Minutes 09-15-2015 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Andrew Davidson said he is the Vice Chair of the CHCCS School Board, and this bond debate has caused an impression of adversarial relationships between the schools and other entities. He said the schools need at least $125 million for capital improvements. He said this massive funding need cannot be accomplished any way other than a bond. Art Sprinczeles said he is Assistant Chair for the Orange County Affordable Housing Advisory Board and asked the Board to support affordable housing in the 2016 bond. Catherine Cummer thanked the Board for its ongoing support of local schools, and said she is here to ask for the Board's support for the schools' capital needs. She said schools do not have to be state of the art, but they must be safe. Jen Bishop said she is here on behalf of the Frank Porter Graham Bilingue School Improvement Team, and she supported the school capital needs funding in the bond. Nikki Santos said she moved to Chapel Hill due to a domestic violence situation. She said she lived at Homestart Women's Shelter for years, and finding affordable housing in Chapel Hill has been very difficult. She said housing and schools and even seniors make a community, and all items need to be funded. Michael Reinke said he is the new Director for InterFaith Council for Social Service, and he wholeheartedly supported the inclusion of affordable housing in the bond referendum. He stressed the interrelatedness between safe and consistent housing, and school success. Delores Bailey is the Executive Director of Empowerment, Inc in Chapel Hill and part of the affordable housing coalition. She said schools cannot be pit against affordable housing, as the two go hand in hand. She said Empowerment is constantly turning away people who are in need of affordable housing, because there are not enough homes in the inventory. She said Orange County does have homeless people, both adults and children. She said she has seen the disparity of those who cannot afford to live in Orange County. She asked the Board to consider adding more money to the bond for the extra needs of affordable housing and seniors. b. Matters on the Printed Agenda (These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda below.) 3. Announcements and Petitions by Board Members Commissioner Price said she would like to follow up with staff on her petition about naming a room at the Central Orange Senior Center (COSC) for Jerry Passmore. Bonnie Hammersley said she would be attending the meeting at the COSC on this issue, and would provide a follow up. Commissioner Dorosin had no petitions. Commissioner Pelissier had no petitions. Commissioner Jacobs said this has been an inadequate and disappointing process for the bond and asked staff to come back to the Board this fall with an affordable housing plan. He said this plan should cover all elements and resources of the issue, involve all stakeholders, and provide short and long term visions for a strategy to address affordable housing. He said if the majority of the Board is amenable to changing their vote, there is time to amend the funding goals of the bond. Commissioner Jacobs petitioned staff to work with Durham Tech to look at the program just adopted by Richmond and Scotland counties, which pays the tuition for high school