING THAT YOU STILL HAVE POSITIONS OPEN.

MY UNDERSTANDING FROM LISTENING TO YOUR BOARD MEETINGS IS THAT A LOT OF THE STAFF THAT WERE HIRED FOR SUPPORT STAFF OR FILLING IN ON THOSE POSITIONS UNTIL YOU HIRE PEOPLE AND, OR HELP IT, EXCUSE ME, HELPING OUT WITH, UM, BEING SUBS FOR CLASSROOMS WHEN TEACHERS ARE OUT FOR SUBPOINTS OR SICK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IS THAT STILL AN ISSUE? UM, SO IT'S, IT'S GETTING A LITTLE BIT BETTER.

THE ISSUE WE GET IS, UM, SO WE HAVE A SUB COMPANY THAT WE USE ESS AND THEY PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, TEACHERS PUT IN FOR SUBS AND THEN THEY FEEL THE SUBS.

UM, IF THEY DO NOT HAVE THE SUBS, THEN, UM, THEN WE DO HAVE TO COVER THAT WITH CERTIFIED STAFF OR STAFFING THAT WE HAVE, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE DID A LOT OUT OF THAT 51 17 INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANCE THAT WE WERE GOING TO HIRE.

THAT THIRD GOAL WAS TO COME IN AND WORK AS THAT SUB NOW ALSO WHAT WE DID WITH, WITH ESS.

AND I'M GOING TO SAY THAT PROBABLY 80, 70 TO 80% OF THE SPOTS ARE FILLED, BUT WE ALSO ASKED ESS FOR TWO LONG-TERM SUBS AT EACH BUILDING.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO HAVE THAT ADDITIONAL STAFF ALONG WITH THE 17 THAT WE JUST HIRED.

SO THAT'S THREE THAT COULD WORK TOWARDS THAT.

THEN YOU ALSO HAVE ALL YOUR STUDENT SUPPORT COACHES AND YOUR STUDENT SUPPORT COACH ASSISTANCE THAT WERE ADDITIONAL STAFFING THIS YEAR.

SO WE DO HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WE'RE BRINGING IN.

IT IS GETTING BETTER.

ONE OF THE ISSUES WHEN WE FEEL SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS IS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE TAKING THEM FROM THE ESS, WHICH IS THE SUB COMPANY.

SO THOSE PEOPLE WOULD RATHER COME WORK FOR US, UM, WHERE THEY CAN GET A BENEFIT.

THEY MAY BE HERE FOR A WHILE.

THEY SEE THE LONG-TERM BENEFITS OF IT.

UM, AND SO THEN THAT AGAIN, HURTS US ON THE BACKSIDE BECAUSE THEN ESS, WHO IS FILLING OUR SUBS, UM, ARE THEY CAN BE SHORT ON SOME, AND HISTORICALLY THAT'S BEEN A PROBLEM.

ANYWAY, EVEN WHEN WE HAD WARREN COUNTY HAD EMPLOYED ONE PERSON AS THAT'S THAT SUB CALL OR YEARS AGO.

UM, AND MY QUESTION WITH HIRING A CONTRACTOR LIKE THAT, THEIR POOL OF PEOPLE TO SUB, OR ARE THEY THE SAME POOL THAT SAY FLOCK HERE, POOLS FROM PAIGE, ALL THE OTHER COUNTIES THAT'S CONTRACT WITH THIS PERSON, THIS ENTITY, UM, THEY WOULD BE IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE, UH, IF THEY CONTRACT WITH THEM, BUT IF THEY DON'T CONTRACT WITH THEM, THEN, WELL, I'M ASSUMING WE'RE PROBABLY NOT THE ONLY COUNTY THEIR CONTRACT AND THAT WOULDN'T BE VERY ECONOMICALLY.

NO.

SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IS THERE, IS THERE ANY THOUGHT OF GOING BACK TO THE OLD SYSTEM WHERE YOU'RE NOT IN COMPETITION WITH OTHER COUNTIES THAT MAY PAY A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THE MORGAN COUNTY? SO IF I'M AM CALLED AND FALL CARE PAYS $10 AN HOUR MORE THAN WHAT WE ARE, I'M GOING TO GO TO FALL CARE AND MAYBE, UM, WE'VE HAD THAT DISCUSSION, BUT AGAIN, LAST YEAR, AND THIS YEAR ARE TWO DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE TWO DIFFERENT ANIMALS THAN ANY OTHER SCHOOL YEAR THAT YOU'VE EVER EXPERIENCED.

AND SO REALLY, I MEAN, SINCE, SINCE I'VE BEEN SUPERINTENDENT HERE, I CAN'T SAY THAT I'VE HAD A NORMAL SCHOOL YEAR IN WARREN COUNTY.

UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING'S BEEN KIND OF, WE UNDERSTAND WE HAVEN'T HAD A NORMAL YEAR AND, UH, AND SO TRYING TO FIND OUT WHICH BATTLE YOU NEED TO CHOOSE AND WHICH DIRECTION YOU NEEDED TO GO, REALLY, SOME OF THIS NEEDS TO REALLY DIE DOWN AND WE NEED TO GET SOME STABILITY, UH, WITHIN OUR SYSTEM TO KIND OF MAKE THAT DETERMINATION ON, IS THIS A GOOD, GOOD CHOICE FOR WARREN COUNTY OR NOT? UM, SO I CAN'T SAY THAT IT, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY WORK HARD FOR US.

UM, THEY COMMUNICATE WELL WITH US.

UM, SO AS, AS I STATED EARLIER, YOU KNOW, WE, WE STARTED THE SCHOOL YEAR WITH NONE OF THE LONG-TERM SUBS BEING FILLED.

NOW WE'RE ABOUT, LIKE I SAID, 70% MAYBE OF THOSE LONGTERM SUBS BEING FILLED AT EACH OF OUR SCHOOLS, WHICH WE, WE ASKED FOR TWO AT EACH BUILDING.

AND SO IT WAS SLOWLY MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION.

WELL, I, I KNOW THE FORMER SUB PERSON, TERESA, SHE HAD A WAY OF, EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T WANT US UP, SHE COULD SWEET TALK YOU INTO IT.

SO, YEAH.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE REALLY WORK WELL WITH THE SUB COMPANY AND I KNOW THAT WHAT SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS REALLY WANT IS THEY KIND OF WANT SOME CONSISTENCY IN ONE BUILDING.

THEY DON'T WANT TO BOUNCE

[00:30:01]

AND SO WE, WE HAVE WORKED WITH THEM TO TRY TO IDENTIFY INDIVIDUALS THAT WANT TO WORK IN CERTAIN BUILDINGS AND KIND OF KEEP THEM TAGGED TO THAT BUILDING.

AND ONLY THAT BUILDING TO HELP INCREASE THE NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE CAN HAVE TO FILL THOSE VACANCIES ARE TEACHERS GETTING PLANNING, PERIODS, DR.

BOUNDARIES.

THAT'S THE BIGGEST CONCERN THAT I HEARD AS TEACHERS WEREN'T GETTING AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THAT TIME OFF.

THEY, THEY W THEY HAVE ALWAYS GOTTEN THEIR PLANNING PERIOD.

NOW WE DID HAVE SOME THAT WERE OR VOLUNTEERING, OR THEY WERE COVERING CLASSES.

AND SO WE DID MAKE THAT MOVE TO PAY THEM FOR THAT COVERAGE IF THEY WERE, WOULD GO IN NOW, UM, MOST OF THEM WOULD NOT COVER, SOME OF THEM MAY COVER THE ENTIRE PLANNING PERIOD.

SOME OF THEM MAY ONLY COVER 40 MINUTES OF THE, THE 80 MINUTE BLOCK.

YOU KNOW, I'M TALKING HIGH SCHOOL THERE AT ELEMENTARY.

YOU DIDN'T HAVE THAT BECAUSE THE TEACHER, YOU KNOW, THEIR PLANNING PERIOD THERE IT'S DURING SPECIALS.

AND SO THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY GET THAT AT THE ELEMENTARY.

UM, YOU KNOW, CODE SAYS THAT, THAT TEACHER'S ONLY, UH, ELEMENTARY ONLY NEED 30 MINUTES, WHICH IS, I DON'T KNOW, THIS YEAR, WE BUMPED IT TO 45.

SO WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT THEY GET THE 45.

THE ISSUE THAT WE HAD WAS WHEN WE HAD A PEAK AND A NUMBER OF CASES WITHIN THE DIVISION THAT WE WENT TO EATING IN THE CLASSROOM.

AND SO THAT TOOK AWAY SOME OF THAT UNENCUMBERED, WHICH THIS YEAR I, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS ONE OF MY PRIORITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY TEACHER HAS AN UNENCUMBERED LUNCH.

DISCUSSION A PROPOSED NAMING OF AN UNNAMED STREAM, PARALLEL TO BUCK MOUNTAIN ROAD AND IN FRONT OF HIDDEN SPRINGS, SENIOR LIVING, UM, THE NAME HIDDEN CREEK HAS BEEN, UM, SUBMITTED FOR THAT.

AND, UH, SO WE ARE MOVING BACK TO THAT.

UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, I TALKED TO MY PRINCIPALS, UH, TWO OR THREE WEEKS AGO TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO MOVE BACK INTO THE CAFETERIA, OR IF YOU CAN COME UP WITH A DIFFERENT WAY.

SO I KNOW AT SOME OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT THEY'VE BACKED IT UP WITH PE AND, UM, THOSE TEACHERS ARE ACTUALLY GETTING A, MAYBE EVEN A 75 MINUTE BLOCK THAT INCLUDES THEIR PLAN PLUS THEIR LUNCH.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT IS UNENCUMBERED.

SO WE, WE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT OUR TEACHERS ARE, UH, ARE STRESSED AND, AND WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HELP THEM OUT AND, AND, UM, PROVIDE THEM WITH SOME TIME THAT THEY NEED AND THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED.

IT'S A DIFFICULT TIME FOR THEM.

IT IS, BUT YES, MA'AM, ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS NOW? THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I APPRECIATE IT.

AND I WANT TO, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS DO.

I KNOW YOU, YOU KNOW, BOARD MEMBERS, DON'T USUALLY GET TO HEAR POSITIVE COMMENTS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, DO HAVE, HAVE THE, UM, THE INTEREST OF OUR COMMUNITY AT HEART.

AND SO I APPRECIATE THE JOB THAT YOU DO.

I KNOW IT'S A TOUGH ONE BEING A BOARD MEMBER.

AND, UH, SO I WANTED TO SAY, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

ONE OF OUR NEW PROJECTS WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW THAT WE TALKED ABOUT FOR SEVERAL YEARS IS THE WARMING SHELTER OUT AT THE TRANSFER STATION.

AND THE STUDENTS AT BLUE RIDGE TECHS ARE GOING TO BE COMPLETING THAT BILL TO CONSTRUCTING THAT BUILDING, TO BE MOVED OUT THERE.

WE'LL DO THE BASE AND SO FORTH, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY BUILD THIS.

[E. Discussion – Proposed Naming of Unnamed Stream Parallel to Buck Mountain Road and in Front of Hidden Springs Senior Living as “Hidden Creek” – Ed Daley]

SO DR.

DAILY, YES, MA'AM.

THIS IS A REQUEST FROM COMMONWEALTH AS RECEIVED THAT THE COMMONWEALTH RECEIVED FROM A CITIZEN OUT THERE, AND IT IS HIDDEN CREEK, AS IT SAYS THERE OFF OF, UH, BUCK MOUNTAIN ROAD.

AND IT WILL BE ON YOUR AGENDA NEXT WEEK.

THE BOARD HAS THE OPTION OF SAYING THEY SUPPORT THIS.

THEY OPPOSED IT OR NOT COMMENTING AT ALL THE STATE WILL ASSUME UNLESS THERE IS A SPECIFIC OPPOSITION THAT THE BOARD IS FINE WITH IT.

SO YOU HAVE, WE'LL HAVE THREE OPTIONS NEXT WEEK TO SUPPORT, TO OPPOSE OR TO TAKE NO ACTION.

YOU HAVE THE APPLICATION.

IT'S PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.

IT'S A LITTLE HIDDEN CREEK.

IT, IT IS.

I, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S MY STOMPING GROUNDS THERE.

SO, UM, I ALWAYS CONSIDERED IT A DITCH BECAUSE IT'S BASICALLY WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IS A DITCH, AND I'M MORE OF A, UH, WET WEATHER.

UM, BUT IT DOES, UM, THERE'S A, THERE'S A LOT OF SPRINGS AROUND THERE, AND I THINK THERE'S

[00:35:01]

A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF, UH, SPRING FEED INTO INTUIT AS WELL.

SO WE COULD RECOMMEND IT BE HIDDEN DITCH INSTEAD OF HIDDEN.

NO, THAT PROBABLY DOESN'T SOUND TOO GOOD.

BUT IF YOU DO COST ANYTHING TO NO, MA'AM NO, THIS IS ENTIRELY A STATE PROJECT AND WE DON'T HAVE TO MAINTAIN IT.

THE FORMALITY.

YES, MA'AM OKAY.

THE, UM, THE ROOT IS SEAL, UM, MRS. DAVIS AND IT'S HOME PLACES RIGHT THERE.

I HAD 50 APPLICANTS AND SO THE FARM HAS BEEN CALLED HIDDEN CREEK FARM.

SO I THINK THEY WANTED TO, UM, MAKE THAT NAME SO THAT IT HAD MEANING TOWARDS THE FARM, UM, AS WELL AS MEANING TO THE FARM IN GREEK.

INSTEAD OF, YEAH.

SO I DON'T THINK HIDDEN DISH WOULD GO VERY WELL WITH THAT.

WELL, HISTORICALLY I, YOU KNOW, I WONDER IF IT EVER IS, SHE SAYS IT'S NEVER BEEN NAMED WELL, THAT'S WHAT THE STATE SAYS THAT THERE IS NO RECORD OF ANY NEED.

NOW THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT SOME PEOPLE OUT THERE A HUNDRED YEARS AGO DIDN'T CALL IT SOMETHING.

UM, IF IT COMES DOWN THE HILL AND THEN YOU CROSS FLINT RUN CREEK IN ORDER, GET ON BUCK MOUNTAIN.

SO IT DOES FLOW INTO, UM, FLINT RUN.

BUT I MEAN, IF YOU WERE TO RIDE UP BY, YOU WOULD JUST THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, UH, A DITCH, UM, IT'S ON IN FRONT OF THEIR HOME.

AND THEN IT COMES UNDER THE ROAD, UM, AN AREA WHERE IT CROSSES UNDER THE ROAD FROM THE OTHER SIDE.

AND IT DOES, IT JUST LOOKS LIKE A DITCH.

BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I PERSONALLY DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH CALLING.

I LOOKED UP CREEK CAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO GET SLAMMED AT SOME POINT FOR NAMING SOMETHING, A CREEK THAT WASN'T ACTUALLY A CREEK, BUT IT SAYS FOR A CREEK IT'S WHEN TWO STREAMS JOIN AND THERE IS A FORK UP ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE WHERE TWO STREAMS JOIN THE DITCH AND COMES DOWN.

SO IT DOES, IT COULD QUALIFY FOR A CREEK.

SO, UM, AFTER DOING MY RESEARCH, I FEEL FINE THAT UNLESS SOMEBODY WANTS TO DEBATE THAT DEFINITION, I FOUND BY GOOGLING A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.

I THINK CREEK IS FINE.

MOVE ON TO OVERVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENT AND OF FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES AND CHIEF ENSENO AND, AND I WILL SAY BEFORE YOU GUYS SAY THE LAND, WE HAVE SOME FRIENDLY COMPETITION GOING ON WITH THE FOOD DRIVE.

MA'AM SO NOBODY ELSE HAS ANYTHING ON THAT.

WE WILL

[F. Overview of the Department of Fire and Rescue Services – Chief James Bonzano]

AND, UM, WE, DR.

DAILY IS DETERMINED TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE CAN MORE THAN FIRE AND RESCUE.

SO IT'S ON, WE HAVE TO, UM, BE SURE TO BRING OUR FOOD IN AND WATCH JERRY, BECAUSE HE TRIED TO STEAL SOME OF OUR FOOD EARLIER.

JUST ONE MORE THAN CAPTAIN MY ATTIC.

SO NOT THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT.

WELL, WHEN IT FELL OUT OF YOUR POCKET.

DO ADVANCED PROCEDURES IN THE MEDIC UNIT.

UH, OKAY.

I'LL, I'LL LIGHTEN THAT UP MORE THAN WHAT JERRY BRINGS IN, MAKE SURE YOUR LIGHTS ON THERE AND GOOD EVENING FIRST.

THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH IN JERRY WANTED ME TO OPEN WITH THE FACT THAT, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING AND ALL THE FIREHOUSES OPEN WITH ONE ADDITIONAL CAN, IS ALL WE NEED.

AND THAT'S, UH, IT SEEMS TO BE DR.

DALY'S MODEL, BUT, UM, SO FIRST WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU IS, UM, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH DR.

DALE NSC AND ALSO, UH, CHAIRMAN COLORS AND REGARDS TO THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE FUTURE, BUT ALSO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN OVERLAY OF WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY.

AND, UH, THE IDEA HERE IS TO JUST KIND OF GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW AND THEN HOPEFULLY HAVE, UH, SOME DIALOGUE IN REGARDS TO, UM, SOME CONCERNS AND OPPORTUNITIES AS IT RELATES TO STAFFING, UM, APPARATUS REPLACEMENT, EXCUSE ME, IN SOME OF OUR FACILITY NEEDS MOVING TO THE FUTURE.

SO, UM, WITH THAT, I'LL THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.

IT'S A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF FARM RESCUE SERVICES AND THE ABILITY TO DISCUSS THE PRIORITIES OF OUR DEPARTMENT.

SO, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE SECOND PAGE IN THE MISSION OF OUR DEPARTMENT, IT'S JUST, UH, IT'S SIMPLE AND, UH, DRIVES THE DEPARTMENT, DEPARTMENTAL SLOGAN, AND ONE DEPARTMENT, ONE MISSION TO INCLUDE BOTH OUR VOLUNTEER MEMBERSHIP, AS WELL AS OUR CAREER

[00:40:01]

MEMBERSHIP.

UM, THIRD SLIDE, OUR STRENGTH SPECIFICALLY IS IN OUR PEOPLE, AND WE'VE TRIED TO FOCUS OUR EFFORTS THERE.

UM, MOST RECENTLY IN THE LAST 11 MONTHS, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE JOB, WE'VE REALLY PUT A LOT OF EMPHASIS IN TRAINING AND EDUCATION, A LOT OF OPERATIONAL TRAINING AND SPECIFIC TO CANNON ROW, OUR BEST.

SO, UH, CALLS FOR SERVICE.

THIS IS INTERESTING.

UM, I PULLED THESE NUMBERS TODAY ARE ACTUALLY JERRY PULLED THE NUMBERS AND I ACTUALLY SAID, ARE, ARE THE, ARE YOU SURE THESE ARE CORRECT, BUT IT JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE ON POINT THIS YEAR COMPARED TO LAST YEAR TO BE JUST, UH, JUST SHY OF 22%, OUR CALL VOLUME IS UP RELATIVE TO LAST YEAR.

UM, AND THAT'S WITH NO ADDITIONAL STAFF.

THAT'S NO ADDITIONAL UNITS, BUT WE'RE ON 7,000 PLUS CALLS PROBABLY 7,500 BEFORE THE YEAR'S OUT.

UM, OR A THOUSAND CALLS MORE THAN LAST YEAR, THEREABOUTS.

UM, JUST TO WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS, UM, SPECIFICALLY FOR ALL THE SUPPORT, UM, FINANCIALLY NOW WE'VE DONE IT SPECIFICALLY WITH THE FOUR FOR LIFE MONEY, AS WELL AS DEPARTMENT OF FIRE PROGRAMS, MONEY, AND THEN ALSO EMS COST RECOVERY MONEY, BUT SOME OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS COMPLEMENTS TO DATE, UM, OUR, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STAFF RIVERMONT, FIRE STATION TWO WITH SAFER GRANT FUNDING, UM, AND A TOTAL OF SIX PERSON OR ON ALL THREE SHIFTS.

UH, WE'VE ALSO NOW HAVE THERMAL IMAGING CAMERAS ON ALL OF OUR APPARATUS.

UM, WE'VE ORDERED THREE AMBULANCE TRANSPORT UNITS.

UM, THOSE DELIVERY DATE ON THOSE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MARCH, APRIL, UM, BECAUSE OF THE WORLD WE LIVE IN AND IT'S LOOKING LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE PUSHED OUT MORE TO SEPTEMBER NOW, BUT THAT'S JUST SIMPLY BECAUSE THAT'S THE SUPPLY CHAIN, IF YOU WILL.

UM, WE HAVE CREATED A COUNTY WIDE PPE GEAR PROGRAM.

UM, WE'VE IMPLEMENTED THE COUNTYWIDE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT AND OUR IT STANDARDS OR RAPID INTERVENTION TEAM STANDARDS.

ACTUALLY, DR.

DALEY CAME OUT, UM, THIS PAST WEEK TO, UM, VIEW SOME OF OUR BEST AND BRIGHTEST DOING SOME WORK AT ONE OF THE ACQUIRED STRUCTURES ON WINCHESTER ROAD, WHERE WE WERE WORKING ON MAYDAY OPERATIONS AND SAVING OUR OWN, GOING THROUGH AN INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM.

UM, WE'RE DOING THAT, NOT JUST IN A VACUUM EITHER.

WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR REGIONAL NEIGHBORS TO INCLUDE ALL THE SURROUNDING JURISDICTIONS.

UM, AND WE'RE DOING THAT SIMPLY BECAUSE OUR STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES ARE NOT JUST UNIQUE TO US.

THEY'RE SPECIFIC TO THE REGION.

AND WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE MOVE EITHER A MUTUAL AID CALLS, THEY COME IN OR WE GO OUT, WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME SHEET OF MUSIC, A BIG ONE HERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF TIME AND ENTRIES.

AND I'D SAY THAT KNOCKING ON WOOD.

UM, BUT WE REALLY PUT A LOT OF FOCUS ON TRAINING AND EDUCATION AND BEING COGNIZANT OF BEING SELF AWARE AND BEING SAFE.

UM, THE ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT PROGRAM.

SO MOST RECENTLY WE'RE ABLE TO HIRE TWO FOLKS, ONE FROM FAUQUIER COUNTY AND ONE FROM, UH, WINCHESTER.

THEY COME TO US AND WE'RE HAPPY AS A RESULT OF THOSE TWO FOLKS COMING TO BOARD WITH US, UM, FIRE STATION ONE, FIRE STATION, TWO FIRE STATION FOUR AND FIRE STATION 10 ARE NOW ALS STAFF OR ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT STAFF ON ALL THREE SHIFTS IN THE PERFECT WORLD.

WHEN PEOPLE COME TO WORK, IN ESSENCE, YOU HAVE ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT PROVIDERS OR PARAMEDICS IN YOUR FIREHOUSES.

WE'VE ALSO NOW BEGUN THE ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT PROGRAM TO GROW IT EVEN FURTHER EIGHT ADDITIONAL FOLKS OVER OUR OWN INTERNAL INSISTS.

SELF-CERTIFIED, IT'S ACTUALLY AN ACCREDITATION PROCESS WE'RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW FOR OUR EMS AGENCY, BUT EIGHT OF OUR PARAMEDICS ARE BEING, ARE GOING THROUGH AN EIGHT MONTH PROCESS, UM, UH, BECOMING PARAMEDICS UPGRADES FROM B OR BASICS TO PARAMEDICS AND WITH, YOU KNOW, GOD'S GRACE AND US GETTING THIS DONE.

WE'RE GOING TO BE IN A GOOD PLACE WHEN AN ESSENCE THAT ALLOWS US TO DO IS TO HAVE ALS PROVIDERS OR PARAMEDICS ON EVERY PIECE OF APP, EXCUSE ME, ON, IN EVERY FIREHOUSE WITH EXCEPTION OF EIGHT AND TWO ON ALL THREE SHIFTS, THAT'S A HUGE PIECE TO THIS BECAUSE THAT NOT ONLY DOES THAT REDUCE THE CALL PRESSURES, WHAT THE REALITY IS IS WE'RE SERVING OUR CITIZEN BASED SO MUCH BETTER.

SO ARE YOUR ALS TRANSPORT TIMES TO DOOR TO SERVICE? IS THAT MUCH QUICKER CHIEF? UM, I NOTICED THAT IN YOUR CALLS FOR SERVICE, YOU HAVE, UH, THE SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IS IN EMS. DO YOU BREAK THAT DOWN INTO WHERE IT'S, FANS' LIFE SUPPORT VERSUS WE DO, AND I'LL GIVE YOU THE SPECIFIC DATA.

UM, BUT JUST 84% OF OUR CALL VOLUME IS EMS RELATED AND I CAN BREAK IT DOWN EVEN FURTHER, 14% ROMANIAN FIRE CALLS.

INTERESTING.

UM, AND I, AND I SAY THIS TO YOU, AND I CONTRAST TO THE SYSTEM I CAME FROM, I WAS THERE FOR JUST SHY OF 35 YEARS.

I'M NO DIFFERENT NATIONWIDE.

THIS IS THE WAY IT IS ACROSS THE NATION EMS. YOU RUN IT, YOU KNOW, JUST ABOUT THAT PERCENTAGE, 80 PLUS PERCENT.

UM, HENCE THE REASON WHY WE'RE INCREASING OUR ALS COVERAGE AND THE NEED, UM, TRANSPORT TIMES IN THIS COUNTY ARE LONG TRANSPORT TIMES TO DOOR ARE LONG TRANSPORT TIMES TO FACILITY AND FIXED FACILITY.

AND THE APPROPRIATE FACILITIES ARE LONG, HENCE THE NEED FOR ALS COVERAGE.

SO WE CAN

[00:45:01]

AND MOST RECENTLY WE'VE HAD A SLEW OF VERY DIFFICULT CALLS OF WHICH REQUIRE THAT, THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE.

IN ADDITION, UM, THE 14% REMAINING, THE FIRE CALLS, THE ACUITY LEVEL FOR EMS CALLS ARE HIGH IN THIS COUNTY, MEANING THERE'S A LOT OF SICK PEOPLE, VERY SICK.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT IS THE CALLS YOU RUN FOR SERVICE FOR, FOR FIRES ARE USUALLY FIRES ARE GOOD FIRES.

WE RAN ONE TODAY.

WE RAN ONE THIS PAST TOUR ON GIVE YOU A DRIVE AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT WHAT THEY RUN AND WHAT THE, AND HOW THEY GO TO WORK.

UM, THEY DO AMAZING STUFF WITH WHAT VERY SHORT STAFF AND IN SOMETIMES LIMITED APPARATUS, I CAN GET INTO SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, WHICH I LOOK FORWARD TO ACTUALLY, AS IT RELATES TO STAFFING, IF YOU JUST, ONCE I GO THROUGH THIS AND JUST PUSH ME ON ANY AND ALL THINGS, AND LET'S HAVE SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT, I APPRECIATE THAT WITH ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT, AS YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S THE, I UNFORTUNATELY GOT TO OBSERVE THAT PERSONALLY, AND I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A LIMITED NUMBER OF THOSE PEOPLE AVAILABLE, RIGHT? AND SO THAT, AND I WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE HAD BEEN AN INCREASE IN THOSE TYPES OF CALLS VERSUS, YOU KNOW, DO YOU NEED TO HAVE MORE OF THOSE PEOPLE AND LESS OF OTHERS IS BASICALLY WHAT I'M AT.

SO GOOD QUESTION.

UM, AND I CAN BREAK IT DOWN.

STATISTICALLY, ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT VERSUS BASIC LIFE SUPPORT, BUT SUFFICE TO SAY, BUT BECAUSE OF ALL THE VARIABLES, ONE IS THE ACUITY LEVEL IN THIS COUNTY IS HIGH, AND I'LL GIVE YOU THE STATISTICS TO SUPPORT THAT.

BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, BECAUSE OF THE LONG TRANSPORT TIMES, AND TO BE VERY HONEST WITH YOU, WE HAVE SOME REALLY SICK PEOPLE THAT EVEN FURTHER EXACERBATES THAT ISSUE.

UM, AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.

IF YOU HAVE A HEART ATTACK IN THIS COUNTY, THE APPROPRIATE FACILITY IS GOING TO BE WINCHESTER RELATIVE TO WARM MEMORIAL BECAUSE OF THE SERVICES THEY PROVIDE, NOT ONLY ENTRY-LEVEL, BUT ALSO THE CONTINUUM, MEANING A CATH LAB, AS AN EXAMPLE, A STROKE CENTER, A PEDIATRIC CENTER, WE'LL GO INTO, I KNOW OVER WE'RE GOING TO CHARLOTTESVILLE SIMPLY BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE FACILITIES THAT CAN HANDLE IF THAT PATIENT GOES UPSIDE DOWN.

SO I GIVE THAT TO YOU KINDA AS A PERSPECTIVE, BECAUSE JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, IF MEDIC ONE TRANSPORTS TO WINCHESTER, AS AN EXAMPLE, THE AVERAGE TURNAROUND TIME WAS ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF AND I'M BEING YES MA'AM.

AND I THINK I'M PROBABLY BEING KIND WHEN I SAY THAT.

UM, AND THEN YOU TAKE, YOU KNOW, THE WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN, WE'RE BUSY.

UM, IF YOU GET THESE UNITS OUT, IT'S NOT LIKE OUR NEIGHBORS, AREN'T BUSY EITHER.

SO THE, THE RESOURCES FOR AID, AS IT RELATES TO ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT, IS THAT MUCH MORE AS WELL.

AND IT'S DIFFICULT TO COME BY.

SO IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THAT WE TAKE THE STAFF THAT WE HAVE TODAY AND CONTINUE TO GROW THEM TO BECOME PARAMEDICS BECAUSE AT A MINIMUM THEY CAN GO TO WORK AND WE MIGHT HAVE AN ISSUE GETTING A UNIT, BUT AT A MINIMUM, THEY CAN GO TO WORK.

SO I WAS READING, UM, A PERSON WHO HAS A HEART ATTACK OUTSIDE OF A HOSPITAL, 90% OF THOSE PEOPLE DIE BECAUSE THERE ISN'T THAT HIGH LEVEL OF, UM, INTERVENTION AVAILABLE AND THE DISTANCE IT TAKES TO GET SOMEBODY TO THE HOUSE IT IS, AND THAT'S THAT'S.

AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, THERE'S, THERE'S A SLOGAN IN THE BUSINESS.

AND FORGIVE ME FOR BEING, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT TRYING TO BE SLANG, BUT TIME IS TISSUE.

SO YOU, YOU HAVE TO GET, NOT ONLY DO YOU NEED THE APPROPRIATE BASIC LIFE SUPPORT INTERVENTIONS, THE ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT INTERVENTIONS, WHAT THEY NEED TO GET TO A FACILITY WHERE THEY CAN HANDLE, THANK YOU, DR.

DALEY, WHERE THEY CAN HANDLE IT SO THEY CAN GO TO WORK.

SO, CAUSE THE OPTIMAL CARE, GIVEN A STEMI OR ERA, UM, S WHAT THEY CALL AN ST ELEVATION, MYOCARDIAL, INFARCTION, OR A HEART ATTACK, THEY HAVE TO GO TO A FACILITY WHERE THEY CAN ACTUALLY BE CATHETERIZED IN THAT CASE, IN THIS CASE, THAT'S WINCHESTER.

SO THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE, THEN THERE'S STROKE CENTERS, THEN THERE'S PEDIATRIC CONCERNS AND THERE'S BURN CENTERS.

UM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF VARIABLES THAT COME INTO PLAY BASED ON MECHANISM, BASED ON STANDARD OF CARE, ALL OF WHICH ARE PART OF THE MEDICAL DIRECTION THAT WE OPERATE UNDER WITH A FINITE RESOURCE.

AND THAT'S A REALITY, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING TO GROW OUR OWN.

BUT IN ADDITION, WE NEED STAFFING.

SO, AND I'LL, AND I'LL GET TO THAT.

MA'AM ONE OF THE OTHER DRIVERS BEHIND THAT AS WELL AS IS A, TO CAP ON THAT IS LET'S GO BACK FIVE YEARS AGO WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION.

IT WAS COMMON TO HAVE ONE PARAMEDIC ON A 24 HOUR SHIFT.

ALS PROVIDERS ON THAT VERY SICK PERSON, THAT CARDIAC ARREST EVENT, AND BE ABLE TO SHARE WORKLOAD FOR THE TREATMENT OF THAT.

UM, UNDER CHIEF PANZANO, HIS MODEL, WE NOW HAVE FOUR ON NET SHIFT, WHICH ALLEVIATES A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT ISSUES OF HAVING TWO COMPANIES OUT OF SERVICE FOR ONE EMS CALL.

UM, IDEALLY THAT'S WHERE WE'D LIKE TO GET.

BUT ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT CHIEF TALKED ABOUT WAS THE ACUITY LEVEL IN SOME OF THE CALLS THAT WE'RE SEEING NOW, THE MORE ALS PROVIDERS WERE ABLE TO PUT ON DUTY, THE BETTER OUTCOME, BECAUSE NOW VERSUS PUTTING ONE ALS PROVIDER IN THE ENTIRE COUNTY, WE CAN PUT TWO

[00:50:01]

AND WE'RE GOING TO SEE BETTER OUTCOMES AS A RESULT OF THAT.

RIGHT NOW, WE CAN'T ACHIEVE THAT BECAUSE WE JUST SIMPLY DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS AVAILABLE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

TODAY WAS AN EXAMPLE.

WE GOT DISPATCHED FOR A, A CARDIAC ARREST EVENT.

WE HAD THREE MEDIC UNITS IN SERVICE TO STARTED GOING TO THAT INCIDENT, JUST TO BACK EACH OTHER UP, BECAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO PERFORM THOSE SKILLSETS IN A FASTER, MORE TIMELY FASHION, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO AT THAT ADVANCED LEVEL, BEING ABLE TO TREAT THAT PERSON.

SO WE SHOULD SEE OUR SUCCESS RATES INCREASE BASED OFF OF THIS MODEL AS WELL.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AS IT RELATES TO THAT? OR CAN I MOVE ON? THANK YOU.

UH, SO THE GAS METER UPGRADES IS ANOTHER ACCOMPLISHMENT TO DATE AND OF COURSE ARE SELF-CONTAINED BREATHING APPARATUS UPGRADES, AND WE'VE BEGUN.

UM, FIRST TIME IN OUR DEPARTMENT IMPLEMENT WHAT WE'RE CALLING PHASE ONE OF OUR 1582 PHYSICALS, WHICH ARE PART OF THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION AGENCY STANDARD.

UH, WE DIDN'T DO THIS IN A VACUUM.

UM, WE, WE PULLED US TOGETHER WITH THE DISTRICT CHIEFS OR THE VOLUNTEER MEMBERSHIP AND THE LEADERSHIP THERE.

AND WE STARTED DOING SOME ANALYSIS AS TO, YOU KNOW, WHERE TO REALLY FOCUS OUR EFFORTS.

UM, A GOOD REVIEW OF THE COMBINED RESPONSE SYSTEM, UM, DISCUSSIONS WITH THE VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP, AS WELL AS OUR CAREER STAFF AND LOOKING HONESTLY AT SOME OF OUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES.

AND AGAIN, UM, I'M VERY IMPRESSED IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, THE, THE KNOWLEDGE BASE AND THE LEVEL THE CAN DO EFFORT.

THIS COUNTY HAS THE MEN, AND WOMEN'S USED TO OUTSTANDING WORK.

THERE ARE LIMITED RESOURCES, BUT I CAN TELL YOU JUST GET OUT OF THE WAY THEY'RE GOING TO GET IT DONE.

SO ONE OF THE BIGGEST STRUGGLES WITH THAT, AND I'M JUST GOING TO BE CANDID IS AT TIMES THEY DO THINGS IN ALL DUE RESPECT THAT ARE UNSAFE AND, AND I'M GONNA, AND I'LL SPEAK A LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC AND PLEASE PUSH ME ON THAT IS WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT THE TWO INTO OUR CONCEPT AND GOING TO WORK IN A WORKING FIRE SITUATION, THE STAFFING MODEL, OR THE LACK OF RESOURCES AT TIMES, PUSHES THEM TO DO THINGS THAT SIMPLY ARE OUT ON THE OUTSIDE THE SAFETY STANDARDS, WHERE WE NEED TO BE.

UM, AND THAT IS A FIRE CHIEF, AND I'M BEING VERY CANDID IS CONCERNING TO ME BECAUSE WE NEED PEOPLE AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF PEOPLE ON A FIRE GROUND TO GO TO WORK SAFE AND ACCOUNTABLE.

UM, WORK IS, IS, IS PRIORITY.

UH, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME OF OUR PRIORITIES AND THAT IS NUMBER ONE, TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE MONEY, MAINTAIN FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY.

UM, I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS ONE-YEAR ON OR UNREACTIVE.

I WANT TO LOOK TO THE FUTURE.

UM, NOT ONLY FIVE YEARS OF NEEDS ASSESSMENT, OBVIOUSLY TO INCLUDE THOSE THREE PRIORITIES OF STAFFING, NOT JUST IN THOSE THREE PRIORITIES, STAFFING, APPARATUS, REPLACEMENT, AND EQUIPMENT, RELATIVE TO EMERGENCY OPERATIONS.

AND FINALLY, UM, ON THE FACILITIES THAT OUR FOLKS ARE LIVING IN ADDITIONAL, UM, TO LOOK AT WARREN COUNTY FARM RESCUE DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION PLAN, WE NEED TO PUT SOME FOCUS ON THAT.

THERE HASN'T BEEN A LOT AND A STAFF AND AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.

WE'RE REVISITING IT AND SEEING IF IT ACTUALLY, WHAT WAS DONE SOME TIME AGO MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE FUTURE, AND IT MEETS THE NEEDS OF RIGHT NOW.

UM, I REALLY AM ENCOURAGED, UM, AND PUT A SHOUT OUT TO, TO JANE OUR NEW HR DIRECTOR.

I THINK SHE'S GOT SOME GREAT IDEAS AND SOME GREAT THOUGHTS, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH HER TO CONTINUE TO GROW OUR OWN.

UM, I WAS IN THE BACK TALKING TO DR.

BALLENGER AND SHERIFF BUTLER.

I THINK THERE'S SOME REAL OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WILL WE START WORKING WITH OUR SECONDARY SCHOOL SYSTEM, WORKING WITH OUR HR DIRECTOR, WHERE WHILE I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN KIND OF GROW OUR OWN AND KEEP HER OWN THE WHOLE IDEA OF RETAINING AND RECRUITING AND RETAINING OUR OWN, MAYBE WORKING WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO SEE IF WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK ON OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, UH, SOME MORE WORK THERE, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE AN EYE ON.

UM, REALLY FOCUSING TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR APPARATUS REPLACEMENT PROGRAM IS NOT JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, A ONE-YEAR THING, WHAT OVER A 20 YEAR PERIOD, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR APPARATUS ON HOW BEST TO USE OUR MONEY, HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR LEADERSHIP IN THE ROOM AND A REVIEW OF THE FACILITIES AND THE STATUS OF WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY.

OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME PRIORITIES FIRE STATION SIX IS AN EXAMPLE OR SOME CONCERNS.

AND I ABSOLUTELY, UM, ANALYSIS OUR VOLUNTEER RETENTION.

UH, SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE PRIORS OF OUR DEPARTMENT, UM, SINCE I'VE COME HERE, UH, THE PRIORITY HAS BEEN MISSION CRITICAL.

SO WORKING BACK FROM THE FIRE GROUND OF EMERGENCY OPERATIONS, AND AFTER THE FIRST YEAR REVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENT, AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED THREE AREAS THAT WILL BECOME PRIORITY FOCUS FOR THIS DEPARTMENT, THOSE THREE AREAS ARE STAFFING APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT AND OUR FACILITIES.

SO IF WE LOOK AT STAFFING AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S

[00:55:01]

NOT JIMMY'S WORLD OR THE FIRE CHIEF'S WORLD, IT'S SOMETHING I'M DOING RELATIVE TO A STANDARD, EVERYTHING WE MATCH HERE, I'M LOOKING AT, FOR EXAMPLE, IN EMS, WE LOOK AT ADVANCED CARDIAC LIFE SUPPORT.

WE'LL LOOK AT HEART ASSOCIATION STANDARDS, AND WE LOOK AT DOOR TO BALLOON TIMES, BUT THEY'RE RELATIVE TO WHAT WE DO.

SAME THING HERE, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EMERGENCY OPERATIONS AND SPECIFICALLY FIREFIGHTING, THE 1720, OR THE NFP 1720 STANDARD IS SOMETHING AS WELL THOUGHT OUT.

AND FOR OUR LOCALITY, WE TRY TO MEET THE 1720 STANDARD FOR THE STAFF AND THE DEPLOYMENT OF FIREFIGHTERS.

THE STANDARD PROVIDES BENCHMARKS FOR THE MINIMUM STAFF AND IN ASSEMBLY RATES BASED ON POPULATION DENSITY PER SQUARE MILE WITH A CERTAIN TIMEFRAME AND A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THE TIME.

AND I'M SAD TO SAY, WE'RE NOT MEETING THAT MARK.

AND THAT'S JUST A REALITY, UH, THE 18 STAFF POSITIONS THAT I GOT BEFORE YOU, UM, AT THE BEGINNING OF MY TENURE, UM, THAT WE PUT IN FOR THE SAFER GRANT REQUEST WAS UNFUNDED.

UM, WE CAN SPECULATE AS TO WHY THIS COUNTY DEFINITELY IS DESERVING OF IT, UM, WITH THE REQUEST OF 18 POSITIONS STAFFING FOR THAT, UM, IT WAS APPROVED BY THIS BOARD IN A UNANIMOUS VOTE BY THE FIRE CHIEF'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

THE NUMBER WAS DEVELOPED BASED ON THE 1720 OBJECTIVES.

IT WAS NOT ARBITRARY, UM, SIMPLY SPLITTING THE UN THE UNSTAFFED STATIONS IN THE COUNTY OR FIRE STATION EIGHT AND FIRE STATION FIVE.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT MINIMUM STAFFING MODELS OF TWO ON ALL THREE SHIFTS, AND THEN INCREASING STAFF IN A FIRE STATION, ONE, OUR BUSIEST FIREHOUSE WITH A COMMAND ELEMENT AS WELL.

THAT WAS THE THOUGHT PROCESS AS THE BEGINNING.

SO WE RECEIVED NOTICE IN OCTOBER THAT THE REQUEST WAS UNFUNDED AND WITH NO EXPLANATION, IT'S HARD TO GET ONE.

AND I'VE TRIED, UM, WAS PROVIDED STAFF BELIEVES PROBABLY THE DISQUALIFIER WAS THE DEPARTMENT IS CURRENTLY UNDER A SAFER FUNDING FOR THE SIX POSITIONS OF THE RIVERMONT STATION.

THAT'S AN ASSUMPTION.

AND THEN AS WE TALKED TO PEOPLE IN THE BUSINESS, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE UNDERSTANDING.

IT COULD BE THE CASE AS SUCH.

THIS IS THE POTENTIAL TO AFFECT THE NEXT TWO GRANT CYCLES, APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT.

SO YOU CAN LOOK, WE HAVE A WIDE OR DIVERSE FLEET OF EQUIPMENT.

UM, ALL OF THE FIRE APPARATUS, LARGELY NOT ALL, BUT LARGELY IS OWNED, VOLUNTEER OWNED, AND AS SUCH, UM, WE'VE ABSORBED THE AMBULANCE TRANSPORT UNITS AND HAS CREATED A PLAN FOR THE ANNUAL REPLACEMENT ROTATION OF THESE UNITS.

UM, CURRENTLY THE DEPARTMENT LACKS ANY REPLACEMENT PLAN FOR ANY OF THE FIRE APPARATUS THROUGHOUT THE RESPONSE SYSTEM, BOTH COUNTY AND OR VOLUNTEER AGAIN, CITING ANOTHER STANDARD, UH, IN A PA IT'S THAT RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF YOU, BASICALLY, IT'S A MATRIX THAT LAYS OUT WHEN YOU SHOULD BE REPLACING YOUR APPARATUS.

AND WHY, UM, NEEDLESS TO SAY, IF YOU LOOKED AT OUR FLEET WHERE WE'RE, WHERE YEARS PASS IN SOME CAPACITY AND OTHER AREAS WHERE WE'RE APPROACHING IT QUICKLY SO THE REPLACEMENT CONSIDERATIONS, UM, THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT WERE THREE VARIABLES.

THE NUMBER OF MONTHS, THE APPARATUS HAS BEEN IN SERVICE.

ONE TO BE IN THE MILEAGE AND FINALLY MAINTENANCE TO ACQUISITION, MEANING BASICALLY THROWING GOOD MONEY AFTER BAD.

UM, WE USE HERE AS AN EXAMPLE, UM, FIRE STATION FOR LINDEN ENGINE FOR, UM, W AS AN EXAMPLE, WE HAVE A 2004 PIECE OF APPARATUS, BUT JUST ABOUT 94,000 MILES ON IT.

AND, UH, YOU CAN SEE THE MONEY WE SPENT IN FYI 2021.

AND TODAY WHAT WE SPENT JUST IN REPLACEMENT COSTS.

AND THE REALITY IS, UM, THERE IS VERY LITTLE OR NO RESIDUAL VALUE WITH THIS PIECE OF APPARATUS.

I'M NOT TRYING TO BE DOOM AND GLOOM.

I'M JUST BEING HONEST.

AND SO THEREFORE THE REALITY IS, IS THAT WE'RE OUT OF SERVICE TIME FINDING PIECES OF APPARATUS TO PUT IN PLACE, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE THERE FOR CALLS THE SERVICE HAS BECOME AN EXCEPTIONALLY PROBLEMATIC, ALL RIGHT, MOVING TO STATION ENHANCEMENTS.

UH, I CITED FIRE STATION SIX EARLIER.

UM, AND THAT IS ONE EXAMPLE, BUT JUST A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY.

UM, PRIMARILY THE STATIONS HISTORICALLY ARE VOLUNTEER, ESTABLISHED AND FUNDED.

UH, THEY'RE DESIGNED FOR HOME-BASED RESPONSE.

UM, THEY LACK SOME LIVING CON ACCOMMODATIONS, FOR SURE.

UM, PHYSICAL TRAINING AND EXERCISE AREAS.

AS AN EXAMPLE, SOME OF THE, UM, PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE IN THE FIREHOUSES OBVIOUSLY HAVE LACKED BECAUSE OF AGE AND, AND DEGRADATION AND OBVIOUS EXAMPLE OF THAT IS SOME OF OUR SLIP RESISTANT FLOORING.

UM, AS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE, UM, WE DON'T NEED ANY TAJ MAHAL.

WE JUST NEED SAFE AND EFFICIENT FACILITIES.

UM, BUT I WAS STRONGLY ASK US TO LOOK WHAT, AS WE MOVE TO THE FUTURE TO THEY HAVE, UM, FIREFIGHTER CON CANCER PREVENTION AND PROTECTION MEASURES, UM, TO INCLUDE DIRECT CAPTURE DIESEL EXHAUST REMOVAL SYSTEMS, UM, PERSONAL

[01:00:01]

PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT EXTRACTORS AND WASHERS FOR OUR GEAR AND AS WELL AS DRYERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DRY IN THESE, THE NUMBERS OF CANCER RATES, UM, ARE SPECIFIC.

UM, AND IT'S PARTICULAR IN DARIEN MEI.

I BATTLE CANCER AND I'M A SURVIVOR AND I FEEL BLESSED.

UM, BUT AS A RESULT, UM, I WORK HAND-IN-HAND WITH, UM, THE FOLKS IN THE INDUSTRY TO, TO KIND OF BE AN ADVOCATE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF WASHING YOUR GEAR OR THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING THE PROPER DIESEL EXHAUST SYSTEMS, UM, CLIMATE EVENTS, AS AN EXAMPLE, TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS NO SECONDARY CONTAMINATION AND, UH, THE DO THE RIGHT THING AND SOMETHING THAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO, UM, PUSH.

AND WE JUST HAD A FIRE TODAY, UM, OVER IN THE, UH, SHORES AREA.

UM, AND IT WAS ENCOURAGING BECAUSE THERE WAS NO, UH, REASON THAT WE HAD TO TELL PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE WASHING THEIR GEAR, THAT THEY MAKE SURE THEY WERE USING THEIR PROPER TOWELETTES TO CLEAN THEMSELVES, TO WASH THEIR APPARATUS.

THEY WERE ALREADY DOING IT.

SO THE WORD IS OUT.

PEOPLE WERE BEGINNING TO MAKE THE CHANGE, AND WE JUST WANT TO SUPPORT THAT AS WE MOVE TO THE FUTURE.

I WON'T BORE YOU WITH THE PLANNING PROCESS, BUT WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT WAYS TO BE MORE EFFICIENT LOOKING FOR ECONOMY OF SCALE, LOOKING FOR REGIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, LOOKING FOR GRANT OPPORTUNITIES AND NOT UNFAIR.

I'M NOT THE, I'M NOT THE SPOILED KID ASKING FOR MORE.

I'M JUST BRINGING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF SMART PEOPLE IN THE ROOM AND WE NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ON HOW BEST TO UNDERWRITE IT AND, YOU KNOW, CAPTAIN RADIKO BOOK.

AND I SPOKE AT LINK TODAY THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO GO AFTER EVERY GRANT OPPORTUNITY TO INCLUDE, UM, FEDERAL STATE AND WORK WITH MY BOSS, DR.

DALEY, AND THE FOLKS IN THIS ROOM.

AND WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO HUSH AND PLEASE ASK ME MANY QUESTIONS AND I APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY.

SO IF YOU COULD, UM, DESCRIBE FROM A RESOURCE PERSPECTIVE WHAT YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL WOULD BE, IF YOU COULD GET, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT UNITS BASED ON THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY, THE ACUITY RATE, UM, WHICH WE PROBABLY JUST NEED TO ADDRESS AND ENCOURAGE HEALTHY LIVING.

I THINK THAT WOULD PROBABLY HELP A LITTLE, BUT ANYWAY, OUTSIDE OF THAT, WHAT WOULD YOUR, UM, WHAT WOULD YOUR NEEDS BE? SO A LOT OF, LOT OF, LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION.

UM, SO LET ME, LET ME, LET ME TRY TO DO IT LIKE ONE AT A TIME LIKE ELEPHANTS.

SO ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT.

I THINK IF WE LOOK AT OUR STAFFING MODEL TODAY, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW OUR ALS OR ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT OR A PARAMEDIC PROGRAM BECAUSE IT MAKES SENSE.

UH, INEVITABLY WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS ONCE WE HAVE ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT PROVIDERS ON OUR MEDIC UNITS TO CONTINUE TO GROW THAT CAPACITY ON OUR FIRETRUCKS.

SO AS OUR STAFFING GROWS.

SO MY POINT IN THIS IS, IS WHEN SOMEBODY GETS THERE, THEY CAN GO TO WORK.

YOU KNOW, YOU CITED YOUR EXAMPLE, WHAT YOU END THE POINT IS IF YOU HAVE A TRAINED INDIVIDUAL AND GO TO WORK, THEN WE'LL WORKING ON THE TRANSPORT MECHANISM.

IT ALSO ALLOWS ME THE OPPORTUNITY FROM A STAFFING STANDPOINT TO ROTATE THAT PERSONNEL AND THERE, AND NOT BURN THEM OUT.

IF OUR HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET, AS AN EXAMPLE, IT'S NOT UNCOMMON FOR THEM 21, 22 CALLS A DAY AND A 24 HOUR PERIOD.

SO THE POINT IS BURNOUT IN THIS INDUSTRY IS HUGE, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO LOOK FAR TO SEE THE TURNOVER EAST OF US RIGHT NOW.

UM, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, AND THESE ARE EMPIRICAL NUMBERS, A SHIFT IN ARLINGTON COUNTY, THOUGH.

THEY WAS HELD THAT 22 PEOPLE IN IT IN ADDITION TO A FULL BOOK.

SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 40 IN A BATTALION OR A SHIFT.

THE POINT IS, IS PEOPLE AREN'T COMING TO WORK FOR VARIOUS REASONS.

AND SO THE REASON I REALLY KIND OF CHAMPIONED THE EFFORTS OF THE FOLKS HERE IS BECAUSE THE EFFORT AND ATTITUDE IN THIS COUNTY IS EXCEPTIONAL AND THEY COME TO WORK AND THEY DO A GREAT JOB IN SHORT FROM AN ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT STANDPOINT.

I THINK IF WE CONTROL THAT DISCIPLINE, GET BETTER AT THAT CRAFT AND CONTINUE TO GROW OUR OWN.

AND YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS THERE'S PARODY, AS IT RELATES TO, UM, MONEY, AND, AND NONE OF US ARE ONLY WEALTHY AT THIS, BUT IT SUCKS IF YOU WILL, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE BEING PAID 20 CENTS ON THE DOLLAR.

SO THE POINT IS, I THINK WE NEED TO BE COGNIZANT.

I THINK WE'VE GOT THE RIGHT PEOPLE ON THE BUS.

THEY'RE LOOKING AT THAT.

I THINK THOSE VARIABLES ARE HUGE.

THE NEXT PIECE IS BIG BECAUSE IT IS PEOPLE AND LET'S BE HONEST, PEOPLE ARE MONEY.

AND WHAT WE HAVE TODAY, YOU HAVE WHAT THEY REFER TO AS A SINGLE PERSON, OR EXCUSE ME, A SINGLE-POLE CONCEPT IN THIS COUNTY.

SO LET ME TRY TO MAKE THIS VERY ELEMENTARY.

SO IF I HAVE THREE PIECE OF APPARATUS ACROSS THE STREET, AS AN EXAMPLE TODAY, ABSENT ANY VOLUNTEER ASSISTANCE, WHICH IS TOUGH THESE DAYS, BECAUSE THESE FOLKS ARE BUSY AND THEY'RE WORKING AND IT'S A BEDROOM COMMUNITY, AND THEY'RE GOING UP AND DOWN THE ROAD AND SLACK THEY'RE ON THERE, BUT I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.

YOU GOT A LADDER TRUCK ACROSS THE STREET.

YOU'VE GOT AN ENGINE ACROSS THE STREET AND YOU'VE GOT A MEDIC ENTERED ACROSS THE STREET.

AND THAT UNIT TODAY IS STAFFED WITH TWO CAREER PERSONNEL.

SO IF THEY GET A FIRE, THEY GOT THE DOOR AT THAT FIRE TRUCK.

AND THE REST OF THAT APPARATUS SITS THERE, DORMANT, QUIET.

[01:05:02]

AND THAT'S THE REALITY.

IF THEY GET A HEART ATTACK, THEY GO OUT.

SAME THING, IT'S A SINGLE-POLE CONCEPT.

SO THE F THE FOLKS COMING TO YOU ARE COMING FROM ANOTHER LOCATION, EITHER AS FIRE STATION FOUR IN THE PERFECT WORLD, FIRE STATION, 10 FIRE STATION TWO, YOU GET WHERE I'M GOING.

THE IDEA HERE IS TO IMPROVE NOT ONLY THE CAREER STAFFING, WHAT STAFFING SPECIFICALLY, AND I'M GREAT WITH VOLUNTEERS WAS WE HAD A GREAT VOLUNTEER MEMBERSHIP.

HOWEVER, THE NUMBERS HAVE DWINDLED SIGNIFICANTLY.

THAT'S NOT ATYPICAL.

THAT'S A NATIONWIDE THING.

SO AS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE, I THINK WE GOT TO ONE, WE HAVE TO HAVE CAPACITY.

I THINK WE HAVE TO GROW OUR OWN, CONTINUING TO TRAIN AND EDUCATE MEDICATE, MAKE, CONTINUE TO MAKE IT A GREAT PLACE TO BE.

WE NEED MORE BODIES.

I'LL TRAIN THEM UP.

YOU GIVE THEM TO ME, I'M GOING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET THEM WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.

IS THAT FAIR? YES, MA'AM WELL, I AGREE THAT PAY IS IMPORTANT, BUT I THINK PAY IS NOT EVERYTHING.

AND IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT YOU'VE BEEN HERE, I SEE IMPROVEMENT IN MORALE.

AND I THINK THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES.

AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT BECAUSE YOU CAN GET THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF PAY AND BE AN EQUITY WITH OTHER COUNTIES, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT HAPPY AND YOU DON'T FEEL WELCOMED, THEN YOU'RE NOT GOING TO STAY.

SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THERE'S IMPROVEMENT THERE.

AND I'M HOPING THAT WILL FALL OVER TO THE VOLUNTEERS AS WELL, THAT THEY WILL FEEL WELCOMED BACK, UM, IN THIS NEW ATMOSPHERE.

SO THANK YOU, MS. CALLERS.

I GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT MADAM CHAIR, BUT LET ME, LET ME SAY IT TAKES A VILLAGE.

I AM BLESSED ON THE PEOPLE I WORK THEN.

AND I, AND I SAY THIS, HONESTLY, I'M 60, SOME YEARS OLD.

UM, I'M NOT HERE FOR THE FOUR T-SHIRT, I'M HERE FOR THE RIGHT REASON.

AND I LOVE THE PEOPLE I WORK WITH.

AND I MEAN THAT FROM THE BOSS ALL THE WAY DOWN, THEN THE RANK AND FILE THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND, DO GREAT WORK.

Y'ALL, Y'ALL SUPPORT US.

AND I THINK TO ME, AND I TOLD JERRY TODAY, I SAID, I'M NOT COMING WITH A SILVER BULLET, AND I DON'T EXPECT YOU GUYS TO RAIN DOWN ON DOLLARS.

AND I, AND I RESPECT THAT.

I JUST THINK TOGETHER, WE NEED TO HAVE AN HONEST CONVERSATION ON HOW BEST TO UNDERWRITE THE COST OF THIS, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO COST MONEY AND THAT'S REALITY.

AND, UM, AND I THINK WE'RE ALL REASONABLE PEOPLE, BUT MY CONCERN IS, AND, AND I'M, AND I WANT TO BE CANDID.

I'M NOT, THE SKY IS FALLING GUY.

I'M REAL.

UM, MY CONCERN IS, IS THAT WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE DOING GOOD WORK AND SHORTCUTTING SAFETY STANDARDS FOR THE SAKE OF DOING IT, DOING THE JOB, UM, I CAN'T IGNORE THAT.

I HAVE TO ADDRESS IT.

AND I HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PUTTING PEOPLE IN RESOURCE RESOURCE CORRECTLY SO THEY CAN DO THE JOB SAFELY.

AND THAT'S MY GOAL.

AND I THINK WE HAVE TO STRATEGICALLY LOOK AT THAT AS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE.

ABSOLUTELY.

I AGREE WITH YOU THERE, UM, AND INSANE THE ATMOSPHERE, UM, THE CHIEFS MEETINGS, YOU HAVE THOSE, UH, THEY'RE HOSTED BY A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT EACH TIME AND, UM, UH, BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO JOIN THOSE.

AND I SEE A LOT OF SHARED INFORMATION AND, UM, AND I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE THERE'S WHERE WE FIGURE IT OUT SO THAT YOU GUYS BRING IT TO US TO THEN HELP STEP UP THE NEXT LEVEL OF FIGURING THAT OUT AND GETTING IT TO THE COMMUNITY.

AS I TOLD YOU, MONDAY OR YESTERDAY, WE HAVE TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY WELL THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT THROWING STUFF OUT THERE JUST BECAUSE WE ALL LIKE SHINY NEW TRUCKS.

UM, WE, IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THEM WITH AN ADEQUATE SERVICE, WE HAVE TO HAVE WHAT YOU'RE EXPLAINING TO US.

AND WE HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BEST GET THAT WITHOUT, UM, HIDDEN POCKETS TOO HARD.

SO WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO REALLY STEP UP OUR GAME.

NOT ONLY IN FIGURING OUT WHAT OUR NEEDS ARE.

I DON'T THINK WE'VE DONE AN ADEQUATE JOB OF THAT IN THE PAST, BUT EDUCATING THE PUBLIC AS WELL, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THEY UNDERSTAND IT EITHER.

WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? I APPRECIATE THAT.

AND, AND LET ME, LET ME KNOW.

YOU MADE A POINT ABOUT THE VOLUNTEER MEMBERSHIP AND THEY'VE BEEN EXCEPTIONAL.

AND, AND, AND I SAY THIS TOO, AND DUE RESPECT, THE NUMBERS HAVE DWINDLED SIGNIFICANTLY.

THAT'S A REALITY.

IT'S NOT BECAUSE THEY'RE LAZY.

IT'S BECAUSE THERE ARE COMPETING INTERESTS IN SOCIETY.

AND THEN YOU THROW A PANDEMIC ON TOP OF THAT.

IT'S I THROW ON, CAN A GAS ON A, ON A FIRE, NO PUN INTENDED.

SO, UM, THEY HAVE BEEN SO IN THE CONVERSATIONS, AS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE WITH THE DISTRICT MEMBERSHIP AND THE VOLUNTEER MEMBERSHIP, THE CONVERSATIONS ARE, UM, THE WISDOMS IN THE ROOM BECAUSE I'M THE FIRE CHIEF MEANS NOTHING.

I I'VE LEARNED MORE FROM KIDS WITH SIX MONTHS ON THE JOB TO HAVE SOME FORM OF EXPERTISE THEY CAN, THEY CAN SHARE.

I THINK MY THING IS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE.

I DON'T REALLY WANT SOMEBODY COMING TO BOARD BECAUSE FOR ANY OTHER REASON THAN THEY WANT TO BE A PART OF WARREN COUNTY FARM RESCUE, BECAUSE IT'S A

[01:10:01]

GOOD PLACE TO BE.

AND I AGREE IT'S A HOLISTIC THING.

MONEY'S APS AND IMPORTANT PIECE, BUT ONLY A PIECE IT'S ABOUT BEING INCLUSIVE, BEING GOOD TO PEOPLE AND TREAT PEOPLE WITH RESPECT AND DIGNITY.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S A PRIORITY IN THIS INSTITUTION.

AND AS SUCH, THAT'S, THAT'S OUR CONVERSATION PIECE.

I WOULD HIRE CHARACTER ALL DAY LONG BEFORE I WOULD HIRE EXPERTISE.

WE'LL TRAIN THEM UP, WE'LL GET THEM WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.

I'VE ALREADY HAD A CONVERSATION.

UM, IF WE'RE SO BLESSED TO GET SOME HIRING AND WE'RE ABLE TO HIRE SOME PEOPLE, UM, I'VE ALREADY HAD A CONVERSATION WITH ONE OF OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS, UM, CHIEF STEVENS THAT WE WOULD HAVE SEATS IN HIS SCHOOL FOR A REGIONAL TRAINING ACADEMY.

SO I'M LOOKING AT EFFICIENCY, WE'RE TRYING TO GAIN OPPORTUNITIES IN AN ECONOMIC AND ECONOMY OF SCALE IF YOU WILL.

UM, BUT I THINK THERE'S A BENEFIT IN THAT TO WORKING WITH OUR REGIONAL NEIGHBORS, TO PUT A FACE BEHIND A NAME ON AN INCIDENT AND SHARE RESOURCES AND LEARN HOW TO GO TO WORK TOGETHER.

SOMETHING WE DID PRETTY WELL, BUT WHERE I COME FROM, IT WASN'T ALWAYS THAT WAY.

BUT I THINK IT ALWAYS IT'S ABOUT IT'S ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SHARING THE SAME CAUSE AND UNDERSTANDING WE'RE HERE FOR ONE REASON, THAT'S TO SERVE THE CONSTITUENT.

IT'S NOT ABOUT US.

IT'S ABOUT DOING A GOOD JOB AND WE WERE FROM THE FIREGROUND BACK.

SO THAT'S A PRIORITY.

YOU KNOW, THESE HONEST CONVERSATIONS YOU COULD PUT ME IN FRONT OF THE CITIZEN BASE, I LOOK FORWARD TO IT AND THEY CAN USE ME AS A PEN, YADA, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I'M GOING TO BE HONEST.

AND THAT'S THE THING IS TOGETHER.

I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE BEST WAY TO UNDERWRITE THE COST AND TO SUSTAIN THE COST STRATEGICALLY.

SO THANK YOU.

WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND DON'T FORGET OUR FIRE STATIONS, 24 HOURS A DAY DROP OFF.

ARE YOU ONLY ACCEPTING CANNED GOODS OR ANY, CAN WE HAVE, WELL, WE TAKE CASH.

YOU'RE A MAN AND THIS WHICH I LEARNED ABOUT THIS, I DON'T DO ANYTHING FINANCIALLY WITH MY PHONE, BUT THE FIRST PERSON THAT DONATED SATURDAY USE THEIR PHONE TO VMO, VINO, WHATEVER THAT IS.

YOU CAN VENMO, YOU CAN.

SO HEY, TECHNOLOGY AT ITS BEST.

UH, PROPOSE WARREN COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN, LIEUTENANT FARREL, UH, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

[G. Discussion – Proposed Warren County Emergency Operations Plan – Lieutenant Rick Farrall]

GOOD EVENING.

UH, IT'S GOT THREE THINGS TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT TONIGHT.

WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN BEING READOPTED.

WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT RESENDING THE EMERGENCY DECLARATION AND INCREASING OUR EMS COST RECOVERY FEES.

THE FIRST TWO ITEMS, UH, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE, UH, FORMALLY LOOK AT, AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, THE COST OF RECOVERY INCREASE.

UH, WE'LL LOOK AT, AT THE DECEMBER MEETING FOR THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN.

THAT PLAN IS DUE TO BE READOPTED EVERY FOUR YEARS.

IT WAS LAST APPROVED BY THE BOARD IN NOVEMBER OF 2017.

UH, SINCE THEN WE'VE HAD COVID, UH, SO WE'VE HAD SOME CHANGES TO IT, BUT NOT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF CHANGES BECAUSE OF COVID.

UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID CLARIFY, AND I BELIEVE IT WAS MR. CARTER THAT BROUGHT THIS UP, UH, AT THE BEGINNING OF COVID WAS THE SUCCESSION OF THE CHAIRMAN BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WHO ALSO SERVES AS THE DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY SERVICES, WHO THAT BACKUP PERSON IS THE BACKUP PERSON THAT WE ARE CLARIFYING IS LEE VICE-CHAIRMAN AND THEN MEMBERS OF THE BOARD IN SENIORITY ORDER, THERE WAS A PIECE IN THE EOP THAT WENT FROM THE CHAIRMAN STRAIGHT TO SENIORITY IN THE SKIP, THE VICE CHAIR.

THE FINAL THING THAT WE'VE UPDATED THIS YEAR, WHICH WAS A LESSON LEARNED, UH, FROM COVID WAS THE DESIGNATION OF CRITICAL AND ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEES.

SO WE'VE CLARIFIED THAT IN THIS, UH, IN THIS PIECE.

UM, THE SECOND THING THAT WE CLARIFIED WAS THE DIRECTION AND CONTROL OF THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER.

UH, IN THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER, WE WOULD HAVE EITHER THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR OR THE DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, UM, AND THEN THE COORDINATOR OF EMERGENCY SERVICES OR THE DEPUTY COORDINATOR OF EMERGENCY SERVICES AND WHATEVER STAFF THAT WE WOULD NEED.

SO, UH, DR.

T UH, DR.

DALEY OR MS. LOGAN WOULD RUN THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER, UH, WITH ASSISTANCE FROM YOU ALL WHERE THE TOWN LEADERSHIP AS APPROPRIATE.

UH, THE OTHER PIECE THERE, JUST NUMBER EIGHT, JUST TO HIGHLIGHT FOR YOU IS WE USED TO HAVE FOUR RED CROSS DESIGNATED SHELTERS IN THE COUNTY.

WE'RE DOWN TO THREE NOW.

UM, THE DEMOSS BUILDING OUT AT FIRE STATION SIX IS NO LONGER SUITABLE AS A SHELTER BECAUSE WE'RE NOW IN THAT BUILDING, UH, FOR THE FIREHOUSE FOR, FOR OUR STAFF.

SO WE STILL HAVE, THE SCHOOL IS OUR PRIMARY SHELTER.

THE HIGH SCHOOLS ARE ALTERNATE AND, UM, BENTONVILLE STATION THREE IS MORE OF A DAYTIME WARMING SHELTER.

UM, SHOULD WE NEED TO USE THAT DOWN THERE? UH,

[01:15:01]

UH, WE SINCE, UH, VALIDATED THAT WITH DR.

DALEY AND, UH, MR. HICKS AND DR.

BALLENGER ON THE SCHOOL SIDE, UM, AND THAT JUST LAYS OUT WHO, UH, IN THE COUNTY TOWN IN SCHOOL IS CONSIDERED A CRITICAL OR ESSENTIAL DURING EMERGENCY FOR CALLBACK PURPOSES.

UH, THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT HAS REVIEWED OUR PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE REQUIRED REFERENCES AND, UH, FEDERAL AND STATE MANDATES ARE INCLUDED IN THE PLAN.

AND THEY ARE, UH, ONCE WE READOPT THIS PLAN, I WILL BEGIN WORKING A MAJOR REWRITE.

UM, WE'RE ALREADY WORKING WITH THE CHIEF AND DR.

DALEY ON, UH, HOW WE WANT TO RESTRUCTURE THE PLAN BASED ON HOW WE MAN, OUR EOC.

SO IT'S EASIER FOR SAY MR. BARRY, AS THE OPERATIONS DIRECTOR TO GRAB AN INCH AND A HALF WORTH OF PAPER OUT OF THE EOP, BECAUSE ALL HIS STUFF IS IN ONE PLACE RIGHT NOW, IT'S SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE, THROUGHOUT THE DOCUMENT.

SO WE'LL CLEAN THAT UP.

ANY QUESTIONS ON THE EOP? UM, JUST ONE THOUGHT YOU SAID COMPANY THREE WOULD BEGIN CENTERED A WARMING STATION.

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED, UM, TALKING WITH, UM, THE BROWN TOWN COMMUNITY CENTER TO USE THEIR FACILITY AS A WARMING AS WELL? UH, THAT COULD, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

THAT COULD BE A, I'LL CALL IT AN UNOFFICIAL WARMING STATION WHEN I SAY, UH, STATION THREE, BECAUSE THAT'S BEEN RED CROSS INSPECTED.

SO IF WE HAD TO OPEN THAT UP AS A FORMAL SHELTER, WE COULD, OKAY.

I KNOW THEY'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS AT MEETINGS, UM, ABOUT THAT, AND I THINK THEY KIND OF FEEL LIKE THEY ARE, THAT THE WE'VE DONE.

WE'VE DONE THAT BEFORE.

UH, SO THIS ITEM WILL BE UP FOR APPROVAL NEXT WEEK.

UH, THE SECOND ITEM IS TO RESEND THE DECLARATION OF LOCAL EMERGENCY BY THE LOCAL DIRECTOR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DUE TO COVID-19.

[H. Discussion – Rescinding Declaration of Local Emergency – Lieutenant Rick Farrall]

UH, IF WE GO BACK TO MARCH 17TH, 2020, WE DECLARED, UH, A LOCAL EMERGENCY.

AND SINCE THEN THE LOCAL IMPACTS OF COVID-19, UH, WE FEEL HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATELY MANAGED OR MITIGATED AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO THIS YEAR.

AS OF THE END OF JUNE, UH, WE PROPERLY EXPENDED AND COUNTED FOR ALL OF OUR CARES ACT MONEY.

UH, WE'VE ALREADY STARTED THE, UH, INTERNAL AUDIT WITH ROBINSON FARM RED COX, AND THEY WILL FINISH THAT UP AS THEY GO INTO THE NEXT AUDIT LIEUTENANT FARRELL.

HAVE WE RECEIVED THE MONEY FROM FEMA OR NO? NOW THAT'S SEPARATE.

SO NOW THAT'S THE MONEY THAT MS. LOGAN IS WORKING ON.

UH, AND THAT LEADS ME.

I'M GOING TO SKIP OVER THEN TO AT THE END OF DECEMBER, WAS THE ORIGINAL, UH, END DATE FOR THAT FEMA CATEGORY B MONEY THAT'S SINCE BEEN PUSHED A LITTLE, UH, AHEAD, AND WE'VE GOT AMERICAN RESCUE ACT MONEY AND FEMA BEING MONEY AND CARES THAT MONEY.

SO THE, UM, I GUESS THE SHORT ANSWER THERE IS, IS, UH, MS. LOGAN HAS DONE SOME GREAT WORK BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH AND QUESTIONS AND JUSTIFYING, AND IT'S, IT'S KIND OF PAINFUL.

SO WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET SOME MONEY BACK.

WE'RE JUST NOT SURE HOW MUCH IN WHEN.

I WAS JUST CURIOUS, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THE HIGHLIGHT OF 2020 WAS YOU GUYS COMING UP AND REPORTING ON THAT LOVELY DOCUMENT AND ADDING THE ADDITIONS OF, YOU KNOW, PPE AND ALL THIS CLEANERS.

AND SO, RIGHT.

SO WE'RE STILL DEALING WITH THAT.

SHE'S STILL DEALING WITH THAT.

UM, THE BACKUP FOR THAT, JUST TO REMIND THE BOARD IS THE FACT THAT WE RESERVED KIT ENOUGH OF THE CARES ACT REIMBURSEMENT MONEY SO THAT IT WAS NO, IT WAS NOW GENERAL FUND AND NOT CARES ACT FOR, TO PAY WHAT THEY DO NOT PAY.

SO IF WE, IF WE DON'T GET ANYTHING BACK UNDER THOSE CUPS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE OUT OUR MONEY.

KIND OF LIKE THE EDA, WHAT WE SPENT IS SPENT IT'S WE RECOVER.

THAT'S GREAT.

BUT IF NOT, THEN WE'RE STILL GOOD.

THE SAVINGS ACCOUNT TYPE.

AND IN MUCH MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN IT IS RIGHT NOW.

AND RESENDING, THIS DOESN'T AFFECT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE FEMA MONEY COMING IN.

NO.

NOW THE ONLY THING THAT WITH FEMA NOW, THEY MAY PUSH THAT DATE PAST A LITTLE BIT PAST, UH, INTO THE NEW YEAR, BUT THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY SPECIFIC FOR THINGS LIKE, UH, VACCINE SITES

[01:20:01]

SO WE FEEL THAT WE'VE PRETTY MUCH SQUEEZED AS MUCH AS WE CAN, UH, OUT OF THAT.

AND THE FINAL PIECE OF THAT IS, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO JULY 1ST, THE GOVERNOR HAS RESCINDED ALL OF THE STATE LEVEL EXECUTIVE ORDERS RELATIVE TO THE EMERGENCY.

WHEN WE TALKED, WHEN I TALKED TO , IT'S KIND OF A MIXED BAG, YOU KNOW, 50 50 ON LOCALITIES THAT HAVE, ARE RESCINDING THEIR LOCAL ORDERS AND WHO'S KEEPING IT, UM, HALF ARE HALF AREN'T.

SO LIEUTENANT FARRELL, WHAT WOULD BE THE PROS AND CONS TO KEEPING IT? SO ARE THERE ANY PROS TO CONTINUING THE EMERGENCY ORDER AT A LOCAL LEVEL, EVEN THOUGH THE STATE LEVEL HAS BEEN, UNLESS WE, UNLESS WE FORESEE A LOT OF OTHER MONEY COMING THAT WE HAVE TO BE UNDER A DECLARED EMERGENCY TO GET, THERE'S REALLY NO REASON TO KEEP THIS AND RESENDING IT, I THINK ALLOWS US TO GO BACK TO SOME SENSE OF NORMALCY AS BEST WE CAN.

I THINK IT'S GOOD FOR CITIZENS FOR THERE TO BE, UH, SIMILAR, SIMILAR ORDERS AT THE STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL, BECAUSE IT'S CONFUSING.

A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN THE STATE LEVEL WAS RESCINDED, BUT THE EMERGENCY HERE WAS STILL IN YEAH.

IN PLACE.

THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCES BECAUSE IT IS VERY CONFUSING.

I MEAN, FOR US RIGHT NOW, THE MONEY IS CARES.

ACT HAS GONE.

IT'S DONE, RIGHT.

IT'S ACCOUNTED FOR THE FEMA BEAM.

MONEY IS PRETTY MUCH IT'S, UH, MS. LOGAN HAS SUBMITTED OUR PACKAGE.

SO THAT'S A FINITE PACKAGE.

THAT'S IN, UH, THE GOOD NEWS THERE IS, I BELIEVE I'M READING.

NOW.

WE ORIGINALLY THOUGHT THAT WAS GONNA BE A 75% REIMBURSEMENT.

IT MAY BE A HUNDRED PERCENT REIMBURSEMENT.

SO FOR SOME THINGS, IT WILL BE A HUNDRED PERCENT INSTEAD OF 75.

UM, AND RIGHT NOW THERE'S NOTHING ELSE ON THE HORIZON REALLY THAT'S I KNOW THAT HAVING AN EMERGENCY, UM, AT THE LOCAL LEVEL ALLOWED SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS TO MEET VIRTUALLY, AND THAT WAS NOT AT THE STATE LEVEL.

THAT WAS A DIFFERENT ARRANGEMENT FOR US.

SO ONCE THE STATE, UM, RESCINDED, WE WERE NO LONGER ABLE TO MEET VIRTUALLY.

WE HAD TO GO BACK AND MEET NORMALLY.

BUT AS LONG AS THE LOCAL ONE WAS IN PLACE, THEN OTHER SUB COMMITTEES BENEATH US WERE STILL ALLOWED TO DO IT.

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.

IT'S VERY CONFUSING.

SO PEOPLE WERE, YOU KNOW, WERE CONFUSED AND NEEDED CLARITY ON HOW THAT, HOW THAT ALL WORKS.

I WOULD ASSUME IF OUR NUMBERS WENT THROUGH THE ROOF AGAIN, THAT WE COULD PUT IT BACK IN PLACE.

COULD WE NOT, OR WOULD WE HAVE TO HAVE NO, I MEAN, WE, YEAH, WE'RE STILL THERE.

I MEAN, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE FEMA B MONEY IS THERE, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE SHIFTING AWAY FROM THAT.

I MEAN, EVEN LOCALLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE HOSPITAL THERE, OVERFLOW COVID TENT IS NOW DOWN, THAT WAS OUTSIDE THE ER.

BUT YOU CAN ALWAYS DECLARE A LOCAL EMERGENCY RIGHT NOW, WHETHER YOU GET ANY FUNDING OUTSIDE, THE PAY IS CONTINGENT UPON WHETHER THERE IS A STATE AND OR FEDERAL DECLARATION, RIGHT.

THAT YOU CAN DECLARE THAT EMERGENCY ANY TIME THE BOARD DEEMS THAT APPROPRIATE.

WELL, IF THE STATE HAS RESCINDED THEIRS AND IF THE FEDERAL HAS ALREADY THEY'VE LIFTED, THERE'S, I'M ASSUMING, UM, THEN IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE'S ANY POINT.

I MEAN, I, I WOULD THINK, DO WE HAVE TO BE UNDER STATE OF EMERGENCY TO GET THE ARP MONEY? IS THAT JUST GIVING THEM? SO I HAVE ALREADY EXPIRED AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

I BELIEVE THAT CONGRESS IS STILL UNDER A STATE OF EMERGENCY CHAIRMAN CALLED WELL, THEY'D BE THERE FOR YOU.

I'M NOT SURE.

I'M PRETTY SURE THEY ARE BECAUSE IT ALLOWS THEM TO VOTE VIRTUALLY BECAUSE OF THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT REALM.

SO THIS ITEM WILL BE UP FOR YOUR APPROVAL NEXT WEEK TO BE EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 31ST OF THIS YEAR.

SO WE'LL, WE'LL LET OUR EMERGENCY ORDER RUN OUT AT THE END OF THIS YEAR.

THE THIRD AND FINAL ITEM, UH, THIS EVENING IS A, UH, INCREASE IN OUR, UH, EMS FEES.

[I. Discussion – Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Cost Recovery Fee Increase – Lieutenant Rick Farrall]

WE JUST DID THIS, UH, IN JULY.

HOWEVER, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING A 5.1% RATE FROM MEDICARE, WHICH IS HUGE.

AND I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO PASS UP THAT OPPORTUNITY.

UH, WE'RE ESTIMATING AT LEAST 50,000 EXTRA, UH, IN REVENUE BY JUST UPDATING OUR RATES.

UH, RIGHT NOW THE RATES ARE IN YELLOW BECAUSE

[01:25:01]

CMS HAS NOT PUBLISHED THE EXACT RATES YET.

THERE WE'RE WAITING ANY DAY NOW FOR THEM TO COME OUT.

UH, AND THAT'S WHY I'VE GOT THIS ON THE DECEMBER AND THAT'S IN DECEMBER.

YOU SHOULD HAVE WHAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY BE VOTING ON FROM THE RAPE.

IN DECEMBER, WHAT YOU WOULD SEE IS YOU WOULD SEE THE, THIS EXACT PIECE OF PAPER WITH THE CORRECT NUMBERS IN THE YELLOW BOX, COLLUSIVE TO MEDICARE.

THIS IS A CMS, WHICH IS MEDICARE.

SO THIS IS, THIS IS THIS MEDICARE DRIVES OUR RATES BASED ON 150% OF THE INDUSTRY STANDARDS.

BUT THE INSURANCE COMPANIES, IF YOU HAVE INSURANCE COVER, YES, THAT'S CORRECT.

THAT'S WHAT I WAS.

I JUST WANTED CLARIFICATION IT WASN'T MEDICARE.

THIS WASN'T SPECIFIC.

JUST A MEDICARE.

NO.

AND REMIND THE BOARD, THESE FUNDS ARE BEING RESERVED TO BE USED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE AMBULANCE PORTION OF WHAT THE CHIEF WAS TALKING ABOUT AS FAR AS OUR FACILITY EQUIPMENT NEEDS.

SO IT'S THAT PIECE OF IT COMES OFF OF WHAT THE BOARD HAS TO LOOK AT FROM OTHER SOURCES.

THIS IS ALL INCOMING REVENUE.

ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND UNLESS SOMEONE HAS SOMETHING ELSE, I THINK THAT COVERS OUR AGENDA, THE DAILY.

DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING WE NEED TO WISH MR. MAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW.

AH, THE MARINE CORPS, THE MARINE CORPS BIRTHDAY MAN, YOUR DAILY.

I THINK THAT IN LIGHT OF WHAT WE'RE HEARING ABOUT OUR, OUR, UH, COMMUNITY, HAVING SUCH A HIGH ACUITY RATE, PERHAPS WE CAN INCENTIVIZE OUR TAXPAYERS WITH, UH, UH, HEALTH CONTESTS.

SINCE YOU'RE REALLY INTO CONTESTS, MAYBE WE CAN GET THEM HEALTHIER.

AND SO WELL, CAPTAIN, MY ADDICO COULD BE LEADING.

LIKE HE DID IT, UH, CLASS, THIS LEADERSHIP TRAINING, HE WENT TO THIS COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.

HE COULD BE OUT THERE LEADING EVERYBODY AT FIVE 30, LIKE HE WAS THERE, BUT THAT'S AN EXCELLENT IDEA.

MA'AM COME ON UP.

I THOUGHT, PERHAPS WE COULD GIVE THEM A TAX BREAK IF THEY'RE, IF THEY ARE, IF THEY GET GOOD PHYSICALS OR SOMETHING, CAUSE IT'S GOING TO SAVE THE COMMUNITY MONEY.

AND THEY'RE GOING TO, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT JUST THE, UM, THE FIRE OR THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE COMMUNITY AT LARGE MEAL? I DON'T THINK I STRUGGLE WITH THAT EVERY DAY.

I DON'T GET MY TAX RATES GOING TO GO DOWN ANYTIME AS HARD AS I TRY.

WELL, UH, WHAT WAS THAT? SHERIFF SAID HE COULD HELP YOU RAISE IT.

WELL, ANXIETY DOES INCREASE THE WAISTLINE.

I'M TOLD THERE'S MY PROBLEM.

I KNOW I HAVE ANXIETY THERE.

I CAN'T COME.

I CAN'T USE THAT AS EXCUSE IF, UM, YOU CAN USE IT, YOU CAN USE IT.

THAT'S TRUE.

BUT YOU REMIND EVERYONE THAT NEXT WEEK'S MEETING IS THURSDAY THIRSTY.

THAT IS TRUE.

UM, THURSDAY AT SEVEN O'CLOCK AND, UM, WE WILL, SEVERAL OF US ARE GOING DOWN TO THE VACO CONVENTION TO, UM, I'VE NEVER BEEN, SO I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT, BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING, UM, THAT I KNOW PART OF IT IS EDUCATIONAL.

PART OF IT IS, UM, VOTING ON LEGISLATION, THINGS THAT AFFECT EACH OF THE COUNTY.

SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT LEARNING PROCESS.

SO WITH THAT, NOBODY ELSE HAS ANYTHING BESIDES, UH, ASKING AGAIN FOR THE BOOT, THE FOOD.

AND I THINK, UM, THE SALVATION ARMY, THE RED KETTLES WILL START SATURDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY AT 10 O'CLOCK.

SO IF, UM, YEAH, IF ANYBODY'S ABLE TO GIVE AND WE, AS WE ALL WORK TOGETHER, WE CAN HELP EACH OTHER HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY.

SO WE WILL BE ADJOURNED, I GUESS.

THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING.

[01:30:01]