Minutes - 20041214 - Laserfiche WebLink

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organizations." He would like more detail about how this will happen and what the organizations might be. He heard something today that there is a possibility that the President will suggest large cuts in Medicaid in order to pay for the war. He said that this would have a potentially devastating effect on Orange County. He would like this fleshed out so that he knows exactly what is going to be done, and by that time, there will be a better idea of what the federal government will be doing. Commissioner Gordon said that the proposal that was described would help low-income families that need these subsidies. She asked if there could be some interim step to use half of the money to just get started. This is a very high priority and she would rather not hold it up. Nancy Colton said that the task force thought that if they have some money committed then they could get started. Commissioner Gordon said that it seems to her that in the final discussion of the budget, that the Board made some kind of commitment. John Link said that is his recollection. Also, the Board wanted this task force to address what they have articulated so far and those particular groups of potential recipients. He said that this is a tricky business to pull out a specific group out of a population of eligible people and start addressing them separate from others. Commissioner Gordon asked if the Board committed $100,000 during the budget for this. John Link said that the Board committed $250,000 for the human services safety net and $100,000 of that was to go to daycare. This is how he remembers it. Commissioner Faushee supported Commissioner Cordon's proposal for $50,000 because this need will only grow by the time they meet again. Commissioners Halkiotis and Jacobs agreed. Commissioner Halkiotis said that he is concerned that a lot of energy is consumed in trying to leverage matching funds from other organizations. His recollection is that the Board made a commitment to look at the entire issue of additional daycare funds once a report came back, sifting out the proposals brought last year, dealing with specific issues of employees of both school systems, employees of County government, and people who work at the daycare services organizations. He is assuming that the Board will receive the final recommendations of this group. A motion was made by Commissioner Gordon, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to release day care funds totaling $50,000 appropriated in the Safety Net Fund to the Department of Social Services (DSS) in order that DSS can provide subsidy to additional families on the Department's day care waiting list under policies developed by the Social Services Board, with the expectation that a report will be brought back to the Board of County Commissioners on haw to address questions raised above before allocating more money. VOTE: UNANIMOUS b. Educational Excellence Work Group Update The Board received an update about the UNC School of Education team that has been working to provide research and analysis about the resources available to the two school systems in Orange County. John Link said that in February 2004 the Board endorsed this group to look at resources available to bath school systems and to pursue further analysis as to how the resources are being utilized by both systems and how they could become more equitable in the future. The work group started meeting in March and it was decided that the School of Education at UNC- Chapel Hill and Dr. Madeline Grumet, former Dean of the school, would be asked to provide a proposal. In June, the Board approved an agreement with the School of Education to pursue the analysis. Rod Visser has recently talked with Dr. Grumet and has a progress report. Rod Visser said that the Educational Excellence Work Group has met a couple of times since the Board approved the contract. The scope of work discussed in August included the