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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 19980528APPROVED 1114198 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BUDGET PRESENTATION AND PUBLIC HEARING THURSDAY, MAY 28, 1998 7:30 P.M. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Thursday, May 28, 1998 at 7:30 p.m. in the Judge F. Gordon Battle Courtroom, Hillsborough, North Carolina. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Margaret W. Brown, and Commissioners Moses Carey, Jr., William L. Crowther, Alice M. Gordon and Stephen H. Halkiotis. COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr., Assistant County Managers Rod Visser and Albert Kittrell and Clerk to the Board Beverly A. Blythe (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) NOTE: ALL DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THESE MINUTES ARE IN THE PERMANENT AGENDA FILE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE. ALL RECORDINGS OF THE MEETING WILL BE KEPT FOR 5 YEARS. BUDGET PRESENTATION: County Manager John Link summarized his recommended 1998-99 proposed budget. PUBLIC HEARING Mike Allison, Counselor at Orange County High School, spoke in support of an additional nurse at Orange High. He expounded on the need for this position to handle a variety of health related issues and situations that they face each day. They have one nurse for 1500 students. They did a survey and 53% of the students indicated that they could not see the nurse when they needed to. They indicated that the nurse was very helpful. He hopes that funding will be available to meet this need and provide additional nursing coverage at Orange High School. Margaret Anne Dow asked for support of the budget as presented by the Orange County School Board. She is a school nurse. Her primary role is to advocate for all children. Their goal is to have a school nurse in each school. She feels that the current disciplinary methods are not working and that we must not let disruptive children disrupt the learning. They also need an assistant principal in the middle schools. She asked that the County Commissioners look at the entire budget and to cut the tax rate but not to shortchange their children. A copy of her letter is in the permanent agenda file in the Clerk's Office. Fred Black, Chair of the Chapel Hill Library Board of Trustees, said that last year the Chapel Hill Public Library continued to lead the state in the number of books loaned to residents (19 books per resident) with 46% loaned to Orange County residents who do not live in Chapel Hill. He outlined the reasons Chapel Hill is requesting additional funding. His recommendation is that Orange County provide additional support to library services countywide; the percent of County library service money distributed to Chapel Hill should increase and that the County commit to a long term incremental plan to increase library funding to Orange County libraries in general and to the Chapel Hill Public Library specifically. This increase will allow them to pay for the cost of technology. A copy of his letter is in the permanent agenda file in the Clerk's Office. Paul Farel, Vice Chair of the Chapel Hill Library Board of Trustees, emphasized the importance of the relationship between education and the library. He said that, of the four neighboring counties, Orange County spends less than Wake, Durham and Chatham on library services. He asked that the County Commissioners provide increased support to the library and especially to the Chapel Hill Library. Betty Caldwell, member of the Friends of the Chapel Hill Public Library, thanked the County Commissioners for their past support and their current support. She feels that a long term plan to narrow the gap between the County and Town support is needed. Eleanor Engel, resident of Orange County living in Chapel Hill and a retired librarian, said that she appreciates the County's past and current support. She emphasized that there has been increased demands on libraries and it is a real challenge to keep up with the technology demands. They need additional funds to support increased services. Suzanne Tilley, mother of two children at Hillsborough Elementary, said that she is in favor of the Orange County School budget and in particular she is in support of a half-time principal and a half-time clerical position at Hillsborough Elementary. She also supports a full- time nurse in every school. Tom Metzguer spoke as a citizen of Orange County for over 23 years and an educator for 18 years. He asked that the County Commissioners consider the School Board's request. He said that the schools need additional teachers, associate principals and nurses. He feels that our kids should be our clear priority. Carole Scotto, teacher at Carrboro Elementary School, said that she supports the Chapel Hill/Carrboro City Schools request. She noted that they have a lot of children in their English as a Second Language (ESL) program because they have an increasing number of students who do not know English. Sheila Benninger, parent and co-chair of the Seawell Student Governance Committee, spoke in support of the Chapel Hill/Carrboro City Schools budget. She said that the school system will have additional students next year and will need new buildings. Also, the school is faced with mandates from the State which include efficiency standards where the school system must find and fund strategies to reach these standards. They plan to expand their summer school program and teacher contracts to help students reach these standards. The school system would like to expand their AVID program and include additional children in this program. She would like to see the alternative school expanded. Also, they would like to reduce the class size for the ninth grade classes. The addition of one ESL teacher is in the budget. There are also monies in their budget for additional administrative and clerical staff. Chapel Hill/Carrboro City Schools is asking for a full-time nurse at the high school and one half- time nursing position at all other schools. She feels the budget as presented will meet their needs for the present time. Teresa Smith spoke on behalf of Daycare Services Association. She said that childcare in Orange County can cost about $7,000 a year. They served 608 children in 1997. Over 250 children are waiting for scholarship assistance from DCSA or DSS. She distributed information on the reasons families need child care. This also listed the implications for the community when a family does not have the ability to afford child care. She requested additional child care subsidies. John Rives, parent of a kindergartner at Hillsborough Elementary, said that he supports the budget for Hillsborough Elementary. Jackie Wolfe, parent volunteer in the schools, assured the County Commissioners that the budget as presented is not lean. They need what they requested. The needs are legitimate. She asked that the County Commissioners support the full budget as presented. Susan Debartolo, co-president of the Orange County Association of Educators, said that the Orange County budget is bearbones and that they need everything they have asked for. She asked that the County Commissioners pass the budget. Gary Horne, parent volunteer and assistant coach at Stanford Middle School and a substitute teacher, asked that the County Commissioners approve the budget as presented. He emphasized that they do need assistant principals in the schools. David Hunt, parent of three children and a member of the School Governance Committee at Stanback, said that he feels our children need to be prepared to compete in a global economy. The society is changing and the schools are the recipient of this impact. Linda Morton, parent, volunteer and PTA member, said that she supports the budget as submitted by Superintendent Bridges. She would like more to be done with what they have. Sandy Williamson, co-chair of the Governance Committee at East Chapel Hill High School, asked for the County Commissioners' continued support of their school budget. she said that these are not wish lists -- that their needs are not all being met. These are serious requests. Mitch Cox, parent of two children in the Orange County schools and an employee at Orange High School, said that he supports the Orange County school budget. Specifically, he must share his classroom because of their school being overcrowded. At the High School they are asking for a reading teacher. They have students who arrive at the high school who cannot pass the competency test for reading. Also, they have asked for an increase in teacher supplements and he asked for the County Commissioners continued support. Rebecca Thomas, mother of two sons at Hillsborough Elementary School, said that she is impressed by the accomplishments of the principal and the part-time assistant principal at Hillsborough Elementary. She emphasized that they need a full-time assistant principal. She feels that there needs to be a nurse in every school and she supports this budget. Susan Childs, mother of two children and a member of the PTO, said that they need a full-time nurse at Cameron Park. She feels that investing in our County's future is investing in our children and she supports the Orange County request 100%. Keith Cook, outgoing Orange County school board member, said that he supports the entire budget - not just 95%. This budget does not address expansion programs. Regarding preschool, they need to do something in that area. They also need an alternative school which is not an expansion item but something they desperately need. They also need associate principals on a full-time basis. They need everything they have asked for. He asked the County Commissioners to support their entire budget. Carol Mulka spoke about affordable childcare. She has three children who have some disabilities. She asked for help so she can continue to work. She works and provides for her children but she needs help with childcare. She pays $160.00 a week for childcare. She feels the school system needs help with the learning disabled. She is a single parent and has a desire to better her life. She emphasized that people who come off of welfare need assistance and she needs it now. She feels that childcare is the primary factor that will keep people working and needs to be addressed. Patricia Muhammon spoke as a parent of children in public school and in daycare. She said that she supports public schools and also supports daycare. She said that as an employee of daycare, they are in need of subsidies for their clients and that without this continued support, they will not be able to maintain daycare teachers and assistants. She receives a subsidy and could not afford to work as a daycare provider without it. She works and takes care of her children and takes classes at Durham Tech. She asked for the Boards continued support. Lisa Combs said that she is employed as an exceptional children's teacher at Cameron Park. She mentioned a new law that every school system will have to follow starting July 1 which will demand a lot of additional work from the exceptional children teachers. Pam Carter spoke as a reading research teacher for grades 3, 4 and 5 at Hillsborough Elementary. She supports funding for exceptional children programs because they have large caseloads and not enough teachers. She feels they need enough teachers to provide an appropriate education for these teachers. Michele Rivest, Executive Director of the Orange County Partnership for Young Children, said that she supports the education budget. Also, because learning starts at birth she supports additional support for daycare subsidies. She said that there are 250 children on a waiting list. Daycare costs are expensive in Orange County. They have an increased demand on parents to go to work which places an additional demand on daycare. Smart Start has expanded to all 100 counties. Orange County will get fewer reallocated dollars for daycare subsidies. They also have expanded eligibility for North Carolina. They want to assist children to get a head start. She thanked the County Commissioners for their support for children and asked for additional dollars for childcare subsidies. FOR THE RECORD A petition was signed by 20 parents from New Hope Elementary School for support of superintendent Randy Bridges' school budget. Letters were received from Elizabeth C. Meehan-Black, Lucinda Thompson, Wanda J. McKensie, Theresa Cox, Mary C. Johnson and Sue G. Anderson for support of the Orange County School budget proposal and in particular support for the budget proposals for special education. A letter was received from Shirley K. Osterhout supporting the health care positions in the Orange County school budget. WITH NO FURTHER COMMENTS, THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS CLOSED. ADJOURNMENT Chair Brown adjourned the meeting. will be held on will be held on Monday, June Chambers for an Assembly of Governments The next regular meeting on the meeting calendar 1, 1998 at 7:30 p.m. in the Chapel Hill Town meeting. Margaret W. Brown, Chair Beverly A. Blythe, Clerk