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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 01-18-2022 Virtual Business Meeting 1 APPROVED 2/1/22 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS VIRTUAL BUSINESS MEETING January 18, 2022 7:00 p.m. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Virtual Business Meeting on Tuesday, January 18, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Renee Price, Vice Chair Jamezetta Bedford, and Commissioners Amy Fowler, Jean Hamilton, Sally Greene, Earl McKee, and Anna Richards COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: None. COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager Travis Myren, and Clerk to the Board Laura Jensen. (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) Chair Price called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. She stated that the Board is meeting virtually due to the pandemic, and also because of the winter storm that came through the region. A roll call was called; all members were present. Due to current public health concerns, the Board of Commissioners is conducting a Virtual Business Meeting on Tuesday, January 18, 2022. Members of the Board of Commissioners participated in the meeting remotely. As in prior meetings, members of the public were able to view and listen to the meeting via live streaming video at http://www.orangecountync.gov/967/Meeting-Videos and on Orange County Gov-TV on channels 1301 or 97.6 (Spectrum Cable). In this new virtual process, there are two methods for public comment. • Written submittals by email • Speaking during the virtual meeting Detailed public comment instructions for each method are provided at the bottom of this agenda. (Pre-registration is required.) 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda NONE Chair Price dispensed with reading the public charge. 2. Public Comments (Limited to One Hour) a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda Gretchen Schmid addressed the Board. She expressed concern with school board comments made during the October meeting, specifically that the board represents the majority of the community. She said that the role of the school board is not that of a politician but is to provide students with a sound basic education, per the North Carolina 2 Supreme Court. She said the school board should also provide leadership and define high academic standards for students' success. She said the school board's priority has been to replace and supersede parents' rights in a number of areas including health, risk management, and exposure to radical ideologies. She stated concern over a novel titled "Water for Chocolate" that was assigned as a literature assignment in a sophomore English class at Orange High School. She said the novel has been banned at schools in a number of states but was chosen to teach magical realism and described it as the teacher's favorite book. She said sexual fantasy is the experience through the whole book, and the teacher assigned it as a classroom read with students and teacher taking turns reading it out loud. She said her son and other classmates came home and reported feeling uncomfortable in English class because of this book. She said she obtained her own copy of the book to review it and is unable to read excerpts of it here or at a school board meeting due to the rules of public comment. She said the students in this class are receiving affirmation by an education authority that the degraded actions and ideas written in the book are worth their time thinking about and testing on. The public commenter's time expired at this point. Jacqueline Barker addressed the Board. She said something needs to be done about the school mask mandate. She said her children are wearing masks 7 hours a day because the schools require it, in part due to Orange County's mask mandate. She said one school has silent 15-minute lunch, another allows talking during a 45-minute lunch, while some require masks outdoors and others don't. She said there are inconsistencies and contradictions amongst the school. She said her children are suffering health issues from wearing masks so long including an obstructed nasal airways, allergies, nosebleeds, and headaches. She said she is unable to send her children to school when they have allergies because they would be unable to breathe and are not allowed to come to school with any symptoms. She said that despite her child's medical provider attributing a new diagnosis to wearing masks, the school still requires it with no break. She said there are many parents speaking up about the harm masks are doing to children, and only time will tell the long- term effects. She asked the Board to consider revoking the mask mandate and leave the choice up to individuals. She said despite masking and vaccines infections are at an all-time high. She said that children rarely die from COVID and it's rare for hospitalizations in children. She said that many in Orange County are concerned with the mask mandates, especially for children in schools, and encouraged the Board to end requirements. The public commenter's time expired at this point. Chair Price noted that both commenters spoke on items related to the school boards, so additional coordination would need to take place to address their concerns. Chair Price announced to the Board that they should be receiving wall calendars from the Eno River Association and thanked them for all they do to protect that environment. b. Matters on the Printed Agenda (These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda below.) 3. Announcements, Petitions and Comments by Board Members Commissioner Greene wished everyone a happy new year and noted she has no announcements. 3 Commissioner Fowler wished everyone a new year and said she and Commissioner Greene attended the transit planning meeting, and that information will be brought to the public in February. She said that they are looking to expand frequency and hours on certain routes to increase environmental equity and sustainability. She said she also attended her first Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board meeting and heard from local law enforcement agencies on alcohol-related education and outreach activities over the past year. She said that the ABC Board also discussed increasing salaries to living wage standards and addressing compression due to the General Manager's salary being tied to that of the Clerk of Superior Court. She said she may bring a question related to that to a future Board meeting. Commissioner Richards expressed appreciation for Christian Hirni, Land Conservation Manager in the Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks, and Recreation, who spent two hours with her to discuss Orange County land conservancy and preservation. She stated that Mr. Hirni was very generous with his time and she appreciated that and has a better understanding because of it. She said she also attended the meeting on strategies to address the opioid epidemic. She indicated she isn't sure of Orange County's status with the settlement and would like to have a better understanding of all of the community organizations that are dealing with the opioid issues. She stated that the presentation included five steps that all counties should be doing right now and she plans on finding out more about where Orange County is and then maybe make a formal request later. Chair Price said Orange County was one of the first to sign on and that Chapel Hill also signed on because of the size of the city and that Orange County is good to go. She said there are people working on what the money should be used for. Commissioner Richards asked if that information would come to the Board at some point. Chair Price stated that the Board received some preliminary information on that and then recognized Commissioner Greene for further information. Commissioner Greene said there is a meeting on Thursday of the reconvened Opioid Task Force. She stated the pandemic has caused the crisis to worsen and at the same time, took some of the focus away from the task force. She stated that the task force will be meeting again now. She said she will be at the next meeting to talk about the connections with the state. She stated that Commissioner Richards had a good question, and she will continue to make sure all the community partners are involved. She stated that the good news is that because of all the work that has been done with the Sheriff's Office and Caitlin Fenhagen's Office (Criminal Justice Resource Director), the county is in good shape to move forward. Chair Price said there are several possibilities the task force is looking at. She said it was started out of a basic interest in addressing the opioid epidemic and coming off a presidential initiative that the NCACC had several years ago. She said that now that the litigation is resolved, the task force decided to get back together again and determine how to move forward. She said that the BOCC still must determine how the funds will be distributed, so staff will need to bring that back for discussion and decisions. Commissioner Hamilton wished everyone a happy new year and said the Capital Needs Work Group meeting was rescheduled from January 10th to January 27th from 8:30-10:00 am. They will be discussing schools' capital needs and focusing on improving maintenance issues in public schools. Commissioner McKee had no announcements. Commissioner Bedford wished everyone a happy new year and said she attended the Environmental Steering Committee meeting with NCACC this morning. She said the Board has received inquiries lately about trash along roadways. She said that NCDOT provided a presentation during the meeting and that in 2021, NCDOT picked up over 13 million pounds of litter and dumping. She said the prior year was only 6.5 million because of COVID and the 4 budget so some of 2021 was carry-over trash, which is sad, but 2019 was 10.5 million. She said that anything the Board can do to encourage residents to please tarp their loads and not dump or litter will be a big help. She expressed thanks to Captain Spear for giving a tour of the new detention center to Chair Price, Commissioner Greene, and herself last week. She said the center is still being finished but it is such an improvement over the current facility. She encouraged others to take the tour of they get a chance. Chair Price said that, while the facility is nice, it is still not a place where people should want to be. She said that she came across a manual from 2012 or 2013 detailing emergency protocols and procedures and asked staff if there is a more up to date version available because it outlines what Commissioners are supposed to do in an emergency. She acknowledged the Emergency Operations Center that got together over the weekend in the face of the winter storm. She also thanked the county's Asset Management Services Department for making sure county staff got into work today. She reminded the Board that their retreat has been rescheduled for February 241h. She mentioned that there were MILK Day celebrations online and there are links for those interested. She said that over the holiday period she met with the mayors, and they agreed that, due to the COVID surge and lack of tests, the mask mandate will continue, and encouraged people to wear them properly. She said that the county is working to distribute masks for first responders and people who work with community members, as well as communities that might not be able to afford masks or have difficulty getting them. She reiterated that this meeting was meant to be in person, but due to the surge in COVID cases, the county and towns have decided to remain virtual, at least through the end of January. Chair Price noted she inadvertently skipped over public comments and returned to the item. 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/ Special Presentations a. Recognition of County Employee Retirements from October 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021 The Board recognized and expressed gratitude to recent county employee retirees for their devotion and service to Orange County and its residents. BACKGROUND: The following employees have retired in the second quarter of this fiscal year: Last Name First Name Location Desc Retirement YRS OF SERVICE Date LEMMERMAN DEBORAH DEPARTMENT ON AGING 09/30/2021 5 BROOKS TERRY HEALTH 09/30/2021 8 POMERLEAU GARRY EMERGENCY SERVICES 12/01/2021 11 GALEANA LEOVITA HEALTH 09/30/2021 16 INSKO KURT SHERIFF'S OFFICE 11/01/2021 16 INGERSOLL SHERRI HUMAN RESOURCES 10/29/2021 17 HUPMAN LINDA HEALTH 11/30/2021 18 CARR SCOTT SHERIFF'S OFFICE 11/01/2021 19 MOORE ANNETTE HUMAN RIGHTS& RELATIONS 11/30/2021 23 BAILIN ROBIN DEPARTMENT ON AGING 09/30/2021 27 BROOKS MICHELE FINANCE AND ADMIN SERVICES 10/31/2021 27 5 EVERHART DEBRA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES 10/01/2021 27 UNDERWOOD BOBBIE TAX ADMINISTRATION 10/31/2021 30 The Orange County Board of Commissioners thanks each of these retirees for their service to Orange County and for their dedication in meeting the primary mission of Orange County, in serving residents with fairness, respect and understanding. Chair Price thanked the retirees for their contributions to the county and introduced Brenda Bartholomew. Brenda Bartholomew, Human Resources Director, reviewed the background information for this item and read the names of retirees aloud. She also shared a photo of the glass award that is sent to all retirees featuring their name and years of service. She stated that the award is also accompanied by a letter from the County Manager thanking them for their service. She noted that all retirees were invited to join the meeting, and Sherri Ingersoll was present. She read the names and years of employment for all retirees. She thanked the Board and County Manager for recognizing the retirees. Chair Price thanked all the retirees again and then invited Sherri Ingersoll to speak. She said she remembers working with her on the Planning Board many years ago. Sherri Ingersoll addressed the Board and thanked them for their support in her various positions in Orange County over the years including in the Planning and Inspections Department, the Clerk's Office, and Human Resources. Craig Benedict, Planning and Inspections Director, thanked Sherri Ingersoll for her work in his department over the years and for her service in other departments in the county. Commissioner McKee congratulated the retirees and thanked them all for their service. John Roberts said that before Annette Moore became the Human Rights and Relations Director, she was a valuable asset to his office for many years and made them a better office. He said she has been missed from his office and congratulated her. b. Recognition of Felix Nwoko, Former Manager of DCHC MPO The Board recognized Felix Nwoko, former manager of the Durham Chapel Hill Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization, upon his retirement on December 31, 2021. BACKGROUND: For 27 years, Felix Nwoko played an important role in the development of the Durham Chapel Hill Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC MPO). Mr. Nwoko helped to professionalize the MPO and develop a technical foundation for planning in the Triangle area. Mr. Nwoko authored the MPO's first three long-range plans and spearheaded the creation of modeling tools that are still used to update long-range planning for the MPO. His extensive knowledge of the transportation planning process and federal policies and procedures benefitted not just the DCHC MPO, but MPOs throughout the state. Mr. Nwoko also worked to increase the representation of underrepresented groups in the transportation field by creating an historically black college and university internship program. Mr. Nwoko recruited a diverse, knowledgeable, and talented staff at DCHC MPO, and his leadership in the community will be missed. Chair Price said that Mr. Nwoko is an amazing person and noted that he could not be present this evening. She stated that he was quiet in his work but very effective. Craig Benedict read the following letter of appreciation: 6 18 January 2022 Felix Nwoko, Manager DCHC MPO Re: Letter of Appreciation Dear Mr. Nwoko, The Orange County Board of County Commissioners, on behalf of the people of Orange County, hereby extends our most heartfelt congratulations to you on your forthcoming retirement. We sincerely appreciate your years of dedicated service at the Durham Chapel Hill Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization, and we applaud you for your stellar career in the field of transportation planning. Working with elected officials, staff members and constituents of the DCHC MPO, you always exhibited diplomacy while balancing the varying interests of the local governments and stakeholders. You demonstrated that transportation planning goes beyond the complex and technical nature of state and federal funding formulas, and you brought this understanding to the households, businesses and institutions affected by transportation projects and initiatives. Again, the Orange County community is grateful to you for sharing your intellect and talents with us over the years, and for your commitment to the growth and sustainability of our region. May the next phase of your life be filled with joy and laughter. We wish you all the best. Sincere and warm regards, Renee A. Price, Chair Orange County Board of Commissioners Chair Price and Commissioner Bedford confirmed Mr. Nwoko was also recognized at the last DCHC MPO meeting. A motion was made by Commissioner Bedford and seconded by Commissioner Hamilton to authorize the Chair to sign a letter of appreciation recognizing Felix Nwoko upon his retirement. Roll call ensued VOTE: UNANIMOUS 5. Public Hearings NONE 7 6. Regular Agenda a. One Orange Countywide Racial Equity Framework The Board reviewed the updated Countywide Racial Equity Framework and considered approving this framework for moving forward with the multi-jurisdiction collaborative work on racial equity. BACKGROUND: In January 2021, the GARE Multi-Jurisdictional Task Force, One Orange, established subcommittees to work on each section of this framework. One Orange is comprised of Orange County staff along with staff from the Towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. The five multi-jurisdictional subcommittees are led by at least one jurisdictional member and include staff from each jurisdiction. The subcommittees are: • Training • Racial Equity Tool Kit, now more aptly named the Racial Equity Assessment Lens (REAL) • Community Engagement • Racial Equity Index • Evaluation and Accountability Through the work of these subcommittees, a draft framework was developed. One Orange is committed to creating a community where race no longer predicts life outcomes and was eager to share this information with the community for feedback. In June 2021, the Orange County Board of Commissioners received the Orange County Racial Equity Plan: A Framework for Moving Forward. Starting in June 2021, community outreach events were organized, the plan was shared with the community, and valuable feedback was received. In November 2021, a push for additional community engagement resulted in listening sessions at the Senior Center and The Refugee Support Center and the distribution of questionnaires at the DSS Annual Toy Chest event. One Orange utilized the feedback to refine the Racial Equity Framework. The One Orange Task Force is now presenting the revised framework to each jurisdiction's governing board requesting support for moving forward with this work. The Task Force believes the framework better describes the purpose of this work since specific plans are expected to come mostly from individual jurisdictions, although there may also be joint initiatives. The framework provides structure and oversight as each jurisdiction develops its individual strategies and plans to promote racial equity. The updated framework will be presented to Hillsborough on January 24, 2022, Chapel Hill on January 26, 2022, and Carrboro on February 1, 2022. Although there are no substantive changes to the framework, there are additional details about the community engagement and training pillars as well as updates to the staff members who are leading these efforts. The feedback from the community shows interest and support for this work and the need for action by all jurisdictions. Chair Price introduced Erica Bryant, Child Support Services Director, Sharron Hinton, Interim Human Rights and Relations Director, and Nancy Coston, Department of Social Services Director. Erica Bryant and Nancy Coston gave the following PowerPoint presentation: 8 Slide#1 ONEORANGE � .� � One Orange Countywide Racial Equity Framework- Catalyst For Moving Forward • • i ORANGE COUNTY NUICIH[:.M1li[}I IIM1 H I LL5 BOROUG H Erica Bryant said that One Orange is a joint venture between employees of Orange County and the three towns. Slide#2 One Orange Mission Statement One Orange is a commitment by Orange County leaders and staff to uncover and address implicit racial biases in our institutions to ensure that race can no longer be used to predict life outcomes in our community. 2 ONEONANGE Erica Bryant stated that the mission of the One Orange Plan is to work to ensure that race can no longer be used to predict life outcomes. 9 Slide#3 Framework 1 . Introduction & Overview 2. Racial Equity Pillars Updates • Training & Organizational Capacity ■ Community Engagement • Racial Equity Index • Racial Equity Assessment tens • Evaluation and Accountability 3. Next Steps 4. Questions ONEDRANRE Slide#4 What is Racial Equity? • When race can no longer predict life outcomes • People of all races struggle, and when you compare outcomes across most indicators, black and brown people struggle the most. DRAFT' Erica Bryant stated that the data in Orange County shows that income disparities, home ownership rates, and education achievement gaps continue to persist. She stated that this is true across the state and nation. 10 Slide#5 Why Equity? • Racial equity is about making sure our policies and practices no longer cause harm to black and brown communities. • When we do this, we make things better for everyone. —Equity is about fairness —Equality is about sameness Erica Bryant explained that equity is about fairness and equality is about sameness. Slide#6 Why Race? Systems are built that Normalizing Qperationalizing better address 0 0 wealth Organizing inequity and recognize bias for all people. f°i°�QRAHG� Erica Bryant said that normalizing discussions about race and operationalizing the strategies for advancing racial equity allows us to build systems that address other areas of income and wealth inequity and recognize bias based on gender, sexual orientation, ability, age, religion, and other protected categories. She said by building a framework of tools and resources to apply to racial equity, we can then address other areas of marginalization as well, recognzing that different strategies may be needed, for different inequities. 11 Slide#7 Government Alliance on Race and Equity ("GARE") • Support state and local jurisdictions that are advancing racial equity, • Build internal capacity to uncover racism and bias within their organization; and • Help expand and strengthen local and regional collaboration. ONE O@ANGE Erica Bryant said that the One Orange Team have received training to do this work. She said that racial equity is both an outcome and a process. She said that as an outcome, racial equity is achieved when race no longer predicts one's outcomes, and when everyone has what they need to thrive, no matter where they live. She said that as a process, racial equity is applied when those most impacted by structural racial inequity are meaningfully involved in the creation and implementation of the policies and practices that impact their lives. Slide#8 Community Engagement Targeted *virtual Outreach Community • Feedoack . In-Person Generated Racial informed targeted Equity Priorities outreach survey ' Virtual Toy Chest General Sessions �• - 3 ONEONANGE Erica Bryant said that because it is so important to engage those that are impacted by structural racism, community engagement is a key component of the work. She said that since the racial equity framework was received by the Board in June 2021, robust community engagement has occurred. She said that the framework is a working document and will change with time. She said "Appendix A" details the results of the community engagement. She said the framework was shared in three general sessions and general questions were posed along with a Menti-Meter to 12 provide feedback. She said the outcome was a list of community generated racial equity priorities. She said hose responses served as a basis for the community questionnaire which was used during targeted outreach at the Senior Center, Refugee Support Center, and the DSS Annual Toy Chest Event in November and December. She said that participation was voluntary, but the response was staggering with over 660 responses received during those events. Slide#9 What is one hope and one fear about this Countywide Racial Equity Framework? 4a 1 pcos�rry.r r.4iU.r. =u .. i�.i• . :d*:nM MOq IaMrc Dvn-cvwcwc %oYw dcrp abibvc axr cra rr4�ly rut�.u:i�nr I- au—4?c M-Cr— Ydbr cft o _ �M g4Albrvti1rrn• r 4'A h4 S-cAr rdkIJIS DWI" ...i. rnrtrum ti..-..-i.r•.. -1a3; -1 community _ m°-r Qzh �, Change _....,�, ..'°'� •w•r.+-.nhvd Hsav,vvn -''����I} ck� 04 � .■ ygwa�q Ir4--h woo m.Trm P•�._. rri.u.yrau r`r vQ dL1UCkIXO�GtKr•Sf*63$�7 yMhcrr nrw�oc'rriitr a cklt} asmrrwr r #:�r•�+ & j $ 8 r.Yr�� var.,rav r 1 vtitirr wk IQ.`4.-hW§4caL �b7v-..jv�V-A— � r.r�n,..:r�_ ��cKcwwJ daM31gM wtr mp4� c an•zvr. may nru rahmQcmh - ONEOAANGE Erica Bryant stated that the slide title is the question that was asked during the general sessions and the results are displayed in a word art, with the larger words being recorded more often than the smaller ones. She said that the most trending were"Community,""Change,"and "Understanding. She said for fears, it was concern over lack of action, that the initiative would fail, and that there could be increased racial tensions and violence. 13 Slide#10 What three results regarding racial equity would you like to see? 285 Improved Education Outcomes for Children of Color 285 Increased Afford able Housing Options 162 Increased Employment Opportunities for People of Color 157 Improved Health Outcomes for People of Color 146 Decreased Criminal Justice Involvement for People of Color 140 Increased Opportunities for Youth Voice(s) 138 Increased Community Unity 119 Increased Decision-Making Opportun ibes for People of Color 108 I inc reasedIriluenceon BudgeVResvu rue Allocations 82 Increased Community E ng ag ement for People of Color 82 Increased Local Govern mentAccountabiIity to Communities of Color 10 ONE OBANGF Erica Bryant stated that the slide title was the question asked as part of the community questionnaire and that responses are listed in order of number of responses. Slide#11 Racial Equity as the Catalyst for Change Capacity,'F�rainin;&' organiz no] Community t t- ONE ONANGE Erica Bryant summarized the pillars of racial equity as the catalyst for change. 14 Slide#12 Training & Organizational Capacity • Developed a plan to provide training to key stakeholders to advance racial equ ity and embed racial eq uity info countywide systems. 17 ONE DIANOE Erica Bryant said that each jurisdiction will develop its own training guide that serves it best and that training work has begun in all jurisdictions. Slide#13 Community Engagement Principles Commit to change toward a Commit to co-design desired new powerdynarnic for `/ results and engagement d_q decision-making, working processes (IAP2 Spectrum of together / community. a / r a /- • ILP Commitr listen, learn, and technical assistance / implementa a from employees / to engage respecially r / / impacted communities of • • • ONE DRANGE Erica Bryant stated that community engagement is vital for centering and advancing racial equity in the community because it requires the expertise of people with lived experiences. She said that to effectively remove race as a predictor of success, residents and employees of color should be engaged as subject-matter experts on institutional barriers and the strategies to dismantle those barriers. She said this engagement makes for better procedures, policies and programs. She said that resources for effective community engagement were added to the framework for use by all jurisdictions, and she said that the resources were available for the Board's review in Appendix C of the agenda packet. 15 Slide#14 Key Updates • Community Engagement Framework • International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Model • -Step Community Engagement Process Step 2 Step 3 - DE S SELECT TAIL&TAILOR • Convmnily • Comimnily • IgP7 Methods Mstk Engagm wi Design Engagement Mark Tool Tool 14 ONEOBANGE Slide#15 Racial Equity Index (Data Process) Racial Equity Index Statistical analysis of causal factors l Uncover& % document disparities ONE OHANGE Nancy Coston continued the presentation. She said there is a desire to get better data and the team is still working with SAS on the possibility of predictive analytics. She said that in the meantime, the team will keep working with Carolina Demography to have a baseline available for anyone who would like to review it. She said that even without predictive analytics, having all data about various disparities has value. She explained that the goal of the index is to show what piece will have the most impact to target resources. She said they are still on target to get the data, but it is taking longer than they would like to get the data from SAS. 16 Slide#16 Key Updates • Contract and staff resources being identified to compile racial equity demographics • Work continues with SAS to develop prescriptive analytics and index Erica Bryant continued the presentation. Slide#17 Racial Equity Assessment Lens ' Approach to evaluate existing and new policies, practices, services and other initiatives using a racial equity lens. Aligns racial equity outcomes to racial equity goals. ONE ORhNGE Erica Bryant began presenting here. She noted that the Racial Equity Assessment Lens (REAL) is attached as Appendix D in the agenda packet. She said that committee members used the lens, and the result was a more user-friendly and relevant document. 17 Slide#18 Evaluation and Accountability • The Evaluation and Accountability Committee will develop an Evaluation process based on the principles of the Results-Based Accountability ("RBA") framework. • RBA is a national model and provides a disciplined, data-driven, decision-making process to help local governments take action to solve problems. • An Evaluation Plan will help local governments apply racial equity principles embedded into the Results- Based Accountability (RBA) methodology into Racial Equity Action Plans. 1E ONE 0NANGE Erica Bryant said that updates to this section will be expected as the lens and framework are used. She said they also realized that more training was needed for the results-based accountability and that will continue. She said the updated framework will be presented to Hillsborough on January 24th, Chapel Hill on January 26th, and Carrboro on February 1It Slide#19 Next Steps Across Jurisdictions • Continued Collaboration — Develop racialized history — Create racial equity index and evaluation and accountability steps — Consider racial equity capacity building training ONE RANGE Erica Bryant said that as a group, they discussed next steps to take across the jurisdictions. She stated that this is important because part of the GARE framework is to discuss how governmental actions have created racial disparities across communities. She said it is best practice to create a reckoning document to tell our racialized history. She said that a racial equity index and evaluation and accountability steps will also be created. She said the committee will also consider racial equity capacity building training. 18 Slide#20 Next Steps For Orange County Government • Completion of Racial Equity Training for County Leadership and the Budget Team • Racial Equity training available to all employees from the One Orange Training Team • Consistent use of racial equity principles when engaging the community Use of REAL_ for budgetary decisions new initiatives Additional Results Based Accountability training opportunities • Compilation of racial equity demographics to inform our initiatives going forward 20 ONEORRNGE Slide#21 Questions? 21 ONE ORRNGE Commissioner Greene asked for more information about the lack of trust reported by employees as mentioned earlier. Nancy Coston clarified that the responses Commissioner Greene is referring to came from community members and not employees. She said that it speaks to feelings many 19 community members have about government but also shows the frustrations that people feel that government talks about a lot of things but doesn't always move those forward. She said community members at the Department of Social Services who gave responses do not usually share much feedback with government entities and said it was telling that they expressed distrust in government agencies. She said that they will try to increase trust in government. Commissioner Greene said that is obviously tapping into broader distrust of government on all levels. She encouraged the team to think about how they can respond and gain trust. Erica Bryant said the community outreach strategy will begin to address this distrust. She said that this strategy will be used by all departments going forward and they will go to community members that government agencies don't usually hear from to seek their input in government. She said it is important to go where people are that usually don't have a voice, and this will help break down the systems of oppression. Commissioner Fowler asked how the other types of inequities Erica Bryant mentioned will be addressed. She asked if they will automatically be addressed by focusing first on racial inequity or if the process will need to be repeated for each one. Erica Bryant said that the system isn't working for any of us and is working even less great for people of color. She said that by remaking our systems all areas of marginalization can be addressed. She said race must first be addressed and then others. Nancy Coston said the GARE philosophy is that systemic issues of race are so institutional that they need to be addressed intentionally and focused on first, and that the framework can then be repeated as a philosophy with all populations. She said that people in the community don't come with one attribute anyway, so if we are better with our community engagement and outreach all inequities can be addressed in a better way. Sharron Hinton said that most responses came through the toy chest event and those respondents did not get to hear the presentation about why the county is doing this work. She said that moving forward, it is imperative to continue the community engagement and get additional feedback and to tell them the "why." She said when the presentation was at the Senior Center, it focused on members of the Mandarin community, and they were extremely involved and participatory. She stated that they want to return to the communities previously engaged to give them updates and to continue to get feedback from them, moving forward. Commissioner Richards asked if each jurisdiction is in a similar place and if being in lockstep is a goal. She asked if there is a timeline to completing initial training and data gathering and creating the history. Erica Bryant said that the jurisdictions are at different places in the process because they are moving at different paces. She said that Carrboro is ahead of the county, but the county's training is different and that is part of the flexibility that the framework provides. She said that the timeline is to normalize the conversation about race. She said the department directors and budget team will be trained first, and that is a strategic decision because they want to make the most impact by ensuring a racial equity lens is used when discussing the budget items. She said it is not a quick process but there is an expectation of seeing changes. Nancy Coston said this work isn't like a project, it is about imbedding a philosophy/process in how Orange County responds to issues. She said this will become how Orange County thinks differently about everything. Commissioner Richards asked if the staff would be completed with training before the next budget cycle. Erica Bryant said that she would need to defer to the County Manager, but the training staff does have the capacity to complete the training. Commissioner Richards said that she is trying to understand if there is any understanding of a timeline for training whether that be next year, or before next budget, or six months. She asked how long until the basic things are in place. 20 Bonnie Hammersley said the department directors had REI groundwater training today and this included people on the budget team and those dealing with outside agencies. She said there isn't a deadline by when everyone needs to be trained and everyone may not be trained within a certain time, but there are resources to make sure that staff is trained when they need to be. She said it is something that staff is working on as a way of changing their decision- making processes and will be a key driver for 22-23 budget process. Commissioner Hamilton asked when the commissioners are going to be trained on this since they are the decision-makers in many ways, and they need to be part of it. She said that she is ready to be trained. Erica Bryant said that it would be a wonderful next step to have all elected boards trained. Commissioner Hamilton said it would be great to have training, but to also have documents available to follow that will allow them to think about the impacts as they make decisions, organize meetings, participate in the process more, etc. with racial equity in the focus. Chair Price said she previously also wondered about a timeline and when Annette Moore was leading the effort, she had a slightly different strategy and wanted to wait on training commissioners. She stated that now that the new co-leads are in place, things may be different and that she agrees with getting everyone trained and on the same page. She stated that this is an ongoing process and while there are some benchmarks, this must be ongoing and ever evolving. She stated that new employees will take the training and noted that those that leave or retire will leave a gap so their replacements will need training. She stated that there remains the question of deciding if the training will be a requirement. She said there is an incentive to receive training vs. a requirement to do so because people say they just do not want to. She said that in terms of trust, it is an ongoing process to gain people's trust since the United States was founded on racism. She said there have been hundreds of years of policies, laws, thinking and sentiments and it is going to take a long time to unravel that. She said one of the things we can do is look at the way planning and zoning is done. She said examining the question of why certain areas only allow single family homes on large tracts of land is a beginning. She said that other places are looking at their application forms to see if there are changes to be made. She stated that there are a lot of elements that go into this, but for tonight, the Board is being asked to approve the framework itself and make suggestions. Commissioner Bedford said it was impressive to use the toy chest event as an opportunity to engage the community. She stated that as a politician, the biggest struggle is how to hear from those from which you don't usually hear from. She stated that did not know there was an International Association on Community Engagement and Appendix C was very illuminating to her. She explained that many Board members have had different racial equity trainings over the years but training together, and with other boards in the towns, can get them all on the same page. She stated that she looks to Chair Price, Commissioner Hamilton, and Commissioner Richards to help guide her because of their lived experiences. She said she is thrilled that the advisory boards can also get equity training. She stated that the Partnership to End Homelessness did racial equity training. She said groups often get stuck because so much of government work is downstream and they do not often look upstream at how to actually apply it. She said it is almost overwhelming because it is so massive but that she is up for it and wants to make sure it is done thoughtfully. She stated that updates must continue so the work does not fall apart. Chair Price said it is more than just the initial training and that it will continue to grow. She stated that the steps — normalize, organize, and operationalize — ensure that participants learn about what's going on, start working in it, go out and do it, then pass it along. 21 Bonnie Hammersley said all employees will be required to have racial equity training, starting with willing employees first, looking into providing it as training for new employees into perpetuity. She said this is not going to stop that it will be ongoing. She said the clerks for each board could get together to discuss the benefits of all elected officials taking the training together, but that is up to the Board if they would like that to happen. She said that if the BOCC wants the training, the staff can do it at their direction. A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Fowler, to approve the revised framework and collaborative work of One Orange for promoting racial equity throughout Orange County. Roll call ensued VOTE: UNANIMOUS 7. Reports NONE 8. Consent Agenda • Removal of Any Items from Consent Agenda • Approval of Remaining Consent Agenda • Discussion and Approval of the Items Removed from the Consent Agenda Chair Price said corrections were sent out for items 8-a, 8-i, and 8-k earlier in the day to commissioners. Commissioner Richards requested item 8-i be removed from the consent agenda awaiting clarification of the dates for the report, and 8-j be removed for discussion. A motion was made by Commissioner Fowler, seconded by Commissioner McKee, to approve the remaining consent agenda. Roll call ensued VOTE: UNANIMOUS a. Minutes The Board approved minutes from the November 16, 2021, December 6, 2021, and December 14, 2021 Board of County Commissioners meetings. b. Motor Vehicle Property Tax Releases/Refunds The Board adopted a resolution to release motor vehicle property tax values for three taxpayers with a total of three bills that will result in a reduction of revenue. c. Property Tax Releases/Refunds The Board adopted a resolution to release property tax values for sixteen taxpayers with a total of seventeen bills that will result in a reduction of revenue. d. Applications for Property Tax Exemption/Exclusion The Board considered six untimely applications for exemption/exclusion from ad valorem taxation for six bills for the 2021 tax year. 22 e. Advertisement of Tax Liens on Real Property The Board accepted a report of the amount of unpaid taxes for the current year that are liens on real property as required by North Carolina General Statute 105-369 and authorized the Chair to sign the Order setting the lien sale advertisement on or about March 23, 2022. f. Human Relations Commission —Approval of Request for Changes to the Meeting Schedule The Board approved amendments to the Orange County Human Relations Commission's Policies and Procedures regarding the Commission's monthly meeting schedule. g. Fiscal Year 2021-22 Budget Amendment#6 The Board approved a budget amendment for Fiscal Year 2021-22. h. Approval of Financing Arrangements for New Hope Volunteer Fire Department to Purchase Fire Truck The Board approved New Hope Volunteer Fire Department entering into a financing arrangement to purchase a replacement fire truck; and authorized the Board of County Commissioners' Chair to sign the appropriate documents related to the financing arrangement. i. Fourth Quarterly Report (2021 Q4) and 2021 Annual Report for Orange County's CDBG-CV Grant The Board receive the fourth quarterly update for calendar year 2021, and an annual report for calendar year 2021, on Orange County's Community Development Block Grant— Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) grant from the NC Department of Commerce. j. Change in BOCC Meeting Schedule for 2022 The Board will consider changes to the Board of Commissioners' meeting calendar for 2022. k. West End Revitalization Association Letter of Support The Board will authorize the Chair to sign a letter supporting the West End Revitalization Association's Clean Energy and Climate Justice initiative. Commissioner Fowler said that for item 8-i, the totals on pages 8 and 9 did not add up. Bonnie Hammersley recommended postponing 8-i until February 1, 2022. The Board agreed. In regards to 8-j, Commissioner Richards said she would suggest leaving the May 17, 2022 meeting where it is until the State Board of Elections announces final date for primary. A motion was made by Commissioner Richards, seconded by Commissioner Greene, to approve item 8-j with the removal of the May calendar change. Roll call ensued VOTE: UNANIMOUS 9. County Manager's Report Bonnie Hammersley said the Assembly of Governments meeting was scheduled for January 25, 2022. She said the items will include the Long-Term Recovery Plan Update, Transportation and Transit — Infrastructure Planning, and Parks, Greenways and Trails — Connectivity. She said staff will present these three items, 10 minutes each, and the remainder of the time will be for elected boards to have discussion. 23 10. County Attorney's Report John Roberts said the legislature met today and will reconvene tomorrow and will be discussing possibly moving the May primary to a later date. 11. *Appointments None 12. Information Items • December 14, 2021 BOCC Meeting Follow-up Actions List • Tax Collector's Report— Numerical Analysis • Tax Collector's Report— Measure of Enforced Collections • Tax Assessor's Report— Releases/Refunds under $100 • Memorandum Regarding SPOT 6.0/STIP 2024-2033 13. Closed Session Laura Jensen noted that the closed session will take place within the same Zoom webinar. A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Fowler, to enter into closed session pursuant to G.S. § 143-318.11(a)(3) "to consult with an attorney retained by the Board in order to preserve the attorney-client privilege between the attorney and the Board" and to approve closed session minutes. Roll call ensued VOTE: UNANMIOUS A motion was made by Commissioner McKee and seconded by Commissioner Hamilton to reconvene into regular session at 9:05 p.m. Roll call ensued VOTE: UNANMIOUS 14. Adjournment A motion was made by Commissioner Fowler and seconded by Commissioner McKee to adjourn the meeting at 9:06 p.m. Roll call ensued VOTE: UNANMIOUS Renee Price, Chair Tara May Deputy Clerk to the Board Submitted for approval by Laura Jensen, Clerk to the Board.