WAKE COUNTY — The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Board of Directors held its winter meeting to discuss a range of topics, during which NCACC Board member and Scotland County Commissioner Darrel “BJ” Gibson Jr. attended and spoke to the benefit board.
“It is indeed a pleasure to serve on behalf of Bladen, Hoke, Robeson and Scotland counties as a our representative on the Board of Directors,” Gibson said, “Ensuring the concernsof our residents is heard on the state level is important as we fight to meet the many needs of our rural communities.”
The Board discussed recent developments on issues affecting counties at the NC General Assembly and how the Association is providing support to counties on navigating use of American Rescue Plan Act funds. NCACC is working closely with state and federal stakeholders to gather pertinent information and develop tools counties can utilize to ensure these funds are used effectively and within U.S. Treasury guidelines.
Kody Kinsley, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services secretary, presented an update to the Board on the status of the pandemic in the state.
“Counties play an important role in combatting the pandemic, and I appreciate your leadership throughout the state to support the continued response,” he said. “Let’s keep up the important work of saving lives, protecting hospital capacity and keeping kids in classrooms.”
Secretary Kinsley also spoke to the department’s areas of focus.
“As we work to recover from the pandemic, we will stay true to the mission of the department — promoting the health and wellness of all North Carolina residents,” he said. “To that end, the department will focus on the most pressing issues: behavioral health and resilience, child and family wellbeing, and building a strong and inclusive workforce.”
The Board receivedan update onNCACC President and Brunswick County Commissioner Frank Williams’ 100 Counties Prepared initiative, a year-long effort to focus on equipping county commissioners with the tools they need to lead effectively during emergency situations. Task force Co-chairs Kay Cashion, Guilford County Commissioner, and Randy Thompson, chair of the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners, spoke about the Task Force’s work to-date, and plans for its upcoming meeting.
Co-chair Cashion shared key points to keep in mind: “What not to do is just as important as what to do. Commissioners’ roles are important in emergency response as the best trained staff cannot make up for untrained commissioners.”
The 100 Counties Prepared Task Force next meeting will be held at the Randolph County Emergency Services Center and focus on the importance of effectively communicating during emergency situations.
“What is one of the things that always comes up that doesn’t seem to work quiteright when the stakes are high? It’s communications. Whether we’re communicating with FEMA, the state, between ourselves locally, with residents … it’s an area the Task Force is concentrating on as we seek to develop a training that will help prepare commissioners,” remarked Thompson.
President Williams spoke to what commissioners can expect as the Task Force continues its work.
“We will focus upcoming meetings on continuing to drill down on what should be included in the training,” he said. “We’ll consider templates, checklists, lists of questions commissioners can ask, lists of people you should know … with an eye toward keeping a practical approach to the training and how is it delivered.”
“Our (commissioners) being prepared is imperative to our being able to properly lead and assist county staff during emergency situations is greatly important,” Gibson said. “I am excited about the plans that our NCACC president has to equip us and look forward to being able to share in this development with fellow commissioners in our district.”
The Board also heard anupdate on the Association’s Risk Management Pools, which provide workers’ compensation and liability and property insurance coverage for counties and related entities across the state. Of the 100 counties in North Carolina, 71 are members of one or both Risk Pools.
For more information on the 100 Counties Prepared Task Force and its work, visit 100countiesprepared.com. For more information on NCACC’s Risk Management Pools, visit www.ncacc.org/rmp.
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