Agenda - 03-01-2016 - 6-a - Minutes

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4 1 2 • Advisory Board on Aging: Alex Castro, Jr., Chair 3 Alex Castro said he added a letter at the Commissioners' places, which is in addition to 4 the plan the Commissioners already received. He said this letter concerns senior safety, noting 5 there was a tragic accident with a senior walking home from the Seymour Senior Center. He 6 said in Hillsborough there are people pushing walkers down highway 70 to the senior centers. 7 He noted that Orange County owns the facilities, but there is multi-jurisdictional involvement 8 with towns responsible for the sidewalks and DOT for the roadways. He is concerned that 9 safety gets lost in the bureaucracy. He suggested interagency groups that can be tasked with 10 addressing issues that affect multiple jurisdictions and can be held accountable. 11 Alex Castro said there is a growing population of seniors who are encouraged to get out 12 a walk, but the conditions to do so are unsafe. He referred to a movement called Complete 13 Streets, noting Chapel Hill has received bond approval for$16.2 million to improve 14 infrastructure, including items such as senior crossings, akin to school crossings. He said 15 seniors need crosswalks, and he is asking the Board of County Commissioners to cut across 16 red tape to remedy this concern. 17 Alex Castro then referred back to the report, which was originally submitted to the 18 BOCC for this evening's discussion. He said he is proud to be associated with this Department, 19 and noted its great efforts to implement programs like Project Engage. He said Project Engage 20 selects individuals from throughout Orange County and provides them with a 13-week overview 21 of all resources available in the County, so that they can return to their own communities and 22 share this knowledge, while perhaps getting involved in the services as well. He said the 23 Department has been developing Master Aging Plans that are community driven, including 24 community meetings to hear all concerns. He said the School of Public Health at the University 25 of North Carolina (UNC) was able to help in these efforts. He said the department is good at 26 harvesting resources from young and dedicated students, county staff, and senior volunteers to 27 create multi-faceted programs. 28 Commissioner Pelissier asked staff to look into what happened at Eno Haven 29 Apartments, as she recalled there was supposed to be a pathway to the Senior Center. 30 Alex Castro said there is a sidewalk, but it does not reach the Senior Center, and it is 31 also on a grade. 32 Commissioner Jacobs said he recalled a discussion about a connection not on highway 33 70, but rather a road that goes behind the complex. He informed Alex Castro that the BOCC 34 has asked staff to look at all of the County's facilities to make them more accessible to 35 pedestrians. 36 Alex Castro said attention should be drawn to senior pedestrians, noting the example of 37 strobe lights at some crosswalks in the County. 38 Commissioner Rich suggested erecting signs at crosswalks noting that seniors are 39 crossing. 40 Alex Castro referred to an example in the County where a variable marking sign was 41 added to alert motorists of an upcoming change in traffic pattern. He also said lowering and 42 enforcing the speed limit would help. 43 Commissioner Price said the sidewalk approaching the Senior Center in Hillsborough is on 44 an incline, and once at the Senior Center the line-of-sight needs to be improved at the 45 entrance. 46 47 • Adult Care Community Advisory Board: Mary Frasier, Department on Aging Staff 48 Mary Fraiser said the Adult Care Community Advisory Board volunteers visit all six 49 assisted living facilities and five family care homes each quarter, to look at resident rights and 50 quality of life. She said a report is submitted and is available on the County website. She noted