REGULAR
BOARD MEETING
MINUTES
January
10, 2007
The North Carolina Board of Funeral
Service met for a duly scheduled Board Meeting at 9:00 a.m. on January 10, 2007
at the Board’s office,
Present: T. E. White, President;
Vice President, Mark Blake; Rudy Lea, William Manson, Windell Daniels, Frank
McCree, Sr., George Parrott.
Absent: Larry Andrews and Jack
Briggs.
Also Present: Paul Harris, Executive Director; Mary
Shuping, General Counsel with Allen & Pinnix, Patricia Hayes with the N. C.
Funeral Directors Association, Fred Jordan with the NC Eye Bank, Tom West with
Poyner, Spruill, Harriett Bartnick with N. C. Funeral Alliance, George Hearn
with Johnson, Hearn, Vinegar, Gee, Glass, Vickie Downing and James L. Boles,
new Crematory Authority members and Lyn Cochrane.
Mr. Lea had the invocation.
Mr. White read the Ethics Awareness
& Conflict of Interest Reminder. No
one recused themselves at this time.
Mr. White opened the meeting for
public comment and there was none.
Mr. Harris administered the
Crematory Authority Oaths of Office to Mr. Boles and Ms. Downing.
Mr. Daniels made a motion to accept
the November minutes. Mr. Parrott
seconded and the motion carried.
Exam Committee: Mr. Blake stated thirteen applicants took
laws and rules (four were retakes). There were four failures (three were first
time and one was a retake). Three
applicants took pathology with two failures (one first time and one retake). Mr. Blake then yielded the floor to Mr.
Harris for information regarding the computer-based testing. Mr. Harris stated that computer based testing
will begin in February.
Finance/Personnel
Committee: Mr. Daniels presented the December
financials. There was no personnel
report. Mr. Blake made the motion to
accept the Finance report and Mr. Daniels seconded. The motion carried.
Preneed Committee: Mr. Harris presented the report in Mr.
Andrews’ absence. Mr. Daniels made the
motion to accept the report. Mr. Lea
seconded and the motion carried.
Disciplinary: Mr. Parrott
stated there was an addendum to the previously mailed report. Questions ensued. Mr. Blake made the motion to accept the previously
mailed report with the exclusion of the addendum. Mr. Manson seconded and the motion
carried. Questions ensued regarding the
addendum. Mr. Daniels made the motion to
accept the addendum and Mr. Lea seconded.
Mr. Parrott, Mr. Daniels, Mr. Manson, Mr. Lea and Mr. McCree voted to
accept the recommendations by the Disciplinary Committee. Mr. Blake voted no. The motion carried.
Laws,
Rules and Legislation: Mr. White yielded the floor Mr. Harris who
stated the color-coded
proposed
legislation had been mailed and he had spoken to Representative Lucy Allen
regarding organ tissue recovery. She is
very interested in meeting to discuss this.
Mr. White asked Mr. Harris to meet with her on the Board’s behalf. Discussion and questions ensued. Mr. Blake made the motion to accept the Laws,
Rules and Legislation report. Mr. Manson
seconded and the motion carried.
Attorney’s
Report: Mr. Harris reported he had visited with Mr.
Dirksen yesterday and he was recovering from his recent surgery and hoped to be
back at work soon. In his absence, Mr.
Harris presented the report and introduced Ms. Shuping with Allen and
Pinnix. Ms. Shuping stated Board member
training should begin at next month’s meeting.
Executive
Director’s Report: Mr. Harris submitted the Inspectors Monthly
Status Reports for review. Since
December 13, 2006, eight reports have been filed; Affordable Cremation Society
in Knightdale has closed. Funeral
Service licenses have been issued to Travis Clements, Ulysses Miller, Brenda
Bryson, Ryan Houck; Funeral Director Licenses have been issued to: Russell Roakes and Kema Boney.
Renewals
update as of 1-8-07: 1859 active
licensees have been issued, 105 inactive licensees have been received, 400
funeral homes have renewed, 52 crematories have renewed, 343 preneed
establishments have renewed and 802 preneed sales licensees have renewed.
Mr.
Harris has the names of those at the NC Emergency State Management to develop
the State SMORT teams and is now on a contact list for the next meetings. The inspector position has been posted to the
Board’s website and email newsletter.
This position as well as the data entry position will be sent to
newspapers. Mr. Harris updated the Board
members on the Bowling Funeral Home situation.
There are no solvency issues and a new application is being prepared by
the court appointed receiver for licensing to be mailed this week. The contracts with outside counsels, Bailey
& Dixon and Allen & Pinnix are ready for renewal. Mr. Harris will attend the FARB conference in
Mr. Blake
asked if additional investigative agencies were being interviewed to aid the
Board in their investigations. Mr.
Harris responded that he did have two more agencies.
Mr. Blake
requested Mr. Harris find out if US Air could legally ask for a death
certificate before shipping a body.
At this
time the Board recesses for fifteen minutes.
New
Business: Mr. Harris presented an Order of Liquidation
for Lawson Mutual Burial Association.
The members had met and voted to dissolve the association since no other
association would accept it on December 19, 2006. Mr. Manson made the motion to accept the
Order and Mr. Parrott seconded. The
motion carried.
There was
no old business.
Informational
Items: Mr. Harris submitted the new Member and Staff
roster.
Mr. Harris stated that he had
failed to mention the Preneed Recovery Fund interest claims under the Preneed
Report but it would be deferred until the February meeting.
Mr. White opened the meeting for
public comment and there was none. Mr.
White adjourned the meeting at 10:35 a.m.
T.
E. White, Sr., President
Larry
R. Andrews, Secretary