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21 <br /> 1 Chair McKee noted that no decisions are to be made this evening rather this is an <br /> 2 opportunity for an update. He said no formal decisions are expected until May 2016. <br /> 3 Commissioner Price said asked if funds are currently available to move forward with the <br /> 4 trail. <br /> 5 David Stancil said funds for the acquisition of trail easements are available now, and he <br /> 6 said the current Capital Investment Plan (CIP) has the funding for construction in 2018. He <br /> 7 said this funding is being reviewed in preparation of the new CIP. He noted that the Friends of <br /> 8 the MST will do a lot of the construction. <br /> 9 Commissioner Pelissier said the stakeholders include landowners, and asked if all of the <br /> 10 landowners in the one-mile swath have been notified about the community meetings. <br /> 11 David Stancil said those residents, as well as many more outside of the one-mile swath, <br /> 12 will be notified of the community meetings. <br /> 13 Commissioner Pelissier asked if the landowners will get a specific letter. <br /> 14 David Stancil said yes. <br /> 15 Commissioner Pelissier asked if an individual does not want to donate land, will there be <br /> 16 any imminent domain. <br /> 17 David Stancil said no; the process is entirely voluntary. <br /> 18 David Stancil asked if the Board would like DEAPR to proceed as indicated. <br /> 19 Chair McKee said the Board is in support of this. <br /> 20 Commissioner Pelissier asked if more detailed maps can be provided. <br /> 21 David Stancil said yes. <br /> 22 <br /> 23 c. Creation of a Criminal Case Assessment Specialist Position <br /> 24 The Board considered voting to approve the creation of a new 1.0 full time equivalent <br /> 25 (FTE) position titled Criminal Case Assessment Specialist to conduct mental health and <br /> 26 substance abuse assessments and treatment coordination for individuals in the jail and those <br /> 27 who are participating in jail alternative programming. <br /> 28 Travis Myren and Caitlin Fenhagen, Orange County Criminal Justice Resource <br /> 29 Manager, reviewed the following information: <br /> 30 <br /> 31 BACKGROUND: In October 2015, the County appointed its first Criminal Justice Resource <br /> 32 Manager to manage and coordinate jail alternative programming. The vision for the new <br /> 33 Manager was to internalize jail alternative programming that had previously been contracted out <br /> 34 and to broaden opportunities for jail diversion and interventions intended to reduce recidivism. <br /> 35 The new office has recently completed its initial charge of internalizing the Pretrial and Drug <br /> 36 Court programs through the recruitment of two new County employees to administer those <br /> 37 programs. <br /> 38 <br /> 39 The Criminal Justice Resource Manager has also conducted a needs assessment for future <br /> 40 programming. This research relied on best practices in other jurisdictions as well as interviews <br /> 41 with partners in the Orange County criminal justice system. The assessment revealed a need <br /> 42 to supplement and enhance assessment and treatment services for individuals in the system <br /> 43 that are experiencing mental health and substance abuse issues. This need is consistent with <br /> 44 a policy goal of the Board of County Commissioners as codified in a Resolution Supporting <br /> 45 "Stepping Up Initiative to Reduce the Number of People with Mental Illnesses in Jails" which <br /> 46 was adopted in September 2015. Through that Resolution, the Board signed on to a call to <br /> 47 action to reduce the number of people with mental illness in county jails and to share lessons <br /> 48 learned with other counties in North Carolina. <br /> 49 <br />