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5 <br /> NOW, THEREFORE, I, Moses Carey Jr. , on behalf of the Orange County Board <br /> of Commissioners, does hereby proclaim March, 1991 as MENTAL RETARDATION <br /> AWARENESS MONTH in Orange County and urge all of our citizens to learn <br /> more about mental retardation so that they might be good neighbors, co- <br /> workers and friends to our citizens who have this developmental <br /> disability. <br /> VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> VII. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS - NONE <br /> VIII. PUBLIC HEARINGS <br /> A. HOUSING DEVELOPMENT GRANT APPLICATION <br /> Tara Fikes asked for public comments on suggestions for a <br /> proposal for the FY 1991 Housing Development Grant Application. These <br /> comments will be considered in designing an innovative and effective <br /> project which will improve the housing problems of low and moderate <br /> income residents. Orange County is eligible to apply for a maximum of <br /> $250, 000. <br /> THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS OPEN FOR CITIZEN COMMENTS <br /> ROBIN BARNHILL, member of the Board of Directors for Orange <br /> Congregations in Mission (OCIM) , read a statement from Richard <br /> Hildebrandt. OCIM has a project they feel will meet some of the <br /> critical needs for affordable housing. OCIM and MB Corporation have <br /> entered into a joint venture to construct 35 units of housing. The name <br /> of the community would be Whitted Forest and would be located at the <br /> intersection of Highway 70 and Holiday Park Road on the north side of <br /> Hillsborough. She asked that the Board support a $250, 000 block grant <br /> to help finance the construction of this project. <br /> SUSAN GLADIN, OCIM Director, stated that OCIM has worked for ten <br /> years to meet the needs of families in the community who have fewer <br /> resources on which to live. Housing continues to be a problem. There <br /> is a waiting list for up to a year for subsidized housing. One of the <br /> values of the Whitted Forest project is the vast array of services that <br /> will be in place not only for the residents there but for others in the <br /> community. She listed those services. She asked the Board to support <br /> this proposal. <br /> VALLE JONES of the MB Housing Corporation read a letter from <br /> Donna Dyer, Executive Director of the Orange Community Housing <br /> Corporation. They support this project and provided the money for OCIM <br /> to obtain a consultant for this project. A loan or grant from the CDBG <br /> could fill the gap in the Whitted Forest financial package. She <br /> encouraged the Board of Commissioners to support the Whitted Forest <br /> project for an application for CDBG funds. <br /> LISA VETRONO, owner of a local real estate firm, spoke in support <br /> of the Whitted Forest project. She stated that in the rental management <br /> part of her business she receives about eight (8) calls a week from <br />