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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHealth & Human Services 07-25-1996REVISED ST. CROIX COUNTY NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING TO: Robert Boche, Chairman St. Croix County Board FROM: LuVerne Burke (John Borup 246-8223) COMMITTEE TITLE: St. Croix County Health and Human Services Board DATE: 07/25/96 TIME: 6:30 p.m. LOCATION: St. Croix County Health and Human Services Complex New Richmond CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL ADOPTION OF AGENDA DATE OF NEXT MEETING: 08/13/96 ACTION ON PREVIOUS .MINUTES: 07/10/96 ANNOUNCEMENTS APPOINTMENTS UNFINISHED BUSINESS: 1. Laundry Building NEW BUSINESS: 1. Personnel Issues 2, Health and Human Services/Nursing Home Report 3. Financial Report 4. Preliminary 1997 Budget Discussion a. Health and Human Services b. Nursing Home 5. Review of "ECHO" Management Information System 6. Wisconsin Works (W-2) Administration Resolution. 7. Discussion of County barn and farm manager's house ANNOUNCEMENTS 6 CORRESPONDENCE POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEST MEETING: ADJOURNMENT (Agenda not necessarily presented in this order) SUBMITTED BY: John M. Borup DATE: July 24, 1996 COPIES TO: COUNTY BOARD OFFICE COUNTY CLERK NEWS MEDIA/NOTICE BOARD COMMITTEE MEMBLRS ST. CROIX COUNTY NOTICE QF CMEETING To: Robert Boche, Chairman St. Croix County Board FROM: LuVerne Burke (John Borup 246-8223) COMMITTEE TITLE: St. Croix County Health and Duman Services Board DATE: 07/25/96 TIME: 6:30 p.m. LOCATION: St. Croix County Health and Human Services Complex New Richmond CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL ADOPTION OF AGENDA DATE Or NEXT MEETING: 08/13/96 ACTION ON PREVIOUS MINUTES: 07/10/96 ANNOUNCEMENTS APPOINTMENTS UNPINISSED BUSINESS: 1. Laundry Building NEW BUSINESS: 1, Personnel Issues 2. Health and HumaD Services/Nursing Home Report 3. financial Report 4. Preliminary 1997 Budget Discussion a. Health and Human Services b. Nursing Home 5. Review of "ECHO" Management Information System 6. Wisconsin Works (W-2) Administration Resolution ANNOUNCEMENTS a CORRESPONDENCE POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING: ADJOURNMENT (Agenda not necessarily presented in this order) SUBMITTED BY: John M. Borup DATE: July ill 1996 COPIES TO: COUNTY BOARD OFFICE COUNTY CLERK NEWS MEDIA/NOTICE BOARD COMMITTEE MEMBERS ST. CROIX COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES BOARD July 25, 1996 The St. Croix County Health and Human Services Board met on July 25, 1996, at the St. Croix County Health and Human Services/Health Center complex. MEMBERS PRESENT: LuVerne Burke, Chair Leon Berenschot Chris Bethke Jack Dowd Einar Horne Fern Johnson Allen Limberg Mary Louise Olson Robert Stephens MEMBERS ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT: John Borup, Health & Human Services Director Carolyn Krieger, Nursing Home Administrator Cindy Griffin, Deputy Director Judy Aronson, Secretary Ron Kiesler, Mental Health Coordinator Kathy Dunlap, Family & Children's Supervisor Fred Johnson, Family & Children's Supervisor Karen Hall, Long Term Support Coordinator OTHERS PRESENT: None Chair Burke, called the meeting to order at 6:30 P.M. noting the meeting was properly and legally publicized. NEXT MEETING: The next meeting of the Health and Human Services Board will be Tuesday, August 13, 1996 at 8:00 a.m. at the St. Croix County Health and Human Services/Health Center complex. Stephens and Olson will review vouchers at 7:30 a.m. AGENDA: MOTION: A motion was introduced by Bethke, seconded by Berenschot, and unanimously adopted: That the agenda be approved as circulated. MINUTES: MOTION: A motion was introduced by Stephens, seconded by Olson, and unanimously adopted: That the minutes of the 07/10/96 Health and Human Services Board 1 meeting be approved as circulated. Laundry Building: Borup stated work has begun to repair the laundry's roof. We anticipate this will only cost a few hundred dollars. Our maintenance department would like to claim some of this building for their use. Maintenance would use this space for storage and work space. This will allow us to maintain the building. If we demolish the building, we will have costs of $5,000 to demolish, electrical costs (still pending), and constructions costs to relocate our radio equipment of $5,600. Motion: A motion was introduced by Bethke: That the Laundry building be made into offices for Ralph, David and Rich, a break room for maintenance, a room with file cabinets for blue prints, etc., and a locker room for maintenance, to be remodeled by our maintenance department at their discretion. Bethke stated he toured the current space of maintenance. They need more space. Our maintenance department has done and continues to do a great job and should have a place where they can file their blueprints, etc. Discussion followed. It was suggested that Bethke postpone the motion until the next meeting and invite maintenance to bring a blueprint and an estimate of the cost to remodel the laundry building. Discussion followed. Motion: A motion was introduced by Dowd, seconded by Stephens, and unanimously adopted: That the previous motion introduced by Bethke to convert the laundry building into an office, break room/locker room for the maintenance department be postponed until the next Health and Human Services Board meeting, and have maintenance bring a blueprint and an estimate of the remodeling cost. Personnel Issues: The 60% Long Term Support Social Worker and the 50% Family Resource Aide passed at the last Board meeting were approved unanimously by the Personnel Committee on 07/ 16/96. Borup stated it was brought to his and Krieger's attention this past week the bookkeeping staff at the courthouse in Hudson were upgraded to pay range 5's. Reportedly, this was a decision initiated by the Finance Department and was negotiated with the executive board of the Union. Borup stated he spoke with Kathan who confirmed payroll clerks were upgraded to "financial assistants" because a position was eliminated. Reportedly, Loney wanted the flexibility of staff. Administration here will be meeting with bookkeeping staff who feel that they are performing "comparable duties" and only being compensated at a pay range 2. Stephens reminded the Board that Health and Human Services has eliminated and consolidated numerous positions with no staff receiving increased compensation. It was the consensus of the board to invite Kathan and the Chairman. of Personnel to the next meeting, to explain how this happened, so we can have answers for our employees. E Health and Human Services/Nursing Home Issues: Krieger stated the census is at 110 today with inquiries continuing. Financial Report: Borup stated there was nothing formal to report tonight. At the August 13th meeting we will have the formal report. Borup stated overall expenditures and revenues are looking pretty good. Preliminary 1997 Budget Discussion: Borup stated the final budget presentation will be at the August 22nd, 1996 meeting. Typically the Open Hearing has been on the 4th Thursday p.m. meeting. Usually people with positive things to say about the programs attend the Open Hearing. Board members are encouraged to attend. Health and Human Services: Administration prepared a report comparing data over five years (1991-1996) such as: county allocation; fixed cost increases, number of clients and/or units of services, etc., number of full time employees (FTE). Copies were distributed to the Board members. Borup said a big thank you to Judy Ziegler for doing all the data collection for this five year history and to Ron Kiesler for doing all the charts at home, as the county's computer system is not capable of doing this. Dunlap stated there has been a decrease of seven full time employees over a four year span and discussed some of the graphs, stating we are serving more clients with less employees. Discussion followed. Hall stated the amount of services contracted have increased significantly. Private agencies are providing services in the community. Some clients are in the home, living in the community with supported living arrangements and some are in apartments with full-time staff or in group homes, depending on their needs. Discussion followed. Griffin stated the county levy remained flat over the last three years. Collections have increased dramatically in the past five years helping bridge the gap between increasing "fixed" costs and flat County and State levies. We have more billable services than in the past and see insured clients, not just the indigent. Griffin stated we have three challenges which are: 1) Annual increases in fixed costs and contracted services; 2) Flat County levy and State levy; and 3) Growing population: unmet needs. When the budget is complete, it does not tell how many services were cut, it only states we stayed within the budget guidelines. It covers what is in the budget, not what is not in the budget. Olson asked if "gangs" are a serious problem for which we at Human Services ought to be seriously concerned. Who is to coordinate the gang problem - Public Protection or Human Services, etc.. Dunlap stated prevention should start with children by the 4th grade. There needs to be coordination and accountability. This subject should be placed on the County Board agenda to discuss the problem of gangs in St. Croix County. Three new officers have been 3 approved for Public Protection. One officer from Public Protection will be a juvenile officer. Nursing Home: The preliminary numbers for the 1997 Nursing Home budget are encouraging. It appears that the Nursing Home will be able to consider a modest increase for staff and balance the budget around a census of 105-107. Data is still pending to be able to finalize the numbers. PTO usage continues to increase each year. The 1997 budget numbers are a reflection of the various changes made, such as staff salary and fringe benefit reduction, a decrease in overtime and workman's comp. Reports were distributed that detailed the dollar savings. Krieger stated the budget was balanced at 105 occupancy. Krieger stated the low turnover rate of staff saves money, provides better care and adds to quality of care. Mechanical lifts were installed in the nursing home which resulted in a reduction in Workman's Comp. The Board recessed from 8:35 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. Bethke stated at the auction Van Dyk sold all the cows he had. In about two months Van Dyk is putting milk cows back in the barn. The previous renters of the farm house had fifteen cats inside and left the house a disaster. Borup checked the house out and stated it has to be recarpeted. It was in violation of the contract to have cats in the house. Borup spoke with Van Dyk and told Van Dyk that he would have to clean or replace the upstairs carpet. Van Dyk did recarpet the main level of the house at his expense. Review of "ECHO" Management Information S s� tem: In late 1994, we purchased software called "ECHO" from a company in Baltimore, Maryland to develop an integrated human services/billing/general ledger system. Now, almost two years later, we have two units (AODA and Mental Health outpatient) only partially operational on the system and the client billing for those areas is still running on the old, pre -ECHO software. Technical support from ECHO has been consistently poor. A recent staff survey indicates that ECHO is requiring more staff time with no appreciable time savings or results. When we purchased ECHO, we were limited to a Unix -based mainframe system by Computer Services. Our choices were few. Now, St. Croix County government is moving toward more user-friendly, personal computer -based systems. Beutel, Griffin, and Borup are scrutinizing whether any elements of the ECHO software can be/should be salvaged in this new computing environment. Borup wanted to make the board aware that we are less than pleased with this project. It was decided that the first procedure should be to take this back to Finance. We can't run a business without a program. We have lost revenue, labor and have been struggling for 1-1/2 years. We should look for new software that can do the job and get a system that works. Horne stated we should be aggressive with these guys. We could negotiate with an attorney to get our money back as this system didn't work and the company didn't help. EHCO personnel have not responded to any of our phone ca11s. Discussion followed. 4 Wisconsin Works (W-2) Administration Resolution: W-2 Resolution materials have still not been received from the State. We hope to have in place for the meeting on August 13, 1996. Chair Burke asked if there were any other issues to bring before the Board. MOTION: A motion was introduced by Berenschot, seconded by Bethke, and unanimously adopted: That the Health and Human Services Board meeting be adjourned. Time: 9:15 p.m. Chairman: Attest: 5 Secretary