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think about this Lots of governments use the arts as an economic development engine He is <br />not interested in disbanding the department but he would like to look at alternatives The <br />Visitors Bureau could nurture the arts and this is an alternative worth looking at <br />Chair Foushee said that this was going to be her suggestion too regarding the Visitors <br />Bureau She agrees that the arts do affect economic development <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that the Visitors Bureau has discussed this with interest but <br />to turn the Arts Commission loose as anonprofit would be difficult The Board of County <br />Commissioners formed this department so it would not have to rely on nonprofits <br />Staff will communicate this to the Arts Commission and the Visitors Bureau <br />Commission for Women <br />Commissioner Gordon said that she is not ready to disband the Commission for <br />Women as long as women make something like 70 of what men make and have other <br />disadvantages She wants to continue this as a function There can be better ways of doing <br />things but she does not want to disband it <br />Commissioner Hemminger asked if it could be folded into the Human Rights and <br />Relations function Commissioner Nelson said that he has been liaison to both of these <br />groups and they like that idea better than going with anonprofit He thinks that it could be a <br />good fit <br />Commissioner Pelissier said that the County Commissioners should explore from both <br />boards and see how they could merge and complement each other <br />Frank Clifton said that when boards are merging then people should forget the titles <br />and pay more attention to the people that are appointed The big issue is not focusing on one <br />segment of society and looking at a broader segment of society <br />Commissioner Pelissier said that she is concerned about advisory boards that render <br />services and that this sets a precedent She was speaking about Girl Talk <br />Commissioner Nelson said that the Commission for Women should hear this question <br />He said that the whole vision is to get something started and then to spin it off They are doing <br />a couple of pilot programs in some schools He said that the kids love it and the response <br />from parents is good The hope is for the schools to take it over There has not been much <br />activity lately in the Commission for Women but now they are turning it around <br />Commissioner Gordon said that if there were a merger then the title should change to <br />symbolize that it is a new group and that the Commission for Women was not sunset <br />Commissioner Hemminger asked that the current members of the Commission for <br />Women would be allowed to fulfill their terms on the new commission <br />The Board agreed to explore a possible merger of this with HRC after hearing the pros <br />and cons of it <br />Economic Development Commission <br />Frank Clifton said that there are several functions like this in the County that talk but do <br />not collaborate <br />Commissioner Yuhasz said that he is concerned that without a strong County presence <br />there will not be economic development in the County He would hope that the Orange County <br />Economic Development Commission would not be subsumed by Chapel Hill or Carrboro <br />Frank Clifton said that there needs to be a stronger partnership with the other entities <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that this is another one of those areas where the County is <br />selfdefeating There are four economic development groups in Orange County He said that