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Commissioner Halkiotis extended his annual holiday greetings. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis said that he and Commissioner Jacobs met with Congressman David Price <br />last week. This is the beginning of participating more in the lobbying effort with both the officials in <br />Washington and Raleigh. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that he and Commissioner Halkiotis talked to Congressman Price about <br />cooperative ventures with Durham in acquiring open space as well as support for local agricultural <br />activities and funds for urgent repair. He said that Congressman Price was receptive to all three issues. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis said that he and Commissioner Jacobs would like to set up a meeting with <br />two of Durham County's Commissioners and talk about open space and recreational opportunities. He <br />proposes after the first meeting that two other Orange County Commissioners attend. After this is done <br />with Durham County a meeting needs to be set with Alamance County. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis said that he understands the meeting with Mebane is set up. He is against <br />a meeting with Mebane in a private residence. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis said that in last Sunday's News & Observer there was an article about air <br />quality and he asked the Clerk to make copies and distribute to the Board. He asked that the County <br />Engineer bring back a report and that the Board join the Governor of North Carolina in his effort to <br />improve air quality. <br />Commissioner Gordon said that she hopes that at some point the Orange County Board of County <br />Commissioners will meet with the Durham County and City elected officials and the Board agreed that <br />this should happen. <br />Commissioner Gordon made reference to the floor plans and the material from the groundbreaking <br />of the R. D. and Euzelle P. Smith Middle School and requested that the Board receive a copy. <br />Commissioner Gordon said that she attended a Greater Triangle Regional Council meeting, and <br />they have, along with the Triangle J Council of Governments drawn up a memorandum of understanding. <br />The representation of elected officials has been changed to include eight instead of ten. Three of the <br />representatives are going to be Triangle J COG officers, and the other five will be appointed by Triangle J <br />COG. She said that the representation was changed because the representatives were not attending <br />meetings and the members wanted a closer association between Triangle J and the Triangle Regional <br />Council. <br />Commissioner Brown asked John Link about complaints from hunters this year. She has had <br />several phone calls from people who felt like hunters were either very close to their property or shooting <br />into their property. John Link will follow up with a report to the County Commissioners. <br />Commissioner Brown made reference to a meeting of the Adult Care Home Community Advisory <br />Committee and said that she was very disturbed about the information the Committee collected on Adult <br />Care homes in Orange County. She said that this information was now available on the Internet. She <br />said that the Committee would be giving a report at the County Commissioners' goal setting retreat. <br />Commissioner Jacobs thanked Commissioner Gordon for being a fair and hard working Chair. He <br />wanted to bring to the Board's attention three items in a memo from the Health Director. The Animal <br />Protection Society is suspending their request to the Board regarding inhumane leg traps. He would like <br />Geof Gledhill to research laws to see if the County Commissioners can legally outlaw trapping in Orange <br />County. Also, the Board received a letter of complaint about customer relations at the shelter. He <br />suggested making the issue of improving customer relations at the shelter an agenda item. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis asked if there was a law that when an animal is adopted that the person <br />adopting the animal must sign a statement that the animal will be kept inside the house. <br />John Link said that the Health Director is working through the issues which have been identified <br />and will come back in January with a report. <br />Geoffrey Gledhill said that the agreement that the County has with APS has always stipulated that <br />APS may set their own rules and regulations. What is being suggested tonight is that the County <br />Commissioners may want to have input into the policy from which the rules and regulations are <br />generated. He will provide a copy of the APS agreement and policies to the County Commissioners. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that the Health Department is doing well testing related to perceived <br />threats from the landfill. He wants to be sure that the Health Department's costs are addressed in a <br />proper manner. He feels that this would help in determining the total cost of landfill management. <br />Commissioner Jacobs made reference to the Livestock Ordinance and the Health Board's idea of <br />how it wants to proceed in setting up a group to discuss the ordinance. He suggested that this be put on <br />the agenda for January 18th for discussion. <br />Commissioner Jacobs mentioned that he is on the State's Smart Growth Task Force. He would <br />welcome any input on issues. He thanked Ben Evans for covering the County as a reporter.