Minutes 04-14-2022-Work Session - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 Mikki Fleming and David Stancil presented the work plan for the Orange County Parks and Recreation Council. Mikki Fleming said they have been working to expand the diversity of the council. She said they had a presentation on the One Orange Racial Equity Plan from Anita Jones-McNair. She said they have worked with her to create a flier that will be translated into Spanish and Mandarin to encourage diverse applicants to the board from across the county. She said that there was a recommended applicant that is African American for consideration for the Hillsborough seat. She said there is another upcoming vacancy they will recruit for the Chapel Hill seat, and they are hoping to add further diversity. She said they reviewed the applications for funding for outside agencies and they had twice as many applicants this year versus last. She said they had two or three last year and five this year. She said they will be reviewing the progress towards the Comprehensive Plan goals and the midpoint for the Parks and Recreation Master Plan 2030. She said they are continuing to serve as an advisory steering committee on the Mountains to Sea Trail. She said they sponsor the Nature of Orange Photography contest. She said they are also discussing the plans and eagerly awaiting the reopening of Blackwood Farm Park. David Stancil said when the workplan was created back in December, they were talking with Triangle Trails Initiative, and they were considering the idea of creating a county-wide trails plan. He said that at the Intergovernmental Parks Work Group meeting the night before they discussed the towns and county working together to develop a county-wide trails plan for bicyclists and pedestrians during the upcoming fiscal year. He said they would plan to hire a consultant during that time. He said the town representatives at the Intergovernmental Parks Work Group thought it was a good idea. He said the point is that the workplan has evolved since December and that is new information as of last night. He said they want to use the equity lens and framework as they develop a midplane assessment of the Parks and Recreation master plan. Commissioner Fowler said she was glad to hear they were going to work on interconnectivity between bicycle and pedestrian trails because she was going to inquire about the combined work. Commissioner Bedford said they have had good success getting easements for the Mountains to Sea Trail. She said this is good timing for the midpoint for the Parks and Recreation Master Plan review. She said more people are using trails and she thanked the board for working on the issue. Chair Price said she is on the Triangle Trails Initiative. She said there are people on the initiative that can help the county develop the master plan. She said it could save Orange County some money by reaching out for available assistance. David Stancil thanked Chair Price for reminding him of that. He said the plan will take more than just the Orange County Parks and Recreation Council. He said it will take transportation, sustainability, planning, and other agencies to develop a true coordinated plan. Chair Price said there is an app that could be used in the development of the plan to list amenities as people are walking. He said the app could be developed in coordination with the plan. Art Menius and Peter Sandbeck presented the work plan for the Historic Preservation Commission. Art Menius said the commission started a new project to obtain National Register designation for the Ridge Road School. He said the Ridge Road School was built in 1932 and is one of the few surviving examples of a Jim Crow era schoolhouse in Orange County. He said they received two approvals last year. He said one was for the Schley Grange Hall built in 1949 and they had a ceremony there in September. He said the grange hall meant a lot to its members. He said the other approval was for Cedar Grove School. He said it was the first