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30 <br /> Roll call ensued <br /> VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> c. Appointments to the Orange County Broadband Task Force <br /> The Board considered: <br /> 1) appointing two Commissioners to the Task Force; <br /> 2) making five At Large appointments to the Orange County Broadband Task Force from <br /> the applications received, and appoint representatives from the Orange County <br /> Manager's Office, Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools, Orange County Schools, the NC <br /> Department of Information Technology, and Durham Technical Community College; and <br /> 3) providing direction to staff that the County Manager's Designee, in conjunction with a <br /> Facilitator, convene the first Task Force meeting no later than March 15, 2021, and that <br /> the Task Force select a Chair at that meeting. <br /> BACKGROUND: <br /> At the September 1, 2020 Board of Orange County Commissioners business meeting, a <br /> petition was submitted by Commissioner Earl McKee to create an Orange County Broadband <br /> Task Force. Stakeholders would include the County Manager, Information Technology <br /> Department Director, a representative from the North Carolina Department of Information <br /> Technology (NCDIT), Orange County Schools Superintendent, Chapel Hill Carrboro City <br /> Schools Superintendent and Community members living in the unincorporated areas of Orange <br /> County who are underserved, including those with an interest in resolving the digital divide in <br /> Orange County. <br /> The Board subsequently discussed the proposal further at its November 17, 2020 Business <br /> meeting, including the composition as noted in the table below and the following charge: <br /> The Task Force charge will include but not necessarily be limited to: <br /> 1. Discuss broadband solutions that will improve the quality of high speed internet services <br /> to Orange County residents; <br /> 2. Recommend a plan to the Board of Orange County Commissioners that will expand <br /> reliable high-speed internet services to all county residents and businesses. <br /> The Board voted "to approve the charge and composition (12 total positions) of the Orange <br /> County Broadband Taskforce and authorize the Clerk to the Board to advertise for residents to <br /> apply for the Task Force." <br /> Special Representation Appointee <br /> County Manager (Designee) Travis Myren, Deputy County Manager <br /> Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools Doug Noell, Director of IT Operations <br /> Superintendent (Designee) <br />