Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
operation of the shelter at levels of $70-90,000 a year. The revised fiscal year 2003-2004 <br />budget indicates that this year's required level of subsidization is approximately $138,000. This <br />does not include additional funding that would be necessary to support implementation of the <br />HSUS recommendations. The APS board has determined that it is no longer able or willing to <br />continue to subsidize operation of the shelter. As indicated in their notification of intent, their <br />ability and willingness to continue to manage and operate the shelter is contingent upon <br />obtaining adequate funding from Orange County. Their current financial condition dictates that <br />they have no other choice. They understand that the timing of this decision is not good and will <br />result in a broad criticism. He said that the APS will continue to serve the community over the <br />long term and they would like to continue to manage and operate the shelter. If the Board of <br />County Commissioners ultimately determines that it is not in the best interest of the community <br />for APS to continue to manage and operate the shelter, they will continue to provide most, if not <br />all of their current non-shelter related programs and services and will seek to define other ways <br />to work in strategic partnership with the County and other stakeholders for the benefit of animals <br />in the community. <br />Deborah Love said that she wanted to petition the Board to change the timeline far <br />public comment on school merger. She represents a group called INFORM from both the City <br />and the County school districts. They have not taken a position on merger, but their mission is <br />to help insure that there is an informed electorate throughout the County so that they can each <br />make up their awn minds about merger and make their voices heard at every forum passible. <br />They want people to have a real choice and a real opportunity to influence the Board. She said <br />that they have had to weed through rumor and a lot of unfounded assertions that have been <br />flying around about this issue. INFORM thinks it is premature to hold the public hearings before <br />the other facts are available. She asked the Board to postpone the public hearings until two <br />weeks after the additional data the Board requested last night is available. She said that once <br />people have taken a position at the public hearings, it is going to be very difficult for them to <br />back off and incorporate any new information that may come to them in November. <br />Helen Poole, Director of Development for Duke Hospice (formerly Triangle <br />Hospice), spoke about Duke Hospice. It was founded in 1979 by a group of concerned citizens <br />from Orange and Durham Counties. Since 1979, they have been providing hospice services in <br />the Triangle. Again in the early 1990's a group of concerned citizens from Orange and Durham <br />Counties came together and saw the need for an inpatient care facility, which would provide 24- <br />hour care to hospice patients who might be in a pain ar symptom crisis. They raised $2 million <br />to build a freestanding hospice inpatient care facility at the Meadowlands in Hillsborough. Since <br />the last four years, more than 1,000 people have received care at this facility. Last year, during <br />the winter storms in December when many were without power, they found out that the <br />generator that had been placed at this facility would only heat three rooms. It is a six-bed <br />inpatient facility. They had to transport many patients to the hospital and one expired on the <br />way. She asked for a special grant of $10,000 to help replace and rework the generator and <br />wiring that exists at the Hillsborough facility. <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked who owns the hospice and Helen Poole said that it is <br />a wholly owned subsidiary of the Duke University Health System. It is a private, not-for-profit <br />hospice. <br />Commissioner Carey asked what happens in case of an emergency and if there are <br />ways for residents in the surrounding area other than those in the facility to benefit from the <br />generator. Helen Poole said this is an excellent question and she will look into this. <br />Chair Brown said that the County Manager would look at this issue and get back <br />with them. <br />