August 3, 2021 - 6:00 PM - County Board of Commissioners Meeting Minutes (Special)

10 352 Meeting of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners August 23 , 2021 6 00 pm The Johnston County Board of Commissioners met in special session Monday , August 23 , 2021 at 6 00 pm in the Commissioners Meeting Room , Johnston County Courthouse Annex , Smithfield , North Carolina The following members were present Present Chairman Chad M Stewart , Vice Chairman Larry Wood , Tony Braswell , Patrick E Harris , RS “ Butch ” Lawter , Jr , and Fred J Smith , Jr Absent Commissioner Ted G Godwin Also Present County Manager Rick J Hester , Clerk to the Board Paula G Woodard , Finance Officer and Deputy County Manager J Chad McLamb , County Attorney Jennifer J Slusser , and Paralegal Deputy Clerk to the Board Dana Cuddington Chairman Chad M Stewart called the special meeting to order at 6 00 pm County Attorney Jennifer Slusser reported the County solicited proposals from qualified vendors to provide software and case management services for the administration of Johnston Countys Emergency Rental Assistance Program Ms Slusser stated the Emergency Rental Assistance Program is funded through state and federal appropriations intended to assist households that are unable to pay rent or utilities Ms Slusser reported three proposals were received and staff believes that Yardi Systems , Inc is the most competitive proposal to address the needs of citizens in Johnston County Ms Slusser continued that under the terms of the proposal , Yardi will provide access to rental relief software , case management , customer support call services , and payment administration for the rental assistance program She stated the proposed term of the contract is one year with the opportunity to renew Ms Slusser also noted that should the County choose to contract with Yardi , the County may terminate the agreement for its convenience at any time , with a 45 - day notice period to Yardi and will only be responsible for payment of undisputed fees earned up to the date of termination Ms Slusser explained the annual fee for the software is 136,50000 , billed quarterly She stated there is a set - up fee of 25,000 which will include program marketing materials , customized portal design , training , support , and case entry of files already processed in - house by Johnston County Ms Slusser stated case management and customer support will be billed at 10,000 per staff member , per month She noted this is currently estimated at 70,00000 per month for the first month , but it can be adjusted , up or down , upon mutual agreement of the parties depending on incoming caseload and call volume Ms Slusser requested the Board’s approval of the contract with Yardi Systems , Inc She stated if the contract is approved , Yardi can have the th portal open to the public no later than September 7 In response to Commissioner Tony Braswell , Ms Slusser reported the administrative fees can be paid by the program funds Upon a question by Commissioner Larry Wood , Ms Slusser reported the Treasury has advised counties that 65 of the funding should be obligated by the end of September ; therefore , if the contract is approved , Yardi will begin working immediately to get that money obligated Commissioner Patrick E Harris stated he has been involved in this process and it has been vetted by staff from the Department of Social Services , Finance , and the County Attorney Commissioner Harris stated the key is to get the applications processed as quickly as possible because citizens desperately need the assistance Ms Slusser reported with the additional staffing Yardi can provide , the processing time will be a five to ten day turnaround as opposed to the weeks it is currently taking Ms Slusser stated staff’s goal is to get the applications processed and funds out to those that need it as quickly as possible County Manager Rick Hester stated staff plans to update the Board monthly on the program’s progress and how much of the funding has been paid out to citizens as well as to Yardi for the service At the inquiry of Commissioner Butch Lawter , Ms Slusser reported the Treasury has set forth the guidelines as to who qualifies for the assistance , but for the most part , it is first in , first out for completed applications She noted some applications are received incomplete so it takes a little more time to gather that additional information Page353 August 23 , 2021 – 6 00 pm Continued Motion and Second Commissioner Patrick E Harris moved the Board approve the contract with Yardi Systems , Inc to provide software and case management services for the administration of Johnston Countys Emergency Rental Assistance Program Commissioner Butch Lawter seconded the motion Discussion Chairman Chad M Stewart accepted a request from Commissioner Fred J Smith , Jr to abstain from voting on the motion At the inquiry of Chairman Stewart , Ms Slusser reported the application process is through the renter She noted the ERA2 funds do allow landlords to apply ; however , the tenant must agree Vote The motion carried unanimously with Commissioner Smith abstaining Note The contract is on file and may be inspected through the Clerk to the Board’s Office or the County Legal Department Mr Hester stated he would like to thank the Finance and Department of Social Services staff for their work on this program to date noting they have been able to process more than 1 million Chairman Chad M Stewart noted the absence of Commissioner Ted G Godwin , stating Commissioner Godwin had a prior engagement out of town this evening There being no further business , Commissioner Larry Wood moved the Board adjourn Commissioner Patrick E Harris seconded the motion , which carried by unanimous vote The meeting adjourned at 6 10 pm Chad M Stewart , Chairman Paula G Woodard , Clerk to the BoardPage