Agenda 09-03-19 Item 8-a - Minutes

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4 1 "Good afternoon. One more petition response. This is in reply to the petition of June 4 for the 2 County to make efforts to no longer use the glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup. 3 4 This product and other glyphosate based broad-spectrum herbicides have been the subject of 5 much investigation in the last several years, as you likely know, and in particular in the last 6 several months with the results of recent lawsuits. At present, County staff use this product 7 sparingly, only on County grounds and landscaped areas to address poison ivy and weed 8 control. 9 10 However, staff has been tracking this issue and several months back identified the need to 11 again review this and other herbicide use. In May we formed a Pesticide/Herbicide Working 12 Group with representatives from DEAPR, Asset Management and Solid Waste. 13 14 Pending this working group's look at current policies and practices, and the development of 15 recommended new updates or changes (or direction from the Board or Manager), staff will 16 cease use of Roundup. 17 18 We anticipate a report from the Working Group on updates to policies and practices later this 19 summer. 20 21 Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions 22 23 P. David Stancil, AICP 24 Director, Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation (DEAPR)" 25 26 Commissioner Dorosin referred to the budget amendment process, and said it is tricky to 27 get amendments submitted prior to receiving the budget, but he suggested moving the public 28 hearings back, or taking public comment at budget work sessions. He said the Board is 29 constrained about having ideas before the budget is presented. 30 Commissioner Dorosin said last week his amendment about school funding did not get 31 support, but there was general support to discuss it at a later date. He petitioned to bring this 32 topic back in the fall, outside the pressures of the budget process. 33 Commissioner Greene she supports all comments from the Board of County 34 Commissioners tonight, and she too, like Commissioner Bedford, appreciated all their 35 assistance in being a new Commissioner. 36 Commissioner Greene said she attended the Executive Committee of Triangle J Council 37 of Governments (TJCOG), where members gave permission to accept a grant opportunity from 38 the Federal Home Loan Bank Board of Atlanta's affordable housing program, to do home repair 39 projects in Chatham County. 40 Commissioner Greene said she, Chair Rich and Katie Murray attended the Americans 41 for the Arts Conference in Minneapolis, which was inspiring and encouraging. She said Orange 42 County must continue to boost the arts economy. She said she is also very committed to the 43 arts not being an elite activity, but rather something that is accessible to all. 44 Commissioner Price referred to Commissioner Dorosin's petition about Round Up, and 45 said there was a group in Carrboro that dealt with this topic (ToxicFree NC), and it may be wise 46 to follow up. 47 Commissioner Marcoplos said a resident contacted him, asking that any information that 48 comes out of the committee studying the Round Up/toxins, be forwarded to all other government 49 entities in the County.