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2 <br /> Arts Moment— No Arts Moment was available for this meeting. <br /> 2. Public Comments <br /> a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda <br /> Latarndra Strong read a letter from the members of the Concerned Citizenry of the <br /> Efland Cheeks Community: <br /> Dear Orange County Board of County Commissioners: <br /> At this time, we, the Concerned Citizens of the Efland-Cheeks Community, wish to express our <br /> concern and disappointment with how matters continue to get handled as issues arise in <br /> northwestern parts of Orange County. As a community, we have seen many changes take <br /> place over time, the changes we see occurring are not for the betterment of our community. For <br /> example, we have seen our adult populations age to senior status, while community resources <br /> allocated to service aging populations get redirected to Centers outside of our community. We <br /> have seen low skill jobs that pay a living wage leave our community get replaced by low wage <br /> retail/food service jobs. We have seen our communities become riddled with drugs, as the <br /> same good jobs that left the area are not replaced with comparable jobs, and incarceration <br /> becomes the only mechanism employed to address drug use/sells. We have seen zoning <br /> changes that impact our community most adversely (e.g., Black Cheeks Crossing area rezoned <br /> to commercial/industrial depressing the home values and preventing the ability to make <br /> significant home improvements), while other areas are systematically kept rural (aka white). <br /> And most recently, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we found out how severely our <br /> communities are impacted from technology dead zones and a lack of capital. <br /> We are fully aware that Orange County is one of the wealthiest counties in the State of North <br /> Carolina, the average property value is $292,500, and the average wage is $61,130. The <br /> County's Black population comprises less than twelve percent of the population. However, <br /> these facts are not so for Cheeks Township, Tract 011101. The average income of Tract <br /> 011101 is over $7,000 lower than the median income of the County, over 32% of the residents <br /> of Tract 011101 earn less than $30,000, and the average age of the residents of Tract 011101 <br /> is higher than the County's median age. Moreover, of this Census tract, Black populations make <br /> up almost 20% of the population and we are overrepresented regarding markers that designate <br /> poverty like food stamps. This means the average income of Blacks in the Community is <br /> significantly lower than the median. We care about the environment just as others do. But if <br /> changes are not made to address our present-day survival, we will not have a reason to <br /> concern ourselves with future survival or the environment. <br /> Even though many of us vote, we suspect many of you have never even taken the time to walk <br /> the streets of our community. Many of the Blacks who live in this community's ancestors have <br /> owned land or resided in this area since racialized slavery ended. As concerned citizens we <br /> have one request, consider the irreparable harm that the Efland-Cheeks Community has <br /> suffered in the past and present as you plan for the future of Orange County. We put our trust <br /> in you when you were elected and our lives, our children's lives, and the lives of our children's <br /> children are depending on the decisions you make today and tomorrow. <br /> John Dempsey read the following letter: <br /> Dear Commissioners, <br />