Minutes 06-19-2018 - Laserfiche WebLink

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4 3. Announcements, Petitions and Comments by Board Members Commissioner Price said there were 3-4 gentlemen visiting various local areas from the Netherlands. She said they visited because Orange County was named after one of their folks. She said she and Commissioner Rich were able to expel some negativity that surrounds North Carolina. Commissioner Price said that today is Juneteenth, which marks the day that slaves in Texas were informed of their freedom after the civil war. She said this is a day of celebration, yet there are still vestiges of slavery in America, and there is human trafficking here and across the world. She said there is still so much work to be done. Commissioner Jacobs said he attended a Direct Care Worker event called “Sharp”. He said it was for those who work with seniors, and was an uplifting event highlighting those who are so often overlooked. He said the County should be proud of the Department on Aging for hosting this event for four years. Commissioner Jacobs said the dedication of the Nick Waters Emergency Services Building took place last Friday. He said Mr. Waters served as the EMS director for 15 years; he was an inspiration then, and he continues to be so today. Commissioner Jacobs attended a meeting about the Chapel Hill Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), and he has copies of the PowerPoint that was handed out. He said the consultant is recommending that the BRT not run to Durham Tech and UNC Hospital; and not run the BRT in the middle of MLK Boulevard. He said 30% of the engineering has been completed, and public information sessions will start at the end of June, and throughout the summer. He said it is slated for approval in late 2019. Commissioner Jacobs said the Visitors Bureau has a beautiful guide to Orange County, which is also available on the University of North Carolina (UNC) website. Commissioner Jacobs said the Board needs to have a discussion about the Article 46 sales tax, and how economic development works with this. He said this should ideally happen before the September meeting with Mebane, or, if not, shortly thereafter. Commissioner Jacobs asked David Hunt to put up a picture of a child at the border, and he applauded the Governor for recalling the three N.C. national guardsmen from the border. Commissioner Marcoplos said the Government of Maryland has done the same. Commissioner Marcoplos said there is a Hillsborough Amtrak station in the County’s future, as a part of the transit plan. He said this had been stalled for a while, but the plan is back on track and construction should start in 2019. Commissioner Rich said BRT means Bus Rapid Transit. Commissioner Rich said she would like to see the Solid Waste Advisory Group (SWAG) and the Commissioner for the Environment (CfE) get together to talk about recycling, since it is changing going forward. Commissioner Rich said on June 6th she received a call from a friend coming home from rehab with stage 4 breast cancer, and she called the Chapel Hill Planning Department, on her behalf, requesting that the permitting fees for a new ramp be waived. She said through the community efforts of many, in both Chapel Hill and Orange County, such as Archie Daniels etc., this ramp was built. Commissioner McKee said he is inclined to ask the Attorney and the inspections department to look at the allegations regarding the Keith Arboretum immediately, to find out if they are true or not. Commissioner McKee said he worked a project that is adjacent to Chapel Hill High, and he said the work on the school this summer has been remarkable. Commissioner McKee said the Board received an email from a concerned neighbor of the Hillsborough Economic Development District (EDD) in Hillsborough. He said he contacted this person and listened to his concerns, and the rest of the Board is invited to do the same. Commissioner Burroughs said the Family Success Alliance (FSA) applied to the Kenan Charitable Trust and received $300,000 over three years, which is a huge win.