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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 05-18-2021; 7-a - Review of COVID-19 Long Term Recovery Plan 1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: May 18, 2021 Action Agenda Item No. 7-a SUBJECT: Review of COVID-19 Long Term Recovery Plan DEPARTMENT: County Manager and Emergency Services ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: 1. Presentation 2. List of Recovery Support Function Travis Myren, 919-245-2308 Participants 3. Supplemental Questions & Answers Submitted by the Chapel Hill Town Council UNDER SEPARATE COVER 4. Plan and Supporting Documents — Only Available Electronically at: https://www.orangencforward.orq/ PURPOSE: To review and provide input on the County's COVID-19 Long Term Recovery Plan BACKGROUND: In 2020, the County and its municipal partners allocated a total of $175,000 in CARES Act funding to retain a consultant to support long term recovery planning and to draft a final report with detailed recommendations, implementation approaches, and performance indicators. The planning effort involved several community organizations and representatives (Attachment 2) to quantify and characterize the impact of the pandemic in their respective focus areas, generate ideas and recommendations, establish recovery priorities using a social justice and racial equity perspective, and review of the final draft documents. Public engagement efforts during the planning process sought to engage all community members and included deliberate measures to improve representation from communities of color. The County convened focus groups and translated engagement materials into four languages to increase representation from communities most severely impacted by the pandemic. Feedback from these groups was shared with local governments, elevated, and referenced throughout the planning process to help shape the strategies and initiatives in the plan. The guiding vision of the Plan is to leverage recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic to strengthen and transform Orange County by improving economic sustainability, providing resources, and achieving social and racial equity. The recommendations in the Plan are organized into seven Recovery Support Functions focused on the local economy, the health system, human services, housing, natural and cultural resources, community planning, and public information. The majority of the Plan provides detailed recommendations in each of those Recovery Support functions in 2 terms of what needs to take place, who should be involved, when these activities would need to occur, and how progress will be measured. The plan appendices provide additional information to help enact the plan or explain its development and include: a summary of input from key stakeholders throughout the planning process; a map of how community input was integrated in the plan; and information about funding sources available to help implement the plan. Staff on the project management team are presenting the same information to Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough. Feedback from each of the elected bodies will be coordinated and synthesized as the stakeholders enter the implementation phase of the project. A copy of supplemental questions submitted by the Chapel Hill Town Council is attached for additional information and context. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The County funded the Long Term Recovery consulting work using CARES Act funds and shared this cost with the Towns. The County's share of the total cost was $101,500. The Plan does not commit the County to any additional spending. Most activities can be completed using existing resources or supplemental federal funding that each local government will receive as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: The following Orange County Social Justice Goals are applicable to this item: • GOAL: FOSTER A COMMUNITY CULTURE THAT REJECTS OPPRESSION AND INEQUITY The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race or color; religious or philosophical beliefs; sex, gender or sexual orientation; national origin or ethnic background; age; military service; disability; and familial, residential or economic status. • GOAL: ENSURE ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY The creation and preservation of infrastructure, policies, programs and funding necessary for residents to provide shelter, food, clothing and medical care for themselves and their dependents. • GOAL: CREATE A SAFE COMMUNITY The reduction of risks from vehicle/traffic accidents, childhood and senior injuries, gang activity, substance abuse and domestic violence. • GOAL: ENABLE FULL CIVIC PARTICIPATION Ensure that Orange County residents are able to engage government through voting and volunteering by eliminating disparities in participation and barriers to participation. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: The following Orange County Environmental Responsibility Goal impacts are applicable to this item: • ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND WASTE REDUCTION Initiate policies and programs that: 1) conserve energy; 2) reduce resource consumption; 3) increase the use of recycled and renewable resources; and 4) minimize waste stream impacts on the environment. • CLEAN OR AVOIDED TRANSPORTATION Implement programs that monitor and improve local and regional air quality by: 1) promoting public transportation options; 2) decreasing dependence on single-occupancy vehicles, and 3) otherwise minimizing the need for travel. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board review the COVID-19 Long Term Recovery Plan and provide feedback. rarme Clopnty AW R �.-overy and Transformation Planning Project May 2021 *. - I H A G E ORANGE COUNTY • ! a,k 1.I\it of'`� • SAPEt� j\77 c R ? Yc _ f ", t I Project Overview -s Stakeholder Engagemen gen Next Steps aj _ � s 5 • What Was the Purpose of the Project? eg ema Analyze Train Plan * Impact Assessment Cost Recovery Training Long-Term Recovery and Transformation ' • • Understand the impacts of • Train county, municipal, and • Describe goals, strategies COVID-19 on economy, non-profit stakeholders on and initiatives to drive community health, housing, best practices for community-informed and social services. reimbursement under recovery. common federal programs. 3 1 Elected Officials Briefing iHr HaGERry ORANGE uNrY • r �� Establish a Record diverse countywide Implement the Describe and stakeholder strategies and plan and quantify the group to design associated impacts of strategies and initiatives in the monitor COVID-19. initiatives Recovery and community addressing Transformation needs. impacts. Plan. VirtualPlan Development M-- . C�b�o Project Overview Stakeholder Engagement gen Overvie-wvwPPw ` Next Steps aj _ LA 8 Who is Involved in RecoveryPlanning ? Individuals and organizations participating in the planning effort are experts and professionals across seven sectors, with over 3o different types of public and non-profit organizations in each group. Experts and professionals across these sectors... ...and the public Human Natural/ Community Intergov. Economy Housing Health Cultural Affairs& Services Resources Planning Comms 0 0 0 � O O O O @E 3 R� 7 Virtual Plan Development Meeting , ` 4p H A G E R T Y ORANGE`COUNNTY • • r{., 9 How Did the Public Inform the Plan ? Comments received from the public were included in the plan (see Community Input Annex) and helped guide conversations with Orange County and municipal government to finalize the plan. It is essential to understand the public's priorities, so that recovery stakeholders can fairly distribute available resources to try and meet those priorities. Virtual Virtual Workshops Town Halls 000 Virtual VirtualPublic Focus Comment Groups Form *40' Virtual Recovery Surveys Planning Website • - • Input 8 1 Public Town Hall •IHP H A G E R TY ORANGE COUNTY • • • y ,) I NORTH cAROLINA 10 How Was Racial Equity Integrated into the Plan? • • • Community Leader Meetings were held to garner input from communities of color. VisionTo align with the Guiding Public engagement materials were translated into Spanish, Mandarin- " Chinese, Burmese, and Karen. efforts . socialachieve . racial equity, Targeted outreach was conducted to encourage communities of color "project i to participate in plan review surveys and meetings. held a consistent focus on equitable Feedback from communities of color was prioritized in proportion to the communityoil • ,,ment. elevated COVID-19 impacts they faced. • The planning process was coordinated with the efforts of Orange County's • Government Alliance on Race and Equity. 9 1 Public Town Hall HI HAGERTY ORANGE • ' • ,rvF Vr ` ¢,_" ` NORTH CAROLINA Project Overview -s Stakeholder Engagemen gen _� PI Overvievfw- Next Stepsib- -' 12 How is the Plan Organized ? Guiding Vision Goals Strategies Initiatives 11 1 Public Town Hall cam- IHP HAGERTY ORANGE COUNTY • • • • I NORTH cAROLINA 13 What is the Plan ' s Guiding Vision ? Leverage recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic to strengthen and transform Orange County by improving economic sustainability, providing resources, and achieving social and racial equity. .1H,1, HAGERTY ORANGE COUNTY Grb�o 14 What are the Goals of the Plan ? The plan is based on five recovery goals, identified through community input and the gaps revealed by the Impact Assessment. Address fundamental needs of all residents; A Create safe, stable, and affordable housing solutions; p Promote a dynamic, equitable, and sustainable economic recovery; Streamline access to community-based resources; and Combat the negative effects of social distancing to promote community healing. 13 1 Elected Officials Briefing IHP HAGERTY ORANGECOUNTY • • R • ; I NORTH c:AROLINA 15 Strategies & Initiatives: Economic Provide support for small businesses. • Provide direct financial support to local businesses when funding is available. • Create the ability to quickly convert existing local funding programs to support future disaster response and recovery efforts. • Establish communication channels between economic development practitioners as well as to and from businesses in Orange County. • Provide technical support and business mentorship to small business owners,including e-commerce and other emerging industries. Identify and address regulatory barriers to economic recovery. • Examine and address barriers to starting and expanding small business and provide resources or amend policy to help businesses overcome these barriers. • Identify and address policy and infrastructure barriers to remote work and operations,including broadband access. • Engage operators and regulators to determine which temporary policy changes should be made permanent. Drive local economic growth and encourage local spending. • Develop collaborative marketing strategies to bring new business and enhanced local spending to the county. • Increase the resilience of the county's key industries. • Provide support to the arts and entertainment industry of Orange County. • Build a shared understanding that a successful economy equals a successful community. Strengthen and expand the local workforce. • Identify and develop targeted training programs for residents to meet the needs of local employers. •IHP H A G E R TY ORANGE COUNTY • • • I NORTH cAROLINA 16 Strategies & Initiatives: Housing Incentivize the development of affordable and accessible housing. • Evaluate housing stock,density, and regulations to reinforce policy changes that promote housing development and increase affordable housing. • Continue to increase the number of subsidized housing units available locally and promote broader landlord acceptance of vouchers. • Track tax foreclosures and evaluate opportunities to purchase property and develop into affordable housing. Rehabilitate, improve safety, and preserve the affordability of existing housing. • Investigate opportunities to change the process through which land use designations are reconsidered and adapted. • Use flexible funding to support timely repairs,weatherization,and rehabilitation of affordable housing units. • Increase flexible funding to continue efforts to reduce mobile home displacement on rented property. • Use rehabilitation,repair, or modification to increase the availability of affordable housing compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Ensure continuation of and streamlined access to housing support programs, including emergency housing assistance. • Expand capacity to support the implementation of solutions that address identified gaps in housing programs and resources. • Continue and streamline the provision of emergency housing assistance, eviction diversion, and coordinated entry programs. • Continue efforts to end homelessness in Orange County by addressing evolving gaps in the homeless system. • Partner with health entities to direct funding toward housing as a social determinant of health. •IHP HAGERTY ORANGE COUNTY • • y ,` I NORTH CAROLINA 17 • • • Strategies & Initiatives: Health Continue monitoring, testing, and eradicating COVID-19. • Continue to provide equitable and accessible testing and vaccines for COVID-19 for free or minimal cost. • Provide transportation to testing and vaccination sites from various locations throughout the county. • Foster partnerships with educational institutions to develop comprehensive resources on disease prevention,monitoring, and reporting. Promote economic recovery and bolster existing healthcare systems. • Encourage local employers to partner with Carolina PROSPER to receive assistance with improving workplace safety. • Partner with academic institutions to conduct a gap analysis of public and private healthcare,mental health,and substance abuse service providers. • Support growth of the county's healthcare systems through healthcare-focused workforce development programs, expansion of telehealth, and appropriate liability protections. • Work with non-profit and public entities to help individuals who are positive with or recovering from COVID-19 avoid lifelong debt. Promote better access to mental and behavioral health services. • Continue efforts to improve access to and destigmatize the use of mental and behavioral health support services. • Continue efforts to improve access to and destigmatize substance-abuse support services. • Strive to mitigate the effects of social isolation on harder-to-reach populations. • Improve mental health care and support for first responders and medical care providers. Address historic or systemic health disparities. • Improve access to quality healthcare for historically marginalized communities. • Appoint an advisory committee to address the unique needs of historically underserved communities with representation from affected communities. •IHP H A G E R TY ORANGE COUNTY • • • I NORTH cAROLINA 18 some Strategies & Initiatives: Human Services Promote job opportunities that provide thriving wages or increase quality of life. • Develop systems to connect people to job opportunities in the county. • Perform a gap analysis to determine necessary policy changes around minimum wages and subsidized employment opportunities. Streamline access to community resources. • Streamline and expand food access to reduce hunger. • Establish and advertise a centralized online database of non-governmental organizations to improve equitable access to community resources. • Support coordination between regional,county,and municipal transportation systems by securing additional funding. • Increase equitable access to high-quality cellular service and broadband,especially in rural areas. Prevent widening of the achievement gap. • Establish public-private partnerships to provide low-or no-cost after-school,weekend, and summer childcare. • Partner with local schools to provide additional resources and outreach aimed at alleviating instability and improving at-home learning environments. • Partner with schools to provide extra support for students with disabilities and their families. • Establish a scalable technology support program to provide free or low-cost computer and peripheral rentals by expanding the existing Chapel Hill Laptop Lending Program. • Provide technology training on relevant platforms to the community. •IHP HA ERTY ORANGE • • o yy , G NORTH cAROLINA ._ 7 �y' 19 • Strategies & Initiatives: Natural & Cultural Resources Prevent the deterioration of natural resources. • Coordinate planning efforts to understand how the community utilizes public spaces and whether the expansion of public spaces is necessary. • Monitor and address indirect impacts from COVID-19 on the natural environment. • Expand programs educating residents about their role as stewards of natural resources and the natural environment. Provide cultural and recreational opportunities for all residents. • Utilize oral histories to tell the story of the pandemic. • Pursue opportunities to expand and pool resources across organizations and jurisdictions to coordinate and cross- promote free and safe activity offerings. • Support and promote community-driven multicultural arts projects and programs that enable community healing, recovery, and resilience. Support sustainable local agriculture systems. • Provide technology training for agricultural producers to promote the utilization of e-commerce and alternative distribution models. • Strengthen economic independence for agricultural producers and reduce reliance on grants and subsidies. • Incentivize expansion of sustainable local food systems to provide support for families experiencing food insecurity. IHP H A G E R TY ORANGE COUNTY • • y ZIA, I NORTH c:AROLINA 20 Strategies & Initiatives: Community Planning & Capacity Building Promote climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. • Leverage findings from the long-term recovery planning process to update climate action plans across the county. Build collaborative programs between government and the community. • Establish an active volunteer network by creating a countywide Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster group. • Work with academic institutions to support student access to resources necessary for their success. dHP H A G E R T Y ORANGE COUNTY • • r ° I NORTH CAROL[NA 21 some Strategies & Initiatives: Intergovernmental Affairs & Public Information Support open lines of communication between the public and local governments. • Align and streamline information for disaster-impacted residents across local government websites. • Make it easier for residents that do not speak English very well to engage with local governments. • Enhance local understanding of how community members interact with government to increase civic engagement. • Develop a 24-hour chat portal or hotline for community members to share concerns or inquiries. Promote equitable public engagement in planning processes. • Continue to engage the community,especially historically marginalized populations,to ensure this plan is adapted to meet the evolving needs of all residents. • Build a culture of information-sharing to help improve racial equity planning and implementation outcomes for the whole county. Consistently deliver essential government services. • Develop integrated continuity of operations plans to consistently provide critical services across local governments. • Seek and secure additional funding to continue essential emergency support services. •IHP HAGERTY ORANGE • • o y �p NORTH cAROLINA Funding Sources Research Public Stakeholder Findings Input Responsibilities Guidance for Short-Term Implementation Priorities 21 Public HAGERTY ORANGE COUNTY C�b�o Project Overview -s Stakeholder Engagemen gen _. , Overview Next Steps � s LA 24 The Role of Elected Officials Elected officials have an essential role in implementing and socializing the Long-Term Recovery and Transformation Plan, including the following actions: • Reviewing the plan. • Providing input on and endorsing the plan. • Supporting organizations (Recovery Support Functions) implementing the plan. • Continuing to represent community needs and elevate the concerns of the most impacted populations as the plan is revised and maintained as a living document. 00�m 23 1 Elected Officials Briefing IH�' HAGERTY ORANNGE`COUNTY Y `� Tha - toil orangeNCforward .org y L--- 4 • i, IVTIp. .. - a., 26 OCNC LTRP RSF PARTICIPANTS I PG 1 ORANGE COUNTY, NC LONG TERM RECOVERY PLANNING RSF PARTICIPANTS Planning Group • Orange County • Orange County Emergency Services • Orange County Health Department • Town of Carrboro • Town of Chapel Hill • Town of Hillsborough RSF 1 — Economic • Carrboro Business Alliance • Carrboro Economic Development • Chapel Hill Carrboro Chamber of Commerce • Chapel Hill Economic Development • Downtown Partnership • Durham Technical Community College • Hillsborough Economic Development • Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce • Minority Owned Business Group • NC Cooperative Extension • Orange County • Orange County Economic Development • Orange County Visitor's Bureau • Town of Carrboro • UNC Community Relations RSF 2 — Health • Cardinal Innovations • CHCCS- School Nursing • Duke Primary Care Hillsborough • El Futuro • OC Board of Health • OCS-School Nursing • Orange County Emergency Services • Orange County Health Department • Parkview Health and Rehabilitation Center • Piedmont Health IHMl -AGEPTY ORANGECOUNT1 f # r d 27 OCNC LTRP RSF PARTICIPANTS I PG 2 see • Signature Healthcare of Chapel Hill • South Orange Rescue Squad • Town of Chapel Hill • Town of Chapel Hill Medical Director • UNC Environment, Health&Safety • UNC Health • UNC Student Health Action Coalition RSF 3 — Human Services • American Red Cross • Cardinal Inovations • Chapel Hill Meals on Wheels • Chapel Hill/ Carrboro City Schools • Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP • Criminal Justice Resource Department • El Centro • Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC • Inter-Faith Council • Orange Congregations in Mission • Orange County Animal Services • Orange County Department of Human Rights and Relations • Orange County Department on Aging • Orange County DSS • Orange County Food Council • Orange County Health Department • Orange County Housing Department • Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness • Orange County Schools • OWASA • PORCH Chapel Hill • PORCH Hillsborough • Refugee Community Partnership • Rogers Road Community Center • Table • Town of Carrboro • Town of Chapel Hill • Town of Hillsborough • Triangle Disability Awareness Council • UNC • UNC-SOG • United Way .IHh HAGERTY ORANGEODUhITf 28 OCNC LTRP RSF PARTICIPANTS I PG 3 � � 1 RSF 4 — Housing • Affordable Housing Coalition Chair • CASA • CEF • Central Piedmont Community Action Agency • Community Home Trust • Compass Center • El Centro • EmPOWERment NC • Habitat for Humanity • Inter Faith Council • Justice United • Northside Neighborhood Iniative/Jackson Center • Novogradac • Orange County Department of Housing • Orange County Housing and Community Development • Orange County Human Rights and Relations • Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness • Orange County Preservation Coalition • Refugee Community Partnership • Self Help • Senior Housing-Master Aging Plan • TJ COG • Town of Carrboro • Town of Chapel Hill • Town of Hillsborough • UNC Community Relations • UNC Student Housing RSF 5 — Natural and Cultural Resources • Alliance for Historic Hillsborough • Carrboro Recreation and Parks • Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation • Chapel Hill Public Library and Community Arts and Culture • Chapel Hill Resilience and Sustainability • Duke Forest Management • Eno River Association • Eno River State Park • Orange County-Cultural Resources • Orange County-Water Resources • Orange County- Land Conservation .IHh HAGERTY ORANGEODUhITf 29 OCNC LTRP RSF PARTICIPANTS I PG 4 •110010, • Orange County Arts Commission • Orange County DEAPR • Orange County Economic Development,Agriculture • Orange County Public Library • Town of Hillsborough Public Spaces • Triangle Land Conservancy RSF 6 — Community Planning and Capacity Building • Chapel Hill Transit • OC GARE • OPT • Orange County Emergency Management • Orange County Planning and Inspections • Orange County Solid Waste • Orange County Sustainability • OWASA • Town of Carrboro- Environmental Sustainability • Town of Carrboro- Stormwater • Town of Carrboro Planning,Zoning, &Inspections • Town of Chapel Hill-Resilience/Sustainability • Town of Chapel Hill Planning • Town of Hillsborough RSF 7 — Public Information and Intergovernmental Affairs • Carrboro Fire Department • Chapel Hill Fire Department • CHCCS Superintendent(Interim) • Durham Technical Community College • OC Schools Superintendent • Orange County • Orange County Community Relations • Orange County Emergency Services • Orange County Health Department • Town of Carrboro • Town of Chapel Hill • Town of Hillsborough • UNC Chapel Hill • UNC Community Relations .1 P HAGERTY ORANGE ODUNT1 f 30 05-05-2021 Town Council Meeting Responses to Council Questions ITEM #13: Receive the Draft Long-Term Recovery and Transformation Plan Council Question: What would endorsement of the Long-Term Recovery and Transformation Plan entail in terms of the Town's commitments, financial or otherwise? Staff Response: An endorsement by the Town Council would represent support for moving forward with the final version of the plan, relying largely on existing Town programs, projects, partnerships, and funding commitments. An endorsement would also represent a willingness to consider future action and funding proposals (e.g., American Jobs Plan') that could help to address gaps or enhancements using existing Town activities that align with the goals, strategies, and initiatives within the recovery plan. Council Question: Can you provide some data (demographics of people, locations/mediums of meetings, number of meetings, ideas/feedback raised at such meetings, etc) on the plan review surveys and meetings? Staff Response: Starting on page 126 of the plan, Appendix 8:Stakeholder Engagement Summary includes information about the purpose, method and key takeaways from major engagement activities that took place between August 2020 and February 2021. The resources sections of the project website includes information about different outreach and communication efforts related to the plan. Demographics and other data appear within several of the reports listed below: • Impact Assessment: Key Findings' • Impact Assessment • Community Values Survey8 We will share the question above with the Project Management Team (PMT) to see what other data are available related to public input and engagement. a https://www.whitehouse.gov/american-jobs-plan/ s https://www.orangencforward.org/resources/ 6 https://www.orangencforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Impact-Assessment-Key-Findings_Final.pdf https://www.orangencforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Impact-Assessment_102620.pdf s https://www.orangencforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Community_Values_Survey_Summary_10.13.20.pdf Prepared by the Town of Chapel Hill 0510412021 31 05-05-2021 Town Council Meeting Responses to Council Questions Council Question: Was there any discussion or thinking about how to support women-owned or minority owned businesses, which are referenced in the Plan? Staff Response: Pages 8-9 highlight a series of initiatives, including: "Promoting equitable capitalization of businesses owned by people of color to enable greater participation in the economy and to improve equitable access to financial resources." Starting on page 13, under the Economic section, Strategy 1.1: Provide support for small businesses includes the following: • Target metric: "Increase number of new small businesses owned by people of color" • Initiative 1.1.3: Establish communication channels between economic development practitioners as well as to and from businesses in Orange County, includes among other tactics the following: "Work with EmPOWERment Inc., to identify business owners of color who are sharing information and best practices." Unless the Council has other specific interests, staff will plan to share the question above with the Project Management Team (PMT) to see what other options there are for specifically addressing support for women-owned or minority owned businesses. Council Question: Why was there no public transit involvement in developing the plan and why does the recovery plan ignore public transit? Staff Response: On pages 76-77, under Human Services and Strategy 4.1: Promote job opportunities that provide thriving wages or increase quality of life, Initiative 4.2.3 calls for: "Support(ing) coordination between regional, county, and municipal transportation systems by securing additional funding." Specific implementation steps include: "Year 0-1 • Utilize findings from county and municipal transit plans to identify resource requirements for the expansion of transportation systems across the county. Prepared by the Town of Chapel Hill 0510412021 32 05-05-2021 Town Council Meeting Responses to Council Questions • Analyze current transportation system throughout the region, county, and municipalities to identify areas of duplication, and to identify geographic gaps in transportation services. • Establish a committee or workgroup between coordinating organizations and partners to conduct a cost estimate, and begin identifying funding sources (federal, state, and local) that could be used to accomplish transportation goals. • Evaluate areas of the plan that could be aligned with Climate Action Planning occurring in the county. Years 1+ • Acquire and solidify funding sources to accomplish transportation expansion and to accomplish the centralization of transportation systems across the county. • Conduct a thorough analysis of the impact of implemented changes to the socioeconomic atmosphere in Orange County and the budgetary savings incurred due to the streamlining of public transportation services. • Market the initiative to the public to keep them informed of the plan's goals and progress. • Continue to seek additional funding for ongoing improvements to transportation systems." If there is more the Council would like to see regarding specific initiatives as they relate to public transit, staff can share these specific interests with the Project Management Team, as well. Council Question: The consultant has a slide dedicated to racial equity. Where is the racial equity lens in the recommendations?There is no mention of minority businesses specifically or how they will be supported in the plan. Council Question: Although the introductory material talks about racial equity, I do not see it reflected in any of the strategies and initiatives. For example, on page 250 (economic strategies) there is nothing about assisting minority owned small businesses, which tend to be disproportionately impacted by something like COVID-19? Staff Response: Under the Equitable Community Engagement section (pp. 8-9), the plan notes that "deliberate attention [was]paid to elevating the concerns and needs of communities of color that have been disproportionately harmed by the pandemic." This work included a series of meetings with Prepared by the Town of Chapel Hill 0510412021 33 05-05-2021 Town Council Meeting Responses to Council Questions community leaders in the Lantinx, African American/Black, Mandarin-Chinese speaking, Burmese speaking and Karen speaking communities to develop initiatives that could help address the challenges shared by these leaders and community members. In terms of recommendations, Appendix E:Strategy Prioritization Results (p. 145) describes how initiatives and strategies were evaluated based on the following criteria: • The number of community recovery needs the initiative addresses; • The popularity of the initiative based on a survey of the community's preferences; • The ability of the initiative to address needs of communities of color, • The ability of the initiative to promote long-term resilience. The detailed prioritization spreadsheet supporting Appendix E was weighted so that input from communities of color matched the disproportionate impacts found in the Impact Assessment. In other words, what was said to be important by the groups most affected by Covid is proportionately reflected in which strategies and initiatives have priority within the plan. Additionally, under the Integration with the Government Alliance on Race and Equity section (also pp. 8-9), the plan specifically points to a list of initiatives that were raised by stakeholders and that most closely align with the "intent and focus of the GARE planning group"—as well as the county-wide racial equity plan that is scheduled for release later this year. These specific initiatives are listed below: • Developing a systematic approach to countywide community engagement,focusing on creating meaningful opportunities for engagement with communities of color so that their needs are better represented by units of local government. • Partnering with schools to establish mandatory bias and racial sensitivity training for educators to prevent further widening of the achievement gap by making schools welcoming to students of all races and ethnicities. • Promoting equitable capitalization of businesses owned by people of color to enable greater participation in the economy and to improve equitable access to financial resources. The consulting team informed us that, in some instances and at the consensus recommendation of certain working groups (e.g., Economic recovery), the wording of titles and headers within the plan are purposefully broad in order to be more inclusive of all groups. At the same time, stakeholders also agreed that it was important to include specific initiatives and actions (like those listed above) that reinforce the plan's emphasis on advancing racial equity in connection to other related county-wide activities (e.g. racial equity plan). Prepared by the Town of Chapel Hill 0510412021 34 05-05-2021 Town Council Meeting Responses to Council Questions If there is more the Council would like to see regarding specific initiatives or actions as they relate to racial equity, staff can share these interests with the Project Management Team, as well. Council Question: On page 252, why are there no programs to address vaccine hesitancy?Also, it would seem appropriate to evaluate the performance of the OC Health Dept. (as well as other OC departments) to see if there are lessons to be learned. Staff Response: In terms of project timing, the draft plan was released before vaccines were widely available to the general public and so vaccine hesitancy wasn't the issue it is today. This helps reinforce the point that the document is also intended to be dynamic as we move forward. As a point of connection, on pages 48-50, under Health and Strategy 3.1: Continue monitoring, testing, and eradicating COVID-19, the plan outlines: • A key performance indicator(KPI)for the number of fully administered vaccinations and a target to increase the baseline count • Initiative 3.1.1: Continue to provide equitable and accessible testing and vaccines for COVID-19 for free or minimal cost, includes a variety of outreach and distribution tactics for vaccinations Unless the Council has other specific interests, staff will plan to share the question and comment above with the Project Management Team (PMT) to see what other options there are for specifically addressing vaccine hesitancy and broadening performance evaluation. Council Question: On page 256 it would seem appropriate to address improving collaboration between jurisdictions in OC. Staff Response: The team structure and design of the implementation process are intended to reinforce the importance of collaboration between jurisdictions in Orange County. Specifically, in addition to key stakeholders from different local sectors and organizations, the seven recovery working groups will include public staff from each of the participating local governments. Regarding the strategies and initiatives listed on page 256 of the Council packet, intergovernmental collaboration will be essential. For this reason, in many cases multiple local governments will be directly responsible for coordinating each of the initiatives (e.g., Initiative 7.1.1: Coordinating Organizations: Local Government Public Information Officers). Prepared by the Town of Chapel Hill 0510412021