Rec department asked to plan county sesquicentennial events

By Lisa Majors-Duff

Denton made the recommendation as part of his report during the Jan. 4 regular board meeting. The issue was not discussed.

The land mass known today as Jackson County was defined 150 years ago, in 1851, carved out of both Haywood and Macon counties. Until Denton's recommendation last week, county leaders had not responded to requests for an organized observance of the occasion. A request for funds to republish "The History of Jackson County˛ with an additional chapter taking the book through 2000 was denied last month.

At least two county organizations are planning events to commemorate the county's 150-year existence. The Jackson County Historical Association and the Webster Historical Society will combine resources to offer a series of educational programs that will begin in the spring and continue through fall, focusing attention on various aspects of Jackson County's past. Though plans are still in the early stages, several historical society members have accepted responsibility for different areas of local history, said Joe Rhinehart, president of both groups. In other business to come before the board, Denton reported that transports from the county jail to the hospital have dropped dramatically since Dr. Steven DeWees was hired to respond to medical requests from inmates.

"Six months into the contract, we went from 30 transports to the hospital emergency room to three transports," Denton said. "Medical requests by the inmates have decreased; dental care requests have been reduced. The (jail health care) committee believes the present plan is cost effective without even considering the indirect costs associated with inmate care."

"This is the best move I've seen made at the jail since I've been sheriff," said Sheriff Jim Cruzan.

Board members approved resolution calling on state legislators to leave the responsibility of providing mental health services at the state level. The resolution was adopted at the request of officials with Smoky Mountain Center, who have voiced concern that a statewide study of access to care could result in a recommendation that counties be responsible for providing this service to their citizens.

Smoky Mountain Center, though an arrangement with the state, offers an array of services, including mental health and substance abuse assessments, to citizens in seven counties, including Jackson. The resolution will be forwarded to the N.C. Association of County Commissioners for consideration as a legislative goal during the 2001 session.

Upon the recommendation of county attorney Raymond Large, commissioners approved a waiver requested by Godfrey Lumber Co., which is doing business with Clearwood at the county's industrial site in Whittier. Godfrey, which is headed by the same individuals in charge of Clearwood, requested the waiver in order to proceed with a loan from the National Bank of Canada.

The waiver prevents Jackson County from claiming any equipment owned by Godfrey should foreclosure on a loan to Clearwood from Jackson County be necessary, Large said. Clearwood has an outstanding balance of $133,000, which is due to be paid off by 2004, according to Tamera Crisp, the county's director of planning and economic development. All payments on the loan to date have been paid on time, she said.

Commissioners did not approve a flood plain ordinance variance request from Norman Dudgeon. County building inspector John Wittekind recommended against the variance, stating Dudgeon's planned tractor shed/pump house on the banks of the Tuckaseigee River near Webster could cause problems in the event of a flood. Board members, several of whom said they'd visited the site in question, agreed with Wittekind's assessment.

Board members took as information a request for an additional income maintenance caseworker from Department of Social Services Director Bob Cochran. The number of Medicaid cases in Jackson County continues to grow, Cochran said.

"We have experienced an increase from 2,276 in 1996 to 3,302 in 2000 in the cases," he said. "Corresponding with the growth in cases, Medicaid expenditures have increased from $17,301,529 in fiscal year 1996-97 to $22,155,689 in 1999-00.

"Staff to manage these increases has grown by one-half position during the same time period, resulting in higher caseloads and increased worker stress. This will soon lead to increased staff turnover, case management errors and county liability," he said.

With additional DSS staffing, Carolina Access, the managed care program for Medicaid that helps control growth in costs, can be improved in the county. Currently, the county's Carolina Access representative carries a Food Stamp caseload of more than 100 cases, significantly limiting her ability to conduct effective managed care activities, Cochran said.

A significant number of patients at Harris Regional Hospital qualify for Medicaid insurance but do not apply. These individuals and families consequently are burdened with medical bills they cannot afford, he said. Because of the family's difficulty in paying these bills, the hospital subsequently looses revenue that it needs to operate.

The proposed solution, Cochran said, is to outpost a position to the hospital doing Carolina Access and Medicaid applications. Then, DSS would replace the outposted position with a full-time income maintenance position, resulting in a net increase of one position for the agency.

"By being onsite at the hospital, the Carolina Access position will be better able to educate clients and medical personnel regarding managed care practices that will result in better client health and reduced costs for the county," said Cochran. "By being available to take applications on-site at the hospital, individuals will be more likely to apply for eligible Medicaid benefits, thus reducing their financial burdens and increasing the hospital's ability to collect on its bills."

Four of five open seats on the county planning board were filled as follows: Commissioner Conrad Burrell recommended Pat McMillian; Commissioner Roberta Crawford recommended Larry Moss be reappointed; Commissioner Franz Whitmire recommended Page Bernstein; and Chairman Denton recommended Kim Cowan. Commissioner Stacy Buchanan agreed to make a recommendation at the next regular meeting Thursday, Jan. 18.

The board will meet in a special session Wednesday, Jan. 17, at 6 p.m. with Kurt Jenne of the N.C. Institute of Government and Vickey Wade of the Mountain Resource Center at Western Carolina University. Jenne and Wade have been invited to discuss how best to proceed with plans to hire Jackson County's first professional county manager.

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