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NCACDSS
Advocacy Committee
August 11, 2004
3:00 pm Association Office
Notes
The Advocacy Committee met on Wednesday, August 11, 2004 in the Association office with the following participants:
Present: Sam Haithcock, Earl Marett, Al Wenty, Wayne Black, John Eller, Karen George, and Alexa Jordan (Alamance)
The Committee briefly reviewed the Committee Charter finding no changes needed at this time. It was agreed that the scope of work would be reviewed in more detail at the September meeting.
Other tasks identified by members included completion of a listing of proposed legislative goals for Fiscal Year 2004-2005, including carryover items from the 2003-2004 session; developing an advocacy network of key legislators and their local DSS Directors; efforts to reenergize local capacity for local advocacy with legislators; and developing a more proactive promotional effort on legislative priorities.
In relation to the above, the Co-Chairs and Executive Director agreed to work on a listing of potential legislative issues sufficiently in advance of the County Commissioner 's Association goals submission deadline of September 15, 2004 to allow appropriate review, modification, and approval by the executive board and, as appropriate, other key partners. The Committee agreed to provide a reminder to the President that someone needs to be identified to represent the Association at the Legislative Goals meetings.
Considerable discussion ensued concerning the issue to CRS funding and the allocation method to be recommended by the Association for funding approved during the Short Session. The committee agreed that given the ongoing discussion of child welfare needs in 2005 and the expected scrutiny of how the funds are expended; the committee should forward the following recommendations:
1) That the number of full-time equivalent (fte's) expected by the General Assembly to be generated by the funding (76) be funded;
2) That, in order to insure this, a reallocation process be put in place at the time of initial allocations; and
3) That an official communication be sent from the Division to local officials specifically allocating the funding to individual counties for new staff, and including a deadline for action on establishing-hiring positions.
