Minutes - 19951209 - Laserfiche WebLink

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outcomes have not been compromised. A detailed report will be done the first part of 1996. RECREATION AND PARKS ADVISORY COUNCIL Loraine Parker, Chair of the Recreation and Parks Advisory Council, reported on their goals for 1996. They still do not have enough land for parks and not everyone in Orange County has a place to go and play. She asked that the Board of County Commissioners pursue parkland acquisition. She supports using school parks for afterhour activities and plans to negotiate with OWASA for parkland. Commissioner Halkiotis asked that Chair Carey write a letter to OWASA regarding parkland on Cane Creek. SOCIAL SERVICES BOARD Marti Pryor-Cook, Director of Social Services, made reference to the special meeting held on December 4 between the Board of County Commissioners and the Social Services Board where they talked about the impacts of welfare reform. She will put together an agenda item outlining the charge and composition of a group of stakeholders to serve on a task force to make recommendations to the Orange County Board of County Commissioners for implementing changes in public assistance and other human service programs. Commissioner Halkiotis emphasized the importance of County government hiring participants in the Work First initiative. In answer to a question from Commissioner Willhoit about the County departments setting up work experiences, Marti Pryor-Cook said that this is an important component of the program that must be accomplished through nonprofits, school systems and other government entities. John Link said that to achieve the changes expected from work first, the elected officials at the local level will need to involve other elected officials, churches and others in the community. He feels that what is produced in the future must be measured in outcomes and not process. The community work experience may not necessarily be a productive outcome. What is more important is for the Board of County Commissioners to define what they want local funds to go for and challenge others to produce the outcome. His fear is that with Work First, the same programs will be reworked with no change in the outcome. It is important that the Health Department and the Social Services Department are given the flexibility to move toward the desired outcome. However, it is important that elected officials set forth the expectations. Dan Reimer, Health Director, said that there is a direct relationship between welfare reform and health reform. They anticipate that when the block grants kick in and people are off of medical service coverage, that there will be an increase in demand for health department services. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLANNING/STRATEGY Commissioner Crowther asked that the Board talk about actively recruiting businesses to the area. Commissioner Halkiotis asked about the water discussions for the Buckhorn area.