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ORANGE COUNTY ? w:? ?? :?. Fn?tra A - uAm 7-'? <br />"FREF <br />(9119) c'ss--387 t (C l; '919) 9(10-3879 ("s°) <br />HUMAN RIGHTS AND RELATIONS <br />December 18, 2006 <br />Orange County Board of County Commissioners <br />C/o Pamela Jones, Purchasing Director <br />RE: Orange County Space Needs Update & the Department of Human Rights and Relations <br />Dear Commissioners; <br />I write on. behalf of the Orange County Human Relations Commission regarding the Space Needs Report <br />as it pertains to the Orange County Department of Human Rights and Relations. <br />The Orange County Space Needs Update offers two options to accommodate the Department's needs and <br />an update. The options and update read: <br />"Interim: This Department could expand into an adjacent suite at the 501 W. Franklin Street <br />location as the space need dictates and as tenant turn-over occurs. <br />Long Term: The term space needs could be satisfied by relocating this department to <br />Hillsborough in the Administration building proposed for the new county campus. <br />Update;. This study recommends that the Human Rights and Relations Department remain at its <br />current location at 503. W. Franklin Street, Chapel Hill." <br />The current update recommends that the Human Rights and Relations Department remain, at its current <br />location at 501 W. Franklin St. in Chapel Hill. "While the location .in Chapel Hill remains adequate <br />because it is close to the bulk of the population, the space in which the Department is located is <br />inadequate for the Department's needs. <br />The current Department is situated in a space with a small reception area, four adequately sized offices, a <br />bathroom, a .mini-kitchon/copier/supply area, and a small storage area. The space does. not provide <br />adequate space for the Commissions, the public or storage of confidential records and supplies. <br />The Department currently provides staff support to two large advisory bodies with active subcommittees <br />that require meeting space. In addition to regularly scheduled meetings, these committees frequently <br />meet in the evening and outside of working hours. Unfortunately, there is not enough space in the <br />Department to accommodate even a small working committee of five individuals. While the Department <br />technically has access to the meeting spaces in the Visitor's Bureau and the Skills Development Center, <br />these spaces are not readily available at the time the Commissions need to meet (evenings and weekends). <br />Likewise; coordinating the use of other. County space, particularly on weekends, is difficult.