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355 The Board of Commissioners for the County of Cabarrus met in recessed session at the Department of Social Services in Concord, North Carolina on Saturday, March 11, 1995, at 9:00 A.M. Present - Chairman: Jeffrey L. Barnhart Vice-chairman: Arne L. Fennel Commissioners: Sue B. Casper Kenneth Olio-Mills Absent - Commissioner: Dr. Franklin C. Niblock, Jr. Also present were Mr. John V. Witherspoon, County Manager; Mr. Fletcher L. Hartsell, Jr., County Attorney; Mr. John Day, Budget Officer/Area Manager; Mr. Don Moorhead, Personnel Officer; and Mrs. Frankie F. Bonds, Clerk to the Board. Chairman Barnhart called the meeting to order at 9:15 A.M. Ambulance Rates Mr. Aubrey Attkisson, Emergency Medical Services Director, reviewed changes in the Medicare rules and regulations relative to ambulance billing by Cabarrus County. New regulations will reduce the level of reimbursement to the County and decrease annual revenue by an estimated $100,000.00 to $125,000.00. Adjustments in the ambulance rates are needed at the next meeting in order to increase the County's Medicare reimbursement rate for next year. The Board discussed the annual contribution from the General Fund to operate the ambulance service, a possible ambulance subscriber system recently introduced in several North Carolina counties, and the possibility of joining with other counties in action regarding the Medicare reimbursement rates. For the March 20th meeting, Chairman Barnhart asked for sample rates for the following: (A) maintaining the same level of contribution from the General Fund; and (B) decreasing the General Fund Contribution to the ambulance service. Presentation of Annual Report for the Department of Social Services Mr. James F. Cook, Jr., Social Services Director, welcomed the Board members to the Department of Social Services (DSS). He introduced Mr. Randy McWaters and Ms. Regina Crowder, Chair and Vice-Chair of the Publication Committee for the Fiscal Year 1993-94 Annual Report. Ms. Crowder reviewed a number of the awards and recognitions received by the Department during FY 1993-94. These included such items as the receipt of JOBLINKS grant from the Community Transportation Association of America and outstanding performance awards for such programs as JOBS, JOBS for Dads, Child Support, and Child Protective Services. Mr. Randy McWaters listed the ten major program improvements. These included such items as the expansion of the Community Alternatives Program (CAP), implementation of 26 simplification measures at a savings of $213,876.00, expansion of the Home-Based Services Program, and development of a public awareness program for Child Support Services. DSS Overview Mr. Cook gave an overview of the operation of the Department of Social Services. The Department administers 36 programs with 96 percent of its funding involved in mandated programs. Funding is provided by Federal and State reimbursement as well as County funds. Cabarrus County's share of the administrative costs is currently at 22 percent for the mandated programs as compared to the state average of 47 percent per county. Also, Mr. Cook briefly addressed welfare reform and concerns about the impact that the proposed federal block grants to the states may have on individual counties. Public Assistance, Emergency Assistance, and Income Maintenance Services Ms. Shirley Cook, Income Maintenance Program Administrator, presented an overview of the Public Assistance, Emergency Assistance and Income Maintenance programs. The following services are provided through the Public Assistance Program: (1) Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC); (2) Special Assistance; (3) Medicaid; and (4) Aid to the Blind. The Emergency Assistance