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7 <br /> 4. What do you see as the most urgent unmet needs facing Orange County. Please limit <br /> to 5 or less and prioritize these needs, particularly if listing more than 3. <br /> While the scope of the BOCC is broad and deep, the following areas will continue to need <br /> heightened attention from the Board. They are listed in order, not necessarily by importance, but <br /> in terms of potential timing for positive impact to our Orange County community. <br /> • Sustainably Expanding Affordable Housing. <br /> o The need in our County to sustainably deliver more affordable housing in a way <br /> that also protects our environment is acute. Projects like the recently published <br /> Environmental Assessment for the Greene Tract provide valuable data and <br /> options for public discourse. As a Commissioner, I will support facilitating that <br /> discourse, listen to stakeholders who may not agree on all aspects of a particular <br /> issue, and identify common ground and a path forward with my fellow <br /> commissioners based on shared community needs and values. <br /> • Providing reliable broadband access county-wide, with emphasis on underserved <br /> parts of the county. <br /> o The Broadband Task Force, led by Commissioners McKee and Greene, is <br /> working to recommend a plan that will expand reliable high-speed internet <br /> services to all County residents and businesses. The pandemic has proven that <br /> this critical unmet need is making existing disparities, particularly in education, <br /> even worse. The Board recently committed Federal American Rescue Plan Act <br /> (ARPA) funds to this task. As a commissioner with a background in engineering <br /> and an intense interest in ensuring technology is an enabler in closing our <br /> schools' achievement gap, I will lend my support to this effort in any way I can. <br /> • Ensuring Strong Public Schools and equitable educational outcomes <br /> o In addition to Broadband access, our students need: <br /> o Safe, wholesome school facilities for learning, free of intimidation <br /> o Well-compensated public school teachers whose massive contribution to the <br /> well-being of our society are appropriately valued <br /> • Action to address the accelerating climate emergency <br /> 0 1 was recently in Portland, Oregon helping our daughter relocate there for her <br /> medical residency -- during the sudden mass-casualty heat wave. Historic <br /> temperatures of over 115 degrees for days served as a literal slap in the face for <br /> those in the Pacific Northwest and much of our nation, as the West prepares for <br /> what will likely be the most destructive wildfire season in recorded history. Here in <br /> North Carolina, we continue to suffer stronger hurricanes and flooding rains that <br /> inordinately impact communities of color.As a commissioner: <br /> 0 1 will bring my voice to promote actions local government, our citizens and <br /> businesses can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. <br /> 0 1 will work to better understand the direct risks posed by climate change to our <br /> communities and what additional work our county must do to protect from those <br /> impacts. <br /> • Continued strong support for public health, including mental health, <br /> developmental disability and substance abuse services <br />