Orange County NC Website
VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br />2. Township Advisory Committee <br />Commissioner Gordon said that she and Commissioner Halkiotis have decided that working to <br />reactivate the TACs could best be accomplished through communication with the citizens and they will <br />work on it from that context. <br />Marvin Collins said that they have two TACs which are active -- Chapel Hill and Bingham. They <br />have talked about holding their Planning Board meetings in different townships to generate some <br />interest. This would give the citizens an opportunity to ask questions of the Planning Board and get the <br />citizens involved with specific issues and projects in their township. <br />Commissioner Brown said that there is no reason to have the townships the way they do and <br />wondered if they could reconfigure to encourage participation. <br />BOARDS AND COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS <br />Written reports were received from the following boards and commissions: <br />Advisory Board on Aging <br />Orange-Person-Chatham Mental Health Board <br />Orange County Agricultural Districts Advisory Board <br />Historic Preservation Commission <br />Orange Water and Sewer Authority <br />Human Relations Commission - Quinton Baker <br />Orange County Commission for Women <br />Orange County Recreation and Parks Advisory Council <br />Orange County Planning Board <br />Orange County Economic Development Commission <br />Carrboro Board of Adjustment <br />Youth Services Advisory Commission <br />Human Services Advisory Commission <br />Water Resources Committee <br />Quinton Baker, Chair of the Human Relations Commission, reviewed their priorities for next <br />year. He said that as of today they have received 51 discrimination complaints. They want to be able to <br />continue to implement the education and outreach strategies for the Human Relations Ordinance but <br />they have no time to do it. They want to do preventive measures and promote nondiscrimination <br />because they feel it important to become proactive to circumvent the tensions as new citizens move into <br />Orange County. He emphasized that they cannot do this alone. They need the Board's endorsement <br />and support in the preventive and promotion area. He asked that the County Commissioners consider <br />adopting as one of their your goals to build and foster a relationship with the community that focuses on <br />education and the prevention of bias and discriminatory acts, and on the promotion of healthy inclusion <br />of all residents into the fabric of our community. <br />Commissioner Carey said that originally the intent of the ordinance was to have a healthy dose <br />of education. It doesn't surprise him that there are a lot of complaints that will consume the time that <br />would be used for prevention and a more proactive stance. He is interested in knowing how we stand on <br />the implementation of the ordinance. He suggested that the HRC bring back a resolution related to the <br />goal that Mr. Baker just mentioned. <br />Commissioner Gordon made reference to the Commissioner for Women priorities and said that <br />she understood that they were going to identify ways in which the status of women in Orange County <br />could be improved. She asked when that would be ready. Lucy Lewis said that she sees the <br />recommendations as ongoing. Commissioner Gordon would like for them to bring forth a <br />recommendation on how to improve the status of women in Orange County. Commissioner Gordon also <br />asked if the equity report done by Verla Insko had been updated and was told that they have talked