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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 03-21-2023; 8-a - Minutes 1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: March 21, 2023 Action Agenda Item No. 8-a SUBJECT: Minutes DEPARTMENT: Board of County Commissioners ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Draft Minutes (Under Separate Cover) Laura Jensen, Clerk to the Board, 919- 245-2130 PURPOSE: To correct and/or approve the draft minutes as submitted by the Clerk to the Board as listed below. BACKGROUND: In accordance with 153A-42 of the General Statutes, the Governing Board has the legal duty to approve all minutes that are entered into the official journal of the Board's proceedings. Attachment 1: February 16, 2023 Work Session FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with this item. SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: There is no Orange County Social Justice Goal impact associated with this item. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: There is no Orange County Environmental Responsibility Goal impact associated with this item. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board approve minutes as presented or as amended. Attachment 1 1 1 DRAFT MINUTES 2 ORANGE COUNTY 3 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 4 WORK SESSION 5 February 16, 2023 6 7:00 p.m. 7 8 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Work Session on Thursday, February 9 16, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough, NC. 10 11 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jamezetta Bedford, Vice-Chair Earl McKee, 12 and Commissioners Amy Fowler (arrived at 7:11 p.m.), Sally Greene, Jean Hamilton, Phyllis 13 Portie-Ascott, and Anna Richards 14 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: 15 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts 16 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley and Clerk to the Board 17 Laura Jensen. (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) 18 COUNTY STAFF ABSENT: 19 20 Chair Bedford called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. All commissioners were present, 21 except for Commissioner Fowler. 22 23 Chair Bedford asked the Board if, after the annual work plan summaries, Commissioner 24 Richards could provide a brief overview of the NACo Legislative Meeting she recently attended. 25 The Board indicated agreement with that addition. 26 27 Oaths of Office for Board Member 28 United States Representative Valerie Foushee administered the oath to Commissioner 29 Phyllis Portie-Ascott 30 31 The Board welcomed Commissioner Portie-Ascott to the Board. 32 33 Commissioner Portie-Ascott thanked everyone for their support. She expressed thanks 34 to her family members, the Orange County Democratic Party, and to Representative Valerie 35 Foushee for administering the oath of office. She said she would do her best for the residents of 36 District 2 and the county. 37 38 Commissioner Fowler arrived at 7:11 pm. 39 40 1. Boards and Commissions —Annual Work Plan Summaries 41 The Board provided feedback and direction on the first group of boards and commissions' annual 42 work plan summaries with their Chairs or representatives in attendance.A second group of boards 43 and commissions' annual work plan summaries is scheduled for the Board's March 14, 2023 work 44 session. 45 46 Dr. Heather Altman presented on behalf of the Advisory Board on Aging. She said she 47 will soon rotate off the board. She said she represents the face and voice of caregivers. She 48 said she quit her job to become a caretaker for her parents. She said everything the advisory 49 board does is to help older adults age well in the community. She said there is a tremendous 50 amount of community partnerships to help put programs together and to help develop the master 51 aging plan. She said that the master aging plan is not a document, but a mission and a guidepost. 2 1 She said besides community partners, volunteers give time on a daily basis. She said Orange 2 County continues to be a leader when it comes to aging issues. She said that the previous week, 3 the television show NC Impact focused on dementia-friendly business efforts. She said Orange 4 County was highlighted in its work. She said Orange County was highlighted in several state- 5 wide initiatives. She said the county continues to be looked at to share experiences and lessons 6 learned. She said they continue to focus on the complexities, challenges and opportunities in 7 being a dementia-capable community. She said they will update the master aging plan to make 8 sure it meets the current needs of the community. She said they will continue to focus on 9 affordable accessible housing for older adults. She said the county needs more in-home services 10 and support for older adults and caregivers. She said there is a shortage of direct care workers. 11 She asked the Board to encourage people to value their work and appropriately compensate a 12 critical and essential workforce. She encouraged the Board to visit the senior centers. She issued 13 an invitation for the Board to come on a weekly radio show she hosts called "Aging Well Together." 14 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked about the pay for direct care workers. She asked what 15 is the starting pay and what does it need to be. 16 Dr. Altman said there is a goal to get the pay to $18 an hour. She said statewide it is 17 around $13 an hour, and in our area it is around $15 an hour. She said Orange County's living 18 wage is $16.60 an hour. 19 Janice Tyler, Director of the Department on Aging, said contractors with her department 20 pay a living wage. 21 Shade Little presented on behalf of the Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee. 22 He said they currently have three members. He said they recently began training new members. 23 He asked the Board to approve new members as their applications come up to keep things moving 24 along. He also said they need new members if they know anyone who is interested. He said that 25 the staff of adult care homes do hard work that is important, and the visits that they conduct are 26 very important. 27 Commissioner Richards said she was concerned about the state of adult care homes. 28 She asked how the adult care homes were licensed. 29 Bonnie Hammersley said it is a state license but the homes are in Orange County. 30 Commissioner Richards said she is concerned about some of the items in the report and 31 asked what can be done. 32 Shade Little said the generators could help and that they have been lucky so far. 33 Commissioner Richards asked what the county could do. 34 Bonnie Hammersley said it is all regulated by the state and any deficiencies would be 35 handled by the state. 36 Commissioner Hamilton asked what the optimal number would be for the committee. 37 Shade Little said they could have up to ten members, but he would be happy with just a 38 few more. 39 Tara May said there are ten positions on the committee. 40 Commissioner Hamilton said it is important to hear if the numbers are state guidelines or 41 up to the county. She said that she has visited most of the adult care homes in the area and while 42 the county cannot regulate a lot of things, having a committee of people to go into the facilities is 43 crucial. 44 Shade Little said that there have been people interested but it has taken a while. 45 Chair Bedford said that members have to have training for over a year to be eligible to visit 46 the homes and make reports. She said that during COVID, there was no training or visits and that 47 has had an impact on current membership. 48 Commissioner Greene said there is some frustration that the Board is not doing their 49 paperwork on time. She said that they are seeing that no one is qualified at this point and therefore 50 they can't make the appointments. She said that a refresher on the training and requirements 3 1 would be helpful. She said that the ombudsmen have no power and that is very frustrating. She 2 said that it is critical to have the ombudsman 3 Shade Little said that at the end of the visit to an adult care home they provide a report to 4 management but keep it anonymous if there is a report from a resident. 5 Commissioner Fowler asked if the committee receives feedback from the state on the 6 response to their concerns. 7 Shade Little said their ombudsman is contacted. 8 Commissioner Fowler asked if trained applicants will be brought to the Board soon for 9 appointment. 10 Tara May said that she spoke with the ombudsman, and they reported that the state has 11 not started training back at this time and she is unsure when that might be done. 12 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked how often the state pays visits to adult care homes 13 Tara May said that she is unsure of that but will gladly contact Autumn Cox and schedule 14 a time for her to come speak to the Board. 15 Jacqulyn Podger presented on behalf of the Nursing Home Community Advisory 16 Committee. She said they resumed in-person visits in July 2022 to nursing homes in the 17 community. She said they are excited to be able to go and do the work they have been charged 18 to do. She said they have had challenges with recruiting. She said that it is a time commitment 19 and there are also health risks. She said that some of things they hear are not always pleasant 20 and that makes it difficult work. She said they have six members, and their allotment is ten. She 21 said that prospective members must receive training, but that the state has not resumed training. 22 She said they are recruiting heavily. 23 Commissioner Richards asked if the Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee is 24 incorporated in the master aging plan. 25 Jacqulyn Podger said there is a mandate from the last Master Aging Plan. She said they 26 are going over the Master Aging Plan and seeing where they might provide support. 27 Commissioner Richards said that it seems like these two groups should be included. 28 Dr. Heather Altman said both of the committees come to the monthly meeting of the Aging 29 Advisory Board and that they are certainly linked. 30 Commissioner Richards asked if they are in the plan. 31 Janice Tyler said they were under community health and support and provided input into 32 the plan. 33 Commissioner Richards clarified that they had input into the plan. 34 Commissioner Fowler said she really appreciates what the two committees are doing to 35 protect vulnerable people. 36 Jacqulyn Podger said they believe in the residents' rights. 37 Commissioner Hamilton asked if ten members is enough to do the work. 38 Jacqulyn Podger said yes, if all of the positions were filled. 39 Keith Bagby presented on behalf of the Board of Health. He described a successful 40 collaboration of Family Success Alliance and Gateway Collaboration, with DSS, Department of 41 Housing, Human Rights and Relations, Hillsborough Police Department and Orange County 42 Schools, formed to address the needs of residents in the Gateway Community Apartments. He 43 said that is HUD property and most residents are African-American single mothers. He said that 44 the residents experience poor living conditions, domestic violence, substance abuse, reoccurring 45 child protective involvement and transportation issues. He said that no one should have to live 46 like that. He said that residents had trust issues with law enforcement, county government, and 47 the landlord. He said the coalition came together to gather information from residents. He said 48 several community events were hosted. He said there was an agreement reached between 49 property management and the coalition. He said that tutoring has been implemented, DSS and 50 the Health Department received approval from the County Manager to lease an apartment there 51 and work on site, Orange Literacy will begin offering tutoring and GED classes, local law 4 1 enforcement uses the site and helps by being part of community events. He said that the 2 collaboration is working. 3 Commissioner Richards asked how many families were impacted. 4 Quintana Stewart said that sixty-four residential units were impacted. 5 Keith Bagby said that every four years Orange County is required to complete a 6 community health assessment. He said that the Board of Health is working on the process for 7 2023. He said the goal is to assist with health issues for Orange County residents. He said that 8 there will be several ways for people to respond to the survey. 9 Commissioner Fowler asked what they do with the data from the community health 10 assessment and was there follow-up for 2019. 11 Quintana Stewart said some was implemented but COVID interrupted that. She said that 12 some will probably be mentioned again in the next cycle. 13 Keith Bagby said they want to make sure they are getting feedback from Orange County 14 residents. 15 Pat Garavaglia presented on behalf of the Board of Social Services. She said that 16 progress has been made with staffing issues but work continues. She said that staff is paying 17 more than 2,700 utility bills for Orange County residents. She said that DSS continues to have 18 difficulty recruiting staff and there are currently 25 vacant positions. She said that options are 19 needed to reduce the burden on staff. She said that all of the efforts are designed to decrease 20 the time that children are in out of home placements. She said there are also a few situations with 21 vulnerable adults. She said that the end of the public health emergency in May will add additional 22 burdens. She said that Medicaid expansion may be approved in North Carolina and this would 23 benefit Orange County but also add to the need of staff. 24 Vice-Chair McKee said he expects Medicaid expansion to pass this year. He asked how 25 many more staff members will be needed if that happens. 26 Lindsey Shewmaker, DSS Human Services Manager, said they have had conversations 27 with the County Manager and those numbers will be included in the budget. 28 Bonnie Hammersley said she had heard earlier that day that the cost to counties for those 29 positions will be completely funded by the state with no county match required for those positions. 30 She said regardless of how many are needed, they can't find people to hire. 31 Vice-Chair McKee asked if it is related to qualifications or a lack of applicants. 32 Bonnie Hammersley said there aren't enough people for the number of jobs. 33 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked where children go if there aren't enough foster parents 34 available. 35 Lindsey Shewmaker said that they are working on long-term placements rather than short- 36 term placements. 37 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if the decrease in foster families was new. 38 Lindsey Shewmaker said that it is a state-wide problem and they are looking at state-wide 39 solutions. 40 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if the reimbursement rate was difficult to get people 41 interested in being foster parents. 42 Lindsey Shewmaker said it is a large responsibility. She said that the mental health system 43 is part of the issue, and it is a combination of several things that have increased the number of 44 children needing foster care. 45 Commissioner Hamilton asked how many of the 19,000 are people on Medicaid and how 46 many are families. 47 Lindsey Shewmaker said most long-term Medicaid cases are families. She said there is a 48 dashboard that shows the number of people in Orange County and the type of benefit they are 49 receiving. 50 Commissioner Hamilton asked about the role of compensation in the shortage of social 51 workers. 5 1 Lindsey Shewmaker said that compensation plays a role, but it is also important to find 2 the right people to fill the roles. She said that Orange County also competes with Durham and 3 Wake counties to hire people. 4 Commissioner Richards asked how many children are in DSS custody. 5 Lindsey Shewmaker said 86 right now but she does not have the exact number. She said 6 that is a 20 child increase over the last two years. 7 Commissioner Richards asked how many are not in a long term or consistent placement. 8 Lindsey Shewmaker said she can bring that data back but she does not have that with 9 her. 10 Commissioner Fowler said that Alliance Health Plan is committed to addressing the gap 11 in placements for children in DSS custody. 12 Lindsey Shewmaker said they are doing a lot of work to try to keep families intact. 13 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if a situation has occurred where a child needs to be 14 taken out of a home but has not been because there is no place for them to go. 15 Lindsey Shewmaker said that safety is the number one priority, and a child would not be 16 left in an unsafe situation. She said they would utilize hotel rooms or a rental property if 17 necessary, staffed by social workers. 18 Gina Reyman presented on behalf of the Orange County Parks and Recreation Council. 19 She said that parks and recreation is part of the quality of life in the county, and she expressed 20 appreciation for the Board's support. She said that the council has been reviewing the Parks and 21 Recreation master plan. She said they will get a progress report to the Board in June. She said 22 that 2023 is the Year of the Trail and the council is supporting activities and events in relation to 23 that. She expressed appreciation to DEAPR staff for their support of the council. She said that 24 pickleball is an emerging need due to community interest and they would benefit from more places 25 to play. She said connections with the school systems and Sportsplex would help increase 26 opportunities. 27 Vice-Chair McKee asked if the Sportsplex pool is open to the public. 28 Gina Reyman said it is with a membership and Orange County Schools can have a lower 29 membership fee. 30 Commissioner Greene asked if the Town of Hillsborough is on the radar as a partner for 31 any of the recreation needs. 32 Gina Reyman said yes and all of the towns are eligible partners. 33 Paul Noe presented on behalf of the Historic Preservation Commission. He read the 34 charge of the commission. He described the current projects the commission is undertaking. He 35 said they are working on the Ridge Road School and the Strayhorn house and these homes have 36 increased the diversity of the historic properties. He said that the Cedar Grove School and the 37 Schley Grange Hall have successfully been added to the historic list. He said they are on track to 38 publish a book on Orange County historical properties in 2023. He said that UNC Press has 39 agreed to market and distribute the book. He said going forward, a countywide historic marker 40 program will be focused on. He said that it will be interactive content. He said they have recently 41 found out about two abandoned cemeteries of formerly enslaved people. He said they plan to 42 develop a small grant program to help protect properties like this. 43 Commissioner Richards said she likes the idea of the electronic marker program. 44 Paul Noe said there is a software program that may be a good fit for the electronic maker 45 program. 46 Commissioner Greene said she was glad to see the electronic marker would also include 47 some physical markers as well. She said she is glad to see it will be a hybrid marker system. She 48 said that she agrees with the emphasis on marking sites of importance to the Black communities 49 and applauds them for being at the forefront of this kind of work. 50 Dr. Jane Saiers presented on behalf of the Agricultural Preservation Board. She said 51 farmland is essential for local food security. She said there is a need for a strong local food system 6 1 and that is farmland. She said that farmland is being lost rapidly. She said that Orange County 2 has worked to mitigate the losses. She said North Carolina ranks 2nd in farmland lost to non- 3 agricultural uses. She said the acceleration of the loss of farmland shows there is a need to do 4 more. 5 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked how many farms may be in danger. 6 Dr. Saiers said that there are 700 farms in the county. She said there has been a dramatic 7 decrease since 2017. She said that trend is state and nation-wide. 8 Commissioner Greene thanked Dr. Saiers for her work on the Agricultural Preservation 9 Board and the Food Council. 10 Vice-Chair McKee said that a recent sale of undeveloped tract of farmland sold for 11 $280,000 for ten acres, that makes every farm in Orange County a potential for development. 12 Dr. Saiers said she does not know any farmers that are in it to make a ton of money. She 13 said that the first task is figuring out how to make farming profitable enough to make a living. She 14 said that hopefully, this, along with the love of the land will keep them there. 15 Vice-Chair McKee said he rented and farmed a tract of land for 19 years. He said when 16 the primary owner passed away, the family sold it. He said he made more money in two years 17 developing the land than in the 19 years that he farmed it. 18 Commissioner Fowler asked if the WASMBPA requirements have had an impact on 19 farmland loss. 20 Dr. Saiers said that farmland is often converted to large-lot developments. She said that 21 rural buffers do not prevent that. 22 Veronica Penn-Beattie presented on behalf of the Commission for the Environment. She 23 reviewed the work of the Commission over the last year and what they have for 2023. She said 24 the Right of Way Task Force is back in action. She said they plan to start the planning of the 2024 25 state of the environment report. She said they are very involved in the Climate Action Plan. She 26 said they plan to bring forward a tree canopy policy and focus on water quality issues. She said 27 they want to make sure that Orange County Schools and Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools 28 receive environmental grants, and that they have ideas to help the schools. She said they want 29 to make sure more people are aware of the Climate Action Grants. She said that they are focusing 30 on recruitment for diversity and inclusion. 31 Commissioner Richards said that the schools have an opportunity to submit projects and 32 if a school does or does not submit, that has nothing to do with the Commissioners. 33 Veronica Penn-Beattie said she agrees but thinks there is something the commission can 34 do to make it easier for the schools to submit and the commission has a recommendation on how 35 to amend the application that might increase the number of applicants. 36 Commissioner Richards said that would need to go to the schools because if it comes 37 back to the Board, there is nothing they can do to make the schools submit. 38 Vice-Chair McKee said it is the responsibility of the schools to develop their program and 39 their request for a grant. He said it is not the role of another organization to help them. 40 Veronica Penn-Beattie said that is correct and that one of the school systems has a 41 sustainability manager and one does not. She said the same one has not been able to submit an 42 application. 43 Vice-Chair McKee said that is a responsibility of the school. 44 Commissioner Hamilton asked what their ideas are for recruitment of diversity. 45 Veronica Penn-Beattie said that the Commission for the Environment has not done much 46 to have a public facing commission. She said they are working to collaborate with other agencies 47 and events to get their name out more. 48 Commissioner Fowler said she was looking forward to achieving the county's Climate 49 Action Plan. 50 Commissioner Richards asked about the Greene Tract. 7 1 David Stancil, Director of Environment, Agriculture, Parks, and Recreation, said that public 2 access to the Greene Tract trails is being discussed. He said that there are areas that need to be 3 fixed and realigned on the county owned portion of the Headwaters Preserve. He said that as the 4 rest of the conversation for the Greene Tract plays out, there may be additional conversations to 5 be had. 6 Commissioner Richards asked if they are referring only to the county-owned portion of the 7 Greene Tract. 8 David Stancil said yes and that if there is a jointly held area of open space, then it would 9 make sense to look at those two things together but that would be a future conversation. 10 Vice-Chair McKee asked for clarification on the reassessment of access to Headwaters 11 Preserve. 12 David Stancil said they currently have access that takes place on a regular basis. He said 13 that years ago, the county was looking at creating an interim access area to create a way to get 14 to the Headwaters Preserve. He said that the biggest part of that is realigning the trails that have 15 been built over the years and moving them off eco-sensitive areas. 16 Vice-Chair McKee clarified that he is not hearing the limiting of public access. 17 David Stancil said that is correct and that they would actually be formalizing public access. 18 Commissioner Greene said that it sounds like volunteer trails have been created on county 19 owned land but not to any plan. 20 David Stancil said that is correct and they hope to fix that. 21 Commissioner Greene said that sounds like a problem. She asked if they were already on 22 the task of fixing those trails. 23 David Stancil said the Headwaters Preserve is already on track to be addressed and 24 reconfigured. He said that the attorney helped them develop interim access. 25 Chair Bedford said she is very interested in the tree canopy policy recommendations. She 26 suggested that the mountain bike trails be reviewed to make sure they are not degrading habitat. 27 Veronica Penn-Beattie said they received two additional applications but have not had a 28 chance to review those yet. 29 Dr. Nathalie Volkheimer presented on behalf of the Human Relations Commission. She 30 said their role is diversity and inclusion. She said they try to reduce discrimination and increase 31 equity. She said they have to be aware and outspoken when they see inequity. She said they 32 have a full board, but most members are very new. She said they look for recognition in individuals 33 and groups that support the mission of the Human Relations Commissions. She said they also 34 have community conversations and support other community events. She said that their board is 35 very diverse however, those on the board can't be useful to the community without having 36 knowledge. She said they have undergone training to assist the members to understand diversity 37 and inclusion widely. 38 Commissioner Fowler said that October is Disability Awareness Month if they want to 39 include that. She asked if they are addressing sexual orientation or identity on the Facebook page. 40 Nathalie Volkheimer said she did this on her own last year and knows many historic days 41 and months. She said if there is not a day that goes by that they have not done. She said that she 42 loves what she does. 43 Commissioner Hamilton asked if there could be a presence on the county's website for 44 the Human Relations Commission. 45 Nathalie Volkheimer said she found out about the commission by Orange County's Twitter 46 page. She said that everything they promote is available for the county to promote. She said they 47 have been in touch with the county's media staff and they know they would love the resharing. 48 49 8 1 Update on NACo Legislative Meeting — this item was added at the beginning of the work 2 session 3 4 Commissioner Richards gave the Board an overview of the sessions and events she 5 attended the previous weekend at the NACo Legislative Meeting. She showed the Board a list of 6 the various topics. She said there was a summit on mental health solutions and they discussed 7 the new NACo Commission on Mental Health and Well-Being. She said she got a lot of 8 information from the conference that she would share with the management team. She said that 9 NACo is implementing mental health first aid training. She said it's like CPR for mental health 10 and teaches how to recognize when someone on your team is in a mental health crisis. She said 11 that they really do research and policy and work with the federal government to get change made. 12 She said she presented how the county spent ARPA funds and that it might be included in what 13 they share with Capitol Hill. 14 15 2. Advisory Board on Aging —Appointment Discussion 16 The Board made an appointment to the Advisory Board on Aging. 17 18 BACKGROUND: The Advisory Board on Aging suggests policy and makes recommendations to 19 the Board of Commissioners and the Department on Aging while acting as the liaison between 20 older adults of the County and County government. It is charged with promoting needed services, 21 programs, and funding that impacts older residents. 22 23 The Board of County Commissioners appoints all twelve (12) members. 24 25 The following applicant is recommended for Board consideration: NAME POSITION TYPE OF EXPIRATION DESCRIPTION APPOINTMENT DATE TERM Ann Bradford Carrboro Town Limits Partial Term 06/30/2024 26 27 If the individual listed above is appointed, the following vacancy remains: POSITION EXPIRATION VACANCY INFORMATION DESIGNATION DATE At-Large 06/30/2023 Vacant since 11/17/2022 28 29 Tara May, Deputy Clerk to the Board, introduced the item. 30 The Board agreed by consensus on the recommended applicant. 31 Commissioner Greene asked for clarification if the Advisory Board on Aging would have 32 made a recommendation for the vacancy, except they had not yet had a chance to meet. 33 Janice Tyler said that the board met earlier in the week and will be sending 34 recommendations to a future meeting. 35 The Board agreed to wait to hear from the Advisory Board on Aging before filling the 36 vacancy. 37 38 3. Affordable Housing Advisory Board —Appointments Discussion 39 The Board made appointments to the Affordable Housing Advisory Board. 40 41 BACKGROUND: The Affordable Housing Advisory Board prioritizes affordable housing needs 42 and assesses project proposals. The board also publicizes the County's housing objectives, 43 monitors the progress of local housing programs, explores new funding opportunities, and works 9 1 to increase the community's awareness of, understanding of, commitment to, and involvement in 2 producing attractive affordable housing.As a general practice, this board has decided not to make 3 recommendations for vacancies going forward. 4 5 The Board of County Commissioners appoints all fifteen (15)At-Large members. 6 7 The following positions and individuals are presented for Board consideration: NAME SPECIAL TYPE OF EXPIRATION REPRESENTATIVE APPOINTMENT DATE TERM BOCC At-Large First Full Term 06/30/2025 Appointment BOCC At-Large Partial Term 06/30/2024 Appointment BOCC At-Large Partial Term 06/30/2023 Appointment BOCC At-Large Partial Term 06/30/2024 Appointment BOCC At-Large First Full Term 06/30/2025 Appointment BOCC At-Large Partial Term 06/30/2024 Appointment 8 9 If the positions listed above are filled, no vacancies remain. 10 11 Tara May, Deputy Clerk to the Board, introduced the item. 12 Commissioner Greene clarified that the Board does not have to fill all six positions at this 13 time. 14 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked why the Affordable Housing Advisory Board does not 15 make recommendations. 16 Tara May said that the Affordable Housing Advisory Board used to make 17 recommendations, but they weren't always the same members appointed by the Board of 18 Commissioners. She said that the Affordable Housing Advisory Board decided that since the 19 decision was ultimately up to the Board of Commissioners, they would no longer provide 20 recommendations. 21 The Board agreed by consensus on the following applicants for future appointment to the 22 board: 23 Sarah Adams 24 Patrick McGarry 25 Mary Towell 26 Matthew Arlyn 27 Lynn Nilssen 28 David Parrish 29 30 4. Animal Services Advisory Board —Appointments Discussion 31 The Board made appointments to the Animal Services Advisory Board. 32 33 BACKGROUND: The charge of the Animal Services Advisory Board is to advise the Board of 34 County Commissioners on matters of concern regarding animal issues and animal services in 10 1 Orange County, and to work with the Animal Services Director on various policy concerns and 2 issues regarding County animal services. 3 4 The Board of County Commissioners appoints all thirteen (13) members with representation from 5 various related fields and municipalities. 6 7 The following individuals are recommended for Board consideration: NAME POSITION TYPE OF EXPIRATION DESCRIPTION APPOINTMENT DATE TERM Cathy Munnier Animal Partial Term 06/30/2023 Welfare/Advocacy Allan Polak Certified Animal First Full Term 06/30/2025 Handler/ (re-appointment) Trainer/Technician Dr. Sunita Veterinarian Second Full Term 06/30/2025 Driehuys 8 9 If the individuals listed above are appointed, the following vacancies remain: POSITION EXPIRATION VACANCY INFORMATION DESIGNATION DATE Town of Carrboro 06/30/2024 Vacant since 06/30/2021 Town of 06/30/2024 Vacant since 10/18/2022 Hillsborough Non-municipality 06/30/2024 Vacant since 11/30/2022 At-Large 06/30/2025 Vacant since 09/21/2022 10 11 12 Tara May, Deputy Clerk to the Board, introduced the item. She said that the Animal 13 Services Advisory Board made a late recommendation for Deborah Hill for the Town of Carrboro 14 vacancy. 15 The Board agreed by consensus on the recommended applicants. They also agreed on 16 Deborah Hill for the Town of Carrboro vacancy as recommended by the Animal Services Advisory 17 Board. 18 19 5. Chapel Hill Orange County Visitors Bureau Advisory Board —Appointments Discussion 20 The Board made appointments to the Chapel Hill Orange County Visitors Bureau Advisory Board. 21 22 BACKGROUND: The Chapel Hill Orange County Visitors Bureau Advisory Board is charged with 23 developing and coordinating visitor services in Orange County. It also implements marketing 24 programs that will enhance the economic activity and quality of life in the community. 25 26 The Board of County Commissioners appoints all 17 members, with representation from specific 27 entities and fields. 28 29 The following individuals are presented for Board consideration: 30 11 1 NAME POSITION TYPE OF EXPIRATION DESCRIPTION APPOINTMENT DATE TERM Commissioner Town of Hillsborough Third Full Term 12/31/2025 Mark Bell Board of Commissioners Mayor Damon Carrboro Town First Full Term 12/31/2025 Seils Council re-appointment Beverly Payne Alliance for Historic Second Full Term 12/31/2025 Hillsborough Anita "Spring" Economic Second Full Term 12/31/2025 Council Development Staff- Town of Chapel Hill 2 3 If the individuals listed above are appointed, the following vacancy remains: POSITION EXPIRATION VACANCY INFORMATION DESIGNATION DATE Orange County 12/31/2023 Vacant since 02/28/2022 Arts Commission 4 5 Tara May, Deputy Clerk to the Board, introduced the item. 6 The Board agreed by consensus on the recommended applicants. 7 8 6. Commission for the Environment—Appointments Discussion 9 The Board made appointments to the Commission for the Environment. 10 11 BACKGROUND: The Commission for the Environment advises the Board of Commissioners on 12 matters affecting the environment with particular emphasis on protection. It educates public and 13 local officials on environmental issues and performs special studies and projects. It also 14 recommends environmental initiatives and study changes in environmental science and local and 15 federal regulations. 16 17 The Board of County Commissioners appoints all 15 members, including 10 At-Large members 18 and 5 members with expertise in specific fields. 19 20 The following individuals are recommended for Board consideration: NAME POSITION TYPE OF EXPIRATION DESCRIPTION APPOINTMENT DATE TERM Dr. Elizabeth Water Resources Partial Term 12/31/2024 Christenson Andrea Biological Sciences First Full Term 12/31/2025 Zimmerman 21 22 If the individuals listed above are appointed, the following vacancy remains: POSITION EXPIRATION VACANCY INFORMATION DESIGNATION DATE At-Large 12/31/2025 Vacant since 12/31/2022 23 12 1 Tara May, Deputy Clerk to the Board, introduced the item. 2 The Board agreed by consensus on the recommended applicants. 3 The Board agreed to hold the vacant position open to give the Commission for the 4 Environment a chance to make a recommendation. 5 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked about the follow-up for people who applied to be on an 6 advisory board but were not ultimately appointed. 7 Tara May said that she lets them know that their applications will stay on file for two years. 8 She said she reaches out to those applicants when vacancies come up to gauge if they are still 9 interested and eligible. 10 Vice-Chair McKee said he applied to the Planning Board for years before he was 11 appointed. 12 Commissioner Richards asked if Tara May had noticed an increase in applications since 13 she began advertising vacancies to a wider variety of mailing lists. 14 Tara May said she has seen more interest since she reached out to the realtors and bar 15 association mailing lists. 16 Commissioner Richards said she has seen it in a few different places. 17 Tara May said she thought the extra effort of mailing the vacancies to organizations that 18 also have newsletters has been helpful. 19 Chair Bedford said Jeff Scott applied for Affordable Housing, but she wondered if the 20 Board should ask him to also apply for the Board of Adjustment given his interest. 21 Commissioner Greene encouraged the Board to continue promoting advisory boards and 22 commissions vacancies as well. 23 Tara May explained a spreadsheet that was included at each commissioners' place that 24 will be considered at the February 21, 2023 business meeting. She said the spreadsheet showed 25 positions that commissioners sit on for various county and regional boards and commissions. 26 27 Adjournment 28 A motion was made by Vice-Chair McKee and seconded by Commissioner Hamilton to 29 adjourn the meeting at 9:35 p.m. 30 31 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 32 33 34 Jamezetta Bedford, Chair 35 36 37 Recorded by Laura Jensen, Clerk to the Board 38 39 Submitted for approval by Laura Jensen, Clerk to the Board. 40