Orange County NC Website
- Implement the Orange-Person-Chatham Mental Health business and financial <br />plans associated with State mandated reforms of mental health system <br />- Major reworking of the County's comprehensive land use plan <br />- Joint park and recreation facilities <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked about the "low additional funding" that the County is <br />required to provide for Medicaid and if this reflects the reduction in service that the State <br />is contemplating and John Link said that he does not think so, but he will respond back <br />later on this. <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked about fund balances for the school districts and John Link <br />will get this ready for June 10tH <br />PUBLIC COMMENT: <br />Melvin Hurston spoke on behalf of the Orange County Board of Health. He serves as <br />chair this year. He thanked the County Commissioners and the Manager far their <br />support and for maintaining programs for them. He commended Health Director <br />Rosemary Summers far serving Orange County's citizens very well. He said that there <br />has been a loss of funding in the Smart Start programs and this will impact the intensive <br />home visiting program. This program works to prevent child abuse and neglect. He said <br />that there were over 102,000 cases of child abuse and neglect reported throughout <br />North Carolina last year and 1,027 of them were in Orange County. He said that the <br />staff of the Health Department is working hard to manage cuts without affecting services <br />in Orange County. <br />Wayne Kuncl spoke on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Orange Community <br />Housing and Land Trust. He is the chair and he is also the County Commissioners' <br />representative on this board. He introduced the Executive Director of Orange <br />Community Housing and Land Trust Robert Dowling. He thanked the Board of County <br />Commissioners far continued financial support. The support from the County along with <br />the support of the town governments of Chapel Hill, Carrbaro, and Hillsborough pay <br />approximately 75% of their operating expenses. He said that over the past three years <br />they have merged the Orange Community Housing Corporation with the Land Trust and <br />the financial requests to the local governments have stayed constant. However, their <br />expenses have increased and now they need to ask for more. They need adequate staff <br />to implement resale of property to ensure long-term affordability and also for education <br />of homeowners in home maintenance. He requested an increase of $13,000 from <br />Orange County. This represents the first increase since 2000-2001. <br />Maureen Rosen thanked John Link for explaining the budget. She asked the Board of <br />County Commissioners to fully fund the CHCCS requested budget, specifically that there <br />be a continuation in the police officers that are present in the middle schools. She <br />believes that having a police officer serves as a deterrent to bad behavior. She read an <br />email from a teacher about their resource officer. This particular SRO started a program <br />after school for children who were interested in safety and the law. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis said that the Board of County Commissioners does not approve <br />the line items in the school budgets and the school systems pick and choose what they <br />want to keep. <br />