Orange County NC Website
<br />things should go beyond the "principle" stage and be fully funded. The water resources initiative <br />is a great plan that is valuable for protecting our water supply in Orange County, and he really <br />wants to express his support for this. However, if we are going to implement this plan as it was <br />conceptualized, we really need to hire a full time staff person in Orange County with the <br />necessary scientific background to implement this plan and he encourages the Board to do this. <br />This has frustrated him when he remembers not too long ago, that they did not cut back on their <br />water usage at school, they would have to start taking group showers down at Fetzer Gym. <br />While water conservation is still an individual decision, he thinks it is very important that we <br />come up with a long term effective plan for dealing with drought issues, flood issues, water <br />contamination, just to name a few. He understands that this is really a tight budget year for <br />Orange County but he still encourages you as a Board to continue on your trend of funding <br />things that are valuable far long-term sustainability. So, please, as you move forward into this <br />budget season, fallow the recommendations of the Commission far the Environment and please <br />put aside the funding for afull-time staff hydrologist. <br />Thank you. <br />Robert Dowling said that he and Scott Maitland were here to let the Board know about <br />the Community Leadership Council and to ask the Board to appoint the Chair and the Manager <br />to the CLC. It is an outgrowth of the Foundation for Sustainable Communities, and its goal is <br />community sustainability -economic prosperity, environmental protection, and social equity. <br />The CLC is comprised of people from business, governments, the University, and nonprofits. <br />The objective is to have people with varying perspectives an the community in the same roam <br />talking about the future development of the communities. This is mostly about southern Orange <br />County, mostly Chapel Hill and Carrboro. They have had several presentations and they want <br />to learn more about the community and then to plan a trip to Madison, Wisconsin to learn what <br />they have done. They are going an the trip September 24-26, and they would like Chair Jacobs <br />to serve on this trip as an honorary co-chair along with the Chancellor and the Mayors of Chapel <br />Hill and Carrboro. He invited the County Commissioners to also participate in the trip. <br />Scott Maitland said that they have 40 people committed to attending this trip and they <br />are planning an 90 people. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis thanked Robert Dowling and Scott Maitland because this is the <br />first time that he has recalled that someone has extended an invitation to them in person. <br />b. Matters an the Printed Agenda <br />(These matters were considered when the Board addressed that item on the agenda <br />below.) <br />3. Board Comments <br />Commissioner Carey said that all received the written report from the Health Director <br />about the Mill Creek Study and he asked her to make a summary presentation at one of the <br />future meetings. Staff has done a commendable job with studying the issues that arose. He <br />said that most of the issues have been addressed. <br />Commissioner Carey said that the Healthy Carolinians "Eat Smart, Move More" is a <br />slogan he will continue to mention because it is the foundation of health. <br />Commissioner Carey said that the public may have heard about legislators wanting to <br />raise the minimum wage by $1.00, and he encouraged all to contact their legislators to support <br />this bill. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis said that the Board has supported increasing the minimum wage <br />in the past and he wants to check and see if it is in this year's legislative agenda. He heard that <br />it has not been raised in North Carolina since 1997. <br />Commissioner Carey made reference to the meeting with the Secretary of Health and <br />Human Services and the Director of the Division of Mental Health last week and said that the <br />