Orange County NC Website
2. Review and approve the Proposed Process for Approval and Construction of Southern <br />Community Park, as proposed by the Work Group in Attachment 2. <br />3. Appoint two Board members to the Southern Park Project Planning Committee, to serve <br />with an equal number of Tawn Council members in overseeing the park process; and <br />4. Authorize the release of $140,000 in 1997 Parks bond funds for the development of <br />construction drawings far the Southern Park Special Use Permit. <br />Commissioner Gordon said that she would be interested in this because it is within biking <br />distance of her house and would like to be an alternate on this group. <br />The Board agreed to Commissioner Gordon being an alternate on this subcommittee. <br />VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br />c. Youth Tobacco Prevention Project Grant Acceptance <br />The Board considered accepting funds from the Health and Wellness Trust Fund, in the <br />amount of $232,848, for the Youth Tobacco Prevention Project and establishing a new grant-funded <br />public health educator position to serve as project manager. <br />Health Director Rosie Summers introduced Susan Spalt, Health Education Coordinator for the <br />Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and Donna Williams from the Orange County School system that have <br />been partners in the collaboration to developing and carrying out this grant. The third partner could not <br />be in attendance. She pointed out the statistics in the agenda abstract that show the magnitude of the <br />problem of youth tobacco use. There have been programs in the school systems, but they have not <br />lasted long because of lack of funding. This grant was one of 26 awarded across the State. There were <br />aver 70 applications. The first year of the grant is $81,351 and the subsequent years are slight <br />reductions in those funds. <br />Commissioner Gordon asked about the first grant year dates. Rosie Summers said that it <br />would be sometime in March 2003 through March 2006. <br />Commissioner Gordan is supportive of this idea to prevent youth from using tobacco. She <br />said that she is worried about the measures of performance. She said that there is too much process <br />and not enough results. There is no reason to do this if there are na results. Also, there should be <br />markers along the way to show results besides a process. Rorie Summers said that they would be <br />developing afull-blown evaluation plan with the State. There will also be pre-imposed test measures for <br />the students. <br />Commissioner Carey said that he supports this project, but he added that there needs to be <br />reports throughout the grant period. He said that although the 3°lo goals may not appear to be very high, <br />it is not easy to change behavior. He said that if the goals were acceptable to the TRUST then they <br />should be acceptable to us. He said that we da not have enough money to isolate outcomes of reduction <br />and he does not want to spend a lot of money on evaluations. He would rather spend money on the <br />activities. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that raising the tax on cigarettes would probably have an impact <br />on smoking habits as anything else we might do. He said that the abstract is a little confusing and he <br />read, "It is proposed that the Board of County Commissioners will review the grant outcomes each year," <br />but it appears the only measurement of decrease will occur in 2006. He asked for clarification. Rosie <br />Summers said that they would report annually on the activities and the outcomes. The Youth Behavioral <br />Risk Factor Survey is not always done each year. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that he would be more comfortable in proceeding with the <br />understanding that there will be mare specificity on how to benchmark as we go along. <br />Chair Brown asked about smoking in the last 20 years and when it started being taught in <br />school as a bad thing. She asked when it became part of the school curriculum. Rosie Summers said <br />that it has been limited to a single session as part of an integrated curriculum. <br />Susan Spalt said that at least since 1974-1975 the schools have gone to showing gory <br />pictures of lungs, etc. to showing the benefits of non-smoking and teaching them that it is not normal to <br />engage in the risk behaviors. <br />Chair Brown asked about the target population and Rosie Summers said that they would be <br />targeting older students to teach younger children and then higher risk high school students. <br />