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2 <br /> 3. Announcements, Petitions and Comments by Board Members <br /> Commissioner McKee said he requested the Board go back to meeting in public <br /> several months ago and expressed thanks to the Board for this return tonight. He said he <br /> appreciates the decision made today to revise the mask mandates and he believes this is the <br /> right step. He said he intended to ask for an addition to the agenda this evening for a public <br /> discussion on when and how to end the mask mandate but that was circumvented by the <br /> decision today. <br /> Commissioner Richards said today is the start of Women's History Month and <br /> seconded Chair Price's comments regarding the Board of Commissioners having six women <br /> members for the first time in its history. She said she looks forward to reading the press release <br /> tomorrow on the changes to the mandate and expressed thanks to Chair Price and other local <br /> leaders for moving the county forward. <br /> Commissioner Bedford had no comments. <br /> Commissioner Hamilton thanked members of the public who shared their views on the <br /> mask mandate with the Board. She said the Board received emails encouraging the removal of <br /> the mask mandate, as well as maintaining protections. She said that no matter what <br /> perspective was shared, it was clear how difficult life has been for everyone during the <br /> pandemic. She said that the frustrations of the guidelines not being communicated clearly has <br /> added to everyone's suffering. She said she serves on a subcommittee of the Board of Health <br /> that reviewed the current CDC guidelines to assess the relevance for the community. She said <br /> that the subcommittee determined the guidelines were useful for determining when to end local <br /> mask mandates. She explained that local data was also reviewed, which showed that Orange <br /> County is moving in the right direction, and that local mandates would likely be lifted within a <br /> week. She said that this is consistent with the decision made today. She noted that COVID-19 <br /> is still circulating in the community, and many people will continue to wear masks out of <br /> necessity. She encouraged respect for those who continue to wear masks. She noted the <br /> importance of the number of hospitalizations being used as a metric to determine when to lift <br /> the mask mandate. She explained that if hospitals are filled with COVID patients or there are <br /> staffing shortages, it makes it harder for patients with other issues to be served. She said that <br /> she thinks it is important to follow guidelines. She said it is unknown if there will be more <br /> variants. She said she will advocate for a more transparent approach to making the decisions. <br /> She said the decision-making power should be expanded beyond the chairs and the mayors <br /> and should include the boards and councils. <br /> Commissioner Greene commended Carrboro for being recognized as one of the top <br /> five small arts communities in the country. She said that the North Carolina Association of <br /> County Commissioners (NCACC) is continuing its series of webinars on strategies for using the <br /> opioid settlement money. She shared that she moderated one of the sessions yesterday about <br /> how to work with justice-involved individuals. She said a lot involved the FIT program and it was <br /> very rewarding and useful. <br /> Commissioner Fowler said she attended the ABC Board meeting on February 22nd <br /> She said that they increased their minimum wage to meet the new living wage criteria and <br /> adjusted other salaries to address compression. She said they want to revisit raising the <br /> General Manager's salary and will be bringing a formal request to the Board. She said that they <br /> heard presentations from various community organizations that work to address substance <br /> abuse. She said that the presenter from Campus and Community Collision pointed out that <br /> excessive drinking leads to $111 billion costs to community. She said she appreciates the <br /> opinions and comments of the public but that she believes the mandate should be based on <br /> data with clear criteria. She said this decision was made by the Chair and mayors, with input <br /> from the health department, and they used guidelines rather than opinions. She said that the <br /> CDC website is changing daily. She said that she believes the county will be in a "safe" range to <br />