Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
18 <br /> <br />state law. The proposed Department would be staffed by a director, a civil rights specialist, an <br />intake specialist and a Limited English Proficiency Specialist/Outreach Coordinator. <br /> <br />It is proposed that Annette Moore would have a dual role (50/50) as both the Department <br />Director and a Staff Attorney. The intake specialist will provide administrative support to Human <br />Rights and Relations as well as the County Attorney’s Off ice. The duties of the staff attorney <br />will be spread among the three staff attorneys in the County Attorney’s Office. Staff in the <br />Human Rights and Relations division now housed in the Whitted Building would be relocated to <br />office space in the Link Government Services Center. <br /> <br />Human Relations Commission Bylaw Changes <br />The County Manager met with the Human Relations Commission to inform them of the <br />proposed changes. The Bylaws of the Human Relations Commission will require minor changes <br />to facilitate realignment of the functions of Human Rights and Relations; no substantive <br />changes are being proposed. <br /> <br />Bonnie Hammersley made the following PowerPoint presentation: <br /> <br />DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND RELATIONS <br /> <br />PURPOSE <br />To consider approving the recommendation to separate the Division of Human Rights and <br />Relations from the current Department of Housing, Human Rights and Community <br />Development into a separate Department referred to as the Human Rights and Relations. <br /> <br />• After passage of the Civil Rights Ordinance in 1994, the Board of County <br />Commissioners (the "Board") authorized the creation of the Department of Human <br />Rights and Relations on December 20, 1994. <br />• On February 16, 2010 the Board approved merging the Office of Human Rights and <br />Relations into the Housing and Community Development <br />• In June 2017, HUD conducted an onsite performance assessment of the County’s <br />FHAP program. Specific concerns related to three areas: the quality and timeliness of <br />complaint processing; financial management of the program; and the organizational <br />structure and reoccurring management and staffing changes. As a result of HUD’s <br />concerns Orange County was placed on a 90-day Performance Improvement Plan <br />(“PIP”), beginning November 1, 2017 ending January 31, 2018. <br />• The re-creation of the Department of Human Rights and Relations is in response to the <br />Performance Improvement Plan. <br /> <br />The core functions of the Department of Human Rights and Relations include: <br />• Enforcement of the Orange County Civil Rights Ordinance; <br />• Administration of the Housing and Urban Development Fair Housing Assistance <br /> <br />Program Agreement ("FHAP"): <br />• Education, Outreach and Training on rights under the Civil Rights Ordinance; <br />• Staffing the Human Relations Commission and their education and outreach activities; <br />• Coordinating County efforts to eliminate or reduce limited English proficiency as a <br />barrier to access or understand Orange County government services, program or <br />benefits