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8 <br /> <br /> Chapel Hill Public Library 1 <br /> Carrboro/McDougle Branch Library 2 <br /> Orange County Website - http://orangecountync.gov 3 <br /> 4 <br />3. Public Comment 5 <br />Bill Whitmore said he is a resident of downtown Hillsborough, and is here on behalf of 6 <br />the Hillsborough Arts Council. He said the Council would like to request full approval of its 7 <br />funding request, specifically for organizational development and community outreach. He said 8 <br />this additional funding would take the part-time employee to full-time, which would relieve the 9 <br />volunteers. He said last year there were over 11,000 volunteer hours with the Council, which 10 <br />has helped to make the community a richer place to live. He said the County is growing, as are 11 <br />the needs of the arts. He said the Arts Council holds events and arguably drives more of the 12 <br />business in the community. He said Hillsborough is literally and geographically the heart of the 13 <br />County, and is synonymous with the County and the Council asks for full support from the 14 <br />BOCC. 15 <br /> Jamezetta Bedford spoke on behalf of the Mental Health Community Connections 16 <br />(MHCC) Group, a collaboration between both school districts, families, health care providers 17 <br />and community agencies. She said the purpose of this organization is to educate and 18 <br />encourage support. She said May is Mental Health Awareness month, and the perception is 19 <br />that mental health issues will not change, but the Board of County Commissioners can help to 20 <br />change it by supporting the schools systems, Club Nova and departments who are involved in 21 <br />mental health issues. She said the BOCC can also help by supporting training for the Sheriff’s 22 <br />department and alternative programs through the Criminal Justice office. She said this problem 23 <br />has many moving parts, but children and youth spend so much time at school, and together first 24 <br />steps are being taken in moving towards improving children’s health. 25 <br />Marisa Martini said she is the Community Development Manager for Habitat for 26 <br />Humanity of Orange County. She thanked the BOCC for its commitment to affordable housing 27 <br />and its support for Habitat, and to the County Manager for recommending a budget increase for 28 <br />Habitat’s Home Preservation Program, which serves low income families, insuring that everyone 29 <br />has a safe, decent, and dignified place to live. She said one project in the Home Preservation 30 <br />Program this fiscal year was for Barbara McNeil in Efland, who requested help through Habitat 31 <br />with her windows, back door and exterior paint, but when the Habitat representatives visited 32 <br />with her, they learned she had no indoor plumbing and had been using an outhouse for 61 33 <br />years. She said Home Preservation projects typically have a maximum budget of $5,000, which 34 <br />would have covered the projects requested by Mrs. McNeil, but it was clear that a bathroom was 35 <br />needed. She said a strategy was created, partnerships developed, and through volunteers and 36 <br />expanded programs, Mrs. McNeil received a bathroom and indoor plumbing in her home. She 37 <br />thanked the BOCC for its help and support for affordable housing. 38 <br /> 39 <br />4. Adjournment 40 <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Rich and seconded by Commissioner Burroughs 41 <br />to adjourn the public hearing at 7:51 p.m. 42 <br /> 43 <br />VOTE: UNANIMOUS 44 <br /> 45 <br /> Mark Dorosin, Chair 46 <br /> 47 <br />Sherri Ingersoll 48 <br />Assistant Deputy Clerk II 49