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Agenda 10-21-2025; 8-a - Minutes for September 16, 2025 Business Meeting and September 25, 2025 Joint Meeting with Schools
1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: October 21, 2025 Action Agenda Item No. 8-a SUBJECT: Minutes for September 16, 2025 Business Meeting and September 25, 2025 Joint Meeting with Schools 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: September 16, 2025 Business Meeting Attachment 2: September 25, 2025 Joint Meeting with Schools FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with this item. ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PLAN: This item supports: • GUIDING PRINCIPLE — COMMUNICATION AND AWARENESS We provide information and opportunities for engagement in a transparent manner so that all in our community have knowledge, understanding, and a voice. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve minutes as presented or as amended. Attachment 1 1 1 DRAFT MINUTES 2 ORANGE COUNTY 3 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 4 BUSINESS MEETING 5 September 16, 2025 6 7:00 p.m. 7 8 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Business Meeting on Tuesday, 9 September 16, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, NC. 10 11 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jamezetta Bedford, Vice-Chair Jean Hamilton 12 and Commissioners Marilyn Carter, Amy Fowler, Sally Greene, Earl McKee, and Phyllis Portie- 13 Ascott 14 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: None. 15 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts 16 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Travis Myren, Deputy County Manager Caitlin 17 Fenhagen, and Clerk to the Board Laura Jensen. (All other staff members will be identified 18 appropriately below) 19 20 Chair Bedford called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. All commissioners were present. 21 22 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda 23 Vice-Chair Hamilton made a motion to defer item 7-a to another meeting as an 24 information item. Chair Bedford seconded the motion. 25 26 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 27 28 Chair Bedford read the public charge. She gave instructions for making public 29 comments. 30 31 2. Public Comments (Limited to One Hour) 32 a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda 33 Laura Streitfeld spoke on county communications. She suggested including more 34 information in the county newsletter on county meetings. She asked that residents receive 35 better map information when considering issues that affect the community. She asked that the 36 county convene strategic communications workgroup and invite stakeholders to attend. She 37 asked for the strategic communications plan to be updated She said asked for the county to 38 consider adding a way for people to make public comments by email or to participate virtually. 39 She asked that the county streamline web menus and include links in meeting agendas to make 40 it easier to find information. She asked that the county locate resources, plans, and documents 41 on the county website rather that consultant sites, particularly the land use plan. 42 43 b. Matters on the Printed Agenda 44 (These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda below.) 45 46 3. Announcements, Petitions and Comments by Board Members 47 Commissioner McKee thanked everyone in attendance. He said he participated in an 48 open house at the Mason's Lodge in Hillsborough. He said it was the 200th anniversary of their 49 building in Hillsborough. He said also attended the 264th anniversary of Little River Presbyterian 50 Church in Caldwell. He said he spoke at a birthday celebration at the Passmore Center, and 51 one of the residents, Cora Coleman, turned 100. He noted the many events she has witnessed 2 1 in her life. He said regardless of the outcome of the meeting, he will continue to push for 2 broadband internet in every part of the county. He said he intended to run for re-election in 3 2026. 4 Commissioner Greene thanked everyone in attendance. She said she attended the 5 reenactment of the V Provincial Congress of North Carolina in Hillsborough, where they talked 6 about democracy and standing up for freedom. 7 Commissioner Carter thanked everyone in attendance. She said the federal government 8 declared a major disaster for Orange County from Tropical Storm Chantal, which means that the 9 county and municipalities are now eligible to participate in FEMA public assistance requests. 10 She said that includes grants for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and 11 restoration and mitigation of facilities. She said there are lots of needs in the state, but she 12 expressed appreciation for the elected officials who made it happen. She said she attended a 13 reappraisal class at the School of Government in the previous week. She said she attended the 14 Partnership to End Homelessness town hall where there was a lot of engagement on how to 15 address the unhoused members of the community. 16 Chair Bedford had no comments. 17 Vice-Chair Hamilton thanked everyone in attendance and for all the comments sent in by 18 email. She said they welcome input from the community and that they always must work on 19 ways to communicate better. She said the Lumos situation is frustrating, and that the county 20 depends on funds from the state and federal government to do big infrastructure projects, as 21 well as public-private partnerships. She says they can see the limits of those arrangements. 22 She said broadband is a vital service and they wish they could have direct public funding for 23 providing that service. She petitioned to reconvene or reinstate the broadband task force to 24 figure out how they can serve the whole county. She said she attended the employee 25 appreciation event and thanked county employees for all the work they do. 26 Commissioner Portie-Ascott thanked everyone in attendance and for the comments sent 27 in by email. She said she attended the Partnership to End Homelessness and the town hall, 28 where over 120 people were in attendance. She said they heard from non-profit providers, 29 leaders from the partnership, and a HUD technical assistance representative. She said that one 30 person suggested using empty buildings and then unhoused people could use that address to 31 get a job. She said another person suggested creating a safe encampment area. She said 32 listening closely to those who are unhoused and connecting them to housing with dignity is our 33 goal. She said attended the final session of the 51h cohort of the Hunt State Policy Institute. 34 She said their last session focused on higher education and workforce development. She said 35 she met a UNC student, Zachary Tucker, who is serving as an intern with the Hunt Institute and 36 his energy and curiosity helped her understand why their work matters. She said she attended 37 employee luncheon at Blackwood Farm and enjoyed meeting with employees. 38 Commissioner Fowler thanked everyone in attendance. She said that she attended the 39 Triangle West CAMPO rail subcommittee where they received a report on a rail study. She said 40 the goal is to develop a strategic approach to the incremental expansion of intercity passenger 41 rail within the greater metropolitan RTP area. She said this new approach seeks funding from 42 the federal railroad administration as opposed to the previous method of commuter rail 43 development funding through the FTA. She said the study created a matrix of possible small 44 projects between Mebane and Clayton, including stops in Hillsborough, Durham, RTP, and 45 Raleigh. She said she attended the employee luncheon and expressed her appreciation to 46 employees. She said she was heartened to see the turnout for the Homelessness in Orange 47 County update. She said she attended the behavioral health subcommittee and received a 48 presentation from Dr. Luke Smith of EI Futuro on the status of mental health needs and 49 resources in Orange County, particularly for the Latino population. She said the subcommittee 50 will attend the Last Fridays event in Hillsborough on September 26th, highlighting September as 51 suicide awareness month and providing information and resources such as 988 for individuals 3 1 experiencing mental health crises. She said she supports extending broadband to all areas of 2 Orange County. She expressed thanks for the FEMA declaration. She said she looks forward 3 to joining the tax revaluation work group to improve equity in valuations. 4 Commissioner McKee said he and Commissioner Greene endorsed Vice-Chair 5 Hamilton's petition to reinstate the broadband task force. 6 7 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/ Special Presentations 8 a. _Recognition of the Heroic Actions of A.L. Stanback Middle School Staff During a 9 Cardiac Arrest Response 10 The Board recognized the heroic actions of staff at A.L. Stanback Middle School during a 11 cardiac arrest response. 12 13 BACKGROUND: The following information is shared after the Emergency Services 14 Department obtained permission via a fully executed Health Insurance Portability and 15 Accountability Act (HIPAA) release signed by the patient's guardian. 16 17 On June 5, 2025, 14-year-old David Gonzalez Rubio, an A.L. Stanback Middle School student, 18 was playing in the school gymnasium and suddenly collapsed. A teacher saw David on the floor 19 of the gymnasium, quickly recognized David was not responding, and called for help. In under 20 one minute, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was administered. The school nurse, school 21 resource officer, the assistant principal and several other individuals rushed to the David's aid. 22 An Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) was quickly accessed and applied, and the 23 coordinated team was able to administer the defibrillation. David began to show signs of life 24 after the school nurse began compressions post defibrillation. Fire and emergency medical 25 services personnel arrived only four minutes after the 911 call was received, and David had 26 already regained full neurologic function. 27 28 This amazing response demonstrates how a young life was saved because all the links in the 29 chain of survival were present. The preparedness and actions of A.L. Stanback staff deserve the 30 highest recognition and praise. These individuals' actions saved the life of this young student. 31 32 Orange County is fortunate to have a school nurse in all schools and AEDs in schools and many 33 public buildings. School nurses play a vital role in supporting student safety and health in 34 Orange County. These nurses provide staff training in emergency response, CPR, First Aid, and 35 AED use. In addition, the nurses develop health plans and emergency action plans, share this 36 critical information, and educate and train staff on both known and potential health conditions 37 affecting students. 38 39 The quick actions of early hands on the chest (CPR) and the administration of the AED were 40 instrumental in restoring a heartbeat and saving David's life. 41 42 County staff are able to report that David has made a full recovery and has endured important 43 surgeries to prolong and improve his life. The actions of the school staff have provided his family 44 with the most precious gift. 45 46 The actions of these school first responders have helped Orange County achieve one of the 47 highest resuscitation rates in the State of North Carolina, as well as among the highest in the 48 "RAndomized Cluster Evaluation of Cardiac ARrest Systems (RACE CARS) National Institutes 49 of Health (NIH) Trial" intervention group. The chance of survival drops up to 10% for every one 50 minute after the heart stops and CPR is not provided. The quick actions of the school staff 51 provided David the best possible chance. 4 1 2 Kim Woodward, EMS Division Chief, introduced the item and the student, David 3 Gonzalez Rubio. 4 Joseph Grober, EMS Medical Director said quick bystander CPR and early defibrillation 5 are the greatest determinants for neurologically intact survival from cardiac arrest. He said for 6 every minute of delay, the likelihood of survival declines by more than 10 percent. He said he 7 was honored to recognize David Gonzalez Rubio and those who responded to the emergency. 8 Kim Woodward said interpreter Jose Hidalgo was translating during the meeting, and 9 that he is also part of the support staff at AL Stanback Middle School providing care to the 10 family. 11 Sylvia Compton, lead nurse for Orange County Schools, thanked everyone who helped 12 save David Gonzalez Rubio's life. She thanked the commissioners for their support of school 13 nurses. She introduced the staff and school resource officers of AL Stanback who were part of 14 the response, as well as the emergency responders. 15 Through the interpreter, the father of David Gonzalez Rubio thanked everyone who 16 helped his son. David Gonzalez Rubio also said thank you. 17 Kim Woodward said that David Gonzalez Rubio will also be recognized at the annual 18 Cardiac Arrest Survivors event. 19 All the first responders and AL Stanback staff took a picture with David Gonzalez Rubio 20 and the commissioners. 21 22 b. "The Nature of Orange" 2025 Photography Contest 23 The Board recognized the winners and thanked all participants along with the judges of "The 24 Nature of Orange" 2025 Photography Contest. 25 26 BACKGROUND: The Orange County Commission for the Environment and Orange County 27 Parks and Recreation Council annually co-sponsor "The Nature of Orange" Photography 28 Contest, with this year's submittals recently completed in May 2025. This year, the theme was 29 My Place in Nature. This theme represents an individual's sense of belonging in Orange 30 County's natural settings. The goal of the contest was to inspire exploration, celebration and 31 appreciation of Orange County's diverse landscapes and outdoor experiences. Photographers 32 help document the beauty and diversity of the natural resources, and people connecting to their 33 environment. 34 35 A panel of judges selected first, second and third place winners from the Youth and Adult 36 divisions. In addition, judges identified one (1) Honorable Mention award per age category. 37 38 Winners received a congratulatory certificate and a small monetary prize. Winning photos will be 39 displayed throughout the County. In addition, winning photographs are shared on the Orange 40 County DEAPR Facebook Page. 41 42 Abby Mattingly, Administrative Support I with DEAPR, introduced the item and made the 43 following presentation: 44 45 5 1 Slide #1 ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA. Nature of Orange Phot© Contest 2025 2 3 4 Slide #2 The goal is to inspire exploration, celebration and appreciation of Orange County's diverse landscapes and outdoor experiences.We want to document the beauty of our wildlife, waterways, natural resources, and people connecting with the environment. 2025 Theme "My Place in Nature" Score Criteria • Relevancy • Composition/Arrangement • Focus/Sharpness • Lighting and Creativity — � ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA 5 6 7 6 1 Slide #3 Adult 1St Place Fog on the Farm Kim Steffan +} ilt'l Rogers Farm "My Place in Nature"isn't complete without a nod to Orange County's farming traditions.This was a foggy scene at a nearby farm,early one morning. ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA 2 3 4 Slide #4 Adult 2nd Place ' Riding among giants Tyrell Heaton Carolina North Forest Such an amazing network on trails within the city of Chapel Hill. Carolina North boasts a series of II I� single-track options and a wider I gravel trail. ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA 5 6 7 1 Slide #5 Adult 3rd Place My best flower �A.. IF Weihua Guan .+ I Chapel Hill Bible Church �` ? A house finch landed on a blooming branch on a spring sunny morning. It touched a few flowers until it picked up r its favorite one and put it into .A its mouth. I immediately took this shot to memorize this 27 amazing moment. ORANGE COUNTY NORM CAROLINA Z 3 4 Slide #6 Adult Honorable Mention Everyday Radiance Ashley Staples Neighborhood in Chapel Hill I watched as this engraved bladetooth snail climbed up '— onto this American Caesar's - Amanita on the side of the road in my neighborhood. All of the curves and lines were appealing to me. ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA 5 6 7 8 1 Slide #7 Youth 1st Place Happy in Moss Zoe Staples Teer Rd Chapel Hill W" W e found the frog in the door of our • , van and it was happy to hop down as ., soon as the door opened.We watched it hop around a lot!It stopped to rest at .M • :.. this mossy tree and that is where I -� made myself small so it wouldn't be ♦ ;. a 'N scared of me, and I took a picture. It was happy on the moss. AORANGECOUNTY NORTH CAROLINA 2 3 4 Slide #8 Youth 2nd Place -q. , . , Snaily the Snail Calvin Johnson Estes Hills ' Snaily is the best snail in the world.I hoped he would stay in my garden but he left.I think he really loves carrots. ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA 5 6 7 9 1 Slide #9 Youth 3rd Place Freshly Picked i Finn Tyrrell Brumley North Nature Preserve I have seen a lot of cedar waxwings over the past month; however, I hadn't gotten lucky yet with where they were and never got any close sightings. That made this encounter very special, and on top of that the berry snacks made it even better.This year's migration has been AL amazing for photography of many, many species. ORANGE COUNTY NORM CAROLINA 2 3 4 Slide #10 Youth Honorable Mention Drip Drip Drop Little April Showers Mabel Vandemark Household yard I found this flower in the middle of + about one thousand golden rod ` plants, so it stood out to me. I thought it would make a good picture. It was after a rainstorm t we had and so the water droplets I were cool to zoom in on. - ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA 5 6 7 10 1 Slide #11 Thank You Judges Barry Buehler Barry is an 83-year-old retired physicist.In 2015,my wife and I moved from Connecticut to Hillsborough NC.My only serious hobby was playing duplicate bridge;however,I had always been interested in photography.Shortly after settling in North Carolina,(joined the Chapel Hill Camera Club and purchased my first"real"camera.I enjoy photographing a wide range of subjects, especially architecture,people,and nature.Currently,I use a Canon I R5 as well as the camera on my Google Pixel phone. Margo Taussig Pinkerton Margo Taussig Pinkerton of Barefoot Contessa Photo Adventures spent decades traveling the world for Fortune 500 clients.Her images have appeared in numerous magazines,calendars and coffee-table books and are in collections worldwide,including Yale's Beinecke Archives.Margo loves mentoring others and seeks passion and simplicity In her photographs. Jennifer Scheib Jennifer Scheib is a candid event photographer with over 20 - I years of experience documenting the energy,connection,and authenticity at heart of community life.Specializing In work with community events and non-profits,Jen's photography focuses on unscripted moments thattell a deeper story and encourage community members to get { involved-Originally from Pittsburgh,PA and now based In North Carolina,Jen brings a documentary-style approach ORANGE COUNTY rooted in curiosity,joy,and a strong sense of place. NOR I'H CAROLINA 2 3 Commissioner Carter asked why there were more entries this year. 4 Abby Mattingly said she did not have that information, but she plans to add a question to 5 the application in future years asking how an applicant heard about the contest. She said she 6 had publicized the event more on social media, reached out to new partners, and printed more 7 flyers to distribute around the county. 8 The winners in attendance took a photo with the commissioners. 9 10 5. Public Hearings 11 a. Public Hearing on 2024-25 Consolidated Annual Performance Report (CAPER) for the 12 HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program 13 The Board held a public hearing on the draft Consolidated Annual Performance Report 14 (CAPER) for the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program. 15 16 BACKGROUND: Each year, Orange County reports on activities undertaken with funds from 17 the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the HOME Program. This 18 annual report, called the Consolidated Annual Performance Report (CAPER), documents the 19 progress towards implementing the priorities and activities identified in the Annual Action Plan. 20 During the 2024 CAPER period (July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025), the County had available 21 approximately $442,802.32 in HOME funds plus $96,636.28 matching funds (contributed by the 22 Towns of Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough, as well as the County) totaling $539,438.60 23 for eligible housing activities. The County spent $169,165.99 of these available funds on the 24 provision of tenant-based rental assistance. 25 26 Orange County must hold a public hearing to obtain residents' comments and feedback on the 27 Consolidated Annual Performance Report (CAPER). Members of the public may also submit 28 comments during the public comment period (September 5 — September 24, 2025) to Aaron 29 Cohen, Community Development Manager, by email (acohen(a-).orangecountync.gov), by mail 30 (PO Box 8181, Hillsborough, NC 27278) or by telephone (919-886-3574). 11 1 Blake Rosser, Housing Director, introduced the item and made the following 2 presentation: 3 4 Slide #1 ORANGE COUNTY ( HOUSING DEPARTMENT Public Hearing- 2024 CAPER for HOME Program September 16, 2025 5 6 7 Slide #2 Consolidated2024 Annual ReportPerformance Public Hearing nORANGECOUNTY 0 HOUSING DEPARTMENT 8 9 10 12 1 Slide #3 Orange County HOME Consortium received ah- host $492,000 from.July 2024 June 2025 PY a $367,014.00 Program - $28,306.00 $96,636.28 TotalAvailable $491,956.28 ORANGE COUNTY �,�► HOUSING DEPARTMENT 2 3 4 Slide #4 HONM Consortium awarded funds for two non-Administrative projects in FY24-25 Project Title/Description BudgetCASA— Renta 1 ■ $222,120 $0.00 Constructionr $136,499 $67,524.22 Rental Assistance I Administration $36,701.40 6,752.42 • $395,320.40 $74,276.64 ORANGE COUNTY HOUSING DEPARTMENT 5 6 7 13 1 Slide #5 HOME spent almost $547,000 in FY24-25, compared to $137,000 in previous year Rental construction & $102,024.82 $94,939.60 Homebuyer Assistance off 7=17M $0 $0 $50,000.00 $88,250.00 Rental construction • r i $0 $0 $101,788.00 $25,447.00 Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Total Funds $321,337.04 $225,517.66 Expended a-)ORANGECOUNTY HOUSING DEPARTMENT 2 3 A motion was made by Vice-Chair Hamilton, seconded by Commissioner McKee, to 4 open the public hearing. 5 6 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 7 8 PUBLIC COMMENTS: 9 There were no comments. 10 11 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Vice-Chair Hamilton, to 12 close the public hearing. 13 14 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 15 16 6. Regular Agenda 17 a. Amendment to the Network Development Agreement for Broadband Deployment with 18 Lumos to Extend the Project Deadlines and Revise Passings 19 The Board approved an amendment to the 2022 Lumos contract that would adjust both the 20 scope and timeline of the existing broadband expansion agreement. The total number of 21 broadband passings will be reduced from 6,370 to 5,852. In alignment with this change, the 22 completion deadline for all revised passings will be extended to July 1, 2026. The disbursement 23 schedule will also be updated to reflect the new project scope. The amount Lumos would be 24 paid in total is $5.2 million over three installments: $2.6 million at the first milestone of 199 25 homes, $1.3 million at the second milestone of 111 homes, and $1.3 million at the third 26 milestone of 355 homes, for a total of 665 homes. These milestones will result in a total of 5,852 27 locations passed — approximately 92% of the 6,370 locations in the original contract. Under the 28 revised disbursement schedule, the first payment is disproportionately larger to account for 29 2,187 homes that Lumos has completed since passing the initial 3,000 homes. The amendment 14 1 also revises the payment terms to 15 days instead of 30 days after work is completed. The 2 disbursement schedule is subject to change. 3 BACKGROUND: In June 2022, the Board of Commissioners finalized an agreement with North 4 State Communications Advanced Services, LLC (formerly known as Lumos Fiber and now 5 doing business as T-Fiber) to deploy a fiber optic broadband network to 6,370 unserved 6 locations in Orange County. Unserved locations are defined by State law as locations that do 7 not have access to internet service that provides speeds of 25 megabits per second (Mbps) 8 download and 3 Mbps upload. The statutory authority under which the County is authorized to 9 make grants for broadband deployment only allows those grant funds to be used to serve 10 unserved locations. 11 12 The County funded this public-private partnership with a $10 million grant using American 13 Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Payments of the grant funds to Lumos are based on 14 performance. Lumos was paid a $1 million start up payment following approval of the contract. 15 The first benchmark of passing 3,000 homes was also achieved which triggered the second 16 benchmark payment of $3 million. A total of $4 million has been paid to Lumos to date. A 17 passing is defined as "a location, such as a home or business, that is near enough to a fiber- 18 optic network to be connected without major construction, typically because the network already 19 runs along the street or right-of-way and is technically ready to be connected for service upon 20 customer request". The original deadline to serve these homes was December 31, 2024. 21 22 During spring 2024, Lumos began experiencing delays due to construction and budget issues, 23 and much of the construction activity on the project slowed considerably. Those issues were 24 resolved, and construction resumed in earnest in late summer 2024. However, those delays did 25 have an impact on the overall project schedule and the project is over budget. As a result, 26 Lumos has proposed to revise the number of passings to 5,852, completing 92% of the 27 passings in the original contract. The County has also explored alternative strategies to 28 advance project completion should Lumos not continue, including the potential issuance of an 29 RFP to address the remaining passings. 30 31 The County has complied with the first ARPA deadline by committing ARPA funding through the 32 contract with Lumos by December 31, 2024. Once obligated, the funds can only be used for the 33 purpose specified in the obligation. The final deadline to spend the ARPA funding is December 34 31, 2026, so this contract amendment does not jeopardize the availability of ARPA funding. 35 36 To date, Lumos has installed 739 route miles of fiber in Orange County. This network is 37 available to 14,981 total homes including 5,187 previously unserved and underserved homes 38 included in the 2022 agreement. 39 40 The original Lumos project did not reach all the unserved and underserved homes in the 41 County. These areas have been referred to as doughnut holes where approximately 600 42 unserved and underserved homes are located. The County has consulted with the North 43 Carolina Division of Broadband and Digital Equity, and the most likely funding solution to serve 44 those homes will be through the Broadband Equity and Deployment (BEAD) and Stop Gap 45 Funding Programs which has the goal of reaching 100% of unserved and underserved homes. 46 The County will also pursue Stop Gap funding to address the gap between the original Lumos 47 contract passing count of 6,370 and the revised passing count of 5,852. The funding process for 48 the BEAD and Stop Gap programs is expected to begin in Fall 2025. County staff will provide 49 updates as more details become available. The agreements and this proposed amendment are 50 between Orange County and North State Communications Advanced Services, LLC, which 51 remains the same legal entity named in the original contracts. Although the company operates 15 1 under the `Lumos' brand and has been publicly reported as acquired by T-Mobile, the 2 contractual obligations, stipulations, and enforcement provisions remain fully applicable and 3 binding on the same legal entity. 4 5 John Roberts reviewed some of the legal questions that had been raised by the public. 6 He said the North Carolina legislature prevents all local governments from directly contracting 7 for lines to go in the ground, from building lines for internet infrastructure itself, and limits all 8 local governments to only issuing grants for incentivizing a known service provider to install 9 lines. He said the contract with Lumos is an incentive grant agreement. He said if Lumos was 10 able to pass 6,000+ homes, they would receive $10 million. He said Lumos says they cannot 11 complete the project. He said the remedy for that is for Lumos to not get the remainder of the 12 money under the current contract. He said that is why the Board is considering an amendment. 13 He said if this was a service contract where the county had contracted directly with someone to 14 install the lines, then they could go to court to give the county specific performance. He said 15 specific performance is a judicial order favoring an aggrieved party that directs the party in 16 breach of a contract to do what they were supposed to do. He said that the Lumos contract is 17 not that type of contract. He said it is an incentive grant agreement, and the remedy for not 18 passing all the homes is that they don't get the remaining $6 million. 19 Robert Reynolds, Chief Information Officer, made the following presentation: 20 21 Slide #1 Lumos Broadband Project Update ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA 22 23 24 16 1 Slide #2 fit'' •� IProject Overview $ • County funded public-private partnership with a$10 million American Rescue Plan Act(ABPA)grant began in April 2022 ' �+ • Original project goat was to connect 6.370 unservedfunderserved addresses in the County ` 'r • Lumos paid$1 million upon contract approval • First milestone of passing 3,000 homes achieved and Lumos paid$3 million as per contract 4 • Final milestone payment in the original contract of$6 million was contingent on Lumos passing all 6,370 homes • 5,187 locations have been completed to date �i ■ 4 3 4 Slide #3 Project Progress - i Aid Lumos has installed 739 The Lumos network is availableto To date,5,187 unserved and mute milesof fiber in Orange 14,981 wtelhomes in Orange underserved locations have County County access to broadband as part of the Lu mos-Orange County contract • Lumos advises they are unable to complete all 6,370 homes in the contract • County examined options to complete the project and safeguard ARPA funds • An amendment to the contract is proposed to achieve 92%project completion 5 6 Robert Reynolds said that Lumos asked for more funding to complete the project. 7 Commissioner McKee asked how much the request was for. 8 Robert Reynolds said $14 million. 9 Commissioner McKee asked for the reason to drop to 92% project completion. 17 1 Robert Reynolds said there was not a specific reason, but that they said they had 2 identified homes that they would be able to do. 3 Commissioner McKee said that sounded like the easiest, most accessible possible route 4 for Lumos to get the project partially completed. 5 6 Slide #4 Proposed Amendment to the 2022 Lumos Contract • Lumos would be paid a total of$5.2 million over three installments • $2.6 million at the first milestone of 199 locations completed • $1.3 million at the second milestone of 111 locations completed • $1.3 million at the third milestone of 355 locations completed NII • A total of 665 locations completed The proposed amendment to the 2022 Lumos contract wit: • Reduce total broadband passings in the original contract from 6,370 to 5,852 • Extend completion deadline to July 1,2026 • Revise the disbursement schedule ARLA 37 CD Revise the payment terms from 30 days to 15 days once work is completed • Remove 600 addresses from the County contract as7 8 Robert Reynolds said the initial payment is disproportionately larger to account for the 9 2,187 homes that Lumos has completed since passing the initial 3,000 homes in their first 10 milestone. 11 Commissioner Fowler asked why the payments for areas 2 and 3 are the same when the 12 number of homes in each area is different. 13 Robert Reynolds said that he thought those homes were what was available in the 14 polygons. 15 Commissioner Fowler said if the areas were equally difficult, she would understand the 16 difference. She said if it's not, she would think the payments should be proportional to the 17 number of homes passed. She asked if it was possible to amend the terms to make 18 proportional payments for areas 2 and 3. 19 Andrew Stevenson, representing Lumos, said the three areas have more density and 20 more unserved homes than other areas. He said the payment schedule is to account for the 21 work and capital expenditures that have occurred passing the first 3,000 homes. 22 Commissioner Fowler said she understood the first payment amount. She asked if it 23 was equally difficult to do areas 2 and 3 and that's why the county would pay an equal amount. 24 She said it seems like it should be more reflective of how many homes get served. 25 Andrew Stevenson said that in each polygon, there are additional unserved homes 26 besides those that are in the contract. He said that in each polygon there will be an equivalent 27 number of total homes. He said there approximately an equivalent amount of work in each 28 polygon. 29 Commissioner Fowler asked if a border line would not need to be laid in area 3 because 30 it looks larger than area 2. 18 1 Andrew Stevenson said that even though it is geographically larger, there's typically an 2 equivalent number of homes in each polygon. 3 Commissioner Fowler asked if there are people within the polygons who might not be 4 underserved. 5 Andrew Stevenson said Lumos's definition of those who are unserved is anyone that 6 doesn't have fiber. He said the state considers anyone with cable internet as served. 7 Commissioner McKee asked when work stopped on the project. 8 Andrew Stevenson said roughly the end of June or July. 9 Commissioner McKee asked how many polygons would have been served had work not 10 stopped. 11 Andrew Stevenson it's hard to say, but maybe a couple. 12 Commissioner McKee said that would be two polygons. He said that essentially Lumos 13 is asking for almost full payment for half of the remaining homes. He said it's not right, because 14 people have no recourse. He said the other options are pie-in-the-sky. 15 Robert Reynolds said that the total number of passings will be reduced from 6,370 to 16 5,852 and the completion of the contract will be extended to July 1, 2026. He said the 17 reimbursement schedule will be amended and the payment terms will be 15 days instead of 30. 18 Commissioner McKee asked for an explanation of BEAD funding. 19 Chair Bedford asked if he could wait for that answer so the presentation could be 20 completed. 21 Robert Reynolds said the county is working with the state for stop gap funding for the 22 remaining homes due to the amendment. 23 24 Slide #5 Orange County FTTP Project Schedule(5852 HHs) -. ?ezn wnrsn znn-xs nnxs Rerar. caoao.rwo.orE Rrn e+vmo sRewrx,a �__ w..RorosR emmt RrtrerrcM1 MrecueW Gesyn Ermrrraen� Erpmm Onmor65R LgrrcalrK 6irzctur O;Fl vreperman [^Greair{ �p_nsmWno Er�_�_ mlreger 09P I ir6er lxrmrrelinsWN85Rlirny CamnuvWm Rniv.En OIV7n( _ dtrec>'urlti c £arrp ryr+uR E^D^`er:nR RRr x RYSM E.uMr 1.x.Rm wn..) £c Rs...Eeurxw��nl.S.oaR xwnof r..-- -. raw ii Yha.eRYu4n luwdr.RRRRHawl elgr,e.,iny v 6AMr5M EaixntM1 lLlai Hcxm.•� FSr erinE — vNw 6MartH UrMrI.e65 naM19 '.^4nr-z.ine Project Schedule 25 26 Commissioner McKee asked if the true deadline is December 31, 2026. 27 John Roberts said that is the deadline for all funds to be expended, and for any other 28 addresses to be added beyond the amended number of locations. 29 Chair Bedford said a previous amendment was never signed. 19 1 Commissioner Fowler reviewed the terms of the contract and asked what "a commitment 2 to pass any additional location" meant. 3 Travis Myren said if an underserved home is identified while passing the remaining 665, 4 it automatically is added. 5 Commissioner Fowler said that was mentioned in all three areas with a date of no later 6 than July 1, 2026. 7 Commissioner Carter asked if the definition of unserved and underserved was the 8 Lumos definition. 9 Travis Myren said it was the state and federal definition. 10 Vice-Chair Hamilton asked how it is determined when work is completed. 11 Travis Myren said they would verify through the project management team. 12 Vice-Chair Hamilton asked if there is visual inspection. 13 Travis Myren said the contract allows for visual inspection. 14 Commissioner Fowler asked about the cost for connection, which she said was initially 15 set at $50 a month, but now it appears to be higher. 16 Robert Reynolds said there were changes at the bandwidth offering levels. 17 Andrew Stevenson said there was a stipulation in the contract that price increases be no 18 more than 10% each year. He said that comparing prices gets complicated when people come 19 in at introductory or promotional offers for 12 months. He said a low-cost offering is still 20 available if requested. 21 Commissioner Fowler asked if Lumos is laying line in Alamance County and if that was 22 funded through ARPA. 23 Andrew Stevenson said they received a NC Great grant, which was funded by ARPA, 24 and it was recently completed. He said that there is work going on that is privately funded. 25 Commissioner McKee asked if Lumos was laying line in Durham County, and if they had 26 the same situation in Durham as they are having in Orange County. 27 Andrew Stevenson said they were laying line in Durham County. He said they were 28 having some of the same issues, but not at the same extent. 29 Commissioner McKee asked if Lumos was asking Durham the same request they were 30 making of Orange. 31 Andrew Stevenson said no. He said they received an ARPA grant through the NC 32 Broadband office, and they also have privately funded projects. 33 Chair Bedford asked Robert Reynolds if he had spoken with IT folks in Durham. 34 Robert Reynolds said yes and that they never entered into a contract with Lumos. 35 36 PUBLIC COMMENTS: 37 Tony Blake said he opposed changing the Lumos contract. He said that Lumos says he 38 does not have broadband, but he has broadband provided by Spectrum. He said he supported 39 his neighbors who were being left behind by the proposal. He said they are not doughnut holes, 40 but taxpaying residents. He said that after acquisition by T-Mobile, Lumos continued to fulfill 41 other contracts and expand their network elsewhere. He said T-Mobile has plenty of assets and 42 they would not lose money on this contract, it would just take them longer to recoup their 43 investment. Orange County is a tier 3 county and has little hope of receiving BEAD funding. He 44 said BEAD and stop gap funding are both funded by ARPA. He said both require matching 45 funds and asked where those would come from. 46 Jack Vest said he has struggled with slow internet at his home and that AT&T will not 47 make improvements or repairs to his current lines. He said that he lives among lots of trees and 48 would not want to cut them down in order to get satellite internet. He said cell phone signals are 49 also unreliable. He said for 3 years he received regular updates on the broadband project, until 50 T-Mobile bought Lumos. He expressed concern about the cost per connection the county will 51 pay under the revised contract. 20 1 Laura Evans said she represented her neighbors in Marion's Ford Road, Foxwood Farm 2 Road, and Brights Way. She urged the commissioners to keep the 600 addresses in the Lumos 3 contract and extend service to them. She described the location of the neighborhood, and asked 4 what other providers would step in to save Brights Way. She said due to poor cell phone 5 reception they cannot use their phones to provide internet. She said the existing service from 6 AT&T's megabyte DSL plan does not support essential activities like video appointments, online 7 schoolwork, downloading work files, and video calls with family and friends. She said the county 8 has not applied for BEAD funding, and why should Brights Way be optimistic that the county will 9 get those funds. She asked for the county to honor their commitment and keep the 600 homes 10 on the list. 11 Dan Eddleman said DSL has worked for some in southwestern Orange County, but has 12 failed for others due to getting water in the lines, which AT&T has refused to fix. He said the 13 area of Morrow Mill and White Cross has poor radio system signals, which affects the VIPER 14 service, fire, and EMS. He said that if he has an emergency, he may not be able to call for help. 15 He said Area 3 in the proposed amendment, that is the worst area due to the terrain and the 16 failed DSL service. He said that Area 3 is the last to be talked about for fixing, and he is 17 concerned that the work will not be done. 18 Joy Mercer said she was disappointed that the county was proposing eliminating her 19 home from the contract with Lumos. She said that none of the remaining $6 million should be 20 paid to Lumos unless they complete the contract of 6,370 homes. She said that Lumos chose 21 to provide service to dense, already served areas, rather than unserved areas. She said T- 22 Mobile is worth $267 billion, and she doesn't understand their rationale for getting out of the 23 contract. She said that as a beneficiary of the contract, they may have standing to sue. She 24 said she has spoken to many county representatives and was promised that she would get 25 service. She said the amendment is inadequate and has no targets for completion. She said 26 fiber should be placed in any conduit that has already been installed. She wants Lumos to 27 abandon the conduits that they have already laid, so she and her neighbor can negotiate with 28 another provider to use the conduit that is already on her property. 29 Paul Mercer said that he has experience in telecommunications. He said the most 30 difficult part is the deployment of the conduit that holds the fiber and junction boxes where 31 interconnections are made. He said he did not understand why they would allow the contract to 32 not finish the job in neighborhoods where the bulk of the work is done. He said to do so is poor 33 contract management. He said he did not see a way of monitoring the contractor other than the 34 number of homes passed. He said the county needs a more robust method of demanding 35 performance from contractors going forward. 36 Susan Walser brought a handout of FCC maps showing broadband availability. She 37 noted that there are areas on the maps that show broadband availability, but those addresses 38 do not have them, they only have conduits. She said Lumos laid fiber on her road which 39 already has AT&T fiber and high-speed Spectrum service. She said they did not need the 40 service, while a neighborhood two roads down is underserved. She said that when T-Mobile 41 took over Lumos, she must pay $80 a month, while others have a $50 a month rate. She said 42 the customer service with T-Mobile is poor. 43 Robin Mulkey asked the Board where they stand and asked them to support residents in 44 Orange County. She said that the project problems are not the county's problem. She said it is 45 poor planning on their part. She said if there is a contract that isn't enforced, why do they 46 bother having a contract. She asked the Board to show they support rural residents and vote 47 against the proposed amendment. 48 Patrick Mulkey said in Bingham Township they always get the unwanted county projects, 49 like landfills or airports or OWASA. He said now that the county has a chance to step up, they 50 forget about the rural people. He said with their current service, if it rains, there's no service. 21 1 He said they are in a wide, open area with farmland with few trees. He asked the Board when 2 they would step up for rural Orange County. 3 Chuck Mosher said he represented the Hartwood community. He said they have AT&T 4 DSL and pay $80 a month for 6 megabits. He said the 600 households that would be excluded 5 are the most remote and spread out. He said if you look at the map, the sort of the before and 6 after map, it's huge swaths of land. He said 92% of the county will not be served. 7 Blair Pollock recounted trouble shooting internet issues with T-Mobile and how difficult it 8 was. 9 Laura Streitfeld asked the commissioners not to approve the amendment. She said 10 there are people who are not aware that they will not be served with this amendment. She said 11 that lack of reliability costs county residents. She said that 25% of residents primarily work from 12 home and they need reliable and affordable internet. 13 Eda Cornish said she cannot get Spectrum internet like some of her neighbors have. 14 She said they have aged in place and need reliable internet to receive services. She said they 15 pay significant taxes and that they are not getting the same services that their neighbors are. 16 She said T-Mobile can afford to complete the contract. She said they've waited for many years 17 and asked the commissioners to make sure it happens. 18 Edward Mann asked the Board to consider that the broadband landscape has changed 19 in the last few years. He said the list of unserved addresses that Lumos will still connect to are 20 not really unserved. He asked the Board to focus on the unserved areas. He asked the Board 21 to remember that the funds are an incentive to do more. 22 Ken Bradley said his home was previously served by Bell South, but AT&T will not 23 provide them service now. He said they cannot get AT&T to give them a landline, they aren't 24 served by cable, and the two satellite services they've tried have been erratic. He said this 25 sounds like a project management failure and that the new owners have decided to turn on the 26 project. He asked the Board to hold a potential provider's feet to the fire. 27 Tom Barbon said he used to receive internet from Meb-Tel, which was acquired by 28 Century Link, and later by Bright Speed. He said they do not receive reliable service and it is 29 not sufficient for work or school. He asked who proposed the amendment. He said it is 30 confusing that the contract appears to be unenforceable. 31 Ron Royster said he first received internet from Meb-Tel, then Century Link, and now 32 Bright Speed. He said they lost internet for 5 weeks in July from Bright Speed. He asked the 33 Board to take care of the residents of Orange County. 34 Suzanne Kirby said she is an oncologist at Duke. She said that as a physician she must 35 be able to put it in orders for chemotherapy in the middle of the night, and it can only be done 36 through her laptop. She said she's had to drive to a coffee shop to put in orders for patients. 37 Bonnie Hauser said after receiving Lumos service, her experience with internet has 38 greatly improved. She said after T-Mobile acquired Lumos the service relationship and cost 39 structure changed. She asked the Board to make sure that residents get internet and to include 40 representatives from unserved communities on a revived broadband task force. 41 Jim Ross said he had conduit put in a year and a half ago, but it still does not have fiber. 42 He asked how many people have conduit, but don't have fiber. He asked the Board to prioritize 43 final buildouts of fiber where conduits are already laid. 44 45 Commissioner Carter asked why some homes would have conduits laid, but fiber is not 46 being run through the conduits. 47 Andrew Stevenson said that he believes the contractor got ahead and laid the conduit 48 first before the cabinet and the brains of the network were in place 49 Commissioner Carter asked what is prohibitive about the final steps for those homes. 22 1 Andrew Stevenson said after speaking with the county, the question was, what can 2 Lumos doe for the remaining $6 million, and those three areas was where they thought they 3 could get the most bang for their buck. 4 Commissioner McKee asked how many homes have conduit and no fiber. He asked 5 why there has been no work in months. 6 Andrew Stevenson said 1,200-1,300 homes have been connected in 2025. 7 Commissioner McKee asked why homes with conduits have not been connected with 8 fiber. 9 Andrew Stevenson said that it is a result of their strategy to "follow the light." 10 Commissioner McKee said he believes that there has been a ploy to stop work to force 11 an amendment. 12 Andrew Stevenson said it boils down to an $18-20 million overage on the project. 13 Commissioner Fowler asked what the likelihood is of completion of the contract without 14 the amendment. 15 Andrew Stevenson said he believes this is the best offer by the company. 16 Commissioner Fowler said that is the big concern. She said they are trying to figure out 17 the best way to get them to complete as many as can be done. She said they cannot apply for 18 other grants for these homes if they are still included in the grant contract. She said that they 19 proposed paying 92% if they complete 92% of the project. She said she does worry that Lumos 20 may not complete all three areas. She said they want to get as many done as they can. She 21 said doesn't have a way to value each area. She said she is willing to say yes as structured, 22 because they are trying to get as many people connected as possible. She said they also 23 wanted to make it clear who is not included so they can pursue other methods of providing 24 service. 25 Commissioner Portie-Ascott expressed sympathy for those experiencing lack of reliable 26 internet. She asked if there is a way to verify who is unserved on the proposed amendment. 27 Travis Myren said they could cross check the list of addresses compared to FCC maps. 28 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked how long that would take. 29 Chair Bedford said it has been done before. 30 Commissioner Portie-Ascott said once they looked at that list and determined that some 31 of the addresses are not unserved. then those folks could more forward with other options. 32 Chair Bedford said it is an ongoing process and will be adjusted until they end up with 33 600+list of eligible properties. 34 Commissioner Portie-Ascott said it seemed the list doesn't reflect the need. 35 Chair Bedford said they could email and then the County Manager and Chief Information 36 Officer to match it up with Lumos's records. 37 Commissioner Greene said they need to clarify who is included on the list. She 38 questioned if the list is accurate and if not, is it a significant enough an issue that they want to 39 get right before they negotiate. 40 Travis Myren said it likely wouldn't be a significant change, and they would be talking 41 about eliminating an entire polygon, which would be 665 addresses. 42 Chair Bedford said that makes sense. 43 Commissioner Carter expressed sympathy with residents. She appreciates Vice-Chair 44 Hamilton's suggestion to reinstate the broadband task force. She noted that 5,187 homes have 45 been passed, and that addressed part of the rural areas of the county that did not have access. 46 She said she feels a responsibility to support work to enable every single possible pass. She 47 said the county has a limited ability to control how a business operates. She said that they are 48 making business decisions, and the Board is making the best decision to try and serve the 49 community. She said she was inclined to support the amendment. 50 Commissioner Greene said she co-chaired the previous broadband task force with 51 Commissioner McKee. She said she is disappointed with where they are with the project. She 23 1 appreciated Commissioner Fowler's comments and the feeling that their hands are tied. She 2 said broadband is not a regulated utility, and it is a shame. She said that this amendment is as 3 far as they can get with Lumos. She said that she supported reconvening the broadband task 4 force and pursuing any and all future options for service. She said that the County Attorney 5 described what they can and cannot contract to do. She said she had heard from many people 6 on how difficult internet access is, and this is a problem they want to solve. 7 Vice-Chair Hamilton said the comment that they are between a rock and a hard place 8 reverberates in her mind. She said part of the reason they are in this position is because 9 internet is not treated like a regulated utility. She said they have limited funds as a county to 10 meet the needs of residents. She said that she feels this is the best they can do at this time, 11 although she is not in favor of the installment plan. She would like to see Lumos receive 92% of 12 the funds when they complete all 665 homes. 13 Chair Bedford said she was in favor of the amendment. She said that if they don't spend 14 the funds, they go back to the federal government. She said that the proposal they negotiated 15 is for flexibility on the payment schedule, and it was not supported by the whole Board. She 16 said she supports moving forward with the proposal and not wait any longer. She said that the 17 county applies for many grants, but they are considered a wealthy county. She said they will 18 continue to work on it. She said they cannot put funds for broadband into the CIP, because it is 19 illegal. She said that is a General Assembly issue. She said she wanted to get 665 houses 20 served and get to work. 21 Commissioner McKee said they are dealing with a multibillion-dollar company. He said 22 their gross income was $81 billion. He said whatever they are losing is pocket change. He said 23 whatever they are losing is due to their lack of due diligence. He said the company was being a 24 bully because they decided to stop working when their margin didn't hit what they wanted. He 25 said if they had, they would have had over 600 of those homes done. He said it is an insult to 26 the county, and particularly because they are affecting people's lives. He described the ways 27 lack of internet affects families. He showed three lists of addresses that would be served, those 28 that are eligible for stop-gap funding, and those that are eligible for BEAD funding. He said that 29 BEAD funding is unlikely due to the county's status as Tier 3. He said that the ARPA funds 30 belonged to the taxpayers. He offered a different proposal, "Plan B", holding Lumos 31 accountable and force them to resume work the following week and complete the project by 32 December 31, 2026. He said if Lumos did not, they would move on without them. He said they 33 could then allocate $10 million of capital funding to serve the remaining 1,183 homes. He said 34 they could use that as an incentive payment. He said if T-Mobile wants to put fiber in the 35 conduits, he has no issue, but he wants T-Mobile to be in or out. He also proposed offering an 36 additional $3 million to T-Mobile to finish the project by December 31, 2026, as a "Plan C." He 37 said they made a promise to people. He said this is an equity issue. He said that regardless of 38 the outcome, he will continue to push this issue. 39 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked for clarification of Commissioner McKee's proposed 40 plan C. 41 Commissioner McKee said they would receive a total of $9 million when all the homes 42 on the list were hooked up. 43 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked for clarification of Commissioner McKee's proposed 44 plan B. 45 Commissioner McKee said Lumos would go back to work on Monday morning, and if 46 not, the county would inform them they were out of a job. He said the county would look for 47 another provider. 48 Commissioner Fowler said doing another RFP would put them farther behind. She said 49 she would prefer to get as much as they can from this contract and then move forward. 50 Commissioner McKee said he would have to have assurances that they would complete 51 the project by 2026. 24 1 Chair Bedford said she planned to make a motion to approve the amendment as written, 2 and to reinstitute the broadband task force. 3 Commissioner McKee said he did not trust them. He said would vote against the 4 amendment. He said he wanted to make sure 600 homes are not left behind with no recourse. 5 He said there are other people in the doughnut holes who are also not served. 6 Chair Bedford said she was not willing to give up $6 million in federal funds. 7 Commissioner Greene said she received information earlier in the day that there are 8 some providers who tentatively have BEAD funding for Orange County, which included Bright 9 Speed, Spectrum, AT&T, Starlink, and Amazon. She said it hasn't been approved. 10 Commissioner McKee said that was not the information he had heard earlier. He asked 11 Robert Reynolds for confirmation on this and for stop-gap funding. 12 Robert Reynolds said they don't have a firm commitment for stop-gap, but that the state 13 office believes Orange County would receive $4 million. 14 Commissioner McKee asked how many providers bid on stop-gap. He said Lumos is 15 not bidding. 16 Robert Reynolds said that was correct. He said for BEAD, there are potential awards, 17 but they have not been evaluated by NTIA. He said it takes 90 days for those lists to be 18 validated. 19 Commissioner McKee said two days ago, he thought only Bright Speed and Spectrum 20 had bid on BEAD 21 Robert Reynolds said that was the information that he had at the time. 22 Andrew Stevenson said the stop-gap program had not officially launched yet, so no 23 provider has bid for the funding. He said Orange County was not eligible for the programs that 24 support NC Great and NC CAB programs, but those rules do not apply to BEAD. He said 25 Orange County would be eligible for that $4 million. He said although Lumos did not participate 26 in BEAD, the stop-gap funding would be an opportunity to get service to those 579 homes. 27 28 Chair Bedford made a motion to approve the amendment to the Network Development 29 Agreement for Broadband Deployment with Lumos and give the Manager the authority to sign 30 the amendment and any other related documents and to reinstate the broadband task force. 31 Commissioner Carter seconded the motion. 32 33 Vice-Chair Hamilton asked to separate the motions. 34 Chair Bedford made a motion to the amendment to the Network Development 35 Agreement for Broadband Deployment with Lumos and give the Manager the authority to sign 36 the amendment and any other related documents. Commissioner Carter seconded the motion. 37 38 VOTE: Ayes, 5 (Commissioner Greene, Commissioner Carter, Chair Bedford, 39 Commissioner Portie-Ascott, Commissioner Fowler); Nays, 2 (Commissioner McKee, 40 Vice-Chair Hamilton) 41 42 MOTION PASSES 43 44 Vice-Chair Hamilton made a motion to reconvene the broadband task force. 45 Commissioner McKee seconded the motion. 46 47 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 48 49 25 1 A motion was made by Chair Bedford to remove the closed session from the agenda. 2 Commissioner McKee seconded the motion. 3 4 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 5 6 b. Discussion of a Ground Lease with UNC for 2700 Homestead Road for the Cold 7 Weather Cots Program and Integrated Day Center 8 The Board: 9 1) received and discussed information regarding a facility located at 2700 Homestead Road 10 in Chapel Hill as a potential location for the Cold Weather Cots Program and an 11 Integrated Day Center; 12 2) authorized staff to enter into negotiation with UNC for a ground lease of up to ten (10) 13 years for the 2700 Homestead Road property; and 14 3) directed staff to develop a budget amendment to fund the compliance and design study. 15 16 BACKGROUND: In April 2025, County Manager Travis Myren and Interim Chapel Hill Town 17 Manager Mary Jane Nirdlinger sent a letter to Gordon Merklein, UNC Associate Vice Chancellor 18 for Real Estate and Campus Enterprises, regarding a UNC facility at 2700 Homestead Road in 19 Chapel Hill. The building, formerly a Duke Energy property, appeared to be under-utilized by 20 UNC and in a location that would be well-situated for the County's cold weather cots operation 21 and a potential integrated day center. 22 23 The cold weather cots operation was held at University Baptist Church in Chapel Hill last winter, 24 but this location is not available to the County for the upcoming winter of 2025-2026. Instead, 25 the Orange County Housing Department is executing memoranda of understanding (MOU's) 26 with 1) the Town of Chapel Hill to utilize the former Chapel Hill Police Department Building on 27 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard; and 2) St. Matthew's Church in Hillsborough — both to serve 28 as the cold weather cot locations for the upcoming winter. An integrated day center, which is one 29 of the gaps identified in the Partnership to End Homelessness Systems Gaps Analysis, has 30 been a high priority gap for the County to fill. 31 32 The letter sent by the County and Town Managers inquired as to whether UNC would be willing 33 to consider allowing the County to utilize the Homestead Road building for these two identified 34 needs. The letter followed numerous conversations between UNC stakeholders and Town and 35 County staff regarding the issue of unsheltered individuals in the downtown Chapel Hill area. 36 UNC, through its Director of Local Relations, Ivy Taylor, expressed an interest in learning more 37 about local efforts to support the unhoused population and to address behavioral health 38 concerns. In addition to discussions about longer-term efforts such as the Crisis Diversion 39 Facility, the issue of a new location for the cold weather cots program and opening an integrated 40 day center came up. There was significant interest by UNC and the Town of Chapel Hill in 41 supporting both of these priorities. 42 43 An integrated day center is a central place where people in housing crisis can access many 44 different needed services. More than just a drop-in center offering basic necessities, this model 45 integrates medical, behavioral and housing-focused services to help individuals move to stable 46 housing and self-sufficiency. It offers a coordinated and comprehensive, trauma-informed 47 approach that moves away from a siloed system that requires individuals to travel to different 48 locations and appointments to get the services they need. It also offers a building with heating 49 and cooling, bathrooms and other resources that provide a reprieve from the outdoors. 50 26 1 This summer, the County and Town were notified that the UNC Office of Real Estate and 2 Campus Enterprises was willing to offer Orange County a 10-year ground lease on the facility at 3 2700 Homestead Road starting in the late spring of 2026. While the offer to lease the property 4 does not involve any rent, the County would be required to fund any necessary improvements 5 and renovations and maintain the building and its upkeep for the period of the lease. The facility 6 is currently being used by UNC for significant file storage needs and for offices and property 7 storage for UNC Campus Police. UNC will require several months to relocate what is currently 8 located at the property and is hoping for a decision by the County as soon as possible so that it 9 can start the moving process. 10 11 Phase I Costs: 12 Due to the complexities of renovating a UNC-owned property where the State Office of 13 Construction would have jurisdiction, staff recommends employing a design firm for $16,521 to 14 ensure compliance with State Office of Construction's standards and to provide cost estimates 15 for the proposed Phase II renovations. This would be the sole FY 2025-26 funding need. AMS 16 has conducted a review of the facility's core building systems — Heating/Ventilation/Air 17 Conditioning (HVAC), fire alarm, and the roof— to assess the feasibility for its use for the Cold 18 Weather Cots program. To occupy the facility to any level, the 24-year-old fire alarm system 19 would need to be replaced for $33,967. Additionally, small renovations would be needed to 20 allow the space to work for the cold-weather cots at an estimated cost of$30,000. As the move- 21 in date would be early in July 2026, these costs would be included in the Manager's 22 recommended budget for FY 2026-27. 23 24 Phase II Costs: 25 The costs to renovate the space for use as a day center with additional County offices would 26 include the replacement of the roof within five (5) years ($500,000 - $1,000,000), and the 27 replacement of a significant portion of the HVAC system ($250,000). These expenses and 28 additional design and renovation costs would need to be developed and submitted in the FY 29 2026 - 36 Capital Investment Plan. As the County does not own the facility, it cannot finance any 30 capital improvements to the property. The County would need to identify pay-go funding or 31 unassigned fund balance to fund any of these investments. 32 33 Caitlin Fenhagen, Deputy County Manager, made the following presentation: 34 35 Slide #1 ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA Discussion of Ground Lease with UNC for 2700 Homestead Road for Cold Weather Cots and Integrated Day Center Programming September 16, 2025 BOCC Business Meeting 36 27 1 Slide #2 Aerial Map of 2700 Homestead Rd Orange County P � �L +ti r l It. k' r r T r PIN: S T NPRTX CARTHCA ROLINA SLA OWNERA TE PF �SIZE:6 -1-COU T 1 OWNER2REF .63Y503 'iANp VAWE-. ADtlRfS3 ti]35 NIHIL SfRVLcf GENTLER RATECOPE. d2 _ALIS: AOO lONN4XP p1APEL XILL a aeon a.s`.. GlTY. RALEIUM RW 54FT. Z1J45D srwTf,zLv. Rc n4441�zi TEwR ew1T. Tme wTe sao: gnsn4m ORntvGE COUNTY 43ANI LEGAL OESG: 2tli PPERATgN CENTER P10N3Z 5.19 qC RRtl NC 48-1�.)2 TOTAL TA% P3 DD N MT'TI c_wllt)11.�L1 ORANGE COUNTY NOR7'li CAROLINA 2 3 4 Slide #3 2700 Homestead Road N ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA 5 6 7 28 Slide 2700 Homestead Road 4 Slide ORANGEs 29 1 Slide #6 2700 Homestead Floor Plan U1 R L 1* Sl m re w L it y _ Y � I M +z GVae':b'A t.cla R fled a� '04 ORANGE COUNTY NnRTH CAROLINA 2 3 4 Slide #7 BACKGROUND = UNC, Town of Chapel Hill, County began conversations regarding downtown unsheltered population needs in 2024 • Cold Weather Cots Needed a New Location • Integrated day Center is a Priority Gap on the €'EH Gaps Analysis and requires significant space • Support from Chapel Hill and UNG for Cold Weather Cots and an Integrated Day Center • 2700 Homestead (formerly the Duke Power building) was identified by the County and Town as a well-situated location for these two priorities • Letter from Managers sent to Gordon Merklein, UNC Associate Vice Chancellor for Real Fstate and CaTpu s Enterprises ORANGE COUNTY & N()WTH CAROLINA 5 6 7 30 1 Slide #8 CWC's and Integrated Clay Center • For winter 25-28, Cold Weather Cots program will be held at former {Chapel Hill Police Department on MLK Jr Blvd and at St. Matthew's Church in Hillsborough • CHPD location is only available for this winter • Integrated Day Center is a best practice for coordination of services and needs for individuals experiencing homelessness: provides indoor space, resources, one-stop access to providers for critical services ORANGE COUNTY NORTH.CAROLINA 2 3 4 Slide #9 Offer from UNC • UNC is offering Grange County a 10-year ground lease of 2700 Homestead Rd Facility (23,851 sq ft) • Starting late Spring 2025 • No rent required, but County will be responsible for all expenses for improvements, maintenance and operations GRANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA 5 6 Caitlin Fenhagen said the ground lease is the easiest way to make the conveyance 7 without having to go through a lot of bureaucracy at UNC. 8 Chair Bedford asked if UNC could agree to a lease of up to 10 years. 9 Caitlin Fenhagen said yes. 10 31 1 Slide #10 Phase 1 Costs for CWC Operation • FY 25-26: $16,521 for Design Firm to ensure compliance with State Office of Construction and for cost estimates for Phase 2 Needs • FY 26-27 Budget: $33,967 for new fire alarm $30,000 for minor renovations for CWC program operation ORANGECOUNTY NO I-H CAROLINA 2 3 Caitlin Fenhagen said there will be an area for women and children and a separate area 4 for men. 5 6 Slide #11 Phase 2 Costs for Integrated Day Center These expenses would he included in the FY 2026 — 2036 Capital Investment Plan: • Approx. $250,000 for New HVAC units • Between $500,000 — $1 ,000,000 to replace the roof in 5 years • Design and office renovation costs to be determined by the design proposal • Opening date target of July 1 , 2027 ©RANGE COUNTY NOKI 13.CAROLINA 7 8 Commissioner McKee asked if the county already provides these services, and if there 9 would be duplication of services. 10 Caitlin Fenhagen said that several services would likely move to the new site. 11 Commissioner McKee said that would move services farther south from Hillsborough. 12 Caitlin Fenhagen said DSS and Housing are in Hillsborough, but that they aren't seeing 13 a need for daily services in Hillsborough. 32 1 Commissioner McKee said he had concerns about the renovation costs as well as the 2 long-term costs of running a day center, including needing more staff. He said not limiting it to 3 Orange County residents might attract others from outside of the county. He wanted more 4 information how staffing will work. 5 6 Slide #12 Facility Space Use Opportunities • Integrated Day Center— Formal proposal for FY 27-28 Budget; modest anticipated staffing beyond Housing Dept (potential offset by reduction); other county department staff and community providers contributing services; bathroom, laundry and lockers access • Housing Department office space needs • Additional County office space in Southern OC • Emergency weather shelter year round • Location for Pop-Up Street Medicine clinics and other events to serve those in housing cni i`� ORANGE COUNTY NORTH.CAROLINA 7 8 Caitlin Fenhagen said that during the day, the libraries and the Seymour Center are 9 seeing a lot of unhoused people. She said this would be a place where people could go for 10 services and connect with providers. 11 12 Slide #13 Manager Recommendations • Receive the information and discuss this property as a site for the Cold Weather Cots program, and a future Integrated Day Center and to serve other County needs • Authorize staff to enter negotiations with UNC for a ground lease for up to 10 years • Direct staff to bring a budget amendment to fund the compliance and design study for Phase 1 and Phase 2 improvements ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA 13 14 15 33 1 Slide #14 Questions? ORANGE COUNTY NOR]1-1 CAROLINA 2 3 Vice-Chair Hamilton said she is in support of Phase I for the project, but wanted more 4 information for Phase II, and would want to know what services or projects the county would not 5 do because of the costs for the facility. 6 7 Vice-Chair Hamilton made a motion to authorize staff to enter into negotiation with UNC 8 for a ground lease of up to ten years for the 2700 Homestead Road property and direct staff to 9 develop a budget amendment to fund the compliance and design study. Commissioner Fowler 10 seconded the motion. 11 12 Commissioner Greene said she was happy to see the proposal and that this has been 13 an unaddressed need for 20 years. She thanked Ivy Taylor, Director of Local Relations, for her 14 work and interest in developing this proposal. She said this would be a year-round Project 15 Homeless Connect, which was a way to emulate a day center one day out of the year. She said 16 other local governments around the country operate day centers, and they combine resources 17 to efficiently serve those who badly need assistance. 18 19 PUBLIC COMMENTS: 20 Ivy Taylor highlighted the university's dedication to being good neighbors and engaging 21 in collaborative partnerships to address multifaceted challenges within the community. She said 22 that the university's mission includes charting a bold course for leading change to improve 23 society and to help solve the world's greatest problems, beginning in their own backyard. She 24 expressed gratitude for the opportunity to collaborate with the county, town, nonprofit sector, 25 and faith communities in addressing these issues and asked for favorable consideration on the 26 agreement to move forward. 27 Alyssa Hinton said she leads the Activate program at IFC. She said their mission is to 28 elevate voices of those most impacted by systemic inequities, especially our unhoused 29 neighbors and to build grassroots power for transformative change. She said policies and laws 30 that threaten to reinstate vagrancy laws punish poverty rather than solve it. She said these 31 approaches deepen trauma, increase displacement, and perpetuate cycles of incarceration. 32 She said that at IFC they have a vision of care, not control. She said they support a humane, 33 community driven response to homelessness. She said there is a need for climate-resilient 34 stations for heating and cooling, creating sanctioned safe sleeping zones designated for car or 35 tent sleeping, and establishing a community resource center offering showers, laundry, storage, 36 and safe gathering spaces. She requested expansion of the CARE team. She said IFC has 37 over 340 signatures from residents affirming the need for intervention. She said in Orange 34 1 County, 21% of households earn less than $35,000 a year, and 5.9% earn less than $10,000. 2 She said we have the resources; we need the will. She said that they want to work with county 3 agencies, non-profits, and civic leaders to ensure every resident can live with dignity. 4 Darren Campbell said he has been unhoused and he has experienced sleeping in the 5 cold. He said the care center would provide a place for people to get warm, take a shower, do 6 laundry, and get prepared for job interviews so they can feel like a human again. He said he 7 understands concerns about costs, and that he would gladly give his dollars to ensure that 8 others have the dignity to see themselves as human beings and not as a second-class leftover. 9 He encouraged the Board to move forward with the proposal. 10 11 Commissioner Portie-Ascott said she was excited to see this proposal in their packet. 12 She asked if there will be showers. 13 Caitlin Fenhagen said they plan to have showers, whether it is inside or part of a mobile 14 shower system. She apologized for the quick turnaround on the proposal. 15 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked that they consider expanding beyond cold-weather 16 cots in the future. 17 Commissioner Fowler supported adding showers to the center. 18 Commissioner Carter said she is very supportive of the proposal and would like to hear 19 more about partnering with the Town of Chapel Hill. 20 Caitlin Fenhagen said that there have been some conversations with Chapel Hill staff, 21 but there is a new town manager and there will need to be further conversations. 22 Commissioner McKee said he would like to see indoor showers at the center. 23 Alan Dorman, AMS Director, said it was a question of whether the county could afford it. 24 Chair Bedford said there is a lot of opportunity. She said if staff is moved to the facility, 25 she wanted to see if some other office-related CIP projects could be changed. She said did not 26 understand the programming proposal and wanted more information. She wanted more 27 specifics on staffing and where existing positions would be moved from. She said this should 28 go to the behavioral health task force for input. She said she has hesitations over the cost when 29 they won't own the facility. She said there is a question of who is paying for the costs of the 30 facility, who will partner with the county, and how authority and decision making will be shared. 31 Blake Rosser, Housing Director, said services in Hillsborough would not be affected. He 32 said they would still have the street outreach team and the housing helpline would continue one 33 day a week in Hillsborough. He said he did not anticipate an increase in staffing. He said staff 34 based at Southern Human Services would be based at the center. He said they may require a 35 position, but they may be able to use existing staff. 36 Chair Bedford said they would also need to think about security. 37 Caitlin Fenhagen said they have an opportunity with UNC to leverage partnerships. 38 Blake Rosser said the model is to bring it partners who provide assistance with 39 programs and staffing. He said that Oak City Cares in Wake County invited the Board to see 40 their facility. 41 42 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 43 44 c. Review of Options for the Design of Crisis Diversion Facility 45 This item was removed from the agenda and will be considered at a later date. 46 47 7. Reports 48 a. Presentation of the Countywide Strategic Plan FY2024-25 Progress Report 49 This item was removed from the agenda and will be presented later as an information item. 50 51 35 1 8. Consent Agenda 2 3 • Removal of Any Items from Consent Agenda 4 • Approval of Remaining Consent Agenda 5 • Discussion and Approval of the Items Removed from the Consent Agenda 6 7 A motion was made by Vice-Chair Hamilton, seconded by Commissioner McKee, to 8 approve the consent agenda. 9 10 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 11 12 a. Minutes for the Auqust 26, 2025 Business Meeting 13 The Board approved the draft minutes for the August 26, 2025 Business Meeting. 14 b. Request for Proposed Naming of Cedar Grove Athletic Field #1 as the "Coach Willie 15 Lawrence Vanhook Athletic Field" 16 The Board received a request from the Cedar Grove Recreation Association and stated the 17 Board's intent to adopt a resolution for the naming of Cedar Grove Athletic Field #1 as the 18 "Coach Willie Lawrence Vanhook Athletic Field." 19 c. Cybersecurity Awareness Month Proclamation 20 The Board approved a proclamation designating October 2025 as Cybersecurity Awareness 21 Month in Orange County and encouraged all residents, businesses, and organizations to 22 engage in activities that raise awareness about cybersecurity and take steps to protect 23 themselves and their communities from cyber threats. 24 d. Authorization for Use of Construction Manager at Risk Services for the Orange 25 County Sheriff's Office Evidence Storage Facility and John M. Link, Jr. Government 26 Services Center Renovations 27 The Board authorized the use of the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) project delivery 28 method for the Orange County Sheriff's Office Evidence Storage Facility and John M. Link, Jr. 29 Government Services Center Renovation project. 30 e. Fiscal Year 2025-26 Purchase of Seven (7) LIFEPAK® 15 Monitors/Defibrillators 31 The Board approved and authorized the Manager to sign all documents necessary for the 32 procurement of seven (7) LIFEPAK® 15 Monitors/Defibrillators. 33 f. Purchase of Vehicles for the Emergency Services Department 34 The Board approved and authorized Orange County Fleet Services to purchase two (2) Ford 35 Super Duty F350 trucks to replace two (2) older vehicles in the Emergency Services 36 Department. 37 g. Amendments to the Emergency Management Ordinance — Second Consideration 38 The Board approved on second consideration and approved a resolution adopting amendments 39 to Chapter 14, Emergency Management Ordinance, of the Orange County Code of Ordinances. 40 h. Amendments to the Noise Ordinance — Second Consideration 41 The Board approved on second consideration and approved a resolution adopting amendments 42 to Chapter 16, Article III, Noise Ordinance, of the Orange County Code of Ordinances. 43 i. Approval of the Establishment, Composition, Role and Charge for the Tax 44 Assessment Work Group and Approval of Commissioner Appointments to the Work 45 Group 46 The Board: 47 1) Approved the establishment, composition, role and charge for the Tax Assessment 48 Work Group; and 49 2) Approved the appointment of three (3) members of the Board of Commissioners to 50 serve on the Work Group. 51 36 1 j. Boards and Commissions —Appointments 2 The Board approved the Boards and Commissions appointments as reviewed and discussed 3 during the September 9, 2025 Work Session. 4 9. County Manager's Report 5 Travis Myren reminded the Board of the joint meeting with the schools on September 25, 6 2025. 7 Chair Bedford said that the proposed agenda for the meeting will highlight state budget 8 issues, the bond and interlocal agreement, and demographics. 9 Commissioner McKee asked if there is a discussion of performance. 10 Chair Bedford said not at this time, but they have asked for a memo when the schools 11 have reviewed the data. She said they would not be discussing pre-schools in depth. 12 13 10. County Attorney's Report 14 John Roberts said the General Assembly will go back into session on Monday and it was 15 anticipated that they will discuss the Medicaid shortfall. 16 17 11. *Appointments 18 None. 19 20 12. Information Items 21 September 4, 2025 BOCC Meeting Follow-up Actions List 22 23 13. Closed Session 24 The previously announced closed session discussion was removed from the agenda. 25 26 Adjournment 27 28 A motion was made by Commissioner Fowler, seconded by Commissioner Greene, to 29 adjourn the meeting at 10:38 p.m. 30 31 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 32 33 Jamezetta Bedford, Chair 34 35 36 Recorded by Laura Jensen, Clerk to the Board 37 38 Submitted for approval by Laura Jensen, Clerk to the Board Attachment 2 1 1 DRAFT MINUTES 2 ORANGE COUNTY 3 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 4 JOINT MEETING WITH 5 CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO BOARD OF EDUCATION AND 6 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION 7 September 25, 2025 8 7:00 p.m. 9 10 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a joint meeting with the Chapel Hill- 11 Carrboro Board of Education and the Orange County Board of Education on Thursday, 12 September 25, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough, NC. 13 14 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jamezetta Bedford, Vice-Chair Jean Hamilton 15 and Commissioners Amy Fowler, Sally Greene, Earl McKee, and Phyllis Portie-Ascott 16 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Commissioner Marilyn Carter 17 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts 18 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Travis Myren, Deputy County Manager Caitlin 19 Fenhagen, 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 George Griffin, Vice- 22 Chair Riza Jenkins, and Board Members Meredith Ballew, Rani Dasi, Vickie Feaster Fornville, 23 Barbara Fedders, 24 CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO BOARD OF EDUCATION ABSENT: Board Member Michael Sharp 25 CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO SCHOOLS (CHCCS) STAFF PRESENT: Superintendent Dr. 26 Rodney Trice (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) 27 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION PRESENT: Chair Will Atherton, Vice-Chair Wendy 28 Padilla, and Board Members Carrie Doyle, Bonnie Hauser, Anne Purcell, Andre Richmond, and 29 Sarah Smylie 30 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION ABSENT: NONE 31 ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOLS (OCS) STAFF PRESENT: Superintendent Dr. Danielle Jones 32 (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) 33 34 Chair Bedford called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. All commissioners were present. 35 36 WELCOME, CALL TO ORDER, AND AGENDA OVERVIEW 37 Chair Bedford welcomed the elected officials and staff from Chapel Hill-Carrboro City 38 Schools and Orange County Schools. She explained that the meeting's agenda would focus on 39 reviewing data first before addressing other issues, including the interlocal agreement and bond 40 projects. She noted that when Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) presented, George 41 Griffin would chair, and when Orange County Schools (OCS) presented, Will Atherton would 42 chair. 43 Commissioners, school board members, and staff introduced themselves. 44 45 1. Status Update from Schools — State Budget Status, Programming, Cell Phone Policies, 46 Staffing 47 48 a. Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools 49 CHCCS Board of Education Chair, George Griffin, began by formally introducing Rodney 50 Trice as the new CHCCS superintendent and expressing appreciation for the county 51 commissioners' continued support of public education. He emphasized the critical importance of 2 1 local collaboration given the uncertainty at both state and federal levels. He mentioned that the 2 North Carolina General Assembly had not yet adopted a state budget, leaving school districts to 3 operate under last year's budget parameters. He said this impasse leaves districts vulnerable to 4 continued uncertainty and restricts significant long-term planning efforts. 5 6 Rodney Trice made the following presentation: 7 8 Slide #1 1 ! r s Joint Meeting with Board of County Commissioners and ©range County Schools September 25, 2025 9 10 11 Slide #2 ■ THINK(AND ACT), 1C � I 4 12 3 1 Rodney Trice said his immediate focus is on what he has control over, which is ensuring 2 students have a meaningful and robust learning experience. He thanked teachers, school leaders, 3 bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and all others who keep schools running daily. 4 Jonathon Scott, CHCCS Chief Financial Officer, continued the presentation: 5 6 Slide #3 Fund Balance Status Update Fund Ballance Trend • FY 2022:$S.OM� FY 2023: $3.6M —>FY 2024: Nearly$0 • Drivers: structural deficit from decreasing enrollment,salary/benefit growth,inflation • FY 2025 preliminary: -$200K increase—>Indicates structural deficit removed Replenishment Strategy • Board approved three-tier reductions: o Personnel freezes and attrition (avoid abrupt layoffs) o Position allotment formula adjustments o Tier III projected to yield --$4M additional savings(implemented Judy 1, 2025) • Goal: rebuild reserves above 5.57. BOCC policy minimum threshold Ch.p.1Hair—b—City S.h-1.I�hc -g THINK (AND ACT) 7 8 Jonathon Scott reported that the district had successfully addressed several years of 9 structural deficits that had emerged since the pandemic, caused by declining enrollment, 10 increased salary and benefit costs, and inflation. He said the district's fund balance declined from 11 $5 million in 2022 to $3.6 million in 2023, and was nearly depleted by the end of the previous 12 fiscal year. He said to address this crisis, the CHCCS Board of Education adopted a three-tier 13 reduction approach focusing on attrition where possible. He reported preliminary numbers 14 showing the district would add approximately $200,000 to the fund balance. He said the district 15 anticipated savings of about $4 million annually from tier 3 reductions that began July 1, 2025. 16 17 4 1 Slide #4 State Budget Impasse & Mitigation Strategy State Budget Impasse • NCGA 2025-27 biennial budget delayed until at least November 2025 • Core dispute: personal and corporate tax cuts • Ongoing uncertainty for local education funding CHCCS Mitigation Strategy • Adapt continuation budget while awaiting state resolution n 3%salary reserve o Fund non-personnel budgets at 75%— creates $1.75M reserve • Tier III savings available if needed to balance budget, but rebuilding fund balance remains top priority �. a +v„-h..1, _.., THINK (AND ACT) MOTTMMU 2 3 Regarding the current year's budget impasse, Jonathon Scott explained they were 4 operating under a continuing spending resolution while the General Assembly remained 5 deadlocked over personal and corporate income tax cuts. He said to mitigate uncertainty, the 6 district adopted a continuation budget with 3% salary increases placed in reserve and frozen 25% 7 of all non-personnel budgets, creating a $1.75 million reserve. He said the CHCCS Board of 8 Education's top priority is rebuilding fund balance. 9 Commissioner McKee expressed appreciation for the difficult steps taken, acknowledging 10 the challenges faced by both the district and the county in managing revenue reductions and 11 avoiding additional tax burdens on residents. 12 13 5 1 Slide #5 Programming • • • MIJAMIAMt ,4�0 THINK(AND ACT) 2 s 3 4 Sophia Mapp, Director of Pre-K/Head Start, continued the presentation: 5 6 Slide #6 Pre- K Enrollment & Waitlist There are three types of classes: Typical, Blended and Separate. • The Typical class has 2 adults and up to 15 students. • The Blended class has 3 adults and up to 16 students. • The Separate class has 3 adults and up to 6 students. wc. .eotisiMy THINK(AND ACT) " 7 8 9 Slide #7 Pre- K Enrollment & Waitlist CHCCS has Pre-K classes in 10 of the 1 1 elementary schools. • Total Students Enrolled: 226 • Total Students on Waitlist: 97 As of September 24.2025 THINK(AND ACT) 10 6 1 Commissioner Fowler asked about the waitlist despite available slots. 2 Sophia Mapp explained that the 97 waitlisted students were all in the tuition category, 3 while slots were being held for students qualifying under Head Start, NC Pre-K, EC, or subsidy 4 programs. 5 Vice-Chair Hamilton asked what types of students are in Separate classrooms. 6 Sophia Mapp said these students all have IEPs and have significant special needs. She 7 explained that they are typically performing at about a one-year-old level, so the curriculum is 8 altered for their individual needs. 9 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked for additional clarification on why the students on the 10 waitlist can't move up to the vacant slots. 11 Sophia Mapp explained that despite having some vacancies, the district maintains specific 12 slots for students who qualify under the Head Start, NC Pre-K, EC, or subsidy programs, and 13 those slots cannot be filled by tuition-paying students due to stipulations. 14 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked about potential solutions to address serving the 97 15 students on the waitlist. 16 Sophia Mapp said the challenges are not only about physical space but also heavily 17 influenced by the nationwide teacher shortage, particularly in early childhood education, which 18 mandates additional licensure beyond what is commonly required for elementary teaching. 19 Funding constraints compound these issues, restricting the district's ability to expand current 20 offerings. 21 22 Slide #8 High School 4x4 Block Collaborative design • 4x4 Guiding Committee: Representatives from schools, counseling, principals and district leaders explored all scheduling models before selecting 4x4. • Schedule Development: Focused on creating a structure that opens opportunities for students while reducing academic pressure. • Professional Learning Planning: Map out training for pacing, assessment and instructional strategies. • Engagement and Training: Inclusive preparation for teachers, principals, counselors and support staff. • Communication and Transparency: Regular updates and opportunities for family and staff input. THINK (AND ACT)7,777,.- ,pili ,r> 23 24 Robert Bales, CHCCS Chief Academic Officer, continued the presentation. He said that 25 after two years of committee work evaluating various schedule options, the district has 26 successfully aligned all four high schools, which previously operated on three different schedules. 27 He said the new schedule aims to provide more opportunities for students, open pathways for 28 partnerships with Durham Tech, and reduce economic pressure on students who previously took 29 multiple AP courses simultaneously. 30 31 7 1 Slide #9 High School 4x4 Block Launching and Strengthening • Flex Schedule Rollout: Distrlctwide implementation of Flex to support interventions, enrichment, and student voice/choice. • Collaboration with DTCC: Expand dual-enrollment and CTE opportunities through deeper partnership. • Master Scheduling and Staffing:. Align course offerings, cross-enrollment and student support systems. • Ongoing Professional Learning: Continued coaching and PLC integration for teachers and leaders. • Monitoring and Refinement: Collect feedback, review student outcomes and make adjustments in real time. Ch.pM€N-Ca b.-CifyS�h..I:I�hrg THINK (AND ACT) � 2 3 Robert Bales explained the key features, including a daily flex schedule providing 4 intervention and enrichment time based on student needs. He said that since implementation, 5 Durham Tech enrollment has more than doubled, and the district is working to expand CTE 6 opportunities and ensure students can complete pathways regardless of their home school. He 7 said the evaluation team will gather data over three years to assess the schedule's effectiveness. 8 9 Slide #10 Wireless Communication Device Policy THINK (AND ACT) DIFFERENTLY 10 11 8 1 Andy Jenks, CHCCS Chief Communications Officer continued the presentation: 2 3 Slide #11 Wireless Communication Device Policy CHCCS believes that the school day should be a time for focused learning, engagement, personal growth, and free from unnecessary distractions. e-F—Hc-ws.nooi.1.1--9 THINK(AND ACT)® 4 5 Andy Jenks noted that Chapel Hill-Carrboro was ahead of state requirements by at least 6 a year, requiring devices to be "off and away" during the instructional day at all grade levels. 7 8 Slide #12 Wireless Communication Device Policy NEW in 2025-26: At high school, wireless communication devices (phones, earbuds/headphones, smartwatches) will not be used, displayed or turned on during the instructional day.* At middle school: No major changes. "Away for the day" implemented in 2024-25. At elementary school: "Away for the day". *Exceptions apply cnoaetin-cawa, c-fs_noi: -.n_:., THINK(AND ACT) ' 9 10 Commissioner McKee asked for examples of exceptions to the policy. 11 Andy Jenks said health reasons, such as monitoring glucose, would warrant an exception 12 to the policy, as well as any reasons listed in a student's IEP. 13 14 9 1 Slide #13 ., L_ - 4 c• 'J IV ti 3 4 Ashauna Harris, Chief Human Resources Officer continued the presentation: 5 6 Slide #14 CHCCS Vacant Position Update Year 1st Day of School 1st Day of SchDDI End of September End of September Certified Classified Certified Classified 2023-2024 45 21 31 is 2024-2025 25 23 24 T 23 2025-2026 14 21 13 14 Media Coordinator(I media coordinator(1) K-5Teacher Assistant(1) Pre-K Teacher(1) Pre-K Teacher Assistant(5) MTSS Specialist(1) EC Teacher Assistant(9) GiftedSpecialist(1) K-5TeaherAscher sistant(12 Gifted Specialist(2) Pre-K Teacher Assistant(1) stant(1) 2025-2426 EC Teacher(8) EC Teacher Assistant(12) EC Teacher(6) Custodian(.5) Positions PEHealthTeacher(1) RestoraiiCustodiicesCoach(2) PEIHeaUTeacher(1} Campus Safety monitor(.5) Custodian(.5] French Teacher(1 French Teacher(1) Data Manager(1) Social Worker(1) Campus SafetyMonitor(.5) Social Worker(1) 9-12 Teacher Assistant(1) Chapel Hill-Carbom city Schools I chccs.org THINK(AND ACT) ■ 7 8 9 10 1 Slide #15 2025 -2026 Staffing Upd'at'e` School-Based Positions 1,527 of 1,558 Positions Filled (98.017.) 1,096 of 1,109 Certified Positions Filled (98.8%) • 201 of 216 EC Positions Filled (93.117o) • 40 of 40 MLL Teacher Positions Filled (100%) ■ Sb of 57 Pre-K Positions Filled (98.2%) THINK(AMD ACT) 2 3 Ashauna Harris emphasized that "retention is the new recruitment," particularly 4 considering the declining enrollment in teacher education programs across the board. She said 5 that the pipeline for producing new teachers is shrinking, the focus has shifted towards keeping 6 existing skilled educators within the system. 7 Chair Bedford asked what MLL stands for. 8 Ashauna Harris said "multi-language learner." 9 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked about certification requirements for EC Teacher 10 Assistants in relation to the vacancies in those positions. 11 Ashauna Harris said these positions are particularly difficult to fill and require 42 or 48 12 hours of college credit; however, any additional training is provided by the district. She said that 13 she recently did a radio advertisement to recruit teacher assistants and substitute teachers. She 14 said that these are high-demand positions that, unfortunately, just don't pay enough. She 15 Commissioner McKee inquired about bus driver shortages seen elsewhere in the state. 16 Ashauna Harris said the Transportation team works extremely hard to find bus drivers, so, 17 thankfully, that has not been an issue for CHCCS. She confirmed that there are some vacancies, 18 but there are contingency plans with all transportation office staff, including directors, trained to 19 drive buses. 20 Commissioner Fowler followed up on whether EC teacher assistants still received a pay 21 differential. 22 Ashauna Harris confirmed they are one salary grade above regular teacher assistants. 23 24 b. Orange County Schools 25 OCS Board of Education Chair, Will Atherton, opened by thanking the county 26 commissioners for their partnership and willingness to try new collaborative approaches. He 27 congratulated OCS on their recent accountability results, highlighting that they were in a three- 28 way tie statewide for all schools meeting or exceeding growth—the first time in district history. He 29 said the district also showed growth increases across all subgroup data. 30 Danielle Jones, OCS superintendent, reflected on the successful previous year and the 31 intensive work over the past 18 months to align district goals and ensure everyone understood 32 the steps needed to achieve them. She said the district has focused on reviewing existing 33 programming and resources rather than introducing new initiatives, ensuring proper evaluation of 34 current programs. She emphasized supporting educators with the necessary resources to 35 improve retention, acknowledging the increasing difficulty of maintaining teaching staff. 36 37 Rhonda Rath, OCS Chief Financial Officer, made the following presentation: 11 1 Slide #1 Orange County Schools Update Orange CAllnty Lr'.I A+i•..GNA LLEHGE.INSPIRE. $CIICCIS 2 3 4 Slide#2 State Budget 5 6 7 Slide #3 FY 2026 State Budget • Still NO State Budget Mini Budget Bill passed into law 816!2025 ■ Provided step increases for eligible public school employees ■ Set employer paid retirement and health benefit • OCS Next Steps Continual review of departmental budgets,scaling back and consolidating where appropriate Reviewing state teaching allotments annually with principals Student outcomes will continue to take priority FN—6f- CHALLENGE.fN..PIRF 8 12 1 Rhonda Rath said that OCS has adopted a budget based on its spring request to 2 commissioners. She said the district is being conservative and thoughtful in spending, 3 continuously reviewing departmental budgets and scaling back where appropriate while 4 prioritizing student outcomes. She said the district began the year with a $3.1 million fund balance 5 and anticipates adding to it, though the audit is not yet complete. 6 7 Slide #4 Cell Phone Policy 8 9 Sheldon Lanier, OCS Chief Equity and Student Achievement Officer, continued the 10 presentation: 11 12 Slide #5 Policy 4318: Use of Wireless Communication. Devices Link to Policy The Board of Education recognizes that cellular phones and other wireless communication devices,including medical communication devices,have become an important tool through which parents communicate with their children. Therefore,students are permitted to possess such devices on school property so long as the devices are not activated,used,displayed or visible during instructional time or any time that causes a meaningful disruption or distraction,or as otherwise directed by school rules or authorized school personnel. Wireless communication devices include,but are not limited to, cellular phones,electronic devices with internet capability,paging devices, two-way radios and similar devices. FMGAGECHALLENGE. IM&VIM6 13 14 Sheldon Lanier reported that Orange County Schools' Policy 4318 was already aligned 15 with the new state law. 16 Commissioner McKee asked what the consequences are if a student repeatedly violates 17 the policy. 13 1 Sheldon Lanier explained that they start with warnings to avoid punitive measures over 2 minor infractions. He noted that OCS students are "extremely compliant", with no major issues 3 reported. 4 5 Slide #6 Staffing Update 6 7 8 Rhonda Rath began continued the presentation: 9 10 Slide #7 CHCS Vacant Position Update 1st Day of Sebool 15t Day of School land of September End of September y4w Certified Classified Certified Classified 2022-2M3 44p _. 14 22 _i 15 i 1'l.S y1 "Li 1 2025-2026 11.0 15.5 - CHALLENGE -. 11 12 Rhonda Rath reported strong staffing levels: 98.7% for certified positions and 95.5% for 13 classified positions. 14 15 14 1 Slide #8 S VACANCIES BY POSITIONS 9 > a a 2025-2026 n o CLASSI= G 9 2025-2026 VACANCIES I I r . a n VACANCIES Cev n n w�striet Lead[7ffire �$ tl fl Sgpporvadmm.nsristante a Y p 81�f 1L5 L8 1bti1 ll 4W M r V M=. .m I- n Aft -NGAGF UMALLENGE. INSPIRE 2 3 Rhonda Rath said hard-to-fill areas showed improvement with 94.4% of EC certified 4 positions filled, 91.2% of EC classified positions filled, 97.3% of secondary math positions filled, 5 and 100% of CTE positions filled. 6 7 Slide #9 Questions? •i FN.^,ArF CH'ALLENGE, BN SpIRr 8 9 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked how EC classes are covered, given the position 10 vacancies. 15 1 Danielle Jones explained that they used long-term substitutes (often retired teachers) and 2 had implemented EC lead teacher positions. While substitutes delivered instruction with training 3 support, EC lead teachers handled IEP paperwork and compliance, receiving stipends for 4 additional responsibility. 5 6 2. Bond Update— County & Districts Interlocal Agreement, Project Updates 7 8 a. Presentation from County Staff 9 10 Kirk Vaughn, Orange County Budget Director, made the following presentation: 11 12 Slide #1 GRANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA Interlocal Agreement Draft September 25, 2025 Joint Meeting of Orange County and School Boards 13 14 15 Slide #2 PURPOSE OF ILA Article I - Purpose • Sets agreement for establishment of staff working group between all three entities. — Wake County's name for the team "CORE Team" not yet changed. • Based on Wake County MOU, which was presented to School Capital Needs Workgroup. • Intent is to set framework for communication, collaboration, and transparency. Not to impose additional approvals on school construction process. CRA SUE COUNTY \4)1?1 C I t'A POLSNA 16 16 1 Slide #3 PROVISIONS OF ILA Article II - Term and Termination • Set to expire at the end of FY 30, to be renewed at that time. • Can be Terminated with 00-day notice, • Termination of ILA does not invalidate other agreements between County and Districts, including transfer of property and sales tax reimbursement agreements. ORANGE COUNTY NORTH.CAROLINA 2 3 4 Slide #4 PROVISIONS OF ILA Article III - CORE Team • Each organization assigns staff to team, representing Budget, Finance and Operations functions • Team will regularly communicate on the progress of the Districts' capital plans. — Staff plan to meet at least quarterly, with increased frequency when multiple projects are underway. • Team will assign roles and workplans to guide work of CORE team and review every two years. ORANGE COUNTY N(lWTH CAROLINA 5 6 7 8 9 10 17 1 Slide #5 PROVISIONS OF ILA Article III - CORE Team • Team will use Joint School Board Meeting to report progress to all three entities annually. • Each organization selects a liaison from the team that will communicate to their respective board. Each Board can set their own schedules of communication from that liaison. • CORE team will assign responsibilities to maintain regularly updated publicly accessible information on status of school capital projects. icy ORANGE COUNTY NORTH.CAROLINA 2 3 4 Slide #6 PROVISIONS OF ILA Article III - CORE Team • School staff will communicate adherence of new projects to School Major Project Planning Addendum as approved by the BoCC. ORANGECOUNTY NORTH CAROLINA 5 6 7 8 9 10 18 1 Slide #7 NEXT STET'S • Boards to use this meeting to discuss or make recommendations to change framework of ILA. • If there is general consensus, the ILA will be presented at all entities for approval within next month. • BoCC can approve Oct 7t" or Oct 2181 • Team members can be assigned and CORE team can convene immediately after approval. ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROUNA 2 3 Chair Bedford said the goal tonight is to get feedback from the boards on the draft ILA. 4 She asked Kirk Vaughn how the project approval will work with the ILA once approved. 5 Kirk Vaughn said that county commissioners approve projects through the budget process 6 and have already approved planning funds for elementary schools for both districts in the most 7 recent budget. He said construction funding approval for those schools is anticipated in the 8 upcoming budget cycle. 9 Bonnie Hauser asked about the program management structure. 10 Kirk Vaughn said project management will remain with the school districts, and the CORE 11 Team will inform some of the big picture program management ideas. 12 Chair Bedford emphasized the value of Wake County's model, where staff met monthly 13 and then communicated with the elected boards and the public. She noted this would be a good 14 way to keep communication open. 15 Vice-Chair Hamilton said she would like more specificity in the section of the ILA about 16 regular communication with the public. She asked what others thought. 17 Al Ciarochi, CHCCS Deputy Superintendent for Operations, said CHCCS is planning to 18 have quarterly updates to the Board of Education and monthly updates at the Finance, Facilities, 19 and Operations Committee meetings. He said the ILA speaks to a public dashboard that would 20 be county managed. 21 Vice-Chair Hamilton said she would like to see different forms of updates to the community 22 outside of social media. She said she would like for it to be clear which entity will do what in the 23 ILA, to know who to hold accountable. 24 Travis Myren said county staff with talk with the school districts and bring something back 25 to the Board with those specifics. 26 Will Atherton said the website is not available to all OCS families, and they need to think 27 about other options to make sure the sharing of information is inclusive. 28 Chair Bedford mentioned that Community Relations has a monthly ad that runs in the 29 News of Orange newspaper and is working on more ideas for reaching the public. 30 Commissioner Greene asked if this is a time when mailings to parents would be beneficial. 31 Chair Bedford said, unfortunately, that is very expensive. She suggested printing notices 32 to go out with students over the weekend. 33 Travis Myren said the county can do a tax bill insert with information for residents. 19 1 Vickie Feaster-Fornville suggested updates could be sent out with the report cards 2 because those go out four times a year. 3 Danielle Jones said the communications teams from the districts and county can get 4 together to ensure consistency. 5 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked for examples of why one party would want to pull out 6 of the agreement. 7 John Roberts, Orange County Attorney, said a termination provision is standard in 8 agreements. He said this provision includes a specific amount of notice, which is common. He 9 said it would not be advisable to have an agreement without ways to exit it. 10 Chair Bedford noted historical tensions between boards over funding could potentially lead 1 1 to termination, though frequent meetings could resolve conflicts before it gets to that point. 12 13 b. Orange County Schools 14 Frederick Davis, Chief Operations Officer for OCS, expressed appreciation for county 15 funding, noting the district had spent or encumbered $4.5 million in the past year on major lifecycle 16 replacements, including roofs, HVAC systems, athletic repairs, asphalt, technology 17 improvements, transportation, and security upgrades. 18 Regarding the 2024 bond, Frederick Davis presented plans for GCS's priority project: a 19 new elementary school on the Gravelly Hill Middle School site adjacent to county-owned property. 20 He said the OCS Board of Education has selected a construction manager at risk delivery method. 21 He announced that the project timeline shows design work over the next year, followed by 24-30 22 months of construction, with the school slated to open in fall 2029. The extended timeline will 23 allow for proper planning and addressing any issues before opening. 24 Chair Bedford elaborated on potential collaboration opportunities between Orange County 25 and Mebane, given the proximity of this potential school site to the Soccer.com facility. 26 Travis Myren said initial meetings between district staff and both the county and Mebane 27 have occurred, and a three-way meeting is planned. 28 29 c. Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools 30 31 Al Ciarochi, CHCCS Deputy Superintendent for Operations, made the following 32 presentation: 33 34 Slide #1 Bond Project Update map, fR1MIf X;OR11R 'WRXdRI . THINK i b (AND 1 DIFFERENTLY 35 20 1 Slide #2 Bond Project Update Carrboro Elementary School - • October: • Project Management RFQ award • Town of Carrboro Development Review Meeting • November:. • Architectural RFQ award in November (pending ILA approval) • January: • Construction Manager at Risk award I 11-C-r—,ciys�r do i�1 THINK(AND ACT) 2 3 Al Ciarochi thanked commissioners for their continued funding support, from deferred 4 maintenance to the successful 2024 bond passage as well as monies to be used for high-priority 5 projects. He presented the district's primary project for the bond: replacement of Carrboro 6 Elementary School as an on-site replacement, with students remaining in the existing building 7 during construction. He said the district is targeting a fall 2028 completion, but has flexibility to 8 extend to fall 2029 depending on planning requirements. He said upcoming major milestones 9 include October board consideration of project management services (based on lessons learned 10 from Chapel Hill High School), meetings with the Town of Carrboro about development review 11 and potential shared-use facilities, a November award of an architectural RFQ, and a January 12 award of a construction manager at risk contract. He emphasized getting contractors and 13 designers working together from the beginning rather than at the end. 14 15 3. Demographic Trends and Impact on School Enrollment 16 17 a. Presentation from County Staff 18 19 Cy Stober, Planning and Inspections Director, made the following presentation: 20 21 Slide #1 ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA Orange County Demographic Presentation Joint School Board Meeting 22 21 1 Cy Stober said much of this information was shared with county commissioners at their 2 September 9 work session. He emphasized the challenges of working with 2020 census data 3 collected during COVID, which significantly impacted school enrollment and operations. 4 5 Slide #2 Population Percent Growth, 2010 - 2020 Total Population(2010) Total Population Percent Growth (2020) (2010 to 20201 North Carolina 9.535,483 10,439.398 9% Orange County 133,801 148,696 11% Alamance County 151.131 171.415 13% Chatham County 63,505 76,285 20% Durham County 267,587 324.833 21% Wake County 900.993 1129.410 25% D-S--us.t—r w o.—W U.." ORANGE COUNTY NOWFH CAROLINA 6 7 8 Slide #3 Annexations 2004 -2023 1.^3 • 3,071 acres have been = n �� k11ry R'w i annexed since 2004. ti • 24 acres have been annexed by Durham. • 209 acres have been annexed "`"""` x 1 by Carrboro. • 421 acres have been annexed ' .�'� by Chapel Hill. "ted • 92.7 acres have been annexed �^ ` by Hillsborough. -;6- �1 • 1,490 acres have been -- E ►`� I ".`" annexed by Mebane. M r=7m•mn } =tOIO-]014 � 30M�7071 I 9 + IS 22 1 Slide #4 Orange County's Population Distribution • This table shows Orange County's population by -� jurisdiction and the Chapel Hill" 59,270 599% percentage of Orange UnlncnrPnracedeaunly 54,579 16.7% County's total population. C-1,..o 21.136 14.2% H'illgborough 9,902 6.7% • About 40%of Orange Mebane" 3,675 zs% County's population lives Do,han,•• 145 0.1% in Chapel Hill,followed Total 148,707 100.0% by approximately 37% 'Unincorporated Orange County means the areas in Orange who live in County but outside of municipalities,including Carrboro, unincorporated Orange Chapel Hal,Durham.Hillsborough,and Mebane.This includes County. the extraterritorial jurisdictions IETJi of the towns. —Portion within Orange County geographic limits 9Bb—MBM 5—-M,M,2X2 Gaud Pepulelim—Au Growth of Municipalities The greatest increase in Mebane experienced the greatest percent change in population population numbers occurred in growth from 2010 to 2020 unincorporated Orange County. compared to the other municipalities. Orange County{Total} 133,801 148,695 11% II Hillsborough 6,087 9,660 59% p Carrboro 14,582 21,295 9% �I Chanel Hill 57.23: 51.960 8% Mebane(Orange County part) 1,793 3,171 77%� _� Unincorporated Orange 50,899 55,781 10% ORANGE COUNTY County mrm 5o�,�a:usc�evre,a o—wsru>wr NORTH CAROLINA 2 3 4 Slide #5 Chapel Hill Township (Similar to CHCCS District Geography) POPULATION r ictal Population 79.274 87,971 96,006 8,035 9.1 Tota[Heuseflolds 30.4533 33.223 36.441 Zia 16 848 Males 36,897 41,515 45.,197 3,561 8.6 T.uu Population 79,274 87,971 95,006 8,035 9,13 remotes 42,377 46.335 50,809 4,474 9.7 In Hausehdds 69.764 78.906 85.125 5.219 7.88 Population Under 18 14,428 17.142 17,553 411 2.4 InG—POuarters 9.510 9.065 10.881 1.816 20.03 Pnlaulallon UnderS 3,406 4,04$ :1579 -464 -11.5 1mt'lull—lined 599 268 480 212 79.10 PapuOt-5-17 11,022 11099 11974 875 6.7 NoninstriudrnaGmd 9.921 8.797 10,401: 1,604 18.23 Iationub&om 5,984 7.382 12,429 51087 88.8 HOUSING UNITS e-1 2010 2020 2010 2020 ' r 2020 pace 77,793 85-621 87,928 2,307 27 While 61,389 64,4.54 62424 2034, -12 Housing Units 32,868 35,764 38,723 2,959 8.27 Bleckor9lrkanAmedcan 9,160 8,646 9,111 485 5A occupm6ft gUntts 30.403 33,223 36,041 2.818 848 Amerlcanlndimand Alaska Native 290 310 493 183 59.0 Owner Occupied 14,221 1$.763 17,631 869 5.18 Adan 4.661 8.638 11.802 3.164 36.6 9emer Occupied 15,262 16,460 18'410 1.950 11,85 NMI-14-11-a ad Other Pacific 17 24 34 10 41.7 Vacant Heusi Units 2.185 2.541 2.682 141 5.55 Same DO-pace 1,676 3,548 4,088 519 14x6 T..ar Mare 9a res 1.481 2,350 8,078 5,728 243.7 Hl4Panhala8rre 4,000 7,382 9.112 1,72'4 23.3 Nut HYs nic pr Latino 75,274 90,579 98,994 9,315 711 Source:US.Census Bureau Census 2000.2010 8 2020 ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA 5 6 23 1 Slide #6 All Other* Townships Combined (Similar to OC School District Geography) POPULATIDN a�AU 2910 �,�o 2010 2D2 2010 2020 Tula l Pppulish r 38,953 &5,838 52,590 &,880 15.0 iolalHmtteholds 15,360 18,234 21.018 �. ..._i malas 19,141 22,318 25,574 3,256 14.6 Total Pepulatl4n 38,953 45,830 52,690 .. 14.97' Females 19.11" 23,512 27,116 3,604 15.5 In Hauseholds 38,520 45,330 52,198 6.S-K 15.13 Pcpulalionunder 18 9,556 10,827 11,616 789 7.3 hn G-POuaners 433 492 492 0 0.00 Populaden Under 5 2.448 2,847 2,653 -194 -619 Insututic-lized 401 457 448 -19 -4.0 Populalion5-17 7.108 7,980 6,963 983 12.3 Nnninstitutiowuxrl 32 25 44 19 76.00 Population65460ver 3.967 5,527 9,762 4.255 77.0 -� HOUSING UNITS 20DO 2010 2020 one Race 38,411 44,777 46,679 3,902 8.7 whlle 30.283 35,041 38.971 1,630 4.7 HmregUnits 16,621 19,831 22,488 7,655 13.31 Flack or AM-American 7,139 7,282 6,737 -545 -7.5 6ccupied H.using"nils 15,380 18,234 21,018 2784 1527 American.Indian and Alaska Native 167 260 358 98 37.7 OamerOccupied 12,194 14,167 16.146 1.979 13.9 Aslan 184 385 872 487 126.5 Renter Occupied 3.195 4.067 4.072 005 1979 Native H-allanand Other Pacific 3 17 17 0 0.0 Vacant Heu51 uws 1.241 11599 1.470 -129 -0.07 636 1,792 4,024 2,232 124.6 - - 542 1.053 4,011 2,958 280.9 Hitprnic or Leliaru 0.,No 1,273 3,825 6,700 3,075 06.6 37,680 42,205 45,990 3,785 9.0 Source,U.S.Census euueau Census 2000,2010 6 2020 Bingham,Cedar Grave.Cheeks,Eno,Hillsborough,and Little River Townships ORANGE COUNTY NOR IA CAROLINA 2 3 4 Slide #7 CC The Chamber lath A....I Stora of the Cu..unity lfeP 2025 Outn600k State & County Minority Makeup 25% 20% 20% 15% 14% 11% 11% 10% 1096 9% 8% 5% 4� 5% 3% 3% 2% 4/0 a� North Carolina orange County Chatharn County ■Black Hispanic(Any Race) Asian or Pacific Islander All Other% Note:'All Other'includes American Indian.other races,and multiracial.The Census changed their way of measuring racelethmaly in the 2020 Census. Source.Is Census Bureau 2020 Decennial Census ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA 5 24 1 Slide #8 County Comparisons of Population Projections The chart on the right shows the Population Projections(2020 versus 2050) by County population projections for Orange County and nearby 2.000,000 counties,as published by the 1,800.000 Connect 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan(MTP). 1,600,000 • In comparison to other counties, 1,40000 Orange County is projected for a much smaller population 7,200,000 increase(about 30%)compared 1,000,000 to other counties. eoo,cc0 • Chatham and Johnston County's populations are 6040010 expected to double 400.000 • Durham County's population is expected to increase by 200,000 40% —. . ■. � • Wake Coun so ulation is Chatham Johnston Orange County Durham County wage County expected to increase P ease by County County almost 60% ■2020 Population 52.213 186.096 148.880 324,784 1,129,865 0 2050 Population 104,395 370,215 193,637 463,414 1,780,155 Percentage Change 99.9% 98.9% 30.1% 42.7% 57.6% ■2020Population ■205OPopulation Data Source:Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization(DCHC- MPOI.Connect 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan(MTPI ©RANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA 2 3 4 Slide #9 QIBAWE NAL Percent Change Total Households f2o24-2029) Percent Charge RESEARCH Stat—d.,NC 15% 8rlsld Say Kingsport u Z 2ccc t an am am sm am flr7 L E7 az QJk d _ n a=`"- `typ=1-'d aQ � tYJ.3 LIZ L" 4rC 3 Com. am All Counties in the Region are Projected to Glow: _ no Chatham=2,571 Households(7.6%) v im» Durham=9,897 Households(6.8%) say Johnston=10,989 Households(12.2%) Orange=2,353 Households(4.0%) Wake=41,241 Households(8.6%) NORTH CAROLINA STATE W ICE HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT The Housing and Deve(Gpment Summit Speaker Series FOCUSING ON:CHATHAM,DURHAM,JOHNSTON, ORANGE&WAKE COUNTIES For Real Estate L Elected _ l^ Municipal spn.g 2025 ORANGE COUNTY NORM CAROLINA 5 25 Slide #10 BOWEN Median List Price afAvailable Homes(2024) LISI Prl� Available For-Sale Housing - Median List Price NATIONAL ,xrosm MO.— JP1741MM uN.959 , w, « , 3m a.m9 CM= ]•,ASO vrmF 9359A9D eun—.. '� ,f6s9,990 b--� ,34Y,4Mi Is9Y959 a,,,-9499.999 W�" i3N.}59 eeu 9M9,900 _ "9N5,900 li39,451 lHf,9m u.n.�n ys9f,s99 N,m+ 3N.9W , l3x;Sm 04f.I51M fxw,m9 41,9N 9e,.y,. H91,459 ",b ,y 11] fx9,,5m f414.9m 9535,999 xsS,9m 1169;xS0 •53.450 ,yyAf0 Fa999 H,m � 9•�• HOS,9m N19,999�.9x,950 tl9an w° x99.Om •e,weo! B3•,3 9314,9N tl01 HxSraN 9x,9,999 ww 41•f9,9N ,9,9m HN. w l,99,Om ,xx 4 oz !119,959 WN,99e yyN 599 5KF"n Fi.yw,,,,1'°� 3,f.999 f4l9.Sm [F39,9® 7.590.0m fas.9m w..- lf99,m9 Hw,ea1 Imtmo 9s1a0W 59a9.0m ,.Mw Wl,n 9,34, 1,55,Om �— N45,9mu .-.- 1300,901 i„3,599 y?61,5W 3351,}59 [:.—w Median List Priees by Countyr 33'9.599 Fro. 599,ma am am= ➢ Durham w$439,000 ,,,,,59 Johnston =$379,940 '' ➢ Orange=$598,500 �;�, ;�'"` ➢ Wake=$525,000 ORANGE • N0KFH CAROLINA 4 Slide Available For-Sale Housing - Units by Price Range In four of the five regional counties, the majority of available homes by price paint have list prices of$400,000+. Very minimal available supply is priced under$200,000 in each of the five regional counties, limiting options for many first-time home buyers, c1laillaul Available For-Sale Housing Units by List Price by Couoty(As of Early July 2024) <520D,400 52DO,OOD-5299,999 5306,000-5399,999 5400,OOD+ Total Cuun#y Number Shsre Number Sham Number Share Number Share Units ® 1.4% ® 6.1'o ® ® 85.8% 148 Durlimi ®® 1()76.8qo 348 21.9"o ® 70.7% L586 Source: 1 • 9 Bowen ORANGE NORTH • 26 1 Slide #12 Chapel Hill Township (Similar to CHCCS District Geography, POPP TAT I ON 2X0 2010 202D 2010-2020 201D 2M Change %Chaoike lr Total Population ,._.a e7sn1 4L.u.)u 1',ua5 9.L iowl Huumbolds 30.483 33.223 Sb.041 2.41 Males 36,897 41635 35.197 3,561 8.6 Total Popufwon 79,274 87.971 96,006 &,035 9.13 (Females 42,377 46,335 50.809 4,474 9.7 innousenmos ea,raa re.- ..1- ..1- real PC PulaI::Under 18 14,428 17142 17.553 411 2.4 Io Group Quarters 9.510 9,065 10.881 1.816 20.03'. P,Ze,r7nUnder5 3.468 6-043M79 -464 -115 4islamlpw84ed 569 2W 489 232 79.101 P.P."...5-17 11,022 13.699 13,974 675 6.7 NoninsliWtinna9red 6,921 6.797 16,401 1,804 182.3 1i4 ) 94n 85&Osror 5.984 7.362 12,429 6,067 888 Wi One Race 77,793 85,821 87,978 2.307 27 While 51.989 64.454 62.420 -2.034 -3.2 Housing Units 32,660 35,764 38,723 2,949 9.£ BUckor AhlcanAmerfcw 9.160 8.645 9.111 465 5A Occupied Huusing units 30,483 33,223 36,041 2.818 8.4£ Arrm-olndian and Alaska Native 290 310 493 I83 59.0 Drone*Oecwpied 14,221 16,763 17,631 806 5.16 Aslan 4.661 8.636 11.802 3.164 38.6 Renter Occupied 16.262 16AW 18A10 1,950 11.85 Native Naw.ltan 81d0ther Pacific 17 24 34 W 41.7 Vacant Housdng Unim 2.185 2.541 2.682 141 5.55 Same Other Race 1,676 31549 4,066 519 14.6 T.-Mare Races 1,181 2350 8,078 5,728 243.7 Hispanic orlatim 6,060 7= 91112 1,720 23,3 Not Hispandc or Latlno 75,274 80,579 86,894 61315 7.8 Source:U.S.Census Bureau Census 2600,201082020 ti ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA 2 3 4 Slide #13 All Other* Townships Combined (Similar to OC Sr;hnnl District Geography) Cn�-2020 2010,200 2020 201D 2020 20102020% POPULATION 2000 2U10 2020 2010 W 'AlChamp HOUSEHOLDS 2000 2010 Change Chiing Ectal Popuellon 38,9x3 45,830 52,690 b'Buu 1S (idol Hous-ld, 15,380 18,234 21,018 2784 15.27 Males 19,141 22,318 25,574 3,256 14,6 Tolat Poculatan 36.953 4x.830 52.590 6.860 14.97 Females 19,812 23,512 27,118 3,604 15,3In Households 38,520 45,338 52,198 6,680 15.13 Pnpulallon Under 18 9556 10,827 11.'818 789 7.3 Vn GrouPQ-t- d33 492 4192 0 0.0 66 . Population Under 5 2,448 2,847 2.853 -194 -8A Inethutle-itned 401 d67 6 -19 410 Papulation517 7,108 7.960 6963 983 12,3 N-Inslitulfana0red 32 25 44 19 76.00 Pop etion64 a Over 3.957 5.527 9,702 4.255 77,0 201D 2020 21110-2020"� HOUSMG UNrrS 2000 2010 2020 Ch-p Chi One Race 38,411 44,777 46,679 3.902 8.7 While 30,283 35,041 36.671 1.630 4.7 Housing Unlls 16,621 19,833 22,488 2,655 1'-1 W Re'knrAMLan Anserican 7,138 7,282 6,737 -545 -7.5 Occupied Housing Udils 15,380 18,234 21.010 2784 1527 American Indian and Alaska Native 167 260 356 98 37.7 Owner Occapled 12,194 14,167 16,146 1.979 13,971 Aslan 184 385 872 487 126.5 Remerpttupied 3.185 4.067 4.872 805 1979 Nallve Hawallan and Other Pac:ftc 7 17 17 0 0.0 Va[ant Xo0si11gtJnits 3,248 1.599 1.d7p -129 -8 O7 Some Other Race 636 1,792 4,024 2.232 124.6 Two ro,Mare Races A2 1,053 4,011 2,956 280,9 N{apddca{1i81m1}tl�p , Hispanic ar WW,. 1.273 3,625 6,700 U75 84.6 N Cl Hispanic m 01- 37,669 42,205 45,990 3,78$ 9.0 Source.U.S.Census Bureau Census 20110,2010 d 2070 Bingham,Cedar Grove,Cheeks,Eno,Hillsborough,and Little River Townships s ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA 5 27 1 Slide #14 Questions / Discussion ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA 2 3 Barbara Fedders asked for clarification about the data questions raised by Cy Stober. 4 Cy Stober explained there is a significant discrepancy between 2020 census data and 5 2025 state demographer projections for the under-18 population, emphasizing the need to wait 6 for ACS data to validate these numbers. 7 8 b. Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools 9 10 Rodney Trice made the following presentation: 11 12 Slide #1 Enrollment 'If im - ■■ r! THINK(AND ACT) I 13 • . ENTLY 14 Rodney Trice acknowledged the trend of fewer school-age children enrolling, consistent 15 with county-wide demographic data. 16 17 28 1 Slide #2 Average Daily Membership Used for State Funding- 10 Years 12.500 12,M) a `m E 11,50f1 41 g A � 11,604 R S 1a,saa 14,600 2016 2017 2616 2019 2020 2021 2022 2623 2024 2025 2026 Enrollment 12.425 12.152 12.289 12.335 12.333 11:807 11,424 11.408 11.252 x11,1114 10.825 ChapelHll-Can —C-ty Schools I chi--rg THINK [AND ACT) 2 3 Rodney Trice noted that the 20th day enrollment for the current school year showed a 4 decrease of about 300 students from the previous year. 5 6 Slide #3 Decreasing Kindergarten Enrollment Decreasing 1000 Kindergarten 827 849 845 enrollment is one 750 706 682 explanation for s 599 48 626 the drop in enrollment_ n Soo E Z Down in 2025- 26 by 223 or 250 26%from the highest point in 2018-19 0 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26" Remote Retum 1 Chapel HVC—b—Cit}r Scheols chccs.m9 THINK (AND ACT) 7 8 Rodney Trice emphasized these patterns required tough decisions around staffing, 9 facilities, and programming, noting the importance of thinking strategically about the district's 10 response. 29 1 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked about the waitlist again for Pre-K and how the number 2 compares to last year. 3 Rodney Trice said it's about the same as last year. 4 George Griffin added that in the first two years after COVID, CHCCS lost 800 students, 5 so the decline has slowed down dramatically, but is still higher than anyone would want it to be. 6 Chair Bedford asked about enrollment patterns at different grade levels. 7 Rodney Trice noted stable high school numbers but continued challenges at elementary 8 and middle school levels, requiring adjustments to programming and allocation formulas. He 9 anticipated a "bubble" effect reaching high schools in a year or two. 10 1 1 c. Orange County Schools 12 13 Julie Pack, OCS Chief Academic Officer, made the following presentation: 14 15 Slide #1 Orange County Schools Enrollment Update 40AN Orange County GHALLE"QE.INSPIR . Schools 16 17 18 Slide #2 IV �qw Month a a from to ■ 19 20 30 1 Slide #3 Month 1 Comparison Elementary s� 500 45 413U 3--50 65 304 2-54 x 200 ISO 704 - .. Cs97 K A 2 3 4 5 Grade Level ENGAGE.. CHALLENGE. INSPIRE. 2 WW24-25 W SY25-2i 3 4 Slide #4 Month l Comparisons Secondary 600 S00, 404 Q 30@ 2 204 14Q 4 6 7 8 9 14 }1 12 6Y8t1p LRYZP ENiGAGE CHALLENGE. INSPIRE. 5 W SY24-25 ■SV2S-26 6 7 31 1 Slide #5 Month 1 Comparison--Total 304] 6000 ............_... 5000 ....._ - #040 8000 ....... .... 2649 . . ..._.. 1040 0 TaLnl �gY2475Eg?2S-26 ENGAGE. CHALLENGE. INSPIRE. 2 3 4 Slide #6 Cohort Stability 607 600 __ ---- - ` ------------ sea - -580 ------ -- --------=------------- --------- -------------- 548 -- ---- -- 548 660 540 Y .. ------------- 5 7 5 520 7#h Oth Soo S3Y23-24 SY24-25 SY25-26 -t 4th-6th Cohwt f 7th-9th Cahcwt • E"FlC.ACF CHALLENGE. INfiPIFlF. 5 6 7 32 1 Slide#7 Enrolhnent Trend 2 3 4 Slide #8 1 O-Year Total Enrollment Trend 76007,52b 7.551 7,534 74.007.388 7.381 7,299 7200 7 82 �,1222 7000 6 68 ,9l� 5800 F5. 5500 SY14-15 %Y15-16 SY16-17 SY17-18 SY18-19 SY19-20 SY20-21 S`f21-22 SY22-23 SY23-2d SY24-25 SY25-26' 4rT41al FNGAf:F CHALLENGE. 114fiPIHE, 5 6 Julie Pack said that over the past decade, kindergarten enrollment has declined 7 approximately 8% overall, though it fluctuated year to year. The overall 10-year trend continued 8 downward as well, consistent with demographic projections. 9 10 33 1 Slide #9 CHALLENGE 2 3 Sarah Smylie highlighted the visual representation of declining kindergarten enrollment in 4 the elementary data, showing the progression from 500 third graders to 464 second graders to 5 449 first graders to 423 kindergarteners. 6 Vice-Chair Hamilton said it is important for this information to be shared to ensure accurate 7 projections and funding decisions. She stressed the need to understand various factors causing 8 these changes. She suggested that collaboration with planning departments to track building 9 permits and understanding price points would help predict future enrollment. 10 Chair Bedford emphasized that despite enrollment challenges, the facilities remain old 11 and educationally inadequate, requiring new construction. 12 Bonnie Hauser noted that enrollment declines weren't uniform across demographics. She 13 noted that the White student population was declining while the Hispanic student population was 14 increasing, with implications for operating budgets given different educational needs and costs. 15 16 4. Issues for Future Collaboration 17 Will Atherton presented the challenge of the current one-nurse-per-school allocation 18 model, which creates disparities between elementary schools with 400 students and high schools 19 with 1,200 students. He suggested exploring alternative models that could better accommodate 20 varying population sizes and specific school needs. He questioned whether new approaches were 21 needed beyond individual school efforts for mental health needs. He proposed examining shared 22 county resources or new funding allocations specifically targeting mental health support in 23 schools, given the current challenging environment for students. He also mentioned that many 24 prospective teachers are unable to afford living in Orange County, which is an issue for teacher 25 recruitment and retention. He said this is compounded by surrounding districts offering higher 26 salary supplements closer to where teachers can afford to live. He mentioned the need for safe 27 routes to schools, specifically highlighting the dangerous conditions near Cedar Ridge High 28 School. He said students from Cedar Ridge participated in a teaching pathway program at Grady 29 Brown Elementary School, which involved students walking across the street to volunteer, read 30 books, and spend time with elementary students. He said a safer pathway between the schools 31 is needed to ensure the safety of students. On a related note, he shared that the district is 32 participating in a new grant-funded initiative designed to spark interest in teaching careers among 33 current students. He said the initiative aims to enhance Career and Technical Education (CTE) 34 programs and early education opportunities, encouraging students to consider teaching as a 35 career path. 36 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked about national absenteeism trends about and would 37 like more information about that. 34 1 Will Atherton agreed and shared that some of the definitions for absenteeism, like chronic 2 absenteeism, include students who are sick, so clarification is important. 3 Commissioner Portie-Ascott said she would also like to receive and discuss student 4 discipline data. 5 George Griffin said absenteeism has gone up since the pandemic, but it is not unique to 6 Orange County. 7 Bonnie Hauser highlighted the existing programs within the county and school systems 8 that are aimed at supporting underserved communities, such as the Family Success Alliance, 9 family liaisons, community centers, and social workers. She pointed out that there are legal 10 barriers that prevent information sharing between county and school social workers, even when 11 they are working with the same children. She suggested that increased collaboration and 12 communication could significantly enhance outreach efforts to these communities. 13 Danielle Jones proposed identifying common goals across the three boards to address 14 collaboratively. She emphasized that while schools could communicate easily with enrolled 15 families, reaching the broader community remained challenging. Beyond communication, she 16 stressed the need for collaborative problem-solving and resource allocation toward shared goals. 17 Vickie Feaster-FornviIle emphasized viewing Orange County as one community despite 18 multiple governing bodies. She advocated for leveraging existing resources rather than always 19 seeking additional funding, citing specific programs like Orange Partnership for Alcohol and Drug- 20 Free Youth, the ADAPT program, Family Success Alliance (a county-wide program from the 21 health department), and Family Success Navigators. She urged breaking down imaginary district 22 lines and thinking collaboratively as "One OC." 23 Wendy Padilla supported selecting one or two specific goals for collaborative work. 24 Chair Bedford provided two significant county updates. She said the construction manager 25 at risk for the Behavioral Health Diversion Center returned higher costs than projected two years 26 ago, which has caused delays. She said the Board is evaluating four alternative options as well 27 as the original plan for a path forward. She said the facility will serve children ages 4-18 and will 28 include behavioral health urgent care for families. She said the facility will be located next to the 29 UNC-Hillsborough hospital, and the facility would offer welcoming spaces for pediatrician referrals 30 and in-depth consultation on issues like anorexia and anxiety. She said construction is anticipated 31 to take 18-24 months once it starts. She also shared that UNC offered Orange County a free 10- 32 year ground lease at Homestead Road (the former Duke Energy building) for emergency shelter 33 services. She explained that the county could host cold-weather shelter nights there, and the 34 location has excellent bus access. She said future possibilities at the facility could include day 35 programming and respite services for those experiencing homelessness or housing crises. 36 37 Adjournment 38 39 The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 p.m. 40 41 Jamezetta Bedford, Chair 42 43 Recorded by Tara May, Deputy Clerk to the Board 44 45 Submitted for approval by Laura Jensen, Clerk to the Board