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Cleveland County to form nominating committee for consolidated human services agency
Summary
The Board of Commissioners voted Oct. 21 to establish a nominating committee and move toward creating a consolidated Cleveland County Human Services Agency that would combine the Department of Social Services and the Health Department under a single governing board.
County staff presented a proposal Oct. 21 to consolidate the Department of Social Services and the Health Department into a single Cleveland County Human Services Agency governed by a new board. The Board of Commissioners voted to form the statutorily required nominating committee and to set a public hearing to consider a formal resolution at a later meeting.
Staff told commissioners the consolidation would replace the existing advisory boards with a governing board that would carry responsibilities including yearly health department accreditation. Under the recommended structure, the county manager remains responsible for hiring the director of the new agency, but that nomination would be made with the advice and consent of the new consolidated human services board, consistent with the statutory language staff cited. Staff also said that employees of the two departments would move from the State Human Resources Act to county personnel policies; staff emphasized the day-to-day employment conditions would not materially change but that personnel actions would follow county procedures.
The presentation laid out a recommended board size of about 15 members to keep the panel from becoming overly large. The proposed composition included up to four consumers of human services, eight professionals (including two physicians, one of whom must be a psychiatrist), and one county commissioner as an ex officio member; statute allows up to 25 members but the county recommended a smaller board. Staff requested that the existing advisory boards and Cleveland County representatives to the LME board serve as the nominating committee to present candidate names for appointment.
Commissioners questioned the scope of the new board’s authority and whether it could veto manager nominations. Staff clarified that the statute gives the board an advice-and-consent role and does not provide a unilateral veto over the county manager’s appointment; staff said the wording on meeting slides would be revised to make that point clearer for a future public hearing.
A motion to stand up the nominating committee and proceed toward a public hearing and resolution was moved, seconded and approved. Staff said the nominating committee would report back prior to the next meeting and that the consolidated board would need to meet promptly after appointments, with the county manager presenting a candidate for the new agency director for the board’s advice and consent.
