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6. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS <br />a. Outstanding Countv Program Award: Public Works Deconstruction Project (Old Orange <br />Industries Building on Tryon Street in Hillsborough) <br />The Board received the Outstanding County Program Award from the N.C. Association of <br />County Commissioners for superior innovation in the deconstruction project of the old building across <br />from the Whitted building. John Link said that he wanted the citizens to know that this Board of <br />Commissioners instilled this kind of effort and encouraged the staff to do this. He also pointed out the <br />other three projects that were submitted to the State. The Master Orange Address Database created by <br />the Mapping Department, the Wheels for Work Program from the Department on Aging and <br />Transportation, and the Emergency Preparedness Pocket Guide, which was a joint venture with Durham <br />and Alamance Counties, were submitted to the State and received recognition. <br />Jim Blackburn, legal counsel for the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, <br />made this presentation. He congratulated Public Works Director Wilbert McAdoo and Pete Hendricks. <br />He commended Orange County for this project. <br />Wilbert McAdoo thanked the Board for the support and direction on this project. He thanked <br />the Manager and Pete Hendricks for helping to make this a reality. He said that they took materials <br />down piece by piece and carefully placed them in a manner where they could be reused. Same of the <br />materials have already been used in the Purchasing and Central Services building far flooring and <br />framing. A storage facility at Public Works is also going to be built with same of the materials. The cost <br />of the deconstruction was about $37,929. The cost to demolish it would have been approximately <br />$50,000. <br />Pete Hendricks, deconstruction specialist, thanked the County Commissioners for their <br />policymaking leadership that inspired the staff to deconstruct rather than demolish. He has been waiting <br />for 30 years for people to understand what he does. He said that there were only two other places in <br />North America that were as concerned about recycling buildings -northern California and Halifax, Nava <br />Scotia. <br />7. PUBLIC HEARINGS <br />a. Orange Countv Consolidated Housing Plan Update <br />This item was presented for the purpose of receiving public comment an the housing and <br />non-housing needs to be included in the 2002-2003 annual update of the Consolidated Housing Plan. <br />Housing and Community Development Director Tara Fikes said that each year, local <br />communities are required to reassess the needs of the community for housing. There are several <br />housing priorities -providing rehabilitation assistance for very low and low-income homeowners and <br />renters, reducing the number of owner-occupied and rental housing units not connected to existing public <br />water and sewer systems, facilitating the construction of new or substantially rehabilitated housing units <br />for families with incomes of 80°~ or below of the area median, and facilitating the construction of rental <br />units affordable to very low and low-income families. They also want to create transitional housing units <br />for homeless individuals and families and assist local non-profit agencies to provide continual housing <br />options for special populations including older adults, disabled, mentally ill, and persons with AIDS. <br />Comments will also be received from the public regarding the proposed use of FY 2002 HOME funding. <br />We expect to have approximately $615,000 in HOME funds for this year. Eligible HOME activities <br />include property acquisition, new construction, housing and rehabilitation, and rental assistance. <br />Public Comment <br />Chris Moran, Executive Director of the InterFaith Council far Social Services, distributed same <br />information on what they are experiencing as a result of the economy. He said that the economy is really <br />in very bad shape which has caused tremendous difficulties for low-income families and special <br />populations such as the homeless and disabled. He said that all issues in human services are <br />interrelated and make affordable housing an unreachable goal. He applauded the County on its stand <br />far the living wage. He said that 50°k of those who work for the County live outside the County, 80°!° of <br />the Town of Chapel Hill employees live outside the Tawn limits. This should be a major red flag for all of <br />us to work together. He said that IFC food requests were up by 56°~ with 39°~ more people served <br />