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12 <br /> departments are working on this, and he remains in contact with them. He said expansion is <br /> being encouraged in the rural areas. <br /> Commissioner Price said she wondered if the lack of access in the rural areas was a <br /> hindrance to business growth. <br /> Commissioner Jacobs supported Commissioner Marcoplos' suggestion about the state <br /> of the economy breakfast coming back to Orange County. <br /> Steve Brantley said this will be discussed by the board and staff. <br /> • Historic Preservation Commission: Chair Todd Dickinson and Peter Sandbeck, <br /> Staff <br /> Todd Dickinson said in 2016 the Commission completed their final inventory of <br /> historical structures in Orange County. He said the Commission is partnering with Hillsborough <br /> to create a book of Orange County's significant historic resources. He said the Commission is <br /> slowly taking more responsibility for those historical resources that have fallen through the <br /> cracks. He said help is needed with this process, and no one is really looking after the historic <br /> resources in the extraterritorial jurisdictions. <br /> Todd Dickinson said the Commission has recently created a rural heritage small grant <br /> program, offering owners of endangered historic outbuildings, log structures, silos, etc. help in <br /> caring for these buildings. <br /> Todd Dickinson said the Commission has begun working with the County on the <br /> updating of the courthouse and the historic preservation parts of that work. <br /> Peter Sandbeck gave an update on the historic courthouse. He said there has been <br /> great cooperation between County staff and historians. He said a budget proposal will be <br /> forthcoming to the BOCC to keep that building in good condition for the next 100 years. He <br /> said the Commission is trying to promote/recognition of great houses in Orange County. <br /> • Housing Authority (HA): Jean Bolduc, Chair <br /> Highlights: <br /> o Home repair funds are much needed <br /> o HA stands in place for BOCC providing citizen oversight of the Section 8 <br /> housing program. There are preferences in the housing section 8 vouchers <br /> waiting list, as follows: local resident; veteran or surviving spouse of veteran <br /> wife; being elderly or disabled; enrolled in an education program intended to <br /> make one more employable; being in transitional housing; suffering <br /> displacement from housing that is being taken down; being in substandard <br /> housing; and being unduly burdened with rent (over 50% of income). <br /> o Homelessness was not a preference on this list, and the HA added this under <br /> HUD's definition as a preference that will trump all other preferences. Each <br /> preference has an assigned point value, and if a household met all preferences <br /> there would be a total of 55 points; but with addition of homelessness, it will <br /> increase to 60 points. Residents will rise to the top of their waiting list. <br /> • Human Relations Commission (HRC): Monica Richard, Chair <br /> Monica Richard thanked the BOCC for coming out to their two main events. She <br /> reviewed the following highlights: <br /> o 28th anniversary to celebrate the Pauli Murray Awards <br /> o Collaboration with Asset Management Services to investigate the accessibility <br /> issues in the County <br /> o Discussion of how to support those who are dealing with hate crimes <br />