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2 <br /> 1 (These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda <br /> 2 below.) <br /> 3 <br /> 4 3. Petitions by Board Members <br /> 5 Commissioner Rich petitioned about voting information, noting it would benefit the <br /> 6 community to have more information about the new voting rules for 2016. She asked if the <br /> 7 communications team could partner with Board of Elections to educate the public. <br /> 8 Chair McKee asked if the County Manager would take the lead on this. <br /> 9 Commissioner Rich said she is hearing a lot about "The Barn" event center, and she is <br /> 10 concerned about not being able to give a response to the public on this issue. She said there <br /> 11 should be a one-voice response when inquiries are made. <br /> 12 Chair McKee said he had been invited to a community meeting about this item, and <br /> 13 asked if staff would lay out appropriate response options to share with the public. <br /> 14 Commissioner Dorosin said he has concerns about having one unified response, as all <br /> 15 Commissioners may not agree on a response due to a lack of information. <br /> 16 Commissioner Rich said she does not know what the Board's response should be, as <br /> 17 she is unsure as to what falls under the Board's purview. <br /> 18 Commissioner Dorosin suggested adding this topic as an information item on the next <br /> 19 agenda. <br /> 20 Chair McKee agreed with this suggestion, and said he will report this plan at the <br /> 21 upcoming community meeting. <br /> 22 Commissioner Burroughs said she is interested in learning more about the County's <br /> 23 relationship with Cardinal Innovations, and she requested a presentation regarding the County's <br /> 24 funding of, and relationship with, them. <br /> 25 Commissioner Burroughs said it is her understanding that the Town of Hillsborough has <br /> 26 withdrawn funding to non-profits this year, and requested more information on this. <br /> 27 Bonnie Hammersley said staff will be able to provide information about Cardinal <br /> 28 Innovations for the Board. <br /> 29 Commissioner Dorosin referred to an article from the NC Budget and Policy Center of <br /> 30 the NC Justice Center, regarding income inequality in North Carolina. He said statewide the <br /> 31 top 5% of earners take home nearly 27 times the average income of the bottom 20%, a 27 to 1 <br /> 32 ratio. <br /> 33 Commissioner Dorosin said the counties that have the greatest disparities from top to <br /> 34 bottom includes Orange County. He said as the Board goes to its retreat next week, it is <br /> 35 important to keep in mind that income disparities within the County are a significant reality. <br /> 36 Commissioner Price said in response to Commissioner Rich that Democracy NC and <br /> 37 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) have created brochures <br /> 38 about the new voting laws. <br /> 39 Commissioner Price said she too would like a presentation regarding Cardinal <br /> 40 Innovations and the Stepping Up Initiative. She said the My Brother's Keeper project has been <br /> 41 in effect for a year and hoped to have a progress report ready this month. She said the report <br /> 42 is not quite completed, but she will email it to the Board when it is, and asked if it could be <br /> 43 posted on the web. <br /> 44 Commissioner Pelissier had no petitions. <br /> 45 Chair McKee had no petitions. <br /> 46 <br /> 47 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/ Special Presentations <br /> 48 <br /> 49 a. Human Relations Month Proclamation <br />