By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer
The Orange County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on Monday to postpone a decision on floor plans for renovations to the county’s Health and Dental Clinic in Hillsborough, citing a need for more clarity in how the $1.47-million project will be funded.
The board voted in September to close the county dental clinic at Carr Mill Mall and consolidate dental services at the Hillsborough clinic, which county officials said would yield $113,000 in annual savings and provide increased access to care through extended operating hours. The $1.47-million renovation of the dental and health clinics will be funded with Medicaid Maximization and Dental Equipment capital project funds, which can only be used for programs that earned the funds by providing care to Medicaid patients.
The county operates a part-time dental clinic at Carr Mill Mall two days a week and one at the Whitted Human Services Center on West Tryon Street in Hillsborough three days a week. Under the approved plan, the Hillsborough dental clinic will serve patients five days a week when the Carrboro clinic closes.
The vote to close the Carrboro clinic drew criticism from Carrboro and Chapel Hill officials, who expressed concern that residents of the southern part of the county would forego care if that clinic were closed. County officials said more transparency was needed regarding the renovation funding, since cost saving was a reason cited for the closure of the Carrboro clinic.
“I think if we approve it without the public’s understanding, people are just going to wonder what we’re doing,†Commissioner Alice Gordon said. “I think it has to be clear to people how we went from $113,000 savings to a $1.47-million expenditure.â€
Board members indicated that they would like to take a closer look at the project at a work session in January.
The plans’ redesign is intended to serve county health and dental clinic needs for seven to 10 years and includes structural improvements to the building. If commissioners open bidding and award a bid in January, the project is estimated to be completed in June.
“The sums of money that are being used to do this work have a limited application,†County Manager Frank Clifton said. “The issue is being able to provide services to the public that’s in need and try to do that as best we can.â€
The board will revisit the plans at its meeting on Tuesday.
In other action, the board voted unanimously to maintain the county’s four-year property revaluation schedule, citing the need for transparency in the process. The board had considered delaying the next revaluation for two years given the relatively flat property values in the county and the $200,000-plus cost of a revaluation.
Until 1993, the county used a six-year revaluation cycle, but then moved to a four-year cycle. With the 2009 revaluation, officials heard strong opinions about assessed values, which some property owners said were unfairly high.
The next revaluation will occur in January 2013.
Also on Monday, the board voted unanimously to elected Bernadette Pelissier as chair and Steve Yuhasz as vice chair. Newly elected Commissioner Earl McKee and re-elected commissioners Alice Gordon and Barry Jacobs were sworn in at the start of the meeting.