County Benchmark Case Studies

Thomas P. Miller & Associates placed several calls to organizations in Union County, North Carolina and Delaware County, Indiana to gain a better understanding of the issues these counties face. The top issues cited in LaPorte County (Homelessness, Transportation and Information Coordination) were discussed in an attempt to see if the same issues were present in the benchmark counties. If the issues were present in these counties, TPMA researched how the county responded to the issues.

Union County, North Carolina

Calls were made to the organizations listed below. Calls made to the hospital identified community outreach programs the hospital was involved with. It is important to note that TPMA attempted to speak with the community foundation in Union County, but no such organization exists.

· United Way of Central Carolinas
· Union County Regional Medical Center
· Union County Economic Development Commission

The results of these phone conversations are as follows.

United Way of Central Carolinas

A conversation with the director of the United Way revealed that the county's most recent community needs assessment was conducted in 1998. The top three issues identified in that study included Affordable Housing / Homelessness, Transportation and The Influx of the Hispanic Population. When asked if the information coordination issues was a problem he stated that it was in the top three but a conscience effort was made to take it off of the list. Their reasoning was that communication is always a struggle and they did not want that issue to take precedence over a greater need in the community.

The issues between the two counties were eerily similar. It was beyond comprehension that this county, located in southeast North Carolina would be facing the same issue as LaPorte County. This made the discussion about how they have attempted to address the problem that much easier.

Homelessness
While the direct issue in Union County is affordable housing as demonstrated in LaPorte County if this issue goes unchecked the problem manifests into homelessness. Union County does have a shelter in place to help address the problem. The shelter is a partnership with the City of Monroe. The city owns the building and pays for the utilities. When the shelter opened ten years ago they accepted anyone that needed a place to stay. In recent years a decision was made to only accept people who were interested in helping themselves. The shelter teaches work skills, local churches offer a soup kitchen at night, and other local agencies provide health and human services as well as other needed assistance.

Transportation
The director acknowledged that this issue is difficult to solve in its entirety. They have tried to break off pieces of the issue. The United Way has set aside money in the form of grants that local agencies can apply for to reimburse their transportation costs. Very few agencies in the county have their own transportation. Only the Y.W.C.A and the Women's Abuse Shelter have their own vans. Most agencies depend on local taxi cab service and a local public transportation van service. It was noted the van service was expensive and not very dependable.

Possible solutions to this problem centers on utilizing unused means of transportation within the community. Partnering with local churches in the community and using their vans is one possibility. The other thought is to work with the local school corporations. School buses are used in the mornings and mid afternoons but they remain unused during the day. The thought is to tap into this resource for the few hours they are available during the day. This schedule would accommodate many in the community that have transportation needs.

Information Coordination
As stated earlier this area always remains a concern for the organization and the community. What is the best way to get the word out to the community about services? The United Way has discovered the best way to inform the community is through the newspaper. This is the only way they can reach the majority of the population of the community. As a result they have developed a great relationship with the local newspapers in the area. The paper is more than happy to print anything. They have also learned that the community has learned to look for the United Way logo and this leads them directly to the assistance they are looking for.

Within the next year the county hopes to be functional with the new 211-telephone system. This will provide one number that the community can dial into to receive all information on community activities and services. The next push is to develop marketing, education and community outreach to let people know about the new system.

Union County Regional Medical Center

TPMA discussed the hospitals community involvement with the Director of Community Outreach Programs. It is interesting to note that the hospital is the fastest growing hospital in North Carolina. They have 170 beds and consider themselves a medium size hospital.

Their principal struggle exists with community education about what services they can provide. Due to their rapid growth large populations in the community know all that the hospital can do for them. As a result the director spends the majority of his time and effort getting the word out. This includes speaking at local service clubs, businesses and other community organizations.

The hospital's community outreach programs include the following:

· A partnership with the city owned Monroe Aquatics Center
· Wellness center that is staffed with a full-time nurse
· Speakers bureau that offers speakers on a number of health topics
· Programs for business and industry on services provided
· 2 nurses that offer customized health check ups for business
· Health fairs at local schools and churches

The overriding theme of all of the community outreach programs is the customization and flexibility. The hospital is very interested in learning from the community what needs exist. Once the needs and wants are determined then programs can be built to meet those needs.

Union County Economic Development

In 1990 Union County's population stood at 84,211. The 1999 Census estimates the population at 115,144. Needless to say the last ten years has been a time of explosive growth in the county. While there has been incredible growth that growth must be examined.

Union County is the neighboring county to Charlotte, North Carolina. As Charlotte has grown so has the surrounding areas. However most of the growth has been residential. In fact the county is nothing more than a bedroom community for people working in Charlotte. It was determined in conversation with officials that the main reason for the residential growth is due to the low property taxes. The taxes are so low that they have acted as a magnet attracting people to the community.

While Union County has been successful in attracting residents to the area it has done a poor job of attracting business and industry. There has been success in locating many smaller businesses with 10-15 employees to the area, but little luck with larger employers. Companies with employees over 100 and up look elsewhere to locate. Economic incentives and tax abatements are the main determining factors, which have contributed to this situation. Union County is at a disadvantage to surrounding counties in the types of economic incentives it can offer companies. This issue is compounded by South Carolina, the county's neighbor to the south. South Carolina's incentives are far superior to anything North Carolina can offer. As a result many large employing companies have located just over the state line from Union County.

Delaware County, Indiana

Calls were made to the organizations listed below. Calls made to the hospital identified community outreach programs the hospital was involved with.

· United Way of Delaware County
· Ball Memorial Hospital
· Delaware County Council for Economic Development
· The Community Foundation of Muncie & Delaware County

The results of these phone conversations are as follows.

United Way of Delaware County

The assistant director of the United Way of Delaware County stated their most recent needs assessment was conducted in 2000. The findings of the report identified transportation, ADA compliance, and child-care services as the top issues facing Delaware County.

When asked if the same issues facing LaPorte Conty were a concern for Delaware County the Assistant Director said yes. The issues and how they are being addressed in the county was discussed. The findings are as follows.

Homelessness
The issue of the homeless in the county is two fold. There are people who simply cannot afford housing and others who are homeless for a number of personal reasons and difficulties. She indicated that the United Way provides funding for the two homeless shelters in the county.

The goal of the shelters is to provide transitional housing for those who require their services. Education and work training is offered in an attempt to make the clients more self-sufficient. Other services include health cares issues, drug and alcohol counseling.

The agency also works with Ball State University to adapt existing housing in the area in an effort to provide affordable housing. There is also a campaign underway to provide education, assistance and how to brochures to landlords who have properties in disrepair. This is an effort to help those who have housing but not quality housing.

Transportation
Transportation is a major concern in the county. The greatest need exists in the rural areas of the county. People who do not have access to transportation have problems getting to services in Muncie. As a result these people suffer from the ability to receive medical care, nutrition and other services.

The county commissioners funded a feasibility study last year that measured the scope of the problem. The results of that study were plugged into a grant application. The grant was submitted to the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). This year a grant was awarded to the county to help offset the cost of transportation. The money will be used to fund personnel costs, administration costs as well as the purchasing of vans.

Information Coordination
Currently the county has two telephone hotlines, which are active 24 hours a day. The public can call these numbers to receive information and referral on a number of issues. This system has been used by a great number of people in the community and the feeling is the system has been successful.

They county is currently working on access via the Internet to provide a community calendar. The hope is that many agencies in the community will utilize the technology to better communicate among each other. Currently the most effective way to communicate information to the public is via the radio and TV.

Ball Memorial Hospital

TPMA discussed the hospital's community outreach programs with a representative from the public relations department. Ball Memorial Hospital, located in Muncie, Indiana is the only hospital in the county. There are currently 350 physicians on the hospitals staff.

The hospitals community outreach programs include the following:

· Speakers bureau that offers speakers on a number health related topics
· Health fairs around the county
· Health education programs for the public
· Education partnership with Ball State University
· Health Programs for business and industry
· Health and wellness center

The hospital is constantly looking for new ways to engage the public on issues of health and wellness. The organization believes in preventable medicine. By treating the health and wellness of the whole person more series health problems are prevented.

Delaware County Council for Economic Development

The growth and economic development of Delaware County has been very positive in recent years. The unemployment rate is currently is below 3% and most businesses are looking for additional employees. The director indicated that about two years ago several plants closed their doors and approximately 1,800 people lost their jobs. However due to the other businesses expanding those people found jobs and several hundred new jobs have been created.

The most common business being attracted to the area generally employs between 50-100 people. Several larger employers have located to the area including Keihn, a subsidiary of Toyota Motors. While several businesses have been attracted to the area the majority of the recent growth has come from existing businesses expanding. While the national average for business expansion stands at 80%, Delaware County's rate stands at 87%.

Delaware County offers few incentives to lure business to the area. The director listed two factors that give the county an edge over other locations. The first is a well-educated workforce and the second is a strong support system that can assist a new employer.

While the majority of the growth has been in the business sector, residential growth has also been occurring at a quick pace. The building of new homes and residential developments has occurred for some time. However, the director pointed out that the population numbers for the county have not changed.

The Community Foundation of Muncie & Delaware County

Conversations with the director of the foundation indicated that education and economic development were the two most pressing needs their organization was addressing. However, the LaPorte County issues are concerns in their community, and programs are being funded to help address these concerns.

The foundation does provide grants and funds to organizations that provide assistance with the homeless problem. One such organization is the Christian Ministries. This group offers assistance, volunteers and funding.

The county has a homeless shelter as well as a mission. Both places offer overnight accommodations for those in need. These shelters are available to use by single men as well as any other person or families. They administer training and work assistance programs to assist the clientele in getting back on their feet.

The transportation issue has only recently come to the forefront as a concern in the community. The main concern centers on those individuals that live in rural Delaware County. These people have difficulty finding transportation into Muncie for medical appointments, shopping and general needs. Currently no program is being funded by the community foundation. However, the foundation has recently started working on funding and developing ideas to help address the situation. Transportation within Muncie was less of a concern due to the bus system that is in place. This system seems to be addressing the needs of the community sufficiently.

Communication is a concern in the community. The foundation has focus their efforts on breaking down the barriers that prevent people from obtaining information. They distribute brochure as well as fund organizations with their brochure publication. Grants have been awarded to an organization that has developed a community wide resource booklet. The foundation also funds a 24 hour information / referral hotline. This hotline is available to anyone in the community that needs assistance. An individual who mans the phone answers questions, as well as refers people to the proper agencies for assistance.