Agenda 04-26-22; 8-a - Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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21 1 Commissioner Bedford said she supported the parking deck a year ago when it was not 2 this much. She recalled that Commissioner Fowler tried to get the Board to decrease parking at 3 that point and she wishes she had listened. She said she cannot justify $48,000 per parking 4 spot when there are so many other critical county needs, including supporting RENA and 5 affordable housing. She noted that every year since she has been a commissioner, the Orange 6 County Partnership to End Homelessness asks the Board for less than $2 million to address 7 community needs, and additional money has not been budgeted. She said that they were able 8 to receive COVID federal funds and those were used to start the street outreach team. She said 9 that team has been very successful but that because the federal funds were a one-time 10 allocation, those positions will expire on June 30th. She said that when they go over in Capital 11 and don't raise taxes, the debt services have to be reduced at operating. She said that at the 12 county level, the Link Building was condemned because of mold and still needs to be taken 13 down. She noted that CARES money has all be spent and ARPA money will be used for 14 broadband. She said that the behavioral health crisis center needs the service now. She said 15 there is $50,000 for sustainability projects in the capital budget – but for climate that is not very 16 much. She said the money that is already spent is sunk costs and that is not how to make a 17 decision going forward. She said she does not see the capital reserve covering the costs. She 18 said that she does not see the parking spots rising to the need to spend $48,000 per spot. She 19 said this is a wonderful project, but the county has greater needs. She said they did not give 20 employees raises two years ago. She said that they did not do a raise in the per-pupil spending. 21 She said that the children have gorgeous libraries at school, so they do have those books to 22 take home during the day. She said she won't be supporting this project at this point but thinks 23 the county can still work with Carrboro to get additional library services there. She said she 24 does not believe the building is doable at this point. 25 Commissioner Hamilton said it is hard being a commissioner and to weigh all of the 26 needs of the county. She said she thinks about those who are most vulnerable in the county, 27 and there are a lot of residents who fit that. She said she has been passionate about the capital 28 needs of schools, and there are old schools that are not safe anymore—it is more than just 29 school repairs. She said the schools that have the open campuses, like Estes Hills, were once 30 wonderful, but now are no longer safe. She said it would take millions of dollars to address 31 these issues. She said children are on the list of the most vulnerable. She said that if the school 32 environment that helps them learn then that impact will roll on for years. She said that the 33 community has failed many children because they have not addressed the capital needs. She 34 said now that schools are not expanding, it is the time for the community to commit to spending 35 money on decent schools. She said that cannot be done without millions of dollars and making 36 tough choices. She said another important potential project is the Crisis Diversion Facility for 37 residents who are experiencing mental health crises. She said this will keep people out of jail 38 and it will keep those who are suicidal out of emergency rooms. She said this is a need that the 39 county does not have in the CIP and will be millions of dollars. She said that they need to make 40 hard choices. She mentioned the current events in Ukraine and the unknowns. She asked how 41 that will impact the future and citizens will have the ability to pay for taxes if the county needs to 42 raise the. She said that as an economist, one of the first things they teach them is about sunk 43 costs. She said in behavioral economics there is discussion on how people want to continue to 44 follow through on projects because of the invested time, money, and energy without regard to 45 whether the current costs outweigh the current benefits. She said she is looking at now and the 46 economic environment going forward to determine where the dollars are going to be best spent. 47 She said that she feels it would be spending for the most vulnerable and that she does not feel 48 that the library is in that category. She said the uncertainty in inflation and higher costs also 49 makes this project hard to do. 50 Commissioner Greene noted that Carrboro is discussing this matter tonight as well. She 51 said that before the meeting she learned from the mayor that there will be six votes for the