Minutes 01-28-2020 Assembly of Governments

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16 Carrboro Town Council Member Gist said staff is doing a great job, and she asked if people will be scared to talk to census takers for fear of immigration repercussions. Todd McGee said security is one of the main issues that staff will focus on, especially in February. He said every `be counted' site will have cards available highlighting the steps taken by the census bureau to explain that the data cannot be shared for 72 years. He said census data has been used in the past to locate wanted persons, and so the fear is understandable. Commissioner Price said the committee has made a conscious effort to involve people from the Latinx community as trusted messengers to take the information back to their communities. She said trust is a huge issue, and always has been throughout the history of the census. Carrboro Town Council Member Ferguson said it is important to emphasize the confidentiality laws, which did not exist in the past. She said the census is locked down, and the consequences for violating privacy are extremely serious. Commissioner Greene said both she and Kathleen Ferguson were at a Triangle J Council of Governments (TJCOG) meeting last week, where a presentation was made about the census and the severity of the fines. She said Orange County is only 40-60% towards reaching its recruitment goal for census workers. She said those interested in being a census worker can go to 2020census.gov/jobs and apply on line. She said the pay is good. Commissioner Greene said the census will not ask for a Social Security Number, credit card, etc. but all those things have already happened in North Carolina. She said all census workers who go house to house will be well identified, with official IDs. Chapel Hill Council Member Buansi said there is risk of false census documents, and asked if there are any public campaigns to advise people on how to identify the real form the fake. Todd McGee said staff will start promoting a sample letter. He said there will be no phone calls made by the census bureau, and letters will not be addressed to people by name. He said staff will provide information on any scams of which it is aware. Mayor Lavelle said she has an article that outlines the laws that protect census data. Chair Rich asked if residents in the northern part of the County will have reliable broadband access. Todd McGee said staff will bring hotspots. Hillsborough Town Commissioner Hughes said the Town of Hillsborough Board has committed at least $5000 matching funds for marketing in Orange County, and encouraged other towns to do the same. He said completed census data directly connects to Orange County receiving Federal funds, and it is very important that residents complete the form. Carrboro Council Member Romaine asked if instructions for completing the census will be widely available, as it can be a difficult form to understand. Todd McGee said the census contains 10 questions, and he can forward the sample letter to the boards. He said it is not terribly complicated to understand, and the biggest issue is understanding that this information is about households, not necessarily families. Carrboro Council Member Romaine asked if it is known how long it will take to complete the form. Todd McGee said about 10-15 minutes, and the sample one is in the boards' agenda packet. He said the form is not complicated, and the greater challenge is convincing people to fill it out. Carrboro Council Member Slade encouraged his board to invest in the census, as there is real return on the investment. Todd McGee said the state was going to invest $1.5 million, which was only 14 cents per person, but has ultimately chosen to invest nothing. He said North Carolina is one of many states that are not investing in the census, and local support will be very important.