Minutes 02-09-2016 - Laserfiche WebLink

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10 Chair McKee asked if there is an emergency plan in place to help clients in the aforementioned scenario, such as extending benefits for a day or a week. Nancy Coston said no, but noted there is a food bank. She said clients can get back into the program by working with DSS staff to reapply or getting an exemption for a disability. She said the number of people facing the loss of benefits may be as high as 900, and DSS will likely receive many phone calls when benefits are terminated. Commissioner Jacobs asked if the local supermarkets have been notified that this may happen. Nancy Coston said not yet, but outreach to some of these vendors has been discussed. Commissioner Jacobs said it would be preferable to avoid humiliation at an open market, and perhaps vendors would be willing to exercise some charity. Commissioner Rich asked if there is a telephone number on the card. Nancy Coston said yes, but the number is for the EBT call center only. She said the client would be told the benefits have been terminated, and they must call the local DSS office; it will not replenish the card at that point. Commissioner Burroughs referred to the DSS report and asked if DSS is indeed continuing to see increases in the number of people needing services. Nancy Coston said it varies by service, but the numbers of people needing public assistance are not decreasing. • Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau: Rosemary Waldorf, Chair Rosemary Waldorf said the County gets 2.5 million overnight visitors per year, and each one spends between $255.00 and $348.00 per visit. She said in 2014, tourism contributed $181 million to the local economy and provided 1,800 jobs. She said there is a wonderful staff at the Visitor's Bureau, including an excellent, high-energy new sales director, Marlene Barberra. Rosemary Waldorf provided an update on new hotels: the Hyatt Place at Southern Village, which should be accepting guests in spring 2017; and the AC Marriott in downtown Chapel Hill, which has been approved. She noted a boom in hotel building in the area and said the Board will stay on top of that. Rosemary Waldorf said Jeff Stickler has agreed to serve on the Board, pending BOCC appointment. She said he works in health care and will be a helpful addition to the Board as healthcare is a growing industry in the area. Rosemary Waldorf said discussions have begun about whether to move the Visitor's Center to the old InterFaith Council facility, and the Visitor's Bureau has deemed this to be a matter between the Town of Chapel Hill and Orange County. She noted that should the Visitor's Bureau move to this location, it will be a first class operation. Rosemary Waldorf said one issue the Board has been pondering is the potential need for an expanded multi-purpose meeting space, as a lot of business has been lost due to the lack of such a facility. She said several consultants have given proposals for consideration, and the Board would welcome input from the BOCC as this idea is considered further. Rosemary Waldorf said agricultural tourism is growing, and she is thinking about overnight packages connecting to this area. Laurie Paolicelli, Orange County Community Relations Department Director, said a potential multi-purpose meeting space is a three-prong process: local needs assessment, outside market analysis assessment, and site selection review and process. • Commission for the Environment (CFE): Lydia Wegman, Chair