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7 <br /> • Employment <br /> Employment was discussed in several of the functional leadership team meetings. Department <br /> directors highlighted access to employment as one of the primary vehicles to address poverty <br /> and economic inequality. This need was punctuated by recent policy changes in the food and <br /> nutrition program that require able bodied adults without dependents to engage in some type <br /> of work or education activity to preserve eligibility in the program. However, the discussion <br /> also addressed ways to reduce specific barriers to employment such as work readiness training, <br /> transportation, child care, and criminal backgrounds. <br /> • Radio System Improvements <br /> Within the public safety theme, the highest scoring need was to improve the radio system that <br /> is used by first responders and public safety related staff to communicate in the field. The <br /> teams also discussed the importance of working with public works and transportation related <br /> departments as well as the school systems to make sure the system is accessible and operable <br /> in all of the public facilities located in the County. The County has issued a request for proposal <br /> for a consultant to conduct a needs assessment and to develop a plan to solicit and select a <br /> radio system provider. This system would supplement and improve the reliability, coverage, <br /> capacity, and penetration of the current system. <br /> • Transportation Access to County Services <br /> The leadership teams recognized that transportation represents a significant barrier to <br /> accessing County services for residents who do not have access to reliable personal <br /> transportation. For example, the public safety team noted that additional transportation <br /> resources could help individuals attend court appearances in Hillsborough and reduce failures <br /> to appear in court. The Human Services and Education Team also recognized a need to <br /> transport residents to employment and training and senior services. <br /> • Affordable Housing <br /> Several teams identified affordable housing opportunities as a need for County residents. They <br /> suggested that the need of affordability extends beyond residents with very low incomes to the <br /> working poor and seniors. As a result, they expressed a need for a broad range of affordable <br /> housing options, including senior housing with services, and noted that land use policies should <br /> be examined to identify opportunities for changes that would make affordable housing more <br /> available. <br /> • Broadband Access in Rural Communities <br /> The teams acknowledged that adequate internet service has become essential to accessing <br /> services and educational opportunities, participating in the job market, and accessing <br /> information in general. This need appears to be most pronounced in rural parts of the County <br /> where land based internet service is less available and cellular data networks are less robust. <br /> 4 <br />