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2 <br /> 1 Roll call ensued <br /> 2 <br /> 3 VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> 4 <br /> 5 Chair Price dispensed with reading the public charge. <br /> 6 <br /> 7 Public Charge: The Board of Commissioners pledges its respect to all present. The Board asks <br /> 8 those attending this meeting to conduct themselves in a respectful, courteous manner toward <br /> 9 each other, county staff and the commissioners. At any time should a member of the Board or <br /> 10 the public fail to observe this charge, the Chair will take steps to restore order and decorum. <br /> 11 Should it become impossible to restore order and continue the meeting, the Chair will recess <br /> 12 the meeting until such time that a genuine commitment to this public charge is observed. The <br /> 13 BOCC asks that all electronic devices such as cell phones, pagers, and computers should <br /> 14 please be turned off or set to silent/vibrate. Please be kind to everyone. <br /> 15 <br /> 16 Arts Moment— No Arts Moment was available for this meeting. <br /> 17 <br /> 18 2. Public Comments <br /> 19 <br /> 20 a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda <br /> 21 Christian Kenna voiced his opposition to the standing face covering mandate within <br /> 22 indoor public settings, including private businesses. He said he believes the decision to institute <br /> 23 the mandate was not made based on medical evidence and fact. He said Commissioner Price <br /> 24 told him the Commissioners consulted with the Orange County Health Director and the Mayors <br /> 25 of Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough in making the decision. He said the medical director <br /> 26 is an advisor and should not be in a position to make decisions that elected officials are <br /> 27 accountable for making themselves. He said the decision was made by 6 commissioners and 3 <br /> 28 mayors who are all Democrats, and said the decision making process was not one of due <br /> 29 diligence, but rather groupthink. He said he would like to see the Commissioners seek the input <br /> 30 of others in the community, and is here to give his perspective. He said wearing a mask has <br /> 31 become a political issue across America. He said he hoped the Commissioners would have <br /> 32 sought out medical studies that show masks provide measurable evidence in reducing the <br /> 33 transmission of disease rather than blindly following the political legions. He said there has <br /> 34 been no medical study that has proven that masks meaningfully reduced the spread of COVID, <br /> 35 so why impose such a requirement. He said the mask is a symbol of county government doing <br /> 36 something that everyone can see. He said there has not been a COVID death in Orange <br /> 37 County since May 14 when the Governor lifted the statewide restrictions and mask mandate. He <br /> 38 said the County's current average case county is 459 per 100,000, which is less than half a <br /> 39 percent occurrence rate. He said Orange County also has the highest vaccination rate in the <br /> 40 entire state at 80%. He said the Commissioners should commend and reward residents for this <br /> 41 accomplishment and not impose mask mandates like other counties that have far less <br /> 42 vaccination rates success. He said it is important to realize that Covid is here to stay and <br /> 43 thinking must shift to it being like the annual flue. He said it is not realistic to endure facemasks <br /> 44 and gathering limits with no foreseeable end date. He said Orange County residents need real <br /> 45 leadership from Commissioners, not simply falling in line with what all the other counties are <br /> 46 doing. He said the Commissioner should immediately end the mask mandate for all. <br /> 47 <br /> 48 <br />