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9 <br /> <br />right of way and is believed by staff at the NCDOT to be privately owned. The County does not <br />have legal authority to encroach into the right of way or to remove the plaque. <br /> <br />Commissioner Price referred to the third paragraph in the background section, which <br />states that NCDOT staff believes the highway marker plaque is privately owned. She asked if <br />this is accurate. <br />John Roberts said staff at DOT believes that this plaque is privately owned, but there are <br />so many different highway markers that DOT gave up trying to keep track of them all. He said <br />they assume the Daughters of the Confederacy may own this plaque. <br />Commissioner Price asked if they own the land or the plaque. <br />John Roberts said he thinks just the plaque. He said the land is within the state’s right of <br />way. <br /> <br />PUBLIC COMMENT: <br />Nan Fulcher said she supports the resolution to repeal the previously issued resolution. <br />She said the presence of these plaques, statues, and roadway names are part of a calculated <br />plan to promote the superiority of the Anglo Saxon race, with a complete distortion of the history <br />of slavery. <br />Altha Cravey supports the resolution because it is important to actively create inclusive <br />spaces in our communities. <br />Heather Redding supports the resolution. <br />Ivy Barger supports the resolution. <br />Candace Midget supports the resolution. <br />Diane Robertson is a trained historian, and she supports the resolution. <br />Commissioner Marcoplos asked if he can put up a sign in a DOT right of way. <br />John Roberts said yes, but DOT can remove it. <br />Commissioner Marcoplos said he would like to petition DOT to find out who owns the <br />sign, so that the County can approach the owner and ask for its removal. <br />Chair Dorosin said this can be added to the “let it be resolved” section of the resolution. <br />He read the resolution: <br /> <br />A RESOLUTION REPEALING THE JUNE 1, 1959 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />RESOLUTION DESIGNATING U.S. ROUTE 15 IN ORANGE COUNTY AS THE JEFFERSON <br />DAVIS NATIONAL HIGHWAY <br /> <br />WHEREAS, in the mid-twentieth century a private group began a movement to designate a <br />coast to coast national highway as the Jefferson Davis Highway, Jefferson Davis Memorial <br />Highway, or Jefferson Davis National Highway; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, this group approached local and state governments across the nation for support in <br />the form of local roadway dedications; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, on June 1, 1959, pursuant to one such request, the Orange County Board of <br />Commissioners voted to support a resolution designating that section of U.S. Route 15 situated <br />in Orange County as the “Jefferson Davis National Highway”; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the federal government never designated or adopted a Jefferson Davis Highway, <br />Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway, or Jefferson Davis National Highway; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, because there is no official “Jefferson Davis National Highway” the 1959 resolution <br />has no legal or practical effect and serves only to recognize Jefferson Davis; and