CSCS MEETS
 

CSCS Boardster Herb Vance turns 92 Nov 2nd

   Clay Senior and Community Services (CSCS) held their monthly Board meeting on Oct 17 beginning at 3pm. Boardster attendance was down. Chair Jeff Mullins said he was carrying a proxy vote from absent Nora Lance if needed. New to the Board and in attendance was Cathy Schuler.
  Building problems during the last few months included poor and or stopped up drains and a none working sump pump. In the past, Roto Rooter handled repairs and upgrades. Not so now with mention made on difficulties working with Roto Rooter.
  Needed repairs were performed by A-1 plumbing from Summersville. Director Stephanie Bird told her Board, A-1 was easier to work with and did a super job at a reasonable rate.

   Ms Bird reported on many activities handled during the last 6 weeks. Fundraisers included a spaghetti dinner which netted over $1200. $745 was raised from the pancake breakfast held during the Big Apple Fest. Chick-Fila fundraiser held Oct 1 2019 netted over $900. In seasonal events, on Oct. 25th, a Senior Halloween Party will be hosted at CSCS which will include around 90 rug rats from the local grade school being on hand.
  Speaking of $$$. CSCS ended August with a $127,000 balance. For Sept 30th, that ending balance rose to $142,000. From Chair Mullins, "It's positive.. smooth".
  The now smooth sailing CSCS is the county's second largest employer in the county with 114 on the payroll behind the school system.

Director Stephanie Bird on left. And No, Euvette is not wearing a witch's hat.

   Things are changing at CSCS. The cash cow for the organization and many others, is the home care service income from the Medicaid Waiver program of the U S govt. That's the real $$$. A spin off from the Medicaid Waiver service is a Case Management arm. That latter program generates little money but still, it's more Ka-Ching.
  In an attempt to keep things on the straight and narrow, the Feds are changing the rules to read, whom ever performs Waiver services, that same outfit will no longer be allowed to handle case management duties beginning Jan 1 2020. The new separation serves as a  check and balance split assuring more eyes on the big pot of gold.
   Getting ready for the change, CSCS plans to stop the Case management arm well before the Jan 1st deadline and keep the lucrative Waiver income.
   As for growth in the Waiver program, since August, CSCS has picked up 11 new cases.
  It's such a  cash cow, many other agencies work in Clayberry seeking funds from that same pot of gold.
   Discussion and vote came on raising one worker's rate of pay. No name was mentioned in public. That worker had been with CSCS (old CDC too) nearly 20 years minus a rate increase. The vote was unanimous.
  CSCS operated a fitness center in their complex until the above mentioned drain / plumbing issue suffered wawa damage . The fitness center is now closed with most of the exercise equipment given away. As for future use of the space, nothing has been planned so far.
  There was a time when the notorious  Clay Development Corp management received $1000's of extra pay in the form of Christmas bonuses. Thousands! With the demise of the Family Empire in Dec 2016 and a new Board and leadership now in place, those $1000's for the top, they ain't there.
  Instead, and beginning last Christmas (that we can remember) , small Christmas bonus gift cards were handed out to ALL employees. Last time around, the gift cards were thru the local IGA grocery store. With the local IGA closed down, the 2019 cards will come thru Rural King. Other than the cards that everybody receives, management receives nothing else.
  It was around Dec 20 2016 when the axe fell on the old CDC operation. That operation was an embarrassment to the county. Their Board meetings were kept sealed away from the public. Badges came and removed the public from one contentious meeting. All finances were top secret. It was common to see Boardsters and employees fired from service for just asking a question in public. Lawsuits were frequent.
  During their annual General Membership meetings, employees held hand written scripts for what could be said and for changes in by laws. It was a true farce.
  After the family Empire and the racist Director, was tossed from employment, auditors came in and found serious financial issues. The Feds realized they were overpaying reimbursement checks from govt programs. For the first 20 months of the new CSCS, those old debts had to be paid back. They did so too.
 So corrupt was management, CDC Director Pam Taylor was sentenced to prison for  fibbing on Fed forms after the Great Wash Out of 2016. Ms Taylor will be spending her first Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, in the slammer. Good!
  It is refreshing to see a taxpayer paid for social service provider operating in public. Now with their strong financial footing in place, CSCS is poised for a good year of service in 2020.
AW