Hayesville, N.C. – On September 16, 2019, Union General Hospital hosted a ground-breaking ceremony at the site of its new primary care facility along Route 69 in Clay County. This followed the award of a grant provided by the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA), which will assist Union General in the construction of the new 6,000 square foot facility. Clay County Board of Commissioners’ Chairman, Dr. Rob Peck, noted the long standing presence of Hayesville Family Practice, an affiliate of the Union General Health System within the County. He stated, “This new state of the art facility reflects Union General’s renewed commitment of dedicated service to the communities of Clay County and the surrounding area. Expanding access to affordable primary, specialty, and emergency care within our communities has been an ongoing priority of our Board. We remain committed to that objective. Union General’s new facility will help meet those needs. We are very thankful for their investment in Clay County.” CEO Kevin Bierschenk said that, “Union General will be recruiting a locally-based physician, as well as other medical practitioners who are directly grounded within the community.” He added, “the investment by Union General will lead to the creation of good jobs, particularly at higher skill levels, which was the basis of the funding received through the RIA program.” The hospital announced that it hopes to have the facility operational within approximately nine to twelve months. The site is located next to United Community Bank and plans to be open five days a week. The facility will create and retain as many as 10 jobs and bring more than $1.9 million in private investment to the area. Union General has 20 other facilities in both north Georgia and North Carolina, which together offer on-duty surgeons who can deal with critical care and surgeries not possible to undertake at the other local hospitals. County Manager, Mark Pullium, added that, “since my tenure began as Clay County Manager, the Clay County Commissioners have put health care at the top of their agenda and they have worked tirelessly to bring about the changes we see today.” Blue Ridge Mountain Electric Membership Corporation (BRMEMC) was also responsible for providing Union General with access to a $2m interest-free loan to support the building and infrastructure costs. Jeremy Nelms, General Manager of BRMEMC said, “Blue Ridge Mountain EMC is honored to work closely with Chatuge Regional Hospital and its parent company, Union General Hospital, to leverage USDA Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Funds. The 0%-Interest dollars provided through this rural-focused program will create much needed new jobs and important healthcare services in Clay County, and will bolster the community’s economic development efforts. Projects like these are important to the entire region and support BRMEMC’s focus on the seventh Cooperative principle, Concern for Community.” The Golden Leaf Foundation will provide up to $200,000 in grant funds to purchase medical equipment. Mr. Pullium said that, “this is an indication of the broader role our utility provider and other economic development organizations have played in uplifting rural counties like ours by enabling access to good quality health care and allowing citizens to still enjoy a country life.”

Free tax prep & financial consultations Household incomes under 225% federal poverty level When: Wednesdays, 2-5 (starting Feb. 12th) Where: Clay County DSS, 119 Courthouse Drive, Hayesville What: Tax prep, tax representation, ACA issues, financial counseling/planning, and more... Call (866) 862-2220 for appointment • walk-ins welcome Zacchaeus Financial Counseling, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization “Financial Planning with a Mission” R. Joseph Ritter Jr. CFP® EA www.ZacchaeusFinancial.org

During the October 1, 2020, regularly scheduled Clay County Board of Commissioners meeting, a property tax rebate incentive was unanimously approved and effective immediately. New or expanding businesses or industries may qualify to receive a financial incentive grant based upon the actual value, schedule, and payment of local property taxes for a period of up to five consecutive years. Each project would be evaluated on its own individual merits as to quality and quantity of jobs created. All interested parties are invited to present comments at the public hearing regarding an incentive request. See the attached notices below for more details:

Clay County, N.C. – Last week, Clay County Commissioner Clay Logan joined voting delegates from counties throughout the state to determine the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners’ (NCACC) legislative priorities for the 2019-2020 biennium session of the North Carolina General Assembly. Governor Roy Cooper delivered keynote remarks and thanked county commissioners for their commitment to public service. Commissioner Logan said, “the most burning issue to come from this year’s conference was the importance of broadband to the unserved and under-served areas of the State, which is a problem in every county. We hope that the State will continue to budget for measures to resolve this issue, so that all of our citizens have an equal opportunity to benefit from the digital age.” Kevin Austin, NCACC President Elect and Yadkin County Commissioner presided over the two-day Legislative Goals Conference, which was held January 10-11. Clay County sent Commissioner Clay Logan to serve as a voting delegate to the conference to debate, amend, offer new proposals and cast votes on the Association’s guiding principles and legislative priorities, which guide advocacy efforts at the General Assembly. The conference is the final step in a comprehensive process, which gives each county a voice in shaping NCACC’s legislative agenda. NCACC President Elect Austin explained this inclusive approach. “Our process offers an opportunity for all our counties to participate. These goals come from counties all across the state and have been vetted by their boards before they come to the Association. It’s a grassroots effort, which involves all 100 counties,” President Elect Austin said. County Manager, Mark Pullium, said, “Clay County is working hard to achieve the triple bottom line of becoming the investment destination of choice, the service provider of choice and the employer of choice. As we get closer to reaching our goals, our population is growing and we need to keep pace with other counties by offering better services and a higher standard of education. We are keen to pursue measures that will increase our revenue sources so that we can continue to improve our schools, health care and social services, all of which contribute to better life and work opportunities for our citizens.” Below is the list of NCACC’s top five legislative goals for 2019-2020 as determined at the Legislative Goals Conference; visit www.ncacc.org/legislativegoals to access the full list of goals for the biennium. NCACC’s Top Five Priority Goals for 2019-2020 1) Seek legislation, funding, and other efforts to expand digital infrastructure/broadband capability to the unserved and under-served areas and residents of the state. 2) Seek additional revenue sources, including a statewide bond and lottery proceeds, to equitably address statewide public school and community college capital challenges. 3) Support efforts to preserve and expand the existing local revenue base of counties and authorize local option revenue sources already given to any other jurisdiction to all counties. Oppose efforts to divert to the state, fees or taxes currently allocated to the counties or to erode existing county revenue streams. 4) Support provision of state resources to ensure county ability to provide essential public health, behavioral health and social services, with specific consideration to the challenges of incarcerated persons, the continued county role in behavioral health governance, and programs addressing substance use disorder, throughout Medicaid transformation. 5) Seek legislation to repeal the statutory authority under N.C. Gen. Stat. 115C-431(c) that allows a local school board to file suit against a county board of commissioners over appropriations to the local board of education’s capital outlay fund. Editors: Print quality photos may be downloaded for use at: https://ncacc.smugmug.com/NCACC-2019-Legislative-Goals-Con Photo should be credited as follows: Photo courtesy Chris Baucom/NCACC. About the NCACC: The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) is the official voice of all 100 counties on issues being considered by the General Assembly, Congress and federal and state agencies. The Association provides expertise to counties in the areas of advocacy, research, risk management and education and leadership training.

Special Meeting of Clay County Board of Commissioners results in agreement to assist in upgrading Clay County school security, finalizing the contract for Emergency Management Services and upgrading recreational facilities and campground electrical supply Hayesville, N.C. – On November 16, 2018, the Clay County Board of Commissioners held a Special Public Meeting to address several important issues relating to the safety and security of students at Clay County schools, the County’s contract with Union General Hospital for Emergency Medical Services, and a contract for electrical upgrades at Clay County recreational facilities. At the last Regular Meeting of the Commissioners on November 1, 2018, the Commissioners authorized financial support in the amount of $150,000 to support implementation of the prioritized Emergency Preparedness Plan for the Clay County Schools. The funding is to be used hire an additional School Resource Officer and School Counselor dedicated to supporting the safety and health of students. Commission Chairman Robert Penland said, “we recognize the importance to the community that our children, school staff and teachers be safe – we therefore have set aside these funds to implement safety prudent safety measures to provide greater visibility and availability of human support in the form of an additional School Resource Officer and School Guidance Counselor. Providing open and trusting individuals to deal with concerns about children or adults with mental health issues that may affect the school will do more to counter potential violence than just focusing on the mechanisms for safety.” In fact, in the fall of this year, the Washington Post sent surveys to each of the schools that had endured a shooting of some kind since the 2012 killings of 20 first-graders in Newtown, Connecticut. It found that most schools felt they could have not avoided the violence even with increased spending on apparatus at the schools; rather, the report suggested that measures to impede shooters and increase the preparedness of schools to get staff and students to safe places, along with increased attention to student mental health, would do more to impact potential problems in the future. With regard to the signing of an agreement with Union General to provide emergency medical services to Clay County, Commissioner Rob Peck indicated the following: “six weeks ago, the Commissioners signed a non-binding letter of intent to negotiate a definitive agreement with the hospital. This agreement comes only after a long process of due diligence.” He said, “Commissioners have had numerous conversations with the public and EMS staff to answer their questions and allay concerns. They also had numerous reviews of the county finances and noted the losses of $750,000 associated with the County’s expenditure on such services. We have had discussions with the State regarding EMS and the implications of such an agreement on our license, which the County will maintain. The Commissioners have carefully reviewed fees charged for EMS to identify missed revenue and how this can be better managed. To say that the Commissioners haven’t done our due diligence is false.” Commissioner Peck said that the County will maintain ownership of the vehicles and facilities. EMS will be provided either on par or above the quality currently offered utilizing established protocols and procedures. The contract is for one-year and provided each party three months’ notice of termination. This will save the county $150,000 a year. Commissioner Peck also said that it has been reported in the media that patients are being persuaded to go to one facility over another. There is no proof of this and it continues to be the right of the patient to choose where he or she wants to go. The Commissioner thanked the great people who provide emergency services to the citizens of Clay County. He said, “They genuinely care and take great pride in the service they provide. It is our hope that they will continue to do just that.” County Attorney, Merinda Woody, also noted in the meeting that there is often confusion about the acronym, “EMS.” She said that it refers to both Emergency Management Services and the County’s Emergency Management System. In terms of the contracting out of Emergency Management Services, this only affects the movement of patients by ambulance to a hospital of their choice. The County retains ownership of vehicles and buildings as well as the overall Emergency Management System. Thus, she said, “Union General will be a great partner for the County in terms of enhancing the delivery of Emergency Management Services at a higher standard and for a lower cost. The County will still maintain control over the Emergency Management System, which covers all other services, including 911.” Director of Administrative Services, Cayce Price, also provided the Commissioners a summary of bids for the upgrade of electrical services to campsites at Gibson Cove. Four bids were received with Turpin Electrical, a Clay County registered business, providing the lowest bid for the work. The total project cost is $128,173.41 and will provide existing and new campsites with improved electrical services for 30amp and 50amp connections on the Gibson Cove side. At the Rec Park, an additional 15 sites will have the new power connection, as well as access to water. He said, “This is line with our long-range plan of improving our facilities and services at the campground. We will also be adding WIFI throughout the campground for the upcoming season.” Clay County Manager, Mark Pullium, said, “I’m proud of the County Commissioners for being pro-active on the Emergency Preparedness Plan from the Clay County Board of Education. These new initiatives are designed to make our schools safer. It is our sincere hope that our campus remains safe.” Mr. Pullium also said, “With the start of the new camping season, we will be ready to offer visitors to our campground high quality, up-to-date and competitive campsites. Our objective is to bring our visitors back again and again to our beautiful community.”

Hayesville, N.C. – Union General has announced that it will donate two much-needed automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to Clay County Schools. Each of these defibrillators will be placed in strategic locations within the school campuses. Union General Chief Executive Officer, Lewis Kelley, explained that, “the donation of this equipment will provide the schools with the ability to safely treat cardiac arrests on their campuses. Union General has already contributed the same equipment to both Towns and Union Counties and will continue to support schools in the region to provide them with the highest standard of lifesaving equipment possible.” AEDs enable even laypersons to administer the necessary treatment. Modern AEDs also won't allow people to shock a victim that has a heartbeat, which reduces the risk of doing more harm than good and preventing people from stepping in to help. According to the American Heart Association, there are good reasons for AEDs to be onsite. They save critical treatment time and improve survival odds -- a patient's chance of survival from cardiac arrest is decreased by approximately 10% with each minute that passes. It is therefore crucial that defibrillation is provided within the first few minutes after a person suffers cardiac arrest. It should be noted in the absence of an AED that cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can still delay the damage to the heart, allowing for a slightly longer time for effective defibrillation. CPR alone, however, won’t restore the heart's normal electrical function, thus it is imperative to perform both CPR and defibrillate the heart within the first few minutes after a cardiac arrest to give the sufferer the best chance of survival. Ricky Lancaster, Director of the County’s Emergency Management Services said, “of the sudden cardiac arrest deaths that occur each year, more than 95 percent of the victims die before they reach the hospital. Having AEDs located at the schools will greatly improve the likelihood of survival of students, staff and visitors who may suffer an unfortunate case of cardiac arrest.” County Manager Mark Pullium applauded Union General for its commitment to improving access to high quality healthcare in the County. Commissioner Dr. Robert Peck said, “The donation of these devices is in line with their vision to provide state of the art equipment and facilities to the citizens of Clay County. This will strengthen our quest to provide a safer and more secure environment for all students, faculty and staff of the Clay County Schools System.”

State Superintendent Mark Johnson announces $30 million in grants to four counties through the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund. North Carolina Superintendent Mark Johnson has announced that $30 million in grant funds from the new Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund will be awarded to Camden, Clay, Gates, and Jones counties. The grant awards will allow for construction of new school buildings in these economically distressed counties. “Through these grants, we will begin to address the critical school infrastructure needs in less populated parts of our state through projects that will begin construction within 12 months,” said Mark Johnson, state superintendent. “Students in outdated – and in some cases, unsafe – buildings will benefit soon from these new facilities.” Camden County: $2.29 million for initial costs for a new high school to replace a structurally inadequate facility serving a third of all students in the county ($33.3 million total project cost) Clay County: $10.2 million for a new primary-school facility (pre-K through second grade), enabling the district to reorganize grade levels to place all pre-K through eighth grade students in age-appropriate educational settings ($14 million total project cost) Gates County: $2.5 million to replace a structurally inadequate middle school wing ($10.6 million total project cost) Jones County: $15 million for a new pre-K through 12th grade campus to serve 60 percent of students in the district ($45 million total project cost) “The Clay County Board of Education and the Clay County Commissioners are thrilled to be the recipient of this grant,” said Clay County Manager Mark Pullium. “This grant will provide the majority of funds needed to construct an educationally appropriate, 21st century learning facility for the pre-K through second grade. Once constructed, the new facility will greatly enhance student outcomes and development for currently enrolled students as well as future students. Clay County is thankful that our 2017 General Assembly had a vision of providing better school facilities throughout our great state and took action by creating this program.” The fund — more than $100 million over the next two years — was provided by the General Assembly to assist lower-wealth counties with their critical public school building capital needs. For this year and next year, funding will be available only to Tier 1 counties. In later years, Tier 2 counties will also be eligible. Funds, appropriated by the General Assembly through revenue from the state lottery, are capped at $15 million per project in Tier 1 counties. The law requires a local match of $1 for every $3 in grant funds. County applications were reviewed based on priorities provided in the law, including ability to generate revenue, high debt-to-tax revenue ratio, and the extent to which a project will address critical deficiencies in adequately serving the current and future student population. An emphasis was placed on projects that were far enough along in the planning process that construction could begin within 12 months. Counties that were not funded will be eligible to apply for grants in fiscal year 2018-2019, when the available funding will total $75 million. “As I travel across the state, I see the great need, and I understand the local struggle to fund these large capital projects,” Johnson said. “I thank the General Assembly for addressing this need with a focus on equity and look forward to many more of these projects being funded next year.”

Hayesville, N.C. – On October 18, 2018, it was announced by the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) that Clay County is the recipient of one of 21 grants it awarded to facilitate better rural health care. This grant will be used to help in the construction of a new 7,000 square foot Union General health facility in Hayesville. North Carolina Commerce Secretary Anthony M. Copeland made this announcement and said, “Rural communities across North Carolina need support to make smart investments in infrastructure in order to boost economic development. The new grants approved by the Rural Infrastructure Authority will lead to the creation of good jobs, greater prosperity and, in some cases, improved access to health care.” In its own press release, the North Carolina Department of Commerce said that its team of rural economic development professionals supports the Authority’s work. Their funding has been derived from a variety of specialized grant and loan programs offered and managed by North Carolina’s Rural Economic Development Division of the Department of Commerce, led by Deputy Secretary for Rural Economic Development and Workforce Solutions, Napoleon Wallace, and Assistant Secretary for Rural Development, Kenny Flowers. Mr. Flowers said, “Local governments will gain greater capacity to help businesses locate and expand in rural North Carolina, thanks to the projects approved today. The Rural Economic Development Division of NC Commerce and the Rural Infrastructure Authority board are pleased to be able to partner with these communities to help them attract hundreds of new job opportunities.” The $112,500 grant to Clay County falls under “Rural Health”. This will support the construction of the new Union General facility and will enable it to assist patients seven days per week. The facility will be able to provide basic lab, x-ray and ultrasound services. It is expected that the project will create nine jobs and more than $1.9 million in private investment to the area. Union General Chief Executive Officer, Lewis Kelley, explained, “the award will go a long way toward providing Clay County with high standard facilities and better access to medical care. It is part of our mission to provide better quality rural health services to marginalized communities and we appreciate the financial assistance granted by the State of North Carolina to help us in constructing an even finer facility.” Commissioner Dr. Robert Peck said that, “it was great news that the RIA grant was issued to Clay County as it has long been held that residents in the County have not had access to locally available and high quality medical care seven days a week.” In keeping with the Commissioners’ mission to achieve a better quality life for all. Commissioner Clay Logan also indicated that, “the new facility will bridge a gap for many of the community’s older residents and working population who need access to medical services on the weekend and after normal business hours.” Contrary to editorials published last week, County Manager Mark Pullium said, “the process of engaging Union General in the establishment of its facility in Hayesville has been an ongoing process and one of openness and transparency. The North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority formulates its well-researched policies and priorities for grant and loan programs administered by North Carolina’s Department of Commerce Rural Economic Development team. There are 16 voting members appointed by the Governor, Speaker of the House and Senate President Pro Tem. The award of the grant therefore was part of a public process, and was done with the highest regard for good governance.” While Union General is often associated with its hospital in Blairsville, it has 20 other operations in both north Georgia and North Carolina. These operations can provide a feeder to Union General as well as other facilities in the area. Union General, however, provides not only emergency services, but also access to on-duty surgeons who can deal with critical care and surgeries not possible to undertake at the other closest hospital in Murphy. According to Dr. Peck, the County Commissioners and staff have worked tirelessly to address the deficit in emergency medical services and 7-day access to affordable healthcare in the region. In fact, the Commissioners have already submitted a similar grant application on behalf of Erlanger to the State of North Carolina to support the renovation of their proposed site in Hayesville. This is indicative of the County’s and Commissioners’ goal to bring accessible healthcare to the community from service providers who are committed to improving rural health. Likewise, the County appointed airlift services company, Air Methods, due to the need for more sophisticated medical treatment for those that suffer catastrophic illness, accidents and dread diseases. The appointment of this company was not a “rushed” decision, but was done in the interests of the community. In fact, a community member’s life was recently in danger and Air Methods was able to safely airlift him to a facility where he could receive the necessary life-saving care. According to Mr. Pullium, the County met on four different occasions with Life Force but they were unable to offer their services for free to County residents. “Clay County,” says Mr. Pullium, “is here to serve all its residents and taking particular cognizance of its retirement population and citizens who fall near the median age of 51. The new medical facility in Hayesville will make great strides toward filling a gap in health care in the County and we appreciate the generosity of the RIA.”

The Clay County Health and Human Services Agency received news Friday that they are a recipient of a $69,994.00 North Carolina School Safety Grant by the NC Public Instruction. “Only community partners of the school system could apply for the grant,” says Mauney. She said her Department made application for funds to provide a social worker to focus on the target population of students in crisis. Ms. Mauney explained that at DSS, the only funds that we receive in child welfare are for services that are directed to families that meet certain criteria. Currently, there is no one in place to work with those kids that don’t rise to the level of child protective services intervention. Mauney states, “This is an exciting opportunity for us to partner with the school system to link students and parents/guardians to services that is likely to assist in resolving concerns that lead to an increase in school safety.” Those families that have children attending pre-school through twelfth grade, and those referred by the school system, will receive short-term prevention intervention through the school social worker position, will have respite services arranged for parents/guardians to prevent a crisis situation that would result in a student coming into foster care or other intensive or costly levels of care and will be offering training on the Community Resilience Model to improve understanding and response to trauma and significant stress. County Commission Chairman Robert Penland stated, “This grant will help our students get the services that they need. And, in doing so, their chance to get a good quality education will be enhanced.” Commissioner Clay Logan also stated, “We are committed to doing everything within our means to provide a safe school for our children and grandchildren. This grant is one way the Commissioners are supporting safe schools in Clay County.”

Clay County Transportation (CCT) won Transit System of the Year today, at the North Carolina Public Transportation Association conference! This award is due to the great team that CCT has from Administration staff to drivers that truly love the work we do in our community. County Manager, Mark Pullium, said, “one thing we pride ourselves on in this County is making sure that people are not left behind simply because they cannot drive or afford transportation. Our County drivers go the extra mile to make sure that people can get to work, or to doctors’ appointments, on time and always with a smile on their face.” Clay County Transportation is available to all citizens of Clay County. No person will be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, sex, age, national origin or disability. The Department recommends that people wishing to book a ride do so at least one day in advance for a local trip, and two days if scheduling an out of town trip. There are vans equipped with wheelchair lifts, which are available to transport passengers with disabilities. They also welcome service animals, but would appreciate people advising if they require either a lift equipped van, or if you will be bringing a service animal. An attendant or relative is welcome to accompany you if you need assistance and there is no charge if they need to ride with you. The mission of the CCT is to provide safe, reliable and affordable transportation to all citizens of Clay County. It invites citizens to contact 828 389 0644 for ride information or to book a ride.

At a special meeting on Friday, April 20, 2018, the Clay County Board of Commissioners approved an Air Methods Advantage Membership Agreement to provide medically necessary air medical transportation services to County residents and, if applicable, their respective household members at no additional out of pocket expense to its citizens. The agreement helps provide our citizens with critical care in the air without the financial burden. With over 300 bases of operations serving 48 states, Air Methods delivers lifesaving care to more than 100,000 patients per year. Air Methods is locally based at Union General Hospital, Blairsville, GA. The action taken at Friday’s special meeting will allow Clay County to enter into a similar cost sharing agreement with Union General as those they currently have with Towns County and Union County. On average, a single medical transport by air can run between $30,000 and $50,000. For as little as $1.25 per person, Clay County Commissioners are proud to provide an extension of our Emergency Medical Services to the citizens of Clay County.