Agenda - 06-07-2022; 8-a - Minutes

Browse Search

Attachment 3 1 1 DRAFT MINUTES 2 ORANGE COUNTY 3 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 4 BUSINESS MEETING 5 May 3, 2022 6 7:00 p.m. 7 8 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Business Meeting on Tuesday, May 3, 9 2022 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough, NC. 10 11 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Renee Price, Vice Chair Jamezetta Bedford, 12 and Commissioners Amy Fowler, Jean Hamilton, Earl McKee (arrived at 7:02 p.m.), and Anna 13 Richards 14 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Commissioner Sally Greene 15 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts 16 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager 17 Travis Myren, and Clerk to the Board Laura Jensen. (All other staff members will be identified 18 appropriately below) 19 20 Chair Price called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 21 22 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda 23 24 Chair Price said the closed session did not need to be held at the end of the meeting. 25 26 Chair Price dispensed with reading the public charge. 27 28 2. Public Comments (Limited to One Hour) 29 a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda 30 31 Polly Dornette thanked the Commissioners for the plan to bring broadband to residents. 32 She said the plan was intended to leave no one behind, but a large section of Efland is not 33 covered. She said she had communicated for two years with Commissioner Greene and 34 Commissioner McKee, along with Jim Northrup, about inaccuracies in the map about where 35 Spectrum claims they are covering. She said Spectrum has repeatedly refused to provide 36 service to her neighborhood on Redgate Road. She said her whole neighborhood was 37 excluded from the plan. She said they were repeatedly told they would not be left behind, and 38 that she has dozens of emails that assured her neighborhood they would not be left behind. 39 She said North State does plan to cover her neighborhood as part of their other efforts, but that 40 they would not be protected by pricing or timelines established by the broadband plan. She 41 said there is no guarantee that they will be served in the timeline that everyone else is. She 42 said her neighborhood was previously quoted $20,000 by Spectrum to run service to house. 43 She said they are not protected from installation fees due to being excluded from the plan. She 44 said she was so excited by the meeting where some residents were nearly in tears, because 45 they are so desperate for broadband service. She said she was crushed that her area was 46 excluded. She wants to know why her area was excluded from the plan. She said they want to 47 be included and protected by the same things the county fought hard for for residents. She said 48 she appreciates anything that can be done to bring service to her neighborhood. 49 50 Chair Price said they would take her comments to agenda review and discuss her 51 request.