DOBSON — Although the White Sulphur Springs Mount Airy project was not included on last night’s Surry County Board of Commissioners meeting agenda, the topic was discussed by the board.

Before the board went into closed session at the end of the meeting, Commissioner Jim Harrell Jr. brought up the project, which proposes to create a housing development northeast of Mount Airy. The developers have asked the Mount Airy and Surry County boards to fund water and sewer extensions to the development.

Harrell informed the board that he thought the topic should be revisited in the future.

He said that some took the board’s recent action to deny incentives for WSSMA as a complete closing of the door on the project, but Harrell said, “I don’t think we got into specifics enough to do that.”

Of revisiting the topic, Board Chairman Paul Johnson said, “I’d rather not.”

Harrell pointed out that the board had been supportive of the project in years past, but he said, “Then they changed on us.”

Commissioner Craig Hunter said, “The devil’s in the details.”

He said the changes to the agreement came quickly, not giving the commissioners a “window to talk about it.”

Harrell said if they went back to one of the earlier agreements, the board would probably have been more receptive.

Harrell’s suggestion was for the board to discuss at what point the county might reconsider offering incentives for the project, then talk to the developers about it.

“I thought it deserved more than we gave it,” Harrell remarked.

“I did, too,” Commissioner Jimmy Miller echoed.

Hunter suggested getting economic development leaders involved with the project and a possible future county policy about development work that Johnson had suggested.

At the end of the discussion, Harrell reiterated his desire for the topic to be revisited. The other commissioners appeared to be OK with his suggestion.

Hunter said, “We supported it for three years, but the devil’s in the details.”

Harrell said, “We essentially just said no, but we didn’t give them any parameters.”

“I think that is the best thing we could do at the time,” Johnson remarked.

On Wednesday, Johnson said WSSMA would not be included on any upcoming agendas that he would be setting.

“But I can’t stop others from bringing it up,” he then noted.

Last week, the board voted 3 to 2 against approving incentives for the project. The incentive agreement that was voted down called for the county to spend up to $375,000 on construction of water and sewer lines at the WSSMA property.

Document imaging system for

DSS approved

Earlier in the meeting, the board approved a request from the Surry County Department of Social Services to purchase a document imaging system that should improve efficiency at the department by 15 to 20 percent or more.

Wayne Black, director of Surry County DSS, came before the board a few months ago to ask for permission to advertise a request for proposals for a document imaging system.

“We are overwhelmed,” Black told the board.

After receiving two proposals, the board voted last night to accept a proposal from Northwoods to install Compass Software at DSS. This system will allow the department to store files electronically, reducing the amount of paper and other supplies used by the agency. It also has an appointment management program which will automatically reschedule appointments for clients and manage workers’ schedules.

Black asked for the system, and in return said he would not be requesting new caseworkers for two years. The director’s initial cost estimate for the system was $375,000 to $425,000, but last night Black presented a cost of $591,891 to the board. By utilizing unused DSS funds from this year, combined with the savings of the reduced supply need, the cost to the county was brought down to $29,764. Black thinks that the department also will gain other savings which would cancel out the leftover cost to the county.

In an interview a few weeks ago, Black said he didn’t know what the department was going to do if the system didn’t bring the 15 to 20 percent productivity increase that was expected. Changes in state and federal regulations and the state of the economy have impacted the already growing number of applicants to DSS programs.

But last night Black told the board that nearby counties using the Northwoods system said it will increase productivity by 35 percent or more. One county even said it would decrease caseworker interview time by 50 percent.

“And everybody I’ve talked to said it cuts your supplies in half at least,” said Black.

Johnson said, “It’s a good proposal, and I think it’s going to work.”

The commissioners unanimously approved the Northwoods proposal.

Contact Meghann Evans at mevans@mtairynews.com or 719-1952.