Issue 005 The Village Vibe Second Quarter 2022

Th VillageVIBE

Village of Bald Head Island Employee Newsletter

Second Quarter 2022

VOTE ON SOCIAL SECURITY PARTICIPATION TO TAKE PLACE ON SEPTEMBER 21, 2022

At its June 17, 2022, Village Council meeting, the Council unanimously adopted a resolution expressing its intent and agreement to provide for coverage of retirement coverage groups of employees under the old age, survivors, and disability insurance provisions of Title II of the Federal Social Security Act. The resolution stated, "it is the opinion of the Village Council that extension of Social Security coverage will be of great benefit not only to current employees but also to the Village Administration, by allowing it to attract and enabling it to retain the best personnel." In order for the coverage to begin, a majority of Village employees must vote in favor of receiving the coverage. Mark your calendars for September 21, 2022, this is the day that every eligible employee will cast their vote. If a majority of employees vote in favor of participating, the effective date of participation will be January 11, 2023. If the majority vote is not in favor of participating, no FT employee will be allowed to participate.

All Village employees received an email from Human Resources on June 20th announcing the passage of the Village’s resolution and providing employees with a few documents to review. If you are reading the electronic version of this newsletter, you can find those documents by clicking on the links below. If you are reading a hard copy, you can flip to the back of the newsletter to find these.

SSI for Local Government Employees

Signed

Windfall Elimination

Signed Notification

PowerPoint

Some steps you may want to take to help decide what is best for you:

View your earnings history on the Social Security webpage (www.ssa.gov/myaccount) and use the Plan for Retirement tool to see how much you could receive each month from Social Security.

If you have 40 or more credits, use the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offsets (GPO) calculators to determine the decrease in the amount you and your survivors will receive if the Village does not opt-in to the program. (https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/calculators/)

Check your LGERS retirement estimated benefit amount (you will need this for the GPO/WEP calculators).

Check your 401k to see what your estimated benefits are from that retirement source. Check all other savings and retirement mechanisms and portfolios to see what difference opting in or out will make in the bottom line for your retirement. Discuss this with your spouse and consider your other survivors or beneficiaries. If you have a financial planner, this person should also be consulted for advice.

Stay tuned for more information from Human Resources as we get closer to the September 21st voting date.

Chief May thanked everyone for a successful Public Safety Day He said that he received several positive comments. He indicated that Corporal Paul Homick did a fantastic job putting the event together

6/17/2022 Village Council Meeting

That's the cost of smoking a pack a day, not to mention other potential future health costs ... if you smoke, there's got to be a better way to spend that money, right? Think about what an extra $2,300 this year could mean. A needed home improvement project? A new top shelf entertainment center? Or maybe just some extra savings set aside for a rainy day?

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) is now offering the Pivot program for tobacco cessation – which you are eligible for at no charge as part of your plan – to help our members reduce and ultimately quit smoking. Pivot, a personalized and clinically-proven program, can get you started on spending less on cigarettes and saving more.

Pivot includes an app that allows you to interact with a health coach and online community, free nicotine replacement therapy and the Pivot breath sensor — which measures the level of carbon monoxide in your breath. You can opt-out of the program at any time by simply deleting the app from your mobile device.

For those who prefer a telephone-based program, Blue Cross NC continues to offer QuitlineNC. Available 24x7, QuitlineNC quit coaches offer support and resources including nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products like patches, gum and lozenges at no extra cost. Call QuitlineNC today at 1-844-8NCQUIT (1-844-862-7848).

Stopping smoking can save an average of $2,300 per year!

PAY & CLASSIFICATION STUDY

In September, the MAPS Group will be starting a pay and classification study for the Village. The study typically takes 2.5 to 4 months. The Village's last study took place in 2018 (these studies are typically performed every 5 years in stable organizations).

Employees included in the study will complete a Position Description Questionnaire (PDQ). This questionnaire will help the MAPS consultant create an up-to-date position description for each position and ensure that there is a proper classification assigned. There will be on-site meetings and interviews after the PDQs are completed. The MAP consultant will usually start meeting with management and department heads to go over the process and methodology of the study, answer questions, discuss timelines, and identify a list of organizations to include in the salary survey. They will look at the prevailing rate of pay in the immediate geographic area and/or areas in similar economic conditions and compare jobs similar to those at the VBHI. They will choose at least one entry-level and one supervisory position in each occupational series. Individual salaries are also evaluated to determine if their salary needs to be adjusted based on their job classification.

After the interviews and the salary survey, the MAPS Group will write a report with their findings, prepare organization charts that reflect recommended classification titles, prepare the recommended salary chart, assign each classification a salary range based on market dates, identify which positions are exempt for FLSA purposes, perform a benefits survey, and write or update class specifications (job descriptions). This report is presented in draft form for review before finalizing the study and presenting it to elected officials.

STRESS VS. DEPRESSION: KNOW THESE FIVE RED FLAGS AND STEPS TO GET HELP

by Maggie Brown

(from BCBSNC Point of Blue Blog - June 9, 2022)

HeYouralth

How do you know when it’s “just the blues” caused by recent events, or when it’s something more serious, like depression? And how do you even begin the process of getting better?

The constant uncertainty and stress of the pandemic, the upheaval of routines, loss of self-care opportunities, and the news (climate change, the war in Ukraine, the recent mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde) is enough to spiral the heartiest of us into depression and keep us there. If you’re concerned about your mental health or that of a loved one, you’re not alone Mental health problems have been on the rise

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina medical director Dr. Ish Bhalla said there are some signs of depression to be looking for.

“Life has been hard for all of us the past two years,” he said. “But there comes a point when you have to ask yourself, is this just part of the human experience, or is this something that would benefit from medical treatment?”

He pointed to these classic symptoms of depression:

Changes in sleep (sleeping too much or too little).

Changes in appetite (eating too much or not enough).

Changes in mood; irritability.

Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed

Low energy; persistent fatigue

If you’re experiencing these symptoms, it may be time to reach out for help.

Continued on Page 6

Your  Benefits

Have you downloaded the Village of Bald Head Island Benefits app yet?

The Benefits App is now available at your fingertips to assist with:

Accessing all benefits information & contacts

ID card information

Help finding care & providers

Prescription cost savings

And much, much more!

HOW TO REGISTER:

Enter your email.

Enter Access Code: vbhi

Confirm your names and create a password

Allow notifications to receive important benefit updates.

Life gets complicated. That's why the Benefits App is focused on making it easier to help you get the most out of your plan. Download the Benefits App today to access all of your benefit information from any device - PC, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

Employee Anniversaries

Welcome Aboard!

Step 1: Talk to someone you trust

“The first step, once you persistently recognize one or more of these symptoms in yourself, is to talk to someone you trust,” Dr Bhalla said

That could be your primary care provider, a counselor through your house of worship, a therapist, or even a close friend or family member with a medical background, Dr Bhalla said

Step 2: Contact a medical professional

After you’ve talked to someone you trust, the next step is to get help from a medical professional who can make sure you are otherwise healthy, and who can prescribe medication if that is deemed appropriate Some conditions, such as low Vitamin D levels, anemia, or hypothyroidism can mimic depression – it’s important to get these or other conditions ruled out.

It’s often easiest and most comfortable to reach out to your primary care doctor at first, but they may recommend that you see a psychiatrist, which is a physician that specializes in mental health

Step 3: Consider your treatment options

Your doctor will go over options with you such as starting an antidepressant, starting therapy, or a combination of the two.

If you’re looking for a therapist, this blog post can give you some tips to get started

If you are concerned about seeing someone in-person during the pandemic, many mental health providers are still offering virtual therapy.

Step 4: Take control of your own recovery

Until you take those first three steps, you may not even feel like making progress on your own You know how it is when you need to lose weight, and you see those first few pounds come off, then you really get into it? It’s sort of like that Once you start feeling a little better, you’ll be very eager to feel “normal” again

It could be doing things like exercising, getting outside in the sunshine, reaching out to an old friend (even when you don’t feel like being social), asking for help where you need it (the house, the kids, etc ) so that you have more space to take care of yourself There’s no one-size-fits-all for recovery

If you find the news is too heavy or triggering for you right now, take a break You can stay informed without having to read all of the upsetting details.

Step 5: Don’t stop just because you “feel better”

You might start to feel better and think – I don’t need this medication; it’s a pain to remember to take I don’t need therapy; it’s expensive and time-consuming I don’t need my house cleaned; it’s annoying to pick up this mess for the housecleaner. And so on and so forth. This strategy may work for a while, but something inevitably will happen that knocks down this house of cards

When you feel better – fantastic! Keep up the good work and don’t stop! Life will throw you curveballs, but if you are putting in the work of taking care of yourself, you’ll better be able to handle it

The good news is that depression is treatable The heartbreaking news is that untreated depression can be deadly If you’re unsure if you’re just “feeling down” or if it’s clinical depression, reach out to someone you trust today.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Health Management Systems of America (HMSA) is the Village's EAP provider. The EAP is a confidential, voluntary service that provides professional counseling and referral services designed to help you and your family members with personal, job, or family-related problems

Services are confidential and free! Call 1-800-847-7240

Dedicated toll-free crisis line, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year

ONLINE WORK-LIFE EAP RESOURCES are available too!

Go to www my-life-resource com Username: hmsa Password: myresource

Baby Picture Contest!

Can you name the Village employee in the picture below?  Email or text the correct answer to: cfaulkner@villagebhi.org or (910) 368-6338.  If you have the correct answer, you will be chosen in a drawing of all of the correct answers received by July 15, 2022. If you have a baby picture to submit for a future contest, please send them to Carin at the email and text number above.

Where did you grow up?

Southport, NC

What do you like to do for fun?

I love deep sea fishing or anything having to do with the ocean and spending time with my children and grandkids.

What is your favorite food?

Sushi AND chocolate ice cream.

Anything else?

I owned a horse (in my 20s) and grew up riding any chance I had.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Lieutenant Scott Anderson recently received his drone pilot certificate. Having a pilot on staff will increase the Village’s capabilities by allowing us to use drones to perform aerial surveys, assist with water rescues, and help with disaster response and recovery efforts

Congrats Scott!

Lieutenant Steven Barger successfully completed the process that awarded him the professional designation of “Fire Officer” (FO) He is one of only 636 FOs worldwide!

Congratulations Steve! For more information view our media release HERE.

And the winner is... IAN CARICO

Ian won the baby picture contest from the last issue.

Nate Lindsay was the baby from the last baby picture contest.

Nate was born in Arizona, but grew up in Southport. He likes to be outdoors. Some of the activites he enjoys are camping, boating, skate boarding, surfing and fishing. His favorite food is fresh shrimp cooked at home. As a young boy he spent more time on the water than on land

VILLAGE HOLIDAYS

Independence Day

Labor Day

Veteran's Day

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Monday, July 4, 2022

Monday, September 5, 2022

Friday, November 11, 2022

Thursday & Friday, November 24 & 25, 2022

Fri, Mon, Tue, December 23, 26 & 27, 2022

When the FY23 budget was adopted, TWO holidays were added! Juneteenth (Monday June 19, 2023) and a floating holiday (you can pick an unobserved holiday, your birthday, or any other day off - with supervisor's approval - please mark "FH" on your timesheet for tracking)

Saving for Your Future

Benefits of Social Security

Resolution

On June 17, 2022, Village Council legally passed Resolution #2022-0604

Resolution of the Village of Bald Head Island expressing its intent and agreement for coverage of Retirement coverage groups of employees under the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance Provisions of Title II of the Federal Social Security Act.

Village Council desires to have all eligible Village employees and their dependents and survivors, the security, protection and benefits provided by said laws and the regulations established under the Social Security Act. All eligible employees will be asked to vote on Wednesday, September 21.

Following Federal requirements, the Village needs to have a majority vote from eligible employees in favor of participating in Social Security before it can be implemented on January 11, 2023. A majority vote is defined as receiving more then 50% of all eligible employees to vote in favor. If the Village does not receive a majority vote, then no FT employee will be allowed to participate.

Planning for Your Retirement

Anytime is the Right Time to Start Saving!

Saving for your future doesn’t have to be complicated or stressful. The important thing is that you recognize that saving is important, start saving and continue saving.

Social Security will be there for you when you are ready to retire. Visit www.ssa.gov/myaccount and create a personal my Social Security account to:

 View your earnings history. Future benefits are based on your earnings record

 Use the PlanforRetirementtool to see how much you could receive each month from Social Security

Why is Social Security Important to You

• More then a retirement system

• Helps support your family when you die

• Can provide monthly benefits when you retire or if you become severely disabled

• Benefit amounts are based on earnings

Two Parts to the Social Security Law

If you receive a retirement or disability public pension, (LGERS), and are not covered by Social Security

Part 1 ~ Windfall Elimination Provision, affects the way Social Security calculates retirement or disability benefits ( see Windfall Elimination attachment for more information)

Part 2 ~ Government Pension Offset, affects the Social Security benefit amount you get as a spouse, widow or widower

For more information on how you would be impacted by the Windfall Elimination Provision, visit www.ssa.gov or call 1-800- 772- 1213.

Know the facts before you Vote on Social Security

• Provides a retirement benefit upon eligible age

• Provides a disability benefit for qualifying conditions

• Provides a survivor/spousal benefit in the event of your death

• Provides an additional small death benefit to your survivor

• Employees will pay into the Social Security system through payroll deduction. Employees and the Village will both contribute 6.2% of after-tax income in each pay period

• To qualify for Social Security retirement benefits, employees must have earned 40 “credits” which is normally 10 years of substantial earnings. Once the Village starts participating in Social Security as a full-time employee, you will receive credits for every 3 months of employment. These credits are applied to the 40 credits needed to qualify for retirement or disability benefits. If you worked with a previous employer where you contributed to Social Security, you will have already earned credits.

• To look at your Social Security Account please visit: shttp://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/

You may also go to the Benefit Calculator, Social Security Quick Calculator to get a benefit estimate based on your date of birth and earnings. These are rough estimates only!

Steps in the Process

1. Adopt a Resolution

2. Copy of Adopted Resolution sent to NC Treasurer

3. Written notice to employees ~ provided week of June 20, 2022

4. Notify NC Treasurer in writing notice of referendum ~ provided week of June 20, 2022

5. Ballots, voting instructions, and referendum report form will be sent to the Village 2 weeks prior to the referendum. Voting date: September 21, 2022

6. Results of the referendum will be immediately reported to the NC Treasurer’s office after it is held. More than 50% of the eligible voters must be in favor of coverage in order for the Agreement to be executed