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APPROVED 2/5/2008 <br />MINUTES <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS' RETREAT <br />December 7, 2007 <br />1:00 - 5:00 p.m. <br />The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Board retreat on Friday, <br />December 7, 2007 at 1:00 p.m. at the Link Government Services Center in Hillsborough, N.C. <br />COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Barry Jacobs and Commissioners <br />Moses Carey, Jr., Valerie P. Foushee, Alice M. Gordon, and Mike Nelson <br />COUNTY ATTORNEY PRESENT: Geoffrey Gledhill and Brian Ferrell <br />COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Laura Blackmon, Assistant County <br />Managers Willie Best and Gwen Harvey, and Clerk to the Board Donna S. Baker (all other staff <br />members will be identified appropriately below) <br />FACILITATOR: Phillip Boyle <br />STAFF IN ATTENDANCE: Purchasing and Central Services Director Pam Jones, <br />Budget Director Donna Coffey, and Assistant to the Manager Greg Wilder <br />NOTE: ALL DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THESE MINUTES ARE IN THE PERMANENT <br />AGENDA FILE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE. <br />Purpose <br />Facilitator Phillip Boyle said that at the September 28th mini-retreat, the Board reviewed <br />a public values framework for navigating policy choices and applied this framework to the <br />Orange County Northern Human Services Center. The Board also discussed and defined the <br />"good life" in Orange County, discussed what members value about Orange County and what <br />value county government should add to Orange County, and identified some of the forces that <br />help sustain or restrain this good life. <br />The purpose of this mini-retreat is to follow-up on the Board's September 28th discussion <br />to develop a greater shared vision, mission, and understanding of county government. <br />Commissioner Gordon asked about the difference between the Board of County <br />Commissioners' retreat and the meeting with the staff. Laura Blackmon said that with staff, they <br />want to know the services Orange County is going to provide and the things that the County is <br />doing that it should not be doing. She wants to tighten up and focus on the issues that need to <br />be focused on and not on the peripheral things. <br />Commissioner Gordon verified that this retreat was foundational for the County <br />Commissioners' retreat. Laura Blackmon said that this meeting was more strategic in nature to <br />develop the direction for the future. Also, there will be two more County Commissioners next <br />year and there needs to be a framework. <br />Phillip Boyle said that the issue is to get beyond the obvious and define some <br />fundamental, core issues. <br />