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11 <br /> 1 Stop gouging our citizen taxpayers -- cut the spending and borrowing!!!! <br /> 2 <br /> 3 Kimberly Sanchez, Executive Director, Community Home Trust (CHT), said she is so <br /> 4 appreciative and grateful for the Board of County Commissioners' (BOCC) support, and the <br /> 5 proposed budget that does include funding for the CHT. She said during Covid-19, CHT is still <br /> 6 selling homes. She said CHT has 270 homes in its inventory, and average family income of <br /> 7 CHT homebuyers' is $40,000. She said they are also in the rental market as well, and she <br /> 8 reviewed some of the entities that CHT manages. She said CHT is looking for additional land to <br /> 9 be donated for future development. <br /> 10 Kevin Giff, Community Development Manager for Habitat for Humanity of Orange <br /> 11 County, thanked the Orange County Board of Commissioners for supporting its affordable <br /> 12 housing efforts, and its new ownership and preservation programs. He said Habitat has been <br /> 13 fortunate to be able to continue business during the pandemic. He reviewed Habitat's home <br /> 14 preservation program. He said over half of the owners are over age 65, and the average <br /> 15 homeowner income is $20,000. He said Orange County's funding enables Habitat to support <br /> 16 these homeowners to age in place. <br /> 17 Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board, read the following public comment via email from Kari <br /> 18 Hamel of Chapel Hill: <br /> 19 <br /> 20 Dear Board of County Commissioners, <br /> 21 <br /> 22 Thank you to the Commissioners and to the county staff for your efforts during this pandemic. <br /> 23 Your accessibility - particularly in responding to questions, concerns, and suggestions -is noted <br /> 24 and appreciated. <br /> 25 <br /> 26 My reasons for writing are two-fold: I am grateful to the current and former Commissioners for <br /> 27 your longtime support and encouragement toward all of the wonderful children in our community <br /> 28 through your generous funding of public education. This commitment continues to be critical <br /> 29 today as an increasing number of households (many with children) are reduced to one or zero <br /> 30 income sources due to this public health crisis. <br /> 31 <br /> 32 1 encourage you to continue to be forward thinking about generously allocating school-related <br /> 33 funds now as well as to lay the necessary foundation for future years. Certainly, continuing <br /> 34 conversations to ensure all CHCCS custodian are in-house so that they (and their loved ones) <br /> 35 realize the prosperity that comes from receiving a living wage and benefits from their public <br /> 36 employer has my full support. <br /> 37 <br /> 38 Secondly, it is out of this same appreciation which I raise my good faith concerns that local <br /> 39 school funding provided by the county has been and remains susceptible to unethical behavior <br /> 40 and misuse as the county's oversight and governance structures may be vulnerable to <br /> 41 exploitation. The seeming design to utilize local funding on at least one problematic contract in <br /> 42 CHCCS known about by the public is just one example. <br /> 43 <br /> 44 Perhaps, of some relevance, a county commissioner from another jurisdiction recently <br /> 45 referenced the obligation of the elected board to promote orderly and efficient administration of <br /> 46 county affairs.* <br /> 47 <br /> 48 To that same end, here in Orange County, what specific ideas do the Commissioners have to <br /> 49 promote the efficient administration of county affairs by ensuring that the generous local <br /> 50 dollars you allot to the schools are reaching the children and the professional human <br />