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~~~ <br />M2NUTES <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF GOMMISSTONERS <br />MARCH 15, 1977 <br />The Orange County Board of Commissioner met in regular session on <br />Tuesday, March 15, 1977, at 7:30 p.m., in the Superior Courtroom of the <br />Courthouse in Hillsborough. <br />Present were Chairman Richard E. Whined, Commissioners Norman Gustaveson, <br />Jan Pinney, Norman Walker, and Donald Willhoit. <br />Others present were S. M. Gattis, County Manager, Neal Evans, Finance <br />Director, Jeffrey Gledhill, County Attorney, and Agatha Johnson, Clerk. <br />Chairman Whined stated than because there were sa many people present, <br />who were interested in Item 7 on the Agenda, that this item would be dis- <br />cussed first. <br />Item 7: Request for supplementary funding from the Area Mental Health <br />Board. <br />Chairman Whined informed those present that at the March 7th meeting <br />of the Board of Commissioners, the Board had agreed to supply 60 percent of <br />the projected $90,000 deficit, which amounted to $54,000. At that time, <br />the Board said that after the February financial report was reviewed, further <br />consideration would be given to. the request from Orange-Person-Chatham Mental <br />Health. This report has been received, and will be reviewed by the Finanace <br />Officer at a later time. <br />Mr. Whined asked if there were persons present who wished to speak to <br />the mental health request. <br />Mr. Henry V. Cobb, Ca-President of the Orange County Association for <br />Retarded Citizens, stated that he was present to speak in behalf of a <br />coalition of people who were vitally concerned about the effects of the <br />cuts in personnel on the mental retardation programs. He stated that the <br />coalition fully believed that the full budget should be funded as developed <br />at the beginning of the fiscal year, in order to protect those being served. <br />He stated that the Association for Retarded Citizens was concerned that <br />children being served in the Orange County Development Center, and adults <br />being served in the Orange County Industries Workshop and group homes, not <br />suffer from a loss of essential services by cuts in service personnel. <br />Mr. Cobb stated further that the Association was also concerned abq~tt <br />the forthcoming budget of 1g77-78, and the effects of cut-backs on mental <br />retardation programs. In conclusion, Mr. Cobb stated tha~the action taken <br />tonight, and the subsequent development of the 1978 budget would have con- <br />sequences, either tragic or beneficial in the lives of a number of children <br />and adults who happen to bear the buxden of a development disability. <br />The next speaker was Mr. Rudd Turnbull, who spoke i.n behalf of the <br />families served by the Development pay Care Center. He stated that the <br />Center was not a day care center alone, but a program of training and <br />education for handicapped children. These children are pre-school age and <br />school age, who because of their disability, do not have a public school <br />program available to them. <br />Mr. Turnbull stated that no time in a handicapped child's life is <br />more important than the first three to five years, becasue it is then that <br />the child gets the headstart to sustain him thereafter. He spoke of the <br />long range planning which must be undertaken by the area Board and the <br />County Commissioners with respect to services to the mentally retarded in <br />_._.. the community. He urged the Board to begin now to think abeut 1977-1978, <br />and thereafter, as more children are prevented from going away to school, <br />but are able to remain in Orange County and receive services through the <br />County's programs. <br />He asked the Board to think about the life which the mentally retarded <br />can expect after their education is completed. The Sheltered Workshop and <br />the group homes in Orange County have provided a meaningful life for many <br />retarded citizens. He concluded that these programs were worth the Board's <br />support and he urged the Board to support them. <br />