Agenda - 8-a - Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 1 2. Public Comments 2 3 a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda 4 None 5 6 b. Matters on the Printed Agenda 7 8 3. Announcements, Petitions and Comments by Board Members 9 Commissioner Price said she had attended the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro 10 Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) meeting. She said the MPO voted to approve 11 version 6 and the update on the 2025 transportation plan, and adopted these. She said she 12 also attended a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) event on 13 Sunday regarding “All Labor has Dignity”, in remembrance of Martin Luther King, Jr. She said 14 this was a good presentation, and was a reminder that there is still a lot of work to be done 15 regarding racial inequity. 16 Commissioner Marcoplos had no comments. 17 Commissioner Jacobs said he would like to see the actual version that the MPO 18 approved and adopted. He said he went to the Millhouse Road Temporary Waste Facility 19 meeting, which will be closing on April 3 at noon, with the new facility on Eubanks Road opening 20 at the same time. 21 Commissioner Jacobs provided a report on the meeting of the Justice Advisory Council; 22 most of the meeting discussion was about fines and fees in the NC court system, which 23 disproportionately impacts those of lower means. He said it was a good conversation, and this 24 problem is not unique to NC. He said many states use fines to keep people in jail, but 1.2 25 million people in NC are stuck in this situation. He said consequently, they could lose jobs and 26 family due to not being able to pay the fine. He said Judges are no longer allowed to waive 27 fees, and those affected need approval from any entity that the County gives to before lowering 28 the fine. 29 Commissioner Rich said she attended a meeting at the White House, with about 300 30 other representatives from North Carolina. She said they met with some of President Trump’s 31 directors and secretaries, and spoke about school safety and infrastructure, in particular 32 broadband. She said infrastructure often means water, sewer, and transportation, but this 33 conversation focused on money going out to the states for broadband. 34 Commissioner Rich said the Food Council is going to present the REI groundwater 35 presentation (3 hours) at the Whitted building on April 8, and interested people can sign up at 36 the Food Council website. She said there will be a $5 fee. 37 Commissioner Rich spoke about an article she read about the unemployment rate, and 38 Orange County is currently at 3.8%, which is one of the lowest in the State. She said this is 39 encouraging, but the County can always do better. 40 Commissioner McKee had no comments. 41 Commissioner Burroughs had no comments. 42 Chair Dorosin said he also attended the NAACP program, and it was very informative. 43 He said he has no formal petition, but wants to get clarification on whether or not a policy exists 44 to allow staff to act on one Commissioner’s request, as opposed to always requiring Board 45 consensus. He said all Commissioners are equals, and he does not know when items should 46 be brought back to the Board. 47 Commissioner Price said that a refresher is always good. 48 Commissioner Jacobs said there is a long-standing policy of a certain threshold of staff 49 time, after which, approval of the County Manager and/or the BOCC Chair is required. He said 50