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Agenda - 05-02-2023; 8-a - Minutes
1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: May 2, 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: March 9, 2023 Joint Meeting with School Boards Attachment 2: March 14, 2023 Work Session Attachment 3: March 21, 2023 Business Meeting FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with this item. SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: There is no Orange County Social Justice Goal impact associated with this item. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: There is no Orange County Environmental Responsibility Goal impact associated with this item. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board approve minutes as presented or as amended. Attachment 1 1 1 DRAFT MINUTES 2 ORANGE COUNTY 3 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 4 JOINT MEETING WITH 5 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION AND 6 CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO BOARD OF EDUCATION 7 March 9, 2023 8 7:00 p.m. 9 10 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a joint meeting with the Orange County 1 1 Board of Education and Chapel-Hill Carrboro Board of Education on Thursday, March 9, 2023 12 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough, NC. 13 14 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jamezetta Bedford, Vice-Chair Earl McKee, 15 and Commissioners Amy Fowler, Phyllis Portie-Ascott, and Anna Richards 16 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Commissioners Sally Greene and Jean Hamilton 17 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: Morgan Pierce, Staff Attorney 18 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager 19 Travis Myren, and Clerk to the Board Laura Jensen (All other staff members will be identified 20 appropriately below) 21 CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO BOARD OF EDUCATION PRESENT: Chair Rani Dasi, Vice-Chair 22 George Griffin, and Board Members Riza Jenkins, Jillian LaSerna, Ashton Powell, Michael Sharp, 23 and Deon Temne (arrived at 8:18 PM) 24 CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO BOARD OF EDUCATION ABSENT: 25 CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO SCHOOLS (CHCCS) STAFF PRESENT: Superintendent Dr. Nyah 26 Hamlett, Deputy Superintendent for Operations Al Ciarochi, and Deputy Superintendent for 27 Teaching & Learning, Systemic Equity, & Engagement Dr. Rodney Trice 28 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION PRESENT: Chair Will Atherton, Vice-Chair Anne 29 Purcell, and Board Members Carrie Doyle, Bonnie Hauser, Andre Richmond and Sarah Smylie 30 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION ABSENT: Jennifer Moore 31 ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOLS (OCS) STAFF PRESENT: Superintendent Dr. Monique Felder, 32 Deputy Superintendent of Operations Patrick Abele, Chief Human Capital Officer Joyce Hatcher, 33 and Chief Finance Officer Rhonda Rath 34 35 Chair Bedford called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. 36 37 Chair Bedford welcomed the members of the Orange County Schools (OCS) Board of 38 Education, Chapel-Hill Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) Board of Education, and staff. She 39 reviewed the agenda for the meeting, and members of the Board of County Commissioners, 40 Orange County Board of Education, Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education, and staff introduced 41 themselves. 42 43 Presentation by Orange County Schools on Topics of Interest 44 45 Will Atherton, Chair of Orange County Schools Board of Education, said the first core 46 value of OCS strategic plan is to value diversity, meaning they are welcoming, respectful, and 47 appreciate and value what each student brings. He said the schools are the center of culturally 48 diverse learning where all students are educated to their fullest potential. He said academic rigor 49 is important to ensure each student is given what they need, as this can vary greatly by student. 50 Chair Atherton referenced the below handout: 2 OCS 71463 ` ' K-12 students 11 u", Race/Ethnicity ✓4i The number of students qualifying 1 \ for Ftee and Reduced-Priced Meal Mixed American ' Asian,1.90" increased.during the pandemic. 1100 1,��,A{i Race 7.70% -111- �Indiag0.13% .mployees z& fllack,13.40� Diftexenl languages spoken at home other than English B;National Board Cextitied teachers 313 Li en d ata"-ith adva ced degre _ w O 13 _ 33,,-" (moi schools 6 traditional eleme tart' Hispanlc,27.3q:-' 1 gear-round elementary ryr1t°„ school G0GG- �Z1-GG 2 Chair Atherton referenced the below handout and said new developments in the Mebane 3 area have caused OCS to explore redistricting to address some schools overcrowding: Student Enrollment FY 2022 FY 2023 Change Projected ADM 7,299 7,182 (117) Average Daily Membership (plus)Charter School 919 951 32 (less) Out of District 108 110 2 Total Student Billing Base 8,110 8,023 (87) The Department of Public Instruction has projected that Orange County Schools will have a decrease In stu- dent enrollment of 117 students in comparison to the 2021-22 school year. At this time,the Crange County School district Is passing through local per pupil funding to charter schools for 951 students domiciled in the Orange County School district and enrolled in a charter school. This is a 32 student increase in comparison to the 2021-22 school year. Out of district students have increase 2 in comparison to the 2021-22 school year..This represents those stu- dents not dem!cited to attend OCS,staff students. Overall,it Is projected that the district will see a total decrease of 37 students in the 2022-23 school year. 9061 Wee 8.,045 8,170 8,313 8,168 a238 8,264 8,318 8,023 3wo 7.636 7Ca0 7,591 7'�8 7,526 7,551 7,9A4 7495 7,388 7,381 7.299 7,182 8000 soc0 4000 30co 2000 loco - 335 510 519 619 769 623 858 883 419 951 0 2©13.14 2014-15 201.5-16 21)18-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019.20 2010-11 2023-2E 2022-2a Total —dcs -r-Charter 9 4 3 1 Chair Atherton expressed the importance of kindergarten readiness because it is a strong 2 indicator of future education success. He said based on the system's demographics, it is important 3 that students are being taught by teachers that also reflect the diversity of the district. He said 4 they are also looking at ways to incorporate cultural responsiveness and have healthy 5 conversations on equity across the district. 6 Sarah Smylie, Orange County Board of Education member, discussed the challenges of 7 recruitment and retention of staff. She referenced the following handout: Outcome Goal 3: Exemplary Staff 11 O�M.c..tY EQUITY EMPHASIS:Hire and retain staff that reflects the diversity of the district,mirrors the demographics of the OCS student scEaools Population and who are committed to becoming culturally proficient. STRATEGIC WHAT DOES THIS OUTCOME GOAL MEAN? HOW WILL OCS EMPHASIZE EQUITY PLAN THROUGH THIS OUTCOME GOAL? l OCS will recruit,hire,support and retain culturally proficient OCS will hire and retain staffthat reflects the diversity of the and high-quality staff committed to providing all students district,mirrors the demographics of the OCS student with an excellent education in a welcoming environment. population and who are committed to becoming culturally proficient. HOW DOES THIS OUTCOME GOAL ALIGN TO THE OCS EQUITY PLAN? E3— This Outcome Goal is aligned to OCS Equity Plan Goal 3 and Goal 4. _ GOAL 3:Build the equity leadership capacity of district leaders,administrators,teachers,staff and the OCS School Board by developing equity-oriented leadership skills,mindsets,and knowledge. p% GOAL 4:Recruit,hire,support and retain teacher and staff that reflect the racial and language diversity of the student population. # WHAT PROBLEM IS THIS OUTCOME GOAL TRYING TO SOLVE? 4F WHAT • OCS teachers currently do not mirror the demographic and linguistic makeup of DCS student population. • Ensure students receive high-quality instruction from teachers who are culturally proficient and feel supported and valued in DCS. WHY IS THIS OUTCOME GOAL IMPORTANT? ■ . "A school staff that believes it can collectively accomplish great things is vital for the health of a school and if they believe they can snake a positive difference then they very likely will'(Hattie,2018). p r • "Models of student achievement indicate that assignment to an own-race teacher significantly increased math and 8 reading achievement of both Black and White students"(Dee,2002). 9 Sarah Smylie said research shows that teachers of color help all students succeed. She 10 said the recent Drive Task Force indicated that in North Carolina, teacher candidates of color 11 are less likely to complete educator preparation programs and those that do are less likely to be 12 teaching after two years of completion. She said aiming to match student application is very 13 ambitious when the percentage of Latinx students in OCS (27%) is much higher than the 14 percentage of Latinx teachers in North Carolina (3%). She noted that through the focused work 15 of many staff members, OCS has increased its percentage of teachers of color from 13.3% in 16 the fall of 2019 to 20.3% in the fall of 2022. This includes an increase of Black teachers from 8% 17 to 12%, and an increase of Latinx teachers from 1.3% to 5.7%. She said there is a national 18 teacher shortage, with 300,000 fewer teachers than in 2020 and fewer people studying 19 education in college. She said that OCS is competing against other districts more than ever. 20 She said the UNC study also showed that more teachers are leaving in the middle of the year 21 and are often leaving the field entirely. She said the hard to fill positions are becoming even 22 harder to fill, including math, science, exceptional children's teachers, and CTE programs. She 23 said this issue is exacerbated by the fact that several local districts pay more than OCS. 24 Sarah Smylie said that for retention, OCS was able to give teachers credit for all of their 25 years of teaching and not just in OCS. She said that this helps with retention but also recruitment. 26 She said that compression was bad for hourly staff and have been able to implement a 3/8% 27 increase a year, which is a start, but they still have a huge gap. She said the strategy is listening 28 to staff. She said each school's school improvement plan includes strategies that target areas of 29 concern from staff surveys. She said that they have added a district mental health role to support 30 the well-being of staff and students. 4 1 Sarah Smylie said OCS started a teacher mentoring program. She said that new teachers 2 need attention and support. She said they have a stronger presence on social media, regularly 3 attending HBCU recruitment events, have implemented referral bonuses, are offering support for 4 relocation fees, and offering sign on bonuses for nurses CTE, Exceptional Children, and Science 5 Teachers. She said that those are paid out over time. She said OCS is having a job fair on 6 Saturday, April 15th 9-12 at Cedar Ridge High School. 7 Vice-Chair McKee asked if he heard Sarah Smylie say that teachers of color are leaving 8 at a greater rate after 2 years. 9 Sarah Smylie said that statistic was from a statewide study, but she's not sure about the 10 specific number for OCS. 11 Vice-Chair McKee said he is curious about the "why." He asked if exit interviews are being 12 conducted in OCS. 13 Joyce Hatcher said an email is sent after an employee leaves the organization with a link 14 to an exit survey. She said that if it's not completed, they are called and invited to speak with her. 15 She said the reasons people leave OCS vary. She said some people are leaving to relocate or 16 due to commutes. She said some people are leaving due to health reasons or caring for an elderly 17 parent. She said some people have left to see if the grass is greener, but some come back. She 18 said they use the data from the surveys to look for areas of improvement. 19 Vice-Chair McKee said the company he works for also has issues with people having to 20 travel far distances to get to work. 21 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked Sarah Smylie for the percentage of Black teachers 22 compared to students. 23 Sarah Smylie said 12% of teachers are Black compared to 13.4% of students. 24 Commissioner Portie-Ascott praised OCS for the increase of diversity amongst their 25 teachers. She asked what the racial and ethnic breakdown for teacher applicants was over the 26 past year. 27 Dr. Felder said OCS staff could look into that and provide the information. 28 Chair Bedford asked about the district mental health position. 29 Sarah Smylie said there is a new district Mental Health Coordinator position. 30 Dr. Felder said this is a new position in the district and seeks to support student and staff 31 social-emotional wellness. 32 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked for teacher vacancies by school level. 33 Dr. Felder said OCS staff could send that information broken down, but there were 44 34 teacher vacancies at the beginning of the school year and there are now 39. 35 Vice-Chair McKee asked if vacancies are concentrated in a subject or area. 36 Sarah Smylie said many vacancies are in the Exceptional Children's program. She said 37 there are also vacancies in math and sciences. 38 Carrie Doyle said she has a recent spreadsheet of the vacancies and the 39 vacancies 39 includes support staff. 40 Chair Atherton said OCS staff will send the information to the Board. 41 Vice-Chair McKee asked about vacancies for tutors and teaching assistants. 42 Sarah Smylie said there are 30 tutors in elementary schools and a good number in other 43 schools. 44 Dr. Felder said some teachers are filling in as tutors during school and after school. She 45 said they are very focused on strengthening the instructional core so that fewer students will need 46 remediation. 47 Chair Atherton said they also have a tutor that goes out to the Gateway Center. 48 Commissioner Richards said she met with some people from Family Success Alliance 49 today. She said that New Hope Elementary identified the students that live at the Gateway Center 50 and they're doing a special program there. 5 1 Andre Richmond said they have a tutoring program there specifically for the New Hope 2 Elementary School students that live in that community. He said there's an apartment that was 3 converted to an office for this purpose. 4 Commissioner Richards said it seems like a solid partnership with the school identifying 5 students that live there. She said there's no way a community program would know each child's 6 needs the same way as the school did. She asked if this could be done in other places. 7 Sarah Smylie said she was not sure. She said that the school community is focused on 8 building community relationships at Gateway. 9 Chair Bedford said the rental of the space is through the Health Department and the 10 Department of Social Services. She said they are trying to have better outcomes for children and 11 their parents. 12 Commissioner Richards said the Health Department and the DSS pay the rent and staff 13 four days a week to provide wrap around services for the community. She said it seems like a 14 great partnership model. 15 Chair Bedford asked how many years the county has had the space at Gateway. 16 Bonnie Hammersley said this is the second year the county has been in that space. 17 Andre Richmond spoke on school safety. He said there is a great collaboration with the 18 Sheriff's Office and community policing within the school district. He said they have an anonymous 19 tip app to provide information and they have been using that for a few years now and it's been 20 working well. He said they are looking at implementing metal detectors in schools for added 21 security. He said he's glad to be a representative on the school safety task force. He said that for 22 external security there could be additional sidewalks provided for students to walk to and from 23 school. He said that Cedar Ridge has had this issue and hopes they can look at this in the near 24 future. He said the Board of Education is looking at interventions to improve discipline and 25 behavior at schools. 26 Vice-Chair McKee said the metal detectors has brought up a lot of conversation. He said 27 in a way, he hates to see it, but thinks it is important now. 28 Commissioner Fowler said she serves on the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, and they 29 have a lot of diversion programs that are available for students. 30 Andre Richmond said they have a great partnership with JCPC and those diversion 31 programs. 32 Commissioner Fowler said JCPC mentioned they have gotten referrals from OCS, but 33 zero from CHCCS and she wanted to make them aware of the program and supports also. 34 Commissioner Richards asked if there are statistics on discipline. She said she would like 35 to see the racial breakdown. 36 Will Atherton said OCS staff can provide that. He said the Board of Education will have a 37 retreat on this topic. 38 Commissioner Richards asked if truancy has been an issue. 39 Patrick Abele said he does not have the numbers with him but they have not been seeing 40 an alarming rate but they do have issues with attendance and arriving to school on time. He said 41 there are programs with social workers and counselors that intervene if students have missed 3 42 days of school. He said OCS staff can provide the statistics. 43 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked for the information by school level. 44 Sarah Smylie said OCS staff could provide that. 45 Chair Bedford asked if they are still working with Boomerang. 46 Andre Richmond said they are. 47 Chair Bedford said there are some pedestrian plans that are included in SPOT 7 but said 48 they should not get their hopes up about them receiving approval. 49 Will Atherton said Cedar Ridge High School is by far the biggest area of concern and there 50 was a pedestrian hit within the last few years. He said that this is not advertised as a walk to 51 school location but some walk regardless. 6 1 Patrick Abele said crossing guards will be a need along with sidewalks. 2 Vice-Chair McKee asked if the Sheriff's Office is helping with that. 3 Patrick Abele said they will provide assistance with traffic but the crossing guards would 4 be designated in areas that are not able to be stationed with deputies every day. He said that car 5 crossing does not always align with pedestrian crossing. 6 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if they looked at other things besides sidewalks to 7 address behaviors. 8 Patrick Abele said they are in touch with DOT about signage. He said that every single 9 student has access to bus transportation no matter how far away from the schools they are. 10 Bonnie Hauser said the county and OCS records of short-term capital are not in sync. She 11 referred to the below handout: ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOLS: CAPITAL ALLOCATION AND FUNDING SUMMARY (DATED MA Capital Fund Name PRC Beginning Balance Amount Spent as Amount Encumbered Current Balance Contracts/Expenditures Nati Code 7/1/2022 of 3/4/2023 as of 3/4/2023 as of 3/4/2423 Planned but Not In Accounting(in Processl Capital Fund Balance 920 $333,078.00 $0,00 $70,740.11 $496,743.24 Design A&F Sery Band 993 515,480,631.08 $796,106.74 $1,123,920.70 $13,560,603.64 $1,010,653.04 Orange High Plun $2,632,240.00 Efland Cheeks Me $160,000.00 Efland Cheeks Me $1,853,772.57 Central Mechanic Deferred Maintenance 990 $1,736,061.62 $95,147.50 $145,018.07 $145,896.05 Supplemental Deferred Mainte 930 $12,796,250.40 $1,994,601.42 $2,612,718.65 $8,188,930.33 $3,000,000.00 Capital needs 202 $3,666,227.43 Central Mechanic $1,000,000.00 Efland Mobile Un Capital Investment Plan(CIP)Pr 999 $13,080,763.65 $1,124,180.93 $122,438.76 $11,834,143.96 $492,801.77 Orange High Pavr Additional CIP Projects 998 $3,460,936.76 $88,773.59 $161,478.46 $3,212,684.71 $1,281,114.82 Technology IP Ph. $380,000.OD Safety Upgrades Total $46,887,72151 $4,098,810.18 $4,236,314.75 $37,439,001.93 $15,476,809.63 12 13 Bonnie Hauser said the schools have different accounting systems for each of the capital 14 fund types. She said that the Board of Education has committed projects for$15 million and there 15 is about$22 Million left in the capital they have been given. She said they are prepared to commit 16 more. She said the list of projects the county has does not always include all of the projects OCS 17 is working on. She said some projects bring to light larger issues that are not on capital project 18 lists. She said OCS needs flexibility to bring these projects quickly. She said that Patrick Abele 19 has moved projects along quicker by hiring project managers. She said there are a lot of things 20 to do and capital investments are going very far. She said that OCS staff would like to work with 21 county staff to bring the accounting methods in sync and to keep the BOCC apprised of what's 22 coming and changing. She said OCS is asking for flexibility to change the list of projects as they 23 come up. She said that flexibility is key, timing and costs change and they want to keep the BOCC 24 in the loop. She said they can come up with some standard accounting. She said that OCS thinks 25 they've spent all the money but the county shows they have $22 million. 26 Vice-Chair McKee said he knows the numbers aren't lining up but he did not understand 27 why there was a float. He said they seem to be talking in two different languages and that he does 28 not want to get into it in detail tonight. He said that they have to get it straightened out. He said 29 that once they allocate the funds to the schools system it can be spent how the school needs. 7 1 Bonnie Hammersley said that is not correct for capital funds. She said that this is 2 something that staff needs to work on. She said the county waits for the request from the schools, 3 puts it in the borrowing package, and then borrows the money. She said the county passes an 4 annual reimbursement resolution at the time of every budget that allows reimbursement for 5 finances borrowed. She said this allows the county to spend money in advance of any borrowing, 6 which can be used for emergency projects like those Bonnie Hauser mentioned. She said the 7 BOCC has two meetings a month where a budget amendment can be done, so there is a 8 tremendous amount of flexibility. She said the county is not getting information from the schools 9 so that's why the numbers are different. She said the BOCC has already done its job by allocating 10 the money to the school districts. She said OCS and county staff will work together to sort the 11 numbers out. 12 Bonnie Hauser asked if there is$22 million that they have not committed, can it be flexible. 13 Vice-Chair McKee said he agrees staff need to get together. 14 Bonnie Hammersley said to some extent there is some deferred maintenance that can be 15 flexible, but they requested to have a list of what the deferred maintenance was going to be. She 16 said if something needs to change OCS staff just has to call county budget staff for a budget 17 amendment to come to one of the BOCC meetings. 18 Will Atherton said he appreciates the conversation. He said that they were surprised the 19 numbers were off and he agrees to let staff do the work and have a report back. 20 Bonnie Hauser said that the long-term capital plan needs help from the facilities consultant 21 to decide if they repair or replace the old buildings. She said that nowhere in the plan do they ask 22 to replace an old building. She said that if they have to develop a new ten year plan then they 23 have to hire a consultant. She asked if the old plan can be the ten year capital plan util the 24 consultant study is done. 25 Bonnie Hammersley said they would work with the budget staff and put projects in place. 26 Chair Bedford said she thought the schools were in the middle of having architectural 27 reviews. 28 Bonnie Hauser said no. 29 Chair Bedford said that in the interim they have to keep other schools functioning and 30 running. She said they do a 10 year CIP look, but only commit one year at a time. She said that 31 for the next year, the schools should submit the most important projects. She said staff needs to 32 talk with each other about whether they will hire architects or engineers. 33 34 Presentation by Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools on Topics of Interest 35 36 Rani Dasi, Chair of the CHCCS Board of Education, held a moment of silence in honor of 37 Roberto Deleto, a Carrboro High School Student that tragically passed away after a boating 38 accident on Jordan Lake. 39 40 Rani Dasi made the following presentation: 41 42 43 1 Slide#1 TI-I I N MC {r�►N Q ACT) QIFFEREf ��Y B(]�C � Boards of Eucatic�rr Jo��nt Meeting 4 Slide #2 Who We Mareh 9,3[52 zozz-zaz� Are A Ad THINK(AND ACT) QIFFEREMTLY 7 Slide #3 Schools: 21 1 V1J '1 J ��i �.�-��q�, 11 elementary sch©obs '�-! � I � i 4 middle schools X 4 high schools L1NC Hospital School �� �� �"' � '' � Virfival Learning Academy � � THINK(ANp ACT} , �]lFFERE�CTLY 10 9 1 Slide #4 (Source:November 20=DGIo� Students: 11 ,713 Total 4,955 2,821 3,937 Elementary Avtidd e, High THINK(AND ACT) 2 3 4 Slide #5 Student Diversity African American: 1 1.7% Asian: 13.2% Lati nx: 18.1% Multiracial: 7.4% White: 49.6% THINK(AND ACT) 5 6 7 Slide #6 S rc:a:Nkl,(1 2023 D.10 Student Diversity Multilingual learners 1,366 OLZac Exceptional Children 1,346 Academically or .f Intellectually Gifted r 3,161 1 THINK(AND ACT) 8 9 10 11 10 1 Slide #7 Top Languages Spoken at Home Arabic Burmese Chinese English Spanish Karen Turkish, THINK(AND ACT) '® 2 3 4 Slide #8 « • - I • w i� Eligible for free A4 Jii he or -d -• ■ price meals 5 6 7 Slide #9 9 4.5i'© Cin-time graduation rate in 2022 Highest ever for CHCCS! 8 9 10 11 11 I Slide #10 Stuff: 1,951 Total Total certified employees(teachers.librarians, ¢ counselors,etc.}:1,164 Classroom teachers:650 instructional Services:60 Interventionists:162 Cather teachers:138 Student Services:154 Total School and District Administration:117 * Total clossified(full-lime houriy�ernployees:670 2 THINK(AND ACT) 3 4 Slide #11 Staff Diversity African American: 16.2% zeas Asian: 2.5% White: 78.3% Lafinx: 8.1% THINK(ANC]ACT) 5 6 Rani Dasi said they continue to try to recruit staff that represent the diversity of the 7 students. 8 9 Slide #12 N lbw- , CHCCS Points of Pride North Carolina A Avg Best SchoolDistricts In Districts wish the Best Best Places to Teach in North Carolina Teachers in North Carolina North Carolina w1 of 116 #8 of 115 a20 of 115 THINK(AND ACT) 10 11 12 12 1 Slide #13 • 250+Teachers with National h Nn 00Board Certification P V,. 100%of our schools met or exceeded growth • The number of schools identified os Technical Support & Improvement (TSI) schools for low performing student groups decreased to 5 schools in 2021-22 from 12 - schools in 2018-19 2 3 4 Slide #14 Think (and Act) Differently - Student Success • Shifting from a focus on the"achievement gap"between student groups —•"growth to proficiency"within student groups. • Beginning to think and act differently about how we serve students in order to see growth targets met and gaps to proficiency close. Approximately 70%of Black and Latinx students are also impacted by other factors(EDS,MLL,SWD)* ■ 70.9%-Black ■ 68.1%-Latinx 'This s not about assumptions about frodifionaRyand htstoricoffymarginof2edstudent groups(dehcdt mindset),this is about recognraing where and how to depicy the highesf quokty insfructionaf supports, professional Jearning,and human resources to where(and to whom)they are needed most. THINK fANO ACT) 5 6 Rani Dasi said all student groups outperfom the same group across the state but they 7 know they can do better within the district. She said that there is a gap of 73% in the college 8 readiness score for Black students. 9 10 Slide #15 We Must Inspect What Our CHCCS Community Expects School Safety Audit Equity Audit Strategic Plan Development - - - Curriculum Audit Program Evaluations Transportation Deportment Restructuring to Optimize Support to Schools Human Resources Business and Finance Technology Exceptional Children 11 12 Rani Dasi said they are excited to get started on the projects. She said they have 13 restructured some departments to focus on schools. 14 13 1 Slide#16 THINK (AND ► DIFFERENTLY OUNNOW"2027 202,1027 2 _ 3 4 Slide #17 Key Priorities } *J1 Creating a Culture of Safety z • and Wellness W Instructional Excellence: U_ Our Vision Preparing Students for Life U_ Equipping students to navigate the Empowering,Equipping andi wGrid and make a positive impact Investing In Our People throughout their life's journey. U Equitable and Transparent Fiscal Stewardship and z Operations Strengthening Family and z J Community Engagement i 5 6 Riza Jenkins said the finance workgroup work with district leaders to review and 7 recommend expenditures. She said that her committee then recomends those to the full board 8 for discussion. She said that they meet monthly and they are open to the public. 9 Jillian LaSerna said the policy committee also works with district leaders. She said they 10 review and propose changes to the policies and afterward, that goes to the full board for 1 1 discussion at a work session. 12 George Griffin said the student success committee is a new committee for this year. He 13 said they are reviewing student success and board policies. He said they keep the board informed 14 with district-wide initiatives and strategic plan priorities. He said they are waiting for the results of 15 a curriculum audit that they will hear more about later tonight. He said that this will provide a 16 framework to the student success committee for years to come.. 17 18 19 14 1 Slide#18 &XIT644 III We value enthusiastic and curious leamers r We value the work of learners,leaders who take initiative and feel confident in and educators who create and sustain a themselves,and we value educators who fair and equitable school system in which continually seek opportunities to help every ® each person and all groups are valued and child reach their fullest potential.We believe affirmed.We believe in centering equity that a high quality learning experience 1M•Wllev that a high performing through our actions.We believe critical school district Is one that upholds the where students are inspired,intrigued, value of empathy,care and corYle[tion. [onSCiOtE5ne55 helps u5 to recognize the engaged and challenged to achieve and We helleve students academie history and tradition of past and present grow,built upon a foundation of strong outcomes and educators personal and injustices.Furthermore,it promotes efforts professional growth are entwined!with to empower Individual and communal relationships,is integral lO our mission. the r social and emotional well-being. action in support of restorative justice and We value experiences that embody a positrre,afrrmargenvironment,which is the full impldmentation of human and civil strengthened through healthy relatnnships rigl5ts in our school System. We bek"all members of the CFICCS community[ARES[Creating Advocales We believe that educational excellence for Relationships and Emotional Safety] ® requires dedication,collaboration,hard contribute to a positive cttlure and climate. work,patience and persistence.We value We believe In learning environments that a community where all members stick cultivate feelkhgs of triumph,delight and thr together and never give up on themsetves audacity of hope.We value a ttetime Iovc or each other.We believe In the power of for learning that leads to a joyful adulthood. the homelschooLfcommunhy partnership ,�. We believe there is great potential and where diverse perspectives are valued s _ • possibility for students and employees and challenges are seen as opportunities. We believe simple acts of kindness and We believe that shared accountability, treating people with dignity and respect create endless possibilities that lead to a achievement and success Coupled With Joyous learnmg community that develops proper support strengthens our confidence 2 our people and student achievement wi'l increase. 3 4 Slide #19 THINK (AND , DIFFERENTLY Academic Return on Investment r • The purpose of evaluatingA-R01 is i to determine the cost-effctiveness of academic/instructional programs and identify areas where investments can be optimized to achieve greater results • District Administration is focused building a culture that leverages t.• A-ROI into nearly every aspect of budgeting, teaching and learning, and central office work. • Initial efforts will focus an A-R'01 analysis on a recent tutoring program implementation 010pe1 rr lunboro City school I chccs org 5 6 7 8 15 1 Slide#20 THINK (AND ACT) KeepsDIFFERENTLY What Barriers to Improving Outcomes 2 3 4 Slide #21 Budget Impacts - Prior Year Unfunded Continuation Costs The FY 2022-23 Budget contained a$5 million appropriation of local fund balance consisting of: • $3.37 million of continuation needs generated by Mate mandated salary increases; • $1.25 million for the partial implementation of the classified employee compensation plan: • $247,000 to provide an additional 1%Increase to all CHCCS' certified supplement percentages: • $175,000 to provide an additional 2%Increase to the supplement percentages to all certified staff working in the Exceptional Children Division; • $420,000 to provide four weeks of local paid parental leave 5 6 7 Slide #22 Fund Balance • End of I=Y local unassigned fund balance is$5 million • Approximately$500,00D above the District's minimum target of 5.5%($4.5 million) • If no increase in local funding is obtained, the current unassigned fund balance will be-$4 million short to maintain educational services provided at FY23 levels • Simultaneously all of the District's unassigned fund balance would be eliminated 8 9 16 1 Slide#23 I d r.1 qoi -Y LU LL goSchrr it - r Staffing Challenges '•J 2 � 3 4 Slide #24 n,,: Staffing Shortages NQ 1)[11 Ro 1 Estimated 36.000 K-12 teacher vacancies across the country In North Carolina there were 5,091 vacancies on the 40th day of classes 587.increase over the some time in the 2020-21 school year 230%increase from the 2D18-14 school year Largest number of vacancies in elementary schools(1223) Elementary EC vacancies(444) As of March 2. in CHCCS there were 47 certified school based vacancies, 30 classified school based vacancies, and 3 school administrator vacancies THINK(AND ACT)IRMIZOMM 5 6 Rani Dasi said they are focusing on local supplements and salaries to recruit teachers and 7 staff. 8 9 Slide #25 11 B us Driver Shortage 10 17 1 Slide#26 Priority 1: Mitigate (or eliminate) the impact of the nationwide driver shortage on ■; r;:,;;t,�, CHCCS. n � Eliminate lost instructional time due to uncovered routes. Increase student access to r breakfast,high quality education and extracurricular activities. Priority.2: Alleviate the burden on staff Drivers covering additional routes �,, Educators staying after school "M beyond typical work hours 3 4 Slide #27 Transportation Optimization Update As of March 3, we currently cover 55 routes daily with 43 drivers Recent efforts to address this ongoing crisis Increased driver pay to$20/hour for new drivers and a three step increase (or the higher of the two wages) for existing drivers Market dual roles (TA/driver,custodian/driver) and/or require new or existing classified staff to acquire a CDL Amend our current policy/practice to allow 18 year odds to become bus drivers Implementing consolidated stops next school year Continuing the partnership with the towns and other entities on biking and walking options THINK(AND ACT) 5 6 7 Slide #28 Transportation Optimization Update March 2 Public Hearing Bell Schedules Change(s) Magnet School Transportation March 16 further discussion and potential Board action on transportation optimization THINK(AND ACT) 8 9 18 1 Riza Jenkins continued the presentation: 2 3 Slide #29 U- Facilities/Capital - � Needs 4 5 6 Slide #30 District Portfolio years . age Facility Year Built Facility Year 13.111L,,Wd Cenler 1950 McD gle ES B ECHHS 1996 Gienw000 ES 1952 Scroggs ES 1999 Carrboro ES 1957 Smith MS 2001 Este$Hills ES 1958 Rashkm ES 2003 Millips MS 1962 Cawlawo HS 2007 FPG ftgue ES 1463 Moms GrWe ES 2008 5e ell ES&CLibrem MS 1969 Phoems Academy HS 2009 Ephesus ES 1972 Nonftde ES 2013 McDwgte MS 1994 Chapet Hdl HS 2021 THINK{ANS]ACT) 7 8 9 Slide #31 Completed, Ongoing, and Future CIP Projects Security Improvements Replacements Fire Alarms Playground Equipment HVAC/Boiler/Controls Roofing Furniture/Fixture LED Lighting Asphalt Technology Infrastructure Field Improvements THINK iAND ACT) 10 19 1 Riza Jenkins said they are waiting on the consultant from Capital Needs Work Group to 2 see if there are changes needed to current plan. 3 4 Slide #32 Capital Needs Spending Plan -FY 24 School Improvements $2.552,733 -FY 24-26 Supplemental Deferred Maintenonce $22,067,600 -FY 24 Lottery Proceeds(Fire/Safety/Security) $824,304 -FY 24 Article 46 Sales Tax (Technology) $1,614.704 Total Funding $27,059.341 THINK!ANO ACT)L'JW3�L{Ly 5 6 7 Rani Dasi continued the presentation: 8 9 Slide #33 ConnectionsLU ILL Strategic Plan `..Esi.7544 STRATEGIC PLAN 2022-2027 10 11 12 Slide#34 Creating a Culture of Safety & Wellness Goal 1:Prioritize the social,emotional dt and physical well-being of every student and staff member to ensure that everyone has the support needed to thrive in our learning communities. Goal 2:Prioritize personalized support for every student with a focus on students'strengths,and their areas of need,to ensure that every student successfully realizes the best version of themselves. 13 14 20 1 Dr. Ashton Powell discussed the district-wide plan for prioritizing social emotional and 2 physical wellness. He said that thanks to the Board, they have been able to place mental health 3 staff in all levels of schools in the district. 4 5 Slide #35 Current SEL/Mental Health Supports By School ir 1 3 .5 .5 1 2' 5" 1 .5 1 ..'I PF16�Mw leN�€TES THINK(AND ACT) 6 7 8 Slide #36 Instructional Excellence: Preparing Students for Life Goal l:CHCCS students will be provided access to challenging,diverse and culturally relevant, standards-aligned curriculum which is student-centered and will propel their educational growth and achievement. Goal 2:CHCCS will prioritize opportunities to elevate student voice and access to meaningful,authentic instruction while empowering students to advocate for their own learning. Goal 3:CHH will ensure flexibility in avoilable learning opportunities and that choice programs *,A are occessible for all students. 9 10 Rani Dasi said they have just conducted a curriculum audit and this will help them 11 understand how to help students learn and grow. 12 George Griffin discussed the currifculem audit and said that it consists for an outsdie group 13 of educators and they have spent time in the schools for months and conducted observations and 14 interviews. He said they will be presenting the results of the audit. He said as a professional, and 15 having talked to the staff, he does not think anyone will be surprised but they will be affirmed. He 16 said that it will be a roadmap for the next 5-10 years in teaching and learning and they are excited 17 about that. 18 19 21 1 Slide#37 Instructional Excellence; Preparing Students for Life • Curriculum Audit Recommendations Forthcoming (Spring 20231 • Governance and Control Direction and Clientele Expectations Equity and Consistency • Assessment and Feedback • Productivity and Efficiency 2 3 Michael Sharp said the teacher shortage is presenting many impacts. He said that there 4 are varying degrees of experience and the cohort will look at individualizing professional 5 development and job-embedded coaching. He said they will get a differentiated professional 6 developmetn based on what the teachers most need. He said they end up getting the impact from 7 their work that impacts the whole district and makes them feel like they're part of the community 8 and more inclined to stay. 9 10 Slide #38 Professional Learning (Teachers) Culturally Relevant Teaching Select and Learning (CRTL) Cohort Professional UJ e'StudentZ LL � Academic Supports(Students) Supports Focus on Attendance Elementary Academic Support Programs Secondary Tutoring 11 12 Dr. Rodney Trice discussed the cohort. He said that as teachers deliver content and 13 instruction, students feel affirmed. He said as students feel more affirmed then learning goes up. 14 He said there are 50 teachers involved and it will be a two year cohort. He said that next year 15 they will focus on implementation. He said the projects have to improve learning in their school or 16 the district. 17 18 22 1 Slide #39 Empowering, Equipping and Investing in Our People Goal 1:CHCCS will recruit and retain a diverse workforce representative of our broader community using proven local and national best practices. Goal 2:CHCCS will invest in a diverse and highly-qualified workforce to ensure CHCCS is the pkice where talented professionals choose to work and grow. Goal 3:CHCCS will equip a culturally responsive workforce to further develop mindsets and capabilities so our people will effectively support students and fam%lies to grow professionally.. 3 4 Slide #40 Equitable and Transparent Fiscal Stewardship and Operations Goal 1: CHCCS will create and maintain safe spaces where • AZ instructional excellence can occur.PPI-1 I LU Goal 2: CHCCS will provide effective Z LL support services for students and staff through equitable allocation 16- and distribution of resources using a tiered system of support model. Goal 3: CHCCS will provide timely, accurate,and transparent communication and reporting of Financial Information to the members of our community. 5 12 M7 6 7 Slide#41 Strengthening Family and Community Engagement Goal I:CHCCS will design effective forms Of school-to-home and home-to-school communications about school progroms and student progress.. ■ Goal 2.CHCCS will provide information and ideas to families about how to promote the i continuation,of learning at home and in the community through learning,service and enrichment activities. Goal 3:CHCCS will elevate diverse parents and caregivers as leaders and representatives, and include them in school and district-based decision-making. 9 10 23 1 Slide #42 THINKQ�n= DIFFERENTLY Pref Program Overview The CHCCS Pre-K/Headstart program L a provides services to children, three to five years of age, not yet eligible for • kindergarten and families living in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School ' District. All classrooms have blended funding (Prek and Head Start)sources • 250 students • 22 teachers(this includes 2 itinerant teachers that serve the community) • 20 classrooms that include 3 EC separate settings 2 3 4 Slide #43 THINK • PreK Program Highlights A LETRS Professional Learning (Early „ Literacy) for all PreK teachers PreK to Kindergarten transition PLC to bridge the curriculum in both ELA p• and Math :r CHCCS Transition to Kindergarten Plan to identify focus areas PreK Learning Walks to review instructional practices that align with the district plan and Instructional Framework 5 — , 6 7 Slide #44 How Can the BDCC and CHCCS Community Help? • Help us shift the narrative from a deficit mindset growth mindset Fully fund operational budget • Support teachers - advoca-le to General Assembly for better benefits and compensation • Partner on investment for mental health support • Prioritize school capital bard and maintenance funding stream • Sub (or volunteer) in Schools • Encourage a friend, community member, family member to apply to be a bus driver THINK IAND RCT) 8 9 10 24 1 Slide #45 Questions & Dialogue 3 Commissioner Fowler asked if CHCCS has similar statistics on capital allocations from 4 funding provided by BOCC. 5 Riza Jenkins said they receive a monthly update and have a list of projects they're working 6 on. She said they can provide that information and there is a plan for the next ten years. 7 Commissioner Richards said Orange County just got a new curriculum. She asked if the 8 school districts talk to each other about what they learned from their processes and if they are 9 taking advantage of the opportunity to leverage learning across the two districts. 10 Dr. Rodney Trice said any curriculum changes they make come from the state's five-year 11 curriculum adoption cycle. He said what the audit will show is the degree to which assignments 12 given to students align with state standards. He said that as students text, they waant to make 13 sure teachers are teaching the actual standards. He said the audit looks at materials provided to 14 students. He said he's had a number of conversations with Dr. Green and they see opportunities 15 to collaborate on implementing those standards. 16 Commissioner Richards said her point is that curriculum is an issue across both districts 17 and said she encourages that to happen across the county. She said they can learn from each 18 other. She said they all have the same goals. She said it's one pot of money, so if the county is 19 spending the funds, the schools could reach across the lines to see how the resources can be 20 leveraged. 21 Rani Dasi said there are certainly places where it is happening and there are places where 22 they could do a better job. 23 Vice-Chair McKee asked if CHCCS has the same difference of understanding as OCS 24 regarding capital funds. 25 Al Ciarochi said their staff met with county staff and they are on the same page. 26 Chair Bedford said Article 46 had almost $2 million more for the current year. She said 27 that staff could dicsuss this more. She said they set aside$2 million for other school capital needs. 28 She said she doesn't know if that will repeat for the current year, but people are paying taxes at 29 a high rate, so the budget is solid. She asked if school systems are still operating under the 30 Common Core standards, or if those are changed. 31 Dr. Rodney Trice said NC Department of Public Instruction has a standard and some of it 32 comes from the Common Core. 33 Rani Dasi said curriculum does continue to be impacted by changes in state policy. 34 Sarah Smylie said that the science curriculum is open to public feedback. 35 Rani Dasi thanked Chair Bedford for highlighting those two funding streams. She said one 36 of the things they are interested in is having access to data that might be predictive data to help 37 improve outcomes. 38 Commissioner Portie-Ascott said about 28% of African American students are proficient. 39 She asked if that number has stayed consistent over time. 25 1 Rani Dasi said the goal is to better individualize instruction. She said they have instituted 2 universal screeners and the audit will also help. She said that the number is actaully 22%. 3 Dr. Rodney Trice said the data has fluctuated, but not drastically. He said they are excited 4 about the opportunties for student progress monitoring. He said they are also excited to deliver 5 instruction and materials to where the students need benefit. 6 Chair Bedford asked if there is hope that the current deficent data could be tracked, or 7 does that not exist yet. 8 Dr. Rodney Trice said they still work with SAS. He said there is emerging technology 9 looking at where students are in real time. He said that elementary schools typically do a pretty 10 good job of that. He said he can't say they've had it as a district before. 11 Vice-Chair McKee said that his concern is if the student in third grade is a grade behind, 12 then the growth has to exceed over a year at a time. He said then that person is then 13 disadvantaged for the rest of their lives. He asked about the number of tutors in the district. 14 Rani Dasi said the earlier they can close gaps the better. 15 Dr. Hamlett said at the elementary level there are intervention enrichment blocks 16 happening during the day. She said that at the secondary level they also have brought in tutors. 17 She said they are making sure they get an academic return on their investment as a new approach 18 and to show where resources need to be allocated. 19 Vice-Chair McKee said he is very supportive of the preschool. He asked how the students 20 were picked. He said he would like to hear how it is working. 21 Riza Jenkins said most of the slots are need-based/NC Pre-K funded. 22 Vice-Chair McKee said it would be need-based. 23 Riza Jenkins said yes and that information is given out at the health department and other 24 various ways. 25 Commissioner Fowler said a few years back there was a waitlist for the Pre-K program 26 and asked if that's still true. 27 Dr. Rodney Trice said for the tuition-paying students there is a waitlist. 28 Commissioner Richards said it is her understanding there are openings in Chapel Hill and 29 a waitlist in Northern Orange. 30 Sarah Smylie said that's what they heard at the Family Success Alliance meeting. 31 Commissioner Richards said it is a transportation issue as well. 32 Rani Dasi said she is surprised there are vacancies and will look into it. 33 Bonnie Hammersley said that in PreK there are 96 current vacancies. 34 Chair Bedford said that is because that includes school and community based facilites for 35 that total number. 36 Commissioner Richards said that about 1/3 of students in CHCCS are considered gifited 37 and asked what that means as far as academic support. 38 Rani Dasi said they are above the cap for funding from the state so they do programming 39 for students at each school.. 40 Commissioner Richards asked if there is proportional funding for those students vs. those 41 who are at 22% proficiency. 42 Jillian LaSerna said they are monitoring all students to make sure they're growing as well. 43 She said that techniques teachers are trained on should also be good for every student. She said 44 there should be practices that are happening across the board. 45 Commissioner Richards said she said she understands but how will they measure growth 46 and how will it be visible to the community. 47 Dr. Hamlett said rather than looking at gaps between groups, they are looking at a different 48 type of gap. She said they are looking at the gap deficeincy in the group themselves from 49 proficiency. 50 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked for racial diversity of gifted students. 26 1 Vice-Chair McKee said he agrees that increasing growth is critical, but he doesn't know 2 how to get around the fact that there is a group of students that are not performing the same as 3 other groups and that it can't be ignored. 4 Rani Dasi said they are in agreement. She said they will show all the numbers for each 5 group. She said they will focus on growth and monitor it for each group. 6 Vice-Chair McKee said if they could get 80% across the board that would be fantastic. He 7 said he is not sure that 90% is realistic. 8 Rani Dasi said she takes the point and there has to be focus on the fire. 9 Ashton Powell said they both have issues with bus drivers. He said the impact that is 10 having on students is that some are starting their day later, some are not getting breakfast, and it 11 is adding onto the list that is holding students back. He said that they do not have the funds to 12 make sure the routes are covered. He said they are consiering chaning bell schedules. He said 13 these students are also the same students that might already need additional help. 14 Vice-Chair McKee said that in his 12 years on the board, the deficiences really have not 15 moved. He said they need to move for the kids that need it the worst. 16 Chair Bedford thanked Rani Dasi for inviting the BOCC to the Black Knowledge Bowl. She 17 thanked all the school board members and staff for coming tonight and their commitment to 18 children. She said she will share a list of legislative priorities. She said they will all meet again on 19 April 27th to discuss budgets and the County Manager will present her budget on May 2na 20 Vice-Chair McKee said that fiber will hopefully start going in the ground by June. 21 Chair Bedford said there are 3 years of lower rates and hopefully everyone can afford it. 22 23 A motion was made by Vice-Chair McKee, seconded by Commissioner Fowler to adjourn 24 the meeting at 9:16 p.m. 25 26 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 27 28 Jamezetta Bedford, Chair 29 30 31 Recorded by Tara May, Deputy Clerk to the Board 32 33 Submitted for approval by Laura Jensen, Clerk to the Board Attachment 2 1 1 DRAFT MINUTES 2 ORANGE COUNTY 3 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 4 WORK SESSION 5 March 14, 2023 6 7:00 p.m. 7 8 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Work Session on Thursday, March 14, 9 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 (arrived 7:54 p.m.), and Commissioners Sally Greene, Phyllis Portie-Ascott, and Anna Richards 13 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Commissioners Amy Fowler and Jean Hamilton 14 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts 15 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley and Clerk to the Board 16 Laura Jensen. (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) 17 COUNTY STAFF ABSENT: 18 19 Chair Bedford called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Commissioners Fowler, Hamilton, 20 and Vice-Chair McKee were not present. Chair Bedford, Commissioners Greene, Portie-Ascott, 21 and Richards were present. 22 23 1. Boards and Commissions —Annual Work Plan Summaries 24 The Board provided feedback and direction on the second group of boards and commissions' 25 annual work plan summaries with their Chairs or representatives in attendance. 26 Patrick Burns, representing the ABC Board, said sales continue to be strong. He said it 27 gives them opportunities to increase gifts to grantees, as well as increase the contribution to the 28 county fund, and to pay down debt service earlier than expected. He said they were recertified 29 as a living wage employer. He said they have increased entry pay to attract and hire more 30 employees. He said the Mebane store will open early in April. He said they recently got a new 31 board member and that was a welcome addition. 32 Commissioner Richards asked about the ABC Board's grant process. She asked how 33 they decide how much they will grant. 34 Patrick Burns said that by statute, they are restricted by what they can give funding to. He 35 said it is drug education or rehabilitation. He said they have an open process, and they can 36 present it to the Board, and it will be considered. 37 Commissioner Richards asked if the grantees report back to the board. 38 Patrick Burns said they report mid-year how their programs are going, and what might be 39 coming up in the future. He said they also consult with law enforcement. 40 Commissioner Richards asked what the grant period is. 41 Patrick Burns said they are on a fiscal year and organizations are expected to spend the 42 funds within that fiscal year. 43 Chair Bedford said it is nice to see the $200,000 increase since 2018. She said it even 44 gets used for drug tests. 45 Patrick Burns said that increased sales is a mixed blessing. He said that it increases 46 revenue but that in turn means that consumption is increased. 47 2 1 Kristin Smith Young, representing the Economic Development Advisory Board, made the 2 following presentation: 3 4 Slide #1 1 ih f� oo Young,Development Advisory Board Kristen Vice Chair 0311412023 5 6 7 8 Slide #2 Advisory Board Report Who We Are 2022 Accomplishments Plan for 2023 Special Thanks to County Commissioners Thank You to County Staff Invitation to Commissioners ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY BOARD 9 10 11 3 1 Slide #3 Sharon Hill S � Stearon Hill Inlernatlonal Entrepaenear Also serves on the advlswr board for the Orange County vishors Bureau Board rt ECONPNIa OEKELa PIAENT is YIEURY OnARD .. 2 3 4 5 Slide #4 s� Barbara Jassw-Black Execuliv& Oirector, Community Worx Nonprofit Sector EGDNNNIa PEVELa PIAENT SOVIFnRY BrIIRQ i 6 7 8 9 4 1 Slide #5 Other Advisory Board � Members Hasan Abdullah, Pendo I Dave0ephart,0ephartMarketing 1--� ? �i r4 Estella Johnson,Retired Economic Development Director John Morris,'Morris Commercial Torn Prottor,Vacuum Clean-or HtrspltaU Jane Saiers,Ramble Rill Farm Elise Tyler,The Colonial Inn t� �y T/ 2 S 3 4 5 Slide #6 E onom i G 2 Small total Dev lc�ipir�`��ent rant total Business investment Small Business Grants AgracMliura ■ Startup granis. to coma 14 $121,362 Agricultural total Grants investment ECONOMIC 13EVELDFNEN7 hDVISORY 80hRD 6 7 8 5 1 Slide #7 N For'Ern on the I ONACIVtaory Board Chair Sharon Hill part c paced in the VVCHL radio's EC ack omi 0 Fiji -For'Em on the Fllll" broadcast Development event In December 2022 where Painall I Hill she hlghlighwl several small 5-6 PM *NIGH * business grant recipients and 97A THE HILL advertised the business investment and agelcurture grani programs ir+raygh iae Uwe radlo David I avant. se W 1111;illill 111m1t%!;fflfji151itP Ifir"01014 . ECO140MIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY 80pRG 2 3 4 5 Slide #8 We will be creating a Department Strategle Plan, complemenlln!� the County's Strategic Plan and the new Comprehensive Plan. We will work to increase awareness of and engagement with SIPAUp, a platform for market research and business Intelligence for local bus,n4s84s, ■ ECONOMIC OEVELOPNENT ADD I80RY BOARD 9 6 7 8 9 6 1 Slide #9 Thank you for your continued support of Article 46 as a dedleeled stream of funding to support the growth ofjobs in our county. Thunk you for supporting Orange County rejoining the Research Triangle Regl+onal Partnervhlp,an essential regional eonnikci,on for our county. i ECONOIXIC OEYELCPNENT nD'OISQRY 809.RD 2 3 4 5 Slide #10 LA Y�r 4 Thank you To our Economic IdeveioprnPn staff Si�v Branlrtry Afnando Gorr+sr Lin-:lsoy WrrJ I ECDfJOIJIC DEVELOPMENT hDVISORY EO'RO 6 7 8 7 1 Slide #11 An Invitation o Commissioners Please join our staff for a tour of our county's Economic Development ■ _ -Mo E6ONI�N1� DE^aELQ As I/EraT ti0 Y'18 r°.. 2 3 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if businesses that are established can get help with 4 strategic planning and growth. 5 Kristen Smith Young said that SBTDC is the best resource for established businesses. 6 She said it is housed at UNC-Chapel Hill. She said that Innovate Carolina is where all of the 7 economic development resources are housed and that their website has a lot of information 8 available. She said LAUNCH Chapel Hill and Studio are also great resources. 9 Commissioner Greene thanked the board for including the agricultural food processing 10 grants. She also wished Kristen Smith Young a happy birthday. 11 Kristen Smith Young said they had pie at their retreat to celebrate. She said that Jane at 12 Ramblewood Farm hosted the Board for one of their meetings. 13 Chair Bedford asked if they have had more success with diversity and Black farmers 14 receiving grants. 15 Kristen Smith Young said that the Small Business Committee has prioritized marketing 16 opportunities to BIPOC businesses. She said they have also included that discussion during the 17 grant process. She said they were fortunate to have Shameka Fairbanks to come speak with them 18 about an equity goal and being better about marketing to BIPOC businesses for these 19 opportunities. 20 Commissioner Richards said she requested that SizeUp include a designation that allows 21 people to search for BIPOC businesses. 22 Amanda Garner, Assistant Economic Development Director, said they are pulling data 23 sources for integrating with what they have. 24 Commissioner Richards said the tool is amazing, but it would be great to have one place. 25 She said if it can do basic things it would be helpful. 26 Sharon Hill of the Chapel Hill Orange County Visitors Bureau said it is an agency funded 27 by hotel occupancy taxes. She said that the tourism revenues are nearing 2019 levels. She said 28 most dollars go to food and beverage establishments. She said visitor spending in 2012 was as 29 follows: 30 8 1 Lodging - $38.97 million 2 Food and Beverage - $73.98 million 3 Recreation - $29.9 million 4 Retail - $16.37 million 5 Transportation - $36.4 million 6 Total of$194.18 - million dollars 7 Sharon Hill said they advertise nationally to continue to bring visitors to the area. She said 8 they have a staff of 6 and they are focused on managing demand from visitors, servicing guests 9 and groups, communicating about Orange County's restaurants, events, people, and changing 10 landscape, managing digital platforms, and publishing media and other promotional and 11 marketing. 12 Chair Bedford said the current issue of Orange Slices was really informative. She said 13 she was also pleased to see an accessibility guide. 14 Crystal Wu of the Arts Commission said they are proud to have provided aid to arts during 15 COVID. She said they raised $600,000 for artists in a fundraiser. She said they have completed 16 their first year of operation at the Eno Arts Mill. She said that 44% of the artists identify as a 17 member of a marginalized community and 38 tenants are people of color. She said they have 18 disbursed $207,000 in grants. She said that the UPROAR event is coming this summer and they 19 are in the midst of planning for that. She said they received a grant for LGTBQ+ Teen Arts 20 Collective. She said that they Hosted the Paint It Orange event and 66 artists participated. She 21 said that looking to the future, a lack of arts space remains a challenge in Orange County. She 22 said they will continue to work with the Eno Mill to provide space. She said that they are trying to 23 increase physical space to provide access despite socioeconomic status. She said that 24 challenges include capacity, need for more staff, and managing operations with 2.5 staff. She 25 said that managing the operations of the 10,000 square foot space it is evident they need more 26 staff. She said that it was designed to be financially self-sustaining but that requires pricing 27 programs to market rather than affordable. 28 Leon Meyers of the Orange County Board of Adjustment said the Board hears appeals to 29 decisions of planning staff and applications for variances to the UDO. He said that all of the 30 positions are filled for the first time in several years. He said the Board heard two cases last year. 31 He said the Board responds to applications from citizens and have no other programs other than 32 that. He said the members are active participants and show up prepared for the meetings. 33 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if there were specific concerns. 34 Leon Meyer said they have no concerns, no agenda, goals, or strategies because they 35 are a function of the General Assembly. 36 Chair Bedford thanked Tara May for her efforts in getting the positions filled on the Board 37 of Adjustment. 38 Adam Beeman of the Orange County Planning Board said they exist because of general 39 statute and review LIDO and text amendments. He said they made an applicant-initiated request 40 in Efland. He said they reviewed the White Cross application for a Dollar General store and the 41 applicant withdrew their application. He said they reviewed and made a recommendation for a 42 Dollar Tree in Cedar Grove and the applicant withdrew their application. He said they meet 43 monthly. He said they want to collaborate with other boards in the future. He said they are 44 patiently waiting for broadband in northern Orange County. He said that many board members 45 are concerned about climate change, growth, watershed protection, and addressing water and 46 sewer issues for commercial activity out in the county, not just around Highway 70. He said there 47 is a need to get transit out in the county. 48 Chair Bedford said they had a report about facility needs and she was emailing about the 49 water and wastewater needs for growth that is projected over the next forty years. She said that 50 with the Planning Board's support hopefully they will get a lot of public input. 9 1 Adam Beeman said that due to supply chain issues and increasing costs the County 2 should try to make improvements sooner rather than later because the costs keep going up. 3 Michael Hughes of the Orange Unified Transportation Board said he wanted to highlight 4 one issue in their report, which is the need for pedestrian access around Grady Brown 5 Elementary. He said he wanted to find a way to make that happen. He said he wanted to resume 6 conversations with NC DOT to try to find a solution. He said that staff does a great job. 7 Chair Bedford said she was talking about that issue to the school boards in the meeting 8 last Thursday. She said that staff is looking into ways to find funding and that the chief engineer 9 was looking at a study. She said they have a meeting in the next couple of weeks and will get an 10 update. She said it is complex to follow and in general, counties cannot do sidewalks, but this is 11 a school. She said it is a community issue. 12 Jenn Sykes of the Affordable Housing Advisory Board said in the past year, one of the 13 biggest things is getting back to meeting in person, not just for the board but also in the 14 community. She said they are planning a community engagement meeting in Cedar Grove. She 15 said the previous year they meet in the Rogers Road community. She said they have evolved in 16 their approaches to affordable housing and are looking at keeping people able to stay in houses. 17 She said they are trying to find partners for supplemental support. She said they have worked 18 with other county boards and municipal governments to talk about ways to improve the stock of 19 affordable housing. She said they are looking at more creative ways to approach affordable 20 housing. She said that they have been able to do program evaluation this year again. She said 21 that many members are involved in outside agencies. 22 Commissioner Richards said she was glad to hear they are expanding and taking a holistic 23 approach. 24 Jenn Sykes said hopefully in the new year they can get back on track. 25 Alice Mahood of the Orange County Housing Authority Board said that they are a federally 26 mandated board. She said they have 679 vouchers and that is the most they have ever had. She 27 said that there is an affordable housing problem in Orange County and there are not enough 28 homes to put the people that need them. She said they mainly focus on housing the homeless. 29 She said they currently face challenges such as the lack of inventory and they do not have a full 30 board. She said they want one or two participants as members on the board. She said that staff 31 worked on trauma informed processes in the way that they interact with people. She said they 32 are currently re-writing their administrative plan. 33 34 Vice-Chair McKee arrived at 7:54 p.m. 35 36 Dr. Lee Pickett of the Animal Services Advisory Board thanked the Board for hiring Dr. 37 Strong. She said that Dr. Strong is an outstanding leader. She said that they awarded the Pat 38 Sanford grant to Orange County Meals with Wheels for their pet program. She said they give pet 39 food and cat litter to recipients of Meals on Wheels. She said that pets help people thrive and 40 Meals on Wheels recognized that. She said that the organization also realized that some of their 41 recipients were sharing their food with their pets. She said that their report is comprehensive. 42 She said they interface with their neighbors in ways they hope will save the county pain and 43 heartache. She described three situations. She said there were complaints about noisy roosters 44 and free-roaming cats, which was dealt with by the board. She said they revoked a kennel license 45 that was challenged, and they successfully handled that. 46 Chair Bedford said it is wonderful news about the grant and for the help that will give the 47 seniors and their pets. 48 49 50 10 1 2. Discussion on Potential Amendments to the Orange County Arts Commission Advisory 2 Board Policies and Procedures 3 The Board discussed potential amendments to the Orange County Arts Commission (OCAC) 4 Advisory Board Policy and Procedures. 5 6 BACKGROUND: The Orange County Board of County Commissioners Advisory Board Policy 7 (Advisory Board Policy) requires all members of County advisory boards and commissions to be 8 Orange County residents. The Advisory Board Policy states that a specific advisory board policy 9 may indicate other requirements. 10 11 On November 16, 2021, the Board of Commissioners approved an amendment to the Chapel 12 Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau Advisory Board Policies and Procedures to allow non-County 13 residents to serve as long as a majority of the Visitors Bureau Advisory Board is composed of 14 County residents. 15 16 Representation on the OCAC Advisory Board by leadership of Orange County arts agencies is 17 critical, but not all leaders of local arts organizations reside in Orange County. A proposed 18 amendment to the OCAC policies and procedures would allow one non-resident Orange County 19 arts leader to serve on the OCAC Advisory Board. 20 21 The amended language is proposed as follows: 22 23 "Members shall be residents of Orange County and shall maintain their 24 domicile in Orange County, excepting however that one member may 25 be a non-resident. Domicile is defined as one's permanent established 26 home as distinguished from one's temporary although actual place of 27 residence. The Clerk shall confirm the residency of applicants. 28 29 Members shall have a direct or indirect background in the arts and be 30 actively involved in the arts. Candidates should either live in Orange 31 County, have invested in Orange County, or have a direct arts interest 32 in Orange County." 33 34 Katie Murray, Arts Commission Program Coordinator, introduced the item. She said they 35 are requesting that one person be allowed to serve even though they are not an Orange County 36 resident. 37 Chair Bedford asked if allowing two members to live out of county would be better to give 38 more flexibility. 39 Katie Murray said yes, because the cost of living is so high. She said that the arts 40 commission should always be a majority of the people in the community. 41 Commissioner Greene said she also thought allowing two out of county representatives 42 would be reasonable. She suggested new language for the policy, in the second sentence of the 43 second paragraph: 44 "Candidates should either live in Orange County, or hold a leadership 45 position with an Orange County arts organization..." 46 Chair Bedford asked how the change should be approved by the Board. 47 John Roberts said the policy should come back to the Board at a business meeting on a 48 consent agenda. 49 Vice-Chair McKee asked if there are any other boards and commissions that have 50 membership outside of Orange County. 51 Bonnie Hammersley said only the Visitor's Bureau. 11 I Chair Bedford said it is a slippery slope. 2 Vice-Chair McKee said that is what he is getting at. 3 John Roberts said each advisory board has different requirements for membership or rules 4 and procedures. He said it is entirely up to the commissioners to decide for each board. 5 Tara May said also the Economic Development Advisory Board allows for non-residents 6 on their board. 7 Vice-Chair McKee said that is correct and said he is not opposed to it, but he does not 8 want to go very far down this road. He said that the impact of the cost of living in Orange County 9 is not exclusive to just the arts community and affects every board they have. 10 Chair Bedford said the amendment to allow two non-resident members will be brought 11 back. 12 13 3. Advisory Board on Aging —Appointments Discussion 14 The Board discussed appointments to the Advisory Board on Aging. 15 16 BACKGROUND: The Advisory Board on Aging suggests policy and makes recommendations to 17 the Board of Commissioners and the Department on Aging while acting as the liaison between 18 older adults of the County and County government. It is charged with promoting needed services, 19 programs, and funding that impacts older residents. 20 21 The Board of County Commissioners appoints all twelve (12) members. 22 23 The following individuals are recommended for Board consideration: 24 NAME POSITION TYPE OF EXPIRATION DESCRIPTION APPOINTMENT DATE TERM Colin Austin At-Large One-Year Extension 06/30/2024 Jacqulyn At-Large First Full Term 06/30/2026 Podger Rachel At-Large Second Full Term 06/30/2026 Bearman Dr. Michael At-Large First Full Term 06/30/2025 Joseph 25 26 If the individuals listed above are appointed, no vacancies remain. 27 28 Tara May, Deputy Clerk to the Board, introduced the item. 29 The Board agreed by consensus on the recommended applicants. 30 31 4. Arts Commission —Appointments Discussion 32 The Board discussed appointments to the Arts Commission. 33 34 BACKGROUND: The Arts Commission recommends strategies to promote the artistic and 35 cultural growth of Orange County, advises the Board of Commissioners on matters involving the 36 arts, and acts as the granting panel for funding programs available to individual artists and non- 37 profit groups sponsoring arts projects in Orange County. 38 39 The Board of County Commissioners appoints all fifteen (15)At-Large members. 40 12 1 The following individuals are recommended for Board consideration: 2 NAME POSITION TYPE OF EXPIRATION DESCRIPTION APPOINTMENT DATE TERM Denise Duff At-Large First Full Term 03/31/2026 Krista Bremer At-Large Second Full Term 03/31/2026 Linda At-Large Second Full Term 09/30/2025 Williamson 3 4 If the individuals listed above are appointed, the following vacancies remain: 5 POSITION EXPIRATION VACANCY INFORMATION DESIGNATION DATE At-Large 03/31/2024 Vacant since 12/01/2022 UNC Student 06/30/2023 Vacant since 12/01/2022 Representative 6 7 Tara May, Deputy Clerk to the Board, introduced the item. 8 The Board agreed by consensus on the recommended applicants. 9 10 5. Board of Equalization and Review—Appointments Discussion 1 1 The Board discussed appointments to the Board of Equalization and Review, and designated a 12 Chair. 13 14 BACKGROUND: The Board of Equalization and Review is quasi-judicial body that hears appeals 15 from residents concerning various property tax issues, including valuation and exemption 16 appeals. The Board of Equalization and Review is charged with ensuring that all taxable property 17 is appraised and assessed according to the standards required by the North Carolina General 18 Statutes. Due to the nature of its work, the Board of Equalization and Review does not make 19 recommendations for appointments. 20 21 The Board of County Commissioners appoints three (3) members and seven (7) alternates, and 22 designates the Chair. 23 24 Appointees serve two year terms, but there is no limit to the number of terms one may serve. 25 26 The following individuals are presented for reappointment: 27 NAME POSITION TYPE OF EXPIRATION DESCRIPTION APPOINTMENT DATE TERM Barbara Levine Member Third Full Term 03/31/2025 Leon Meyers Member Second Full Term 03/31/2025 Hunter Beattie Alternate Third Full Term 03/31/2025 (move from Member position) 28 29 The following positions are presented for Board consideration: 30 13 NAME POSITION TYPE OF EXPIRATION DESCRIPTION APPOINTMENT DATE TERM BOCC Member First Full Term 03/31/2025 Appointee BOCC Alternate First Full Term 03/31/2025 Appointee BOCC Alternate First Full Term 03/31/2025 Appointee BOCC Alternate First Full Term 03/31/2025 Appointee 1 2 If the positions listed above are filled, the following vacancies remain: 3 POSITION EXPIRATION VACANCY INFORMATION DESIGNATION DATE Alternate 03/31/2025 No Additional Applicants Alternate 03/31/2025 No Additional Applicants Alternate 03/31/2025 No Additional Applicants 4 5 Chair Designation: 6 NAME POSITION TYPE OF EXPIRATION DESCRIPTION APPOINTMENT DATE TERM BOCC Appointee Chair Full Term 03/31/2025 7 8 Tara May, Deputy Clerk to the Board, introduced the item. 9 The Board agreed by consensus to reappoint Barbara Levine, Leon Meyers, and Hunter 10 Beattie. 11 The Board agreed to designate Leon Meyers as chair. 12 Chair Bedford suggested Shannon Julian for the vacant member position. 13 Vice-Chair McKee suggested Tony Blake vacant member position. 14 The Board agreed by consensus on Tony Blake. 15 The Board agreed by consensus on Joy Mercer, Saru Salvi, and Shannon Julian for 16 alternate positions. 17 Tara May said that Saru Salvi was an applicant for the Orange County Planning Board 18 and that she already serves on two other boards. 19 Chair Bedford said she had that noted and was not going to appoint to the Planning Board. 20 Commissioner Richards said she was originally on the Affordable Housing Board and then 21 left and asked why. 22 Tara May said she was interested in other opportunities and did not want her service on 23 previous boards to prevent her from serving on future boards. 24 Chair Bedford said this position would be an alternate. 25 Tara May said there are three additional alternate positions that will need to be filled. 26 Chair Bedford said this would make four ready for the process. 27 28 29 14 1 6. Historic Preservation Commission —Appointments Discussion 2 The Board discussed appointments to the Historic Preservation Commission. 3 4 BACKGROUND: The Historic Preservation Commission is charged with undertaking an 5 inventory of properties of historical, prehistorical, architectural, and/or cultural significance. It 6 recommends areas to be designated or removed as "historic districts" and reviews and acts upon 7 proposals for alterations, demolition, new construction, etc. 8 9 The Board of County Commissioners appoints all seven (7)At-Large members. 10 11 The following individuals are recommended for Board consideration: 12 NAME POSITION TYPE OF EXPIRATION DESCRIPTION APPOINTMENT DATE TERM Dr. Anne At-Large First Full Term 03/31/2025 Whisnant Art Menius At-Large First Full Term 03/31/2025 Todd Dickinson At-Large First Full Term 03/31/2025 13 14 If the individuals listed above are appointed, no vacancies remain. 15 16 Tara May, Deputy Clerk to the Board, introduced the item. 17 Commissioner Greene said Anne Whisnant is a historian. 18 The Board agreed by consensus on the recommended applicants. 19 20 7. Human Relations Commission —Appointments Discussion 21 The Board discussed appointments to the Human Relations Commission. 22 23 BACKGROUND: The Human Relations Commission advises the Board of County 24 Commissioners on solutions to problems in the field of human relationships. It also makes 25 recommendations designed to promote goodwill and harmony among groups in the County 26 irrespective of their race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, 27 disability, age, marital status or status with regard to public assistance. 28 29 The Board of County Commissioners appoints all twelve (12) members. 30 31 The following individuals are recommended for Board consideration: 32 NAME POSITION TYPE OF EXPIRATION DESCRIPTION APPOINTMENT DATE TERM Deborah Baker At-Large Partial Term 06/30/2024 Jameelah At-Large First Full Term 06/30/2025 Merritt Lynn McGee At-Large Partial Term 09/30/2024 Josh Ravitch At-Large Partial Term 06/30/2023 33 34 If the individuals listed above are appointed, the following vacancies remain: 35 15 POSITION EXPIRATION VACANCY INFORMATION DESIGNATION DATE Town of Carrboro 06/30/2025 Vacant since 04/27/2022 1 2 Tara May, Deputy Clerk to the Board, introduced the item. 3 Commissioner Richards said she supported the HRC taking time to review applicants for 4 the Town of Carrboro position. She said that her concern is that they will have a full board and 5 the oldest member appointed in 2022. She asked if the senior members have to roll off. 6 Tara May said they could be recommended for a one-year extension. 7 Commissioner Richards expressed concern about the turnover on the commission. 8 Tara May said there has been a lot of turnover. 9 Chair Bedford said she believed Dr. Fairbanks had a handle on the needs of the 10 commission. 1 1 The Board agreed by consensus on the recommended applicants. 12 13 8. Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee —Appointment Discussion 14 The Board discussed an appointment to the Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee. 15 16 BACKGROUND: The Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee helps to maintain the 17 intent of the Residents' Bill of Rights, promotes community involvement, and provides public 18 education on long-term care issues. The regional ombudsman with Triangle J Council of 19 Governments provides specialized training and support. 20 21 The Board of County Commissioners appoints all ten (10) members. 22 23 REMINDER: As of July 1, 2017, House Bill 248 was adopted by the North Carolina General 24 Assembly regarding the training period for pending members of the "Adult Care Home Community 25 Advisory Committee and Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee". Applicants will be 26 selected from the county "Applicant Interest List" for a condensed training and if the applicant 27 successfully completes the training, the individual would be recommended for appointment. 28 Therefore, when an applicant is recommended for appointment, it would initially be for a one year 29 preliminary term and the training will have already been completed. 30 31 The following individual is recommended for Board consideration: 32 NAME POSITION TYPE OF EXPIRATION DESCRIPTION APPOINTMENT DATE TERM Shade Little At-Large First Full Term 03/31/2026 33 34 SPECIAL NOTATION: None of the other applicants have completed the mandatory pre- 35 appointment training, and are therefore not eligible for appointment at this time. 36 37 16 1 If the individual listed above is appointed, the following vacancies remain: POSITION EXPIRATION VACANCY INFORMATION DESCRIPTION DATE At-Large 06/30/2025 Vacant since 08/25/2021 At-Large 09/30/2023 Vacant since 11/06/2019 Nursing Home 06/30/2023 Vacant since 12/12/2018 Administration At-Large 03/31/2026 Vacant since 06/21/2017 2 3 Tara May, Deputy Clerk to the Board, introduced the item. 4 The Board agreed by consensus on the recommended applicant. 5 6 9. Orange County Planning Board —Appointments Discussion 7 The Board discussed appointments to the Orange County Planning Board. 8 9 BACKGROUND: The Planning Board studies Orange County and surrounding areas to 10 determine objectives in the development of the County. It prepares and recommends plans to 11 achieve that development, including the suggesting of policies, ordinances, and procedures. It 12 reviews development applications and makes recommendations to the Board of Commissioners. 13 Due to the nature of its work, the Planning Board does not make recommendations for 14 appointments. 15 16 The Board of County Commissioners appoints all twelve (12) members. 17 18 The following individual and positions are presented for Board consideration: 19 NAME POSITION TYPE OF EXPIRATION DESCRIPTION APPOINTMENT DATE TERM Delores Bailey At-Large First Full Term 03/31/2026 reappointment BOCC Hillsborough First Full Term 03/31/2026 Appointee Township BOCC Chapel Hill Township First Full Term 03/31/2026 Appointee BOCC At-Large First Full Term 03/31/2026 Appointee 20 21 If the positions listed above are filled, no vacancies remain. 22 23 Tara May, Deputy Clerk to the Board, introduced the item. 24 The Board agreed by consensus on Delores Bailey for reappointment. 25 Chair Bedford suggested Chris Johnson for the Hillsborough Township position. 26 The Board agreed by consensus on Chris Johnson. 27 Commissioner Greene suggested Elizabeth Kalies for the Chapel Hill Township position. 28 The Board agreed by consensus on Elizabeth Kalies. 29 Chair Bedford suggested leaving the At-Large position open until they could get more 30 applicants. 31 The Board agreed to leave the At-Large position open for the time being. 32 17 1 Chair Bedford asked the Board if they would like Autumn Cox from TJCOG to present 2 information on the Adult Care Home Advisory Board and Nursing Home Board 3 Commissioner Portie-Ascott said she would like to have more information. 4 Chair Bedford suggested that Commissioner Portie-Ascott meet with Janice Tyler at Aging 5 for more information. 6 Commissioner Richards said that understanding the training was helpful. 7 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked what type of experience the Board might be looking 8 for in the vacant Planning Board position. 9 Chair Bedford said something along the lines of have they been on any other boards or 10 have they done any planning. She said she is a bit leery of the realtor connection or experience. 11 She said that someone that does land law would be good. 12 Commissioner Greene said it doesn't have to be planning experience, but it could be 13 experience with government administration and processes. 14 15 Adjournment 16 17 A motion was made by Commissioner Greene and seconded by Commissioner Richards 18 to adjourn the meeting at 8:24 p.m. 19 20 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 21 22 23 Jamezetta Bedford, Chair 24 25 26 Recorded by Laura Jensen, Clerk to the Board 27 28 Submitted for approval by Laura Jensen, Clerk to the Board. 29 Attachment 3 1 1 DRAFT MINUTES 2 ORANGE COUNTY 3 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 4 BUSINESS MEETING 5 March 21, 2023 6 7:00 p.m. 7 8 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Business Meeting on Tuesday, March 9 21, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough, NC. 10 11 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jamezetta Bedford, and Commissioners Amy 12 Fowler, Sally Greene, Jean Hamilton, Phyllis Portie-Ascott, and Anna Richards 13 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Vice-Chair Earl McKee 14 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts 15 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager 16 Travis Myren, and Clerk to the Board Laura Jensen. (All other staff members will be identified 17 appropriately below) 18 19 Chair Bedford called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. All commissioners were present. 20 21 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda 22 23 Chair Bedford dispensed with reading the public charge. 24 25 2. Public Comments (Limited to One Hour) 26 a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda 27 28 There was no one signed up to speak. 29 30 b. Matters on the Printed Agenda 31 (These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda below.) 32 33 3. Announcements, Petitions and Comments by Board Members 34 Commissioner Fowler said she attended the Cooperative Extension quarterly update 35 meeting via Zoom on March 14th. She said Tyrone Fisher was promoted to the North Central 36 Extension Director and Jonathon Smith is the interim Orange County Extension Director. She said 37 the position is being advertised and also noted that members are needed for the Cooperative 38 Extension Advisory Council. She announced that Cooperative Extension has $500 community 39 garden grants that are awarded on a rolling basis and encouraged anyone interested to reach out 40 to Mart Bumgarner. She said she attended the ABC Board meeting and heard from several 41 organizations receiving funding from the ABC Board for alcohol and substance abuse awareness, 42 prevention, education, and treatment. 43 Commissioner Hamilton thanked the Board and Orange County staff for their support while 44 she dealt with the loss of her mother. She said she attended the Alliance Health Board of Directors 45 budget retreat and received an overview of plans for the budget next year with tailored plans. She 46 said the Schools Safety Task Force meets in two days. 47 Chair Bedford said she attended the Board of Social Services meeting yesterday, and 48 recently attended a Board of Health retreat that covered mission, vision, and budget. 49 Commissioner Greene said she will be attending a GoTriangle meeting tomorrow and has 50 nothing else to report. 2 1 Commissioner Portie-Ascott said she has met with the following county departments as 2 part of her orientation process: Criminal Justice Resources, Housing, Budget, Elections, 3 Transportation, Library, Planning, Office of Equity and Inclusion, as well as the Sheriff's Office. 4 She said April is Re-entry Month, and there is a fireside chat on April 10th at the Colonial Inn. She 5 said she enjoyed learning about the work of each department and the staff was very patient and 6 generous during her visits. 7 Commissioner Richards said she met with Housing, Planning, Parks and Recreation, and 8 Family Success Alliance staff since the Board's last meeting. She said she visited the Gateway 9 Housing Complex today and got to witness the partnership between the housing provider, county, 10 and schools. She said when thinking about all of the social determinants of health, it is impressive 11 that the county is part of this innovative approach to holistically address the needs of this 12 community. She said she attended the Chapel Hill Chamber of Commerce meeting and 13 highlighted the Economic Conditions Survey which is available on the Chamber website and has 14 information on what the local economy looks like. She said she also attended the Black Business 15 Leadership Council meeting, and just came from the Burlington-Graham MPO meeting tonight. 16 Chair Bedford said that Vice-Chair McKee will not be in attendance tonight. 17 18 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/ Special Presentations 19 None. 20 21 5. Public Hearings 22 None. 23 24 6. Regular Agenda 25 26 a. Approval of Professional Services Contract with Woolpert, Inc. to Conduct a Public- 27 School Capital Needs Assessment, and Approval of Budget Amendment #7-A 28 The Board approved a professional services contract with Woolpert Inc. totaling $984,561 to 29 conduct a Facilities Condition Assessment, a School Optimization Plan and develop 30 Benchmarking Best Practices for all public schools in Orange County, and with the proposed 31 scope of work including $85,000 for a study of educational adequacy of school facilities; and 32 approved Budget Amendment#7-A. 33 34 BACKGROUND: As a strategy to improve the quality and efficiency of operational services, 35 Orange County Government, Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) and Orange County 36 Schools (OCS) collaborated on the issuance of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for a design 37 firm to provide a: 38 • Comprehensive Facility Condition Assessment (FCA) 39 • Optimization Plan of Existing Space Utilization; and 40 • Examining Prioritization Models, Benchmarking Best Practices and Scenarios for both 41 school districts that recognize the distinct structure of the County allocating funds to the 42 two school districts. 43 44 The desired outcome will help County and School professionals and elected officials better plan, 45 manage and fund new construction and maintenance of the thirty-one (31) school campuses and 46 administrative offices for the two school districts. 47 48 Ensuring that scarce capital resources are used effectively requires a better understanding of 49 when to repair/maintain, renovate or replace buildings, how and when to contract across 50 campuses and school districts, and how to provide reliable funding to assure that schools facilities 51 are built and maintained in a timely and cost-effective manner. 3 1 2 An RFQ review committee selected Woolpert, Inc., an international architecture, engineering and 3 geospatial (AEG)firm to perform this work, which is anticipated to take nine months from contract 4 execution. A copy of the Woolpert, Inc. cost proposal is included as Attachment 1. The proposal 5 includes an additional services fee of $85,000 for a study of educational adequacy of school 6 facilities. This study was not requested in the original RFQ but deemed necessary by members 7 of the review committee. The project is scheduled to take approximately nine months to complete, 8 upon issuance of a signed contract. The cost of this contract requires approval by the Board of 9 County Commissioners. 10 11 Funding of $3,500,000 was set aside through Budget Amendment #5-A in the School Capital 12 Reserve Fund for the purpose of funding this contract and providing additional funding for school 13 capital. The professional services fees are recommended to be funded through Budget 14 Amendment #7-A, which would utilize $984,561 of those funds and transfer them to the School 15 Capital Fund. The remaining $2,515,439 will be split between the school districts based on 16 average daily membership (ADM). Those funds will be allocated to specific projects through a 17 subsequent budget amendment at the direction of both School Districts. Budget Amendment#7- 18 A creates the following Capital Ordinance in the School Capital Fund: 19 School Capital Needs Assessment($984,561) - Project# 52000 Revenues for this project: Current FY 2022-23 FY 2022-23 FY 2022-23 Amendment Revised From Capital Reserve $0 $984,561 $984,561 Total Project Funding $0 $984,561 $984,561 Appropriated for this project: Current FY 2022-23 FY 2022-23 FY 2022-23 Amendment Revised Project Expenditures $0 $984,561 $984,561 Total Costs $0 $984,561 $984,561 20 21 Steve Arndt, Asset Management Services Director, introduced the item and made the 22 following presentation: 23 24 Slide #1 - - ORANGE COUNTY Approval of contract proposal from Woolpert,Inc. to Conduct a Publickhool Capital Needs Assessment Orange County,Board of County Commissioners March 21,2023 25 4 1 Steve Arndt introduced Jessica Goodell of Woolpert, Inc. and David Sturtz of Cooperative 2 Strategies who are available for questions this evening. 3 4 Slide #2 RFQ No 3+57-005375: Request for Qualifications for Facilities Condition Assessment, Schools Optimization and Benchmarking Best Practices (Nov22) * Comprehensive Facility Condition Assessment (FCA) * 0ptimization Plan of Existing Space Utilization; and * Examining Prioritization Models, Benchmarking Best Practices and Scenarios for both school districts that recognize the distinct structure of the County allocating funds to the two school districts. s 6 7 Slide #3 Schedule ZU3 April May June July August Sept Oct Nov Dec RJekOff,Plan For Ranning,Dala Gather ing Fpuldp C"dit ASSet€menk FCa0.Reporl Bendarn;arking and Best Rractrcf-5 khwl Optimi wicia Plan g 9 Steve Arndt said the process should be completed by the end of 2023. 10 11 5 1 Slide #4 Woolpert Inc. L P E P T • Founded in 1911 as a surveying and landscape design firm, Woolpert has grown to become a national architecture, - engineering, and geosplatial (AEG) firm. * Woolpert delivers value to clients by 1 strategically blending high-quality services with leading-edge technology and Geographic Information Information Systems (GIS) applications --- 2 3 Steve Arndt said that Woolpert is a well-respected international company. 4 5 Slide #5 C0 ❑ PER, TIVE T R A T E G I E_ S t } n I PG. .STG • F1' A 1, - 7i I GLI1 Cooperative Strategies is a team of educational facility and program planners with backgrounds in school facility management, educational program planning, 21st Century learning principles, GIS, engineering, capital planning, and community engagement. • Cooperative Strategies team members include former state department of education thought leaders, school superintendents, maintenance managers, teachers, and administrators; Association for Learning. Environments members; Recognized Educational Facility Planners; and MSRR Series 50 Municipal Advisor Representatives. • Cooperative Strategies has completed over 300 Facilities Master Plans nationwide for districts and states of all sizes. 6 7 8 6 1 Slide #6 Team Organization ORANGE COUNTY NOR111 CAROLINA FROX TMAKAG ER lessr<a Go-Odell . 1 FACILITY Cu NCOD0N ASSESSMENT PLANNING,6s IMIZATI-ON A.shita€Nrta1 Paeesrrnerl PRfnn toad Educalianal Mostar PlMnef Maureen klcI llavld Slurl¢ Meahaaital3PkImbrnrgAssesemenlLead DiAlobirbollikt Mark Dutlinver,FIT Ann HaNsis,'BEFP [Werkal Asseesneelel Leat! Te<Rnkal Ce■rmnrnkatl6.n d&Grephl<s Slanley Davidson.RCDD,Lfff1 AP DID,C Carol Zuber-Mallison 2 3 4 Slide #7 Dellverables tiAr Facilities Condition Assessment. QUr loam kncrws Hurt 41 • School Optimization Plan ciptIM17allan Plan 1ncvWrate5 • Benchmarking and Blest Practices Critical cannpanentL- dkwk,,qt41)hlic&, Project Plannin • Educational Adequacy Analysis 5 6 7 7 1 Slide #8 Thank You ! Questions? a'ANCF CCiUNTY 2 3 Jessica Goodell thanked the Board for the opportunity to work on OCS and CHCCS 4 schools. She said she really enjoys working with school districts and said they are passionate 5 about the work they do and thankful for the opportunity. 6 David Sturtz said he very much believes in this work and has seen the impact it can have 7 on students. He said they have a singular guiding principal and that is what is best for students 8 and communities. He said it is a collaborative process with county staff. He said the Board will be 9 involved throughout the process. 10 Commissioner Richards asked for elaboration on school optimization. 11 David Sturtz said the focus of optimization is twofold; one is educational, and one is 12 operational. He said they are looking at an array of spaces, kinds of spaces and arrangements, 13 and how they align with standards. He said there is also a condition assessment and that is the 14 biggest part, but they also make sure they close equity gaps in terms of space sizes. He said they 15 do not assume school arrangements are what the county actually needs for the next 20 years. He 16 said they want to look at where there are gaps for things like art, special educational programs, 17 He said that legacy buildings were designed without those programs in mind and without 18 adequate space. He said they seek to identify those gaps and prioritize them in the plan amongst 19 the other needs to create a comprehensive plan. He said the next part is efficiency of operations. 20 He said that buildings may have been designed for a certain number of people and now there is 21 a mismatch in population. He said they will look at how much it will cost to fix versus how much it 22 will cost to replace a building. 23 Commissioner Richards asked if they would look at efficiency of administration. She asked 24 if they would look at other counties with multiple districts. 25 David Sturtz said governance is not a main focus of this study. 26 Commissioner Richards asked if it could be reviewed strictly from a facilities standpoint, 27 and she is not speaking about combining districts. 28 David Sturtz said he is working with a county in Tennessee and in that plan, it made sense 29 for the two districts to swap a couple of facilities. He said that kind of thing could be an outcome. 30 He said there are a variety of options for what could make sense in this community. 31 Commissioner Greene asked if the fix would cost more than 50% and if it might be 32 advisable to start over with a new building, would they also consult with the school administrators 33 to see what the solution for the swing space would be during that process. 34 David Sturtz said yes and that would be a dialogue with the districts. 35 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if there have been instances when they have gone into 36 a facility and not recommended any changes. 37 David Sturtz said absolutely. He said that most buildings will be warm and safe but there 38 are a minority of schools where there is such a mismatch that it makes more sense to think about 39 ways they could make it better. 8 1 Chair Bedford said she read the Guilford County Schools report they worked on. She 2 asked what was in our RFQ for trailers. 3 Steve Arndt said that was not part of the request. 4 David Sturtz said they do look at them as an option. He said they want to see what makes 5 sense to reduce reliance on those in a permanent capacity. 6 Chair Bedford said that the districts did some airflow improvements after COVID and if 7 there are any design standards. 8 Jessica Goodell said they do not do a design study but rather a"like for like"consideration; 9 however, if there are certain standards they would like to set to let them know. She said LED 10 lights are a standard and they do go through and suggest LED change-outs throughout. 11 Chair Bedford asked if part of the analysis with efficiencies is also energy and climate 12 efficiency and friendliness. 13 David Sturtz said they could get a baseline. He said that they will look at utility cost by 14 square foot. He said they found that the older buildings were 1.5x less efficient per square foot. 15 He said that this will be a data point that will be considered. 16 Chair Bedford said the special education classroom space is needed and that the state 17 construction standards are the floor. She said the Orange County standards could also be 18 improved but are better. She said the Board would also like to see more pre-K spaces. 19 David Sturtz said all of that becomes part of the conversation to develop what they want 20 to build to. He said they ask what should every student experience every day. He said they then 21 look at costs and time. 22 Chair Bedford said there is a 2015 facilities assessment and there were different 23 scenarios. She said that the nine older facilities are 1960s construction and that with gun violence, 24 there is a perception that is not safe for students. She said it was economically unfeasible at the 25 time and asked what kind of materials they use for safety. 26 David Sturtz said part of that is determining what you want for every student. He said that 27 considering if there is a single point of entry. He said that some buildings will require more 28 renovations to reach the safety standard that is developed. 29 Chair Bedford said that is a big decision and she does not know who should be making 30 that decision. 31 David Sturtz said they do not come in with answers but rather questions. He said they look 32 at what other districts have done and bring that as information. He said that every school cannot 33 practically have a single point of entry but there are things that can be done to make them safer. 34 He said they will seek those answers out with the committee. 35 Commissioner Fowler said she had the same question on safety and who decides. She 36 said they had previous assessments but did not have a prioritization for the buildings. She asked 37 if they would have a prioritization. 38 Jessica Goodell said those needs will be prioritized during the conditions assessment. 39 Commissioner Fowler said given the county can only afford to do a small amount will there 40 also be sequencing for the priorities. 41 David Sturtz said yes and there will be suggestions on recommended phasing to achieve 42 those goals. 43 Commissioner Hamilton asked how the Brightleaf software workplan will interface with the 44 plan that has phases to be decided on. 45 Jessica Goodell said it will handle the conditions assessment data and with certain 46 parameters set, it will recommend priorities. 47 David Sturtz said to think of it as a layered cake. He said that the conditions assessment 48 is the base layer and will have phases done in the context in the whole. He said they will look 49 which buildings are going to be maintained, which buildings are being renovated, and which 50 buildings are looking at major changes. He said each of those categories will all have different 9 1 timelines associated with them. He said the top layer is the program enhancements. He said those 2 are also phased in based on what the county can afford, manage, and what makes sense. 3 Commissioner Hamilton clarified that the software is just at the conditions assessment 4 level. She said that for each school it would have recommendations across both school districts. 5 Jessica Goodell said yes and said it is kind of an art. She said the software will come in 6 with recommendations but then they will set up parameters and run the process again. She said 7 it is an iterative process. 8 David Sturtz said they can look across schools for bundling. He said that those projects 9 help get the efficiencies they are looking at. He said if three schools need roofs in the next three 10 years then that would be one project rather than three and that is one thing this will help discover. 11 Chair Bedford said they are growing in Mebane, and she wants to consider if the should 12 build a new school. 13 David Sturtz said that is their bread and butter and they will look at student population data 14 across various areas. 15 Chair Bedford said each year the county gives the schools $3 million for ongoing facilities 16 costs. She said it would be nice to know a standard amount based on needs for actual 17 maintenance. She said she wants to know how much they should be trying to spend. 18 Jessica Goodell said that is part of the prioritization of the conditions assessment. 19 David Sturtz said if they check out the state of our schools report by National School 20 Facilities that would be a baseline. He said that 2% of replacement value is the industry standard 21 for operations maintenance. He said that goes up depending on population and deferred 22 maintenance. He said that would be a dialogue throughout the process. 23 Commissioner Richards asked at what point they will get a baseline of the standard they 24 want to develop the plan around. 25 David Sturtz said around Labor Day. 26 Commissioner Richards asked if when they come back from summer if they will hear from 27 them and have the opportunity for dialogue. 28 David Sturtz said yes. 29 Chair Bedford said it seems like board members and the taskforce need to be in on making 30 those decisions. 31 Bonnie Hammersley said most of this will come back to the taskforce because it makes 32 up the county and the two districts. 33 Chair Bedford said she really liked the presentation. She said she was checking 34 references with Guilford County and was shocked by the price of this. She said Guilford County 35 process seemed that they hired them after they had spent money on prior work. She asked them 36 to help her understand this. 37 David Sturtz said there are several differences. He said the big one is that Parsons in 2017 38 was a higher-level assessment and did not get into the level of detail this one will. He said it was 39 more of a systems level study. He said this is level five details and that is much more granular 40 and will inform the maintenance plan moving forward. He said there are also 7 years between the 41 studies and costs have risen incredibility. He said they were asked to come back and use the data 42 collected and build a plan and the plan alone cost them $150,000. 43 Commissioner Fowler asked if given the county will probably only be able to afford the top 44 20% of repairs, they will still need the detailed information for maintenance. 45 David Sturtz said yes, because it will help with daily tasks for a while into the future. 46 Commissioner Portie-Ascott said she also thought the price was high but also did not know 47 what to compare it to. She asked how many other respondents there were to the RFQ. 48 Steve Arndt said there were five respondents and two were asked in for interviews. 49 50 A motion was made by Commissioner Fowler, seconded by Commissioner Hamilton, to 51 approve the County entering into a professional service contract with Woolpert, Inc. totaling 10 1 $984,561 to conduct a Facilities Condition Assessment, a School Optimization Plan, and develop 2 Benchmarking Best Practices for all public schools in Orange County including a study of 3 educational adequacy of school facilities; authorize the County Manager to execute the Contract 4 (Attachment 2), subject to final review by the County Attorney, and any subsequent amendments 5 for contingent and unforeseen requirements up to the approved budget amount on behalf of the 6 Board; and approve Budget Amendment#7-A as detailed above. 7 8 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked how they will know what is included in basic services. 9 John Roberts said it will be added in the county's contract. 10 Steve Arndt said the deliverables are also included in the RFQ and in the proposal that 11 was responsive to the RFQ so the contract services are very specific. 12 13 VOTE: Ayes (Chair Bedford, Commissioner Fowler, Commissioner Greene, Commissioner 14 Hamilton) 15 Nays (Commissioner Richards and Commissioner Portie-Ascott) 16 17 MOTION PASSES 18 19 b. Recommendations for Employee Health Insurance and Other Benefits 20 The Board approved the Manager's recommendations regarding employee health and dental 21 insurance effective July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024. 22 23 BACKGROUND: The County provides employees with a comprehensive benefits plan that 24 includes participation in robust health and dental insurance plans for employees and their families. 25 Each year, the Board of Commissioners is asked to review and approve health and dental 26 insurance rates in advance of the annual budget so that open enrollment can be completed prior 27 to the beginning of the plan year which starts on July 1. 28 29 Health Insurance 30 The Board of County Commissioners approved Orange County's participation in the North 31 Carolina Health Insurance Pool in FY 2018-19. From that time until FY 2022-23, neither health 32 nor dental insurance costs increased due to stable claims experience. In FY 2022-23, the health 33 insurance plan experienced an increase in the overall number of claims and higher costs per 34 claim incurred than prior years, which resulted in a drawdown of reserves. As a result, the Board 35 approved an increase of 5% to the health insurance plan for both active employees and pre-65 36 retirees. That increase was fully paid by the County and not passed on to employees. 37 38 Funding for the health plan is based on estimated premium equivalents rates that are necessary 39 to pay for incurred claims, administrative and reinsurance costs, and the expected liability of 40 claims incurred but not reported (IBNR). The plan also carries a reserve balance which ensures 41 the County's ability to pay claims. The reserve policy ranges between 1.5 and 3.0 over IBNR to 42 ensure the ability to pay for future claims based on current claims experience which currently are 43 higher than expected. The County's current reserve ratio is 1.1 through January 2023. In FY 44 2023-24 and beyond, that reserve amount is recommended to be two(2)times the expected IBNR 45 liability. 46 47 Although the plan is projected to have a positive year-end balance of$833,090, additional funding 48 is necessary to cover projected total plan costs for FY 2023-24 and to continue to build reserve 49 levels for future sustainability of rates. The actuarial analysis conducted by the North Carolina 50 Health Insurance Pool is recommending an increase of five percent (5%). 51 11 1 The Manager recommends that the County assumes 100% of the recommended 5% increase 2 and that the employee contributions continue at current rates. As such, a 5.5% increase for 3 funding the County contribution is proposed. This represents a total budget increase of$659,108. 4 FY 2023-24 Health Insurance Rate Renewal Year Rates Monthly Cost Annual Cost Employee Employer Contribution Contribution 2022 Current Rates $1,098,486 $13,181,834 $1,296,475 $11,885,359 Current Rates with 2023 Employer Increase Only $1,153,412 $13,840,942 $1,296,475 $12,544,467 Renewal Net Increase $54,926 $659,108 $0 $659,108 5 6 Dental Insurance 7 Delta Dental is the County's current Dental provider, and the County will continue to provide 8 coverage with Delta Dental. The Board of County Commissioners approved an increase of 9 funding totaling $92,236 (County contribution of $73,286) for the FY 2021-22 Dental Fund. The 10 total Dental budget is currently $639,000, and no increase is recommended for FY 2023-24. 11 12 Behavioral Health Services 13 A new behavioral health benefit is also being recommended for FY 2023-24. Based on clinical 14 assessments, this program provides access to mental wellness resources, guided assessment 15 and recommendations, an immediate gateway to personalized support, and access to a therapist 16 within three days. The service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 17 18 Training, communication and knowledge-building materials are also available and designed to 19 engage all employees in an effort to maintain a supportive work environment that combats the 20 stigma around mental health. The total cost of this program is $89,000. 21 22 Brenda Bartholomew, Human Resources Director, introduced the item and made the 23 following presentation: 24 25 Slide #1 ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA Action Item 6-b Recommendations for Employee Health Insurance and Dental Insurance effective July t,2023 through June 30,2024 March 21, 2023 26 12 1 Slide #2 Background Joined Forth Carolina Health Insurance Pool (NDHIP) - July 1,2018.by BOCG approval County has maintained a total budget rpt$13 million and monthly premium equivalent rates for health insurance stable ctalms exw ence high reserve in trari3ition year FY 202212023,first rate increase since 2018 Dental Insurance is provided by Delta Dental - total Dental budget is currently$E85,000 ORANGE COUNTY Pi7R r]r CkROLLNA 2 3 Brenda Bartholomew said there are individual members that have their own plan designs, 4 and they pay their own claims up to $40,000 and then above that, they are shared by the pool or 5 paid by the state. 6 7 Slide #3 Budget Summary through January 2023 - County increased premium equivalents by 5%with no rate increase for employees, increased budget$626,813 for health insurance - Total health insurance budget of$13,181,834 - build reserve levels for future sustainabilityof rates to cover projected total plan coats for F'Y 202-)J20 Increase In the overall number of ctalms higher w5l4j per claim high nuber of high clahnrs } susmu two verb high cost etuims w —P,111 As of.lartbar'y 2023 Total Reserve Balance is$833,090; expected IGNR (claims incurred by not reported)Liability is$740,519 Current fund ratio is 1.1;which is within the ratio to cover expected (IONR) i ORANGE COUNTY NORTI r CAROIANA 8 9 10 13 1 Slide #4 Budget Summary ar through January 2023 • Total average planenrollment is 1043 : • Budget Comparison peremployee mu ..s per month (PE PM) shows actual to budget spend;experienced high 2C — L - deficit in November and January �. Actual cost through January 2023 u is $7.9M,projected total spend on Health Insurance year and is $13.5M 5!; Medical Claims 54.7M — 28%Fix Claims $2.2M 10 Adm and Stop Loss F $800.000 5%other S.200,OM ORANGE COUNTY P*010 E CkROLLNA 2 3 4 Slide #5 FY 2023/2024 Renewal Recommending an increase of five percent(5%)to corer expected costs for FY 2 02 312 024 The Manager recommends that the County assume, 100 of the recommended 5%increase and that the employee contributions continue at current rates Total budget for health insurance for employees and pre-65 retirees is $13,840,942 • This represents a total budget increase of$659,108 Pater. mcniNyC" Annuli Cm E^°dm- Enver C 4nbmian CWnbrinn r.f Cwrvt Rama S1 DJB 4B5 913161034 512%475 311665359 Cwdo Rater.Woh Err%kyef 51.153Al2 513.94.102 V293.05 112.5&1467 Incream 00 Iganar€all rdalrrtreasa 354.925 5691D6 93 MEU06 -Amisr= ORANGE COUNTY NOWn E CAROLLNA 5 14 1 Slide #6 Behavioral Health Benefit • Part of the Manager's Initiative to recognize employee stress and burnout in the workplace — Focuson a more direct strategyfor preventing bumouland to work more proactively,and more collaboratively with partners to implement programs that are accessible,useful to employees and sustainable in the workplace. • UNUM Behavioral Health - Based on clinical assessments.this program provides access to mental wellness resources,guided assessment and recommendations,an immediate gateway to personalized support,and access to a therapist within three days.The services is available 24 hours a day,7 days a week. — The total cost of this program is $89,000 ORANGE COUNTY NOWTI L CAROLLh,i 2 3 Commissioner Fowler asked if this is an online or in-service program. 4 Brenda Bartholomew said that it could be either in-person or online and that it is probably going 5 to be online. 6 Commissioner Hamilton asked how long they will get the therapist. 7 Brenda Bartholomew said the program is either designed to be part of an 8-week program or 8 a 12-week program. She said it is not a transition like the EAP program. She said it is seamless 9 and it is not a group. 10 Commissioner Fowler asked if it is a licensed therapist. 11 Brenda Bartholomew said she believed so, but would verify that information. 12 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if it is the same therapist for the duration of the program. 13 Brenda Bartholomew said she can confirm, but she believed that was correct. 14 Commissioner Richards said she is glad to see this benefit offered. She said that when she 15 attended the national conference, they had a program called First Aid and this is very akin to that. 16 17 Slide #7 Manager Recommendation • Board approve an increase of 6%to the Health Insurance Premium Equivalents for both active and pre- 65 retirees and the amount of the increase to be fully paid by the county • Burd approve an increase of Health Insurance funding of$659,108 • County to continue to participate as a member in the North Carolina Health Insurance Pool (NCHIP) • County to continue with Delta Dental with no increase in rates or funding • County implement UNUM Behavioral Health as a benefit to all employees ORANGE COUNTY N'O n L GAROMNA 18 15 1 Slide #8 QUESTIONS? ORANGE COUNT 2 n Rrt iCke LLwn 3 Commissioner Greene said this is the second year the Manager is recommending the 4 county absorb the increased cost of health insurance. She asked how the reserves work and how 5 confident they can be in how long that can go on. 6 Brenda Bartholomew said as the pool grows, that will help sustain the funds. She said that 7 last year there were two very high claim costs that could have hurt the renewal. She said one of 8 the reasons the county joined the pool in the first place is that you can look at the plan over the 9 years and that between 2018-2023 there has only been at 10% increase, while other 10 municipalities and counties have seen double digit increases each year. She said the target for 11 reserves is 1.5-2 million and they are at $1.1 million right now. 12 13 A motion was made by Commissioner Richards, seconded by Commissioner Hamilton, to 14 approve an increase of 5% to the Health Insurance Premium Equivalents for both active and pre- 15 65 retirees and the amount of the increase to be fully paid by the County; approve an increase of 16 Health Insurance funding of$659,108; approve the County's continued participation as a member 17 in the North Carolina Health Insurance Pool (NCHIP); approve continuation with Delta Dental with 18 no increase in rates or funding; and approve the County implementing UNUM Behavioral Health 19 as a benefit to all employees at a cost of$89,000. 20 21 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 22 23 7. Reports 24 25 a. Child Welfare Updates and Planning 26 The Board received an update on child welfare services provided by the Department of Social 27 Services (DSS) including current system challenges and plans for the future. 28 29 BACKGROUND: North Carolina's child welfare program is county administered and state 30 supervised. Child welfare services, including child protective services, foster care and adoption, 31 are legally mandated to be provided by departments of social services in all North Carolina 32 counties. Counties are responsible for staff and management of the program while the state 33 supervises the counties based on state law and policy. The rules, policies and procedures are 34 predominantly established by federal and state legislation and by the North Carolina Department 35 of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Most of the costs for staff and for services to these 36 children and families are paid through federal and county dollars. 37 16 1 Child welfare services consists of several components: prevention; assessment or investigation 2 of child safety; provision of protective services to families; and, foster care/placement services. 3 Much of the work of the Department of Social Services involves the District Court and only the 4 courts can make decisions regarding child custody. 5 6 The last several years have brought many challenges to DSS programs. First, there is a national 7 shortage of social workers, particularly social workers working in child welfare positions. When 8 there are staff shortages, DSS struggles to meet all the needs of children and families as well as 9 all the regulations. 10 11 Another challenge is finding appropriate services for families and children. The impacts of the 12 pandemic and the current substance use issues are seen in many of the families served in child 13 welfare services. The lack of health insurance or Medicaid for these parents is yet another barrier 14 for them. Finding therapeutic placements and services has been particularly difficult and counties 15 are often left with few options for the children in their care. 16 17 DSS, with the support of county management, has been working to address the issues outlined 18 above. DSS will present these efforts as well as plans for the future for input and direction. 19 20 Nancy Coston, Department of Social Services Director introduced the item and Crystal 21 Mitchell, DSS Human Services Manager. Crystal Mitchell made the following presentation: 22 23 Slide #1 ORANGE COUNTY NOWFH CAROLINA Social Services Child Welfare Updates and Planning March 21, 2023 24 25 26 27 17 1 Slide #2 Chip Welfare Process Overview i 0 Pl2nning I_ i 2 3 4 Slide #3 Child Protective Services Intake and Assessment Intake Msessments Involves screening CPS reports to Fvolves determining if the family determine what further action i needs services and what level of required intervention is necessary to assure safety * 1,321 CPS reports were received in 2022 • }average of 49 assessment cases * 53%(59 i)of the reports met open each month in 2022 Statutory requirements for child maltreatment to be assessed further 5 6 Crystal Mitchell said all residents are mandated reporters of child abuse. She said if there 7 is an imminent safety concern, staff can petition the court to intervene. 8 9 18 1 Slide #4 CPS In-Home Services Supports families to safely -. - maintain their child(ren) in their own home by eliminating safety concerns and reducing risk of future child maltreatment Average of 72 cases open each month in 2022 3 Crystal Mitchell said the preference is to keep families intact. 4 5 Slide #5 Permanency Planning • Court system mandatedSonne Factors that contribute t involvement removal of children • DSS has legal custody and ■ Substance Use placement authority • Domestic Violence • DSS is required to provide • Mental Health services to reunify children with their caretaker * Abuse 87 children ages birth to 17 in DSS custody 82% of current cases involve substance use as a factor 6 7 Crystal Mitchell said that a judge makes determination of whether the facts of a case 8 warrant DSS maintaining legal custody. 9 10 19 1 Slide #6 Abuse/Neglect Court Process- A Termblationd P061 'N011-sE+:uIECu5I4SIY 4i G:.P.54 2 3 Chair Bedford asked what dependency means. 4 Crystal Mitchell said an example is when a child is without a caregiver, such as when a 5 parent suddenly passes and there is not another legal guardian available, the child becomes a 6 dependent in need of a legal guardian. 7 8 Slide #7 Ages and Permanent Plans of Children in DSS Custody Age Permanent Plans R0-s�" ■ReuMFxllnn ■x-12VQaN ,c�dr� 2 , ■L3-LT yaws ■ Adam 9 10 11 12 20 1 Slide #8 Teens and Young AduIts LINKS Foster Care 18 to 21 Program Independent living initiative targeting Offers young adults who turned 18 youth in the foster care system as well while in the foster care system an as young adults who have been opportunity to continue foster care discharged from faster care placement and transition to independence with DS5 supervision w Serves ages 14 to zi S young adults in this program • Outcome based service • Fluid program (can exit and re-enter the program 2 3 Crystal Mitchell said the LINKS program service can actually start with 13-year-olds. She 4 said that this is an outcome focused service. She said some stay with foster parents, some go 5 into formalized independent living programs, some live on campus in a dorm, some live with 6 friends or roommates, or some live with relatives. 7 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if they still have Medicaid after 18. 8 Crystal Mitchell said Medicaid is in effect until 26. 9 Commissioner Greene said her understanding is that this population is at risk for 10 homelessness. She asked what percentage of young people in Orange County are succeeding 11 in transitioning vs. those who may become homeless. 12 Crystal Mitchell said while five are in the program, there are ten who are eligible. She said 13 she does not have exact numbers to give with that, but they have been able to stay in touch with 14 the ten young people eligible for this program. She said they work with housing to provide FYI 15 vouchers, and one person is housed with one of those vouchers. 16 Commissioner Fowler asked if it is full Medicaid until 26. 17 Crystal Mitchell said yes. 18 Commissioner Hamilton asked how many people are in the LINKS program. 19 Crystal Mitchell said there are currently 20 young adults 13-17 and 10 that are 18-21. 20 Commissioner Hamilton asked if one social worker does both programs. 21 Crystal Mitchell said yes. 21 1 Slide #9 Foster Home Licensing • 52 licensed foster families • Monthly average of 58 licensed OSfoster families in 2022 Gf 2 3 Crystal Mitchell said there is a 10-week curriculum required to become a licensed foster 4 family. She said they are always recruiting foster families. 5 6 Slide #10 Adoption Method provided by law to establish legal relationship of parent and child , protection. between persons who are not related mdltietlie by birth with the same mutual rights that exist between children and their �Gptioii I birth parent. • Average of seven cases open each month d versifiy.� • Nine adoptions were completed in - 2022 7 8 Commissioner Richards asked how long it takes for an adoption to be final. 9 Crystal Mitchell said it can be anywhere from 6 months to a year. She said that it can be 10 12 months or longer if there are appeals due to delay to receive an appellate decision. She said 11 there are sometimes children with complex behavioral health needs that may need particular 12 supports in an adoptive home. 13 Commissioner Richards said she is an adoptive parent and understands the complications 14 that go along with the process. She asked what age range there are for foster adoptions. 15 Crystal Mitchell said from birth to age 18. 16 Commissioner Richards asked if DSS works with private agencies. 17 Crystal Mitchell said they do work with private agencies for placement. 22 1 Commissioner Richards said one of the things she hears most in this process is the rights 2 of grandparents and single dads. 3 Crystal Mitchell said relatives are an important part of this process. She said that 4 preference is given for placement with family. She said that kinship assessment of relatives is 5 conducted to see if it is a safe and appropriate placement. She said that 40% are placed with a 6 relative, and many times a relative adopts or becomes the guardian. She said that some relatives 7 cannot be a placement but want to be part of the child's life and that is also allowed. She said 8 fathers are definitely important in the process. She said if there is an unknown father or father 9 who is not actively engaged, they are tasked with getting them involved in different ways and 10 report to the court each parent and other relative options for children. 11 Commissioner Fowler asked if it is typically a foster family, relative, or other that adopts. 12 Crystal Mitchell said it is typically a foster family or a relative. 13 Commissioner Fowler asked what guardianship means for permanent placements. 14 Crystal Mitchell said that it is children in custody with a permanent plan and when 15 terminating the parent child relationship is not in the child's best interest. She said that relatives 16 can take guardianship. 17 Commissioner Fowler asked how much time DSS staff spend in court. 18 Crystal Mitchell said they are in court two full calendar days per month. She said that in 19 FY 2021-2022, they held over 450 court hearings. 20 Commissioner Richards asked how FY 22-23 compares to previous years. 21 Crystal Mitchell said the numbers have remained consistent except for with permanent 22 placements. She said that the number of kids in custody dropped in 2020-2021 but has trended 23 upward in 2022. 24 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if they track cases for kids already placed in foster care 25 or in natural families. 26 Crystal Mitchell said both. 27 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if they are tracking cases of kids that are already 28 placed in foster care or just natural families and where the higher number of incidents are 29 happening. 30 Crystal Mitchell clarified that Commissioner Portie-Ascott was referring to incidents of 31 abuse or neglect and said there are higher incidents in families than in foster families. She said if 32 a claim is made against a child in Orange County custody, it becomes a conflict of interest, and a 33 neighboring county has to investigate. 34 Commissioner Greene asked how many social workers handle the work and if there are 35 enough of them. 36 Crystal Mitchell said there are 20 social workers that have blended in-home and foster 37 care cases, and everyone is at caseload standards right now. She said there are four vacancies 38 for in-home foster care teams. She said they have looked at ways to assign administrative tasks 39 a social worker may have to other social services staff in other areas of the agency. 23 1 Slide #11 Current Child Welfare Priorities 2 3 4 Slide #12 Workforce Collaboration with County Manager's office and Human Resources Implement step plan for all staff working in child welfare * Recruit and hire CPS staff above minimum 5 6 Nancy Coston said challenges are in the workforce. She said there are four vacancies and 7 those are felt. She said it also takes time to learn how to do this. She said it is hard to compete 8 for social workers and there is a widespread need. She said there is a STEP plan implemented 9 for social workers to make sure they stay competitive. She said they are competing with nearby 10 counties and their hiring rates. She said they are trying to make sure taking care of the employees 11 that are here. She said staff spends a lot of time in court, but also spend a lot of time interviewing 12 applicants for positions. 13 14 24 1 Slide #13 SupportingChild Placements PlarementTypes for Children/Youth in • increasing support for kinship GCOSSCustady Placements • Additional services to stabilize foster home placements •Data as of 1131f23 s 2 s 3 Nancy Coston said they have been talking with behavioral health partners for wrap around 4 supportive services for foster families. She said sometimes there are older kids who need 5 behavioral health wrap around services to provide support to them and foster families and their 6 kin families. 7 8 Slide #14 Supporting Permanency Planning Initiatives Anticipated Outcomes ■ Develop family friendly visitation 1- Improved family time quality center 2- Increased duration and frequency of family time • Increase staffing to support after 3_ Support higher rates❑f hour and weekend family time reunificatiDn 4. Impact timeliness to permanency 10 Nancy Coston said they are trying to increase family time because that increases the 11 chances of reunification and creates a better environment. She said that it is being done in a 12 home rather than in the office. 13 14 25 1 Slide #15 QUESTIONS 2 3 Nancy Coston said there are three weeks of initial training required by the state before 4 they can begin work. She said they are trying to keep the staff they have, and it is hard work. 5 Chair Bedford asked if some of the outside agencies the county funds help with after 6 school programs for foster children. 7 Crystal Mitchell said yes that they partner with several agencies including the Exchange 8 Center of the Piedmont and the Boomerang Program, among others. 9 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked about the home in the neighborhood for parents to visit 10 with their children. 11 Nancy Coston said this is a new trial. She said that having the visit in a more traditional 12 family setting allows flexibility for how to spend the time together. 13 14 8. Consent Agenda 15 16 • Removal of Any Items from Consent Agenda 17 • Approval of Remaining Consent Agenda 18 • Discussion and Approval of the Items Removed from the Consent Agenda 19 20 A motion was made by Commissioner Greene, seconded by Commissioner Hamilton, to 21 approve the consent agenda. 22 23 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 24 25 a. Minutes 26 The Board approved the draft minutes for the February 16, 2023 BOCC Meeting as submitted by 27 the Clerk to the Board. 28 b. Fiscal Year 2022-23 Budget Amendment#7 29 The Board approved budget, grant, and capital project ordinance amendments for fiscal year 30 2022-23. 31 c. Schools Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (SAPFO) — Receipt and Transmittal of 32 2023 Annual Technical Advisory Committee Report 33 The Board received the 2023 Annual Report of the SAPFO Technical Advisory Committee 34 (SAPFOTAC) and transmit it to the SAPFO partners for comments before certification in May. 35 26 1 d. Professional Services Award for Whitted Buildings HVAC Replacement 2 The Board: 3 1) Approved the County entering into a professional service agreement with Progressive 4 Design Collaborative, LTD of Raleigh, NC for the design and construction administration of the 5 Richard E. Whitted Buildings A and B Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) 6 Replacement; and 7 2) Authorized the County Manager to execute the Agreement, subject to final review by the 8 County Attorney, and any subsequent amendments for contingent and unforeseen requirements 9 up to the approved budget amount on behalf of the Board. 10 e. Boards and Commissions—Appointments 11 The Board approved the Boards and Commissions appointments as reviewed and discussed 12 during March 14, 2023 Work Session. 13 f. Change in BOCC Meeting Schedule for 2023 14 The Board approved a change to the Board of Commissioners' meeting calendar for 2023. 15 g. Alliance Health Board of Directors —Appointment 16 The Board approved an appointment to the Alliance Health Board of Directors. 17 18 9. County Manager's Report 19 Bonnie Hammersley mentioned that the Orange County Climate Action Plan Mission and 20 Vision Statements are included as an information item in follow up to the Board's request at their 21 retreat. 22 23 10. County Attorney's Report 24 John Roberts had no report for the Board. 25 26 11. *Appointments 27 None. 28 29 12. Information Items 30 • March 7, 2023 BOCC Meeting Follow-up Actions List 31 • Memorandum — Orange County Climate Action Plan Mission and Vision Statements 32 33 13. Closed Session 34 None. 35 36 14. Adjournment 37 A motion was made by Commissioner Fowler, seconded by Commissioner Greene, to 38 adjourn the meeting at 9:01 p.m. 39 40 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 41 42 43 Jamezetta Bedford, Chair 44 45 46 Recorded by Tara May, Deputy Clerk to the Board 47 48 Submitted for approval by Laura Jensen, Clerk to the Board 49