Orange County NC Website
Chair Jacobs distributed it to the BOCC boards and commissions list and asked the County <br />Commissioners to return to the Clerk in the next month or so with recommendations of which groups to <br />sunset, which groups should have a Commissioner liaison or no liaison, and which groups should have a <br />Commissioner appointed. <br />Chair Jacobs pointed out that in the earlier part of the meeting (5:30}, they appropriated $55,000 to <br />help the Eno River Association and the Eno River State Park protect 987 acres in Orange County. <br />Chair Jacobs congratulated OWASA for winning the tap water tasting contest. <br />Chair Jacobs asked Health Director Rosemary Summers to give a flu update. <br />Rosemary Summers said that the flu vaccination season has been very active. For the County <br />Health Department, they have already given 3,375 doses of vaccine to Orange County residents. They <br />have no more vaccine available at this time. They are expecting 250 doses tomorrow. These doses will be <br />reserved for high risk community members - 50 years and older, nursing home residents, chronic care <br />facility residents, children and teenagers six months to 18 years of age on long-term aspirin therapy or other <br />high-risk condition, women in 2nd or 3rd trimester of pregnancy, health care workers, and all household <br />contacts of people at high risk for the flu. They are also serving essential community personnel, such as <br />first responders, to make sure they have already received the vaccine. They have also surveyed providers <br />around the community to determine vaccine availability and most providers are at their last few doses. <br />There are private providers that have the new FluMist, which is a nasal vaccine. This is expensive. It <br />should only be taken by people 5 years to 49 years of age. They have also been working with both school <br />systems to get attendance data. They have started a new campaign called WASHH -Water Action Soap <br />for Healthy Hands. The posters will be displayed in all County buildings, schools, and municipalities. <br />Commissioner Brawn asked what the Health Department is telling people that call when there is no <br />vaccine left. Rorie Summers said that they are taking names on a list and referring them to a provider that <br />has a vaccine. <br />Chair Jacobs said to let the media know when vaccines are available. <br />4. COUNTY MANAGER'S REPORT <br />John Link recognized two Health Department employees that have won state awards -Donna King <br />and Gloria Brooks. Donna King is the Director of Health Promotion and Education Services and she has <br />been awarded the Outstanding Health Educator for North Carolina. She has developed an outstanding <br />public awareness campaign on the West Nile Virus. Gloria Brooks is a Nursing Assistant with the Personal <br />Health Service Division. She helps prepare the patients for their visit with the physician. She has been <br />recognized as the Community Health Assistant of the Year for the State. <br />John Link said that Orange County escaped the effects of Hurricane Isabel with minor damage. The <br />counties in the east incurred a lot of damage, and the EMS staff went down to Northampton and Terrell <br />Counties to help. He asked Emergency Management Services Director Nick Waters to cite the employees <br />that went down to help establish the emergency operation centers in the two counties. <br />Nick Waters listed the people that went to Northampton County -Gwen Snowden, Jerry Wagner, <br />Dinah Jeffries, Michael Day, Kent McKenzie, and Mike Tapp. They were selected because they were the <br />key people that run Orange County's EMS. In Terrell County, three telecommunicators were sent -Mike <br />Rice, Steve Newton, and Beth Sykes. They received good response back from the counties and all <br />expenses will be paid by FEMA. <br />Chair Jacobs suggested that the Board write a letter of appreciation to each of these EMS <br />employees. <br />Economic Development Director Dianne Reid presented a scrapbook of Orange County's 250tH <br />Anniversary celebration. She gave a brief wrap-up of the Agricultural Heritage Festival. There were 3,750 <br />in attendance. Of those, 3,348 of those people were transported by Orange Public Transportation from the <br />park and ride lots. Also, 77°l° of the waste from the festival was diverted - 520 pounds of bottles and cans <br />were recycled, 200 pounds of food and paper was composted, and only 220 pounds was landfilled as solid <br />waste. They would like to present to Orange County a scrapbook and for it to go to the library for the final <br />resting place. It can be left with the Clerk for the County Commissioners to look aver before it is presented <br />to the library. She listed the sponsors that helped fund the celebration. All of their sponsors will be thanked <br />with a framed print from the Agricultural Heritage Festival. She also gave one to each of the <br />Commissioners. <br />