Minutes - 05-30-2000 - Laserfiche WebLink

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applauds Orange County for the complexity of the budget and for what they have done for affordable housing. He asked that the Board seriously consider one cent on the tax rate far affordable housing. Grady Fullerton said that he was invited here by UNC-CH to work at the Institute of Government. He was brought here to instruct finance officers of cities, counties, school districts, and other special districts in the accounting aspect of running local government. He commended Ken Chavious on Orange County's financial report. He thinks it is the duty of every elected official and every public entity to make a full and fair comprehensive annual financial disclosure to the public. He said that he would be happy to work with the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school district in preparing a comprehensive annual financial report for next year. He said that the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School's financial report for this year was not sufficient. Alison Weiner, Chair of the Community Land Trust in Orange County, asked haw many people were there to help support the housing trust fund. About 60 people indicated that they support the one- cent increase in the property tax rate. She made reference to the Shaping Orange County's Future task force report and said that there have been studies of housing affordability in Orange County that have revealed that there is not enough affordable housing in Orange County to meet the needs of low-income residents. She read from the task force report that says, "In order to house projected population, a total of 25,656 dwelling units will need to be constructed between 1998-2030." She said that there were for- profit developers that were ready to construct affordable housing units. Ann Johnson spoke about the Senior Center. She said that the senior center is a facility that reflects what a community feels about the older adults and their value. A senior center provides adequate staffing for the overall administration of the system and for each discrete service within the system. She told about the activities at the senior center and how they contribute to the wellness and well being of the older adults in Orange County. She said that the staffing was a critical issue for the Orange County's response system to the needs of older adults. She said that the Director of the Department on Aging and the Director of the Transportation service needed to be separated into two positions. She said that the senior center needed to have full-time staff for management. She said that the current position of Senior Center Administrator needs an assistant who can fill the absences of staff that occur at centers and keep the Administrator's position available to network with other agencies and programs. She said that the department needs to strengthen its Social Work staff as well as round out its professionals with health related specialists. Libbie Hough, resident of rural Orange County and a teacher at Grady Brown Elementary School, spoke in support of Spanish instruction in the County's Elementary Schools. If approved, the budget would support Spanish teachers in two of their Elementary Schools. She presented letters that were signed by parents that support Spanish instruction in the Orange County Elementary schools. Susan Hauck, parent of a child at Grady Brown Elementary School in Orange County, presented some of the findings of her informal research. She said that in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, all eight Elementary schools offer foreign language instruction, and all of them begin in either Kindergarten or first grade. She said that in Orange County, all six Elementary schools currently offer no foreign language instruction. She encouraged the Commissioners to pass the entire school budget to make sure there is foreign language instruction far the Orange County Elementary schools. Bob Seymour said that he appreciates the impetus that the County Commissioners have placed in the Master Aging Plan process. He suggested that when giving new student figures that also figures be provided for citizens reaching 65 years of age. He said that growth in the County has created great needs at both ends of the life spectrum. He said that the seniors do not want to take money away from the public school system, but the seniors do need substantial support. He said that the members of the senior centers were weary in fund raising. He said that they would need substantial support if they were going to take the Master Aging Plan seriously. Myles Presler, with EmPOWERment, Inc., asked that the County Commissioners allocate one cent for affordable housing. He pointed out the different groups in the County that support this allocation. James M. Putnam spoke in support of one cent for affordable housing. He said that what we have here are people who are asking the County Commissioners to raise their taxes by one cent. He said that there were na people complaining about high taxes. Mel Rashkis said that he has been a resident of Chapel Hill for 38 years and is a retired teacher. He is involved in a program called Community Alliance for Student Success and has become aware of