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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 11-10-2022 Work Session1 APPROVED 12/13/22 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION November 10, 2022 7:00 p.m. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Work Session on Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough, NC. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Renee Price, Vice Chair Jamezetta Bedford, and Commissioners Amy Fowler, Sally Greene, Jean Hamilton, Earl McKee, and Anna Richards COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: None COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: Staff Attorney James Bryan 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. All commissioners, with the exception of Commissioners Fowler and McKee, were present. Chair Price said that item 1 would not be discussed at the work session and would be rescheduled for a future meeting. She said at the end of the meeting, the County Manager would like to do a demonstration of a new spreadsheet that commissioners can use to track requests. She said that the Board also needed to discuss the formation of a retreat committee, and that Commissioner Richards will give an update on the Leandro Plan. Commissioner Fowler arrived at 7:02 p.m. 1. Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness – 2022 Data Update This item was removed from the agenda and will be discussed at the November 15, 2022 Business Meeting. 2. Discussion Regarding the Community Food Access Assessment Report and Food Council Memorandum of Understanding Agreement Renewal The Board: 1) received information on the Community Food Access Assessment Report and Food Council Memorandum of Understanding Agreement Renewal; 2) discussed the potential renewal of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement for the Orange County Food Council as proposed by the Food Council’s Executive Committee; and 3) provided comments, questions and direction to staff in preparation for approval of the MOU at a future Board Business meeting. BACKGROUND: Community Food Access Assessment Report The Food Council began a food access assessment in late 2021 and finished this process in July 2022. The report’s purpose is to share community expertise and recommendations to help shape future decisions related to food access in Orange County, NC. 2 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Agreement Renewal In 2019, Orange County, Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, and Carrboro began an interlocal agreement process to jointly fund a full-time staff position for the Orange County Food Council. The original MOU was signed by all parties in early 2019, and the Food Council Coordinator was hired in July 2019. The existing MOU was meant to be reviewed after two years. The Food Council’s Executive Committee recommends a renewal with some updates to the agreement. Staff will provide an overview of the 2019 process and a summary of the Executive Committee’s current recommendations for the MOU agreement renewal. Staff has submitted a request to each jurisdiction to provide an annual presentation and a report for the suggested MOU renewal. Each jurisdiction has received the redlined MOU and annual report materials. The Towns of Hillsborough and Carrboro received presentations from staff in August and October. The following recommendations were provided by Hillsborough and Carrboro: Hillsborough Recommendation 1) In Section B (c), change the final line to, “contribute to the dismantling of systemic racism.” Carrboro Recommendations 1) Include a clause stating: a. The County will serve as the administrative and fiscal agent for the Food Council b. An annual report be required to be provided to all jurisdictions c. The line-item budget must be submitted to the jurisdictions with the annual report. 2) Add the word “collaboration” in the third paragraph of the MOU after “facilitate communication.” The Town of Chapel Hill has not scheduled the Food Council MOU Agreement renewal for discussion. Chair Price noted that Ashley Heger, the Food Council Coordinator, will be stepping down from her position. She thanked Ashley Heger for her service. Ashley Heger, Food Council Coordinator, introduced the item and a poet named Maria- Jose Guerrero Hernandez. Maria-Jose Guerrero Hernandez read a poem she composed on the topic of food insecurity. Commissioner McKee arrived at 7:05 p.m. Ashley Heger made the following presentation: 3 Slide #1 Slide #2 Slide #3 4 Slide #4 Ashley Heger said they did not look at food insecurity by jurisdiction or community, but in a holistic way, county-wide. Slide #5 Ashley Heger said the Food Council wanted to engage in an assessment process that would provide decision-makers with data and information but would shift power to those most impacted. She said one of the first ideas they received was to look at budget data and policy information for what the county is doing to combat food insecurity. She said it was difficult to find policy information, so they focused on budget data. 5 Slide #6 Ashley Heger said that the county should be more creative with food delivery options and focus on reducing barriers. Slide #7 6 Slide #8 Slide #9 Ashley Heger said the last time she presented to the Board, she highlighted five issues that are related to food insecurity. She listed four of them to the Board: housing, direct food programs, economic development, and transportation. She said the purpose was to get closer to the solutions by getting closer to the problem. She asked that the Board focus their time and attention on the recommendations that came from the community. Commissioner Fowler asked if Ashley Heger followed up on the recommendations or if this report is the follow-up to those recommendations. She said Food For Summer is run through the school system and that is not part of the MOU. Ashley Heger said they were in the process of organizing with community experts that are already advocates for their communities. She said they are working with those experts on how they want to build bridges and that school foods can be difficult to navigate due to issues like USDA policies and other federal programs. She said that the decision makers will direct the action. She said earlier in 2022, the Food Council requested ARPA funding to create a food justice fund. She said they were not awarded the funds, so instead, the Food Council used 7 existing funds available to them to begin addressing some of the identified needs. She said these recommendations came from community experts. Commissioner Greene said that the agency the community experts identified was Transplanting Community Transitions. Ashley Heger explained Transplanting Community Traditions and said that they have a program that allows them to receive funds from the Food Council that goes directly to the farmers. She said the farmers grow food that they donate to PORCH and the Refugee Center. She said the distribution will happen primarily to those two groups. Commissioner Greene said the entire executive team was 100% on board with this. Commissioner Bedford said she was surprised by the $9 million funding needs but understands the need of hunger. She asked how many community experts participated in photovoice and if they were the same people or different than the budget review. Ashley Heger said the community experts were different groups. She said that photovoice experts were recruited from the most impacted communities. She said she wanted to make sure that the experts represented the whole spectrum of those who experience food insecurity. She said that they also want to make sure they are paying each expert a living wage to participate just as they would a consultant. She said it is a small group but a very meaningful sample. Commissioner McKee asked which organizations and groups were represented in the county. Ashley Heger asked if he meant demographic representation. Commissioner McKee said he meant organizational representation. Ashley Heger said they did not recruit for organizational experience but for lived experience. She said that some of the people are connected to various community groups, but they were recruited for their lived experience. She said they focused on Black, Latinx, immigrant/refugee, and intergenerational food need experiences. Commissioner Fowler said that she previously volunteered for the Food For Summer program and that it felt strange to tell 4-year-olds they had to eat their food in front of her but that their parents could not eat and that they were also required to take a milk even if they were not going to drink it. She said there are quite a few unusual rules. She said that EBT can be used Instacart and asked for further information on what was mean by using EBT like Instacart. Ashley Heger said that in discussions with community experts, they said that curbside pickup for charitable food distributions would improve their experience. She said that $9 million is an eye-popping number, but it is a reality. She said that people see money going to pay people like her or for a refrigerated truck, when they could use those funds in their bank accounts. Chair Price asked what communities the 16 people represent, or if they are on a map. Ashley Heger said they did not collect that data, but anecdotally, she could say that people were located from north of Hillsborough to southern Orange County. Chair Price said they did not have much representation from the rural areas. Ashley Heger said they did not. She said if they were to do further research, they would want more people from the Cedar Grove area. She said they also would want to do more research with native and indigenous residents. Commissioner Hamilton said that she read through the assessment and really liked the qualitative direction in it, however she struggled with not being able to see the bigger context. She said that for example, knowing the community experts, how they map with the rest of the county, and what groups they might represent would be helpful because it would help paint a picture of food insecurities in the community. Ashley Heger said they felt that they did not have time to reengage the community members to get that data. She said that they are trying to get the photovoice data and then pin 8 that feedback to larger trends in the community. She said she would share that comment with the team. Commissioner Hamilton said the report is heavily qualitative and could use some quantitative data. She said that it would be helpful to have a description of what the services are, who the players are, and to fit in some of the qualitative data more effectively. She said that it comes off as anecdotal, and not resting so much on that would have strengthened the report. Ashley Heger said that the visual report that will be available will show some of that information. She said that the community experts were asked what they thought would be most impactful to share in the report. She said it would have been helpful for the commissioners to see what setting this information is in. Commissioner Richards said she understands the need, desire, and value of the community experts. She said she expects that staff would take that and bridge that to what the elected boards or decision makers want to see to better inform the decision process. She said the balance between the two would enhance the work and is critical going forward. Ashley Heger said she hopes that before she maps out next steps that they will move in that direction. She said that she would like to set the Food Council up for success with follow- through. Commissioner McKee asked for clarification if the inability to reach out to rural residents was due to time. Ashley Heger said that it was not only time. She said that due to time and funding and looking at where the biggest food insecurity numbers are in the county, they worked with community leaders to identify community experts that would support the work. She said that naturally led them to working with experts that live in the more populated areas. She said there was rural representation in the process, but they can do more. She said the process was proof of concept, by shifting power to those most impacted. She said that her hope is that the Food Council can have convenings that can have more of a process that would help the decision makers in the county. She said that they have done what they can, given time, relationships, and funding, but the Food Council can do more, especially in the future. Commissioner McKee said he has been dealing with this for six years now. He said he does not see how time can be a factor. He said that there is not an area specific to Orange County that is more impacted by food insecurity and that it is north to south, and east to west. He read the paragraph from the MOU from 2015 and said they are not closer to then where they were in 2015. He said that the system is not working. He said that the engagement needs to be with providers and there is a disconnect. Ashley Heger said that providers are a necessary part of finding a solution and should be part of the process in the spring. She said that would work with people in various county departments and the charitable programs. She said that there is a systemic problem and that she has sadness leaving because this feels incomplete. She said it is long-term work and will require difference collaborative pieces across the system and more staff primed to convene around the entire food system. She said that is too large for any one staff person to handle alone. She said the work is taking place and there are a lot of amazing people doing the work but it will be difficult to see the same type of results because of the staff. She said it takes time to build trust and relationships. Commissioner McKee said his concern is moving past the discussion to getting food to the people who need it. Chair Price said the report is a good description of hunger in the United States. She said if it was for a university class it would have been good. She said that many of the points they have known for years. She said she worked with a hunger organization twenty years ago and because they have not made systemic change, they are dealing with the same issues. She 9 said that transportation is an issue and that having income would be a part of the solution. She said that she is glad the community voices are included but knowing where they are would have been helpful. She said that for example, Rogers Road didn’t have a bus for years and they knew this was an issue. She said that she is looking for solutions like that. She said that she is concerned about the rural areas. She said that she is perplexed that the priority would be on the more densely populated areas and there is a lot of hunger in the rural areas of the county. She said that people have trouble accessing food and that it is important to note that hungry people are across the county and even into the schools. Ashley Heger said she did not mean to suggest that rural areas are better off. She said she thought more could be done in the rural areas. She said that engaging rural communities is an important part of it. Chair Price said she would like to see steps that are specific to Orange County. She said from a teaching perspective the report is helpful but that they need suggestions for specific actions. Ashley Heger said that the intended plan for the spring is to have farmers be part of the conversation. She said that farmers want to think of creative ways to help provide food and they are working with farmers to support their ideas. She said this is not the end and the Food Council will have convenings with farmers and food providers. Chair Price said she thought they were working with them initially. Ashley Heger said that they have relied on relationships that came out of the black farmer think tank. She said that half of the farmers are in the Cedar Grove area. Chair Price asked if they were working with them initially. Ashley Heger said they are trying to come up with creative solutions based on what came out of Anatov and being a part of it initially. She said the community assessment did not involve any farmers. She said none of the community experts would call themselves farmers. Commissioner Greene said the report is the voice of community experts in the subject of community access. She said this represents communities and it did not occur to her at all that experts only lived in Chapel Hill. She said she appreciated the humility it engendered in herself when she read the report. She said it was important to hear the voices. She said that she learned the importance of terminology when discussing food insecurity, such as the difference between food deserts and food apartheid. She said that words do matter and the food insecurity is not a naturally created phenomenon and it is important to note that. She said she appreciates the work that Ashley Heger has done. Chair Price said she hoped in the next phase there are more actionable items and it is more inclusive. She said she understood that getting it out to more people, there will be greater representation. She said that there is value in the report. Commissioner Greene said that on the Instacart idea, there is an app that is being used to manage food stamps and she took that idea to a local Orange County entrepreneur and it is not an outrageous idea to think of an app that could be created as a county service. Ashley Heger said that they do feel the recommendations are actionable and relevant to Orange County. She said there are multiple generations and levels of expertise. She said we now have expert feedback from the community. She said that this work is never done, we can always do better. She asked them to support the Food Council and set them up to do more work. Commissioner Bedford asked about the authority of the county to negotiate with developers. Commissioner Greene said there are policies in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. She said when there is a zoning request, the Town of Chapel Hill says that affordable housing has to be part of the development. 10 Ashley Heger said there needs to be a conversation between those two spaces and the Food Council’s role. She said that they need to figure out how to navigate through the legalities and that sets up actionable conversations. Commissioner Greene said that North Carolina is not a Dillon’s Rule State but courts have had a hard time accepting that and there is a supreme court ruling in Cabarrus County that says they are. Commissioner McKee said the courts are the arbitrator of what is constitutional and valid by law. He asked how they would not be if the courts have deemed that they are. Commissioner Greene said the School of Government have two papers that say in the 1970s the state gave the local governments broad authority. Commissioner McKee said the courts are the ultimate arbitrator. Chair Price asked if they worked with Corey Root in Affordable Housing Ashley Heger said that Corey Root with Affordable Housing would like to be part of the conversation. Chair Price said that when you look at the affordable housing work, rather than waiting for a developer to build 15% affordable housing, that is it important to think about how people will access the food and have a resource to access the food. She said it is good to have access to commercial areas nearby so it is important that housing and food work together. Ashley Heger said that she has been having that conversation with Corey Root. Slide #10 Slide #11 11 Slide #12 Slide #13 Commissioner McKee asked what the thinking was for eliminating four seats on the Food Council. Ashley said they started with 11, then went up to 16, but that the Food Council noticed lower engagement since the increase. She said an 11-member council was a more manageable size. Commissioner Richards asked if it is saying take the elected members out. Commissioner Greene said no. Commissioner Richards asked if the recommendations of the executive committee were voted upon. Ashley Heger said that the way the council operates is through a consensus-based model, but the elected officials retain majority power, and these recommendations were voted upon unanimously. Chair Price said they would not vote on it at the work session. Commissioner Bedford thanked Ashley Heger for providing the minutes of the Food Council. She asked why they moved to every other month meetings. Ashley Heger said that was considered before COVID. She said by engaging so much, the volunteers’ capacity was stretched. She said that it was an opportune time to go to bi- 12 monthly meetings. She said that it is volunteer work. She said that the volunteer co-chairs were putting in a lot of time. She said it was common with other food councils in North Carolina. She said it was implemented sometime in 2020. Commissioner Bedford said Wake County is a non-profit. She said that was an early discussion about how this group should be organized. She said that on an 11-member council, with 4 elected officials, it only leaves 7 people to give input and now it is only every other month. She asked if there is a better way to format this work. Ashley Heger said the food council model came from a white cultural space. She said there are pros and cons for any structure. She said that being connected to the county and having the structural support is a huge benefit. She said Orange County is seen as an outlier in the state and even nationally because of the support they have to invest in the work. She said that when you look at the most functional food councils are housed in departments with multiple staff. She said those staff members are usually shared so there is cross pollination of knowledge. She said that being part of this institution has allowed that to be true. She said that on the nonprofit side there is a struggle between chasing grants and doing the work. She said that they have not put a structure or a container to it but that the conversation is much broader than 7 people. She said that the challenges that come from institutions to do systemic change is that those who have been burned do not want to trust or be a part of the systems that have previously harmed them. She said that it is hard for people to engage. She said that they need to come up with creative ways to engage everyone. She said that for research and best practices, she looks to the Baltimore, MD and Austin, TX models are good ones to mirror. Commissioner Fowler asked if there are people with lived experience on the Food Council. Ashley Heger said yes. She said that the Food Council used to be a majority with lived experience and majority non-white, but that is no longer the case. She said additional supports are needed. Commissioner Fowler asked how those seven positions are filled. Ashley Heger said those seven positions are at large members and are meant to represent the full food system. Chair Price asked if there are specific spots for those with lived experience. Ashley Heger said they have one and that is the food access practitioner. She said that Chapel Hill required that they hold a space for a food access provider. She said they tweaked the language and changed it to a practitioner. Commissioner Hamilton said this was helpful to understand the challenge faced by the Food Council over the last few years. She said that she is learning towards not supporting the MOU and considering what structure would work for them. She said issues are so integrated, they need to find another way of tackling it. She said that she realized that the structure does not feel transparent. Commissioner Bedford said the MMC (Managers, Mayors, and Chairs) group is meeting next Friday, and the various MOUs are on the agenda. She said it might be good to let that meeting happen and then bring this back. Bonnie Hammersley said she would suggest that it comes back after Chapel Hill has the presentation on December 7. Commissioner Bedford said this could be a topic at an Assembly Governments Meeting. Commissioner McKee said he thinks it will be unmanageable. Chair Price said she agreed with Commissioner McKee. Chair Price thanked Ashley Heger for her work with the Food Council. Ashley Heger thanked the Board for their support. 13 3. Periodic Review of the Orange County Board of County Commissioners Advisory Board Policy The Board conducted a review of the Orange County Board of County Commissioners Advisory Board Policy (Advisory Board Policy). BACKGROUND: The Advisory Board Policy was adopted February 21, 2012, and included a provision that the Board of Commissioners would conduct a periodic review of the policy every five (5) years. While various portions of the Advisory Board Policy have been amended since that time based on staff recommendations, a full review and discussion of the policy has not been conducted by the Board. The current version of the Advisory Board Policy is included as Attachment A. Attachment B includes suggested amendments by Clerk’s Office staff. Noteworthy suggestions include:  Changing the periodic review period from every five (5) to every two (2) years.  Updating the list of boards and commissions to which the policy applies.  Clarifying the role of recommendations received from advisory boards.  Removing the ability of an advisory board member to continue serving one year past their term expiration date.  Requiring a majority vote by the Board to remove an advisory board member.  Removing reference to unexcused absences related to attendance requirements of advisory board members.  Allowing remote meetings of advisory boards subject to this policy at all times, not only during a declared State of Emergency. Attachment C includes information on all of the boards to which the Board of Commissioners makes appointments, including the type of board, board descriptions, composition requirements, any special appointment or recommendation requirements, term lengths and limits, and the relevant policies. Deputy Clerk to the Board Tara May introduced the item and reviewed information in the abstract. Commissioner Bedford noted that she had found a few typos in the policy. Tara May reviewed one of the typos for the Board: Page 21, section 4(b), the end of the sentence should read “advisory boards” instead of “Orange County Board of Commissioners.” Commissioner Richards said she appreciated the suggested amendments but that she is trying to figure out the role of recommendations from the advisory boards. She said she has spoken with advisory board members that believe they have the final say. She said she thinks it is important for them to be very clear on this. Chair Price said the Board should decide what their preference is. She said it has changed over the years. Commissioner Richards said it is not just people or members, but any recommendation that comes out of an advisory board. She said there should be clarity. Chair Price said their role is to advise. Commissioner Hamilton said it is a recommendation, but that the Board has the accountability for it. Commissioner Bedford said that is helpful. 14 Commissioner Hamilton said they do want recommendations, but it should be clear that it is a recommendation. Commissioner Bedford said when they had the Human Rights Commission, it feels like a clique can form if the same people are picking the same people. Commissioner Hamilton agreed and said that she is saying the same thing. Chair Price said that one reason they increased the discussion of appointees was to increase the diversity of the boards. Commissioner Bedford said on page 84 it says that the Orange County Board of Commissioners may elect to interview applicants for certain advisory boards. She said that OWASA is not an advisory board, but they do appoint two representatives to the Board. She asked if they are allowed to be interviewed. Tara May said that OWASA is not a board that the policy would apply to. She said she is unsure if OWASA’s policy would allow for that. James Bryan said that for boards that aren’t created by the county, they would be under the jurisdiction of the rules for that entity. Commissioner Bedford said that for the OWASA board she feels that they should have a more in-depth background process with them. Chair Price asked why. Commissioner Bedford said they have very good people now. She said that one was on the Commission for the Environment that did not work out even though she spoke to them to figure out what they were qualified for. She said she must not have been asking the right questions. She said that it’s a really important board and that the application could be changed, and the commissioners could consider interviewing them. Commissioner Greene said prior to the current form, OWASA had a specific form. She said that Chapel Hill sets up a subcommittee to interview their OWASA applicants. Chair Price said that with the Planning Board, commissioners might call up the applicants and speak with them. Commissioner Bedford asked if Tara May could check with other communities on what their application and process is for OWASA Board Members. Chair Price said that OWASA is not included in this policy but that she could still request information about the other jurisdictional processes. Chair Price asked if some boards still have 2–3-year terms. Tara May said that was existing but moved to under the “Term” section. She said the Adult Care Home Advisory Committee is separate, and has different terms and is different from advisory boards. Commissioner Fowler asked about the partial term appointment language. Tara May said that is existing language and had not been amended. Commissioner Greene asked for clarification because she thought they had appointed people to partial terms and indicated that they would still be available for two full term appointments. Tara May said that if she is referring to the Opioid Committee, the actual date of the term of their appointment falls within the existing language and is less than 12 months for the initial partial term appointment. Chair Price asked when this would be voted upon. Tara May said a meeting in December Chair Price asked if it could come back on a consent agenda. Commissioner Bedford said she supported the suggested changes and would support it next week. Commissioner Greene agreed with Commissioner Bedford. 15 4. Affordable Housing Advisory Board – Appointments Discussion The Board discussed appointments to the Affordable Housing Advisory Board. BACKGROUND: The Affordable Housing Advisory Board prioritizes affordable housing needs and assesses project proposals. The board also publicizes the County’s housing objectives, monitors the progress of local housing programs, explores new funding opportunities, and works to increase the community’s awareness of, understanding of, commitment to, and involvement in producing attractive affordable housing. This board has opted not to make recommendations. The Board of County Commissioners appoints all fifteen (15) At-Large members. The following positions and individuals are presented for Board consideration: NAME SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE TYPE OF APPOINTMENT TERM EXPIRATION DATE Ehmu Ra Ho At-Large First Full Term (re-appointment) 06/30/2025 Holly Meschko At-Large First Full Term (re-appointment) 06/30/2025 BOCC Appointment At-Large First Full Term 09/30/2025 BOCC Appointment At-Large Partial Term 09/30/2023 BOCC Appointment At-Large First Full Term 09/30/2025 BOCC Appointment At-Large Partial Term 06/30/2023 BOCC Appointment At-Large Partial Term 06/30/2024 BOCC Appointment At-Large First Full Term 06/30/2025 BOCC Appointment At-Large Partial Term 06/30/2024 If the individuals listed above are appointed, no vacancies remain. Tara May introduced the item. The Board agreed by consensus to re-appoint Ehmu Ra Ho and Holly Meschko. The Board discussed possible appointees for the remaining seven positions. Commissioner Bedford suggested Mariela Hernandez. Commissioner Greene suggested Olivia Fisher. Commissioner Richards asked if Keith Cook is fully participating on the board. Chair Price said he does attend events occasionally and has not resigned. Commissioner Bedford suggested Kela Kexel. The Board agreed by consensus on Mariela Hernandez, Olivia Fisher, and Kela Kexel. Commissioner Greene said she was not sure she could find seven applicants to fill all of the seats and asked if the Board might not choose seven during the work session. Commissioner Bedford said there was not much diversity in the applicant pool. 16 The consensus from the Board was that there were not any more applicants that they wanted to appoint from this group. Commissioner Bedford suggested that staff re-advertise the remaining four positions. 5. Agricultural Preservation Board – Appointments Discussion The Board discussed appointments to the Agricultural Preservation Board. BACKGROUND: The Agricultural Preservation Board is charged to promote the economic and cultural importance of agriculture in the county, and to encourage voluntary preservation and protection of farmland for future production. The Board of County Commissioners appoints all 15 members, including eight (8) At-Large members, and one (1) member from each of the seven (7) Agricultural Districts in the County. The following individuals are presented for Board consideration: NAME POSITION DESCRIPTION TYPE OF APPOINTMENT TERM EXPIRATION DATE Kim Woods (proposed moved from At- Large position) Caldwell Voluntary Agricultural District Partial Term 06/30/2023 Nancy Petry At-Large First Full Term 06/30/2025 Michael Wagger At-Large First Full Term 06/30/2025 James Fickle At-Large Partial Term 06/30/2024 Dr. Jane Saiers New Hope/Hillsborough Voluntary Agricultural District One-year extension 6/30/2023 If the individuals listed above are appointed, the following vacancies remain: POSITION DESIGNATION EXPIRATION DATE VACANCY INFORMATION Cedar Grove Voluntary Agricultural District 06/30/2023 Vacant since 11/20/2020 Tara May introduced the item. Chair Price asked how long Kim Woods had served on the Agricultural Preservation Board. Tara May said that Kim Woods had served one full term in her current position, and that the recommendation was to put her in a position with a partial term. She said that Kim Woods would still be eligible to serve a full term after the partial term ends. Commissioner McKee supported the recommendation that Kim Woods be appointed to the Caldwell Voluntary Agricultural District position. The Board agreed by consensus on the recommendation to move Kim Woods to a partial term for the Caldwell Voluntary Agricultural District position. The Board agreed by consensus on the recommended applicants to fill the three At- Large positions. 17 Tara May said that the Agricultural Preservation Board would like to give a one-year extension to Dr. Jane Saiers for the New Hope/Hillsborough Voluntary Agricultural District position. The Board agreed by consensus on the recommendation that Dr. Jane Saiers appointment be extended by one year. Tara May said that a recent applicant will be considered at a future meeting for the Cedar Grove Voluntary Agricultural District position. Chair Price asked for clarification of when the Board would consider voting for the Cedar Grove position. She indicated it might not happen until after the new year. Commissioner Bedford asked that the Board consider making an exception and appointing the applicant for the Cedar Grove position at the next Board meeting. Commissioner McKee asked Tara May to send the Board the application for the Cedar Grove position. 6. Carrboro Board of Adjustment – Appointment Discussion The Board discussed an appointment to the Carrboro Board of Adjustment. BACKGROUND: The Carrboro Board of Adjustment shall hear and decide appeals from any order, decision, requirement, or interpretation made by the administrator, applications for special use permits, applications for variances, applications for special exception permits, questions involving interpretation of the zoning map, including disputed district boundary lines and lot lines, applications for major subdivisions containing between five and twelve lots, and any other matters the board is required to act upon by any other town ordinance. The Board of County Commissioners appoints two (2) members residing in the Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) or the Joint Planning Transition Area. In the absence of applicants from these areas, the Board of County Commissioners may appoint applicants residing within the Town Limits of Carrboro. The following individual is presented for Board consideration: NAME POSITION DESCRIPTION TYPE OF APPOINTMENT TERM EXPIRATION DATE Erle Smith BOCC Appointee First Full Term (re-appointment) 02/28/2025 If the individual listed above is appointed, no vacancies remain. Tara May introduced the item. The Board agreed by consensus on the recommended applicant. 7. Commission for the Environment – Appointments Discussion The Board discussed appointments to the Commission for the Environment. BACKGROUND: The Commission for the Environment advises the Board of Commissioners on matters affecting the environment with particular emphasis on protection. It educates public and local officials on environmental issues and performs special studies and projects. It also recommends environmental initiatives and study changes in environmental science and local and federal regulations. 18 The Board of County Commissioners appoints all 15 members, including 10 At-Large members and 5 members with expertise in specific fields. The following individuals are recommended for Board consideration: NAME POSITION DESCRIPTION TYPE OF APPOINTMENT TERM EXPIRATION DATE Geneva Gray Air Quality First Full Term (re-appointment) 12/31/2025 Mark Randall At-Large First Full Term (re-appointment) 12/31/2025 Taylor (Read) Oakley At-Large First Full Term (re-appointment) 12/31/2025 If the individuals listed above are appointed, no vacancies remain. Tara May introduced the item. The Board agreed by consensus on the recommended applicants. Commissioner Fowler asked if Bill Ward had served a three-year term or if he decided to resign. Tara May said that Bill Ward was completing his second term and was not eligible for reappointment. She said his term expires at the end of December. Commissioner Fowler asked if it was a three-year term. Tara May said that Bill Ward was first appointed in November 2017, and was reappointed in March 2020. She said it was likely that his first term expired in December 2019, but that his reappointment was not brought to the Board until a few months later. 8. Orange County Parks and Recreation Council – Appointment Discussion The Board discussed an appointment to the Orange County Parks and Recreation Council. BACKGROUND: The Orange County Parks and Recreation Council consults with and advises the Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation, and the Board of County Commissioners on matters affecting parks planning, development and operation; recreation facilities, policies and programs; and public trails and open space. The Board of County Commissioners appoints all 12 members with representatives from each of the county’s townships plus its municipalities. The following individual is recommended for Board consideration: NAME POSITION DESCRIPTION TYPE OF APPOINTMENT TERM EXPIRATION DATE Sophia Fratta Youth Member (non-voting) First Full Term 12/31/2025 If the individual listed above is appointed, no vacancies remain. Tara May introduced the item. She said the Parks and Recreation Council is interested in seeking a second youth position in the future. Commissioner Richards said it was great that the position had three applicants. 19 The Board agreed by consensus on the recommended applicant. Chair Price asked if approval of another position for youth would have to come back before the Board. Tara May said that previously the Board of County Commissioners amended the composition of the Parks and Recreation Council. Chair Price asked if Travis Myren would work with Parks and Recreation to bring that item back for Board consideration. Prior to adjournment, Bonnie Hammersley demonstrated an electronic spreadsheet to the Board that keeps track of all BOCC follow-up requests and petitions. She showed the Board how they can search and filter requests based on dates or the names of commissioners that made the petition. She said they are considering putting the spreadsheet on the county website so the public can also review the status of requests and petitions. Chair Price asked if any commissioners would like to be part of a retreat planning committee. She said the retreat committee would have to determine a date for the retreat. She asked if Commissioner McKee, Commissioner Richards, and Commissioner Greene would like to be on the committee. Commissioner Richards said she would be on the committee. Commissioner Bedford said that staff already had some agenda topic ideas. Commissioner Richards asked how the agenda was decided. Chair Price said that was something the committee would decide. Commissioner McKee and Commissioner Greene also agreed to join the committee. Commissioner Richards said that on the previous Friday a court said that the General Assembly could no longer refuse to fund the Leandro Plan. She encouraged the Board to read the court’s opinion. She said that there was a website where you could find your area’s school district and how the Leandro Plan would implement the district. She gave all Commissioners copies of the estimated financial impact on Orange County Schools and Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools. She said it was important to have the information as budget discussions for the next year begin. She asked if a new court could undo this judgment. Commissioner Greene said there would have to be another case for the state supreme court to undo the judgment. Commissioner Richards said it was great news and hopefully something that will stand. A motion was made by Commissioner Fowler and seconded by Commissioner Richards to adjourn the meeting at 9:27 p.m. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Renee Price, Chair Laura Jensen Clerk to the Board Submitted for approval by Laura Jensen, Clerk to the Board.