Orange County NC Website
The Chair dispensed with the reading of the public charge. <br /> 2. Public Comments <br /> a. Matters not on the Printed Aqenda <br /> Michael Joerling said that he is having a problem with gunfire in his neighborhood. He <br /> lives about 4 %2 miles west of Chapel Hill on Old Greensboro Highway. He has been there for <br /> about 25 years. He has lived in the country most of his life and he knows that gunfire comes <br /> with the territory. It is not the guns that he has a problem with, but the amount of gunfire <br /> coming from his neighbor's property. He said that over the last several years it seems that a <br /> firing range has been set up on the property. He has checked in with the Sheriff's Department <br /> who said that there is not a lot that can be done, so he has come to the County <br /> Commissioners to try and find a resolution. He said that this involves multiple shooters and <br /> multiple caliper guns. Eventually, there are hundreds of rounds being fired. He said that he is <br /> not bothered with guns, but he is bothered with the way that this is affecting the quality of life <br /> of the neighbors with the amount of shooting. <br /> Chair Pelissier said that any petitions from the public are referred to the Agenda <br /> Review Committee to decide what to do from there. She told Mr. Joerling that he would be <br /> notified of the decision. <br /> b. Matters on the Printed Aqenda <br /> These items were addressed in the agenda below. <br /> 3. Proclamations/ Resolutions/ Special Presentations <br /> The Board considered a Resolution in Opposition to Senate Bill 8 — No Cap on <br /> Number of Charter Schools — in its Current Form. <br /> Chair Pelissier said that this is something that the school boards have passed. The <br /> opposition is the amount of monies that will be going to charter schools. <br /> Commissioner Foushee pointed out that this bill will take funding from school <br /> construction for the purpose of charter schools. <br /> Commissioner Yuhasz said that some portions of this bill would require that the <br /> general public schools give up certain funds that are program-specific in order to send that <br /> money to charter schools that do not provide those same programs. <br /> Commissioner Jacobs said that there was discussion of setting up a separate board to <br /> govern charter schools. He asked if that was part of this bill. <br /> Frank Clifton asked that someone read the two paragraphs on the third page that <br /> create the problem for the school systems. <br /> Chair Pelissier read this portion of the resolution: <br /> "Now Therefore Be It Resolved that the Orange County Board of Commissioners <br /> respectfully requests members of the North Carolina General Assembly to reconsider Senate <br /> Bill 8 and make modifications that address the above concerns, specifically: <br /> - Provide a mechanism for accounting for funds that are not appropriate to share <br /> with charter schools. <br /> - Allow for monies to follow the students involved, not requiring sharing of funds <br /> when charter schools do not provide the programs involved <br /> - Remove the provision requiring donor specified accounting and replace it with <br /> restrictions of use of funds as stated in the grants <br />