Orange County NC Website
Commissioner Halkiotis asked for Geoff Gledhill's opinion on citizenship. Geoff Gledhill said that <br />citizenship would include minors. There are some boards where minors would be appropriate and <br />some where they would not, such as boards that make policy recommendations. Regarding the <br />other issue of citizenship, he said that the marriage to a citizen is meaningless. Whether the Board <br />wants to extend advisory board eligibility to include residents is up to the Board. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that this has also been a concern in the Latino community that there <br />are a lot of people who live here who are not U. S. citizens and have difficulty participating. <br />Commissioner Carey agreed with Commissioner Jacobs in that we should include any resident <br />whether a citizen or not and the same with the youth. Regarding the issue of asking age and race, <br />he said that the applicant would not have to respond to that question. <br />Chair Brown asked Geoff Gledhill to look at all boards and see which ones are appropriate for only <br />citizens and the ones that would be appropriate for minors. <br />Discussion ensued about the issue of resident versus citizen in advisory boards. <br />Geoff Gledhill will work with the Clerk on this. <br />Specific Appointments of BOCC Members to Advisory Boards: <br />Chair Brown made reference to the multi-colored sheet with each type of board that the County <br />Commissioners serve on. She described each type of board. <br />Chair Brawn then went back to item `c' and two ways of looking at Board of Commissioner <br />appointment procedures, which is how the Board appoints its own members to boards. <br />Commissioner Gordon said that right now there is a seniority system and she thinks this should be <br />kept. She asked if the Board should reorganize every year and see if anyone is dissatisfied with <br />his or her committee assignments. <br />Commissioner Carey said that he is not dissatisfied, but he is flexible. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that as junior members come on there is insufficient flexibility in the <br />system for them to learn new things and broaden their understandings and to bring a different <br />voice to the boards. He has proposed a more fair way of doing it on a handout (blue sheet}. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis thinks that there is some merit in both arguments. He said that there is a <br />dynamic with different boards and he blends with some boards and he does not blend with other <br />boards. <br />Chair Brawn said that she would really like to came off of three ar four of her boards. She <br />suggested that each Commissioner make a list of boards that they do not want to be on anymore. <br />This list should be completed by the end of February. <br />John Link made reference to the Chapel Hill/Carrboro Chamber of Commerce where Dianne Reid's <br />name is struck through. Her name was added back onto this. <br />John Link suggested appointing a Commissioner to the Research Triangle Regional Partnership so <br />that there is a strong presence from Orange County. <br />