Agenda - 09-02-2021; 4-a - Discussion and Appointment for the Vacant Position on the Orange County Board of Commissioners

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20 Orange County should continue partnering with the towns to regain the momentum we had before the pandemic, collaborating efforts to assist in finding tenants for the 2 large commercial office buildings in Chapel Hill(the Gwedline at Glen Lennox, and the Parkline, located beside Wegmans)and also working with Carrboro, Hillsborough and Mebane to ensure a robust business community as the pandemic recovery continues. Lastly we need to help our Tourism and Arts directors promote Orange County. (two of the hardest hit industries during covid)As of 2016 non-profit Arts revenue reached$5.3 million dollars(for-profit venues such as the Cat's Cradle are not calculated in this number), and on average, tourism brings in $1.9 million dollars a year. 9. One of the unfortunate outcomes of the pandemic is that the wealth gap has grown even greater. We anticipate what economists call a K-shaped recovery, in which pre-existing inequities are exacerbated. This disparity largely falls along lines of race. How can county commissioners ensure that prosperity in the coming years is more equitably shared? In the fall of 20201 delivered a speech at UNC to the Kenan Scholars Program faculty and students, focusing on this topic. I explained how, in the face of the challenges, such as COVID-19, we tend to as a society front load policy and propose changes in a hurry, but we need to ask ourselves, how are we structuring our response through a racial equity lens?I expressed the need to change the top-down approach and prioritize shared decision making as a team where accountability has to be horizontal, especially to the community. 1 encouraged the Scholars, as future leaders, to sit down, take your guard down, and listen, always making room for BIPOC people at the table. 1 strongly support the County Commission's approach of explicitly stating how social justice applies to each issue on the agenda. 1 want to further advance this type of thinking to use an equity lens on each decision, and ensure that we are centering those most in need.As the county recovers, we need to examine what tools we haven't yet used to advance equity, and what tools are needed from the state level. In spite of all the adversity that the pandemic brought, 1 remain optimistic about the opportunity for change. I believe it's time to think about transforming our community to be more resilient, more inclusive, more equitable and more agile. While the pandemic has changed fundamental assumptions about human behavior that may never revert back to a pre-pandemic state, I believe we should take this opportunity to create a more equitable community where such disparities do not exist and everyone can thrive. 10. What steps do you think the Board of Commissioners could take to address the chronic lack of affordable housing in the county? Preserve, Rehabilitate, Build Preserving an existing home is significantly less expensive than constructing new affordable housing. Restrictive land use regulations make it difficult to build affordable rental housing for very low-income families and seniors. Replacing every lost affordable apartment or home is often unrealistic. In particular,preserving affordable housing near transit corridors is important for connecting low-income families and seniors to opportunities. Rehabilitating an existing affordable apartment or home can cost one-third less than building a new apartment. Rehabbing existing affordable housing also provides opportunities to integrate "green" technologies that make the buildings energy efficient, healthy for residents, and environmentally sustainable. "Green"technologies,such as weatherization, can be used to promote energy and water conservation, benefiting owners through lower maintenance costs and lower utility expenses for low income families and seniors.