Agenda - 09-06-2022; 8-a - Minutes

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22 1 that Charles Lopez spoke to. She said she isn't ready to make a decision tonight. She said she 2 would like to understand more about the harm. She said she agrees with 450 feet and the other 3 recommendations by the county attorney. 4 Commissioner Fowler said she has participated in a demonstration on school property. 5 She said it was in support of teachers. She said the ordinance would make it more difficult but 6 weighing that against the student need to feel safe in a learning space which is tremendously 7 more important than inconvenience of finding a different place to protest. She said she 8 appreciates hearing the people's opinions and she appreciates that. She said that does not 9 mean we reserve the right to say anything, anytime, anywhere. She said the lack of an arrest 10 does not mean a lack of harm. She said she has been robbed in her office and she was not 11 physically harmed, and no one was arrested, but it leaves doubt. She said that if children do not 12 feel safe, they are required to go to school, and we want them to feel safe. She said it is 13 reasonable to consider how to make them feel safe. She said there are other ways to express 14 their opinions in emails, Facebook, at school board meetings, and at Board of Commissioners 15 meetings. She said that she agrees with the 450 feet. She said that if people feel the need to 16 wait, she said she is happy to wait. 17 Chair Price said this came to the Board from parents, school board members, and 18 students. She said they received a document from students. She said they are addressing those 19 concerns. She thanked the County Attorney for helping with this as was requested by the Board. 20 She also thanked the public for their points of view. She said that what bothers her is that there 21 is a gross misunderstanding of what this is about. She said from her perspective, the Board 22 was addressing a need to protect student's learning environment during school hours. She said 23 any other time outside of school hours, they can say whatever they want to say. She said there 24 are misunderstandings. She said the curriculum had nothing to do with this ordinance. She said 25 that her concern was to let the children go to school and not be bothered. She said that she 26 agreed with lessening the distance. She said no one is here tonight to speak in favor, and the 27 Board is in the middle, which is why she would be willing to wait, depending on motion made by 28 colleagues. She said she is concerned that the school board will be changing in the next two 29 weeks. She said the two coming on have been in the schools on a daily basis and 30 communicating on a daily basis. She said some people might think it is kicking the can down the 31 road but at the same time, there is a new school board that is going to be seated that would 32 have to carry out what is decided by the Board. She said that if there are concerns about 33 curriculum and the library, that is not what this is about, whatsoever. She said the Board is not 34 trying to restrict what is said to the school board. 35 Commissioner McKee asked John Roberts when this first came to the county. 36 John Roberts said it was either January 2022 or before. 37 Commissioner McKee said he understands the need to be deliberative. He said this is 38 the second reading of it, because this law requires that it be a second reading. He said he 39 doesn't know what is to be gained by pushing it down the road. He said he mentioned about 40 the effect of protests to address social justice issues and injustices. He said that growing up in 41 the 1950s and 1960s he heard people say they would address the racial issues later, but did not 42 say when the right time is. He said that 100 years ago, the Board would have all looked like him 43 and that changed because of protests. He said that it needs to be addressed tonight. He said 44 that while it may not be overly aggressive, it creates a slippery slope. He said that he thinks they 45 should kill the ordinance tonight. 46 Commissioner Hamilton said she supports delaying this. She thinks it would need a 47 second reading to go over the substantial changes. She said that the intent in her mind was not 48 to stifle parents and it was to protect students. She said getting the input from the new school 49 board will be good in the time they are waiting. She said there is a place that people protest in 50 Chapel Hill and that is a place that invites people to come and say what they want. She said that 51 there are a lot of protests and demonstrations that people get permits for. She said they can