County Commissioners Brief

By Ron Fitzwater

The Ashe County Board of commissioners met in regular session Monday, March 16, with a light but important agenda.

Following opening procedures, Patty McMeans and Grier Hurley presented the commissioners with amendments to the county's personnel policy. The amendments do not remove any personnel rights of county employees, but rather clarifies their rights regarding the federally mandated Family and Medical Leave Act.

Nancy Kautz, Community Outreach and Grants Coordinator for Ashe Memorial Hospital, and Shelly Elliot reported to the commissioners on the current state of the Ashe Medication Assistance Program and their needs to keep the program open and serving the residents of Ashe County.

"In looking at the present and future funding of the Ashe Medication Assistance Program, we are requesting the amount of $48,117.96 to be included in the [county] budget for fiscal year 2009-10. This amount would include the annual salary and benefits of a full-time Medication Assistance Coordinator, the total operational cost of the program and $4,000 to be paid to the Hunger and Health Coalition in Boone to cover the cost of short-term medications for our county residents," Kautz told commissioners.

Kautz outlined the program and answered several questions posed by the board. No decision regarding funding was reached by the board.

Barry Cox and Joan Hinson presented the commissioners with their 2009-10 Criminal Justice Partnership Plan budget, requesting just over $60,000 for operations in the upcoming fiscal year.

The commissioners, having been provided with the request prior to the meeting, posed no questions to the pair and unanimously approved the request.

The commissioners approved two board appointments; George Morrison was unanimously reappointed to the county Airport Advisory Board, and Brantley Price was unanimously appointed to replace Russell Reeves to the Farmland Preservation Advisory Board.

No residents came forward for public comment and board chair Judy Poe recessed the board to reconvene in executive session.

The Ashe County Board of Commissioners meet the first and third Monday of each month at 3:30 p.m. in the small courtroom on the third floor of the Ashe County Courthouse.