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The Board of County Commissioners of Orange County met at 8;00 P.M, on Tuesday, September 18, 1973, in regular session in the. District Courtroom of the Courthouse in Hillsborough. Members Present: Chairman Norman Walker and Commissioners Flora Garrett, Henry S. Walker, Richard E. Whitted and Melvin Whitfield. Members Absent: None S. M. Gattis, County Administrator, and Betty Juna Hayes, Clerk to the Board, were also present. In the absence oP the Clerk the County Administrator, S. M. Gattfe, recorded a portion of the minutes and the other portion was recorded by the Clerk. Chairman Norman Walker oalled for dissuasion of the Ens River Valley Agreement. Commissioner Flora Garrett stated that she felt a auboommittee of the Board should meat and prepared a letter of response to Dr. Arthur Cooper's request for comments on the proposed draft oP the agreement. Commissioner Richard E. Whitted stated that he slap felt the Board should comment on the position taken in this draft. Commissioner Henry S. Walker agrAed with Commissioners Flora Garrett and Richard ~. Whined stating he felt the County owed some reaponae to Dr. Cooper's remarks. He suggested some Board members meet and prepare a proposed comment on the agreement for full Board consideration. Chairman Norman Walker recognized Mra. illoria Williams rdho desired to speak agad~n on the Community Centers Program. Prior to Mra. Williams speaking about the program Chairman Norman Walker read a letter from C. T. Fulkerson, the current Director of the Joint Orange- Chatham Community Action Program. Mr a. Williams took exception to the statements in Mr. Fulkerson's letter and called upon Mra. Marilyn Tyroler, who also took exception to Mr. Fulkerson's letter. Mra. Tyroler continued by saying the Chatham County appointees oontrolled the CED Organization at present and the policies they instituted implemented few of the programs the Orange County Board desired. She felt that our people oould beat be served if we freed ourselves from the Chatham County people and organized a Community Centers program of our own. Mr. John Henry Thompson, a member of the Joint Drange-Chatham Board and its Personnel Committee stated hie committee had nominated Mr. Fulkerson as the Director oP the program after the resignation of Mrs. Ramsey because they felt the replacement should acme from within the organization. Mr. Fulkeraon was recovmlended beasuae the committee felt he was well vualified Par the job and met the in house requirement. Mr. Thompson stated he wished the County would make the $20,000 appropriation, however, he had serious differences with the policies being pushed by Mrs. Williams and Mra. Tyroler. Further he felt that the only persons desiring joint Orange-Chatham tv split were a few people from Chapel Rill who had the idea of aeleating the Director of their choice. He felt that another reason for the desired split was hatred. Re, personally, wished the two County organizatiana could stay together. Mrs. williams partially responded to Mr. Thompson'a statement by stating the joint board did not know of the directorship vaaenay until the night they were asked to make the replacement. Mrs. Williams stated that the current Community Action Agency was comprised of three (3) Boards. The Orange County Board, the Chatham County Board and the Joint Orange-Chatham Hoard. Commissioner Flora Garrett stated she cams on the Orange-Chatham Board shortly after becoming a County Commissioner. At that time she founfl the organization to be torn with disaentien and she wsa not fully satisfied that she knew everything that was going on. Chairman Norman Walker stated that tonights presentation had pointed out more than ever the thorough confusion that existed within the organization. Chairman Norman Walker stated that the only thing that was standing between the adoption of the County Budget was the $20,000.00 request from the Community Centers, Inc. and the $3,DDD.DD appropriation from the OEO Board. Commissioner Richard E. Whitted etatsd that he was not a member of either the Orange Board or the Joint Orange-Chatham Board. However, since the disagreement over the proposed Community Center a, Inc. $20,000.00 budget request that he had attended the various Board meetings. That he did not believe that there would be any duplication of services due to the fact that the Orange County Board had been keeping the Community Centers open and that these centers were providing a service to citizens of the area that was net being provided by any other governmental agency.