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Human Services Advisory Commission — Minutes — June 18, 2001 T. WELCOME AND MEMBER UPDATE: Mary Bowe announced that a new director of the Orange County Department of Social Services had been selected. Her name is Mary Coston, currently serving as the Deputy Director in the North Carolina Division of Social Services, Raleigh, N.C. II. ESTABLISHMENT OF QUORUM: Chair Wash announced that a quorum was present. III. Minutes of May 21, 2001 A MOTION WAS MADE BY Mel Hurston , AND SECONDED BY Robin Barnhill to approve the minutes of May 21, 2001 as written VOTE: UNANIMOUS APPROVAL. IV. VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION PRESENTATION County Commissioner Barry Jacobs presented a large coffee /soup mug with the inscription, "Thank You For Being An Orange County Volunteer" and "Orange County — Protecting & Preserving People & Resources Quality of Life — YOU COUNT" to each member. He expressed appreciation on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners for the Human Services Advisory Commission and the work the members do for the County by serving on this Commission. He said there are over?!0010.000 people who volunteer their time for the County on the Advisory Boards and Commissions. VI. TOPIC FOR THE 2001 FORUM Commissioner Jacobs made a proposal that the topic be changed from "Housing" (with an emphasis on Homelessness) to "Poverty." Co -Chair Wash asked the group if any one had any objections to changing the topic as stated. No one raised any objections. Co -Chair Wash commented that _hat the topic of poverty is a timely topic. A MOTION WAS MADE BY Debbie Kinert to change the topic for the 2001 Human Services Advisory Commission Forum from "Housing" to "Poverty." Mary Bowe seconded. Discussion followed. Commissioner Jacobs referred to a report dated January 9, 2001 by the N.C. Justice and Community Development Center and N.C. Equity that stated that the number of households below the poverty level in Orange County was 29.1 percent. He commented that he had been surprised when he had read this report and that he felt this is a very high number. Sharron Hinton discussed a Forum held in November 1989 on the topic of "Poverty in Orange County." It was sponsored by the Orange County Board of Commissioners, the Orange County Human Services Management Team, and the Human Services Advisory Commission. She handed out a summary report from the 1989 Poverty Forum, entitled, "Report to the Community: Poverty in Orange County." (This had also been mailed out with the agenda for the June 18, 2001 H.S.A.C. meeting.) The members discussed this report in regard to the proposed topic for the 2001 Forum. Marvin Block commented that he would like to see a breakdown of the income levels between the Chapel Hill area in the southern part of the County and in the northern part of the County. He said that the really serious problems are not in Chapel Hill. He added that it's not that there is not poverty in Chapel Hill, but the serious problems are in other parts of the County. He would also like to see what accomplishments have been made Protecting and Preserving — People, Resources, Quality of Life Orange County, North Carolina — You Count! AREA CODE (919) 245 -2125: FAX (919) 644 -0246: EMAIL: npaciga�co.orange.nc.us : WEB: mm.co.orange.nc.us