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Children services questions commissioners’ merger decision

In a filled room at a Washington County Children Services meeting, the absence of three was pointed out Tuesday.

“There was public notice of this meeting was there not?” asked Mary Barnas, a member of the Children Services Board. “Where are the commissioners?”

The Children Services Board held a special board meeting to open a citizen forum concerning the Washington County Commissioners’ decision last week to merge Children Services with Washington County’s Department of Job and Family Services.

The meeting saw the attendance of 15 staff members, all taking vacation time to be there, a foster parent, two representatives from the Behavioral Health Board, one assistant county prosecutor and representation from the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program and the committee which campaigned for the May foster placement levy.

The meeting was called last Thursday, after notice came from the commissioners that a merger of the agencies would be in effect by Dec. 27. The change will mean the Children Services board will be advisory only, with financial oversight to instead come from the commission. Board members said last week they were blindsided by the commissioners’ vote.

Commissioners Ron Feathers and David White said later on Tuesday they were not invited to the meeting and didn’t know it had occurred until after it concluded Tuesday morning. Rick Walters was not in the office Tuesday.

The board opened the meeting with statements expressing shock about the commissioners’ decision, and questioned administration on the timing of the merger.

“What level of planning, what level of resources have been put into this?” asked Mark Weihl, a board member. “I’m looking at the notification that we were provided, the first with no date… What specific research was conducted? What were the specific results? What did the data tell us? What are the enhanced services? My point is how has that even been studied to this point… This letter alone just gives five subjective statements.”

Board member Beth Miller questioned the timing of the redesignation, asking why a memorandum of understanding between the two agencies was signed in August, if this merger was in the works with DJFS.

“We just started with the (higher reimbursement funding) hits, why can’t have the opportunity to make it straight,” she noted of the agreement to utilize federal funds available through DJFS.

Board member Doug Mallett agreed, noting the cash flow concerns have been negotiated with treatment providers for out-of-county placement of foster children and the agency is prepared to pay off its bills on time by Jan. 31 with levy funds.

Feathers said Tuesday that specifics of how the transition would take place are yet to be determined, between the commissioners, DJFS Director Flite Freimann and Director of Children Services Jamie Vuksic.

“As late as Oct. 16 I shared my vision with Jamie and Ivin Fleenor of what a board could be,” said Feathers. “This merger has never been off the table…We have made the decision based on the fact that $2.4 million they’re asking for in one agency, one of the largest county agencies, has currently no direct oversight by an elected official.

Feathers confirmed all of the appointments to the Children Services Board are made and confirmed by the commissioners.

Barnas noted at the meeting that no mismanagement of funds has come up in past audits of the agency, and that the cash flow problem the agency has faced for the last two years is routed in being under-funded at the beginning of each year.

“Ask those agencies that are giving back money if their commissioners fully funded them to begin with,” she said.

Alice Stewart, assistant director of Children Services, noted direction from the agency’s state fiscal supervisor Ivin Fleenor is that not only does the state not see financial benefit to the county in a merger, but such a merger could cost the county up to $200,000 in additional expenditures.

“And Ivin said it could not legally begin before April 1,” she explained, noting current Ohio Administrative Code outlining requirements for notice and hearings with the public for the commissioners’ decision to be heard and explained prior to taking effect.

She also clarified that Washington County is one of 23 counties with a standalone public children services agency separate from DJFS. Feathers had said last week that there were five such counties.

“I think it’s very important that we follow the law,” said board member Doug Mallett, noting the regulations the agency operates under for care of families. “It seems they’ve missed a few steps.”

According to the Ohio Revised Code, the commissioners may not redesignate the public children services agency unless they have:

1. First notified the children services board of the intent to redesignate.

“In its notification, the board of county commissioners shall provide the county children services board a written explanation of the administrative, fiscal, or performance considerations causing the board of county commissioners to seek to redesignate the public children services agency,” reads the code.

2. Then the commissioners must provide the children services board with an opportunity to comment on the proposed redesignation before the redesignation occurs.

3. If within 60 days the county children services board notifies the board of county commissioners that the county children services board has voted to oppose the redesignation, the redesignation must then be unanimously approved by the commissioners to occur.

According to the Ohio Administrative Code the commissioners must also provide notice to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services of its intent 90 days prior to the proposed merger, by formal resolution.

Then the combining agencies must develop a plan outlining changes.

And that final plan must be submitted no later than 60 days prior to the proposed merger date.

“We the commissioners are bound by the Ohio Revised Code,” said Feathers. “The administrative code has nothing to do with the decision we have made. That 60-day window with the revised code trumps the administrative code.”

Konnie Yoho, a foster parent for nearly 21 years, spoke at the board meeting Tuesday of the commissioners’ desire to keep children in their homes, instead of being removed and placed in foster care, therapeutic care or residential treatment.

“I’ve never had a child in my home that I said, ‘boy, they should have stayed with their parents,'” said Yoho. “You can rebuild a family in placement, there’s visitation. Unfortunately most parents don’t come. Last year parents of my kids only came 20 percent of the time.”

Willa O’Neill, representing Big Brothers, Big Sisters and the bipartisan committee which campaigned for the foster placement levy passed in May, also noted her concerns at the meeting.

“There’s a ledger that says dollars and cents that are being paid right now,” she said. “But there are other costs associated with this, with all the other things that this vulnerable group needs… What’s going to be the cost in the long run (because) of less professional services?”

O’Neill also said she was concerned she had campaigned for a foster placement levy, and voters had approved it, with the understanding that the Children Services board would be responsible for the money, not the commissioners.

The board ultimately decided Tuesday to have Board Chairman Tim Loughry request the data the commissioners are basing their decision on, and to have Barnas review the last two years’ of commissioner meeting minutes.

“Fortunately the state of Ohio requires public bodies to do everything in open session,” said Loughry, noting the intent to review meeting minutes of the commissioners to understand the decision. “I look forward to reviewing their process…I personally and professionally do not intend to provide legal guidance for this board, (but) I question whether or not the commissioners looked at these laws.”

Washington County Commissioner candidates Jim Raney and Kevin Ritter both said Tuesday that they are keeping abreast of the merger discussion as one of them will fill the third seat beside White and Feathers come Jan. 1.

“Whether I am elected or not, I am hopeful the merger will mean increased efficiency, cost savings to the county and an improved delivery of services to the public,” said Ritter. “The DCS does a tough job. They serve some of the most at-risk citizens in our county. I am hopeful the proposed merger will improve their ability to deliver these important services.”

Raney said he’d like to see more of the cost analysis behind the commissioners’ decision.

“I was disappointed with the generalities given as reason and would like to have seen some hard and fast numbers of how this could benefit the county in the long-term,” said Raney, noting he is neither for or against the idea of a merger. “If it’s still on the table after the election I’d work with both Children Services and Flite Freimann to flesh out the business case analysis.”

The next commissioners meeting will take place Thursday at 9 a.m. at 204 Davis Ave.

Th next meeting of the Children Services Board will take place at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 8 at 204 Davis Ave.

Both are open to the public.

If you go:

• The next commissioners meeting will take place Thursday at 9 a.m. at 204 Davis Ave.

• The next meeting of the Children Services Board will take place at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 8 at 204 Davis Ave.

Washington County Children Services Board:

• Chairman Tim Loughry.

• Mary Barnas, board member.

• Doug Mallett, board member.

• Mark Weihl, board member.

• Beth Miller, board member.

Source: Times research.

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