Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
~. <br />ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: June 5, 2001 <br />Action Agend <br />Item No. <br />SUBJECT: Si n Translation Pro'ect -Board of Count Commissioners' Goal <br />DEPARTMENT: County Commissioners PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Draft example of `Safety Sign' <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Commissioner Barry Jacobs <br />Clerk to the Board Beverly Blythe <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968501 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane 336-227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To provide information on the 1999-2000 Board of County Commissioners- <br />approved goal to: °Translate signs into Spanish especially at key govemment buildings" and <br />present a recommendation for Board approval. <br />BACKGROUND: On June 21, 1999, the BOCC adopted the goal to, "Translate signs into <br />Spanish especially at key govemment buildings." This goal was formulated in response to the <br />needs of the growing Hispanic/Latino population in Orange County. The 2000 census <br />information indicates that the Hispanic or Latino population is 5,273 or 4.5% of the total <br />population of Orange County, which is 118,227. The Hispanic population in 1990 was 1,275. A <br />subcommittee of the Orange County Risk Management team has been compiling information on <br />the project since June 2000. A Board of County Commissioners Communications Task Force <br />reviewed the information and made suggestions for aphased-in approach that is described in <br />this abstract which will spread the cost over a longer period of time. Commissioners Gordon <br />and Jacobs served on this task force. The BOCC is being asked to approve all three phases. <br />The committee conducted a survey and found that current signage, in many cases, is <br />inadequate for both English and Spanish speakers using County services. Some signs do not <br />meet ADA standards; other buildings have acquired a wide variety of sign styles over many <br />years. It was determined that citizens may have a hard time finding their way around some of <br />the County buildings. <br />An informal poll of Department Heads with heavy public contact yielded an estimate of about <br />100 visits per month to Orange County buildings by Spanish-speaking people. <br />The costs in this abstract do not include labor or administrative costs. The Buildings ~ Grounds <br />division of Public Works will mount the signs. The project will be integrated over time into the <br />