Orange County NC Website
4 <br /> community-based treatment programs. This grant runs through June 30, 2022 and fills a <br /> long standing gap in the homeless service system. <br /> • The Department of Social Services received supplemental funding to support staffing <br /> needs in child and adult protective services. This $66,787 award adds 3.0 FTE for six <br /> months ending on December 31, 2020. <br /> • The Health Department has received a total of $298,647 to hire additional case <br /> investigators, COVID-19 testing technicians, and a temporary data analyst to monitor, <br /> analyze, and report on COVID-19 statistics and trends. <br /> County Economic Development Funds <br /> Finally, the County has consolidated and reallocated small business funds to create an <br /> Emergency Small Business Loan and Grant Program. This program has opened for two rounds <br /> of applications and has awarded a total of $135,000 in loans and $385,000 in grants to 78 small <br /> businesses located in Orange County. The program has a balance of $329,583. <br /> Budget Amendment #1 proposes to reallocate $50,000 of that balance to the Arts Commission <br /> to fund a supplemental grant program for arts organizations. The County and its community and <br /> municipal partners are also conducting an economic impact assessment and will use the results <br /> of that survey to recommend further distribution of funds consistent with the needs expressed in <br /> the survey. Survey results will be available in early September. <br /> Long Term Recovery Planning <br /> Although the response effort to COVID-19 is ongoing, the County and its municipal partners <br /> have allocated a total of $175,000 to retain a consultant to support long term recovery planning. <br /> As part of the effort, the County has organized over 150 community organizations and <br /> representatives to help create recommendations that will promote an expeditious and long term <br /> recovery and improve resiliency. These organizations are organized into seven Recovery <br /> Support Functions focused on the local economy, the health system, human services, housing, <br /> natural and cultural resources, community planning, and public information. With the assistance <br /> of the consulting group, these support functions are being asked to characterize and quantify <br /> the impact of the pandemic, create a framework for building recovery strategies and priorities <br /> using a social justice and racial equity perspective, and develop strategies for consideration by <br /> local governing boards for consideration and implementation. <br /> The Recovery Support Functions had an initial orientation and convening over the summer. <br /> These groups are now meeting individually. An economic impact assessment survey has been <br /> distributed to the business community. This survey is open until the end of August. A public <br /> values survey is currently under development and will be distributed in early September that will <br /> offer additional community context for the work of the Recovery Support Functions. The first <br /> work product, an initial COVID-19 Impact Assessment is due in the coming weeks. Final work <br /> products, including recommendations, will be presented to local governing boards in early 2021. <br /> FINANCIAL IMPACT: The County has received a total of $6.4 million in COVID-19 related <br /> funding as of the end of August. <br /> SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: The following Orange County Social Justice Goals are applicable <br /> to this item: <br /> • GOAL: FOSTER A COMMUNITY CULTURE THAT REJECTS OPPRESSION AND <br /> INEQUITY <br />