County commissioners approve Health Department, DSS consolidation

KENANSVILLE — The Board of County Commissioners approved a resolution to create a consolidated Health and Human Services Agency and exercise its powers to assume control of the activities of a consolidated human services board on Monday night.

This action will dissolve the Social Services Board and the Board of Health, forming a new consolidated Human Services Board. The Board of Commissioners will retain all responsibilities and establish an advisory committee. 

A Health and Human Services director will manage the new agency. Chairman Dexter Edwards told Duplin Journal that the next step is advertising the new position.

He also explained that the current directors will remain in place. “The intent is not to change them,” said Edwards. “Same way with the boards. It’s the intent of consolidating the boards with the same people.”

“They will still be making decisions, advising, and running their programs just like they’ve been,” said Edwards. 

He also confirmed that salaries will remain unchanged; both directors will be under the supervision of the consolidated department director. As for departmental budgets, Edwards shared that they “will be reviewed through the county, but at this point, not looking to make any changes or cuts.”

County Manager Bryan Miller told Duplin Journal that he didn’t expect a big change in the budget for each department.

“I do expect to see some savings over time, but initially, we won’t see a budgetary impact at all,” Miller said, adding that the next step is to appoint Jessica Helms as the interim director. 

“She currently serves as our deputy finance director, but she’ll just kind of hold down the fort and the position until we can post and hire,” said Miller, adding that they will put together an interview panel, and he would like to have both directors on it to help in the recruiting process.

Miller also shared that anyone can apply for the job and that the main goal is to find the most qualified person.

“We’re going to move forward with the process. I hope as many local people as can apply, but really, we have a fiduciary responsibility to make sure we hire the best person for the job, and I’m going to make sure that happens — my interview panel will make sure that happens.”

Miller also shared that with the commissioners serving on the Consolidated Health Human Services Board will have to receive some training.

“The Advisory Board has to have the same makeup as the current Board of Health,” said Miller. “Those same positions will be required for the Advisory Board, and then our most important qualification, county residents that receive services. So we want to make sure that those folks, our county residents, are always represented on that board.”

During the meeting, Miller recommended that the new board include DSS board members and that both boards work together as one.

In other business

• Paramedic James Michael Miller and EMT Kassi Turnage were honored with the EMS Life Saver Award for their roles in successfully resuscitating a 16-year-old victim of sudden cardiac arrest. 
• The board approved a motion to accept grant funds from the North Carolina Department of Transportation, Division of Aviation for the construction of a connector taxiway and awarded the construction contract to ST Wooten, who was the low bidder at $1,100,675. The NC DOT DOA provided 90% of the grant funding for the taxiway construction.