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Orange County Commission for Women is rich with potential and energy, but poor in funds. The <br />Commission is being asked to strengthen its role as an advocate for Orange County women, but to be an <br />effective voice for these women, the Commission must have the capacity to conduct research to learn about <br />that contingency. The Commission needs staff support for outreach to women in outlying areas of the <br />County, as well as to meet the needs of the County's growing Latino population. Each of these goals is <br />strongly linked to the Commission's goal to take proactive measures on the racial and socioeconomic <br />diversification of Orange County's women. The funding request will allow the Commission to fulfill its public <br />charge, rather than being underfunded and only able to provide the most basic services. She urged the <br />Board to consider the $21,000.00 increase in the budget over the previous fiscal year's amount to fulfill the <br />Commissions goals in our Human Rights and Relations Department and to be an effective support access <br />and source of information for the County's growing Latina population. <br />Louinga Groves - Not Here. <br />Dan Costa, Chair of the Chapel Hill Recreation and Parks Board, distributed a handout showing the <br />basis for their budget and the origin of their funding. Chapel Hill represents 41 percent of the County's <br />population, but only receives 8.7 percent of the total County parks and recreation operational funding. The <br />per capita funding for residents of Chapel Hill is 14 percent of per capita funding for residents of the rest of <br />Orange County. About 20 percent of Orange County participate in Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation <br />programs, but only about four (4) percent of the cost is contributed by Orange County. There is an even <br />greater disparity with regard to day camp participation. Thirty-nine (39) percent of the participants were from <br />Orange County, and of that percentage, 94 percent received full fee waivers, which translates to $20,106.00 <br />contributed by the citizens of Chapel Hill for other Orange County participants. There is currently a waiting <br />list of approximately 40 persons for this year's day camp, many of which are Town residents. The Town of <br />Chapel Hill would not like to be placed in the position of excluding other Orange County participants, just to <br />serve its own citizens. He concluded by stating that within Orange County, citizens of Chapel Hill receive <br />substantially less County financial support for the operation of parks and recreation programs and activities <br />than other citizens of Orange County. Citizens of Chapel Hill, through their Town taxes, subsidize use of the <br />Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation Department programs by other Orange County residents. Chapel Hill <br />residents, through their County taxes, subsidize parks and recreation activities for residents of the rest of <br />Orange County. Citizens of Chapel Hill, through their Town taxes, subsidize a significant percentage of fee <br />waivers for other Orange County residents in summer day camp programs. <br />Mr. Costa presented the following solutions. <br />? Reimburse the Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation Department for costs incurred in serving Orange <br />County residents as program participants who are not residents of Chapel Hill. <br />? Develop a timeline to increase the Orange County portion of resources currently devoted to parks <br />and recreation programs. <br />? Provide equivalent parks and recreation services to all citizens of Orange County. <br />Mr. Costa, in answer to a question, explained that Carrboro was included as part of the County, not as <br />part of the Chapel Hill figures. He thanked the Board for its time. <br />Dianne Jackson, President of the Chapel Hill/Carrboro Federation of Teachers, spoke about the <br />teachers who are dedicated to the education of children. She asked for additional funding to fund pay equity <br />for Chapel Hill/Carrboro City Schools. She stated that they need employees to provide technical support. <br />Also, she would like to lift the supplement cap for career employees in Chapel Hill. This cap on experience <br />outside the County has created an inequity in salary with area colleagues. Many Orange County teachers <br />have a variety of accomplishment, including serving on national, state, and local committees and <br />conferences, as well as being successful authors and grant writers. Some of them are nationally board- <br />certified teachers and all of them are dedicated, hard-working teachers. The County cannot afford to ignore <br />pay equity. Ms. Jackson is a media specialist and for the last two (2) months her school has been without a <br />technology specialist. The prior one had left for a higher paying position in private industry. This support is <br />necessary to troubleshoot computer and technology problems. Without such support, time is taken away <br />from classroom work. Additionally, problems beyond other staffs capabilities require a wait of several days <br />for help from another school's technology specialist. Meanwhile, students and staff are left to work without <br />the technological tools upon which they have come to rely. The district's librarians have informed Ms.