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the task and invested the financial resources necessary to foster local providers." He asked <br />John Link how much Orange County spends on mental health resources and it was answered <br />$1.4 million this year. He continued reading: "Mecklenburg County, with a population of roughly <br />790,000, has earmarked $42.2 million in county money this fiscal year for mental health <br />services. It has more than 40,$00 active community cases and sent only 347 consumers to a <br />state psychiatric hospital for treatment in 2005. Wake County has budgeted $10 million, has an <br />active community caseload of 11,400, and sent over 1,400 clients to a state hospital." He said <br />that this is not really about mental health reform, but it is about putting the cost on the counties. <br />He thinks that the counties have been getting a song and dance on mental health reform for a <br />long enough time. He thinks the County will see a lat more bills for mental health. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis said that he listened to the Governor on TV tonight, who said <br />that he is setting up an ethics commission. He said that he thought that when people achieved <br />elected office, that they put their hand on the Bible. He thought that this was the ethics <br />commission. Speaker Black said last week that the first order of business would be mandatory <br />classes for legislators far ethics and integrity. He said that it is troublesome to him that the <br />State needs an ethics commission and a special class to teach people how to be ethical. <br />Commissioner Gordon thanked Mike Mills and his associates for joining them tonight. <br />Commissioner Gordan said that the Intergovernmental Parks works group met and <br />agreed to recommend to the five jurisdictions -Orange County, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, <br />Hillsborough, and the part of Mebane in Orange County - to approve the composite plan for <br />parks and trails. Basically, this is gluing together the plans that each jurisdiction has formulated. <br />There will be a map that shows all of the parks and trails and then there will be texts of existing <br />facilities and proposed facilities. The work group also discussed the Mountains to Sea Trail and <br />they did not take any action on this except that they thought it was a good idea to support <br />Hillsborough in their river walk and the trail going to the east. <br />Commissioner Gordon reported that the TTA continues to work on the regional rail <br />project, and they were informed that Representative Price and Senators Burr and Dole are all <br />requesting an appropriation of $23.6 million for TTA in the next budget. <br />Commissioner Gordon said that she attended the focus group for elected officials on <br />homelessness in Carrboro Town Hall. The elected officials that attended were Carrboro Mayor <br />Chilton, Aldermen Gist and Broun, Town Councilmen Ward and Harrison, and herself. They <br />spoke about various sites for facilities for homeless people and the diversity of homeless <br />people. <br />Commissioner Gordon said that she wanted to clear up her role on the Leadership <br />Council on Carolina North. Two County Commissioners and two other representatives were <br />appointed, and she was appointed as an alternate. When Chair Jacobs asked her to go to the <br />meeting, she realized that she was not on the list of the people sent forward to the Chancellor. <br />Chair Jacobs said that this was fixed today. <br />Commissioner Carey - no comments. <br />Chair Jacobs apologized to the people that came for the land use plan update public <br />hearing on February 27th and that it was delayed for so long. He said that they were surprised <br />that there was a considerable amount of concern about the first item on the agenda that night. <br />He said that it was not their intention to inconvenience the attendees. <br />Chair Jacobs suggested that he draft a letter of reply to Ms. Hooker-Odum and to the <br />newspapers. He thinks the Board has some strong feelings about this and it strikes him that the <br />way in which the State is handling mental health reform is going down the same irresponsible <br />course that school funding has gone, where those that can afford it will get the service and <br />those who can't are out of luck. This is not the way to do business in North Carolina. He will <br />work with staff to draft a letter that addresses the concerns and the response to this attitude. <br />Chair Jacobs said that he brought up the concerns to the Carolina North Leadership <br />Council. It was decided that alternates could sit in and participate if a member is not there. In <br />