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APPROVED 8/22/2006 <br />MINUTES <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />BUDGET WORK SESSION <br />June 5, 2006 <br />7:30 p.m. <br />The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Budget Work Session on <br />Monday, June 5, 2006 at 7:30 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel <br />Hill, North Carolina. <br />COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Barry Jacobs, and <br />Commissioners Moses Carey, Jr., Valerie P. Foushee, Alice Gordon, and Stephen <br />Halkiotis <br />COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: Geoffrey Gledhill <br />COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr., Assistant County <br />Managers Rod Visser and Gwen Harvey, and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker {All other <br />staff members will be identified appropriately below}. <br />NOTE: ALL DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THESE MINUTES ARE IN THE <br />PERMANENT AGENDA FILE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE. <br />Chair Jacobs said that he had an addition to the agenda and at the suggestion of <br />Geof Gledhill, he would like to add what is on the green sheet, which is to follow "amici <br />curiae" in a court case that would join the Humane Society in Union County. This is in <br />reference to animal cruelty. <br />The Board agreed. <br />Geof Gledhill said that Chapter 19a authorizes any person or organization to <br />bring a civil action against someone being cruel to animals. This is what happened in <br />Union County where some people were hoarding 300 dogs and the dogs were being <br />treated very poorly. The Humane Society of Union County and others brought an action <br />to stop the cruelty and the judge ordered the animals removed from the Woodley's home <br />and the animals were placed by the Humane Society in a number of rescue homes. The <br />Woodley's have appealed to the N. C. Court of Appeals and they are challenging the <br />right of the Humane Society and others to bring these private actions to stop cruelty to <br />animals. The Humane Societies across the state and other animal welfare groups are <br />trying to persuade the court of the goad reason to have this statute on the books. They <br />have asked Orange County to lend its support by agreeing to be added as amicus curiae <br />in this case. <br />Geof Gledhill said that he has looked at this and his view is that it fairly states the <br />good policy reasons for having this statute. The statute aids local government units in <br />enforcement. He said that the brief does not argue the merits of the lawsuit, but <br />presents the public policy reasons for maintaining the statute on the books. He thinks <br />that it is a worthy cause for Orange County to join in the effort. He has been told that the <br />