HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 09-01-20; 8-a - Minutes 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: September 1, 2020
Action Agenda
Item No. 8-a
SUBJECT: Minutes
DEPARTMENT: Board of County Commissioners
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Draft Minutes (Under Separate Cover) David Hunt, Deputy Clerk to the
Board, 919-245-2130
PURPOSE: To correct and/or approve the draft minutes as submitted by the Clerk to the Board
as listed below.
BACKGROUND: In accordance with 153A-42 of the General Statutes, the Governing Board
has the legal duty to approve all minutes that are entered into the official journal of the Board's
proceedings.
May 28, 2020 BOCC Virtual Budget Work Session
June 2, 2020 BOCC Virtual Business Meeting
June 4, 2020 BOCC Virtual Work Session
June 9, 2020 BOCC Virtual Budget Work Session
June 16, 2020 BOCC Virtual Business Meeting
July 7, 2020 BOCC Listening Session on Policing and Racial Justice
July 14, 2020 BOCC Virtual Special Meeting
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with this item.
SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: There is no Orange County Social Justice Goal impact associated
with this item.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: There is no Orange County Environmental Responsibility Goal
impact associated with this item.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board approve minutes as
presented or as amended.
1
1
2
3 Attachment 1
4
5 DRAFT MINUTES
6 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
7 VIRTUAL BUDGET WORK SESSION
8 May 28, 2020
9 7:00 p.m.
10
11 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Virtual Budget Work Session on
12 Thursday, May 28, 2020 at 7:00 p.m.
13
14 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Rich and Commissioners Jamezetta
15 Bedford, Mark Dorosin, Sally Greene, Earl McKee, Mark Marcoplos, and Renee Price
16 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT:
17 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT:
18 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager
19 Travis Myren and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (All other staff members will be identified
20 appropriately below)
21
22 Chair Rich called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
23
24 Due to current public health concerns, the Board of Commissioners conducted a Virtual
25 Budget Work Session on May 28, 2020 utilizing Zoom. Members of the Board of
26 Commissioners participated in the meeting remotely. As in prior meetings, members of the
27 public were able to view and listen to the meeting via live streaming video at
28 orangecountync.gov/967/Meeting-Videos and on Orange County Gov-TV on channels 1301
29 or 97.6 (Spectrum Cable).
30
31 1. Discussion with County Departments within the following Functional
32 Leadership Teams (including Operations, Capital, and Fee Schedule Changes):
33
34 Travis Myren presented the item below:
35
36 Human Services
37 • Aging, Pg. 45
38 • Cardinal Innovations, Pg. 96
39 • Child Support Services, Pg. 98
40 • Health Department, Pg. 223
41 • Housing and Community Development, Pg. 234
42 • Human Rights and Relations, Pg. 253
43 • Library Services, Pg. 260
44 • Social Services, Pg. 335
45 • Non-Departmental, Pg. 275
46
47 (8:30 — 10:00)
48
49 Community Services
2
1 . Animal Services, Pg. 56
2 . Cooperative Extension, Pg. 104
3 • Department of Environment, Agriculture, and Parks & Recreation, Pg. 128
4 • Economic Development, Pg. 143, including Article 46 Sales Tax Fund, Pg. 64
5 • Orange County Transportation Services, Pg. 295
6 • Planning and Inspections, Pg. 310
7 • Solid Waste, Pg. 350
8 • Sportsplex, Pg. 358
9 • Non-Departmental, Pg. 267
10
11 Travis Myren made the following PowerPoint presentation:
12
13 Budget Work Session #3
14 Human Services
15 Community Services
16 May 28, 2020
17 Virtual Meeting
18
19 Aging — page 45
20 Janice Tyler, Department on Aging Director, in attendance
21 • Total Expenditure Budget - $2,516,333
22 o Maintain FY2019-20 Budgeted Resources
23 • Carol Woods Donation ($175,000) Moved to Multi-Year Fund
24 o Unspent Funds Carry Forward
25 • No Service Reductions
26
27 Aging — page 48- Senior Center Attendance-graph
28
29 Aging — page 48-Average Number of Visits Per Individual per Year- graph
30
31 Commissioner Price referred to the slide with attendance, and asked if these
32 numbers include people that come by to pick up meals.
33 Janice Tyler said yes, as well as those who attend virtual activities.
34 Commissioner Dorosin asked if the department is getting more inquiries about Covid-
35 19, since Orange County has a lot of cases with seniors.
36 Janice Tyler said the aging help line stays busy answering all sorts of questions.
37 Commissioner Dorosin asked if other measures are being taking to get information
38 out to seniors about ways to stay safe during this pandemic.
39 Janice Tyler said the department has about 4000 people on its list serve, which gives
40 updates on all sorts of information. She said they also give out information packets through
41 law enforcement and bus riders, as well as meal pick-ups. She said her department is also
42 doing PSAs, etc.
43 Commissioner Price asked if there is an update on the day program facilities, such as
44 Charles House.
45 Janice Tyler said those residents are home with their families, since facilities are
46 closed.
47 Commissioner Price asked if these residents are still getting services.
48 Janice Tyler said staff is checking on these residents, but many residents did not
49 want people to enter their homes, especially if they have care through a family member.
3
1 Commissioner Dorosin asked if the Carol Woods donation has been the same over
2 the last few years.
3 Janice Tyler said it has been the same amount for the last 10 years, and it is a
4 charitable gift.
5 Commissioner Dorosin said this is a generous donation, and the department may
6 want to consider asking for an even more generous donation in the future.
7
8 Commissioner Greene arrived at 7:08 p.m.
9
10 Travis Myren resumed the PowerPoint presentation:
11
12 Cardinal Innovations — page 96
13
CaFrdinali of Effort ' i i .
Contracted
Provider Service Description Amount % of Total
Arc of Orange Volunteer coordination for individuals with
County disabilities $ 33,320 2.5%
Art Therapy
Institute Art Therapy focused on serving refugees $ 27,600 2.0%
Carolina Outreach School based mental health $ 5,000 0.4%
Chapel Hill
Training
Outreach/Kidsco e Child care consultation program $ 15,000 1.1%
Club Nova
Community Club house services $ 163,000 12.0%
Freedom House Crisis,psychiatry support, substance use disorder $ 230,499 21.8%
Haven House Emergency shelter for youth $ 19,000 1.4%
New Destinations Housing - on site program manager $ 35,100 2.6%
RHA Day
Treatment School based mental health $ 5,000 0.4%
UNC Dept. of
Psychiatry Mental health crisis services for uninsured $ 320,874 23.7%
TOTAL $ 945,187 69.7%
14
15
16 Cardinal Innovations — page 96-Cardinal Innovations — Maintenance of Effort
17 Recommendations - chart
18
19 Commissioner Price referred to Freedom House, and asked if there is an update on
20 what is going on there, as she has heard concerns.
21 Travis Myren said a new company is operating the House, and the crisis services
22 have not changed. He said if Commissioner Price has some examples of complaints he can
23 follow up.
4
1 Commissioner Price said she did not have any specifics.
2 Travis Myren said there have been some organizational changes over the last few
3 years, but he has not been apprised of any deficiencies as a consumer. He resumed the
4 PowerPoint presentation:
5
6 Child Support Services — page 98
7 Erica Bryant, Child Support Services Director, in attendance
8 • Total Expenditure Budget - $1,120,396
9 o Net General Fund Contributor— ($482,673)
10 o Net Cost Increase of$89,368 due to Revenue Reduction Noted
11 Below
12 . Revenue Reduction from FY2019-20 — ($97,368) or 5%
13 o State Estimate from February 2020
14 o Partially Offset by Expenditure Reductions
15 • Anticipated Decline in New Orders and Collections
16 o Unemployment
17 o Court Closure
18 o Collections Dropped 20% between March and April
19
20 Child Support Services — page 98-chart
21
22 Commissioner Dorosin asked if Orange County collections are comparable to
23 statewide collection rates.
24 Erica Bryant said Orange County is in the top tier of collections in the state.
25 Commissioner Dorosin asked Erica Bryant how the pandemic has affected their
26 constituencies, and how will it do so, moving forward.
27 Erica Bryant said her department is serving as a referral agency as of now. She said
28 her department is also assisting people in adjusting support payments in this new economy,
29 and managing consent orders. She said caseloads have increased during the pandemic,
30 and there are many who are brand new to the system.
31 Commissioner Price said the budget book indicates expected decreases, but Erica
32 Bryant is saying there are more cases due to the pandemic. She asked if this could be
33 clarified.
34 Erica Bryant said the decrease is primarily due to reduced court time.
35 Travis Myren resumed the PowerPoint presentation:
36
37 Health Department— page 223
38 Quintana Stewart, Health Department Director, in attendance
39 • Total Expenditure Budget - $10,461,605
40 o ($144,439) Decrease in County Costs
41 o Revenue Decreases Noted Below Offset by Expense
42 Reductions
43 • Dental Revenue Decrease - ($45,481)
44 o Reduction in Collections due to COVID-19
45
46 Health Department— page 223-Dental Care Patient Visits - graph
47
48 Health Department— page 223
49 0 Health Promotion and Education Services Division
5
1 o No General Fund Supported Increase to Family Success
2 Alliance
3 o Healthy Homes
4 ■ Childhood Asthma Program
5 ■ 95% of Children Did Not Visit the Emergency Room Six
6 Months after Initial Home Visit
7 o Tobacco Cessation
8 ■ Distributed 440 Boxes of Nicotine Replacement
9 Therapy to Freshstart Participants
10 ■ 35% of Participants Attended 3 out of 4 Classes Had
11 Quit Attempt at 3 Months
12 . Environmental Health Division
13 o Revenue Decrease— ($8,315)
14 o Anticipated Loss in Restaurant Inspections, Well & Septic
15 Permits
16 • Environmental Health Division
17 o New Performance Measure for % of Onsite Water Protection
18 Service Applications Response in 14 Days or Less
19 FY2020-21 — 70%
20
21 Policy Change in FY2018-19- Review Time for New Restaurant Plans — chart
22
23 Personal Health Services Division
24 . Revenue Decrease— ($18,272)
25 • New Performance Measures
26 o Medical Connection for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals with
27 Chronic Health Conditions
28 ■ % Attending Regular Medical Appointments
29 ■ 85% Projected for FY2020-21
30 o Postnatal Care
31 % of Home Visits Made Within Two Weeks of Delivery
32 90% Projected for FY2020-21
33 o Medical Services for Uninsured, Underinsured, and Medicaid
34 Eligible Clients
35 Number of Child Health Visits 1800 Projected in
36 FY2020-21
37
38 Commissioner Bedford said she previously asked about increased fees for the health
39 department, as well as the ultrasound fees. She said the fees were zero last year because
40 the health department did not have an ultrasound machine. She said fees are set on a
41 sliding scale.
42 Commissioner Dorosin referred to the fees on the sheet given to the Commissioners,
43 and said it described several things identically, but with different charges. He asked if there
44 is a reason for these varying prices, for seemingly the same services.
45 Quintana Stewart said sometimes the fees vary between a new, versus an
46 established, patient; and some may be based on age group. She said she does not have
47 that information in front of her.
48 Commissioner Dorosin mentioned a few specific charges.
49 Quintana Stewart said she is not sure, and would have to ask her technicians about
50 ultrasounds. She said the fees for vaccines are based on costs.
6
1 Commissioner Dorosin said there are some fees listed as zero, and the next column
2 says, "delete". He asked if this is due to these services no longer being offered.
3 Quintana Stewart said this means her department got rid of a particular code. She
4 said her department still offers the service, but under another heading/appointment type.
5 She said her department gets its direction from the state.
6 Commissioner Price asked if there is an update regarding Family Success Alliance
7 (FSA).
8 Quintana Stewart said outreach and case management were shifted from high touch
9 to make it more fluid and flexible. She said not all families needed high touch management.
10 She said this freed up some time for the Navigators, which allowed them to reach out to
11 more families. She said one Navigator does a program called Family Connections, which is
12 for those families that are no longer in need of high touch management.
13 Quintana Stewart said she is also working with a newer program called the North
14 Carolina Integrated Care for Kids, which shares many of the same objectives and goals as
15 the FSA. She said effort is made to maximize both programs, and avoid duplicate services.
16 Commissioner Price asked if there is an update on Gateway.
17 Quintana Stewart said there are still navigators over there.
18 Commissioner Greene referred to page 230, connecting with formerly incarcerated
19 individuals with a disease, and asked if these numbers overlap with the re-entry council.
20 Quintana Stewart said these entities work closely together.
21 Commissioner Greene referred to providing medical services to the uninsured and
22 underinsured, and asked if there is a reason these numbers only start in 2019. She also
23 asked if the County covers the differences in expenses, when a patient is uninsured or
24 underinsured.
25 Quintana Stewart said if one is uninsured then one falls on the sliding scale, and if
26 one cannot pay at all then the County covers the cost.
27 Commissioner Greene asked if there is a reason that the number of child health visits
28 start in 2019.
29 Travis Myren said these services have been provided, but have only recently been
30 tracked. He resumed the PowerPoint presentation:
31
32 Housinq and Community Development— page 234
33 Emila Sutton, Housing Director, in attendance
34 • Total expenditure budget - $6,293,087
35 o Net Cost Increase of$32,231 due to New HCV Contract
36 • Local Voucher Program Maintained at $100,000
37 o New Program Guidelines Pending
38 • Housing Choice Voucher Contract - $100,000
39 o Draw Down More HUD Administration $ and More Vouchers
40 o Substantially Offset by Housing Specialist Vacancies
41
42 Housinq and Community Development— page 234-Housinq Choice Voucher Rent
43 Subsidies
44
45 Housinq and Community Development— page 234-
46
47 Community Development Division
48 Risk Mitigation and Housing Displacement Fund — Maintain $75,000
49 o Risk Mitigation for Landlords $33,750
50 o Displacement Mitigation $15,000
7
1 o Housing Stabilization $26,250
2 o FY2019-20 Budget Amendment Added $100,000 from Local
3 Rent Supplement
4
5 Community Development Division
6 • Maintain Urgent Repair Program
7 o Repairs to health, life, safety, accessibility, <50% AMI
8 o Goal of Repairing 20 Homes in FY2020-21
9 • Maintain Single Family Rehabilitation Program
10 o Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Low and Moderate Income
11 Families <80% AMI
12 o Goal of Rehabilitating 5 Homes in FY2020-21
13
14 Housing and Community Development— page 234
15
16 Housing and Community Development— page 234
17
18 Partnership to End Homelessness
19 • Total Expenditure Budget - $363,319
20 • County Share - $91,603 (Same as FY2019-20)
21 Transferred from County Manager's Office to Housing & Community
22 Development
23 Two (2.0 FTE) HUD Supported Positions for Coordinated Entry
24 One (1.0) Housing Access Coordinator Funded Through Partnership
25 Conversion of Temporary Employee Funding to Create 0.625 FTE
26 Administrative Support
27
28 Commissioner Dorosin referred to the local voucher program, and said he thought the
29 Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) had voted to move the money out of this program.
30 Travis Myren said that was 2019-20 money.
31 Commissioner Dorosin said he thought the BOCC was going to re-visit the
32 requirements for this program.
33 Travis Myren said that is correct, and Emila Sutton and her team are revising the
34 requirements.
35 Commissioner Dorosin asked if this will come back to the BOCC in early fall.
36 Emila Sutton said yes, she will be bringing revised requirements back in the fall.
37 Commissioner Dorosin referred to the homelessness issues, and said the BOCC had
38 a presentation from Corey Root, Partnership to End Homelessness (PTEH) Coordinator, who
39 said rapid housing was a priority. He said the BOCC had talked about putting more money
40 toward these efforts, and he is open to trying to find monies for these low hanging fruits. He
41 asked if there are highest priority items, in the mission to eliminate homelessness, or is the
42 number they need too high.
43 Emila Sutton said right now, some of those gaps are going to be filled from funds
44 from the Cares Act, and staff will need to reassess their priorities once this funding comes
45 down. She said staff is waiting for some grant funding, and is working with the Criminal
46 Justice Resource Department on filling some gaps.
47 Commissioner Dorosin suggested she do this, and come back to the Board. He said
48 the BOCC was in favor of allocating more funds into these programs, as well as some of the
49 other partners with the PTEH. He said the gaps seemed attainable to fill, and would have
50 significant impact. He said he would hate to lose momentum.
8
1 Emila Sutton said staff will be sure to keep the BOCC up to date, and not lose
2 momentum. She said there is a high volume of people coming through coordinated entry,
3 and all hands are on deck to deal with this new surge of need.
4 Bonnie Hammersley said Corey Root's presentation promoted a phased in approach,
5 which has begun with some new HUD funded positions this year, as well as some funds for
6 rapid rehousing. She said these additions are significant, and are in line with phase one of
7 the plan.
8 Commissioner Marcoplos referred to the urgent repair and rehab program, and asked
9 if there is an average cost in these programs
10 Emila Sutton said urgent repair is $8500410,000, and single-family rehab is $30,000
11 and up, and depends greatly on the project.
12 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if staff ever screens for age, members in the
13 household, etc.
14 Emila Sutton said yes, urgent repair funding factor in these variables.
15 Commissioner Greene referred to homelessness, and underscored the street
16 outreach program for which some of the CARES act funds will be used. She said this has
17 been a huge priority, and it is great to see it getting underway. She agreed with Bonnie
18 Hammersley that strides are being made in the area of homelessness.
19 Commissioner Price referred to the new position in homelessness, and asked if the
20 costs be split with the towns.
21 Travis Myren said there are 3 positions, 2 of which are funded through HUD, with no
22 additional funds from towns; and the housing access coordinator is funded by all the entities.
23 Commissioner Price referred to page 240 - performance measures for 20-21 housing
24 rehab — and said there are currently 24 units, but there are zero listed for this coming year.
25 Emila Sutton said she would get this information to the BOCC.
26 Commissioner Price asked if the current need for veterans in Orange County could
27 be identified.
28 Emila Sutton said she will ask Corey Root this question.
29 Travis Myren said the metric Commissioner Price was looking at was in the HOME
30 program, and not the single-family rehab program, and those projects are awarded through
31 the HOME consortium program. He resumed the PowerPoint presentation:
32
33 Human Rights and Relations — page 253
34 Annette Moore, Human Rights and Relations Director, in attendance
35 • Total Expenditure Budget - $444,427
36 o Increase of$89,218
37 • Education Program Manager Transferred from Health Department -
38 $89,213
39 o Focus on Support to Refugee Communities
40
41 Library Services — page 260
42 Lucinda Munger, Library Services Director, in attendance
43 • Total expenditure budget - $2,483,318
44 o Net Reduction of ($14,095)
45 • Child Literacy Outreach Librarian
46 o Increase County Match - $16,000
47 o Offset by Expenditure Reductions
48 o Loss of Orange County Partnership for Young Children Grant
49 (0.35 FTE)
50
9
1 Library Services — page 260-Visits to Main Library- graph
2
3 Human Services-Visits to Carrboro Library Resources- graph
4
5 Orange County Southern Branch Library - $400,000
6 CIP Page 40
7 o Carrboro Partnership and Development Agreement
8 o 203 South Greensboro Street
9 o Next Decision Point - Guaranteed Maximum Price in May 2021
10 o If Project Proceeds - Construction Complete in June/July 2022
11 FY2020-21 Additional Design Services
12 o Reprogram Space Designated for the Arts Center
13 o Design Space for Skills Development
14 Total Project Construction Budget + Contingencies —
15 o $15.6 million Programmed in FY2021-22
16
17 Commissioner Price said the library gave out hotspots to employees, and asked if
18 these have been replenished at the library.
19 Lucinda Munger said the employee need was not as great as expected, but since the
20 Library is not taking back returns at this point, those that originally had the hotspots, prior to
21 pandemic, still have them.
22 Commissioner Price said Covid-19 was an unexpected emergency, and given that
23 staff needed library hotspots, does it make sense to have more of them for County
24 departments to use, and thus not need to take from the library's supply.
25 Lucinda Munger said there are about 650 hotspots, and the hotspot does not cost
26 anything, but rather the subscription is the cost to the County. She said the subscription can
27 be about $460-$500/hotspot.
28 Travis Myren said staff can look into this topic tomorrow. He resumed the
29 PowerPoint presentation:
30
31 Social Services — page 335
32 Nancy Coston, Department Social Services (DSS) Director, in attendance
33 • Total expenditure budget - $21,351,429
34 o Total Increase of$188,883 as Noted Below
35 • Temporary Personnel - $14,662
36 o Scan Child Welfare Case Files
37 • Mileage and Contract Services - $79,544
38 o Increased Costs to Comply with State Mandates
39 • Emergency Assistance Payments - $50,000
40 o OCIM and IFC Administered Payments (Housing, Utilities, Food)
41 • Recurring Capital - $25,000
42 o Technology Purchases (50% Reimbursement)
43 • Outside Agencies Transferred to DSS for Contract Administration
44 o No Net Budget Impact
45 o Interfaith Council - $127,000
46 o Orange Congregations in Mission - $92,415
47 o Exchange Club —$13,464
48
49 Social Services — page 335- Households Receiving Food and Nutrition Monthly
50 Average
10
1
2 Social Services — page 335-FNS Applications Processed in 25 days- 95% state goal
3
4 Social Services — page 335- Medicaid Recipients Monthly Average
5
6 Social Services — page 335- Medicaid Applications Processed within Time Standard -
7 90% State goal
8
9 Social Services — page 335
10 • Children and Family Services
11 . Economic Services
12 . Subsidy
13
14
15 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if the function of the Exchange Club could be
16 described.
17 Nancy Coston said the Exchange Club has a child abuse prevention component, and
18 provides the County with in home services.
19 Commissioner Dorosin said about 740 children were served per month, for child care
20 subsidies, and asked if there is still a waiting list.
21 Nancy Coston said the waiting list was cleared just before Covid-19 hit, but some
22 families have been unwilling to utilize the service. She said the childcare program has been
23 impacted greatly, and there are still unknowns. She said 693 kids are being served today,
24 and there is room for some more.
25 Commissioner Price asked if DSS has seen any changes in foster care.
26 Nancy Coston said child welfare in general has been very challenging during Covid-
27 19. She said everything has been done virtually these past two months, but at some point
28 face to face will be necessary, especially with younger children. She said adult care
29 services have also been hit hard.
30 Commissioner Greene thanked Nancy Coston and her staff for doing such a great job
31 during this pandemic.
32 Travis Myren resumed the PowerPoint presentation:
33
34 Human Services
35 • Non-Departmental — page 275
36 o Total Expenditures - $1,585,918
37 o Consistent with Outside Agency Recommendations
38 • Community Centers
39 o No Change from FY2019-20
40 ■ Rogers Road Community Center Total $88,377
41 ■ Cedar Grove Community Center Total $91,347
42 ■ Efland Cheeks Community Center Total $89,351
43
44 Community Services
45 Animal Services — page 56
46 Bob Marotto in attendance
47 • Total expenditure budget - $2,325,362
48 o Reduction of ($17,038)
49 o Recurring Capital - $6,024 Offset by Expenditure Reductions
50 0 Spay/Neuter Fund - $82,350
11
1 o No County Cost
2 Recommended Fee Changes-
3
4
5 Commissioner Price referred to musical enrichment, and asked if this could be
6 explained.
7 Bob Marotto said a donation was made to outfit the main holding areas with musical
8 sources, and it is well known that there is a high need for enrichment in shelters, and music
9 is one option. He said it is not just music, but also sounds, and human voices.
10 Commissioner Bedford asked if Animal Services will be doing the barn cat program
11 this summer.
12 Bob Marotto said they are hoping to. He said the department suspended it's spay
13 and neuter programs, due to the pandemic. He said this program for in house animals, as
14 well the barn cat program, have just started to resume.
15 Travis Myren resumed the PowerPoint presentation:
16
17 Cooperative Extension — page 104
18 Tyrone Fisher in attendance
19 • Total expenditure budget - $398,902
20 o Net County Costs Decreased — ($1,500) due to Staff Turnover
21 • Salary/Benefit Costs Consistent with State Pay Plan
22 • No Significant Budget Changes
23
24 Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation (DEAPR) — page 128
25 David Stancil, DEAPR Director, in attendance
26 • Total expenditure budget - $4,056,712
27 o Net Increase of$30,691
28 • Decreased Revenue from Donations and Sponsorships - $14,000
29 • Seasonal Staff Increase at Blackwood Farm Park - $16,000
30 • Spanish Language Recreation Materials - $8,346
31 o Funded Through Reallocation
32
33
34 Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation — page 128
35 Natural & Cultural Resources
36
37 Commissioner Dorosin said he heard today that all summer camp programs have
38 been canceled, and asked if that is a loss of revenue.
39 David Stancil said the revenue for camps typically comes in from February to June,
40 and DEAPR has adjusted for that loss in the budget.
41 Commissioner Dorosin referred to page 128 and the Total expenditure budget of
42 $4,056,712, with a net increase of$30,691. He asked if the comparative point could be
43 identified.
44 Travis Myren said he took the base budget as it stood, after personnel adjustments,
45 and anything new that was added or reduces since then.
46 Commissioner Dorosin said he understands this intellectually, but he said this
47 document and presentation are available publically, and he wonders if there is a better way
48 to communicate all of this.
49 Travis Myren said he used to do a budget elsewhere that had a column with a base
50 budget, and that may be what staff does in the future.
12
1 Commissioner Price referred to the closing of the summer camps, and asked if youth
2 are usually hired, and if so what types of impact will this be.
3 David Stancil said yes, and this will be part of the cost avoidance as a result of camps
4 not happening. He said many have taken on other work elsewhere.
5 Travis Myren resumed the PowerPoint presentation:
6
7 Sportsplex— page 358
8 John Stock, Sportsplex Director, in attendance
9 • Total Expenditure Budget $3,796,991
10 o No Net County Costs
11 • Includes Debt Service - $723,852
12 • Revenue Projected Down 5.6% — ($228,663)
13
14 Sportsplex Projects - $922,000
15 o CIP Page 92
16 o Roof Replacement - $510,000
17 o Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning - $50,000
18 o Fitness Equipment Replacements - $100,000
19 o Ice Rink Dehumidification Unit - $160,000
20 o Storage Facility - $75,000
21 o Handicap Pool Lift - $12,000
22 o Pool Robotic Vacuums - $15,000
23
24 FY2020-21 Recommended Sportsplex Projects
25
26 Commissioner Bedford asked if there is a possibility of opening the pool.
27 John Stock said yes, the pool will open on June 1st with limited capacity and extra
28 cleanings. He said dressing rooms will still remain closed.
29 John Stock said the Sportsplex is a competitive business, and he has found that
30 many competitors are trying to find loopholes in the Executive Order, but he is going to
31 maintain tight observation of the County's directives. He said the Sportsplex will probably
32 lose some programming, but it is cutting some expenditure.
33 Travis Myren resumed the PowerPoint presentation:
34
35 Economic Development (ED) — page 143
36 Steve Brantley, Economic Development Director, in attendance
37 Total expenditure budget - $516,212
38 o Reduction of ($9,681)
39 o Offsetting Transfer from Article 46 Sales Tax
40
41 Grant Activity History - graph
42
43 Chapel Hill Orange County Visitors Bureau — page 143
44 Laurie Paolicelli, Visitors Bureau Director, in attendance
45 Total expenditure budget - $1,415,126 — offset by occupancy tax
46 o FY2019-20 Projection Reduced by 15% Compared to FY2018-
47 19 (244,463)
48 o FY2020-21 Budget Reduced by of 13% Compared to New
49 Projection ($180,503)
50
13
1 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if this crisis has affected the ED projects that have
2 been approved for Orange County.
3 Steve Brantley said there were 4 ED announcements last year: 1.) ABB is on
4 schedule; 2.) Medline project site work going on, and is a bit behind, but they are moving
5 forward; 3.) Piedmont Metal Working is on schedule; and 4.) the medical company downtown
6 in Chapel Hill is on a delay. He said the inquiries from the state dipped the last two months,
7 but are picking up again. He said his department is very concerned about small businesses,
8 and he thanked the Orange County Board of Commissioners for the first round of small
9 business grants and loans.
10 Travis Myren resumed the PowerPoint presentation:
11
12 Article 46 Sales Tax— page 64
13 • Total projected collections - $3,885,168
14 o 4.5% Decrease from FY2019-20 Budget
15 • 50% or $1,942,584 Allocated to Schools and Distributed by Average
16 Daily Membership (ADM)
17 o Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools - $1,168,270 for Technology
18 o Orange County Schools - $744,314 for Technology
19
20 Article 46 Sales Tax— page 64-chart
21 • 50% allocated to Economic Development - $1,942,584
22
23 Commissioner McKee asked if there is a reason that the small business loan pool
24 does not need more money.
25 Travis Myren said there has been a lack of applications.
26 Commissioner Price asked if the loan pool balance could be identified.
27 Gary Donaldson, Chief Financial Officer, said it is $510,000.
28 Commissioner Price asked if these funds could be reallocated to the grant program.
29 Travis Myren said the BOCC will see a proposal in the June 2nd agenda packet.
30 Commissioner Price asked if more information could be given about the —$266,000
31 for incentives.
32 Travis Myren said there will not be enough to cover all the incentives, but this will be a
33 start to offset what would otherwise come from the general fund. He resumed the
34 PowerPoint presentation:
35
36 Orange County Transportation Services — page 295-
37 Theo Letman, Transportation Director, in attendance
38 Total expenditure budget - $3,257,048
39 o Net County Costs Increase by $541,089
40 o Revenue Reduction of$677,392 from FY2019-20 Budget
41 Partially Offset by Expenditure Reductions
42 o Use Budget Amendment Process in Future for Less Than
43 Certain Revenue
44
45 Vehicle Replacement Recommendations — Purchase
46 -CIP Page 48
47
48 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if the electric buses are for on demand services,
49 Theo Letman said no, these are for circulator service, and were paid for via grant
50 funding.
14
1 Commissioner Price referred to page 296, and asked if this increase 2019-20 is from
2 grant funds.
3 Theo Letman said yes.
4 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if there are mask dispensers on the buses.
5 Theo Letman said masks are being distributed in plastic bags. He said there is also
6 hand sanitizer available.
7 Commissioner Price asked if riders are required to wear masks on the buses.
8 Chair Rich said no, but it is recommended.
9 Travis Myren resumed the PowerPoint presentation:
10
11 Planning and Inspections — page 310
12 Craig Benedict in attendance
13 Total expenditure budget - $3,174,530
14 o Net Increase of$21,923 due to Revenue Reductions
15 o Revenue Decrease of$61,425 Due to Anticipated Reductions
16 in Building Activity
17
18 Planning and Inspections — page 310-chart
19 Lake Orange Dam Remediation - $150,000
20 -Page 36 CIP
21 -2018 Department of Environmental Quality Inspection
22 -Deficiencies Documented — Long Term Repair Plan Created
23 -Total Estimated Cost of$2.76 million Over Next Five Years
24 -FY2020-21 Projects: Repair Existing Erosion Control Barrier
25
26
27 Solid Waste — page 350
28 Robert Williams in attendance
29 • Total Expenditure Budget - $11,617,884
30 o Solid Waste Fund Appropriated Fund Balance - $1,276,244
31 o Solid Waste Fund Contribution to General Fund - $475,000
32 • Solid Waste Projected FY2020-21 Fund Balance - $5.3 million
33 • Maintain Current Solid Waste Program Fee @ $142 and $94.72 for
34 Mebane Residents
35
36 Solid Waste — page 350
37 Recommended Fee Changes
38
39 Solid Waste Projects
40 • CIP Page 82
41 • Construction & Demolition Landfill Equipment Replacement
42 o Replace Holland Tractor- $100,000
43 • Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan - $125,000
44 o Continuation of Plan Initiated in FY2019-20
45 o Real Estate Master Plan
46 o Recommend Future Development
47 • Construction & Demolition Landfill Expansion - $125,000
48 o 2.2 Years of Useful Life Remaining on Phase 1
49 o Engineering and Design Services for Phase 2
50 o Phase 2 Adds 14.2 Years of Useful Life
15
1
2 FY2020-21 Recommended Solid Waste Projects
3 Solid Waste Projects
4 -CIP Page 82
5 High Rock Neighborhood Waste & Recycling Center - $765,000
6 o Continuation of Modernization Project - $1.44 million Total Investment
7 o First Neighborhood Center- Bulky Materials, Metal, Yard Waste, Tires,
8 Textiles, Clean Wood, Cooking Oil and Food Waste, etc.
9 o Property Lease Under Negotiation
10 ■ Lease Expires June of 2022
11 o Open in September 2021
12
13 Solid Waste Projects
14 CIP Page 82
15 • Sanitation Operations Vehicle/Equipment Replacements - $260,952
16 o Replace Hook Lift Truck - $260,952
17 • Staff Recommended Amendment
18 o Defer Recycling Operations Vehicle/Equipment Replacements -
19 $570,800 to Year 2
20 Solid Waste
21 Non-Departmental — page 267
22 Total expenditure budget - $468,376
23
24 Commissioner Dorosin referred to the C&D Landfill slide (photo), and asked what is
25 currently located in the area where the expansion will go.
26 Robert Williams said nothing is really there now. He said there is 22 to 23 years of
27 life in the phase two section, and some traffic rerouting would be required. He said in about
28 25 years, phase 3, the recycling building facilities will have to be relocated.
29 Commissioner Dorosin clarified that there are 2.2 years left in phase one.
30 Robert Williams said there is just over a year left in the operating phase of the current
31 C&D landfill.
32 Commissioner Dorosin asked if the area marked for expansion is divided somehow
33 between phases 2 and 3.
34 Robert Williams said it is roughly divided into northern and southern sections. He
35 said adjustments will be made to accommodate various parts of the phases.
36 Commissioner Price asked Craig Benedict if there are any new developments
37 anticipated.
38 Craig Benedict said yes, one of the ED projects would be coming forward over the
39 next 3-4 months. He said staff is looking as to how to modify outreach.
40 Commissioner Price asked if there is anything upcoming on the residential side.
41 Craig Benedict said no.
42 Commissioner Price asked if the County is currently paying for consultant work on the
43 Eno Economic Development District (EDD).
44 Craig Benedict some money had been spent, and there is some development activity
45 in this area that is awaiting finished design work. He said Durham has asked Orange County
46 to be the primary manager of the engineering work, and, as such, this contract is being
47 updated.
48 Commissioner Dorosin said the BOCC has 4 meetings left, and asked if the BOCC
49 will vote on the amendments at a particular meeting.
50 Travis Myren said at the June 9t"meeting.
16
1 Paul Laughton, Financial and Administrative Services, said they would leave the June
2 9th meeting with the Resolution of Intent.
3 Bonnie Hammersley said all amendments must be in by June 4t", prior to that
4 evening's budget public hearing.
5 Commissioner Dorosin asked if changes to the CIP, such as the morgue, are going to
6 be put in as amendments by the staff, or should Commissioners submit them.
7 Travis Myren said all amendments are listed online as staff receives them, and staff
8 will consolidate any duplicate amendments.
9
10 ADJOURN
11 A motion was made by Commissioner Dorosin, seconded by Commissioner Price to
12 adjourn the meeting at 9:26 p.m.
13
14 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
15
16
17 Penny Rich, Chair
18
19
20 Donna S. Baker
21 Clerk to the Board
22
23 Submitted for approval by David Hunt, Deputy Clerk to the Board.
24
1
2
3 Attachment 2
4
5 DRAFT MINUTES
6 ORANGE COUNTY
7 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
8 VIRTUAL BUSINESS MEETING
9 JUNE 2, 2020
10 7:00 p.m.
11
12 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Virtual Business Meeting on Tuesday,
13 June 2, 2020 at 7:00 p.m.
14
15 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Rich and Commissioners Jamezetta Bedford,
16 Mark Dorosin, Sally Greene, Earl McKee, Mark Marcoplos, and Renee Price
17 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT:
18 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts
19 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager
20 Travis Myren and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (All other staff members will be identified
21 appropriately below)
22
23 Chair Rich called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
24
25 Due to current public health concerns, the Board of Commissioners conducted a Virtual
26 Business meeting on June 2, 2020. Members of the Board of Commissioners participated in the
27 meeting remotely. As in prior meetings, members of the public were able to view and listen to
28 the meeting via live streaming video at orangecountync.gov/967/Meeting-Videos and on
29 Orange County Gov-TV on channels 1301 or 97.6 (Spectrum Cable).
30
31 In this new virtual process, there are two methods for public comment.
32 . Written submittals by email
33 • Speaking during the virtual meeting
34
35 Detailed public comment instructions for each method are provided at the bottom of this
36 agenda. (Pre-registration is required.)
37
38
39 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda
40
41 Commissioner Price said she would like to add a moment of silence.
42 Chair Rich suggested having it in conjunction with the Resolution below- proposed item
43 4-a:
44
45 ADD Resolution at Item 4-a:
46 A RESOLUTION DENOUNCING THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD AND ADDRESSING
47 THE HEALTH DIRECTOR'S DECLARATION OF STRUCTURAL RACISM AS A "PUBLIC
48 HEALTH CRISIS" IN ORANGE COUNTY
49
50 A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Greene to add
51 this Resolution as Item 4-a to tonight's agenda.
1
2 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
3
4 PUBLIC CHARGE
5 The Chair acknowledged the public charge.
6
7
8 2. Public Comments
9
10 a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda
11 NONE
12
13
14 b. Matters on the Printed Agenda
15 (These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda
16 below.)
17
18 3. Announcements, Petitions and Comments by Board Members
19 Commissioner Greene said she will forward a PowerPoint presentation to the Board,
20 from Triangle J Council of Governments (TJCOG), made by an RDU representative.
21 Commissioner Bedford said the Partnership for Young Children will instruct daycares to
22 openly carefully and safely.
23 Commissioner Marcoplos said he had no comments.
24 Commissioner Price petitioned that public transit riders be required to wear masks,
25 since a large majority of the drivers are African-American, who are a vulnerable population.
26 Commissioner Dorosin said he heard that UNC was no longer capturing methane gas
27 from the old landfill site. He asked if the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) could get
28 more information about that, and, if this is no longer happening, what are the ramifications
29 ecologically and financially.
30 Commissioner McKee said he had no comments.
31 Chair Rich said there was a Covid meeting this morning, and there is an uptick in cases
32 in Orange County, but no more deaths. She said this past weekend the health department
33 heard there was a trend, and therefore they are out tracking this.
34 Chair Rich said the County is slowly moving into a recovery plan, and a consultant is
35 being hired for this process.
36 Commissioner McKee asked if the increase in cases is due to an increase in testing.
37 Chair Rich said she has not read the meeting notes yet, and she will get that
38 information and let him know as soon as possible.
39
40 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/ Special Presentations
41
42 Item 4a-ADDED TO AGENDA (no abstract)
43
44 Commissioner Price said the moment of silence is for those who have died due to racial
45 violence.
46
47 Moment of Silence.
48
49 Chair Rich said Annette Moore, Human Rights and Relations Director, wrote this
50 resolution in the last day, and did not have time to write an abstract, but the resolution speaks
51 for itself.
I Annette Moore said Martin Luther King, Jr. emphasized non-violent efforts towards racial
2 equity, but said a failure to address racism is violence in and of itself. She said the plight of the
3 black American has worsened in recent years, and riots are the voice of the unheard. She said
4 social justice and progress are the absolute guarantee of riot prevention, and society must
5 consider how it has failed, and how it can move forward. She said people need to consider
6 their blind spots and be introspective. She said change will not be easy or pain free, but we
7 must be serious about undoing racism.
8 Annette Moore said the resolution is a plan to move forward, and she read the
9 resolution:
10
11 A RESOLUTION DENOUNCING THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD AND ADDRESSING
12 THE HEALTH DIRECTOR'S DECLARATION OF STRUCTURAL RACISM AS A "PUBLIC
13 HEALTH CRISIS" IN ORANGE OUNTY
14
15 Whereas, in July 2014, a Black man, Eric Garner, alleged to have committed a petty crime, had
16 a police officer place his arm across his neck, was wrestled to the ground and, with a number of
17 police officer restraining him, cried out eleven times, "I can't breathe" while lying face down on
18 the sidewalk before losing consciousness without assistance for seven minutes; and
19
20 Whereas, in May 2020, a Black man, George Floyd, alleged to have a counterfeit $20 bill in his
21 possession was dragged from his car by a police officer, handcuffed, and put face down on the
22 street with the officer's knee in his neck as he called out, "I can't breathe", and as his neck and
23 back sustained pressure over a period of more than eight minutes, the last two minutes and 53
24 seconds of which he was unresponsive, oxygen was cut off to his brain as he slowly
25 asphyxiated; and
26
27 Whereas, the Mapping Police Violence Project found that although Black people were only 13%
28 of the population in the United States, they represented 24% of the people killed by law
29 enforcement and were three times more likely to be killed by police than white people (and
30 Hispanic people were 3.8 times more likely to be killed); and
31
32 Whereas, the Mapping Police Violence Project also found that 99% of the killings by police
33 officers did not result in the officer being charged with a crime because in many cases police
34 officers have "qualified immunity"; and
35
36 Whereas, Black people have been killed across this country in cases that have come to public
37 attention they have been shot and killed for doing the ordinary things of life that have resulted in
38 their harassment, detention, restraint and even death where the perpetrators where not held
39 accountable, including the deaths of 12 year old Tamir Rice, killed by a police while playing at a
40 playground near his home; teenage Trayvon Martin, shot and killed while walking home with a
41 bag of Skittles; school cafeteria worker Philando Castile, killed during a police stop while a
42 passenger in the car with his girlfriend and 4-year old daughter; Sandra Bland, jailed for an
43 alleged unsafe lane change and then later found hanging in her jail cell; EMT Breonna Taylor,
44 shot 8 times after police wrongly barged into her apartment; Atatiana Jefferson, killed while
45 babysitting her nephew at her mother's house; accountant Botham Jean, killed while sitting in
46 his living room watching television and eating ice cream; Freddie Gray, died while unrestrained
47 and helpless in the back of a police van; and Ahmaud Arbery, shot and killed while jogging
48 down a neighborhood street; and
49
50 Whereas, a 2018 Study found that police killings of unarmed Black Americans has had an
51 adverse effect on the mental health of Black Americans in the general population as shown by
I the death of Erica Garner, daughter of Eric Garner, who fought unsuccessfully to hold police
2 responsible for her father's death, died of a heart attack at the age of 27;'
3
4 Whereas, the Centers of Disease Controls (CDC) has identified, "discrimination" as a social
5 determinant of health, "which can be understood as a social stressor that has a physiological
6 effect on individuals that can be compounded over time and can lead to long-term negative
7 health outcomes"; and
8
9 Whereas, the CDC has found that the health differences between racial and ethnic groups are
10 often due to economic and social conditions such as where people live, learn, work and play as
11 well as access to health contribute to the adverse health conditions that disproportionately
12 impact diseases, such as COVID-19, have on the African American community as well as other
13 communities of color; and
14
15 Whereas, these social and economic conditions have their roots in structural discrimination, or
16 "racial bias among interlocking institutions and across society, causing cumulative and
17 compounding effects that systematically advantage white people and disadvantage people of
18 color.,2
19
20 Whereas, Orange County Public Health Director Quintana Stewart has declared, "Structural
21 Racism as a Public Health Crisis in Orange County," stating it creates a "cycle of injustice
22 against people of color leading to trauma which ultimately affects health."
23
24 Now, therefore, we, the Orange County Board of Commissioners do hereby resolve to do the
25 following:
26
27 1. Publicly denounce the egregious actions or inactions of the police officers in
28 Minneapolis that resulted in the death of George Floyd and stand with the North
29 Carolina Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police Associations as they support Chief Medaria
30 Arradondo's termination of the officers and their belief that law officers who violate
31 laws or policy should be held accountable for their actions.
32
33 2. Commit to dismantling structural and institutional racism in Orange County
34 government and throughout Orange County. We direct the Department of Human
35 Rights and Relations to lead the One Orange Racial Equity Team in developing a
36 Racial Equity Plan using the Government Alliance on Race and Equity Model and
37 bring a first draft of the plan back to the Board in September 2020. The Plan should
38 include:
39
40 a. Building internal organizational infrastructure by inviting a diverse array of
41 stakeholders to collaborate toward a shared vision of equity.
Jacob Bor, S. A. (July 28, 2018). Police Killings and their Spillover Effect on the Mental Health of Black
Americans: A Populations-Based, Quasi-Experimental Study. The Lancet, Volume 392, Issue
10144, Page 302-310.
z Advancing Racial Equity& Transforming Government A Resource Guide to Put Ideals Into Action, Government
Alliance on race and Equity, p. 17.
I b. Creating and implementing racial equity tools that mechanize the practice of
2 considering racial impact when making and implementing policy. They should
3 incorporate the following:
4 i. Inclusion and Engagement— Promote racially inclusive collaboration
5 and engagement;
6 ii. Develop a Racial Equity Scorecard - Using Data and Metric to
7 develop strategies to close gaps and track progress;
8 iii. Integrate program and policy strategies — Develop and implement
9 program and policy strategies for eliminating racial inequity;
10 iv. Structural Change— Develop cross-section, cross-jurisdictional
11 partnerships to achieve systematic change; and
12 v. Educate and communicate about racial equity— Educate on racial
13 issues and raise racial awareness.
14
15 c. Using Data and Metrics — Use data to develop strategies to close gaps and
16 track progress over a period. Metrics can be used to align outputs with
17 outcomes across cross-departmental and cross-jurisdictional lines to
18 evaluate community progress on racial equity throughout the County.
19 Develop a Racial Equity Scorecard to track equity metrics across Orange
20 County.
21 d. Partner with Stakeholders, including communities of color, to have a
22 "collective impact" to advance racial equity. Collective impact refers to a
23 commitment of organizations from different sectors to a common agenda for
24 solving a specific social problem.
25 e. Commitment to communicate and act with Urgency—While racial equity is a
26 long term goal, we are committed to prioritizing action with a shared vision,
27 specific priorities and strategic actions and organizing that can lead to
28 change.
29
30 This the 2nd day of June 2020.
31
32 Penny Rich, Chair, Orange County Board of Commissioners
33
34 Commissioner Marcoplos thanked the Human Relations Commission for putting this
35 resolution together.
36 Commissioner Price said it is a shame that all the people that have been killed in recent
37 years could not be listed, because the list is too long. She thanked Annette Moore for writing
38 the resolution.
39
40 A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner McKee to
41 approve the Resolution, and direct the Board Chair to sign.
42
43 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
44
45 5. Public Hearings
46 NONE
47
48 6. Regular Agenda
49
50 a. Eviction Diversion Program and Approval of Budget Amendment #9-A
51
52 The Board considered voting to:
1
2 1) approve the development of an Eviction Diversion Program in Orange County;
3 2) approve Budget Amendment#9-A appropriating $187,950 from the Social Justice
4 Reserve for the Program; and
5 3) authorize staff to seek funding for the Eviction Diversion Program from the Towns,
6 and donations from the communities and businesses.
7
8 Annette Moore presented the item, along with Caitlin Fenhagen, Criminal Justice
9 Resource Director, and Emila Sutton, Housing Director:
10
11 BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 Pandemic has had a devastating effect on the global
12 economy. In February 2020, Orange County along with Buncombe County led the state with the
13 lowest unemployment rate of 2.9%. Because of COVID-19, Orange County's unemployment
14 rate in March 2020 increased to 3.4%. With the increase in unemployment, staff have seen an
15 increase in requests for food and housing assistance, particularly in the communities that
16 cannot receive government assistance. The Orange County Housing and Community
17 Development Department (OCHCD) in particular has seen the number of requests for
18 emergency housing assistance through the Housing Displacement Fund more than quadruple
19 in April (table below) and calls to the Housing Helpline (aka Coordinated Entry) have increased
20 sharply from 250 in April to more than 650 in May. The Housing Helpline receives
21 approximately three to five calls per week from residents specifically seeking legal counsel for a
22 housing issue, and this number is rising. Finally, the Clerk of Court's Office has seen a dramatic
23 increase in eviction filings and is adding additional court hearing dates to address this increase.
24
25 Eviction destabilizes the lives of families and has consequences for the entire community.
26 Those most affected by evictions are the most vulnerable populations. Numerous studies show
27 the negative impact of eviction on health, child development and achievement, and well-being.1
28 There is also research showing that preventing eviction can reduce costs to the health care
29 system, lower costs and reduce the burden on shelter and other emergency housing programs,
30 ease the administrative burden on the courts, reduce job loss, reduce negative educational
31 outcomes, and prevent the decline of communities that occurs when people are displaced.2 A
32 2018 study by the Philadelphia Bar Association found that if the City of Philadelphia allocated
33 $3.5 million per year to fund counsel for eligible low-income tenants facing eviction, the city
34 would save $45.2 million per year, a return of$12 for every $1 spent.3 Research also shows
35 that housing assistance, such as that provided through the Risk Mitigation and Housing
36 Displacement Fund, reduces hardship and increases economic opportunity for low-income
37 families.4 The Risk Mitigation and Housing Displacement Fund currently, and the Eviction
38 Diversion Program when in operation, will provide cost savings to the community, help stabilize
39 and preserve the housing market in Orange County5, and most importantly help Orange County
40 residents remain in their homes and avoid the negative impacts of eviction.
41
42 The Departments of Human Rights and Relations and Housing and Community Development
43 have been working toward bringing forward a proposed Eviction Diversion Program to the
44 Board of County Commissioners since last year. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and its
45 economic impact on the community, there is a critical need for this program now. Eviction
46 diversion programs were started around 2010 to address the number of evictions from the
47 recession.
48
49 The Human Rights and Relations, Housing and Community Development (HCD), and Criminal
50 Justice Resource Departments, along with the Clerk of Court, the Chief Magistrate, Carolina
51 Student Legal Services, NC Pro Bono Resource Center, Orange Chatham Legal Aid,
52 Commissioner Mark Marcoplos and Jamie Paulen met to discuss the impending eviction crisis
I and potential solutions. The group determined an eviction diversion program would offer the
2 best solution. The two most pressing issues are: (1) ensuring attorneys are available to meet
3 the demand; and (2) identifying funds to enable tenants to stay in residence once they have
4 demonstrated some financial capacity to meet rental obligations going forward and the landlord
5 has agreed to let the tenant stay.
6
7 The second aspect is currently being addressed by HCD's Risk Mitigation and Housing
8 Displacement (RM-HD) fund in helping to pay for arrears so low-income renters stave off
9 eviction and remain in their housing. In order to meet the first need, legal counsel needs to be
10 made available to tenants facing eviction. In most cases, low-income renters either represent
11 themselves in court, or don't show up for their hearing, most often resulting in an eviction
12 moving forward. Providing legal support and counsel will enhance greatly the existing work of
13 HCD and RM-HD fund in paying arrears and will ensure that tenants remain in housing by
14 having legal representation. The Orange County Eviction Diversion Program would bring
15 together an Orange County temporary employed bi-lingual attorney, Legal Aid of North Carolina
16 ("Legal Aid"), and pro bono attorneys to represent tenants in court and to act as in court
17 mediators to negotiate agreements between tenants and landlords to avoid eviction. County
18 staff is working with the 18th Judicial District Bar and the NC Pro Bono Resource Center to
19 assist with identifying local pro-bono attorneys, including bi-lingual attorneys, to meet additional
20 community needs. Referrals to the program would come through the existing HCD and Orange
21 County Partnership to End Homelessness' Housing Helpline (a.k.a "Coordinated Entry"). Every
22 person who calls into the Housing Helpline goes through a needs assessment that is best
23 practice and evidence based. In addition, outreach offering legal assistance will be made to
24 every individual tenant with a summary ejectment hearing date.
25
26 As noted, HCD staff will use funds the Board has already allocated for rental arrears for this
27 project through the RM-HD Fund (the sub-fund called "Emergency Housing Assistance",
28 formerly "Housing Stabilization Fund"). The Board approved a one-time transfer of funds
29 ($100,000) from the Local Rent Supplement Program into the RM-HD Fund on April 7, 2020.
30 Since that time, approximately forty thousand ($40,000) in emergency housing assistance has
31 been utilized by Orange County residents experiencing a housing crisis through the Housing
32 Helpline (a.k.a. "Coordinated Entry").
33
34 In FY19-20, over one hundred and fifty seven thousand dollars ($157,000) in assistance has
35 been funded. The table below illustrates the increase in funding since January 2020. There are
36 approximately $35,400* in Emergency Housing Assistance funds remaining, but with new
37 requests coming in every day, this estimate changes daily— and sometimes dramatically. At
38 this time, a large majority of requests are coming from low-income residents who have been out
39 of work due to COVID-19 and business closures. The Urban Institute estimates that more than
40 5,000 Orange County residents lost employment due to COVID-19, and most of those jobs are
41 in the food service, retail, and accommodation industries6, which make up a significant portion
42 of the County's economic base.7
43
44 6 Urban Institute (2020, April 24). Where Low-Income Jobs Are Being Lost to COVID-19.
45 https://www.urban.org/features/where-low-income-jobs-are-being-lost-covid-19
46 7 Orange County Consolidated Plan. Market Analysis (MA-45): Non-Housing Community
47 Development Assets. http://orangecountync.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10806/Orange-County-
48 NC-Consolidated-Plan-Final-Draft?bidld=
49 Current Emergency Housing Assistance fund criteria is as follows. Full policies can be found
50 here: https://www.orangecountync.gov/2359/Risk-Mitigation-and-Housing-Displacement
51
I Assistance is available to households in Orange County that (1) earn no more than 60% of the
2 area median income (AMI)*, (2) can demonstrate urgent need for housing assistance, and (3)
3 do not have adequate savings to cover their housing costs.
4
5 To be referred for assistance, households must either:
6 • Be assessed through Coordinated Entry as at risk of or currently experiencing
7 homelessness and who have identified safe, decent, and affordable housing OR
8 • Referred by various Orange County Departments and local service providers (e.g.,
9 Aging, Health/Family Success Alliance, Criminal Justice Resource and Social Services,
10 Community Empowerment Fund, Interfaith Council, Compass Center, etc.)
11
12 *Preference will be given to applicants earning under 50% of AMI
13
14 The Towns and County streamlined application and policies in April so that all Orange County
15 residents can be assessed through the Housing Helpline process, which uses a research-based
16 Coordinated Assessment process to connect people with community resources. One of these
17 resources is the Towns' and County's Emergency Housing Assistance. Hillsborough, Chapel
18 Hill, and Carrboro each have funds for emergency housing assistance. Prior to the coordination
19 of these funds, access to the separate funds was not systematized, resident requests were not
20 tracked across the County/system, and eligibility for each fund was disparate. Now, there is a
21 coordinated intake system for requests and eligibility criteria are streamlined. Before
22 streamlining, there were instances of residents not being eligible for Town funds living in the
23 Towns'jurisdictions, so the County would cover these costs. OCHCD has established a
24 reimbursement process with the Towns for eligible costs incurred from residents residing within
25 the respective Town's jurisdiction. The amount incurred from each jurisdiction is recorded and
26 tracked. This has been a fully collaborative effort between Town and County staff with the goal
27 of lowering barriers and increasing access to emergency housing assistance funds.
28
29 The fund offers one-time assistance per household, and there is a funding maximum of $2,000
30 per household. The average amount of assistance the fund provides is $1,297, so the additional
31 $130k allocation could serve approximately 100 people. Thus far, OCHCD has only had one
32 person to request assistance for a second time. However, this could become more common as
33 issues with affordability and job security are ongoing. While the emergency housing assistance
34 can keep someone from eviction for now, that person may not be able to afford their dwelling
35 six months from now depending on employment, rent stability of the current housing, and other
36 factors. However, keeping an eviction off someone's record is a powerful way to help them
37 access housing in the future, as an eviction record can bar people from housing for years into
38 the future.
39
40 The need for ongoing flexible housing assistance is great. Based on the current data on cost-
41 burdened renters, there are more than 12,000 Orange County residents in need of rental
42 subsidy to keep their income to rent ratio affordable.
43
44 OCHCD, in partnership with the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness (and
45 through initial staffing support from DSS), is providing case management to eligible Orange
46 County residents in need of ongoing rent assistance through the County's Housing Help Rapid
47 Re-Housing program, which provides rent assistance and case management for roughly 20-25
48 Orange County residents. OCHCD is also leveraging the Housing Choice Voucher program by
49 implementing existing Orange County Housing Authority preferences for people experiencing
50 homelessness and people impacted by natural disaster (to include the pandemic) to obtain
51 longer term rent assistance through a Housing Choice Voucher. This month OCHCD began
52 mailing HCV applications to people meeting the preference definitions with the goal of issuing
1 75-130 additional vouchers in 2020. All of these programs will work in tandem with the Eviction
2 Diversion Program to help address the growing need, exacerbated by this pandemic, for
3 affordable housing in the County.
4
5 There are additional potential CARES Act allocations that can help replenish the fund to include
6 Emergency Solutions Grant funding and Community Development Block Grant funding from the
7 Town of Chapel Hill. The County Manager recommended to the Board CARES Act funds
8 allocations for housing resources as follows
10
$42,950 Eviction Diversion
Temporary Legal Assistance
$50,000 Housing Voucher
Incentives
$50,000 Short Term Rental
Assistance
$100,000 Risk Mitigation and
Housing Stabilization fund
$100,000 Foreclosure Prevention
1
2 The Personal Responsibility And Work Opportunity Act of 1996 ("PRWORA") (8 U.S.C. §
3 1621(b)(2)) precludes nonimmigrants and undocumented immigrants from receiving federal
4 public benefits. These classifications of immigrants are eligible for public health benefits,
5 emergency services, and program identified by the United States Attorney General as
6 necessary for the protection of life and safety. An exception to the PRWORA nonimmigrants
7 and undocumented immigrants is for "short term, non-cash, in-kind emergency disaster relief."
8 Nonimmigrants and undocumented immigrants would be eligible for the eviction diversion
9 programs legal resources under this exception. PRWORA prevented federal CARES Act from
10 providing benefits to nonimmigrants and undocumented immigrants. Nonimmigrants and
11 undocumented immigrants who pay taxes, using an individual taxpayer identification number
12 ("ITIN") instead of a social security number, did not receive stimulus funds nor did they receive
13 unemployment benefits. However, HUD has provided guidance that under the "protection of life
14 and safety" exception Rapid Re-Housing funds are not subject to PRWORA Immigration-based
15 restrictions. So any funds received for Rapid Re-housing could be used for nonimmigrants and
16 undocumented immigrants. However, consideration must be given to providing Rapid Re-
17 housing funds to undocumented immigrants seeking to obtain citizenship when it is not known
18 the affect receipt of those funds may have on the Public Charge Test.
19
20 Staff is requesting the following:
21 1. An allocation of Social Justice Reserve funds to finance the Eviction Diversion Program —
22 Funds allocated would pay for 50% of a one-year salary and benefits for a temporary bi-
23 lingual attorney, trained in eviction diversion and pro bono legal services. (The other half
24 of the salary and benefits would be paid by the CARES funds.) The attorney would not
25 only assist with development the program, training of pro bono attorneys and case
26 management, but also would perform bi-lingual legal services for the Eviction Diversion
27 Program and mediation of Housing Helpline calls prior to residents reaching court
28 proceedings. The hiring of a temporary bi-lingual attorney trained in eviction diversion
29 would overcome the obstacle of not only Legal Aid's income limit threshold but also its
30 inability to serve undocumented persons.
31 2. An allocation of the Social Justice Reserve funds to the Risk Mitigation and Housing
32 Displacement Fund to pay rent and mortgage arrears to assist nonimmigrants and
33 undocumented immigrants and continue to prevent eviction and foreclosure.
34 3. An allocation of Social Justice Funds to Legal Aid of North Carolina for surge assistance
35 with eviction cases and to assist with mediation in court proceedings.
36 4. Authorization to seek funding from the Towns, and donations from community residents
37 and businesses to fund this Program —While the Towns have their own emergency
38 housing assistance funds that are streamlined with the County's emergency housing
39 assistance fund to follow the same referral and application process, additional funds will
40 be requested specifically to provide support to the Eviction Diversion Program. Donations
11
1 from the private sector as well as from community residents could also help bolster
2 existing resources and services provided through this program.
3
4 County staff is currently solidifying the details of this program. However, on June 1, 2020 when
5 the Courts open, staff would like to have the resources in place to get started assisting people.
6 Currently, there are about 90 evictions pending. OCHCD has already reached out to the tenants
7 and landlords to try and avoid those evictions. Staff is receiving more calls each day, and with
8 this program, the County can begin to allay some County residents' fears of eviction.
9
10 FINANCIAL IMPACT: Budget Amendment#9-A provides for the appropriation of$187,950 in
11 available Social Justice Reserve funds in the following manner:
12 • Forty-Two Thousand Nine Hundred Fifty dollars ($42,950) for Temporary Employment
13 for a full time staff attorney to provide legal and case management services;
14 • One Hundred Thirty Thousand dollars ($130,000) for the Risk Mitigation and Housing
15 Displacement Fund, and
16 • Fifteen Thousand dollars ($15,000) for Legal Aid of North Carolina to increase
17 assistance during surge of cases.
18
19 With this appropriation, there would be $12,050 funds remaining in the Social Justice Reserve
20 for FY 2019-20
21
22 Annette Moore made the following PowerPoint presentation:
23
24 Eviction Diversion Program
25 Human Rights and Resources Department-Annette Moore
26 Criminal Justice Resource Department- Caitlin Fenhagen
27 Housing and Community Development Department-Emila Sutton
28
29 Background
30 • Due to COVID-19, calls to the Housing Helpline are up from 250 in April to more than
31 650 in May
32 • Requests for OCHCD Emergency Housing Assistance (EHA) have quadrupled
33 • Housing Helpline receives 3-5 calls per week from residents seeking legal counsel for a
34 housing issue
35 • Clerk of Court's Office has seen dramatic increase in eviction filings and is adding
36 additional court hearing dates to address this increase
37 • Studies show that eviction harms health and child outcomes, and that preventing
38 eviction saves costs to health systems and homeless shelters, reduces burden on
39 courts, and improves job and educational outcomes
40 • Research shows that housing assistance (such as EHA) reduces hardship and
41 increases economic opportunity for low-income families
42 • EHA + the Eviction Diversion Program will
43 o Save costs
44 o Stabilize the housing market
45 o Help Orange County residents avoid the negative impacts of eviction
46
47 Greatest Needs
48 Group of local stakeholders convened: Human Rights and Relations, Housing and
49 Community Development, and Criminal Justice Resources Departments; Clerk of Court;
12
1 Chief Magistrate; Carolina Student Legal Services; NC Pro Bono Resource Center;
2 Orange Chatham Legal Aid; Commissioner Mark Marcoplos; Jamie Paulen
3 Determined the two greatest needs are:
4 1.) Ensuring attorneys are available to meet the demand
5 2.) Funds to enable tenants to stay in housing once they have demonstrated
6 financial capacity to pay future rent
7
8 Proposal: Eviction Diversion Program
9 Need#1: Legal counsel for tenants facing eviction
10 • Orange County Eviction Diversion Program would bring together an Orange County
11 temporary employed bi-lingual attorney, Legal Aid of North Carolina, and pro bono
12 attorneys to represent tenants and negotiate agreements between tenants and landlords
13 to avoid eviction
14 • County staff are working with the Orange County Bar Association and the NC Pro Bono
15 Resource Center to identify local pro-bono attorneys, including bi-lingual attorneys, to
16 meet additional community needs
17 • Referrals to the program would come through the Housing Helpline — every person who
18 calls in goes through needs assessment
19
20 Proposal: Funding for EHA
21 Need#2: Funds to stabilize tenants in their housing
22 • Risk Mitigation and Housing Displacement Fund ( "Emergency Housing Assistance"
23 sub-fund, formerly "Housing Stabilization Fund") pays for rent arrears and/or other
24 eligible costs needed to keep tenants in housing
25 • Board approved a one-time transfer of$100,000 from the Local Rent Supplement
26 Program on April 7, 2020
27 • Since then, more than $110,000 in emergency housing assistance has gone to Orange
28 County residents experiencing a housing crisis
29
30 Funding Request Recommendations (chart)
31
32 Recommendations
33 1.) Approve development of Eviction Diversion Program
34 2.) Approve Budget Amendment#9-A appropriating $187,950 from the Social Justice
35 Reserve for the Program
36 3.) Authorize staff to seek funding for the Eviction Diversion Program from the Towns, and
37 donations from the community and businesses
38
39 PUBLIC COMMENT:
40 Jamie Paulen said she sent her Tenant Right's Inc. proposal to Orange County Board of
41 County Commissioners via email. She said Tenant Rights, Inc. proposes to help prevent
42 individuals from becoming unsheltered by working to keep them in the housing in which they
43 currently reside. She said Tenant Rights, Inc. believes that the best place for people to be in
44 this COVID crisis is in the housing that is available. She said it plans to accomplish this by:
45 providing legal representation to individuals who are facing evictions in Orange County;
46 grassroots organizing across apartment complexes; and Lobbying the General Assembly for
47 changes in the law; and legal representation. She said Tenant Rights, Inc. intends to offer legal
48 representation in eviction proceedings to any resident or business operating in Orange County.
49 She said she is the President and General Counsel of Tenant Rights, Inc. (CV attached), and
50 she is a long time Orange County resident and tenant herself. She said she has 10 years of
13
1 experience in landlord/tenant litigation in North Carolina, having represented residential and
2 commercial landlords, residential and commercial tenants, and also spending two years
3 deciding eviction cases as a magistrate in Orange County. She said this experience gives her
4 a unique background to fill the needs of her community members facing evictions in these
5 unprecedented circumstances. She said Tenants Rights, Inc. is uniquely prepared to represent
6 ALL Orange County tenants, regardless of immigration status, income level, or other
7 circumstances. She said Tenants Rights, Inc. also offers grassroots organizing and lobbying
8 along with legal representation.
9 Jamie Paulen said Tenant Rights, Inc. is requesting BOCC funding from the social
10 justice fund in the amount of$40,000 to fund this organization, which is dedicated to Orange
11 County residents first. She said while organizing and lobbying will benefit those beyond
12 Orange County, Tenant Rights will only commit to tenant representation in Orange County, if
13 this proposal was granted.
14 Bonnie Hammersley said the money being requested is from the social justice fund from
15 FY 2019-20.
16 Riley Ruske read the following statement:
17 Trust between the citizens and the government that is supposed to represent them is a very
18 fragile thing. The foundation of that trust is the citizens' belief that their government officials will
19 act in accordance with the laws of the nation and state. In fact, our Commissioners take an
20 oath of office `that I will support and maintain the Constitution and laws of the United States,
21 and the Constitution and laws of North Carolina not inconsistent therewith'.
22
23 When this program proposal entered the public record at the May 19 board meeting it included
24 language that indicated an intent to use this funding in violation of federal laws. One sentence
25 in the first paragraph and an entire second paragraph made this intent clear. Several members
26 of Orange County government are listed as being involved in this proposal and the County
27 Manager recommended approval of it. This raises the issue of whether Orange County
28 government can be trusted to comply with federal laws. The County Manager did remove this
29 proposal from the May 19 agenda after the meeting had started.
30
31 In tonight's proposal, the entire second paragraph has been removed but the sentence in the
32 first paragraph remains. Due to the original expressed intent there is a question as to whether
33 the program will be executed in accordance with federal laws.
34
35 To restore the broken trust created by the original proposal, I recommend adding a new second
36 paragraph as follows:
37
38 "The County Manager, County Chief Financial Officer and the Chair of the Board of Orange
39 County Commissioners shall personally and officially accept responsibility to make certain that
40 no funds in this program are used by any person or entity in violation of federal laws. In the
41 event of any such violations, these officials shall, in their official capacity, request the U.S.
42 Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina to prosecute the individuals or entities involved
43 in such violations."
44
45 Hopefully, this would begin to restore the broken trust.
46 Thank you.
47
48 Commissioner Dorosin said he is encouraged that this project is coordinated within so
49 many County departments, and with the Towns. He said this is a financially reasonable
50 request.
14
1 Commissioner Dorosin said the Governor has extended the moratorium on evictions
2 (until June 21 sc or 26t", with the exception of utility cut offs), and asked if there is a timeline to
3 get this program up and running.
4 Annette Moore said it is anticipated that the program will be up and running by the end
5 of the month.
6 Commissioner Dorosin referred to the chart that describes how the assistance was
7 spent, and asked if the specific utilities were known. He said there ought to be more pressure
8 placed on utility companies to provide assistance.
9 Annette Moore agreed with putting pressure on utility companies.
10 Commissioner Dorosin said the BOCC may need to take this on, as there is some
11 political pressure that can be leveraged.
12 Commissioner Dorosin said on that same page, there is a breakdown of expenditures,
13 and the bottom category is "foreclosure prevention — generally", and asked if this category is
14 different than the others.
15 Emila Sutton said staff decided it was important to separate out mortgage arrear
16 payments, and this is a dedicated funding source that will help low income home owners pay off
17 their mortgage arrears. She said this is especially important for those who have private
18 mortgages, and do not fall under the protection of the CARES Act.
19 Commissioner Dorosin clarified that this funding is for homeowners.
20 Emila Sutton said yes.
21 Commissioner Dorosin said he really wanted to highlight the strategy of this program
22 taking into consideration that undocumented immigrants can take part. He said these are
23 residents of the community; are friends and neighbors; and provide vital social and economic
24 services to the community
25 Chair Rich said these residents also pay taxes.
26 Commissioner Price referred to the term non-immigrant, and asked if there is a reason
27 why this term is being used.
28 Annette Moore said a non-immigrant is a person with a visa, who is not seeking
29 citizenship.
30 Commissioner Price referred to the one time assistance per household, at a maximum
31 of$2000, and asked if there is a plan in place to help after households use this initial payout.
32 Emila Sutton said in this history of this program, it is rare that people come back to ask
33 for more assistance. She said it did happen twice in the last two weeks.
34 Emila Sutton said staff is trying to create a rental assistance program, for those who
35 may need more long-term help.
36 Commissioner Price said program names keep changing, and she hopes that a name
37 can be chosen and kept.
38 Commissioner Greene said she wanted to highlight the coordinated re-entry program,
39 and the Partnership to End Homeless has done a great deal of work in this area, which is
40 wonderful. She commended the efforts of everyone involved.
41 Commissioner Price asked if landlords have been receptive.
42 Emila Sutton said many people who call for help have not spoken to their landlords.
43 She said staff encourages people to do so, and some landlords have been cooperative, while
44 others have been more difficult.
45 Emila Sutton said the housing help line re-branding was to make people more familiar
46 with the helpline, especially during the pandemic.
47 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if legal aid can work with undocumented people.
48 Annette Moore said no.
49 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if this can be addressed.
50 Annette Moore said this is the reason staff will be hiring their own legal person.
15
1 Chair Rich asked if Bonnie Hammersley could provide the budget for the social justice
2 fund for 2020-21.
3 Bonnie Hammersley said the base budget is $200,000.
4 Chair Rich said there has been some discussion that people want to donate to this fund,
5 and asked if the process to do so can be explained.
6 Annette Moore said staff will add this information to the website.
7 Commissioner Bedford said her concern is that this program will need more funding, if
8 things do not get better. She asked if staff could provide a chart, not just for housing, but also
9 for the food programs, etc. on how funds are being spent. She said she would like to know how
10 much the need continues to expand.
11 Bonnie Hammersley said staff has been tracking every penny being spent on Covid and
12 non-Covid items since February, and if more funding is needed, staff will find it and can come
13 back to the Orange County Board of Commissioners with a proposed budget amendment.
14
15 A motion was made by Commissioner Bedford, seconded by Commissioner Price for the
16 Board to:
17 1) approve the development of an Eviction Diversion Program in Orange County;
18 2) approve Budget Amendment#9-A appropriating $187,950 from the Social Justice
19 Reserve for the Program; and
20 3) authorize staff to seek funding for the Eviction Diversion Program from the Towns, and
21 donations from the communities and businesses.
22
23 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
24
25 Chair Rich said the Health Department had made arrangements to have a Covid-19
26 testing site on Friday, June 51" at the Mt. Zion Church from 1:00 p.m. — 6:00 p.m.
27
28 b. Guidance for Future Climate Action Fund Project Eligibility and Scoring
29 The Board received recommendations from the Climate Mitigation Review Team
30 updating and clarifying the eligibility and scoring for future Climate Action Fund projects; and
31 consider voting to approve the new guidance and provide it to the Orange County Commission
32 for the Environment (CFE) for their use in soliciting and scoring project applications for the
33 FY20-21 round of Climate Action Fund projects.
34
35 BACKGROUND:
36 As part of the FY 2019-20 budget, the Board of Orange County
37 Commissioners authorized an additional '/4 cent property tax to provide an estimated $469,272
38 dedicated to accelerating climate change mitigation through the new Climate Change Mitigation
39 Project in the Capital Investment Plan. Those funds have been awarded to a first round of
40 projects, and the process for soliciting and selecting projects is being refined and clarified with
41 the aim of creating a formal grant program.
42
43 In mid-April, Commissioner Penny Rich asked Commissioners Renee Price, Sally Greene, and
44 Mark Marcoplos to serve as a Climate Action Review Team to review the first year's process
45 and make recommendations to the full Board of Commissioners during the June 2nd Business
46 meeting. Brennan Bouma was designated to serve as supporting staff, and both Steven Arndt
47 and Travis Myren also participated to offer assistance.
48
49 The specific charge for this group was to:
50 1. Review the scoring process put in place by the CFE
16
1 2. Consider modifications
2 3. Make eligibility recommendations to clarify who can apply for the grant
3 4. Confirm the application process
4 5. Make recommendations for the project evaluation process for the CFE to use moving
5 forward
6
7 The Climate Mitigation Review Team conducted three virtual meetings to discuss and agree on
8 the attached guidance document that refines and clarifies the eligibility and scoring for Climate
9 Action Fund grant projects beginning in the FY 2020-21 round.
10
11 The recommended eligibility and scoring criteria will clarify the project selection process and
12 ensure that the funds continue to be allocated in alignment with the intentions of the Board of
13 Commissioners.
14
15 FINANCIAL IMPACT: The Climate Action Tax is projected to generate $478,657 in funds in FY
16 2020-21, and the Board of Commissioners intends to identify impactful projects and distribute
17 these funds promptly to accelerate action on the urgent issue of climate change and help to
18 further stimulate the local economy.
19
20 Brennan Bouma, Sustainability Director, made the following PowerPoint presentation:
21
22 Climate Action Fund
23 Eligibility and Scoring Guidelines
24 June 2, 2020
25
26 Climate Action Fund — FY19-20 Projects
27 $469,272 total
28 o $150,000 — Supplemental Weatherization
29 o $150,000 — Solar for Schools - OCS
30 o $150,000 — Solar for Schools - CHCCS
31 o $19,272 LED Light Campaign
32
33
34
35 Climate Action Fund —Allocation Timeline
36 *Application cycle for the FY20-21 funds to run in the Fall and then follow it with the FY21-22
37 cycle in the Spring. This would allow the project solicitation and review process to catch up so
38 that in subsequent years there could be a single more relaxed evaluation schedule aligned with
39 the CIP process
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
17
1
2
3
Fiscal Year Jul-Sept Oct-Dec Jan-Mar Apr-Jun
2019-20 19-20 Project Creation and CFE Ranking 19-20 Project Evaluation and
BOCC Selection
Project
Project Ranking and Application Open Ranking
2020-21 Application Open for Selection for for FY21-22 and
FY20-21 Funds FY20-21 Funds Selection
for
FY21-22
Project Review and Project
2021-22 Application Open for Ranking for BOCC Review Selection
FY22-23 Funds FY20-21 with CIP for
FY20-21
4
5
6 FY20-21 Eligibility Guidelines
7 Non-profits, public entities, and small businesses.
8 All funds must be spent in Orange County.
9 Must have legal standing to receive funds.
10 Ongoing projects eligible if expanding or accelerating.
11 Replacement and repair eligible if not likely to be funded within 5 years.
12
13 FY20-21 Scoring Process
14 CFE review still uses formula weighing social justice and racial equity most heavily.
15 CFE to consult with experts or other advisory boards to reinforce decisions and
16 representation.
17 Room for CFE expertise in assigning scores, notes on rationale will be provided.
18 BOCC has final decision
19
20 FY20-21 Scoring Criteria
21 25 point scale
22 o Social Justice and Racial Equity (5pts)
23 o Emissions reduced (4 pts)
24 o Efficient use of Funds (4 pts)
18
1 o Capacity of Applicant (3 pts)
2 o Local Economic Development (3 pts)
3 o Amount and Duration of Engagement (3 pts)
4 o Time to complete (3 pts)
5 Minimum score for eligibility
6 Minimum score:
7 Not discussed by Climate Mitigation Review Team
8
9 CFE Scoring Table
10
Amoun
t and
Social Local Duratio
Justice/ Efficient Capacity Economic n of
Cost Racial Emissions use of of Develop- Engage Time to
Estima Equity Reduced Funds Applican ment -ment Complet Rank
Pro'ect to 5 is 4 is 4 is t 3 is 3 is : 3 pts): e 3 is : Total
Total
(Max
for
2020-
21:
$478,6
57)
11
12 Commissioner Price said a minimum score was not set, and if a project were not up to
13 par, having a minimum score may just be something to consider.
14 Commissioner Marcoplos said a minimum score may be a useful number to have, but
15 another cycle is likely needed to see what numbers would look like.
16 Commissioner Dorosin said the BOCC is not obligated to fund anything, so seeing how
17 this new process works first makes sense.
18 Commissioner Dorosin referred to the point about legal standing, and said if the goal is
19 to fast track this process, it is unrealistic for one to apply if ones does not have the legal
20 standing. He said it is a long process to become a 501-c-3, and hoping that one will have legal
21 standing by the time the funds are awarded seems unrealistic. He said it is important to be
22 clear as to the definition of"non-profit" that is being used; and asked if this means a 501-c-3, or
23 organized as a non profit under North Carolina State law.
24 John Roberts said the policy does not currently specify the definition of a non-profit.
25 Commissioner Dorosin asked if it makes a difference in giving out funding, and can the
26 BOCC give money to an entity that is non-profit, but not a 501 c-3.
19
1 John Roberts said yes the Board can give out money to non 501-c-3s, and this has
2 been done before with the Piedmont Food and Agricultural Processing (PFAP) Center.
3 Travis Myren said his intent was for applicants to sign a contract, and therefore be
4 legally accountable for the result.
5 Commissioner Dorosin said if the BOCC can give money to a non-profit, as said under
6 state law, this should be made very clear to potential applicants, as that process is quick and
7 easy. He asked if being a non-profit under state law should be required for people to apply, as
8 there is some value in having an entity be legally responsible.
9 Commissioner Greene said the committee imagined a group coming together with a
10 wonderful idea, which gets funded, and staff wanted to insure that the group is legally obligated.
11 She said she would push back on the idea that one needs to be a legal entity prior to applying
12 for funding, because if funding is not awarded, the efforts would have been for naught.
13 Commissioner Dorosin said the document says it has to be a non-profit.
14 Commissioner Greene said it can be a small business, up to $3 million a year.
15 Commissioner Dorosin said the document does say that, but $3 million seems pretty
16 high for a small business.
17 Commissioner Greene said this standard was used, as it is the same standard that is
18 used for the small business loan and grant program. She said it seemed high to her too, and is
19 open to suggestions.
20 Commissioner Dorosin said it would seem odd that a business with gross revenue of up
21 to $3 million would need this type of grant.
22 Commissioner Bedford asked if it would work to continue the weatherization program,
23 and would that mean a department could put in for additional funding for their program.
24 Commissioner Greene said yes.
25 Travis Myren said yes, the intent is for funds to not go to projects that are already
26 funded through the CIP already.
27 Commissioner Bedford suggested leaving the $3 million threshold for now, to see how it
28 works.
29 Commissioner Price said the $3 million number was just to offer consistency with
30 existing programs.
31 Commissioner Price referred to the wording in the scoring process, paragraph 3: "the
32 Commission for the Environment (CfE) may consult with other experts or advisory boards on
33 any and all applications for the purposes of diversity and inclusion...," and said she wants this
34 language to be stronger. She said she wants language that says, "in the event that the CfE
35 lacked diversity the CfE shall consult other experts and advisory boards, such as the Humans
36 Rights and Relations Commission".
37 Commissioner Marcoplos said the County is going to learn a lot during this next cycle,
38 and he would recommend waiting and reviewing the process next year, if need be.
39 Commissioner Dorosin said the BOCC is creating something new and making changes
40 is no less baked than anything that already exists. He asked if anyone knows why the $3
41 million is the threshold for the grant and loan program.
42 Gary Donaldson, Chief Financial Officer, said the $3 million number is a carryover from
43 the Economic Development small business loan program.
44 Commissioner Dorosin asked if this number was picked for any particular reason.
45 Gary Donaldson said that happened before his time, and he can get him the information
46 as to why this number was chosen arbitrarily.
47 Chair Rich said the BOCC could come back to amend the process, if need be.
48 Commissioner Dorosin said given the priority being placed on social justice and racial
49 equity, the BOCC may want to target smaller businesses. He said he appreciated the work his
20
1 colleagues have done on this, and would like to know how many small business loans have
2 gone to businesses making $3 million.
3 Commissioner Marcoplos said $3 million does not seem like that much to him, and what
4 is left at the end of the year of a $3 million business is not much.
5 Commissioner Greene agreed with raising the questions, but said it is likely good to wait
6 and watch. She said the scoring criteria include equity and social justice.
7 Commissioner McKee said the document says gross income should not exceed $3
8 million, so smaller entities could certainly apply.
9 Commissioner Dorosin said it does not exclude businesses that make less, but he is just
10 saying the cap should be lower.
11 Commissioner McKee agreed that $3 million is not much at the end of the day, and such
12 businesses would not have excess cash to start a big project. He said for many businesses this
13 may just be breaking even.
14 Bonnie Hammersley said the North Carolina definition of a small business is, 17 million
15 in revenue, and less than 500 employees". She said staff likely just cut this number in half.
16 Chair Rich said the only change she sees as necessary is Commissioner Price's request
17 to tighten the language up in paragraph 3.
18 The Board agreed by consensus.
19
20 A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Greene for the
21 Board to:
22
23 1) Receive recommendations from the Climate Mitigation Review Team updating and
24 clarifying the eligibility and scoring for future Climate Action Fund projects; and
25 2) Approve the new guidance and provide it to the Orange County Commission for the
26 Environment (CFE) for its use in soliciting and scoring project applications for the FY
27 2020-21 round of Climate Action Fund projects.
28
29 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
30
31 c. Amendments to the Advisory Board Policy
32 The Board considered options for clarification to the advisory board policy related to
33 remote meetings of advisory boards and vote to select one of those options to be effective July
34 1, 2020.
35
36 John Roberts presented this item:
37
38 BACKGROUND:
39 On March 13, 2020 the Board Chair declared a State of Emergency in Orange County
40 ("Declaration") related to the national emergency created by the Corona Virus Disease 2019
41 pandemic. At that time the Chair directed all Orange County advisory and other boards to cease
42 in-person meetings to reduce chances of virus transmission. The Orange County Board of
43 Commissioners Advisory Board Policy ("Policy") does not allow remote meetings. This
44 restriction was included by the Board during the creation of the Policy to encourage members of
45 advisory boards to actually attend meetings rather than attending by teleconference. Recently
46 members of the Board have expressed an interest in removing this restriction.
47
48 There is also language included allowing individual members to attend meetings remotely when
49 they are unable to be physically present for a regularly scheduled meeting. Furthermore, the
50 County Attorney noticed a technical inconsistency in the Policy and made a minor change that
21
1 specifically includes three quasi-judicial boards in the ethics and limitations sections of the
2 Policy. These three boards are left out of the remote meetings sections based on due process
3 concerns with conducting quasi-judicial hearings remotely.
4
5 All proposed language is included in the draft and the Board may change or reject all, including
6 the technical correction mentioned above, and should discuss any other options the Board may
7 wish to consider.
8
9 Option 1 — leave in place the restrictions on remote meetings.
10 Option 2 — leave the general restriction on remote meetings in place for advisory boards, but
11 specifically authorize the Manager to allow a remote meeting for an advisory board when a
12 meeting is immediately necessary to further County business.
13 Option 3— only allow remote meetings during declared states of emergency and do so for all
14 advisory boards whether or not authorized by the Manager.
15 Option 4— allow remote meetings during declared states of emergency and allow individual
16 members to attend remotely at any other time.
17 Option 5— allow remote meetings at all times.
18
19 Remote meetings will need to be compliant with statutory notice provisions and with open
20 meetings laws. All remote meetings must provide for access by the public and where
21 applicable, also comment by the public. Deputy Clerk David Hunt also indicates the Board
22 should consider that a "hybrid meeting with some board members on-site and some at home
23 will be technologically challenging. A conference call with a single phone in the meeting room
24 would be the least complicated solution. Setting up a video conference is more complicated.
25 (Think camera positions, sharing documents, view for members in the room, view for public in
26 the room, etc.)"
27
28 FINANCIAL IMPACT: The financial impact associated with this action is dependent upon the
29 number and type of remote meetings.
30
31 John Roberts said staff has had some questions since this was published. He said
32 quasi-judicial boards were intentionally left out, as they are not advisory boards, with the
33 exception for the ethics portion of the advisory board policy. He said quasi judicial boards can
34 meet virtually, regardless of the County's action (due to State statute), but his concern would be
35 with decisions being overturned if there are connectivity issues, or troubles hearing, etc., which
36 may lead to due process complaints.
37 David Hunt said an advisory board meeting would likely be sitting at a table, and the
38 easiest option for remote involvement would be telephonic. He said using a computer to join
39 the meeting would be somewhat harder.
40 Chair Rich said this was brought up because internal advisory boards cannot meet
41 remotely now, because the current policy in place that says they cannot do so.
42 Commissioner Marcoplos said he liked Option 5, as it gives maximum flexibility, but he
43 may not have thought of potential drawbacks.
44 John Roberts said one of the drawbacks is that even in a remote meeting, the public has
45 to have access to the meetings, and he is not sure all departments have that capability.
46 Commissioner Bedford said she is concerned that everyone may not have the
47 technology and Internet access to do remote meetings. She said she preferred option 3, but
48 option 4 may also work. She said she would like to have input from the advisory boards. She
49 said she thinks it is very important to have video access, as following by audio alone can lead to
22
1 confusion. She said technology can be helpful, and the goal here is to be more inclusive, but
2 she does not want to inadvertently exclude people.
3 Commissioner Dorosin said there are two interests to balance: facilitating the work of
4 the boards and public access/transparency of meetings. He said even the BOCC zoom
5 meetings are difficulty, and it is not the same as being together in person.
6 Commissioner Dorosin said the best way to reconcile the issue is a combination of
7 options 2 and 4: promoting in person expectations, with the option for remote participation if
8 necessary. He said he hopes this will keep the remote participation low, but also allow for
9 greater diversity in participation, as it allows for flexibility in extenuating circumstances.
10 Chair Rich agreed, but with the comment that one cannot repeatedly attend virtually.
11 She said the goal should be in person participation.
12 Commissioner Price said she was looking at combining options 3 and 4. She said there
13 is currently a state of emergency, and advisory boards need to meet, but she would like to have
14 an option that people can participate virtually if needed (with the authorization from the
15 Manager in option 3). She said she would also want the preference to be in person meetings.
16 Commissioner McKee said he would support option 2 or 3.
17 Commissioner McKee said option 4 is contradictory, as it allows for virtual meetings to
18 attend during a declared state of emergency, but also for members to attend remotely at any
19 other time.
20 Commissioner McKee said he is not for option 5, as it is his expectation that board
21 members should attend meetings in public. He said his main fear for remote meetings is the
22 limits of technology, and not all people have IT support and may live in rural areas.
23 Commissioner McKee said he has counted only about 5 people that have spoken to the
24 BOCC by public comments during these remote meetings, and he believes access to
25 technology may be a factor in that number.
26 Commissioner Marcoplos said if the goal is transparency, then nothing beats option 5.
27 He said he believes more of the public would participate in remote meetings. He said he
28 questions as to whether this should be a fluctuating issue, needing a decision to be made in
29 each circumstance. He said option 5 would require no room rental, no expense, and he thinks
30 it allows the most access.
31 Commissioner Greene said if everyone in the county had equal access to high quality
32 Internet then option 5 would be great, but that is not the case. She said she liked the
33 discussion that Chair Rich and Commissioner Dorosin were having around options 2 and 4.
34 She said the Partnership to End Homelessness (PTEH) has allowed members to call in, and it
35 has worked very well, and has not been abused.
36
37 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee to move option 3 — no second.
38 Motion fails.
39
40 A motion was made by Commissioner Dorosin, seconded by Commissioner Greene to
41 move option 2, with the addition of the language in option 4, and allow individual members to
42 attend meetings remotely anytime.
43
44 Option 1 — leave in place the restrictions on remote meetings.
45 Option 2 — leave the general restriction on remote meetings in place for advisory boards, but
46 specifically authorize the Manager to allow a remote meeting for an advisory board when a
47 meeting is immediately necessary to further County business. And allow individual members to
48 attend remotely at any other time.
49
23
1 Option 3— only allow remote meetings during declared states of emergency and do so for all
2 advisory boards whether or not authorized by the Manager.
3 Option 4 — allow remote meetings during declared states of emergency and allow individual
4 members to attend remotely at any other time.
5 Option 5 — allow remote meetings at all times.
6
7 Commissioner McKee said he will support this, with a few reservations. He said the
8 BOCC can always amend it, if necessary.
9 Commissioner Price clarified that the motion is saying that advisory boards cannot meet
10 now without permission, and any member can attend remotely anytime.
11 Chair Rich said yes, a state of emergency will not be required.
12 Commissioner Price asked if the second part of the motion negates the first part.
13 Commissioner Dorosin said the general restriction for remote full board meetings stays
14 in place, unless by permission of the Manager, but if an individual needs to attend remotely for
15 some reason, it is permissible to do so.
16 Commissioner Price said the goal is to discourage a blanket statement that all advisory
17 boards can meet during a state of emergency.
18 Commissioner Dorosin said yes, he supports boards meeting virtually only if there is
19 urgent County business, to which the boards need to attend.
20 Commissioner Marcoplos said he predicts that there will be a record number of people
21 meeting remotely after doing this for a while.
22 Commissioner Bedford suggested taking out the word immediately in option 2, as some
23 boards will need to touch base, which would not be considered an immediate need, but is
24 valuable nonetheless.
25 Commissioner Dorosin said the point is that the motions leaves in place the general
26 restriction. He said phase three will be happening soon, and the ability to meet in person again
27 may be happening soon too.
28 Commissioner Greene said this motion leaves the decision to the Manager's discretion.
29
30 VOTE: Ayes, 5 (Chair Rich, Commissioner McKee, Commissioner Dorosin,
31 Commissioner Greene, Commissioner Bedford); Nays, 2 (Commissioner Marcoplos and
32 Commissioner Price)
33
34 John Roberts said some wording will need to be changed, and he can bring this item
35 back for consent agenda, or read it now.
36 Chair Rich asked if he could read it now to keep the process moving.
37 John Roberts read section 12.a.1:
38
39 SECTION XII. REMOTE MEETINGS AND REMOTE ATTENDANCE PURSUANT TO NCGS
40 §166A-19.24
41 A. Declared states of emergency.
42 1. Upon a declaration of a state of emergency in Orange County by the Chair of
43 the Board of Commissioners advisory boards subject to this Advisory Board
44 Policy may meet remotely as authorized by the County Manager.
45 2. A remote meeting is an official meeting, or any part thereof, with a majority or
46 all of the members of the advisory board participating by simultaneous
47 communication.
48 3. Simultaneous communication is any communication by conference
49 telephone, conference video, or other electronic means.
50 4. Advisory Boards shall comply with open meetings laws.
24
1 5. Advisory Boards shall coordinate with the Clerk to the Board of
2 Commissioners to notify the public of the remote meetings and the means by
3 which the public may access the remote meetings.
4 6. If at any time during a remote meeting the number of members needed for a
5 quorum is disrupted by a loss of simultaneous communication the meeting
6 will not continue until simultaneous communication is restored and if
7 simultaneous communication cannot be restored the meeting will be
8 adjourned without further action.
9
10 B. Remote attendance at other times.
11 1. At all other times advisory boards shall meet in person at the time and
12 location adopted in the board's meeting schedule and as set out herein.
13 2. Should a member be unable to physically attend a meeting the member may
14 attend remotely so long as simultaneous communication is maintained for the
15 remotely attending member(s) and only so long as the public has access to
16 communications by the member(s).
17 3. Remote attendance involves a member(s) of the advisory board participating
18 by simultaneous communication.
19 4. If the presence of a member(s) remotely attending a meeting is necessary for
20 purposes of achieving a quorum and simultaneous communication with the
21 member(s) is lost the meeting will not continue until simultaneous
22 communication is restored and if simultaneous communication cannot be
23 restored the meeting will be adjourned without further action.
24
25 Commissioner Price said this seems the same as option 3.
26 Commissioner Greene said option 2 requires the Manager's permission for boards to
27 meet remotely, and option 3 does not.
28 John Roberts said the Board should adopt the policy, with the added language.
29
30 A motion was made by Commissioner Dorosin, seconded by Commissioner Greene to
31 adopt the policy changes
32
33 VOTE: Ayes, 6; Nays, 1 (Commissioner Marcoplos)
34
35 Commissioner McKee said he would like information brought back in January 2021
36 regarding attendance numbers for virtual meetings, versus in person.
37 Commissioner Greene asked if staff could communicate to the chairs of the boards that
38 the expectation is to meet in person, if possible, and not remotely for every meeting. She said
39 this privilege should not be abused.
40
41 d. Coronavirus Relief Funding Plan and Additional Emergency Small Business Grant
42 Funds
43
44 The Board considered voting to approve:
45 1) the appropriation of$2,665,753 in Coronavirus Relief Funding (CRF) on a
46 County-wide per capita basis;
47 2) the submittal to the State of the County's CRF Plan by June 1, 2020; and
48 3) the appropriation of$410,000 in Article 46 Sales Tax Small Business Loan
49 Funds for Emergency Funding to small businesses.
50
25
1 Gary Donaldson, Chief Financial Officer, presented this item:
2
3 BACKGROUND:
4 The North Carolina General Assembly unanimously approved the Coronavirus Relief Funding
5 (House Bill 1043) that was signed by the Governor on May 4, 2020. The CRF package includes
6 relief measures related to public health and safety, education, small business assistance, and
7 continuity of state government operations.
8
9 The Orange County State-wide per capita share is $2,665,753 of the $150 million allocated to
10 NC counties. House Bill 1043 does not appropriate any funds directly to a city or town, but
11 instead delegates that funding decision to counties. At the May 19, 2020 Virtual Business
12 Meeting, the BOCC approved the CRF funding allocation detailed in the table below based on a
13 per capita allocation.
14
ORANGE $ 1,546,136.74 58%
CARRBORO $ 266,575.30 10%
CHAPEL HILL $ 746,410.84 28%
DURHAM $ - 0%
HILLSBOROUGH $ 79,972.59 3%
MEBANE $ 26,657.53 1%
TOTAL $ 2,665,753.00 100%
15
16 COVID-19 Eligible Expenses:
17 • Support COVID-19 related expenditure for public health staff and program costs,
18 personal protective equipment (PPE), public safety staff expense, medical expense,
19 overtime or mandatory pay, distance learning and teleworking requirements
20 • Economic and Human Services support
21 • Expenses must be incurred between March 1, 2020 — December 30, 2020
22 • Funds cannot be used to replace lost local government revenue
23
24 The proposed County compiled CRF Funding Plan following requests from County
25 Departments is:
26
Categories Planned Expenditures
Public Health Expenses; PPEs, $570,000
Disinfectants
Personnel Support $350,000
Human Services including Housing $456,136
Assistance and Food to vulnerable
residents
Telework and Information $145,000
Technology
Economic Development $25,000
Total $1,546,136
27
28 CRF Reporting Requirements
29 June 1, 2020 - Counties determine a funding plan
30 Beginning October 1 - Submit Quarterly Reporting of expenditures to the State
31
26
1 The Funding Plan categories due by June 1, 2020 are:
2 1) Medical expenses
3 2) Public health expenses
4 3) Payroll expenses
5 4) Expenses to facilitate compliance with COVI D-1 9-related public health measures
6 5) Expenses associated with economic support including small businesses
7
8 Emergency Small Business Grants
9 Staff is separately proposing using $410,000 from Article 46 Sales Tax Small Business
10 Program funds to provide Round 2 Emergency Grants to small businesses based on a financial
11 review of businesses April 2019 and April 2020 revenue. Grant Program eligibility requirements:
12 - Orange County based businesses
13 -A business must have not received Federal CARES Act, State or local funds
14 - Minimum of one year of operations
15 - Provide a public benefit in the form of job creation and tax base increase
16 - For-Profit business status
17 -All applicants are required to have been in business for a minimum of one-year, hold
18 applicable 2019 business privilege licenses, and be registered with appropriate legal entities
19 such as the North Carolina Secretary of State or Orange County Register of Deeds office
20 - Companies are not eligible if they have past-due tax liabilities or tax liens, delinquencies in
21 Orange County property taxes, or were in bankruptcy (Corporate or Personal) prior to the
22 pandemic
23
24 FINANCIAL IMPACT: The State has allocated $2,665,753 to the County for eligible COVID-19
25 expenses and the use of$410,000 of Article 46 Sales Tax Small Business Fund. There will be
26 forthcoming Budget Amendments for both funding sources.
27
28 Commissioner Greene said the abstract references a desire to see public benefit in the
29 form of job creation and tax base increase. She asked if this is actually an either/or situation.
30 Gary Donaldson said yes, either/or.
31 Commissioner Dorosin asked if job creation means new work, or bringing people back
32 to work.
33 Gary Donaldson said staff is working on that now, and he said the desire is something
34 measurable, and is trying to keep it simple.
35 Commissioner Dorosin said he appreciated this.
36 Commissioner Dorosin referred to the attachment, and the personnel support category.
37 He said virtually all of these will provide support to those departments who support the most
38 adversely affected populations by the pandemic.
39 Commissioner Price referred to bankruptcy- last bullet on qualifications— and that one
40 is not eligible if in bankruptcy before the pandemic. She asked if this is true of one's entire
41 history, or in more recent years.
42 Gary Donaldson said it is considers the past year.
43 Chair Rich said the last round of business grants was not given out completely, and
44 asked if these funds are available.
45 Gary Donaldson said staff will provide an updated report, and any residual funds will be
46 swept into this amount.
47 Chair Rich referred to the bankruptcy bullet, and said there are some businesses that
48 have received funding already and are not repaying the loan. She said she would not want
49 these businesses to get additional funds, if they are not paying back existing loans.
27
1 Gary Donaldson said staff considered this, and there are 11 businesses with
2 outstanding balances. He said staff will bring an abstract on June 16 with respect to the small
3 business non-profit, and this is for enhanced controls and bringing those funds unto the County
4 books.
5 Chair Rich asked if staff would use the press release to strongly encourage minority and
6 women owned businesses to apply.
7 Commissioner Bedford said she very much supports this, but would like to offer an
8 opposing view: there was an article in the News & Observer, which said 42% of the jobs lost will
9 not recover. She said the article's summary was that it is inefficient to use funds to support a
10 business that is not going to make it anyway. She said the County will be protected from this
11 due to the caveat of looking for applicants that will create jobs, or provide public service, etc.
12 She said it is important to use public dollars wisely.
13 Commissioner Price asked if applicants for County funding must have a good
14 relationship with another financial institution, or if the applicant can just be in good standing with
15 the County.
16 Gary Donaldson said the primary metric staff is using is April revenues.
17 Commissioner Price asked if the press release could be very simple and readable, so th
18 that one could pass it out to small businesses or emailed.
19
20 A motion was made by Commissioner Bedford, seconded by Commissioner McKee for
21 the Board to approve the CRF Funding Plan for submittal to the State as stated herein, and
22 approve the appropriation of$410,000 from Article 46 Sales Tax Small Business Loan Program
23 funds for Emergency Small Business grants.
24
25 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
26
27 7. Reports
28 NONE
29
30 8. Consent Agenda
31
32 • Removal of Any Items from Consent Agenda
33 No items removed.
34
35 • Approval of Remaining Consent Agenda
36
37 A motion was made by Commissioner Greene, seconded by Commissioner McKee for
38 the Board to approve the remaining items on the Consent Agenda.
39
40 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
41
42
43 a. Minutes
44 The Board approved the draft minutes from May 5, 12 and 14, 2020 as submitted by the Clerk
45 to the Board.
46 b. Motor Vehicle Property Tax Releases/Refunds
47 The Board adopted a resolution, which is incorporated by reference, to release motor vehicle
48 property tax values for three taxpayers with a total of six bills that will result in a reduction of
49 revenue in accordance with NCGS.
50 c. Property Tax Releases/Refunds
28
1 The Board adopted a resolution, which is incorporate by reference, to release property tax
2 values for two taxpayers with a total of four bills that will result in a reduction of revenue in
3 accordance with North Carolina General Statute 105-381.
4 d. Extension of Little River Regional Park Interlocal Agreement
5 The Board adopted and authorized the Manager to sign a one-year extension of the current
6 interlocal agreement between Orange County and Durham County for the operation of Little
7 River Regional Park and Natural Area. The current agreement term expires on June 30, 2020.
8 e. Resolution of Support—Triangle Trails Initiative
9 The Board adopted a resolution, which is incorporated by reference, of support for the Triangle
10 Trails Initiative, a new effort to plan for linked trails within the Triangle region coordinated by the
11 East Coast Greenway Alliance, through a grant from the AJ Fletcher Foundation and authorize
12 the Chair to sign.
13 f. Orange County ABC Board Travel Policy
14 The Board approved the Orange County Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board's adoption
15 and continued use of Orange County's travel policy for FY 2020-21.
16
17 9. County Manager's Report
18 Bonnie Hammersley said the Virtual Budget Public Hearing will be held on June 41". She
19 said she will need all proposed amendments to the budget by close of business on Wednesday,
20 June 3rd, in order to be able to post them on the website for the public to view prior to the June
21 41" public hearing.
22
23 10. County Attorney's Report
24 NONE
25
26
27 11. *Appointments
28
29 a. Workforce Development Board —Appointment Discussion
30 The Board considered making an appointment to the Workforce Development Board
31 (WDB).
32
33 A motion was made by Commissioner Marcoplos, seconded by Commissioner McKee to
34 appoint Katie Loovis to the WDB for a first full term in the position of At-Large — Private Sector-
35 Business expiring 6/30/2023.
36
37 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
38
39 12. Information Items
40
41 • May 19, 2020 BOCC Meeting Follow-up Actions List
42 • Tax Collector's Report— Numerical Analysis
43 • Tax Collector's Report— Measure of Enforced Collections
44 . Tax Assessor's Report— Releases/Refunds under$100
45 • 2021 Property Tax Revaluation Update
46
47 13. Closed Session
48 NONE
49
50 14. Adjournment
29
1
2 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Price to
3 adjourn the meeting at 9:35 p.m.
4
5 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
6
7 Penny Rich, Chair
8
9
10 Donna S. Baker
11 Clerk to the Board
12
13 Submitted for approval by David Hunt, Deputy Clerk to the Board.
1
1
2
3 Attachment 3
4
5 DRAFT MINUTES
6 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
7 VIRTUAL BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING
8 June 4, 2020
9 7:00 p.m.
10
11 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Virtual Budget Public Hearing Meeting
12 on Thursday, June 4, 2020 at 7:00 p.m.
13
14 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Rich and Commissioners Jamezetta Bedford,
15 Mark Dorosin, Sally Greene, Mark Marcoplos, and Renee Price
16 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Commissioner McKee
17 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT:
18 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager
19 Travis Myren and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (All other staff members will be identified
20 appropriately below)
21
22 Chair Rich called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
23
24 Due to current public health concerns, the Board of Commissioners conducted a Virtual Budget
25 Public Hearing on Tuesday, June 4, 2020. Members of the Board of Commissioners participated
26 in the meeting remotely. Members of the public were able to view and listen to the meeting via
27 live streaming video at http://www.orangecountync.gov/967/Meeting-Videos and on Orange
28 County Gov-TV on channels 1301 or 97.6 (Spectrum Cable).
29
30 In this new virtual process, there are two methods for public comment.
31 • Written submittals by email
32 • Speaking during the virtual meeting
33
34 1. Opening Remarks
35
36 PUBLIC CHARGE
37 The Chair acknowledged the public charge.
38
39
40 2. Presentation of County Manager's Recommended FY 20-21 Budget (PowerPoint
41 Presentation)
42
43 Bonnie Hammersley made the following PowerPoint presentation:
44
45 FY2020-21
46 County Manager
47 Recommended Budget Amendments
48 June 4, 2020
49
50 OPERATING BUDGET AMENDMENTS
51
2
Sponsor Department Amendment Amount General
Amendment Fund Total
20-21OP-001 Commissioner Greene Outside $ 20,000.00 $20,000.00
Agencies Fund ($20,000)to support a new
nonprofit Reentry House Plus, Inc.
that is in the process of opening a
reentry house for men emerging from
their sentences at Orange
Correctional.
20-21OP-002 Commissioner Greene Human Use $20,000 from the Social Justice $ (20,000.00) $0.00
Services Fund to support the new nonprofit
Reentry House Plus, Inc.
20-21OP-003 Commissioner Bedford BOCC Repeal the salary increase for $ (12,710.00) ($12,710.00)
Commissioner McKee Commissioners effective December
1, 2020. The cost is $12,710.00
including FICA and retirement.
20-21OP-004 Commissioner Marcoplos BOCC Eliminate funding for the National $ (2,666.00) ($15,376.00)
Association of Counties (NACo)
membership dues.
1
2 Commissioner Dorosin asked if the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) is
3 discussing these amendments tonight in any way.
4 Bonnie Hammersley said no, it was her understanding that this evening is an opportunity
5 for the BOCC to hear from the public, and the BOCC will discuss the amendments on June 9.
6 Commissioner Dorosin asked if this was the understanding of the BOCC.
7 Chair Rich said her understanding was the same as Bonnie Hammersley's
8 Commissioner Price said she would be open to any explanation that the sponsoring
9 Commissioner may want to offer, for the benefit of the public.
10 Commissioner Marcoplos said he would like to briefly explain his amendments tonight, to
11 clarify context and intent only.
12 Commissioner Greene said her understanding was the same as Chair Rich and Bonnie
13 Hammersley.
14 Chair Rich said to let Bonnie Hammersley finish the presentation, and the BOCC can
15 offer brief comments, thereafter.
16 Bonnie Hammersley resumed the PowerPoint presentation:
17
Amendment Sponsor Department Amendment Amount General Fund
Total
20-21OP-005 Commissioner Human Services $ 2,666.00 ($12,710.00)
Marcoplos
Direct funds allocated for
NACo memberships dues to
the Social Justice Fund.
3
20-21OP-006 Commissioner BOCC Eliminate funding for the $ (17,168.00) $ (29,878.00)
Marcoplos UNC School of Government
(UNC-SOG) membership
dues.
20-21OP-007 Commissioner Human Services Direct funds allocated for $ 17,168.00 $ (12,710.00)
Marcoplos
UNC-SOG memberships
dues to the Social Justice
Fund.
20-21 OP-008 Commissioner BOCC Eliminate funding for the $ (12,755.00) $ (25,465.00)
Marcoplos North Carolina Association
of County Commissioners
(NCACC) membership dues.
20-21OP-009 Commissioner Human Services $ 12,755.00 $ (12,710.00)
Marcoplos Direct funds allocated for
NCACC memberships dues
to the Social Justice Fund.
20-21 OP-010 Commissioner BOCC Eliminate funding for the $ (22,213.00) $ (34,923.00)
Marcoplos Triangle J membership
20-21OP-011 Commissioner Human Services Direct funds allocated $ 22,213.00 $ (12,710.00)
Marcoplos Triangle J membership dues
to the Social Justice Fund.
Staff Debt Service Reduce Debt Service $(209,779.00) $ (222,489.00)
0-21OP-012 Payments in FY 20-21 due to
lower interest rate realized
as part of the G.O. Bond
issuance in May 2020
Staff Housing Reduce County match to the $ (3,654.00) $ (226,143.00)
0-21OP-013 /Community HOME Program as a result of
Development Fund a calculation error in
determining the match
requirement
0-21OP-014
Commissioner Rich Non-Departmental Suspend the $568,139 $(568,139.00) $ (794,282.00)
proposed for the Chapel Hill
Library in FY 2020-21
Amendment Sponsor Department Amendment Amount General Fund
Total
Commissioner Rich Education Set up a COVID focused $ 500,000.00 $ (294,282.00)
20-21OP-015 "Education Fund" to assist
students in need of
technology and broadband
in both districts, in order to
prevent the opportunity gap
from growing larger during
the COVID-19 pandemic
4
Commissioner Rich Non-Departmental Set up a fund to assist non- $ 68,139.00 $ (226,143.00)
20-21OP-016 Chapel Hill residents (on a
sliding scale)with a
household library card if
Chapel Hill decides to
charge a fee for the use of
the library by non-Chapel
Hill residents
Staff Human Rights & Fund the development of a $ 35,000.00 $ (191,143.00)
20-21OP-017 Relations Racial Equity Index Platform
to track progress of the
County's racial equity
initiatives, and to follow
trends in racial disparities
Staff Article 46 Sales Receipt of$410,000 in Article $ 410,000.00 $ 410,000.00
20-21OP-018 Tax Fund 46 Sales Tax Small Business
Loan Funds to be used for
Emergency Grants to small
businesses
Staff Visitors Bureau Reduce the Visitors Bureau $ (19,308.00) $ (19,308.00)
20-21OP-019 Fund Fund expenditure budget by
$19,308 to correct an error
related to indirect cost
allocation
Staff Solid Waste Increase the Solid Waste $ 475,000.00 $ 475,000.00
20-21OP-020 Enterprise Fund Enterprise Fund expenditure
budget by$475,000 to reflect
the Transfer of funds to the
General Fund as an expense
1
2 CAPITAL BUDGET AMENDMENTS:
3
Amendment# Sponsor Department Amendment Amount
20-21CIP-001 Commissioner Education Move the Durham Tech Expansion Project planning up $ 1,000,000.00
Dorosin to year 1
20-21CIP-002 Commissioner County CIP $ (3,200,000.00)
Dorosin Projects
Delay the following CIP projects from Year 1 (FY 20-
21)to Years 6-10: Conservation Easements
($1,000,000); Roofing Projects (25,000); EMS
Substation - Morgue Project($675,000); Blackwood
Farm Park ($350,000); IT ($900,000); Vehicle
Replacements ($250,000)
20-21CIP-003 Commissioner Education Move the Durham Tech Expansion Project phase 2 up $ 14,000,000.00
Dorosin to year 2
5
20-21CIP-004 Commissioner County CIP Delay the following CIP projects from Year 2 (FY 21- $ (8,479,526.00)
Dorosin Projects 22)to Years 6-10: Soccer.com ($4,589,000); some IT
Infrastructure ($1,500,000); Millhouse Road Park
($400,000); Lands Legacy($500,000); Lake Orange
Dam ($50,526); Little River Park, Phase II
($500,000); Roofing Projects ($250,000); Twin Creeks
Park ($220,000); Old Courthouse Square ($220,000);
Vehicle Replacements ($250,000)
l
Amendment# Sponsor Department Amendment Amount
20-21CIP-005 Commissioner Dorosin Education Move the Durham Tech $ 11,547,911.00
Expansion Project phase 3 up to
year 3
20-21CIP-006 Commissioner Dorosin County CIP Delay the following CIP projects $(14,868,385.00
Projects from Year 3 (FY 2022-23) to Years )
6-10: Millhouse Road Park
($6,400,000); Twin Creeks Park
($3,780,000); Conservation
Easements ($1,000,000);
Blackwood Farm Park($300,000);
Fairview Park ($2,000,000);
Courthouse Square ($390,000); IT
($748,385); Vehicle Replacements
($250,000)
20-21CIP-007 Commissioner Price Education Move the Durham Tech $ 1,000,000.00
Expansion Project planning up to
year 1
20-21CIP-008 Commissioner Price County CIP Remove the following CIP $(1,100,000.00)
Projects projects from Year 1 (FY 20-21):
EMS -Substation - Morgue
project ($675,000); Millhouse
Road Park ($300,000); Roofing
Project($25,000); Vehicle
Replacements ($100,000)
Amendment# Sponsor Department Amendment Amount
20-21CIP-009 Commissioner Price Education Mgve Durham Tech Expansion Project phase 2 up $
to year 2 14,000,000.00
20-21CIP-010 Commissioner Price County CIP Delay the following CIP projects from Year 2 $ (6,291,300.00)
Projects (FY 21-22) to Years 6-10: Soccer.com
($4,589,000); some IT Infrastructure ($382,300);
Little River Park, Phase II ($250,000); Roofing
Projects ($250,000); Twin Creeks Park
($220,000); Vehicle Replacements ($100,000)
20-21CIP-011 Commissioner Price Education Move the Durham Tech Expansion Project $ 11,547,911.00
phase 3 up to year 3
20-21CIP-012 Commissioner Price County CIP $(10,930,000.00)
Projects
Delay the following CIP projects from Year 3
(FY 2022-23) to Years 6-10: Millhouse Road
Park ($6,400,000); Twin Creeks Park
($3,780,000); Blackwood Farm Park ($300,000);
Fairview Park ($2,000,000); Courthouse Square
($350,000); Vehicle Replacements ($100,000)
1
2
3
BUDGET TIMELINE DATE VFMM
Recommended Budget Presentation May 5
BUDGET PUBLIC HEARINGS
Budget and Capital Investment Plan (CIP) May 12 &June 4
BUDGET WORK SESSION SCHEDULE ME
Schools and Outside Aoenries May 14
Fire Dic t Public Safety, eFymGes and General GOV m t
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Human Servines -anrl C-n-MrM-unity SeFyinesMay 28
7
Budget Amendments and Resolution of Intent to Adopt June 9
BOCC REGULAR MEETING MA=
FY2020-21 Operating and CIP Budget Adoption June 16
1
2
3 FY2020-21 RECOMMENDED BUDGET
4 BUDGET AND AMENDMENT AVAILABILITY
5 ❑ Clerk to Board of Commissioners
6 ❑ County Finance &Administrative Services Office
7 ❑ Orange County Website - http://orangecountync.gov
8
9 Commissioner Marcoplos clarified his amendments. He said the BOCC has
10 memberships in 4 organizations, which he wanted to put up for discussion: the pros and cons
11 of each.
12 Commissioner Dorosin said his amendment to the CIP has generated more emails than
13 the others, and his intent was primarily to move the Durham Tech project out of the 6-10 parking
14 lot and move it up in the CIP. He said he is on the Durham Tech Board, and it has become
15 clearer to him that this is critical to the Orange County Campus. He said the need for
16 community colleges, in the wake of the pandemic, will increase. He said the BOCC has had too
17 limited a focus on K-12 funding in Orange County for so long, and needs to re-focus on the later
18 years of education as well.
19 Commissioner Dorosin said the other point he wanted to make was that he did not want
20 to add costs to the budget, without offsetting cuts, which he has proposed. He said he is not
21 wedded to cutting these particular projects, and is open for discussion. He said his priority is to
22 get the Durham Tech project done.
23 Commissioner Price said she agreed with Commissioner Dorosin. She said one of the
24 differences in Commissioner Dorosin's proposal and hers, was the use of lands legacy or
25 conservation easement funds, which she did not mean to include. She said she is also not
26 wedded to cutting the particular projects she proposed, and is open for discussion
27
28 PUBLIC COMMENT:
29 Deborah Barrett said she is a clinical social worker, and there are so many needs in this
30 community, and one of those is mental health. She said there is a program called the Pro Bono
31 Counseling Network, which was set up locally to provide counseling services to those who could
32 not otherwise afford them. She said the Network lost its institutional home last year, but the
33 needs remain great, if not greater than before. She said the Network needs funding for one part
34 time staff person who can match the client to the service. She said she is asking the BOCC for
35 funding to help get the Network back on its feet.
36 Shelley Danser said was the Program Coordinator for the Pro Bono Counseling
37 Network, and is a licensed clinical social worker. She said during the 5 years she worked at the
38 Pro Bono Counseling Network, she came to see how effective and efficient the program is. She
39 said she helped match clients with good therapists, all of which included a number of pro bono
40 counseling sessions. She said the program stopped functioning because the institutional home
41 did not hire a new coordinator after she vacated the position. She said there are many
42 therapists wanting to offer pro bono services, and the community already knows these services.
43 She said Covid-19 has only exacerbated the need for this service. She asked the BOCC to
44 offer ideas and funding to get this program back up and running.
8
1 Miriam Leiberman said she was one of the therapists with the Pro Bono Counseling
2 Network for years. She said she always had clients that were part of this program, and it
3 offered a way for those in need to find a therapist through an ethical and affordable channel.
4 She said the Network coordinated continuing education classes for the therapists, which was a
5 wonderful way for them to earn their required hours. She said this program had worked, and
6 therapists want to volunteer their time, but it is so important to do so with a safety net.
7 Jessica Sheffield said she is the Executive Director of the Eno River Association, and
8 her Board sent the following letter to the Orange County Board of Commissioners earlier today,
9 which is below:
10
11 Dear Board of County Commissioners,
12 We understand that the impacts of Covid-19 may result in the County facing lower revenue.
13 However, the Eno River Association is adamantly opposed to the proposed FY 2020-21 CIP
14 amendments CIP-004, CIP005, and CIP-006 affecting the Lands Legacy and Conservation
15 Easement Programs in Orange County. Since 2000 over $8 million in other funding--from grants
16 and landowner donations--has been raised for land protection due to the Lands Legacy
17 Program and Conservation Easement Program. With those dollars nearly 4,000 acres within
18 Orange County have been protected, creating parks for underserved populations within our
19 community, improving water quality for over 500,000 citizens, ensuring viable farmland into the
20 future and climate change resiliency, and strengthening the overall health and wellbeing of
21 Orange County residents.
22
23 These past weeks we have seen unprecedented numbers of visitors to Orange County open
24 spaces, seeking solace during these difficult times. It is clear that more open space is needed to
25 accommodate our neighbors. Investments in land protection today provide lasting, positive
26 impacts on our community into the future. Proximity to parks and open space enhances the
27 value of residential properties and produces increased tax revenues for communities. Open
28 spaces capture precipitation, reduce stormwater management costs, and by protecting
29 underground water sources, open spaces reduce the cost of drinking water up to tenfold.
30 Improving access to public open space can increase levels of physical activity, provide mental
31 health benefits and reduce healthcare costs.
32
33 The Eno River Association and Orange County have worked collaboratively to protect land in
34 the Eno River Watershed since 2012. Together we hold six conservation easements on working
35 farms totaling 398 acres, and Orange County has helped us protect an additional 250 acres of
36 land. The proposed amendments would pull all additional funding from the Lands Legacy
37 Program and all funding from the Conservation Easement Program for the next three years.
38 This would devastate land protection efforts in Orange County. Without the financial
39 commitment of the County, we would no longer be able to leverage grant funds to support land
40 acquisition. In most cases, our joint funding partners require matching resources, especially
41 from municipal and county governments. The lack of County funding would undermine all land
42 trusts working to preserve land for future generations. The Eno River Association staff and
43 Board of Directors urge you to reject the proposed amendments CIP-004, CIP-005, and CIP-
44 006.
45
46 Riley Ruske said Orange County has the highest tax rates in the state. He said the
47 County's 136 entities, along with the school boards, try to find ways to spend taxpayer dollars.
48 He said there are many things in the proposed budgets that appear to be non-essential, and
49 seem to bloat the budget. He said only one Commissioner has expressed concern for the
50 taxpayer's burden. He said County government has no regard for the taxpayer, and will
9
1 continue in excessive spending with exorbitant taxes. He asked if this will simply continue, or
2 will the taxpayer have to revolt.
3 Brian Link said he a Social Studies teacher and the Social Justice Academy Director at
4 East Chapel Hill High School, and is also the Vice President of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro
5 Association of Educators. He said he hopes the BOCC can help fund the schools. He said the
6 nation is facing two pandemics: Covid-19 and racism. He said the BOCC has to choose how to
7 direct funding, and he hopes it will do so in ways that promote equity and justice throughout.
8 Roshna Bala Keen said she is a civil rights attorney, and she has some questions about
9 shifting funds from the Chapel Hill Library to a Covid Education fund. She said it is very
10 important that everyone have access to the library, as it is a great equalizer. She said the
11 library is an essential part of the community, and she has great concern about shifting the funds
12 from the library to another purpose. She encouraged the BOCC to please find alternative
13 funding sources.
14 Former Commissioner Barry Jacobs sent the following email, which Chair Rich read:
15 For 20 years, the Lands Legacy Program has been the backbone of Orange County's
16 efforts to actively conserve open space and natural areas. The program has been key to our
17 watershed protection efforts and to the farmland preservation that undergirds our bountiful local
18 agricultural economy.
19 By providing a reliable, ongoing source of funds, Lands Legacy and associated
20 conservation projects enable the county to amplify the impact of its contributions, attracting
21 millions of dollars in matches from federal, state, regional and private partners. And, like the
22 Social Justice Fund, dependability and flexibility are advanced by having a designated pool of
23 money.
24 Lands Legacy is a recognized model for other counties, a source of pride for many
25 Orange residents, and an affirmation of our environmental values. Doing away with, or limiting,
26 the program without extensive forethought and public discussion would be highly regrettable.
27 Please have the chair read this aloud at the hearing.
28
29 Chair Rich read the following letter, which was translated from Spanish:
30 Atte: Beatriz Ponce
31 Padres de Cameron park
32 919 730-4867
33 Vazguezbeatriz17(@yahoo.com
34
35 1 am the mother of Angel (3rd Grade) and Ana (1st grade)from Cameron Park School. The
36 reason for this letter is to let you know that as parents, neighbors and more parents from
37 different schools in Orange County, we are very concerned about the upcoming decisions you
38 could make that would affect us too much as part of the span ish-speaking community. We want
39 to be present and participate more in our children's schools, we would like more interpreters in
40 schools, on school boards, at events, and in our children's classes. Just thinking that you want
41 to remove Spanish classes, the only thing that makes us feel welcome and makes us feel at
42 home. S PANISH is more than just a language, it is culture and it is a universal communication.
43 Spanish is too valuable which allows a person to be bilingual and it is the opportunity of many
44 great things in spiritual, professional and educational life. That is why children from a young
45 age are taught both languages so that when they grow up, already in universities, they are
46 prepared. Medical studies have confirmed how important it is for them to learn a second
47 language from a young age and that will last them throughout their lives. A child who starts
48 speaking another language is very interesting because they do not lose their accents. An adult
49 who seeks to speak a second language, it becomes more difficult to memorize and the
50 pronunciation is difficult. For young children, however, it is pretty easy for them to capture all
51 that and more. My request today is DO NOT REMOVE SPANISH CLASSES IN ORANGE
10
1 COUNTY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. We want more support so that we can be present on
2 school boards.
3
4 Vecinos y padres de otras escuelas - Neighbors and Parents from other Schools
5 Rosa Sandoval -Jordan mom CENTRAL ele.
6 German Sanchez- pawway elementaria
7 Anabel Sanchez-Efland cheek
8 Nanci abasolo -Cameron park
9 Rosario Garcia -Cameron park
10 Agustina Tlacxani -new hope
11 Lucero Vargas -new hope
12 Sugey cardenas -Cameron park
13 Gloria mancilla -Cameron park
14 Carolina Favela -Cameron park
15 Karina trochet- new hope
16
17 Chair Rich said the Orange County Board of Commissioners only funds the schools, and
18 the school districts, themselves, decide the curriculums.
19 Commissioner Greene read a statement from Reentry House Plus:
20
21 Reentry House Plus was founded as a 501c3 in 2019 with 2 co-equal missions.
22 First- Housing for men reentering into society and Second- Education to enhance the probability
23 of success while transitioning back into the job market and to life and family.
24
25 HOUSING
26 The housing component has been made possible by a $240,000 investment by a local LLC to
27 purchase and renovate a 2500 sq ft house in Hillsborough. It will provide housing for 5-6
28 returning men and will be based on the Oxford House model in which each man will be
29 responsible for securing jobs and contributing to the costs of their daily expenses.
30 We are currently working to set up alliances with local churches to sponsor one individual in the
31 housing program and to help both financially and socially as a hands-on mentor. These
32 alliances will allow Reentry House to make this component of our program self-sufficient. It is
33 our expectation that we will be ready to accept men into the house in September of this year.
34
35 EDUCATION
36 But we named our organization Reentry House PLUS. The PLUS component is our
37 commitment to education and support to assure higher probability of success in reentry into
38 local society.
39
40 This educational component is possible due to an alliance with the SWIT team led by Tommy
41 Green, CHW, PSS (NC FIT)! and William Elmore, Outreach Specialist (Reintegration Support
42 Network). These men are past felons who have returned to local society as certified counselors
43 currently working for county and other non-profit organizations. Their program has been
44 successfully run for over 9 months with over 30 participant successes. Now they are ready to
45 ramp up their efforts with an alliance with Reentry House Plus providing the facility and overall
46 support and guidance.
47
48 Each teaching session contains up to 20 participants and is comprised of several classes taught
49 over a one-month period. One new element to the program includes a computer teaching lab
50 set up in the Reentry House in which job-related skills are taught.
11
1 But the most important element of the SWIT program is interaction with the staff who
2 themselves have been incarcerated and who have learned how to turn their experiences into life
3 changing opportunities for those involved in the program.
4
5 This program will welcome men and women from across the region and particularly Orange
6 County. Our pool will include individuals from the Local Reentry Council, Parole, Probation, AA
7 and NA graduates, and perhaps the Orange County Court System including the Family Drug
8 Court.
9
10 Each one-month program will cost $8,400- or$420 per participant. Under this program-
II understanding that the contribution from Orange County will not be applied to the housing
12 component of Reentry House Plus- a $30,000 grant would provide instruction and support for up
13 to 60 individuals in the Orange County area.
14
15
16 4. Adjournment
17 A motion was made by Commissioner Dorosin, seconded by Commissioner Marcoplos
18 to adjourn the meeting at 8:00 p.m.
19
20 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
21
22 Penny Rich, Chair
23
24
25 Donna S. Baker
26 Clerk to the Board
27
28 Submitted for approval by David Hunt, Deputy Clerk to the Board.
l
1
2
3 Attachment 4
4
5 DRAFT MINUTES
6 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
7 VIRTUAL BUDGET WORK SESSION
8 June 9, 2020
9 7:00 p.m.
10
11 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Virtual Budget Work Session on
12 Thursday, June 9, 2020 at 7:00 p.m.
13
14 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Rich and Commissioners Jamezetta
15 Bedford, Mark Dorosin, Sally Greene, Earl McKee, Mark Marcoplos, and Renee Price
16 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT:
17 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT:
18 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County
19 Manager Travis Myren and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (All other staff members will
20 be identified appropriately below)
21
22 Chair Rich called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
23 Chair Rich said there has been an uptick of Covid-19 cases in the state and
24 Orange County. She encouraged anyone who is not feeling well to get tested.
25 Chair Rich said she has had conversations about the pandemic with the Mayors,
26 the Legislative Delegation, and Congressman Price. She said there are concerns about
27 schools resuming in the fall, and also about governmental entities meeting again face-
28 to-face. She said there is hope of more government funding to help with Covid-19
29 related expenses.
30 Chair Rich referred to the amended Orange County Emergency Declaration
31 effective Friday, June 12 at 5:00 p.m., which does require masks.
32 Commissioner Marcoplos referred to his and Commissioner Dorosin's proposed
33 community forum on racism and policing, which many thought may be discussed this
34 evening. He said the proposed resolution will be discussed on the June 16" agenda,
35 and the desire is to have the Sheriff's department as a full and equal partner.
36 Chair Rich said the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) has been getting a
37 lot of emails about the Orange County Board of Commissioners defunding the police,
38 but the County does not have a police force. She said town police do not answer to the
39 BOCC, but rather to the local Mayors. She said in the County, the Sheriff is an elected
40 official, and does not answer to the BOCC. She said the County always works
41 collaboratively with the Sheriff's department, for example having body cameras.
42 Commissioner Dorosin said the community forum should happen soon, and
43 though the Sheriff is independently elected, the Orange County Board of
44 Commissioners controls his budget. He said there is much good being done, but also
45 much work yet to be done.
46 Chair Rich said she talked with the Sheriff before the Chapel Hill protest, and
47 invited him to attend the 161" meeting, in order to highlight some of the things the County
48 is doing.
49
50 Due to current public health concerns, the Board of Commissioners conducted a
51 Virtual Budget Work Session on June 9, 2020 utilizing Zoom. Members of the
52 Board of Commissioners participated in the meeting remotely. As in prior
53 meetings, members of the public were able to view and listen to the meeting via
2
1 live streaming video at orangecountync.gov/967/Meeting-Videos and on Orange
2 County Gov-TV on channels 1301 or 97.6 (Spectrum Cable).
3
4
5
6 1. Discussion of FY2020-21 Operating Budget
7
8 Travis Myren and Bonnie Hammersley presented the following information:
9
10 • Funding Decisions on the Operating Budget Amendment List
11 . Funding Decisions on the Other Funds Budget Amendment List
12 • Funding Decisions for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and Orange County
13 Schools
14 o Current Expense (Per Pupil)
15
16
17 2. Discussion of FY2020-25 Capital Investment Plan
18 • Funding Decisions on the Capital Investment Plan Amendment List
19 • Accept FY2020-25 Capital Investment Plan and Approve the Intent to Adopt
20 Capital Funding for FY2020-21
21
22 3. Discussion and Decision on the FY2020-21 County Fee Schedule
23
24
25 4. Discussion and Decision on the FY2020-21 Tax Rates
26 i. Ad Valorem Tax- 86.79cents
27
28 ii. Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Special District Tax
29 iii. Fire District Tax Rates
30
31
32
33 Amendment 001 and 002-
34 Commissioner Greene said the $20,000 is requested because the house needs
35 $30,000 by September 1, and a generous board member has a bought a house they
36 can lease, but they need $30,000 in the bank.
37 Commissioner Price said it is her understanding that the program applied
38 through the outside agency process, and did not make the cut.
39 Commissioner Greene said the program did not qualify because it had not
40 applied before, but their mission is so aligned with the justice work being done by the
41 County. She said there is so little reentry housing, and this is a more unique
42 organization. She said the requested money is for the rent, and the program plans for
43 its residents to be working and paying rent. She said this is start up funding.
44 Commissioner Price said the BOCC had an unofficial agreement to follow the
45 Manager's guidance. She said she supports the program, but her concern is the
46 $20,000 for a start up. She said she would like some sort of partnership for a year, to
47 insure it is sustainable.
48 Bonnie Hammersley said the outside agencies process was a little different this
49 year, and did not follow the typical formula. She said no new agencies were awarded
50 funding. She said if the Board approves this amendment, the program would have to
51 follow all outside agencies' processes and procedures.
52 Commissioner Price said she does not want it to look like the BOCC is giving
53 preferential treatment. She said perhaps the County could be more hands on in the
3
1 management of the funding, and this should be more of a partnership, as opposed to a
2 typical outside agency.
3 Chair Rich said she agreed with Commissioner Price, and does not want to give
4 funding to those who lobbied the BOCC, when others did not know that doing so was
5 even a possibility.
6 Commissioner Bedford said was originally leaning towards voting no, but the
7 entire process needs to be reviewed, due to covid-19. She said needs are more fluid
8 now, and she is making exception with this amendment and does support it.
9 Commissioner Dorosin asked if the social justice fund balance can be identified,
10 and if the funding need is time sensitive. He said it is a critical program that meets
11 social and justice needs.
12 Bonnie Hammersley said the balance is zero in 2019-20 budget.
13 Commissioner McKee said he will support the amendment, and the social justice
14 fund was created to give people a hand up.
15 Commissioner Greene said this program asked her a few months ago about
16 possibility of funding, and she suggested the outside agency process. She said she
17 could have just said for them to come forward and ask for funding from the social justice
18 fund.
19 Bonnie Hammersley said the BOCC should be careful that the social justice fund
20 does not become a bidding fund.
21 Commissioner Price said she tried to get funding for food programs years back,
22 and it was taken out of social services. She asked if this program could be a Covid-19
23 project, or be placed under the Criminal Justice Resource Department for the first year.
24 She said she would like to see this as a connection, and not just money.
25 Bonnie Hammersley said staff would always consider this program an outside
26 agency, and all are in partnership with the County. She said this contract, if passed, will
27 be assigned to a department head to insure County procedures are being followed.
28 Commissioner Price asked, if approved, the funds will be considered outside
29 agency or social justice.
30 Bonnie Hammersley said the funds would be transferred from the social justice
31 fund into this program, under the outside agencies.
32 Commissioner Marcoplos said he recognizes the need to be true to the outside
33 agency process, but this is the type of program for which the social justice fund was
34 created.
35 Chair Rich said she supports the program, but it should be following the outside
36 agency process. She said there are many agencies that need funding, but did not
37 receive it. She said second chance lobbying feels uncomfortable, and she feels guilty
38 that other programs may have missed out because of not lobbying for funds.
39
40 A motion was made by Commissioner Greene, seconded by Commissioner
41 Dorosin to approve the amendment
42
43 VOTE: Ayes, 6; Nays, 1 (Chair Rich)
44
45 AMENDMENT 003-
46 Commissioner McKee said he wants to rescind the Board's raises, especially in
47 light of Covid-19. He said it is the least the BOCC can do.
48 Commissioner Bedford agreed, and the BOCC wants to be leaders and show
49 solidarity with the employees by having no raises in budget.
50
51 A motion was made by Commissioner Bedford, seconded by Commissioner
52 McKee to approve the amendment
53
54 VOTE: Ayes, 6; Nays, 1 (Chair Rich)
55
4
1 Amendments 004, 005, 006, 007, 008, 009, 010
2 Commissioner Marcoplos said his thought was to start with Amendment 004: the
3 National Association of Counties (NACo). He said the information he receives from
4 NACo does not help him as a commissioner. He said he would like to see these dues
5 reallocated to the social justice fund.
6 Commissioner McKee said he feels the same about all of these entities: he does
7 not get a lot individually, but the County does receive benefits. He said the cost of the
8 memberships is very small, and he sees greater benefit in remaining a member of each
9 entity.
10 Commissioner McKee said he will oppose defunding each of these
11 memberships.
12 Commissioner Dorosin said these organizations provide different levels of
13 support to the County. He said he sees limited benefit from NACo, and North Carolina
14 Association of County Commissioners (NCACC); but the Triangle J Council of
15 Governments (TJCOG) and the School of Government (SOG) are closer to the County's
16 regions and needs, and provide valuable resources. He said he would like to know
17 more about what is actually received for each of these fees, and any savings are good
18 savings, if the expense is not providing value.
19 Commissioner Greene said she knows nothing about NACo.
20 Chair Rich said she is the Board's representative to NACo this year, and in the
21 past she was on the telecommunications committee, and became frustrated with the
22 organization. She said NACo does provide some value if one attends NACo
23 conferences for specific areas.
24 Commissioner Price said one gets out of NACo what one puts it into it. She has
25 been involved in different committees, and NACo is basically a lobbying organization.
26 She said one area of great impact was in housing funding, as well as arts and culture
27 being recognized as an economic driver. She said NCACC works in conjunction with
28 NACo and SOG, and the trainings offered by these entities are very valuable.
29 Bonnie Hammersley said from a staff viewpoint, NACo is directed toward elected
30 officials. She said NACo and NCACC are lobbying organizations, one on the national
31 level and one on the state level.
32 Commissioner Greene said the amount is under $3000/year, and Commissioner
33 Price's comments are helpful. She said many Commissioners are more conservative,
34 and the Orange County BOCC is typically not, and being heard is important.
35 Commissioner McKee agreed with Commissioner Greene, and said it is
36 important to continue to have a voice.
37 Commissioner Marcoplos said he does not think the BOCC has an impact on the
38 rural/urban divide by being a part of NACo, but perhaps it does by being a part of
39 NCACC.
40
41 A motion was made by Commissioner Marcoplos, seconded by Commissioner
42 Dorosin to defund NACo.
43
44 VOTE: Ayes, 2 (Commissioner Marcoplos and Commissioner Dorosin); Nays, 5
45 (Commissioner Price, Chair Rich, Commissioner Greene, Commissioner Bedford,
46 Commissioner McKee)
47
48 Amendment 006/007
49 Commissioner Marcoplos said he would like to know more about what benefits
50 are received from the SOG, and if it is useful.
51 Commissioner Dorosin asked if staff could identify what the $17,000+ dues are
52 for.
53 Bonnie Hammersley said she believes it is considered a contribution, as opposed
54 to a membership, and from a staff level, it is very valuable to local governments.
5
1 Commissioner Dorosin said asked if there is a process to determine the amount
2 of contribution that is made to the SOG. He said making a contribution does not
3 translate into reduced fees for conferences, and the SOG's mission is to serve the state
4 of North Carolina, and he thinks the school would offer help to anyone who calls,
5 regardless of having made a contribution or not.
6 Paul Laughton, Finance and Administrative Services, said population determines
7 the amount.
8 Chair Rich said she uses the SOG all the time, and it is a valuable resource.
9 Commissioner Dorosin said one can take classes even if not a contributor, and
10 this is a contribution to the University system, and maybe this year it would be wise to
11 cut the amount by $10,000.
12 Commissioner Greene asked if all are sure that one can take courses/training if
13 one is not a contributor. She said she thinks it is a great institution.
14 Commissioner Marcoplos said he is in favor of supporting the SOG, but
15 suggested reducing the contribution by $10,000 this year, due to Covid-19.
16 Commissioner Price said it is a valuable program, and the SOG is highly rated
17 throughout the country, and she would be hesitant to cut this funding without knowing
18 what this money is used for before.
19 Commissioner Dorosin said the SOG is a valuable resource, but it is supported
20 by the State, is a part of the University system, and it charges fees for its courses.
21 Bonnie Hammersley said she was sent information from a staff person, which
22 she read, and it defined the County funds as "membership dues". She said staff can
23 find out more and let the Board know.
24 Commissioner Bedford said, as a new commissioner, she found the orientation
25 very beneficial, and she took another course and felt the same. She said she will not
26 support this amendment.
27 Commissioner Price said the classes that are made available to the BOCC are
28 conducted specifically for elected officials. She said these funds help defray the costs
29 of their resources, and she will vote against the amendment.
30 Commissioner McKee said it is important to focus on the amendment, rather
31 than making amendments to amendments. He said the funding supports the SOG. He
32 said it is done fairly, and he will not support this amendment.
33 Paul Laughton said the Orange County Board of Commissioners does have a
34 contingency amount, and this item could be placed there while staff gathers more
35 information and the BOCC could make a final decision in the fall.
36
37 A motion was made by Commissioner Marcoplos, seconded by Commissioner
38 Dorosin to endorse being connected to the SOG, but due to this being a Covid year to
39 defunding by $10,000 and put funds in the Orange County Board of Commissioners
40 Contingency fund and paying the remainder to SOG, while ascertaining if we have the
41 access to their resources, and if need be pay the rest to the SOG.
42
43 Commissioner Greene said the funding amount is determined by the SOG's
44 funding model, and this amendment does not seem equitable.
45 Chair Rich said it is important during this time to find exactly what the funds are
46 being used for.
47
48 VOTE: Ayes, 2 (Commissioner Marcoplos and Commissioner Dorosin); Nays, 5
49 (Commissioner McKee, Chair Rich, Commissioner Price, Commissioner Greene
50 Commissioner Bedford)
51
52 Amendment 009/010 - Defund NCACC
53 Commissioner Marcoplos said he has attended a few NCACC conferences, and
54 would like to know NCACC's impact on the legislature.
6
1 Commissioner Bedford said NCACC provides an opportunity to work across the
2 aisles, and this group directly benefits counties.
3 Commissioner Greene said Attorney General Stein was approached about the
4 opioid legislation, and any possible payout, he approached the NCACC for ideas and
5 partnership. She said there is value in this membership.
6 Commissioner Marcoplos pulled the amendment.
7
8 Amendment: 011 -TJCOG
9
10 Commissioner Marcoplos pulled the amendment.
11
12 Amendment 012/013— debt service
13 Travis Myren said these amendments are revisions of staff expectations, and the
14 County is enjoying lower interest rates than expected.
15 Commissioner Dorosin asked if the allocation of these saved funds could be
16 identified.
17 Travis Myren referred to the bottom of the pink sheet, and said the balance
18 would be $191,140. He said if these funds remain undesignated, the default action
19 would be to reduce the amount of general fund being used to balance the budget.
20 Commissioner Dorosin said the County would take less out of the fund balance,
21 as opposed to having an extra $191,140 to use for other things.
22 Travis Myren said there is this additional funding should the BOCC choose to
23 allocate it.
24 Bonnie Hammersley said it is the fund balance, and not the reserve.
25
26 A motion was made by Commissioner Bedford, seconded by Commissioner
27 Price to approve this amendment.
28
29 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
30
31 Amendment 014
32 Chair Rich said the County is not delivering the sound basic education to all of
33 the students in the County, and one example is lack of Internet. She gave examples of
34 how remote learning has not worked for many students. She said the Article 46 sales
35 tax revenue will be reduced, so there will not be as much funding available for
36 technology. She said minority communities will be most affected by this, and the Board
37 of County Commissioners (BOCC) should help, in order to hold the schools harmless as
38 they determine how to navigate these unusual times. She said the schools have
39 provided the devices in many cases, but this equipment is useless without access to the
40 Internet. She said without this fund, the BOCC is doing a disservice to the community,
41 and is not providing an equitable education to all in the County.
42 Commissioner Price asked if anyone will be accountable for this funding, and if
43 there is a reason that the monies are not going directly to the schools. She said she
44 does not see how this will help, and if students do not have broadband, this funding will
45 not provide broadband.
46 Commissioner Price said the Board does need to review its agreement with the
47 library, but she does not want to cut the funds to the Chapel Hill Library as the funding is
48 for the programs. She said libraries were one of the first steps to desegregation, and
49 libraries continue to give access to all, and are the hub of equity. She said she does not
50 see the point in the amendment, and will vote against it. She said additional funding will
51 be needed by the schools, and hot spots are a very expensive band aid.
52 Chair Rich said the emergency education fund is to help with broadband, and is
53 for the County to help the schools for additional technology needs.
54 Commissioner Price said the County cannot lay broadband lines.
7
1 Chair Rich no, the County cannot do that, due to the general assembly. She
2 said if the County goes back into lock down, students will not be able to get to the
3 library.
4 Commissioner Price said she does not understand how this funding will help.
5 Chair Rich said the funds could be used in many creative ways, such as lighting
6 up a bus and sending it in to a neighborhood. She said children without Internet access
7 are going to fall behind, and this funding is to help address the gap. She said the
8 County is responsible for these children's education.
9 Commissioner Bedford said she appreciated the concerns for the students, but
10 she does not think cutting the library fund is the best way to meet the need. She said
11 Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) has a large fund balance that could be
12 tapped into. She said the rural schools do not have as much excess funding, but there
13 is some, as well as expected relief funding from the CARES Act. She said she would
14 leave the library funding alone, and use the $191,000 to set up a reserve, if necessary.
15 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if Chair Rich envisions using these funds for
16 things other than just technology, as there will be so many emergency needs that will
17 arise going forward. He said an emergency fund is a good idea.
18 Commissioner Dorosin echoed Commissioner Marcoplos and Commissioner
19 Bedford, and said he liked the conversation being started about this amendment. He
20 said the Southern Library will be coming on line in a couple of years, and there has to be
21 a conversation about the Chapel Hill library and the County libraries, as the user
22 numbers will likely shift greatly with the new library being available. He said he also
23 likes the idea of an emergency education fund in these unusual times, and agrees there
24 will be many needs, not just technology. He said the County has been giving money to
25 the Chapel Hill library, which has been closed for the past three months, and asked if
26 there are any savings to be realized there.
27 Commissioner Greene said an equitable fund is needed now, but may not be
28 needed in a couple of years. She said she would not be in favor of cutting library
29 funding now, and there should be ongoing discussions in the fall.
30 Chair Rich said the Board has no agreement with Chapel Hill regarding the
31 library now, because the agreement ran out in 2015. She said the library was going to
32 ask the BOCC for more money this budget season, and that is why she started doing
33 some research on this issue. She said it is important to understand circulation numbers,
34 rather than active member numbers. She said the Board gives a lot of money to the
35 library (over$500,000), and has no say in how it is spent, and there is no interoperability
36 between the County and the City libraries. She said the Chapel Hill library is a great
37 resource for those in the southern part of the County, but an education fund that is
38 managed by the County is needed to serve all children. She said the Board must deliver
39 a sound basic education to every child in the County, and right now the Board is failing
40 to do so.
41 Commissioner McKee said the agreement that continued on after 2015 was by
42 default. He said the members of the Chapel Hill Board and Orange County Board of
43 Commissioners need to sit down and figure out what should Orange County pay. He
44 said he would rather do this by negotiation, and not by budget amendment.
45 Commissioner Greene said she was last involved in discussions in 2015, from
46 the Chapel Hill side, and she thought the conclusion at that time was to have seamless
47 integration between the library systems. She said she is surprised that this has not
48 happened. She said the problem with broadband is acute, but that is a separate issue
49 from the library.
50 Commissioner Price said there has been some interoperability. She said she
51 feels that this amendment is not spelled out enough for her. She said she does support
52 an emergency fund for education, but if students can have access to the library, there
53 are many resources available. She said the BOCC should talk with the school boards to
54 determine how best to meet their emergency needs, but using library funds is not the
8
1 way to proceed. She said conversations with the town library are important to have, and
2 funding likely will decrease as the southern branch comes online.
3 Chair Rich said she spoke with school leadership, and students need to simply
4 have access to the Internet. She said until all students can access the Internet, the
5 County is not serving children equitably.
6 Commissioner Price said she asked the schools if more hot spots are needed,
7 and the schools said no. She said teachers need to be involved in the conversation
8 about what is really needed.
9 Commissioner Bedford said Verizon has a program to help students without
10 access.
11 Commissioner Bedford said there needs to be a work group, before spending
12 money on the southern library. She said discussions about interoperability are very
13 important.
14
15 A motion was made by Chair Rich, seconded by Commissioner Marcoplos to
16 approve Amendment 014.
17
18 VOTE: Ayes, 2 (Chair Rich and Commissioner Marcoplos); Nays, 5
19 (Commissioner McKee Commissioner Price Commissioner Greene Commissioner
20 Bedford Commissioner Dorosin)
21
22 Commissioner McKee said the idea of an education fund is important, and he
23 would support using the funds generated by the quarter cent climate mitigation tax for
24 this purpose.
25 Chair Rich thanked Commissioner McKee, but said she will not make such a
26 motion.
27 Commissioner Dorosin said he hopes staff is keeping track of all the issues on
28 which the BOCC needs to follow up in the fall.
29
30 Amendments 017/018/019/020
31
32 A motion was made by Commissioner Bedford, seconded by Commissioner
33 Price to approve Amendments 017/018/019/020.
34
35 Commissioner Dorosin asked if there is a reason that tracking software costs
36 $35,000, and if this would be a pre-existing program, or one being made from scratch.
37 Travis Myren said software can be very expensive, and this cost is relatively low,
38 comparatively. He said the base software already exists, but it would need
39 modifications.
40 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if this funding will come from a particular area.
41 Travis Myren said it would be counted against the debt service savings.
42
43 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
44
45 Amendment 021
46 Travis Myren said Commissioner Marcoplos proposed an amendment to fund a
47 phase 2 feasibility study of operations and maintenance of a skilled construction trades
48 center.
49 Commissioner Marcoplos explained the center, and said it has been discussed
50 for well over a year, with many stakeholders. He said the County awarded $25,000
51 previously for an initial study, which was very informative. He said the next steps are to
52 identify which grants are the most promising to fund some of the option identified in the
53 initial study. He said time is of the essence, due to the availability of Covid-19 funding,
54 and this could very advantageous to the progress of this project. He said these funds
55 would pay for a study of the grant landscape, and getting some work done on a grant or
9
1 two. He said the amount would not exceed $25,000, and this is a great opportunity with
2 well-recognized needs.
3 Commissioner Price asked if anyone else is putting funding into this, and who is
4 involved.
5 Commissioner Marcoplos said Durham Tech, the school systems, UNC facility
6 manager, builders and developers in the area, homebuilders associations, etc. are
7 involved.
8 Commissioner Price asked if any of these entities are providing matching funds.
9 Commissioner Marcoplos said no.
10 Commissioner Price said she was interested in the funding.
11 Commissioner Marcoplos said he is not aware of any identified funds at this time
12 other than the County's funding.
13 Commissioner Bedford said the proposal sounds very interesting, but she would
14 prefer to wait until September to discuss it. She said it is hard to write grants when the
15 option has not been determined.
16 Commissioner Bedford said if the process does move forward, she would
17 support hiring a professional grant writer, but that is getting ahead of themselves. She
18 said it is premature to look at grant funds, when it is not clear what is needed and what
19 is the best option to pursue.
20 Commissioner Marcoplos said he disagreed, and if the BOCC reads the report it
21 would be able to see the options have been narrowed down to just a few viable ones.
22 He said the first step is to know which grant opportunities are worth pursuing, and the
23 initial report writer has grant writing experience, as well as connections to this
24 community. He said the Covid funding could be crucial to jump starting this project.
25 Commissioner Bedford said she read the report, and there are four options.
26
27 A motion was made by Commissioner Marcoplos to approve Amendment 021.
28
29 Commissioner Greene said she has not had a chance to read the full report, and
30 the pros and cons are not clear to her. She said she would be happy to consider it in
31 the fall.
32 Commissioner Marcoplos said the report was sent out a while ago, and he
33 should have flagged it more strongly to have the BOCC read it.
34
35 NO SECOND
36 Motion failed.
37
38 Commissioner McKee asked if staff could monitor these Covid-19 grants.
39 Chair Rich said staff is already doing so, and tracking all Covid related expenses
40 and funds is critical.
41 Commissioner McKee said he meant to monitor the grant deadlines, and bring
42 this topic back in September.
43 Commissioner Marcoplos encouraged everyone to sit in on these meetings, to
44 observe the level of commitment and progress.
45
46 School Amendments — none
47
48 Commissioner Dorosin asked if the BOCC wants to make a motion to use the
49 $191,000 for schools. He said he would be open to give these monies to the schools,
50 with a 60/40 split.
51
52 A motion was made by Commissioner Dorosin, seconded by Commissioner
53 Greene to give the $191,000 to the schools at the 60/40 split.
54
10
1 Commissioner Bedford said given the schools' fund balances, she would suggest
2 moving the monies to the social justice fund.
3 Commissioner Price asked if the 2020-21 social justice fund balance could be
4 identified.
5 Travis Myren said $180,000, given Commissioner Greene's earlier amendment.
6 Commissioner McKee said given the uncertainty in the world, he would endorse
7 Commissioner Bedford's suggestion to move monies to the social justice fund. He
8 asked Commissioner Dorosin if he would accept a friendly amendment.
9 Chair Rich said to take a vote on the existing motion first. She said she would
10 support this for the schools to use for emergency needs, especially broadband.
11 Commissioner Bedford said to let the schools use these funds as needed with no
12 limitations.
13 Chair Rich said yes, absolutely.
14 Commissioner Bedford said she assumes there will be nutritional needs in the
15 fall.
16 Commissioner Price said she will support this if the schools are able to use the
17 funds as they best see fit.
18 Chair Rich said these funds would hold the schools harmless with the article 46
19 tax, which makes her feel better.
20
21 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
22
23 CAPITAL BUDGET AMENDMENTS - green sheet
24 Amendment 001
25
26 Travis Myren said there are two amendments that are very similar, and there are
27 three columns that lay out the ways to achieve the amendments' goals.
28 Commissioner Price said Durham Tech will be critical to getting through, and
29 past, this pandemic, as community colleges fill many roles. She said she does not want
30 to touch the conservation easements, and is unsure of the technology needs. She said
31 she is open to suggestions for years 2 and 3. She said it may not be necessary to
32 spend the entire $1 million in year 1, and she just wants to get the process started.
33 Commissioner Dorosin said he and Commissioner Price have the same goal,
34 and the differences lie in the projects each is proposing to delay to accomplish the goal.
35 He said both are seeking to offer offsetting savings for the moved up costs. He referred
36 to the total impacts, and his is $26 million, which is dollar for dollar offset. He said if
37 there is interest in moving the project up, the BOCC could vote first on the areas where
38 he and Commissioner Price agree, and then go through the differences. He, too, said
39 he is open to suggestions for how to find offsetting costs. He said he sent an
40 amendment to his amendment, which reduces the amount funding taken from lands
41 legacy and conservation easements. He echoed Commissioner Price's comments
42 about the critical role of community colleges in a post Covid world, and said Orange
43 County needs to be poised to serve the needs. He said this amendment directly
44 impacts issues of racial and social justice, as most of Durham Tech's students are
45 students of color, and many receive financial aid. He said Durham Tech must be
46 considered as an equally important part of Orange County's educational system. He
47 said many students will be seeking cost effective alternatives to four year institutions, as
48 well as vocational training, and retraining.
49 Commissioner Dorosin said Durham Tech recently hired a new president, and its
50 board is eager to see growth in Orange County. He said the Orange County campus is
51 unique, with the UNC Hospital being located across the street. He said all factors
52 combined make this is a unique opportunity for valuable investment. He said the BOCC
53 can always revisit the project for any reason, if a pause or change is needed, but it is
54 important for the BOCC to make a commitment. He said Orange County has been, and
11
1 will continue to be, committed to land preservation, and he thinks it is time to show equal
2 commitment to this type of education.
3 Commissioner Price said Orange County has a unique relationship between
4 education and economic development, and this conversation about another building has
5 been ongoing for years, and even more so when the hospital was built. She said
6 earning a GED is free at Durham Tech, and affords many people a wonderful
7 opportunity. She said students can transfer credits to a four year college, which levels
8 the playing field for many who could not afford the traditional college route.
9 Commissioner Marcoplos said he recognizes the dire need for vocational
10 training, and would like to see this project move forward. He said he would like to find a
11 way to get the planning done, but maybe look at the rest of the funding thereafter. He
12 said the Board does not know what the implications of taking funding from these
13 different other CIP projects would have, and he would never support taking funding from
14 lands legacy.
15 Commissioner McKee said he appreciated both Commissioner Price and
16 Dorosin's efforts, but the BOCC needs to spend more time discussing these proposals,
17 as there are many projects he will not defund. He said he would support delaying this
18 discussion until the fall for next year's budget, because of all of the uncertainty around
19 the County's finances, and the economy at large, due to Covid. He said he fully
20 supports vocational training, but he cannot support these proposed offsetting costs.
21 Commissioner Greene said she has come to believe that this issue should be
22 made more urgent, and she appreciates Commissioner Dorosin's reduction in the
23 conservation offsets, but that is probably the only offset she cannot support. She said
24 she can support a pause on parks, but wants to know if this amendment can be
25 achieved without touching the lands legacy and conservation easement monies.
26 Commissioner Price said her plan does not take funding from the lands legacy or
27 conservation easements. She said she took funds from areas that seemed able to wait.
28 She said she does not want to defund the parks, but rather wants to delay them. She
29 said the parks already exist, and she is proposing delaying modifications to them. She
30 said delaying the parks will not close them down. She said she was unsure about years
31 2 and 3, but staff said numbers needed to be plugged in. She said the future is
32 uncertain, and she is open to suggestions.
33 Commissioner Bedford said she in her first year as a Commissioner, the 911
34 center moved multiple times, and the link center is condemned. She said there needs to
35 be some wiggle room for the upcoming hurricane season. She said the County is about
36 to do a study of County needs, which is important, and she would prefer to wait until that
37 is completed before a plan is made. She said she would like to have all needs
38 integrated into the County budget. She said post secondary education is in transition,
39 and much more will be known in a year, and she would prefer to wait and see, as well as
40 allow the new president time to get acclimated to the role and the community. She said
41 the budget has no wiggle room, and any delays that can be put in place to allow staff
42 flexibility are important. She said she does not think the County can afford to do this
43 right now, and the BOCC should be cautious. She said there are more immediate ways
44 to help those negatively affected by Covid, and she will not support this amendment.
45 Commissioner Marcoplos said Twin Creeks has not been built yet, and has been
46 on the books for 13 years. He said Governor Cooper wants to put an education
47 referendum on the ballot, which likely will not happen this year, with $5 million going to
48 Durham Tech. He said would support doing the study now.
49 Commissioner Greene asked if there is a response from Durham Tech about the
50 possible transition to more online learning being needed in the future.
51 Commissioner Dorosin said online learning is evolving, but additional physical
52 capacity will still be needed at the Orange County Campus. He said the County needs
53 to make a commitment in order to have the voice it wants on the Durham Tech board.
54 He said he provided offsetting cuts to be able to afford this project. He said saving
55 money in the capital budget does not put the money in the operating budget.
12
1 Commissioner Dorosin referred to Commissioner McKee's concern about not
2 being able to pause once started, and he disagreed. He said the process can be
3 paused at any time, if necessary. He referred to the uncertainty of the County's
4 finances, and said the financial commitment is the same whether the Board approves
5 the Manager's recommended budget or approves this amendment, which has a dollar
6 for dollar substitution for the costs. He said parks are a priority but so is the community
7 college. He said he would like to start this project, and changes can be made as
8 necessary, as with every project.
9 Chair Rich said she would like to support this, and feels Durham Tech is a top
10 priority. She asked if the BOCC does not use land legacy or conservation monies, from
11 where would the funding come. She said using funds from this area is her only concern
12 on this proposal.
13 Commissioner Dorosin reminded the BOCC that he is no longer recommending
14 as much funds be removed from lands legacy and conservation.
15 Commissioner McKee said this discussion is complicated, and should be had in
16 the fall. He said the BOCC can pause a project, but he does not think the BOCC should
17 start a $26 million project without planned follow through. He said the Board is talking
18 about accelerating this project, not delaying it.
19 Commissioner Bedford said canceling a CIP project from this year does not free
20 up monies until the following year. She said the same underserved population that is
21 served by Durham Tech, also use the parks, and she is not willing to make the trade off
22 with the parks funding.
23 Commissioner McKee asked Commissioner Dorosin if he could identify from
24 where the other $14 million is coming.
25 Travis Myren referred to slide 16, and said in years 4 and 5, there is $4 million
26 plus the $3 million, plus a few additional projects that Commissioner Dorosin removed,
27 which Commissioner Price did not.
28 Commissioner McKee said it moves the savings out additional years.
29 Travis Myren said yes.
30 Commissioner McKee asked if taxpayers can be assured in future years that the
31 BOCC will accrue the savings, rather than impose a tax increase.
32 Commissioner Dorosin said that is true every year, and it has no bearing on the
33 amendment.
34 Commissioner McKee said if you are going to cut it half, and delay it, it seems
35 moot.
36 Commissioner Dorosin said it takes out $26 million, and it adds $26 million.
37 Commissioner McKee said there is no guarantee that the $26 million will stay
38 out. He said he does not want to the Board to talk about offsetting costs with savings,
39 without assurances of the savings.
40 Commissioner Dorosin said that cannot be assured any year.
41 Commissioner McKee said his point is that the discussion should be held later in
42 the year, to allow for in depth discussion, and public input. He said he supports the
43 project, but does not want to accelerate it.
44 Travis Myren put up slide 17.
45 Commissioner Dorosin said the slide shows that this is a fiscally responsible
46 proposal.
47 Chair Rich said the BOCC should try and reach a conclusion on this discussion.
48 She asked if the lands legacy and conservation cuts be identified.
49 Commissioner Dorosin said his most current proposal includes $1.25 million from
50 these areas.
51
52 A motion was made by Commissioner Dorosin, seconded by Commissioner
53 Price to add CIP amendments 001/007.
54
13
1 VOTE: Ayes, 4 (Commissioner Dorosin, Commissioner Price, Commissioner
2 Greene, Chair Rich); Nays, 3 (Commissioner Bedford, Commissioner McKee,
3 Commissioner Marcoplos)
4
5 Amendments 002/009
6
7 A motion was made by Commissioner Dorosin, seconded by Commissioner
8 Price to approve these amendments.
9
10 VOTE: Ayes, 4 (Commissioner Dorosin, Chair Rich, Commissioner Price,
11 Commissioner Greene); Nays, 3 (Commissioner Bedford, Commissioner
12 Marcoplos, Commissioner McKee)
13
14 Amendments 003/011
15
16 A motion was made by Commissioner Dorosin, seconded by Commissioner
17 Price to approve these amendments.
18
19 VOTE: Ayes, 4 (Commissioner Dorosin, Chair Rich, Commissioner Price,
20 Commissioner Greene); Nays, 3 (Commissioner Bedford, Commissioner
21 Marcoplos, Commissioner McKee)
22
23 A motion was made by Commissioner Dorosin to approve this amended
24 amendment - slide 13 - the projects listed in his column to be delayed.
25
26 Chair Rich proposed a friendly amendment to take out conservation easements.
27
28 A motion was made by Commissioner Dorosin, seconded by Commissioner
29 Greene to approve these amendments with the conservation easements removed.
30
31 VOTE: Ayes, 3 (Chair Rich, Commissioner Greene, Commissioner Dorosin); Nays,
32 4 (Commissioner Price, Commissioner Bedford, Commissioner McKee,
33 Commissioner Marcoplos)
34
35 Commissioner Price said she is not comfortable taking monies out of IT.
36 Commissioner Dorosin proposed taking $500,000 out of IT instead.
37 Commissioner Price asked if IT needs could be identified.
38 Travis Myren said there are three things going on: cybersecurity, laptop
39 replacements, and routine upgrades.
40
41 A motion was made by Commissioner Dorosin, seconded by Commissioner
42 Price to approve that column and revising the cut to IT to $500,000.
43
44 VOTE: Ayes, 4 (Commissioner Price, Commissioner Dorosin, Chair Rich,
45 Commissioner Greene); Nays, 3 (Commissioner Bedford, Commissioner McKee,
46 Commissioner Marcoplos)
47
48 A motion was made by Commissioner Dorosin, seconded by Commissioner
49 Greene to make the delays in the Dorosin column, with lands legacy taken out (slide14).
50
51 Commissioner Price asked if the IT funding is additional to the previous motion.
52 Paul Laughton, Financial and Administrative Services, said yes, and it is software
53 and infrastructure upgrades, cyber security, and equipment replacements. He said year
14
1 staff has regular IT updates and maintenance to keep up to date. He said the motion
2 would reduce IT greatly.
3 Commissioner McKee said the Board cannot continue to strip the IT budget, and
4 the Board is entering down a rabbit hole here.
5 Commissioner Greene said she shares the same concern, and withdrew her
6 second.
7 Commissioner Price said she cannot support it.
8
9 No second
10 MOTION FAILS
11
12 Commissioner Price asked if the Board is locked into $26 million.
13 Commissioner Dorosin said the Board just voted to approve it.
14 Bonnie Hammersley said the amount is up to the board.
15
16 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner
17 Marcoplos to table this item until second meeting in September so this topic can be fully
18 researched.
19
20 Chair Rich said the Board has passed many of these things.
21 Commissioner McKee said the Board has passed them, but not funded them.
22 Commissioner Dorosin said the Board has already voted affirmatively, and
23 cannot undo that vote. He said the Board can vote against it at the June 16 meeting
24 during the final budget vote.
25 Commissioner McKee said the Board needs to have a much less convoluted
26 process and discussion. He said two different scenarios have been proposed, and the
27 Board is trying to mix and match to find a way to fund these approved changes. He said
28 a Commissioner who voted favorable to move the projects up could make a motion to
29 rescind that vote, thus allowing the BOCC to table to discussion.
30 Commissioner Dorosin said the BOCC would need to revote in order to table the
31 discussion with the delays on year one. He said he would like the Board to review the
32 slide with his proposed cuts, and have the Board vote on each one, up or down.
33 Commissioner McKee said Commissioner Dorosin is pushing an item that does
34 not have a plan to bring it to fruition.
35 Commissioner Marcoplos said he would like to support the Durham Tech
36 expansion, but he wants to understand the implications of each of these cost offsets,
37 and how they will impact the community. He said he would like to review each proposed
38 cut, so that he can be fully informed on the rationale for his vote. He said this will likely
39 take a few work sessions.
40 Chair Rich said the Board already passed pushing this forward, as well as the
41 first year of funding.
42 Commissioner Greene said the question is if the Board has to commit the money
43 now, or can it do so after the budget is approved.
44 Travis Myren said the Board can approve the appropriation of year one, and
45 accept the rest of the plan, which can always be amended in September.
46 Chair Rich said the Board has approved year one to move up, etc.
47 Bonnie Hammersley said the Board has also approved $14 million and $11
48 million in years two and three. She said if the Board is going to offset these amounts, it
49 needs to do before the County goes out for borrowing, otherwise the rating agencies will
50 see this negatively. She said rating agencies will not be contacted until spring 2021, so
51 the Board could make changes in the fall. She said without these amounts being offset,
52 the rating agencies will expect to see a tax increase in future years to cover the costs.
53 Commissioner Greene suggested holding some work sessions before June 301"
54 the final date by which the Board must have an approved budget.
15
1 Commissioner Marcoplos said if the BOCC can fund the planning, and defer the
2 cuts, he would be supportive.
3 Commissioner Dorosin said the Board has already covered year one.
4 Commissioner Price asked if the Board could finish years 2 and 3 in September.
5 Bonnie Hammersley said yes, as long as a plan can be in place prior to the
6 County going out for borrowing.
7 Travis Myren said the Board should be mindful that if just the planning is in the
8 budget, the Local Government Commission (LGC) will not allow the County to borrow for
9 just the planning, unless there is a capital project following, so the Board will need the
10 full plan to be resolved in the fall.
11 Commissioner Price asked if the park monies would stay in the budget until next
12 week.
13 Travis Myren said yes.
14 Chair Rich said to come back in September to find the money.
15 Commissioner Bedford asked if it is allowed to do year one now, and put the
16 year 2 and 3 in years in years 6 and 7 of the CIP, so that the BOCC can adopt a CIP; or
17 does the LGC require the BOCC to have a plan that includes three sequential years.
18 Travis Myren said the Board would have to have the project budgeted within a
19 reasonable time, and spring would be sufficient. He said the Board cannot put the rest
20 of the project in years 6 and 7.
21
22 A motion was made by Commissioner Price to come back in September to work
23 out the funding for years 2 and 3.
24
25 Commissioner Dorosin asked if the Board cut $1 million out of year one.
26 Commissioner Price said yes.
27 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if he could be reminded of how this $1 million
28 was accounted for.
29 Travis Myren showed slide 13, with offsetting cuts in the morgue, partial IT, etc.
30
31 Commissioner Greene seconded the motion.
32
33 Commissioner Marcoplos said he cannot support any of these cuts without more
34 discussion.
35 Chair Rich said these cuts have already passed.
36 Commissioner Marcoplos said he is uncomfortable with the haste of these
37 discussions.
38 Chair Rich said the Board is voting on what was passed tonight, including cuts,
39 and having more discussion in September.
40 Commissioner McKee said this is crazy.
41 Commissioner Bedford clarified that the Board is required to pass a balanced
42 budget.
43 Bonnie Hammersley said the Board only passed year one.
44 Commissioner McKee asked if year one is balanced.
45 Bonnie Hammersley said yes.
46
47 VOTE: Ayes, 3 (Commissioner Price, Chair Rich, Commissioner Greene); Nays, 4
48 Commissioner Bedford, Commissioner Marcoplos, Commissioner McKee,
49 Commissioner Dorosin
50
51 Impasse
52
53 Commissioner Dorosin reiterated his suggestion of going line by line.
54 No Board members were interested in doing so.
16
1 Commissioner McKee respectfully requested one of the affirmative voters, to
2 move the project to years 1, 2 and 3, rescind the motion to move the project up.
3 Commissioner Dorosin said he would change his vote on the previous motion.
4
5 Motion again to move it.
6
7 A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Greene
8 to move the discussion of years 2 and 3 to September.
9
10 VOTE: Ayes, 4 (Commissioner Dorosin Commissioner Greene Commissioner
11 Price Chair Rich); Nays, 3 (Commissioner Bedford Commissioner McKee
12 Commissioner Marcoplos)
13
14 Slide 18- Travis Myren — no amendments to County Fee schedule
15
Fund ($20,000)to
support a new
nonprofit Reentry
House Plus, Inc. that
CommissionerOutside is in the process of
20-210P-001 Greene Agencies opening a reentry $20,000.00 $20,000.00
house for men
emerging from their
sentences at Orange
Correctional.
Use $20,000 from
the Social Justice
20-21 OP-002 Commissioner Human Fund to support the $(20,000.00 $0.00
Greene Services new nonprofit
Reentry House Plus,
Inc.
17
Repeal the salary
increase for
Commission Commissioners
20-21OP-003 er Bedford BOCC effective December $(12,710.00) ($12,710.00)
Commission 1, 2020. The cost
er McKee is $12,710.00
including FICA and
retirement.
Eliminate funding for
Commission the National
20-21OP-004 er Marcoplos BOCC Association of $ (2,666.00) ($15,376.00)
Counties (NACo)
membership dues.
Direct funds
Commission Human allocated for NACo
20-21OP-005 er Marcoplos Services memberships dues $ 2,666.00 ($12,710.00)
to the Social Justice
Fund.
Eliminate funding for
Commission the UNC School of
20-21OP-006 er Marcoplos BOCC Government (UNC- $ (17,168.00) $ (29,878.00)
SOG) membership
dues.
Direct funds
Commission allocated for UNC-
20-21OP-007 er Marcoplos Human Serices SOG memberships $ 17,168.00 $ (12,710.00)
dues to the Social
Justice Fund.
Eliminate funding for
the North Carolina
Commission Association of
20-21OP-008 er Marcoplos BOCC County $ (12,755.00) $ (25,465.00)
Commissioners
(NCACC)
membership dues.
20-21 OP-009 Commission Human Direct funds $ 12,755.00 $ (12,710.00)
er Marcoplos Services allocated for NCACC
18
memberships dues
to the Social Justice
Fund.
Commission Eliminate funding for
20-21 OP-010 er Marcoplos BOCC the Triangle J $ (22,213.00) $ (34,923.00)
membership
Direct funds
Commission allocated Triangle J
20-21 OP-011 er Marcoplos Human Servies membership dues to $ 22,213.00 $ (12,710.00)
the Social Justice
Fund.
TotalAmendment Sponsor Department Amendment Amount General Fund
20-21OP-012 Staff Debt Service Reduce Debt $(209,779.00) $ (222,489.00)
Service Payments
in FY 20-21 due to
lower interest rate
realized as part of
the G.O. Bond
issuance in May
2020
20-21OP-013 Staff Transfer to Reduce County $ (3,654.00) $ (226,143.00)
Affordable match to the
Houisng HOME Program as
Initiatives/Co a result of a
mmunity calculation error in
Development determining the
Fund match requirement
Suspend the
Commission Non- $568,139 proposed
20-21OP-014 er Rich Departmental for the Chapel Hill $(568,139.00) $ (794,282.00)
Library in FY 2020-
21
Set up a COVID
focused "Education
Fund"to assist
students in need of
technology and
20-21OP-015 Commission Education broadband in both $ 500,000.00 $ (294,282.00)
er Rich districts, in order to
prevent the
opportunity gap from
growing larger during
the COVID-19
pandemic
19
Set up a fund to
assist non-Chapel
Hill residents (on a
sliding scale) with a
20-21OP-016 Commission Non- household library $ 68,139.00 $ (226,143.00)
er Rich Departmental card if Chapel Hill
decides to charge a
fee for the use of the
library by non-
Chapel Hill residents
Fund the
development of a
Racial Equity Index
Platform to track
20-21OP-017 Staff Human Rights progress of the $ $ (191,143.00)
& Relations County's racial 35,000.00
equity initiatives, and
to follow trends in
racial disparities
Receipt of$410,000
in Article 46 Sales
Article 46 Sales Tax Small Business
20-21OP-018 Staff Loan Funds to be $ (191,143.00)
Tax Fund used for Emergency $410,000.00
Grants to small
businesses
Reduce the Visitors
20-21OP-019 Staff Visitors Bureau Bureau Fund $ (191,143.00) $(19,308.00)
Fund expenditure budget
by$19,308 to correct
20
an error related to
indirect cost
allocation
Increase the Solid
Waste Enterprise
Fund expenditure
20-21OP-020 Staff Solid Waste budget by$475,000 $ (191,143.00)
Enterprise Fund to reflect the Transfer $475,000.00
of funds to the
General Fund as an
expense
Fund Phase II
Commissio Feasibililty Study of
Non- Operations and $
20-21OP-021 ner $(171,143.0
Marco los Departmental Maintenance of a 20,000.00 0
p Skilled Construction )
Trades Center
1 CAPITAL BUDGET AMENDMENTS
2
Total Commissioner
Commissioner Price
Project Amendment Expenditure Dorosin
Amendment
Amount Amendment
Move the Durham
Durham Tech Tech Expansion
Expansion Project Planning up $ $
Project to Year 1 1,000,000 1,000,000 $ 1,000,000
Move the Durham
Durham Tech Tech Expansion
Expansion Project Phase 2 up $ $
Project to Year 2 14,000,000 14,000,000 $ 14,000,000
Move the Durham
Durham Tech Tech Expansion
Expansion Project Phase 3 up $ $
Project to Year 3 11,547,911 11,547,911 $ 11,547,911
Total 126,547,911 26,547,911 $ 26,547,911
21
Commissioner
Dorosin
Amendment Total Amendment Commissioner Price Amendment Notes
Expenditure Amount Financing Impact
Financing
Impact
Delay the following CIP projects from Year 1 (FY 20-21) to Years 6-10
Conservation $ $
Easements (1,000,000) (500,000) $ - $500,000 County Portion
Roofing Projects— $ $
Library Design (25,000) (25,000) $ (25,000) Project Withdrawn
EMS Substation— $ $
Morgue Project (675,000) (675,000) $ (675,000) ProjectBudget Reduced to $525,000
Blackwood Farm $ $
Park (350,000) (350,000) $ (300,000) Price Defers Hillhouse Instead
IT—
Infrastructure,
Laptop/Desktop $ $ $ - $934,500 Total Budget
Replacement, (900,000) (900,000)
C ber Security
Vehicle $ $
Replacements (250,000) (250,000) $ (100,000) $1,106,400 Total Budget
Total $ $ $ (1,100,000)
(3,200,000) (2,700,000)
Commissioner
Total Dorosin Commissioner Price
Amendment Expenditure Amendment Amendment Notes
Amount Financing Financing Impact
Impact
Delay the following CIP project from Year 2 (FY 21-22) to Years 6-10
Soccer.com (4,589,000) (4,589,000) $ (4,589,000)
Some IT
Infrastructure— $ $ $ (382,300) $2.8 million Total Project Budgets
Infrastructure, (1,500,000) (1,500,000)
County Fiber
Millhouse Road $ _ Funded with PAYGO, Not
Park (400,000) $ $ Financed
Lands Legacy (500,000) (250,000) $ - $250,000 County Portion
Lake Orange Dam(50 526) (50 526) $ - $395,000 Total Project Budget
Little River Park, $ $
Phase II (500,000) (250,000) $ (250,000) 50%Split with Durham County
22
Roofing Projects— $ $
Librar (250,000) (250,000) $ (250,000) Project Withdrawn
Twin Creeks Park (220,000) (220,000) $ (220,000)
Old Courthouse
Square—Exterior $ $ $ - $220,000 Total Budget
Restoration (220,000) (200,000)
Vehicle $ $
Replacements (250,000) (250,000) $ (100,000) $933,592 Total Budget
Total $ $ $ (5,791,300)
(8,479,526) (7,559,526)
Delay the following CIP projects from Year 3 (FY 22-23) to Years 6-10:
Millhouse Road $ $ $ (3,200,000) $3.2 million County Portion
Park 6,400,000 3,200,000
Twin Creeks Park (3,780,000) 3,780,000) $ (3,780,000)
Conservation $ $ $ - $500,000 County Portion
Easements 1,000,000 500,000
Blackwood Farm $ $
Park 300,000 300,000) $ (300,000)
Coiwiew Dort
(2,000,000)
Old Courthouse $ $ Remove Landscape and
Square (390,000) (390,000) $ (350,000) Plantings
IT—
Infrastructure
,
Laptop/Desktop (748,385) ($748,385) $748,385 Total Project Budget
Replacements,
C ber Security
Vehicle $ $
Replacements 250,000 250,000 $ (100,000) $961,599 Total Budget
Total 14,868,385 (9,168,385) (7,730,000)
Commissioner
Total Dorosin Commissioner Price
Amendment Expenditure Amendment Amendment Notes
Amount Financing Financing Impact
Impact
Delay the following CIP projects from Year 4 (FY 23-24) to Years 6-10:
EMS Substation—
New Standalone
Facility in $ $
Northern Corridor(4,000,000) (4,000,000) $ -
Total (4,000,000) (4,000,000) $ -
Delay the following CIP projects from Year 5 (FY 24-25) to Years 6-10:
23
Facility Safety and Accessibility Projects— $
Fire Alarm System Upgrades $ (1,095,980) $ (1,095,980) -
Lake Orange Dam—Intake Tower and De-
mucking $ (1,900,000) $ (1,900,000) $ -
HVAC Projects—New Courthouse HVAC
Replacement $ (124,020) $ (124,020) $ -
Total $ (3,120,000) $ (3,120,000) $ -
Grand Total CIP Projects Delayed $ (31,267,911) $ (26,547,911) $ (14,621,300)
Balance to Finance $ - $ 11,926,611
1
mendment Sponsor Budget Page Department Amendment Amount General Fund Total Other
Funds
Total
20-21OP-001 Commissioner Outside Agencies Fund($20,000)to support a new nonprofit 20,000.00$ $20'000.00
Greene Reentry House Plus, Inc.that is in the process
of opening a reentry house for men emerging
from their sentences at Orange Correctional.
20-21OP-002 Commissioner Human Services Use$20,000 from the Social Justice (20,000.00)$ $0.00
Greene Fund to support the new nonprofit
Reentry House Plus, Inc.
20-21OP-003 Commissioner BOCC Repeal the salary increase for (12,710.00)$ ($12,710.00)
Bedford Commissioners effective December
Commissioner 1,2020.The cost is$12,710.00
McKee including FICA and retirement.
20-21OP-004 Commissioner BOCC Eliminate funding for the National (2,666.00)$ ($15,376.00)
Marcoplos Association of Counties(NACo)
membership dues.
20-21OP-005 Commissioner Human Services Direct funds allocated for NACo 2,666.00$ ($12,710.00)
Marcoplos memberships dues to the Social
Justice Fund.
20-21OP-006 Commissioner BOCC Eliminate funding for the UNC School $(17,168.00) $(29,878.00)
Marcoplos of Government(UNC-SOG)
membership dues.
20-21OP-007 Commissioner Human Serices Direct funds allocated for UNC-SOG $ 17,168.00 $(12,710.00)
Marcoplos memberships dues to the Social
Justice Fund.
20-21OP-008 Commissioner BOCC Eliminate funding for the North $(12,755.00) $(25,465.00)
Marcoplos Carolina Association of County
Commissioners(NCACC)
membership dues.
20-21OP-009 Commissioner Human Services Direct funds allocated for NCACC 12,755.00$ $(12,710.00)
Marcoplos memberships dues to the Social
Justice Fund.
20-21OP-010 Commissioner BOCC Eliminate funding for the Triangle J (22,213.00)$ $(34,923.00)
Marcoplos membership
2
24
Amendment Sponsor Budget Page Department Amendment Amount General Fund Total Other
Funds
Total
20-21OP-011 Commissioner Marcoplos Human Services Direct funds allocated 22,213.00$ $(12,710.00)
Triangle J membership
dues to the Social Justice
Fund.
20-21OP-012 Staff 141 Debt Service Reduce Debt Service (209,779.00)$ $
Payments in FY 20- (222,489.0
21 due to lower 0)
interest rate realized
as part of the G.O.
Bond issuance in
May 2020
20-21 OP-013 Staff 366 Transfer to Reduce County (3,654.00)$ $
Affordable Housing match to the HOME (226,143.0
Initiatives/Community Program as a result 0)
Development Fund of a calculation error
in determining the
match requirement
20-21OP-014 Commissioner Rich 285 Non-Departmental Suspend the (568,139.00)$ $
$568,139 proposed (794,282.0
for the Chapel Hill 0)
Library in FY 2020-21
20-21OP-015 Commissioner Rich Education Set up a COVID 500,000.00$ $
focused"Education (294,282.0
Fund"to assist 0)
students in need of
technology and
broadband in both
districts, in order to
prevent the
opportunity gap from
growing larger during
the COVID-19
pandemic
20-21OP-016 Commissioner Rich Non-Departmental Set up a fund to 68,139.00$ $
assist non-Chapel Hill (226,143.0
residents(on a sliding 0)
scale)with a
household library card
if Chapel Hill decides
to charge a fee for the
use of the library by
non-Chapel Hill
residents
20-21OP-017 Staff 253 Human Rights& Fund the 35,000.00$ $
Relations development of a (191,143.0
Racial Equity Index 0)
Platform to track
progress of the
County's racial equity
initiatives,and to
follow trends in racial
disparities
20-21OP-018 Staff 64 Article 46 Sales Tax Receipt of$410,000 $(191,143.00) 410,000.00
Fund in Article 46 Sales $
Tax Small Business
Loan Funds to be
used for Emergency
Grants to small
businesses
20-21OP-019 Staff 143 Visitors Bureau Fund Reduce the Visitors $(191,143.00) (19,308.00
Bureau Fund )$
expenditure budget
by$19,308 to correct
an error related to
indirect cost
allocation
20-21OP-020 Staff 350 Solid Waste Increase the Solid $(191,143.00) 475,000.00
Enterprise Fund Waste Enterprise $
Fund expenditure
budget by$475,000
to reflect the Transfer
of funds to the
General Fund as an
expense
20-21OP-021 $(191,143.00)
20-21OP-022 $(191,143.00)
20-21OP-023 $(191,143.00)
25
1
2
Amendment Sponsor Budget Page Department Amendment Amount General Fund Other Funds
Total Total
20-21 OP-001 Commissioner Outside Agencies Fund($20,000)to support a new nonprofit 20,000.00$ $20,000.00
Greene Reentry House Plus, Inc.that is in the
process of opening a reentry house for men
emerging from their sentences at Orange
Correctional.
20-21 OP-002 Commissioner Human Services Use$20,000 from the Social Justice Fund (20,000.00)$ $0.00
Greene to support the new nonprofit Reentry House
Plus, Inc.
20-21 OP-003 Commissioner BOCC Repeal the salary increase for (12,710.00)$ ($12,710.00)
Bedford Commissioners effective December 1,
Commissioner 2020.The cost is$12,710.00 including
McKee FICA and retirement.
20-21 OP-004 Commissioner BOCC Eliminate funding for the National (2,666.00)$ ($15,376.00)
Marcoplos Association of Counties(NACo)
membership dues.
20-21 OP-005 Commissioner Human Services Direct funds allocated for NACo 2,666.00$ ($12,710.00)
Marcoplos memberships dues to the Social Justice
Fund.
20-21 OP-006 Commissioner BOCC Eliminate funding for the UNC School of $(17,168.00) $
Marcoplos Government(UNC-SOG)membership (29,878.00)
dues.
20-21 OP-007 Commissioner Human Services Direct funds allocated for UNC-SOG $ 17,168.00 $
Marcoplos memberships dues to the Social Justice (12,710.00)
Fund.
20-21 OP-008 Commissioner BOCC Eliminate funding for the North Carolina $(12,755.00) $
Marcoplos Association of County Commissioners (25,465.00)
(NCACC)membership dues.
20-21 OP-009 Commissioner Human Services Direct funds allocated for NCACC 12,755.00$ $
Marcoplos memberships dues to the Social Justice (12,710.00)
Fund.
20-21 OP-010 Commissioner BOCC Eliminate funding for the Triangle J (22,213.00)$ $
Marcoplos membership (34,923.00)
3
Amendment# Sponsor CIP Budget Page Department Amendment Amount
20-21CIP-001 Commissioner 135 Education Move the Durham 1,000,000.00$
Dorosin Tech Expansion
Project planning up
to year 1
20-21CIP-002 Commissioner 135 Education Move Durham Tech 14,000,000.00$
Dorosin Expansion Project
phase 2 up to year 2
20-21CIP-003 Commissioner 135 Education Move the Durham 11,547,911.00$
Dorosin Tech Expansion
Project phase 3 up to
year 3
20-21CIP-004 Commissioner Various County CIP Projects Delay the following (3,200,000.00)$
Dorosin CIP projects from
Year 1 (FY 20-21)to
Years 6-10:
Conservation
Easements
($1,000,000);
Roofing Projects
(25,000); EMS
Substation—Morgue
Project($675,000);
Blackwood Farm
Park($350,000); IT
($900,000);Vehicle
Replacements
($250,000)
20-21CIP-005 Commissioner Various County CIP Projects Delay the following (8,479,526.00)$
Dorosin CIP projects from
Year 2(FY 21-22)to
Years 6-10:
Soccer.com
($4,589,000); some
IT Infrastructure
26
($1,500,000);
Millhouse Road Park
($400,000); Lands
Legacy($500,000);
Lake Orange Dam
($50,526); Little
River Park, Phase II
($500,000); Roofing
Projects($250,000);
Twin Creeks Park
($220,000); Old
Courthouse Square
($220,000);Vehicle
Replacements
($250,000)
20-21CIP-006 Commissioner Various County CIP Projects Delay the following (14,868,385.00)$
Dorosin CIP projects from
Year 3(FY 2022-23)
to Years 6-10:
Millhouse Road Park
($6,400,000);Twin
Creeks Park
($3,780,000);
Conservation
Easements
($1,000,000);
Blackwood Farm
Park($300,000);
Fairview Park
($2,000,000);
Courthouse Square
($390,000); IT
($748,385);Vehicle
Replacements
($250,000)
20-21CIP-007 Commissioner Price 135 Education Move the Durham 1,000,000.00$
Tech Expansion
Project planning up
to year 1
20-21CIP-008 Commissioner Price Various County CIP Projects Remove the (1,100,000.00)$
following CIP
projects from Year 1
(FY 20-21): EMS—
Substation—Morgue
project($675,000);
Millhouse Road Park
($300,000); Roofing
Project($25,000);
Vehicle
Replacements
($100,000)
20-21CIP-009 Commissioner Price 135 Education Move Durham Tech 14,000,000.00$
Expansion Project
phase 2 up to year 2
20-21CIP-010 Commissioner Price Various County CIP Projects Delay the following (6,041,300.00)$
CIP projects from
Year 2(FY 21-22)to
Years 6-10:
Soccer.com
($4,589,000); some
IT Infrastructure
($382,300); Little
River Park, Phase II
($500,000); Roofing
Projects($250,000);
Twin Creeks Park
($220,000);Vehicle
Replacements
($100,000)
27
1
2
3 (GRANICUS RECORDING STOPPED, ZOOM RECORDING REFERENCED TO
4 END OF MEETING)
5
6 Commissioner McKee said there are staff initiated CIP amendments on the back
7 of attachment a, and asked if these have been addressed (on the green sheet).
8 Travis Myren said only the solid waste amendment needs to be addressed.
9
10 A motion was made by Commissioner Dorosin, seconded by Commissioner
11 Bedford to approve staff initiated amendment 15.
12
13 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
14
15 Break
16 The Board of County Commissioners to a Break at 11:02 p.m. (to allow Finance and
17 Administrative Services to formulate Draft Resolution of Intent to Adopt FY2020-21
18 Operating Budget)
19
20 The meeting resumed at 11:25 p.m.
21
22 5. Resolution of Intent to Adopt FY2020-21 Annual Operating Budget
23
24 Approval of Resolution of Intent to Adopt FY2020-21 Annual Operating Budget at
25 the Board of County Commissioners Regular Meeting on June 16, 2020
26
27 Paul Laughton reviewed the Resolution of Intent, and said will be part of the
28 agenda packet for the June 16t" meeting:
29
30 Commissioner McKee asked if the capital CIP of$11 million was what the Board
31 did tonight.
32 Paul Laughton said that was the reduction of$1,894,500 in year 1 for the County
33 projects; deferring the solid waste projects $570,800 from year 1 to year 2; and school
34 capital increased by $1 million for the Durham Tech project in year 1.
35 Chair Rich said the next step is for the Board to vote on this budget next week.
36 Paul Laughton said yes.
37
38 Resolution of Intent to Adopt the FY2020-21
39 Orange County Budget
40
41 The items outlined below summarize decisions that the Board acted upon June 9, 2020
42 in approving the FY2020-21 Orange County Annual Operating Budget and the FY2020-
43 21 (Year 1) Capital Investment Plan Budget.
44
45 WHEREAS, the Orange County Board of Commissioners has considered the Orange
46 County FY2020-21 Manager's Recommended Budget and the FY2020-21 Manager's
47 Recommended Capital Investment Plan Budget; and
48
49 WHEREAS, the Commissioners have agreed on certain modifications to the Manager's
50 Recommended Budget as presented in the FY2020-21 County Manager's
51 Recommended Budget on May 5, 2020; and to the FY2020-21 Manager's
52 Recommended Capital Investment Plan Budget as presented on April 7, 2020;
53
28
1 NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Orange County Board of
2 Commissioners expresses its intent to adopt the FY2020-21 Orange County Budget
3 Ordinance on Tuesday, June 16, 2020, based on the following stipulations:
4
5 1) Property Tax Rates
6
7 a) The ad valorem property tax rate shall be set at 86.79 cents per$100 of
8 assessed valuation.
9
10 b) The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools District Tax shall be set at 20.18 cents
11 per $100 of assessed valuation.
12
13 c) The Fire District and Fire Service District tax rates shall be set at the
14 following rates (all rates are based on cents per $100 of assessed valuation):
15
16
• Cedar Grove 8.10
• Greater Chapel Hill Fire Service District 14.91
• Damascus 10.80
• Efland 6.78
• Eno 9.68
• Little River 5.92
• New Hope 10.67
• Orange Grove 6.81
• Orange Rural 9.48
• South Orange Fire Service District 9.68
• Southern Triangle Fire Service District 10.80
• White Cross 12.37
17
18
19
20
21
22
23 2) County Employee Pay and Benefits Plan
24
25 Provide a County employee pay and benefits plan that includes:
26
27 a. No Wage increase or Merit pay for FY 2020-21
28
29 b. Continue the $27.50 per pay period County contribution to non-law enforcement
30 employees' supplemental retirement accounts and the County matching
31 employees' contributions up to $63.00 semi-monthly (for a maximum annual
32 County contribution of$1,512) for all general (non-sworn law enforcement
33 officer) employees; continue the mandated Law Enforcement Officer contribution
34 of 5.0% of salary, and continue the County's required contribution to the Local
35 Governmental Employees' Retirement System (LGERS) for all permanent
36 employees. For FY 2020-21, the Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) rate
29
1 increases from 9.70 to 10.90 percent of reported compensation, and all other
2 employees rate increases from 8.95 to 10.15 percent of reported compensation.
3
4 c. Continue to participate in the North Carolina Health Insurance Pool (NCHIP), and
5 continue medical and prescription third party administrators with Blue Cross Blue
6 Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) and Prime Therapeutics, a division of
7 BCBSNC, respectively. No increase to health appropriations, and an increase of
8 $92,236 for dental appropriations. No increase to employee premium equivalent
9 for health, dental, or vision insurance. No increase for health coverage premium
10 equivalent for pre-65 retirees enrolled in the County's group plan, and an
11 increase of$106,003 for the post-65 (Medicare eligible) retirees.
12
13 d. Maintain the current Living wage of$15.00 per hour for all permanent employees
14 and $14.95 per hour for temporary employees.
15
16 e. Continue the additional eight hours of annual leave to be awarded at an
17 employee's anniversary date, prorated for part time employees.
18
19 f. Continue the six-week paid parental leave policy.
20
21
22
30
1
2 3) Modifications to County Manager's FY2020-21 Recommended Annual
3 Operating Budget
4 The following modifications to the County Manager's Recommended Budget are
5 made:
6
Adjustments to the Manager's Recommended FY2020-21 Budget
On June 9, 2020, the Board of County Commissioners approved the following changes to the Manager's
Recommended annual operating budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year. The information below summarizes
changes made by the Board.
Revenues Increase Decrease
Manager's Recommended Revenue Budget $239,046,307
Total Revenue Changes $0 $0
Revised Revenue Budget 239,046,307
Expenditures Increase Decrease
Manager's Recommended Expenditure Budget $239,046,307
Fund new nonprofit Reentry House Plus, Inc. $20,000
Use Social Justice Reserve Fund to fund Reentry House Plus, Inc. ($20,000)
Repeal Salary Increase for Commissioners ($12,710)
Reduce Debt Service Payments in FY 20-21 ($209,779)
Reduce County Match to the HOME Program ($3,654)
Fund the development of a Racial Equity Index Platform in HR & R $35,000
Increase per pupil by $9 $183,447
Increase to Social Justice Reserve $7,696
Total Expenditure Changes $246,143 ($246,143)
Revised Expenditure Budget $239,046,307
7
31
1
2 4) Changes in County Staff Positions (Increase in FTE Approved).
3
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FUND - RECOMMENDED
Off-Setting
Total Salary Operating Revenue or Total
and and Start- Budget County
Department Position Start Date FTE Benefits up Costs Reduction Cost
Housing Administrative Support II July 2020 0.625 34,297 1,496 (35,793)
Housing Coordinated Entry Housing Specialist July 2020 �� 1.000 60,991 3,020 (64,011)
Housing Coordinated Entry Housing Specialist July 2020�'� 1.000 60,991 3,020 (64,011)
Housing Housing Access Coordinator July 2020 1.000 58,012 5,402 (63,414)
Totals 3.625 214,291 12,938 (227,229) -
4 (1)Coordinated Entry Housing Specialist Positions start date conditional on start date of HUD Grant
5
6
7 5) General Fund Appropriations for Local School Districts
8
9 The following FY2020-21 General Fund Appropriations for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City
10 Schools
11 and Orange County Schools are approved:
12
13 a) Current Expense appropriation for local school districts totals $89,012,561
14 and equates to a
15 per pupil allocation of$4,367
16
17
18 1) The Current Expense appropriation to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City
19 Schools is
20 $53,395,309
21
22 2) The Current Expense appropriation to the Orange County Schools is
23 $35,617,252.
24
25
26 b) School Related Debt Service for local school districts totals $18,297,557.
27
28 c) Additional net County funding for local school districts totals $6,629,597.
29
30 (1) School Resource Officers and School Health Nurses Contracts - total
31 appropriation of$3,629,597 to cover the costs of School Resource
32 Officers in every middle and high school, and a School Health Nurse
33 in every elementary, middle, and high schools in both school
34 systems.
35 (2) Deferred maintenance funding of$3,000,000 by ADM is allocated to
36 the school systems by the following: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City
37 Schools appropriation is $1,799,700 and Orange County Schools
38 appropriation is $1,200,300.
39
40 6) Capital Investment Plan Funding for FY2020-21 (Year 1)
41
42 The following FY2020-21 (Year 1) Capital Investment Plan Appropriations are
43 approved:
44 a) Overall Total Capital Investment Plan Funding of$35,003,347
45
32
1 b) County Capital Projects Funding of$11,188,082
2
3 c) School Capital Projects Funding of$21,387,313
4
5 d) Water & Sewer Project Funding of$130,000; Solid Waste Project Funding of
6 $1,375,952; and Sportsplex Project Funding of$922,000
7
8
9 7) County Fee Schedule
10
11 To adopt the County Fee Schedule to include changes in the FY2020-21
12 Manager's
13 Recommended Annual Operating Budget and approved by the Board of County
14 Commissioners on June 9, 2020.
15
16
17 A motion was made by Commissioner Bedford, seconded by Commissioner
18 Price to adopt the Resolution of Intent.
19
20 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
21
22 The meeting adjourned at 11:42 p.m.
23
24 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
25
26
27 Penny Rich, Chair
28
29
30 Donna S. Baker
31 Clerk to the Board
32
33 Submitted for approval by David Hunt, Deputy Clerk to the Board.
34
1
1
2
3 Attachment 5
4
5 DRAFT MINUTES
6 ORANGE COUNTY
7 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
8 VIRTUAL BUSINESS MEETING
9 J U N E 16, 2020
10 7:00 p.m.
11
12 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Virtual Business Meeting on Tuesday,
13 June 16, 2020 at 7:00 p.m.
14
15 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Rich and Commissioners Jamezetta Bedford,
16 Mark Dorosin, Sally Greene, Earl McKee, Mark Marcoplos, and Renee Price
17 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT:
18 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts
19 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager
20 Travis Myren and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (All other staff members will be identified
21 appropriately below)
22
23 Chair Rich called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
24
25 Due to current public health concerns, the Board of Commissioners conducted a Virtual
26 Business meeting on June 16, 2020. Members of the Board of Commissioners participated in
27 the meeting remotely. As in prior meetings, members of the public were able to view and listen
28 to the meeting via live streaming video at orangecountync.gov/967/Meeting-Videos and on
29 Orange County Gov-TV on channels 1301 or 97.6 (Spectrum Cable).
30
31 In this new virtual process, there are two methods for public comment.
32 . Written submittals by email
33 • Speaking during the virtual meeting
34
35 Detailed public comment instructions for each method are provided at the bottom of this
36 agenda. (Pre-registration is required.)
37
Compliance with the "Americans with Disabilities Act" - Interpreter services and/or
special sound equipment are available on request. Call the County Clerk's Office at
(919) 245-2130. If you are disabled and need assistance with reasonable
accommodations, contact the ADA Coordinator in the County Manager's Office at
(919) 245-2300 or TDD# 919-644-3045.
38
39 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda
40
41 Proposed Addition to the Consent Agenda, as Item o: North Carolina Housing Finance
42 Agency (NCHFA) — 2020 Essential Single-Family Rehabilitation Loan Pool (ESFRLP20) Award.
43
2
1 A motion was made by Commissioner Bedford, seconded by Commissioner McKee to
2 add the agenda item "North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA) — 2020 Essential
3 Single-Family Rehabilitation Loan Pool (ESFRLP20) Award" as Item o on the Consent Agenda.
4
5 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
6
7 PUBLIC CHARGE
8 The Chair acknowledged the public charge.
9
10
11 2. Public Comments
12
13 a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda
14 Frances Castillo said she is the Chair of the Human Relations Commission (HRC), and
15 wanted to share the exciting news that the annual book read will be held virtually this year. She
16 said the book will be Give Us the Ballot- the Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America. She
17 said the discussion will be held on September 13t", from 3-5 p.m. She said the author is Ari
18 Berman, and it is hoped that he will be able to join the discussion. She said the books read's
19 mission statement is: "To engage, educate and enlighten residents regarding the right to vote
20 in America. The anticipated result is to motivate residents to participate, not only in the 2020
21 election, but in all electoral processes: the ballot has been given, go the polls and cast it". She
22 said this is a bipartisan discussion, and the desire is to have all residents vote.
23 Riley Ruske said Sunday June 14t" was Flag Day. He said a citizen's petition was given
24 to the Orange County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) last fall, asking the Board to recite the
25 pledge at the beginning of each meeting. He asked the Board to vote on his petition.
26 Chair Rich said the Board has discussed this petition, and decided it wanted to discuss
27 the petition in person, and not at a virtual meeting, and as such this petition discussion has
28 been moved to September.
29
30 b. Matters on the Printed Agenda
31 (These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda
32 below.)
33
34 3. Announcements, Petitions and Comments by Board Members
35 Commissioner McKee said he had no comments.
36 Commissioner Greene said she had no comments.
37 Commissioner Marcoplos said he had no comments.
38 Commissioner Bedford expressed her appreciation to all staff, employees and Chair
39 Rich for working during this pandemic, and keeping the County running. She encouraged
40 residents to get vote at home ballots.
41 Commissioner Price said for those who have known Ellen Reckow, the Metropolitan
42 Planning Organization (MPO) honored her after her 30 years of public service.
43 Commissioner Price congratulated students for completing a challenging year.
44 Commissioner Price requested letters of endorsement to David Price for cosponsoring
45 the justice and policing act, as well as to Roy Cooper for the North Carolina Taskforce for racial
46 Equity and Criminal Justice. She said she would like to work with the Sheriff on issues such as
47 no knock warrants, and to keep the community informed. She said to would like to encourage
48 the Sheriff's office to continue to use de-escalation.
49 Commissioner Dorosin said as society looks at the role of police, he would like the
50 Board to have a serious discussion of Security Resource Officers (SROs) in the schools. He
3
1 said many school districts have severed relationships with these police across the country. He
2 petitioned to set up a committee with members from the Orange County Board of
3 Commissioners and the school districts to discuss this topic.
4 Chair Rich asked if Commissioner Dorosin anticipates this discussion starting now.
5 Commissioner Dorosin said the sooner it can start, the better.
6 Chair Rich said she could reach out to the school boards if the Board is in agreement to
7 set up this committee.
8 Chair Rich said she had a meeting with the Mayors and the UNC Acting Chancellor of
9 Student Affairs, Jonathan Sauls. She said much more detail has been included in the UNC
10 roadmap, and the University has reached out to the Health Department and Orange County.
11 She said UNC is used to doing contact tracing with the students, and some students have
12 returned. She said all have been tested, and all tests are negative thus far. She said everyone
13 will be required to wear masks on campus, no matter where one is. She said the University is
14 unclear as to how many students will come back to campus. She said visitors will not be
15 allowed on the UNC Campus when the students come back. She said the University is
16 considering its professors, as many are over the age of 60, and it plans to be flexible. She said
17 the University is open to communication as any time.
18 Chair Rich said today's Covid meeting reported that Orange County is not going in the
19 right direction, and the Health Department is trying to get more contract tracers onboard. She
20 said it will get worse before it gets better, and the County has yet to hit the peak of its first
21 wave. She said the rest of the state also has rising numbers, and it is unsure when the second
22 wave will come.
23 Chair Rich thanked staff and managers for getting the County through these challenging
24 times.
25 Chair Rich said the Board is supposed to come back in September and meet in person,
26 and she suggested that the Board start with a hybrid meeting process.
27 Chair Rich said there is still time to do the census.
28 Chair Rich said parents in the County contacted her and reported that it has been
29 difficult to do remote learning in some areas of the County.
30
31 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/ Special Presentations
32 NONE
33
34 5. Public Hearings
35 NONE
36
37 6. Regular Agenda
38
39 a. Approval of Fiscal Year 2020-21 Budget Ordinance, County Grant Projects, and
40 County Fee Schedule
41
42 The Board considered voting adopt the FY2020-21 Budget Ordinance, the FY2020-21
43 County Grant Projects, and the FY2020-21 County Fee Schedule, consistent with the
44 parameters outlined in the Board's "Resolution of Intent to Adopt the FY2020-21 Orange
45 County Budget".
46 Travis Myren presented the item below, and this is the formal approval by the Orange
47 County Board of Commissioners:
48
49
50 Fiscal Year 2020-21
4
1 Budget Ordinance
2 Orange County, North Carolina
3
4 Be it ordained by the Board of Commissioners of Orange County
5
6 Section I. Budget Adoption
7
8 There is hereby adopted the following operating budget for Orange County for this fiscal year
9 beginning July 1, 2020 and ending June 30, 2021, the same being adopted by fund and activity,
10 within each fund, according to the following summary:
11
Current Interfund Fund Total
Fund Balance
Revenue Transfer Appropriated Appropriation
$225,290,88
General Fund 7 $5,486,817 $8,268,603 $239,046,307
Emergency Telephone Fund $755,471 $0 $0 $755,471
Fire Districts Fund $6,507,480 $0 $119,000 $6,626,480
Section 8 (Housing) Fund $4,201,264 $247,025 $0 $4,448,289
Community Development
Fund $711,015 $706,137 $0 $1,417,152
Visitors Bureau Fund $1,614,531 $0 $6,486 $1,621,017
Solid Waste Operations
Enterprise Fund $10,816,640 $0 $1,276,244 $12,092,884
Sportsplex Operations
Enterprise Fund $3,796,991 $0 $0 $3,796,991
Community Spay/Neuter Fund $69,350 $0 $13,000 $82,350
Article 46 Sales Tax Fund $4,295,168 $0 $0 $4,295,168
12
13 Section II. Appropriations
14 That for said fiscal year, there is hereby appropriated out the following:
15
Function Appropriation
General Fund
Community Services $14,322,250
General Government $10,525,739
Public Safety $27,994,203
Human Services $41,614,328
Education $93,440,414
Support Services $12,773,209
Debt Service $33,410,925
Transfers to Other Funds $4,965,239
Total General Fund $239,046,307
Emergency Telephone System Fund
Public Safety $755,471
Total Emergency Telephone System Fund $755,471
Fire Districts
5
Cedar Grove $270,163
Greater Chapel Hill Fire Service District $275,386
Damascus $107,373
Efland $541,553
Eno $836,169
Little River $291,501
New Hoe $762,214
Orange Grove $591,315
Orange Rural $1,516,816
South Orange Fire Service District $586,324
Southern Triangle Fire Service District $255,080
White Cross $592,586
Total Fire Districts Fund $6,626,480
Section 8 (Housing) Fund
Human Services $4,448,289
Total Section 8 Fund $4,448,289
Community Development Fund (Housing
Rehabilitation Initiative)
Human Services $314,908
Total Community Development Fund(Housing
Rehabilitation Initiative) $314,908
Community Development Fund (Housing
Displacement Program)
Human Services $75,000
Total Community Development Fund(Housing
Displacement Program) $75,000
Community Development Fund HOME Program)
Human Services $663,925
Total Community Development Fund(HOME
Program) $663,925
Community Development Fund (Homelessness
Partnership Program)
General Government $363,319
Total Community Development Fund(Homelessness
Program) $363,319
Total Communit Development Fund Programs $1,417,152
Visitors Bureau Fund
General Government $225,199
Community Services $1,395,818
Total Visitors Bureau Fund $1,621,017
Solid Waste Operations Enterprise Fund
Community Services - Solid Waste/Landfill Operations $10,275,072
Transfer to Other Funds $1,817,812
Total Solid Waste Operations Enterprise Fund $12,092,884
6
SportsPlex Operations Enterprise Fund
Community Services — Sportsplex Operations $3,073,139
Transfer to Other Funds $723,852
Total Sportsplex Operations Enterprise Fund $3,796,991
Community Spay/Neuter Fund
Community Services $82,350
Total Community Spay/Neuter Fund $82,350
Article 46 Sales Tax Fund
Community Services $4,295,168
Total Article 46 Sales Tax Fund $4,295,168
1
2
3 Section III. Revenues
4
5 The following fund revenues are estimated to be available during the fiscal year beginning July
6 1, 2020 and ending June 30, 2021, to meet the foregoing appropriations:
Function Appropriation
General Fund
Property Tax $167,694,880
Sales Tax $23,827,353
Licenses & Permits $274,550
Intergovernmental $17,710,005
Charges for Services $12,645,090
Investment Earnings $515,000
Miscellaneous $2,624,009
Transfers from Other Funds $5,486,817
Appropriated Fund Balance $8,268,603
Total General Fund $239,046,307
Emergency Telephone System Fund
Charges for Services $755,471
Appropriated Fund Balance $0
Total Emergency Telephone System Fund $755,471
Fire Districts
Property Tax $6,497,630
Investment Earnings $9,850
Appropriated Fund Balance $119,000
Total Fire Districts Fund $6,626,480
Section 8 (Housing) Fund
Intergovernmental and General Government $4,201,264
From General Fund $247,025
Total Section 8 Fund $4,448,289
Community Development Fund (Housing Rehabilitation
Initiative
From General Fund $314,908
Total Community Development Fund(Housing
Rehabilitation Initiative) $314,908
Community Development Fund (Housing Displacement
Program)
From General Fund $75,000
Total Community Development Fund(Housing
Rehabilitation Initiative) $75,000
Community Development Fund HOME Program)
Intergovernmental $426,299
Program Income $13,000
From General Fund $224,626
Total Community Development Fund HOME Program) $663,925
Community Development Fund (Homelessness
Partnership Program)
Intergovernmental and General Government $271,716
From General Fund $91,603
Total Community Development Fund(Homelessness
Partnership Program) $363,319
Total Community Development Fund Programs $1,417,152
1
2
Visitors Bureau Fund
Occupancy Tax $1,243,068
Sales & Fees $500
Intergovernmental $366,963
Investment Earnings $4,000
Appropriated Fund Balance $6,486
Total Visitors Bureau Fund $1,621,017
Solid Waste Operations Enterprise Fund
Sales & Fees $10,158,176
Intergovernmental $260,793
Miscellaneous $114,671
Licenses & Permits $143,000
Interest on Investments $140,000
Appropriated Reserves $1,276,244
Total Solid Waste Operations Enterprise Fund $12,092,884
Sportsplex Operations Enterprise Fund
Charges for Services $3,796,991
Total Sports lex Operations Enterprise Fund $3,796,991
Community Spay/Neuter Fund
Animal Tax $27,000
Intergovernmental $30,000
Miscellaneous $12,350
Appropriated Fund Balance $13,000
Total Community Spay/Neuter Fund $82,350
Article 46 Sales Tax Fund
Sales Tax Proceeds $4,295,168
8
Total Article 46 Sales Tax Fund $4,295,168
1
2
3 Section IV. Tax Rate Levy
4 There is hereby levied for the fiscal year 2020-21 a general county-wide tax rate of 86.79 cents
5 per $100 of assessed valuation. This rate shall be levied in the General Fund. Special district
6 tax rates are levied as follows:
7
8
9
Cedar Grove 8.10
Greater Chapel Hill Fire Service District 14.91
Damascus 10.80
Efland 6.78
Eno 9.68
Little River 5.92
New Hope 10.67
Orange Grove 6.81
Orange Rural 9.48
South Orange Fire Service District 9.68
Southern Triangle Fire Service District 10.80
White Cross 12.37
Chapel Hill-Carrboro School District 20.18
10
11 Section V. General Fund Appropriations for Local School Districts
12 The following FY 2020-21 General Fund Appropriations for Chapel Hill-Carrboro
13 City Schools and Orange County Schools are approved:
14
15 a) Current Expense appropriation for local school districts totals $89,012,561, and equates
16 to a per pupil allocation of$4,367.
17 1) The Current Expense appropriation to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools is
18 $53,395,309.
19 2) The Current Expense appropriation to the Orange County Schools is
20 $35,617,252.
21 b) School Related Debt Service for local school districts totals $18,297,557.
22 c) Additional County funding for local school districts totals $6,629,597
23
24 (1) School Resource Officers and School Health Nurses Contracts - total
25 appropriation of$3,629,597 to cover the costs of School Resource Officers
26 in every middle and high school, and a School Health Nurse in every
27 elementary, middle, and high schools in both school systems.
28 (2) Deferred maintenance funding of$3,000,000 by ADM is allocated to the
29 school systems by the following: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
30 appropriation is $1,799,700 and Orange County Schools appropriation is
31 $1,200,300.
32
33
9
1 Section VI. Schedule B Privilege Licenses
2
3 In accordance with Schedule B of the Revenue Act, Article 2, Chapter 105 of the North Carolina
4 State Statutes, and any other section of the General Statutes so permitting, there are hereby
5 levied privilege license taxes in the maximum amount permitted on businesses, trades,
6 occupations or professions which the County is entitled to tax.
7
8
9 Section VII. Animal Licenses
10
11 A license costing $10 for sterilized dogs and sterilized cats is hereby levied. A license for un-
12 sterilized dogs and a license for un-sterilized cats is $30 per animal.
13
14
15 Section Vill. Board of Commissioners' Compensation
16
17 The Board of County Commissioners authorizes that:
18 • For fiscal year 2020-21, the approved budget does not include a wage increase or merit
19 pay.
20 • Annual compensation for County Commissioners will include the County contribution for
21 health insurance, dental insurance and life insurance that is provided for permanent
22 County employees, provided the Commissioners are eligible for this coverage under the
23 insurance contracts and other contracts affecting these benefits.
24 • County Commissioners' compensation includes eligibility to continue to participate in the
25 County health insurance at term end as provided below:
26
27 o If the County Commissioner has served less than two full terms in office (less
28 than eight years), the Commissioner may participate by paying the full cost of
29 such coverage. (If the Commissioner is age 65 or older, Medicare becomes the
30 primary insurer and group health insurance ends.)
31
32 o If the County Commissioner has served two or more full terms in office (eight
33 years or more), the County makes the same contribution for health insurance
34 coverage that it makes for an employee who retires from Orange County after 20
35 years of consecutive County service as a permanent employee. If the
36 Commissioner is age 65 or older, Medicare becomes the primary insurer and
37 group health insurance ends. The County makes the same contribution for
38 Medicare Supplement coverage that it makes for a retired County employee with
39 20 years of service.
40
41 o Annual compensation for Commissioners will include a County contribution for
42 each Commissioner to the Deferred Compensation (457) Supplemental
43 Retirement Plan that is the same as the County contribution for non-law
44 enforcement County employees in the State 401 (k) plan. For fiscal year 2020-
45 21, the approved budget continues the County contribution of $27.50 per pay
46 period and a County contribution match of up to $63.00 semi-monthly.
47
48 Section IX. Budget Control
49
50 General Statutes of the State of North Carolina provide for budgetary control measures
10
1 to exist between a county and public school system. The statute provides:
2
3 Per General Statute 115C-429:
4 (c) The Board of County Commissioners shall have full authority to call for, and the Board of
5 Education shall have the duty to make available to the Board of County Commissioners, upon
6 request, all books, records, audit reports, and other information bearing on the financial
7 operation of the local school administrative unit.
8
9 The Board of Commissioners hereby directs the following measures for budget administration
10 and review:
11 That upon adoption, each Board of Education will supply to the Board of County
12 Commissioners a detailed report of the budget showing all appropriations by function and
13 purpose, specifically to include funding increases and new program funding. The Board of
14 Education will provide to the Board of County Commissioners a copy of the annual audit,
15 monthly financial reports, copies of all budget amendments showing disbursements and use of
16 local moneys granted to the Board of Education by the Board of Commissioners.
17
18 The Board of Commissioners hereby approves the following financial policies:
19 • The County will not initiate any capital funding until October 1, 2020, and pending a
20 review of the first quarter financial report, with the exception of County appropriations to
21 the school districts and any other County Manager exceptions.
22 • The County will initiate measures to recoup sales tax proceeds on school capital
23 projects through the conveyance of school property to the County with the school
24 property reverting back to the school districts at the end of the construction period.
25 • The County will ensure that all monthly general ledger postings occur by the 10t" work
26 day of each month.
27 • The County will ensure that monthly financial reports are available by the 151" work day
28 of each month.
29 • The County will not issue debt for a project until a bid award date and construction start
30 date is established.
31 • Whereas, it is a best practice for governments to account for capital assets separate
32 from their operating funds, and; Whereas, enterprise funds generally establish Renewal
33 and Replacement Capital Funds to account for the acquisition of capital assets;
34 Therefore,
35 a. The Solid Waste Renewal and Replacement Capital Fund is established to
36 account for sources of income earmarked to fund the County Capital Investment
37 Plan. Sources of income including debt financing proceeds, pay-as-you-go
38 funds, and any other sources earmarked to finance acquisition of capital assets.
39 b. The Sportsplex Renewal and Replacement Capital Fund is established to
40 account for sources of income earmarked to fund the County Capital Investment
41 Plan. Sources of income including debt financing proceeds, pay-as-you-go
42 funds, and any other sources earmarked to finance acquisition of capital assets.
43 Whereas, the County intends to undertake Capital Projects as approved in Year 1 (FY
44 2020-21) of the Capital Investment Plan, will use its own funds to pay initial Project
45 costs, and then reimburse itself from financing proceeds for these early expenditures.
46 The expected primary type of financing for the Projects is installment financing under
47 Section 160A-20. The financing may include more than one installment financing, and
48 may include installment financings with equipment vendors and installment financings
49 that include the use of limited obligation bonds. The Manager and Finance Officer have
50 advised the Board that it should adopt this resolution to document the County's plans for
11
1 reimbursement, in order to comply with certain federal tax rules relating to
2 reimbursement from financing proceeds.
3 • The Community Loan Fund will issue no interest loans to recipients in this program.
4 • The County has adopted a policy to fund no interest loans to Non-Profit organizations
5 that meet certain financial criteria, as adopted on September 20, 2018.
6 • The County will include in its Travel Policy that travel expenses for Commissioners and
7 County Staff will include the purchase of carbon offsets for any airfare and the miles
8 traveled by Car Share vehicles.
9
10
11 Section X. Internal Service Fund - Health and Dental Insurance Fund
12
13 The Health and Dental Insurance Fund accounts for receipts of premium payments from the
14 County and its employees, employees for their dependents, all retirees and the payment of
15 employee and retiree claims and administration expenses. Projected receipts and fund
16 reserves from the County and employees for fiscal year 2020-21 will be $14,085,214, and
17 projected expenses for claims and administration for fiscal year 2020-21 will be $14,085,214.
18
19 Section XI. Agency Funds
20
21 These funds account for assets held by the County as an agent for other government units, and
22 by State Statutes, these funds are not subject to appropriation by the Board of County
23 Commissioners, and not included in this ordinance.
24
25
26 Section XII. Encumbrances
27
28 Operating funds encumbered by the County as of June 30, 2020 are hereby reappropriated to
29 this budget.
30
31
32 Section XIV. Capital Projects & Grants Fund
33
34 The County Capital Improvements Fund, Schools Capital Improvements Fund, Proprietary
35 Capital Funds, and the Grant Projects Fund are hereby authorized. Appropriations made for the
36 specific projects or grants in these funds are hereby appropriated until the project or grant is
37 complete.
38
39 The County Capital Projects Fund FY 2020-21 budget, with anticipated fund revenues of
40 $11,188,082 and project expenditures of$11,188,082 is hereby adopted in accordance with
41 G.S. 159 by Orange County for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2019, and ending June 30,
42 2020, and the same is adopted by project.
43
44 The School Capital Projects Fund FY 2019-20 budget, with anticipated fund revenues of
45 $21,387,313, and project expenditures of$21,387,313 is hereby adopted in accordance with
46 G.S. 159 by Orange County for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020, and ending June 30,
47 2021, and the same is adopted by project.
48
49 The Proprietary Capital Funds FY 2020-21 budget, consisting of Water and Sewer Utilities,
50 Solid Waste, and Sportsplex, with anticipated fund revenues of $2,427,952, and project
12
1 expenditures of$2,427,952 is hereby adopted in accordance with G.S. 159 by Orange County
2 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020, and ending June 30, 2021, and the same is adopted
3 by project.
4
5 The Solid Waste Renewal and Replacement Capital Fund FY 2020-21 budget, with anticipated
6 sources of income of$2,368,764, and anticipated expenditures of$2,368,764 is hereby
7 adopted in accordance with G.S. 159 by Orange County for the fiscal year beginning July 1,
8 2020, and ending June 30, 2021.
9
10 The Sportsplex Renewal and Replacement Capital Fund FY 2020-21 budget, with anticipated
11 sources of income of$1,645,852, and anticipated expenditures of$1,645,852 is hereby
12 adopted in accordance with G.S. 159 by Orange County for the fiscal year beginning July 1,
13 2020, and ending June 30, 2021.
14
15 The County Grant Projects Fund FY 2020-21 budget, with anticipated fund revenues of
16 $658,901, and project expenditures of$658,901, is hereby adopted in accordance with G.S.
17 159 by Orange County for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020, and ending June 30, 2021,
18 and the same is adopted by project.
19
20 Any capital project or grant budget previously adopted, the balance of any anticipated, but not
21 yet received, revenues and any unexpended appropriations remaining on June 30, 2020, shall
22 be reauthorized in the FY 2020-21 budget.
23
24
25 Section XVI. Contractual Obligations
26
27 The County Manager is hereby authorized to execute contractual documents under the
28 following conditions:
29
30 1. The Manager may execute contracts for construction or repair projects that do not
31 require formal competitive bid procedures, and which are within budgeted departmental
32 appropriations, for which the amount to be expended does not exceed $250,000.
33 2. The Manager may execute contracts for general and/or professional services which are
34 within budgeted departmental appropriations, for purchases of apparatus supplies and
35 materials or equipment which are within the budgeted departmental appropriations, and
36 for leases of property for a duration of one year or less and within budgeted
37 departmental appropriations for which the amount to be expended does not exceed
38 $89,999.
39
40 3. Subject to prior Board of County Commissioner authorization at an official Board
41 meeting, the Manager is authorized to execute contracts, their amendments and
42 extensions, in amounts otherwise reserved for Board approval and execution by the
43 Chair, up to the Board-approved budgetary amount for a project or service that has
44 been approved by the Board of County Commissioners in the current year budget.
45
46 4. Contracts executed by the Manager shall be pre-audited by the Chief Financial Officer
47 and reviewed by the County Attorney to ensure compliance in form and sufficiency with
48 North Carolina law.
49
13
1 5. The Manager may sign intergovernmental service agreements in amounts under
2 $90,000.
3
4 6. The Manager may sign intergovernmental grant agreements regardless of amount as
5 long as no expenditure of County matching funds, not previously budgeted and
6 approved by the Board, is required. Subsequent budget amendments will be brought to
7 the Board of County Commissioners for revenue generating grant agreements not
8 requiring County matching funds as required for reporting and auditing purposes.
9
10 7. The Manager and Attorney will provide a quarterly report to the County Commissioners
11 showing the type and amount of each intergovernmental agreement signed by the
12 Manager.
13
14
15 This budget being duly adopted this 161" day of June 2020.
16
17
18
19 Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board Penny Rich, Chair
20
21
22
23 Renee Price, Vice-Chair Jamezetta Bedford
24
25
26
27 Mark Dorosin Sally Greene
28
29
30
31 Mark Marcoplos Earl McKee
32
33 PUBLIC COMMENT:
34 Riley Ruske said Orange County has the highest property and sales tax rate in the
35 state, and this year residents will be hit with a higher tax rate due to the revaluation. He said
36 due to increase in County spending there will be a 6% property tax increase over the next few
37 years. He said there is no relief in sight for residents, and the County government is bloated
38 with wasted funds.
39 Kristin Driggers said during the last meeting Chair Rich suggested creating an
40 emergency technology fund by reallocating library funding, and the Orange County Board of
41 Commissioners voted instead to fund the Chapel Hill Library. She implored the BOCC to
42 reconsider its vote.
43 Sonia Dashe echoed the previous speaker. She asked if the Board would please delay
44 its vote on the budget, and reexamine it from an equity mindset in order to benefit the
45 community from a human services role, as opposed to punishment.
46 Commissioner Price referred to the County fee schedule, and said it is out of date. She
47 asked if the staff could update it over the summer.
48
49 A motion was made by Commissioner Price, Commissioner Bedford seconded by for the
50 Board to adopt the FY2020-21 Budget Ordinance, the FY2020-21 County Grant Projects, and
14
1 the FY2020-21 County Fee Schedule, consistent with the parameters outlined in the Board's
2 "Resolution of Intent to Adopt the FY2020-21 Orange County Budget".
3
4 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
5
6 b. Approval of the Orange County Capital Investment Plan Projects of$35,003,347
7 for FY2020-21
8
9 The Board considered voting to approve the Orange County Capital Investment Plan
10 Projects of$35,003,347 for FY2020-21.
11
12 BACKGROUND: For over 20 years, the County has produced a Capital Investment Plan (CIP)
13 that establishes a budget planning guide related to capital needs for the County as well as
14 Schools. The current CIP consists of a 5-year plan that is evaluated annually to include year-to
15 year changes in priorities, needs, and available resources. Approval of the CIP commits the
16 County to the first year funding only of the capital projects; all other years are used as a
17 planning tool and serves as a financial plan.
18
19 Capital Investment Plan — Overview
20 The FY2020-21 (Year 1) CIP includes County Projects, School Projects, and Proprietary
21 Projects. The School Projects include Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools, Orange County
22 Schools, and Durham Technical Community College — Orange County Campus projects. The
23 Proprietary Projects include Water and Sewer, Solid Waste Enterprise Fund, and Sportsplex
24 projects.
25
26 At the June 9, 2020 Budget Work Session, the Board of County Commissioners approved the
27 Intent to Adopt the FY 2020-21 (Year 1) funding of the Capital Investment Plan. Final decisions
28 on a Five-Year CIP will be considered by the Board in September 2020.
29
30 Commissioner Bedford said, out of an abundance of caution to protect her CPA license,
31 she expects to vote no on years 2 and 3 in September, due to wanting to avoid any possible
32 impropriety and conflict with the LGC.
33 Commissioner Dorosin asked if years 2 and 3 were already approved at last week's
34 meeting.
35 Travis Myren said the Board is just approving year one tonight for the planning, and the
36 rest of the plan will be reviewed in September.
37 Commissioner Dorosin said that was not his understanding of last week's decision, and
38 he thought in September the Board was just making off set cuts on which it could not decide
39 last week.
40 Travis Myren said as of now, the Board does not have years 2 and 3. He said the Board
41 is not accepting years 2 and 3 tonight.
42 Commissioner Dorosin said it is his understanding that the Board would pick up, in
43 September, where it left off on June 9t". He said the remaining conversation is to determine the
44 offsetting cuts. He said he wanted to be clear that the majority of the Board voted to move the
45 projects into years 2 and 3, and he does not want to re-visit the Board's vote in September.
46 Travis Myren said the Board can start there.
47 Commissioner Dorosin said he knows the Board can start there, but he wants to make it
48 clear that the Board is obligated to start there, due to the vote that was taken last week. He
49 said he does not want to get September and have to revote.
15
1 Bonnie Hammersley said the motion that was passed last week was to move the project
2 to years 1, 2 and 3, and the only way to change that is for someone who voted for this last week
3 to rescind their vote. He said the Local Government Commission (LGC) does not require a CIP
4 Plan, rather it is a best practice. She said the Board only votes on year 1, with the rest of the
5 plan being conceptual, and voted on officially in consecutive years. She said the Board
6 affirmatively voted to move the project to years 1, 2 and 3, but did not determine any offsets for
7 years 2 and 3.
8 Commissioner Dorosin said that is correct, as he understands it.
9 Commissioner Marcoplos said his understanding was that the conversation was to pick
10 up in September about the offsets for years 2 and 3. He said he is having difficulty supporting
11 the offsets in year one, because none of the Board clearly understands the implications of
12 those offsets.
13 Bonnie Hammersley said the CIP has detailed information on every project in the
14 budget, and if the Board needs more information, it should let staff know.
15 Commissioner Dorosin said he wanted to follow up on Commissioner Marcoplos' point.
16 He said he did look through the CIP very closely to find the offsetting costs he proposed, and
17 he is aware of the implications of these cuts. He said the decision of what to cut was not easy.
18 Commissioner Marcoplos said he wants to point out the distinction between knowing
19 what each dollar is spent on these projects versus what will happen if the projects are not
20 completed. He said he hopes the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) can have a wider
21 discussion in the fall. He said he is confident that Commissioner Dorosin did diligent work in
22 proposing the cuts that he did.
23
24 A motion was made by Commissioner Dorosin, seconded by Commissioner Bedford for
25 the Board to approve funding and adopt the Orange County Capital Investment Plan projects
26 for FY2020-21 (Year 1), as stated in Attachment 1.
27
28 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
29
30
31 c. Approval of Small Business Program Modifications
32
33 The Board considered voting to:
34 1) Establish the Small Business Fund on the County's Books and Chart of Accounts;
35 2) Approve the transfer of the remaining balance of$510,000 from the Small Business
36 bank account to the County's bank account, of which $410,000 is to be used for
37 Emergency grants to small businesses and the remaining $100,000 and any residual
38 balances to be deposited in the County's bank account;
39 3) Approve the Staff and Small Business Loan Board recommendation for the eventual
40 dissolution of the nonprofit entity named the Orange County Small Business Loan
41 Company Program; and
42 4) Approve the Staff and Small Business Loan Board recommendation to make all 11
43 existing loans with an outstanding balance of$286,508.17 as zero interest and
44 subsequent Small Business Loans as zero interest.
45
46 Gary Donaldson, Chief Financial Officer, presented the item below:
47
48 BACKGROUND:
49 In December 1997, the BOCC approved Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws establishing the
50 nonprofit Orange County Small Business Loan (SBL) Company. Staff and the Small Business
16
1 Loan Board are recommending the eventual dissolution of the nonprofit SBL and transferring all
2 funds and the financial administration of the program to County's books and existing policies
3 and procedures. The rationale is that the County's financial administration will provide
4 enhanced system controls through a better financial ledger and software infrastructure,
5 redundancy and systems support than the current SBL financial subsidiary ledger.
6
7 Key historical milestones for the SBL Program nonprofit are as follows:
8
9 October 6, 1998 BOCC Meeting
10 Operating Policies and Procedures document was approved by BOCC.
11
12 September 1999 - Articles of Incorporation for the Orange County Small Business Loan
13 Program Company were issued by the N.C. Secretary of State.
14
15 March 21, 2000 BOCC Meeting
16 The BOCC approved a Loan Program resolution which included a nine-member Board of
17 Directors comprised of three county officials (County Finance Director, County Manager, and
18 Economic Development Director) and six bank representatives.
19
20 March 13, 2007 BOCC Meeting
21 Economic Development staff presented recommendations to reorganize and provide capital to
22 the Loan Program. The Economic Development Commission Advisory Board and SBL Board
23 endorsed the recommended changes including $150,000 to the SBL to establish a revolving
24 loan fund which was approved the BOCC.
25
26 November 5, 2007 BOCC Meeting
27 Economic Development staff presented revised Bylaws and requested a Resolution which was
28 approved by the BOCC.
29
30 January 15, 2008 BOCC Meeting
31 The Board approved changes to the SBL Bylaws to modify the Board of Directors to the current
32 composition:
33 • 1 BOCC Member
34 • 2 Small Business Owners
35 • 2 Local Commercial Bankers
36 • 1 Economic Development Commission
37 • Orange County Economic Development Director
38 • Orange County Finance Director
39
40 2010 — Former County Manager Frank Clifton directed $200,000 from the Orange
41 County/Chapel Hill Visitors Bureau's Fund Balance to the SBL program.
42 November 2011 — The one quarter cent sales tax referendum (Article 46) was approved by
43 Orange County voters in November 2011, providing the SBL Loan program $200,000 annually
44 in additional lending capital.
45
46 January 2016 — The Department of Economic Development's active marketing of the SBL
47 program resulted in the use of assigned Article 46 fund balance to supplement the original
48 seeded funds to issue Small Business loans.
49
17
1 February 7, 2020
2 The SBL Board of Directors endorsed recommended changes by the departments of Finance
3 and Economic Development including:
4 1) Making all Small Business Loans zero interest
5 2) Enhancing Collections mechanisms to include electronic funds transfer and use of
6 Collection Agencies
7 3) Revised Small Business practices to conform with the Department of Finance Policies
8 and Procedures Manual
9
10 FINANCIAL IMPACT: This item proposes to establish the Small Business Loan Fund on the
11 County's Books and Chart of Accounts, and transfer $510,000 from the SBL bank account, of
12 which $410,000 will be used to provide Emergency Small Business grants to businesses
13 impacted by the pandemic. Budget amendments are forthcoming to effectuate these actions.
14
15 Gary Donaldson made the following PowerPoint presentation:
16
17 Small Business Program Modifications
18 June 16, 2020 Business Meeting
19
20 Background
21 1997- Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) approved Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation
22 establishing the nonprofit Orange County Small Business Loan (SBL) December 1997
23
24 2008- BOCC Approved the current Small Business Loan Board Composition-
25 - 1 BOCC Member
26 - 2 Small Business Owners
27 - 2 Local Commercial Bankers
28 - 1 Economic Development Commission
29 - Orange County Economic Development Director
30 - Orange County Finance Director
31
32 ❖ Source of funding is Article 46 Sales Tax revenue
33
34 ❖ SBL program is managed by the Economic Development Department
35
36 Abstract Purpose
37 ❖ Establish the Small Business Fund on the County's Financial System
38 ❖ Enhanced Policies and Procedures and Controls
39 ❖ Transfer of all remaining balance of$510,000 and accrued balances from the SBL bank
40 account to the County's bank account
41 ❖ Make all outstanding 11 loans (current balance $286,508.17) zero interest and all new
42 loans zero interest
43 ❖ Eventual dissolution of the SBL nonprofit as unanimously voted by the SBL Board
44
45 Dissolution of Small Business Nonprofit
46 ❖ Transfer funds from Small Business Loan Company to County General Account
47 ❖ Establish County General Ledger Accounts for Income Statement and Balance Sheet
48 reporting
49 ❖ Loan Board Chair submits letter to County Manager ( date to be determined)
18
1 ❖ Complete requisite dissolution forms to NC Secretary of State and Internal Revenue
2 Service
3
4 Policies and Procedures Enhancements
5 ❖ All Financial Transactions to mimic County Financial Policies
6 ❖ Authorized Bank Signatures Defaults to County Manager and Finance Director
7 ❖ Create Small Business Fund in Tyler MUNIS Financial System to record all financial
8 transactions including tracking Accounts Receivables (A/R)
9 ❖ Escalate all outstanding AR balances and take appropriate collection actions
10
11 Board Action Steps
12 ❖ Approve Staff recommendations
13 - Dissolution of SBL nonprofit
14 - Conformance to County Policies and Procedures
15
16 Questions/Comments
17
18 Commissioner Price asked if there will be an advisory board.
19 Gary Donaldson said yes, the Small Business Loan Committee.
20 Commissioner Bedford thanked staff for moving the data to the County, and she
21 supported the 0% interest loans. She said the Small Business Loan Committee is a great to
22 work with, and the public needs to be better informed that this program exists.
23 Commissioner Dorosin asked if the status of this committee, moving forward, could be
24 identified.
25 Gary Donaldson said the pandemic has put everything on pause, but once the status
26 quo returns, the committee will go back to giving out loans.
27 Commissioner Dorosin asked if this committee is the same one that is overseeing the
28 emergency loan program.
29 Chair Rich said no it is not, but there are some committee members that overlap
30 between the two groups.
31
32 A motion was made by Commissioner Bedford, seconded by Commissioner Price for the
33 Board to:
34 1) Establish the Small Business Fund on the County's Books and Chart of Accounts;
35 2) Approve the transfer of the remaining balance of$510,000 from the Small Business
36 bank account to the County's bank account, of which $410,000 is to be used for
37 Emergency grants to small businesses and the remaining $100,000 and any residual
38 balances to be deposited in the County's bank account;
39 3) Approve the Staff and Small Business Loan Board recommendation for the eventual
40 dissolution of the nonprofit entity named the Orange County Small Business Loan
41 Company Program; and
42 4) Approve the Staff and Small Business Loan Board recommendation to make all 11
43 existing loans with an outstanding balance of$286,508.17 as zero interest and
44 subsequent Small Business Loans as zero interest.
45
46
47 VOTE: UNAIMOUS
48
49 d. Amendments to the Orange County Solid Waste Ordinance Regarding Disposal of
50 Construction and Demolition Waste at Waste and Recycling Centers
19
1
2 The Board considered voting to:
3 1) approve a proposed resolution amending the Solid Waste Ordinance with the
4 amendments becoming effective August 3, 2020;
5 2) direct solid waste staff to consistently enforce Section 34-40 of the Solid Waste
6 Ordinance related to construction and demolition waste as set forth in the
7 amended Ordinance beginning August 3, 2020; and
8 3) in the interim, pursue a public education effort to inform the public and also
9 make signage improvements at the various Centers to educate the public and
10 enhance administration of the Ordinance provisions.
11
12 Robert Williams, Solid Waste Director, presented this item:
13
14 BACKGROUND: The Orange County Waste and Recycling Centers (Centers) were established
15 for the disposal of household municipal solid waste and recycling. Specifically, the Orange
16 County Solid Waste Ordinance provides in Section 34-40 that Centers are maintained at
17 selected locations throughout the County for the convenience of County residents. The Section
18 provides a list of wastes that may not be accepted at convenience centers, including
19 commercial waste, institutional waste, industrial waste, land clearing waste, and construction
20 waste and demolition waste. In contrast, the Ordinance specifically provides a list of materials
21 that, if there is a specifically designated area for collection, may be deposited at the Centers,
22 including white goods, furniture, yard waste and tires. These Ordinance provisions have been in
23 effect since May of 1993.
24
25 A recent audit of the Centers highlighted that the Ordinance was not being consistently
26 administered by some of the Solid Waste staff. The Centers have traditionally allowed a
27 "wheelbarrows" worth of construction and demolition waste to be deposited in the bulky waste
28 area as an accommodation to residential users of the sites. This amount was being
29 inconsistently applied by staff. In addition, it became apparent that construction and demolition
30 waste of a commercial nature was also being brought to the sites. Individuals that were
31 renovating homes for commercial purposes were bringing or causing large quantities of
32 material
33 to be brought to the sites.
34
35 Staff's recommendation proposes amending the Ordinance to allow for up to 36 cubic feet of
36 residential construction and demolition waste per household per day or weekend period from
37 the users' primary residence. The goal is to support Orange County residential customers
38 disposing of material from a "Do It Yourself" project. The proposed 36 cubic feet quantity was
39 determined using a pickup truck with a 6 foot bed, which is equal to 90 cubic feet of space.
40 Because of limited space and to discourage business usage, 36 cubic feet of material is
41 proposed to be the maximum amount of construction and demolition debris that can accepted.
42
43 To further support those goals, the proposed revision to the Ordinance would require that proof
44 of residency be provided prior to unloading of material, hired contractors could not use the
45 Center, and loads exceeding the designated limits will not be accepted. In addition, customers
46 attempting to enter a Center with loads exceeding 36 cubic feet of construction and demolition
47 waste would be declined and not permitted to dispose of any material.
48
49 The amendments as proposed also specify the types of waste deemed construction and
50 demolition wastes for this purpose. The materials are those items that are allowed at the
20
1 Orange County Construction and Demolition Landfill. Containers for the allowable construction
2 and demolition waste would be available at the Eubanks, Walnut Grove, High Rock and
3 Ferguson Centers. Materials delivered to the C&D containers would then be delivered to the
4 Orange County Construction and Demolition Landfill. (It should be noted that there is not
5 sufficient space to collect material at the Bradshaw Quarry Center, and individuals bringing
6 allowable C&D material to that location will be directed to another Center.)
7
8 FINANCIAL IMPACT: Current conservative estimates are that 20-25% of bulky wastes
9 delivered to the Waste and Recycling Centers are construction and demolition wastes. Tipping
10 fees for those materials are estimated to be $75,000-$88,000 per year. Increasing the amount
11 of allowable construction and demolition wastes may result in the tipping fees paid to outside
12 vendors to go down $75,000-$88,000 per year resulting
13 $10,000.
14
15 Commissioner McKee said he appreciated the clarification on the cost, and the potential
16 decrease in anticipated cost. He said he is fine with everything, except the 36 cubit feet.
17 Commissioner Price said she is unclear on the financial impact, and how the County is
18 losing money.
19 Robert Williams said whoever is allowed to dump construction and demolition (C&D)
20 debris, it is hauled to another entity in Durham, and then the landfill in another County. He said
21 Orange County is not collecting any fees for that.
22 Commissioner Price said there are tipping fees of$75,000-88,000, and she asked from
23 where these fees come.
24 Robert Williams said Durham has tipping fees of$47.50 per ton, and Orange County
25 averages 1900 tons of C&D, which is ending up at waste and recycling centers, which is not
26 allowed. He said if this same amount of C&D is delivered to the Orange County landfill at $42
27 per ton, it is a savings of around $11,000.
28 Commissioner Price asked if the phrase, "per weekend period" could be clarified.
29 Robert Williams said that means Saturday or Sunday. He said there are more users on
30 the weekend.
31 Commissioner Dorosin asked if the photos in the abstract could be explained. He said
32 the first picture is of truck taken from the back, and the second is a picture of a truck taken from
33 the side.
34 Robert Williams said the first picture shows what 36 cubic feet looks like when it is
35 brought in in the back of an 8 foot pick up truck. He said the second picture shows larger,
36 oversize objects, which hang over the edge of the truck, but would still be accepted because
37 one can still see part of truck bed.
38 Commissioner Dorosin said the abstract says, "36 cubic feet of quantity is equal to 96
39 cubic feet of space," and asked if this could be explained.
40 Robert Williams said 96 cubic feet of space is the space in a 6-foot pick up bed.
41 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if there could be a C&D dumpster at each Solid Waste
42 Convenience Center (SWCC), that was policed for amounts, but then dumped into Orange
43 County's landfill.
44 Bonnie Hammersley said that is the $10,000 savings to which Robert Williams' referred
45 in the financial impact. She said SWCC staff would segregate it and send it to the County's
46 own C&D landfill, as opposed to sending it to Durham.
47 Robert Williams said with the increase in the number of tons coming into the C&D
48 Landfill, the useable air space will start to be taken up. He suggested that the Board just keep
49 this in mind.
50 Commissioner Greene asked if there is a plan to enforce these limits.
21
1 Robert Williams said through staff training and experience. He said staff will have to
2 judge if a load meets the threshold.
3 Commissioner Greene asked if there is a reason for choosing 36 cubic feet, and if there
4 is a reason to not go with Commissioner McKee's recommendation of 60 cubic feet.
5 Robert Williams said his department did some testing, and observed residents typical
6 loads when completing a small home project. He said 36 cubic feet seemed to fall within a
7 typical amount. He said the amounts may go over every now and then, as long as staff has
8 made a good faith effort to judge the amount properly.
9 Commissioner Greene asked if, based on what his department sees people doing in
10 reality, 36 cubic feet enough to satisfy the problem.
11 Robert Williams said his department wants to discourage commercial construction from
12 bringing C&D waste.
13 Commissioner Green asked if regular, non-commercial, residents be able to work with
14 the 36 cubic feet.
15 Robert Williams said yes.
16 Commissioner McKee asked if$42 dumping fee is the minimum at the C&D landfill.
17 Robert Williams said there is a scale there, and it is $22 for up to 1000 pounds in a pick
18 up truck or trailer. He said 1000-1999 pounds is prorated at the landfill, and if waste is brought
19 in a car, and not a pick up truck, there is a flat rate of$5.
20 Commissioner McKee asked if there is a plan in place to make a change, should the 36
21 cubic feet be insufficient. He said he is concerned that debris will be found on the side of the
22 road.
23 Robert Williams said data could be reviewed next year, and any changes as needed.
24 Commissioner McKee said he disagrees with the amount, and he has problems with
25 illegal dumping on his farm, and he thinks the problem will spread. He said contractors are
26 easy to identify, as well as rental property owners, and he is concerned about regular citizens.
27 He said a compromise would be 60 cubic feet, given that the default policy has been 120 cubic
28 feet for many years. He said 60 cubic feet could be evaluated after a year, just as easily as 36
29 cubic feet could be.
30 Chair Rich asked if rental property owners are considered commercial.
31 Robert Williams said yes, as it is not the owner's primary residence.
32 Commissioner McKee said commercial dumpers are easy to identify after one or two
33 visits. He said enforcement on commercial contractors will be key, and he understands this
34 may be uncomfortable for staff at times, but it is necessary to protect residential users who pay
35 taxes for solid waste services.
36
37 Resolution of Amendment
38
39 A Resolution Amending Chapter 34 of the Orange County Code of Ordinances
40
41 Be it Resolved and Ordained by the Board of Commissioners of Orange County, North
42 Carolina:
43
44 Whereas, the Solid Waste Ordinance (the "Ordinance") was enacted by the Orange County
45 Board of Commissioners in May, 1993, and
46
47 Whereas, the Ordinance establishes convenience centers for the disposal of residential
48 household waste by Orange County residents, and
49
22
1 Whereas, the Ordinance specifically sets forth materials that are not to be brought to the
2 Orange County convenience centers, now referred to as the Waste and Recycling Centers (the
3 Centers), and
4
5 Whereas, the Ordinance specifically provides that Construction and Demolition Waste is not
6 allowed at the Centers, and
7
8 Whereas, the Board has determined that it is in the interests of the County to allow limited
9 amounts of residential Construction and Demolition Waste to be deposited at the Centers by
10 Orange County residential users; and
11
12 Whereas, there is also one provision in the Ordinance that related to the MSW landfill that was
13 closed in 2013 and is no longer relevant.
14
15 NOW, therefore be it ordained that the Code of Ordinances, Orange County, North Carolina,
16 Chapter 34, is hereby amended in section 34-40 thereof to read as set forth on the attachment
17 hereto.
18
19 This Amendment shall become effective on August 3, 2020.
20
21 Adopted by the Orange County Board of Commissioners this day of June, 2020.
22
23 A motion was made by Commissioner Marcoplos, seconded by Commissioner Dorosin
24 for the Board to:
25
26 1) approve the attached proposed resolution amending the Solid Waste Ordinance with
27 the amendments becoming effective August 3, 2020;
28 2) direct solid waste staff to consistently enforce Section 34-40 of the Solid Waste
29 Ordinance related to construction and demolition waste as set forth in the amended
30 Ordinance beginning August 3, 2020; and
31 3) in the interim, pursue a public education effort to inform the public and also make
32 signage improvements at the various Centers to educate the public and enhance
33 administration of the Ordinance provisions.
34
35 Commissioner McKee offered a non-friendly amendment to change the 36 feet to 60
36 cubic feet.
37 Commissioner Price seconded.
38 Commissioner Price said initially she had no qualms with this as written, but
39 Commissioner McKee has used SWCC for years, and she respects his comments and input on
40 what is most reasonable to for those who regularly use SWCCs.
41 Commissioner Greene asked if the resolution includes a provision to review the issue in
42 a year's time.
43 Chair Rich said it is not in there.
44 Commissioner McKee said he would accept Commissioner Greene's suggestion to re-
45 evaluate the matter after a year.
46 Commissioner Price agreed.
47 Commissioner Marcoplos said he has been using these same SWCC dumpsters for
48 years, which informed his motion as well.
49 Commissioner Greene said the current practice has been 120 cubit feet, and 60 cubic
50 feet seems a more reasonable reduction than 36 cubic feet.
23
1
2 VOTE: ON AMENDMENT
3
4 Ayes, 4 (Commissioner Greene, Commissioner Bedford, Commissioner Price,
5 Commissioner McKee); Nays, 3 (Chair Rich, Commissioner Marcoplos, Commissioner
6 Dorosin)
7
8 MOTION PASSES
9
10 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Bedford for
11 original motion with amendment included
12
13 Ayes, 4 (Commissioner Bedford, Commissioner Greene, Commissioner, Price
14 Commissioner McKee); Nays, 3 (Commissioner Price, Commissioner Marcoplos,
15 Commissioner Dorosin)
16
17 MOTION PASSES
18
19 7. Reports
20
21 a. Report from Sheriff Charles Blackwood on Policing, Racial Justice, and Equity in
22 Orange County
23
24 The Board received a report on the Sheriff's efforts to achieve more equitable policing.
25
26 BACKGROUND:
27 Against the backdrop of the devastating deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and David
28 McAtee, the topic of equity and racial justice in policing has come in to sharp focus on both the
29 national and local stages. Sheriff Blackwood will address the Commissioners about the efforts
30 of the Sheriff's Office to build community trust, address implicit bias, and identify and implement
31 best practices to address racial disparities in policing.
32
33 Sheriff Blackwood said recent events have shocked the community. He said this is the
34 first time society has seen slow motion action before its very eyes. He said it was painful, and
35 many are asking what is being done locally to make sure similar things do not happen here. He
36 said, as a law enforcement leader, he must acknowledge that he is a part of systemic racism.
37 He said his department has made, and continues to make, positive changes, and much great
38 work has been done. He said many residents may not know about this good work, and he
39 welcomes the newly generated interested in making long lasting change to prevent further
40 murders. He said Orange County is doing well, but he knows this can change in an instant.
41 Sheriff Blackwood said there has been discussion about defunding law enforcement,
42 and it is important to note that Orange County began diverting funds years ago to the
43 Community Resource Court, which was new, innovative, and many were skeptical of its
44 success. He said it has proven itself to be an excellent process. He said it is a different, and
45 positive, experience. He said there are going to be sweeping changes in the courts. He said
46 the changes will be good, but will be uncomfortable for many. He said Orange County has
47 invested in its court system, all of which occurred because of partnerships and re-directing
48 funding that was going to his office to these court programs instead. He said law enforcement
49 is not trained and equipped to handle all social problems, and it is better to let those who are
50 trained should be handling mental health, drug addiction, etc. He said he brought in verbal judo
24
1 de-escalation two years ago, and made it available to all County employees, as well as law
2 enforcement throughout the state. He said there is peer support within the jails, which spread
3 to emergency rooms, and allows people to support each other. He said pre-trial supervision
4 and medicated assisted treatment are other programs where Orange County led the way. He
5 listed many other ways that Orange County is creatively approaching law enforcement with
6 great humanity, patience, and holistic planning to help people succeed and be diverted away
7 from the criminal justice system in the first place.
8 Sheriff Blackwood said he serves on the Racial Justice Task force in Orange and
9 Chatham Counties, where a lot of good work is being done. He said he serves as a
10 Commissioner on the North Carolina Governor's Crime Commission, and is on a special
11 workgroup that is addressing pretrial supervision, bail and bond reform. He said this group has
12 made recommendations to the Governor that will greatly impact the criminal justice system, and
13 provide timely review of first appearances. He said there will also be mandatory training for
14 judges and magistrates. He said there are strong initiatives around the state, as well as locally.
15 Sheriff Blackwood said he is going to put the brakes on the purchase of the mobile
16 command center, and instead will be using those funds for hiring a licensed clinical social
17 worker to be housed with his community resource division's crisis intervention team, as well as
18 hosting specialized training for all NC law enforcement, and any other departments who would
19 like to attend.
20 Sheriff Blackwood thanked Chair Rich for helping him through these past two weeks
21 since the death of George Floyd, and helping him work through some questions he had moving
22 forward. He said he and Chair Rich have formed a partnership out of these challenges, despite
23 being from radically different backgrounds. He said petty differences must be put aside, in
24 order to work together for governmental change and action. He said he is so proud and
25 fortunate to work with the Board and staff that exists in Orange County.
26 Commissioner McKee said he appreciated the Sheriff's comments, and the litany of
27 programs he listed. He said he knows that the community may not know about all of these
28 programs, but together they can serve the community. He said he is old enough to remember
29 how some of these problems were addressed in the past, and he is thankful that things are
30 continuing to change.
31 Commissioner Dorosin thanked Sheriff Blackwood for providing this report and he is
32 encouraged by the Sheriff's engagement beyond the County. He said he is also greatly
33 encourage by the decision with the command center, and re-deploying the funds to other
34 programs. He said the question of SROs is also something to consider for these funds. He
35 said part of this engagement involves hearing from the community in a public forum, and the
36 next agenda item will look more closely at this need.
37 Sheriff Blackwood said the SRO issue is going to be something that the schools are
38 discussing. He said the schools originally requested the SROs, and there is an opportunity to
39 change the face of law enforcement in the schools. He said there has to be a way to close the
40 gap of the response between the incident and the arrival of law enforcement. He said this will
41 be an ongoing discussion.
42 Sheriff Blackwood said he has already started having community discussions, and he
43 serves all people of the County. He said he is going on the road to talk to anyone. He said he
44 would like to have known about the forum before it was proposed publically, so he did not
45 appreciate how the community forum idea transpired. He said he can get over that, and they
46 can move forward together.
47 Commissioner Dorosin said the intent was to for all of them to put something together
48 collectively.
49 Commissioner Greene said she appreciated the Sheriff's comments tonight, and she
50 especially pleased to hear of the redirection of the forfeiture funds.
25
1 Commissioner Marcoplos said he may not have used the word forum in his conversation
2 with Sheriff Blackwood, but he talked about the need for a community process, and did lead the
3 conversation by saying that the Sheriff had a lot of experience to share. He said more people
4 want to engage this conversation, and Orange County is not Minneapolis. He said what Sheriff
5 Blackwood has been talking about tonight is so important. He said so many residents are
6 uninformed about what is currently being done, and this is the moment not to be missed, and
7 they owe it the community to have this discussion now.
8 Sheriff Blackwood said they just need to keep moving forward.
9 Chair Rich thanked Sheriff Blackwood for coming to speak tonight and sharing with the
10 Board. She said she and the Sheriff do often come from different perspectives, but all can work
11 together regardless.
12 Commissioner Price said Sheriff Blackwood has been open and out in the community,
13 and she is wondering why a forum is needed. She said she has held two community forums in
14 the past, and Sheriff Blackwood always joined. She said a resolution was totally unnecessary,
15 and it was just a matter of calling the Sheriff, and he was always available.
16 Commissioner Bedford said the Sheriff's department and Caitlin Fenhagen, Criminal
17 Justice Resource Director, are instrumental in the behavioral health committee in Orange
18 County. She said she knew of SROs in the schools but until she became a Commissioner, she
19 has learned so much more. She shared a personal story about her daughter. She said the
20 community needs to know all that the Sheriff's Department is involved in within the community.
21 Commissioner Dorosin said the purpose of the resolution is for the Orange County
22 Board of Commissioners to go on record that it wants to have a community forum that is
23 sponsored by the BOCC, and held in collaboration with the Sheriff.
24 Commissioner McKee said he usually does not engage in social media except to find
25 out what is going on in his community. He said last week he saw a picture and video of a
26 military vehicle, which was completely inaccurate and ill informed. He said the Sheriff has a
27 vehicle that is not like the one in the video, and he asked if the Sheriff would clarify the vehicle
28 that his department currently has.
29 Sheriff Blackwood said his department has a mine resistant, armored personnel carrier,
30 an MRAP, which is stripped down. He said it is a defensive tool that been used three times: a
31 high water rescue in Chapel Hill, where the vehicle was ultimately not needed; in Carrboro,
32 where an armed subject had been in a house for about 12 hours and the Sheriff's department
33 was called to get the gentleman out of the home and get him to safety and services; and the
34 third time it was needed was a high water rescue in the eastern part of the state, but was never
35 used. He said there is no weaponry on the vehicle, and it is to deploy deputies in a safe
36 manner.
37 Commissioner McKee said it is like his own two-ton truck he has on his farm; a high
38 water truck.
39
40 RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board receive the report from
41 Sheriff Blackwood, and be apprised of this information.
42
43
44 b. Discussion on a Potential Community Forum Regarding Policing and Racial
45 Justice and Equity in Orange County
46 The Board discussed and considered voting to approve a potential community forum
47 regarding policing and racial justice and equity in Orange County and a resolution calling for
48 such a forum.
49 Commissioner Dorosin and Commissioner Marcoplos presented this item:
50
26
1 BACKGROUND:
2 Commissioners Mark Dorosin and Mark Marcoplos recently shared the attached resolution with
3 other Board members and suggested the Board might want to discuss this topic and potential
4 consideration of the attached resolution.
5
6 Commissioner Dorosin said the resolution speaks for itself, and the Board should take a
7 vote and make a commitment. He said it is critical that the Board take a position on whether or
8 not it wants to do this.
9 Commissioner Dorosin read the resolution:
10
11 A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR A COMMUNITY PUBLIC FORUM TO DISCUSS ISSUES OF
12 POLICING AND RACIAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY IN ORANGE COUNTY
13 WHEREAS, the residents of Orange County, North Carolina are committed to discussing and
14 addressing issue of structural racism, inclusion, racial equity, and the continuing legacy of racial
15 segregation and discrimination in this community; and
16
17 WHEREAS, on June 2, 2020, the Board of County Commissioners adopted "A Resolution
18 denouncing the murder of George Floyd and addressing the health director's declaration of
19 structural racism as a "public health crisis" in Orange County" and committed to working to
20 dismantling structural racism; and
21
22 WHEREAS across the nation local governments and the communities they represent are
23 engaging in a wide-ranging review of police policies and practices in light of these tragic events,
24 and
25
26 WHEREAS Orange County places a high priority on community engagement, participation, and
27 transparency; and
28
29 WHEREAS unlike municipalities in our state, which directly control their police departments, the
30 Sheriff is an independently elected official under the North Carolina Constitution and the
31 Sheriff's Office is an independent county agency, but by this resolution seeks it's partnership in
32 addressing these issues.
33
34 NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of Commissioners will
35 conduct a community public forum to discuss issues of policing and racial justice and equity in
36 Orange County, and
37
38 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of Commissioners will request
39 that the Sheriff and the Sheriff's Office be a full and equal partner with the BOCC in planning,
40 organizing, and leading the forum.
41
42 This, the 16t" Day of June, 2020.
43
44 Commissioner Dorosin said Orange County is not a city, and the Sheriff is not their
45 Board's employee. He said it is incumbent of this Board to do this.
46
47 A motion was made by Commissioner Dorosin, seconded by Commissioner Marcoplos
48 for the Board to approve the resolution calling for such a community policing forum.
49
27
1 Commissioner Marcoplos said the Board should step up and take the responsibility
2 given to it, since so many resident are asking questions. He said the forum should be
3 straightforward, and the Board needs to listen to its residents.
4 Commissioner Price said she will abstain from voting on this. She said she recognizes
5 that the intention is good, but she has issues with it. She said a resolution has never before
6 been needed to have a community meeting. She said this is supposed to be about racial equity
7 and justice, and it bothers her to have the Sheriff as an equal partner, but not Annette Moore,
8 Human Rights and Relations Director. She said no person of color is involved in the planning of
9 this forum. She said she agreed with the intent, but she has issues with the process.
10 Commissioner Greene said she is in favor of this forum and has no issues with the
11 resolution. She agreed with Commissioner Dorosin that the Board should be on record that it is
12 having this conversation. She said she does not understand the bickering, and the Board
13 should just move forward. She said Commissioner Price cannot abstain unless there is a real
14 conflict on interest.
15 Commissioner Dorosin said to Commissioner Price that nothing has yet been planned.
16 He said all the Orange County Board of Commissioners will be involved in the planning and the
17 execution of this forum, and the topic has simply been brought up for discussion. He said if the
18 majority of the Board votes to have a forum, then planning can begin.
19 Commissioner Price said she was not trying to bicker, and she recognizes the good
20 intent behind the actions. She said she has a problem with the fact that Commissioner
21 Marcoplos, Commissioner Dorosin, and the Sheriff were putting this idea forward, as they are
22 three white men. She said it would have been more respectful to have some diverse partners
23 to be a part of this.
24 Commissioner Dorosin said this is an idea, and nothing is planned. He said this has
25 been presented as an idea for the Board to decide upon. He said he likes to have discussions
26 publicly and provide total transparency.
27
28 PUBLIC COMMENT:
29 Sonia D said it is important that the planning should involve those most impacted, and
30 she hoped that not only recommendations out of the forum, but real concrete commitment.
31 Commissioner McKee said he has the same concerns as Commissioner Price, and this
32 could have been a petition. He speculated that the Sheriff had no part in formulating this
33 resolution, and likely neither did Commissioner Price or the HRC. He said there was probably
34 also no input from the people of color in the community. He said he has never seen a
35 resolution come forward like this before, but rather it has always been done using the petition
36 process. He said he feels conversation is important, and he will support the forum. He said if
37 conversations had started years ago, the situation might not be what it is today.
38 Commissioner McKee said Commissioner Dorosin and Commissioner Marcoplos did not
39 think in advance as to how this would be received, and he hopes the motivation is pure and he
40 will vote for this. He said this could have been handled in a much better way.
41 Commissioner Marcoplos said he is having a hard time understanding this feedback,
42 and he and Commissioner Dorosin said this was kept wide open with a clean canvas to decide
43 on a forum. He said the resolution format was chosen to promote the urgency of this issue, as
44 opposed to the petition process that takes weeks. He said he is often asked what he is going to
45 do to fight racism, and this is an invitation to all to have a discussion.
46 Commissioner Dorosin said that Commissioner McKee does not know with whom he
47 has talked, and he has talked to many diverse members of the community. He said this
48 resolution is in response to what has been brought forward to him by the community.
49 Commissioner Dorosin called the question.
50
28
1 VOTE: Ayes, 6 (Chair Rich, Commissioner Greene, Commissioner Marcoplos,
2 Commissioner Dorosin, Commissioner McKee, Commissioner Bedford)
3
4 Commissioner Price is present but did not vote.
5 John Roberts said when members of the Board are physically present for a vote, and
6 choose to abstain, the vote is counted as a "yes". He said the rules of procedure, and the new
7 law, are unclear as to whether a person, who is participating remotely, can abstain. He said the
8 minutes should reflect that Commissioner Price was present, and did not vote, unless she
9 would like to ask the Board to excuse her from voting, in which case the Board would need to
10 vote to allow her to do so.
11 Commissioner Price asked the Board to excuse her from voting.
12
13 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee to excuse Commissioner Price from
14 voting.
15
16 No Second.
17 MOTION FAILS
18
19 Commissioner Price said she will not vote. She reiterated her reason being that she
20 finds a resolution about racial injustice, that does not include the mention of partnering with
21 people of color, to be concerning. She said she was not sure what is the best adjective to
22 describe her feelings.
23 Chair Rich said the public forum should occur, and needs to happen soon. She said
24 she has also heard from many community members that want to speak about these issues.
25 She asked if the intent is to have this forum presented by the entire BOCC.
26 Commissioner Dorosin said one way to do this is like a public hearing, with a short
27 presentation by the Sheriff and the HRC. He said the bulk of the time should be for the public
28 to speak.
29 Chair Rich said the Board can do it that way, having the BOCC take time to listen and
30 then perhaps collaborative respond to all of the questions that are asked.
31 Sheriff Blackwood said it is important to keep in mind that, if there are a lot of people, a
32 facilitator may be wise to take input from the public and then have panel respond. He said he
33 would recommend having Caitlin Fenhagen, someone from the courts, the District Attorney,
34 faith community, etc. He said it needs to happen soon, and zoom works well for this format to
35 allow greater numbers and more access.
36 Commissioner Greene said the Sheriff's comments are in line with what she was
37 thinking. She said people should be able to express freely, with the facilitator keeping the flow
38 organized and moving. She said including representatives from the National Association for the
39 Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) would be good as well.
40 Commissioner McKee said in these early planning stages, the Board must make sure to
41 involve leaders of color. He said he has not been impacted by issues of race and equity, and
42 does not pretend to know how the conversation should go. He said people of color must be
43 involved at every stage, and the community should be the driver.
44 Commissioner Marcoplos said these are straightforward ideas. He said the idea of a
45 facilitator will be helpful. He asked if this can be done quickly, and he would like to aim for 3
46 weeks.
47 Commissioner Dorosin said the Board/panel should not presume it will have answers,
48 and this is a time to be open to hearing all of the ideas.
49 Chair Rich said the Board does not need to hear from a panel, but to hear from the
50 public voicing concerns, ideas for change, etc.
29
1 Commissioner Bedford said some information that is in the public is grossly inaccurate,
2 and the Board should be able to address such mistakes. She said Commissioners Dorosin and
3 Marcoplos should take this on as the resolution was their idea.
4 Commissioner Greene agreed with the community having a forum to talk, and said the
5 panel should not be considered to have all the answers, but should be able to correct
6 inaccurate factual information.
7 Commissioner McKee concurred with Chair Rich's suggestion about a listening session,
8 and Commissioner Bedford's comment to correct any blatant misinformation. He said the
9 Board's primary goals in past community forums have been to listen.
10 Commissioner Price called her previous listening sessions "Village Circle", and there
11 was not a time limit on the speakers. She said some problems were solved at these sessions,
12 and everyone sat at the same level, on equal ground.
13 Commissioner Price said she has heard this referred to as a forum, a public hearing, an
14 information session. She said she has heard most of the community talking about what will be
15 done moving forward, as opposed to what is being done currently. She asked if the main goal
16 of the forum could be identified.
17 Commissioner Marcoplos said he sees the opportunity as a way to provide clear
18 information, for people to express their perspective, and ask questions. He said he thinks some
19 brief presentations in the beginning would be helpful so that the conversation can start from a
20 more informed perspective.
21 Commissioner Price said those who are affected by racism and inequity want to hear
22 what is going to be done about it, not to have accurate information about what is being done
23 currently.
24 Chair Rich asked if the Board could move towards next steps.
25 Commissioner Dorosin said he wants to hear what residents want the Board to do.
26 Chair Rich said 30 days is way too long to wait.
27 Bonnie Hammersley said the forum could be held after July 4t", and she can look for a
28 facilitator. She said staff is happy to help in any way, and can set up the zoom component.
29 Commissioner Marcoplos suggested coming up with a draft list of people who will be on
30 the panel, and he and Commissioner Dorosin can poll the BOCC as to who needs to be
31 involved.
32 Commissioner Dorosin said he is reluctant to take any leadership on this. He said the
33 Orange County Board of Commissioners is listening, and it is the public's opportunity to speak
34 to the Board's listening ear.
35 Commissioner Marcoplos said the public needs to speak to someone, and asked if it
36 should just be the BOCC, or should others be included.
37 Commissioner Greene asked if this forum has a name. She asked if Town Hall would
38 be appropriate. She said she does not want to call it a public hearing.
39 Chair Rich said she recently participated in a Town Hall, and she is not sure that is the
40 right name. She said people have a lot of feelings and thoughts right now, and want to be
41 heard.
42 Commissioner Greene suggested calling it a listening session.
43 Donna Baker asked if people will have to sign up in order to participate.
44 Chair Rich said in her recent experience there were two rooms on zoom, with the
45 speakers in one room and the listeners in the other. She said a facilitator served as a go
46 between. She said people need to be allowed to speak, and there should be some time limit on
47 the speakers.
48 Commissioner McKee said community forum indicates that the community is the driver,
49 and there should be no time limit on the speakers. He said if people have something to say,
30
1 they should be able to do so completely and freely. He said there should be someone
2 controlling when people speak, or else the meeting could go sideways.
3 Chair Rich said that is important, or else everyone talks on top of each other.
4 Commissioner Marcoplos said a facilitator will stop the conversation going sideways.
5 Commissioner Dorosin said he does not want a facilitator, as it is an artificial
6 intermediary and seems unnecessary. He said the time limit question is trickier.
7 Donna Baker said current zoom meetings have everyone sign up in advance, and grant
8 people access.
9 Commissioner Dorosin said that seems fair and appropriate
10 Chair Rich said she will talk to everyone to start getting an idea of where everyone is.
11 Commissioner Greene said she is a convert to facilitators.
12 Commissioner Bedford said Chair Rich and Sheriff Blackwood, and any others that want
13 to, can be a part of a sub-committee. She said she will show up for the forum, and the Board
14 should just move on.
15 Commissioner Marcoplos said it is important to have clarity on who is hosting or
16 listening. He said he would steer away from having 35 hosts, and put energy into making sure
17 the event is well publicized to those communities from whom the Board most wants to hear;
18 those who are most affected by these issues.
19 Chair Rich said she will reach out to everyone.
20
21 8. Consent Agenda
22
23 • Removal of Any Items from Consent Agenda
24 No items removed.
25
26 • Approval of Remaining Consent Agenda
27
28 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Price to
29 approve the remaining items on the Consent Agenda.
30
31 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
32
33
34 a. Minutes
35 The Board approved the draft minutes from May 19 and 21, 2020 as submitted by the Clerk to
36 the Board.
37 b. Motor Vehicle Property Tax Releases/Refunds
38 The Board adopted a resolution, which is incorporated by reference, to release motor vehicle
39 property tax values for three taxpayers with a total of four bills that will result in a reduction of
40 revenue, in accordance with NCGS.
41 c. Property Tax Releases/Refunds
42 The Board adopted a resolution, which is incorporated by reference, to release property tax
43 values for five taxpayers with a total of seven bills that will result in a reduction of revenue, in
44 accordance with North Carolina General Statute 105-381.
45 d. Voluntary Agricultural District Designation — Multiple Farms
46 The Board voted to certify two (2) farm properties totaling 96.9 acres; designate them as
47 Voluntary Agricultural District farms within the White Cross Voluntary Agricultural District; and
48 enroll the lands in the Orange County Farmland Preservation Program's Voluntary Agricultural
49 District (VAD) program.
31
1 e. Approval of Two Contracts Associated with the State of North Carolina's "Building
2 Reuse Grant" Incentive to ABB, Inc.
3 The Board approved and authorized the Chair to sign two contracts, on behalf of Orange
4 County, related to the State of North Carolina's "Building Reuse Grant" incentive awarded on
5 July 10, 2019 to ABB, Inc., a local manufacturing industry. This State incentive requires Orange
6 County's participation as part of the "pass through" process for $500,000 in North Carolina
7 Department of Commerce funds to transfer from the State to the County, and then to ABB, Inc.
8 f. Request for Road Additions to the State Maintained Secondary Road System for
9 Peninsula Lane and Grassland Court in The Bluffs at Moorefields Subdivision
10 The Board voted to make a recommendation to the North Carolina Department of
11 Transportation (NCDOT), and the North Carolina Board of Transportation (NC BOT),
12 concerning a petition to add Peninsula Lane and Grassland Court in The Bluffs at Moorefields
13 Subdivision to the State Maintained Secondary Road System.
14 g. JCPC Certification for FY 2020-2021
15 The Board approved the Orange County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC)
16 Certification and County Plan for FY 2020-2021 and authorize the Chair to sign.
17 h. Resolution of Approval — Conservation Easement on Triangle Land Conservancy's
18 Patterson-Thornton Property
19 The Board voted on a resolution, which is incorporated by reference, to approve the acceptance
20 by Orange County of a conservation easement donation for Triangle Land Conservancy's
21 Patterson-Thornton Property and authorize the Chair and the Clerk to sign the conservation
22 easement agreement, subject to final review by staff and County Attorney, with a closing and
23 recordation of the document expected to occur on or about June 30, 2020.
24 i. Update to Orange County Limited English Proficiency Policy ("Orange County
25 "Language Access Plan")
26 The Board approved an update to Orange County's Limited English Proficiency Policy
27 ("Language Access Policy").
28 j. Approval of Contract with Ceres Environmental Services, Inc. as a Secondary
29 Provider for Disaster Debris Removal and Clearance Service
30 The Board authorized the Manager to sign an Agreement with Ceres Environmental Services,
31 Inc. as a secondary provider for Disaster Debris Removal and Clearance Services for the
32 County.
33 k. Fiscal Year 2019-20 Budget Amendment#11
34 The Board approved budget, grant, and capital project ordinance amendments for fiscal year
35 2019-20 for Housing and Community Development; Emergency Services; Miscellaneous; Non-
36 Departmental Corona Virus Relief Fund; Article 46 Sales Tax Fund; Sheriff's Office; Health and
37 Dental Insurance Fund; County Capital Projects; Deferred Maintenance — Schools; Criminal
38 Justice Resource Department; and Arts Commission.
39 I. Application for North Carolina Education Lottery Proceeds for Chapel Hill — Carrboro
40 City Schools (CHCCS) and Contingent Approval of Budget Amendment #11-A Related
41 to CHCCS Capital Project Ordinances
42 The Board approved an application to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
43 (NCDPI) to release proceeds from the NC Education Lottery account related to FY 2019-20
44 debt service payments for Chapel Hill — Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS), authorize the Chair to
45 sign and to approve Budget Amendment#11-A, contingent on the NCDPI's approval of the
46 application.
47 m. Application for North Carolina Education Lottery Proceeds for Orange County
48 Schools (OCS) and Contingent Approval of Budget Amendment #11-113 Related to OCS
49 Capital Project Ordinances
32
1 The Board approved an application to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
2 (NCDPI) to release proceeds from the NC Education Lottery account related to FY 2019-20
3 debt service payments for Orange County Schools (OCS), authorize the Chair to sign and to
4 approve Budget Amendment#11-B, contingent on the NCDPI's approval of the application.
5 n. Endorsement of Letter to Governor Roy Cooper from Orange County Climate Council
6 The Board authorized the Chair to sign the letter from the Orange County Climate Council as
7 an additional endorsement and send the letter to Governor Roy Cooper.
8 ADDITION:
9 o. North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA) —2020 Essential Single-Family
10 Rehabilitation Loan Pool (ESFRLP20) Award
11 The Board approved the 2020 Essential Single-Family Rehabilitation Loan Pool (ESFRLP20)
12 Assistance Policy and ESFRLP20 Procurement and Disbursement Policy and authorize the
13 County Manager to sign the Funding and Written Agreement for the ESFRLP20 award from the
14 North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA).
15
16 9. County Manager's Report
17 Bonnie Hammersley thanked the Board for its support through the budget process.
18 Bonnie Hammersley said staff is working with the Orange County Schools (OCS) on its
19 lease for IT equipment, and the Board of Education (BOE) is working on this next week. She
20 said it does require the Board's approval. She said staff will monitor this closely, and if a brief
21 zoom meeting is needed on this issue, she will let the Board know.
22
23 10. County Attorney's Report
24 John Roberts said last week he gave the Board a report on the General Assembly bills,
25 and one issue involves agri-tourism. He said the County cannot regulate those from a land use
26 position. He said the Governor just signed a bill expanding these uses, and those who have
27 concerns should contact the legislature, as there is little the BOCC can do.
28
29 11. *Appointments
30
31 a. Durham Technical Community College Board of Trustees —Appointment
32 Discussion
33 The Board considered making a reappointment to the Durham Technical Community
34 College Board of Trustees.
35
36 A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Bedford to
37 appoint the following to the Durham Tech Community College Board of Trustees:
38
39 Position 2 Lee Storrow BOCC Appointee to a Second Full Term expiring 06/30/2024
40
41 Commissioner Marcoplos nominated Katie Loovis.
42 No Second.
43
44 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
45
46 12. Information Items
47
48 • June 2, 2020 BOCC Meeting Follow-up Actions List
49 • Memorandum Regarding Expansion of Hillsborough Area Economic Development
50 District (EDD)
33
1 Memorandum from Sheriff Blackwood Regarding Purchase of Mobile Command Center
2
3 13. Closed Session
4 NONE
5
6 14. Adjournment
7
8 Commissioner Price referred to her earlier comments about proposed thank you letters
9 going to David Price and the Governor. She asked if the Board agrees.
10 Chair Rich said yes, and asked Commissioner Price to craft these letters and she would
11 sign.
12 The Board agreed by consensus.
13
14 A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner McKee to
15 adjourn the meeting at 10:11 p.m.
16
17 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
18
19
20 Penny Rich, Chair
21
22
23 Donna S. Baker
24 Clerk to the Board
25
26 Submitted for approval by David Hunt, Deputy Clerk to the Board.
27
1
1
2
3 Attachment 6
4
5 DRAFT MINUTES
6 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
7 VIRTUAL LISTENING SESSION ON POLICING AND
8 RACIAL JUSTICE IN ORANGE COUNTY
9 July 7, 2020
10 7:00 p.m.
11
12 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Virtual Listening Session on Policing
13 and Racial Justice on Tuesday, July 7, 2020 at 7:00 p.m.
14
15 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Rich, and Commissioner Bedford,
16 Commissioner Dorosin, Commissioner Greene, Commissioner McKee, and Commissioner
17 Marcoplos
18 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Commissioner Price
19 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts
20 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager
21 Travis Myren, Sheriff Charles Blackwood, Criminal Justice Resources Director Caitlin
22 Fenhagen, Deputy Clerk to the Board David Hunt and Assistant Deputy Clerk II Allen
23 Coleman (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below.)
24
25 Chair Rich called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
26
27 Due to current public health concerns, the Board of Commissioners conducted a Virtual
28 Listening Session on Tuesday, July 7, 2020. Members of the Board of Commissioners
29 participated in the meeting remotely. Members of the public were able to view and listen to the
30 meeting via live streaming video at http://www.orangecountVnc.gov/967/Meeting-Videos and on
31 Orange County Gov-TV on channels 1301 or 97.6 (Spectrum Cable).
32
33
34 1. Welcome — Chair Penny Rich
35 Chair Rich said tonight's session is not an open dialogue, but the listening session is
36 being recorded to help the County Commissioners, Sheriff's Office, Human Rights and
37 Relations Commission synthesize the information and plan for future actions.
38 Chair Rich introduced the Commissioners, noting that Commissioner Price is absent due
39 to a death in the family. She introduced Sheriff Blackwood; Caitlin Fenhagen, Criminal Justice
40 Resources Department (CJRD) Director; and Frances Castillo, Human Rights and Relations
41 Commission Chair.
42
43 2. Presentation by Human Relations Commission (HRC) Chair, Frances Castillo
44 Frances Castillo provided an overview of the Commission's mission.
45
46
47 3. Listening Session — Public Comment
48
49 PUBLIC COMMENT:
50 Deborah Stroman said the community is too comfortable, and seeks "normalcy". She
51 read an expert from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Letter from a Birmingham Jail. She said
2
1 normalcy does not lead to change, and allows for inequities and racism to continue. She said
2 the only normal that is acceptable, is one where all are equal and brotherhood, peace and
3 justice exist. She said she looks forward to further discussions and actions for change.
4 Tomeka Ward—Satterfield said she appreciates this listening session, but says it feels
5 like an empty gesture by the elected officials. She said she would prefer a study of systemic
6 racism be conducted within the County, and the elected officials tell the community on how they
7 plan to address the problems.
8 Heather Redding thanked the BOCC for the opportunity to speak. She said issues of
9 racism and white supremacy are baked into American culture, and she is greatly concerned.
10 She said children must be safe in school, but she questions the validity of School Resource
11 Officers (SROs). She asked if the BOCC would examine data regarding the success, or lack
12 thereof, of SROs, and to work with the school boards to make necessary changes. She said the
13 police cannot handle all issues, and funds should be better distributed. She asked the Sheriff's
14 department to give $25,000 of its drug forfeiture funds to a local non-profit, as permitted by law.
15 Jame Paulen thanked the Board for holding this session. She said she is concerned
16 about police presence in schools, and asked if SROs are a good use of funds. She said funds
17 could be better used in this time of Covid. She echoed the former speaker's comments about
18 the Sheriff's forfeiture funds, and specifically suggested "Fathers on the Move" to receive these
19 funds.
20 Amelia Covington said police in schools sets a standard for the school to prison pipeline.
21 She said CHCCS is not free from issues of racism, and has the second largest achievement
22 gap in the country. She asked the BOCC to work with the school boards on alternative models
23 of school safety, and echoed the request for the reallocation of Drug Forfeiture funds of
24 $25,000.
25 Kimberly Brewer said she is the Chair of Orange County Bail Bond Justice, a partnership
26 of 12 local churches seeking to end unjust bail practices in the community. She said the
27 partnership observes court practices, and has found the poor most adversely affected. She
28 highlighted racial inequities within the bail hearing system as well. She said Orange County has
29 made many reforms, but there is room for more.
30 Anna Richards called to attention the article from the Northern Orange and Chapel Hill
31 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) of a 6-point agenda for
32 transformation in the community. She said this plan looks at many issues including hiring and
33 retention of officers, expectations from Police, etc. She said these groups also support
34 removing police from schools. She said upcoming conversations include the issue of
35 "Counselors, Not Cops in Schools," and will include panelist from around the country. She said
36 a 19-year-old woman was physically assaulted last week at a peaceful protest in Chapel Hill,
37 and this is a sign that this community is also deeply affected by issues of racism. She said she
38 hopes the BOCC will work toward change.
39 Joseph Verykoukis said he is grateful for leaders such as Sheriff Blackwood and Cait
40 Fenhagen, who are working towards equity. He said he finds a lot of the dialogue around police
41 to be quite detrimental. He said calls to remove SROs from Schools does not sit well with him,
42 as SROs serve students in a support role and keep students safe. He said it would be a
43 mistake to remove them from the schools. He said there are many larger underlying issues that
44 contribute to racism, and societal breakdowns. He said many concerns begin in childhood, and
45 blaming police for all these issues is shortsighted.
46 Horace Johnson said he is from Orange County, and was part of school integration in
47 the 1960s. He said teachers were not trained or equipped to deal with individuals of color. He
48 said the Sheriff is a smart man, but he wonders how law enforcement is being trained to work
49 with people of color. He said he does not want to defund the police, but he would support
50 reallocating some funds to those who are trained appropriately. He said his father was the
51 mayor of Hillsborough for 12 years, and it is important to reach across the aisle to work
3
1 together. He said he would like to see more outreach from the Sheriff's Office, and hopes the
2 BOCC can offer more racial diversity in its own members.
3 Soteria Shepperson said she is an organizer, business owner, and citizen in Orange
4 County, and is concerned about policing in the schools. She said she has dear white friends,
5 and wonders if they are speaking to their sons, as she has to speak to young black boys in her
6 life. She said White People are also suffering as a result of racism in America. She said she
7 wants to know where white boys are getting guns. She said it takes more time in North Carolina
8 to be a Barber than is does to be a Police Officer. She said she has been a substitute teacher
9 in CHCCS, and on March 11 of this year, she and several students were thrown out of the
10 library by the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools PTA president, who stated the PTA meeting
11 was more important than theirs. She said she spoke to the library president, and she wants
12 transformation.
13 Rachel Thomas—Levy said she lives in Orange County and teaches in a School that is
14 technically in Orange County. She said supports Anna Richards's comments about the
15 NAACP's plan for change. She said she also wants to promote Maria Parker, based out of
16 Athens, who supports defunding police by 50% over 10 years. She said she does not see the
17 need for SROs. She said counselors and social workers are a much better use of funds. She
18 said she lived in Asheville for years, and a black man was killed, much to the surprise of white
19 Asheville. She said she does not want this community to sit by, and be surprised if something
20 happens, and would rather see study and action take place.
21 Lucy Lewis said she is a Chapel Hill native, and was the first director of the Orange
22 County Human Rights and Relations Department. She echoed support for several previous
23 comments, including realignment of funds; NAACP recommendations; removal of SROs, etc.
24 She said there have been many issues around racism locally and nationally, and she hopes the
25 BOCC will be proactive for change in this community.
26 Allison Mahaley thanked the BOCC for holding the listening session, and said she is
27 surprised by the lack of diversity in this County. She said the Black Community has been
28 pushed out, and the Court House currently sits in a formerly African American neighborhood.
29 She said the Fairview neighborhood sits on top of a former landfill, and there are deep issues
30 that point to systemic racism here in Orange County. She said she feels a lot of hope that the
31 country is in the middle of a national transformation during this pandemic. She said she realizes
32 the budget has already been set, but hopes to see a long term plan of shifting resources away
33 from law enforcement, and towards agencies that support black and brown communities. She
34 said she is especially concerned about housing, and affordable housing.
35 Blake Tedder said he just returned from the coast, and was shocked by the Trump and
36 confederate flags that he saw. He said it is a different world than what he sees in Orange
37 County. He said overt racism is definitely here in Orange County, but it looks different than the
38 eastern coast. He said the BOCC has to step up its game regarding systemic racism, and overt
39 racism is on the rise and is beyond concerning. He said local leaders must be a shining light.
40 He agreed with listening to the words of the NAACP, and other speakers here tonight. He said
41 he is extremely worried that racism will continue to get a foothold, and Orange County will be
42 taken down.
43 Elvira Mebane said she was not going to speak, as she was attending a virtual meeting
44 with the Board of Elections. She said she is concerned about SROs, and many kids do not see
45 them as armed police person. She said the SROs present a positive role to the students. She
46 said her own child is ready to attend to high school, and his experience with SROs was
47 incredibly positive. She said she would like to find a way to keep the SROs presence in the
48 schools, and suggested they may not need to have guns. She said the SRO programs have
49 helped her child. She challenged the BOCC to find a way to allow students to continue to have
50 positive relationships with law enforcement.
4
1 Gayane Chambless said Elvira Mebane's comments hit home. She said there are so
2 many issues in play, and her focus is on relationship building as a means for change. She said
3 law enforcement can interact positively with students, and have safe relationships that allow
4 interactions to be more productive. She said the community cannot be so divisive. She said a
5 safety presence is necessary, should an emergency occur, and teachers should not have to be
6 armed. She said she would be open to the reallocation of funds from the police to mental
7 health, etc. She said she would like to provide more training to law enforcement in such areas.
8 She applauded Sheriff Blackwood's vision and efforts thus far.
9 Joseph Verykoukis said Elvira Mebane articulated the importance of SROs being on site
10 at schools. He said Orange County is growing, and defunding law enforcement is a bad idea.
11 He said police keep people safe.
12 Jame Paulen said the idea of reallocating funds for police officers in schools is to put
13 those funds towards school counselors, trained professionals, etc. that help with investing in
14 students mental health, food, etc. She said law enforcement does not always make people feel
15 safe. She said greater resources for mental health needs and relationship building would create
16 a stronger community. She said she is glad the BOCC chose to listen prior to making a plan.
17 Amelia Covington reiterated that defunding the police is asking society to reimagine of
18 what safety could look like.
19 Heather Redding said the criminal justice system is broken, and current practices are not
20 working. She said it is too late for reform, but rather a total change and transformation is
21 needed. She said more prisons and jails are not needed. She said there are communities
22 already doing the work, and the wheel does not need to be reinvented. She said leaders need
23 to listen to the most vulnerable, and those who are most affected by systemic racism.
24 Horace Johnson said if two snakes mate, you will get a snake. He said he has the
25 utmost confidence in Sheriff Blackwood, and his deputies. He said Police officers are
26 protectors, but there are a few that spark some concern for him. He said he would really like to
27 see a thorough screening process involved in hiring police officers.
28 Soteria Shepperson said the reopen NC movement is nonsense, and she was surprised
29 that a cohort of white citizens could walk around with guns and the state gets reopened. She
30 asked what it must feels like to wake up White. She said she has imagined what is must be like
31 to walk without someone following her, or being able to take a run without fear of being shot.
32 She said leaders must be proactive and not reactive, and an area of great concern is guns.
33 Tracy Bell said there must be a bridge built between law enforcement and the
34 community. She said law enforcement needs to be focused on helping people in the
35 community. She said she is a media specialist in Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools, and she
36 would love to see the schools work with law enforcement to partner on positive relationships.
37 Verla Insko said she did not plan to speak, and she has enjoyed listening to the
38 conversation. She said the BOCC is collecting information about the current situation, but these
39 conversations are a starting point for long-term change for the next generation and how they
40 grow up. She looks forward to more social integration.
41 Souna, (she) Culturally Specific Trainer, said Dr. Joy Degruy talks about how past
42 trauma affects a person currently. She said there have been hundreds of years of trauma
43 without mental health care. She said this trauma has never been recognized or healed. She
44 echoed support for reallocation of drug forfeiture funds to Fathers on the Move, as well as the
45 plan outlined by the NAACP.
46 Elizabeth Evans said she had not intended to speak, but has been touched by the
47 positive experiences between SROs and students. She said the core issue is relationship
48 building, which seems to be fostered by the field of mental health and guidance. She agreed
49 with the reallocation of funds for these types of uses.
50 Sophie Suberman said she is glad the BOCC is having this session, and zoom is a hard
51 format to have such a listening session. She said relationship building is important, not only
5
1 between people, but between systems as well. She said Covid is going to bring so many
2 changes, many of which will more adversely affect brown and black people. She said taking
3 advantage of poor people, discrimination, etc. is built into the foundation of this country, and
4 must be addressed if real change is to be achieved. She said having conversations like this —
5 showing up and asking — is being a part of the change.
6 Elizabeth Evans stressed the importance of having bilingual people involved with
7 building relationships: Spanish, Burmese, and Karen,
8 Souna, (she) Culturally Specific Trainer, suggested using repurposed funds to extend
9 the Orange County Health Department hours to include weekends and some sort of emergency
10 services through the health department. She asked the BOCC to seek consideration to help
11 with the eviction crisis and housing crisis, e.g. extend payment deadlines. She suggested
12 making police hiring procedures public, along with any officers who have received complaints or
13 concerns. She said the public could be part of the hiring and investigative process.
14 Mark Xavier said he would like to speak about the Education in Orange County, and the
15 numbers over the years are alarming for African American kids. He asked if the BOCC can help
16 to stop these trends. He said if a problem is solvable, but continues for several years, the Board
17 should address the issue and try to help. He said the BOCC is not the school board, but it can
18 still be helpful in educational issues. He said he would also like the Board to help make the
19 police system better in Orange County. He said no one is benefitting from the County until
20 everyone is benefitting.
21 Jean Bolduc applauded the Board for its efforts with this session. She said it has been
22 her experience that when elected officials get together and want to be quite, it can be very
23 challenging. She said her son was in middle school in the early 90s, and was headed for
24 Orange High School, which was full of troubles. She said there was a lot of violence, which
25 would have resulted in arrests, had the actions occurred elsewhere. She said the Governors
26 Crime Commission put out $1 million to fund SROs to help get a handle on these situations.
27 She joined the task force to help create a safe schools program, and wrote the grant that funded
28 the original SRO program. She said the intention at that time was for the SROs to be focused
29 on relationship building and preventative strategies to keep schools safe. She said this program
30 has been well run by the Sheriff's department, and has been racially balanced in its officers, and
31 she is confident that it can continue to be a leading program in the state. She urged the BOCC
32 to have the community review the program, and establish any improvements that may be
33 needed. She said not to throw the baby out with the bath water.
34 Sophie Suberman referred to previous comments about restorative practice and trauma,
35 and said all have experience with trauma in one way or another. She said we do not have good
36 systems to process feelings, and there are people from within the system who were not able to
37 speak tonight for fear of retaliation for their comments. She asked if there are ways to support
38 governmental systems that allow those from within to voice their feelings, without fear of
39 retaliation. She said this is especially important in cross-cultural communication.
40 Horace Johnson said he worked as the Director of City Wide Programs for the New York
41 City Housing Authority for 20 years, with children and after school programming. He said the
42 system in Orange County is woefully inadequate in dealing with children after school. He said if
43 students are not athletes, they have nothing to do. He said a transportation system is needed to
44 take children to after school programing, and community centers to house them. He
45 encouraged the Board to get out into the community, and learn more about the children and
46 their needs.
47 Charlene Campbell echoed Horace Johnson's comments, and said there is a desperate
48 need for after schools activities for Middle and High School students. She said if one is not in
49 band or sports, there is really nothing for one to do at school.
50 Souna, (she) Culturally Specific Trainer, said after school programming is important, and
51 it is also important to as why are parents having to work so long in order to live here. She said
6
1 the cost of living affects how much time people can spend with families and neighbors, and puts
2 additional stress on families.
3
4 4. Commissioner Remarks
5
6 Mark Marcoplos said this was a really good forum, and he hopes conversations will
7 continue. He said there are so many more people who can contribute to this, and the Board will
8 do its best work through collaboration, and it may not always be comfortable. He said this is
9 time to get stuff done. He said in chaos there is opportunity.
10 Mark Dorosin thanked all of this evening's participants, and said this is the beginning of
11 the beginning. He said further comments can be emailed or called in to the Board. He said the
12 County website contains links to the Resolution designating Racism as a public health issue in
13 Orange County, Governor Coopers Executive Order, police data, etc. He said the Board did
14 not hold a forum just to have a forum. He said the Board will process this evening's comments
15 and determine what falls under the purview of the Board, the Sheriff, the HRC, etc. He said
16 there will be continued transparency.
17 Sally Greene thanked all the residents who came out and spoke, and the comments
18 have been very enlightening and helpful.
19
20 5. Closing Remarks —Annette Moore, Human Rights and Relations Director
21 Annette Moore read Commissioners Price's prepared remarks:
22
23 First, I personally want to express my appreciation to those of you who have the willingness to
24 stand up for civil rights, the courage to show up for justice, the moral conviction to speak up for
25 human dignity, and the audacity to rise up and say, Black Lives Matter.
26
27 As we proceed to break the chains of structural racism, we need to do some truth-telling. We
28 must understand that the strength and wealth of America was built on stolen land by stolen
29 people. The land on which we now sit was stolen from the Indigenous People of the so-called
30 New World. The people who labored, with no just compensation, were stolen from their
31 homelands in Africa.
32
33 So, the process to dehumanize people of color began centuries ago, and this dehumanization is
34 embedded deep in the American psyche. Meanwhile, the struggle and the demand for human
35 dignity also began centuries ago and has perpetuated unto today.
36
37 With the recent witnessing of violence and murder of Black men, women and children, we are
38 seeing a resurgence in protests and outcries for reforms—for reforms in law enforcement, in the
39 judicial system, in our schools and in other sectors of our society. Once again, as in generations
40 past, Americans are endeavoring to right the wrongs of history. Indeed, we have made
41 progress, and indeed, we still have a long way to go.
42
43 If we are to disrupt racism, if we are to change hearts and minds, and if we are to envision
44 freedom, dignity and justice for everyone, we must join together in solidarity and do the work.
45 The challenge is to recognize and respect the value of the lives of Black, Indigenous and People
46 of Color in our local and global communities. I believe we can do this.
47
48 On behalf of the Board of County Commissioners, thank you to the people of Orange County
49 who have voiced their concerns and opinions in this listening session, thank you for
50 participating, and know that we will take action based on your input.
51
7
1
2 Renee A. Price, Commissioner/Vice-Chair
3
4
5 Chair Rich reminded the public that the listening session is being recorded, in order to
6 synthesize information, and work on possible changes in policy and practices.
7
8 Adjournment
9
10 The listening session adjourned at 9:06 p.m.
11
12 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
13
14
15 Penny Rich, Chair
16
17
18 David Hunt
19 Deputy Clerk to the Board
1
1
2
3 Attachment 7
4
5 DRAFT MINUTES
6 ORANGE COUNTY
7 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
8 VIRTUAL SPECIAL MEETING
9 JULY 14, 2020
10 7:00 p.m.
11
12 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Virtual Special Meeting on Tuesday,
13 July 14, 2020 at 7:00 p.m.
14
15 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Rich and Commissioners Jamezetta Bedford,
16 Mark Dorosin, Sally Greene, Mark Marcoplos, and Renee Price
17 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Commissioner Earl McKee
18 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts
19 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager
20 Travis Myren and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (All other staff members will be identified
21 appropriately below)
22
23 Chair Rich called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
24
25 Due to current public health concerns, the Board of Commissioners conducted a Virtual Special
26 Meeting on July 14, 2020. Members of the Board of Commissioners participated in the meeting
27 remotely. As in prior meetings, members of the public were able to view and listen to the
28 meeting via live streaming video at orangecountync.gov/967/Meeting-Videos and on Orange
29 County Gov-TV on channels 1301 or 97.6 (Spectrum Cable).
30
31
32 1. Call to Order
33
34 2. Announcements, Petitions and Comments by Board Members
35 Commissioner Bedford said she was accepted to take the Global Climate Reality
36 Training, and is looking forward to it.
37 Commissioner Greene said she had no comments.
38 Commissioner Marcoplos said he is concerned about UNC opening up and he is
39 wondering what the Board's role is in this, how to stay on top of UNC's plans, and how the
40 Board can affect these plans through its role in the County.
41 Commissioner Price petitioned that Orange County declare June 19t" as an official
42 holiday, and said she sent a draft of a proposed resolution that she will address at the
43 September 1st meeting.
44 Commissioner Dorosin said he thought last week's public forum went well. He said he
45 has heard a lot of good feedback from the community, and he looks forward to the follow up on
46 what the Board heard. He said he was sorry that Commissioner Price could not attend, but the
47 comments she sent were powerful. He said he is glad the Human Relations Commission
48 (HRC) is engaged, and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools' Board of Education (CHCCS
49 BOE) will be discussing SROs at an upcoming meeting.
2
1 Chair Rich said she also thought the listening session went well. She said a comment
2 was made about the Health Department clinic hours, and she looked at the hours at both
3 clinics. She said there is room for improvement, and it may be possible to cut a few hours from
4 Sunday and add them to Saturday. She asked staff look at this, and bring information back to
5 the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC).
6 Chair Rich referred to UNC, and said the County has been working with UNC for about
7 three weeks. She said UNC is working hand in hand with the Health Department, and this
8 information is in the notes that she shares with the Orange County Board of Commissioners
9 each week. She said that Orange County has no jurisdiction over UNC. She said those
10 involved are all concerned about keeping Orange County residents safe.
11 Chair Rich said it is not clear how many students are coming back, but some students
12 are already coming back. She said everyone should be concerned about the students coming
13 back, and the plan is to keep the communications open between all entities.
14 Chair Rich referred to the Governor's press conference about the re-opening of grades
15 K-12, and said plan B will be followed. She said she is happy to speak with anyone who has
16 further questions, and there is so much that is still unknown.
17 Bonnie Hammersley added that she is included on weekly calls with the Provost, and
18 possible plans if they have to go to the off ramp (shut down). She said Provost Bolen has
19 offered to talk with the elected boards, and the avenue for bringing questions is to let her know,
20 and she will take the question to her meeting with the Towns and UNC. She said there is
21 uncertainty, and no one knows the impact of the students coming back. She said UNC is trying
22 to keep all informed.
23 Commissioner Price asked if there has there been any word from the Chambers of
24 Commerce regarding concerns about students coming back.
25 Chair Rich said the Chambers are looking forward to having more business back, and
26 they will welcome students back cautiously.
27 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if the University has a plan to ramp up testing and test
28 locations. He asked if there will be testing locations near transit.
29 Chair Rich said testing will be run through student health. She said she will forward any
30 information that she receives from UNC.
31
32
33 3. Resolution Regarding a Financing Agreement between Orange County Schools
34 and J.P. Morgan to Provide Computers for Students
35
36 The Board considered adopting a resolution approving a financing agreement between
37 Orange County Schools (OCS) and J.P. Morgan for the purchase of computers for students for
38 FY 2020-24 to replace outdated and out of warranty equipment using a sustainable and
39 predictable funding model.
40 Paul Laughton, Finance and Administrative Services, reviewed the item below and the
41 resolution:
42
43 BACKGROUND:
44 In 2012, OCS embarked on a 1:1 computer initiative, providing individually assigned laptops to
45 each student in grades 3-12. Teachers were also assigned laptops to complement the District's
46 instructional approach to include digital access. Teachers, administrators, instructional support
47 staff, and most central office employees use a Windows laptop or desktop.
48
49 In 2016, OCS refreshed its hardware used in the 1:1 program. Students from grades 3-12 were
50 assigned individual Chromebooks and each classroom in grades K-2 was provided a cart of
3
1 iPads. There were significant improvements provided by the 2016 refresh, including better
2 performance, better security and greater ease of device management.
3
4 The end of reasonable life for the devices purchased in 2016 has arrived. These devices have
5 served students and staff well, but increasing hardware failure rates, the concomitant expiration
6 of the warranty coverage and general expectations for device longevity have the District in need
7 of device replacement for students and staff.
8
9 With the unexpected coronavirus crisis and its significant impacts on instruction and operations,
10 the District is more reliant than ever on reliable and portable technology for students and staff.
11 Consequently, the need to ensure individually assigned technology is available to ALL students,
12 including K-2, is acute. Similarly, staff reliance on portable technology to ensure remote work is
13 efficient and effective has been increased significantly in this crisis.
14
15 Working closely with the District's legal counsel, the District's Information Technology staff
16 developed a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit bids in accordance with State and District
17 purchasing requirements. The RFP sought bids on 8,000 Chromebooks for students in grades
18 1-12, including loaner equipment and 1,000 Windows laptops for all staff assigned computers
19 to perform their work. Kindergartners will use repurposed iPads the District already has. The
20 RFP also required accidental damage coverage to ensure the equipment would be continuously
21 maintained for the next four years.
22
23 Three vendors responded to the RFP. The evaluation criteria listed in the RFP were used to
24 determine the best responsive bid. Based on the evaluation criteria, the District's Information
25 Technology staff recommended CDW-G as the vendor to receive the award. While the price
26 difference between the two lowest bidders is slight, the staff device being proposed by the
27 lowest bidder is nearly a half a pound heavier than the device proposed by CDW-G. In the
28 evaluation, teachers unanimously indicated that weight was a significant factor for them,
29 particularly if they were to use these devices in tablet mode while roaming the classroom.
30 During the Orange County Board of Education's June 22, 2020 Work Session, the Board
31 unanimously approved the selection of CDW-G as the vendor, as well as approving J.P.
32 Morgan as the financing institution for the purchase.
33
34 FINANCIAL IMPACT: The total purchase cost is $4,516,816.75. The district is utilizing currently
35 available funds of $1,516,816.75 from its Article 46 Sales Tax Technology project and School
36 Capital Technology project towards the purchase. This leaves a balance of $3,000,000, which
37 will be installment financed with J.P. Morgan over a four (4) year period, with annual installment
38 payments of$771,116.94 over the fiscal years of 2020-21 through 2023-24.
39 Article 46 Sales Tax proceeds would be used to cover the required annual installment payments
40 of$771,116.94, and are included in the Orange County Schools Technology Plan project within
41 the County's Capital Investment Plan.
42
43 RES #2020-042
44 RESOLUTION
45
46 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
47 ORANGE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
48
49 WHEREAS, the Orange County Board of Education wishes to enter into a continuing
50 contract for financing with J.P. Morgan, LLC pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-528 for the
4
1 purchase of certain computer hardware, software, and related equipment to be used for public
2 school purposes; and
3
4 WHEREAS, the contract will require the Board of Education to pay J.P. Morgan up to
5 $3,084,467.76 over the 2020-21, 2121-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24 fiscal years; and
6
7 WHEREAS, the Board of Education will pay J.P. Morgan in approximate installments of
8 $771,116.94 in the 2020-21 fiscal year, $771,116.94 in the 2021-22 fiscal year, $771,116.94 in
9 the 2022-23 fiscal year, and $771,116.94 in the 2023-24 fiscal year; and
10
11 WHEREAS, the contract may be a continuing contract for capital outlay subject to the
12 provisions of N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 115C-441(c1) and 115C-528, including the approval of the
13 Orange County Board of Commissioners.
14
15
16 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED, that the Orange County Board of
17 Commissioners agrees to appropriate sufficient funds to the Orange County Board of Education
18 in ensuing fiscal years to meet the J.P. Morgan contract obligations so long as the amount the
19 Board of Education shall be obligated to pay under that contract shall be generally equal to the
20 amounts noted above. Said funds shall be a part of, and not in addition to, regular
21 appropriations made to the Board of Education. Said funds obligated by this contract for fiscal
22 years 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24 shall be budgeted by the Board of Education
23 for this purpose, and the Orange County Board of Commissioners shall not be obligated to
24 increase its annual appropriation to the Orange County Board of Education by the amount due
25 under the contract.
26
27 Todd Jones, OCS Chief Technical Officer, introduced himself.
28 Commissioner Dorosin said he has a lot of concerns about student privacy; what type of
29 monitoring the schools do; the type of privacy waiver students are expected to sign; and any
30 disciplinary measures that can be taken based on off site usage. He said if staff cannot
31 respond tonight, he would like detailed answers to be sent afterwards.
32 Todd Jones said all of the data storage provided by OCS is cloud based, and there are
33 strict protections on access to that student data. He said this cloud provider is very familiar with
34 the K-12 space.
35 Todd Jones said the student's devices go through a filtering system to insure that
36 inappropriate content is not being accessed. He said the monitoring system is hosted by
37 MCMC, a state organization that provides computing service throughout the state for schools
38 and local government. He said the schools do not proactively comb the data, but rather look to
39 classroom teachers to monitor in the classroom, and teachers can request audits of the
40 websites being accessed by students. He said principals and the CTO also have the right to
41 review the data. He said student technology still authenticates through the districts filters,
42 regardless of the location of the device.
43 Commissioner Dorosin asked if there is a written policy that the district can share.
44 Todd Jones said OCS has policies for students and teachers usage of computers, and
45 he will share them with the Orange County Board of Commissioners.
46
47 A motion was made by Commissioner Bedford, seconded by Commissioner Price for the
48 Board to adopt the resolution approving the financing agreement and authorize the Chair to
49 sign the resolution regarding the agreement between Orange County Schools and J.P. Morgan
5
1 for the purchase of computers for students for FY 2020-24 to replace outdated and out of
2 warranty equipment using a sustainable and predictable funding model.
3
4 Commissioner Bedford expressed gratitude to both school boards for their service as
5 they develop plans for re-opening. She said the BOCC is here to support the schools, and she
6 is glad for the flexibility offered in the plans.
7 Commissioner Price asked if the cost of maintenance could be further explained.
8 Todd Jones said maintenance costs are included. He said the district has opted for
9 accidental damage coverage, given the rough and tumble world of K-12. He said this allowed
10 the district to forego additional charges, and leveled the playing field with fines etc. He said
11 this helped move the district forward in its equity goals.
12
13 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
14
15 4. Adjourn
16
17 A motion was made by Commissioner Bedford, seconded by Commissioner Price for the
18 Board to adjourn the meeting at 7:29 p.m.
19
20 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
21
22
23 Penny Rich, Chair
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26 Donna S. Baker
27 Clerk to the Board
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29 Submitted for approval by David Hunt, Deputy Clerk to the Board.
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