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

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11 1 Bryant Hunter said he has been at OE enterprises since 2017. He said that he likes the 2 job he does, and he hopes he can stay with it. He works at a community center in Efland and at 3 Rogers Road and at the visitor's center in Chapel Hill. 4 Katie Harper said she has two children in Orange County Schools. She thanked the 5 commissioners for their work on the budget. She asked the Board to vote in favor of the 6 amendments for increasing funding. She said that it should not be up to local resources to make 7 up for the lack of state funding, but that is the situation. She asked them to fund the schools as 8 well as they can. She said one goal is to retain and recruit employees and that by not fully 9 funding the OCS budget they will make it more difficult to achieve. She said that the 10 amendments would help improve compensation for classified staff or increase the supplement 11 for licensed teachers. She said that a few months ago she heard BOCC members say that 12 increasing teacher compensation did not directly address the learning loss and mental health 13 needs. She said that retaining new talent is the best way to reduce learning loss and address 14 the mental health needs. She said that the teachers have worked for years and know families 15 the best. She said that teachers are at the heart of schools. She said that she has a deep 16 respect for Dr. Felder and her team has wonderful ideas to help the district. She asked the 17 Board to please help Orange County Schools retain dedicated teachers. She said that they 18 value education as a top priority. 19 Meghun Darab spoke in favor of the education amendments. She said that there is a 20 shortfall of $10 million from both districts. She said that while the $2.2 does not cover that 21 shortfall it may be enough to build up the teacher base and retain teachers. She said that it will 22 show teachers that we appreciate them. She asked the Board to please consider approving the 23 amendments at the next meeting. 24 Brian Link, the President of Chapel Hill Carrboro Association of Educators, congratulated 25 the commissioners who won their primaries. He said that he teaches his kids that civics is a 26 relationship, and they are excited to continue the relationship between the association and the 27 commissioners and hopefully into the General Assembly, next year. He asked the 28 commissioners to think about just how much has changed since they last saw one another on 29 May 10. He said that in Raleigh, on both sides of the aisle, they are talking raises that neither 30 school district has budgeted for but would have to be accounted for if enacted. He said that their 31 chief financial officer said that will mean a million extra dollars just in the Carrboro city schools 32 alone. He said then the reminder that the teachers literally must decide if the work they are not 33 getting paid enough to do is worth dying for. He said that the survey results show that the 34 teachers in their districts are willing to say that they are leaving the county or state is almost 35 double the amount since the last survey two years ago. He said they listen closely, and it is 36 clear the Board has been listening too. He said that the amendments are creative and will help 37 both school districts. He said that he hopes they adopt all of the amendments rather than pick 38 and choose. He said they also heard them about fund balance and for the first time in over a 39 decade, the district is having a fund balance 101 meeting to talk about how they can do their 40 part. He said that the are going to need $3.5 million just to keep the lights on. He said that he is 41 presenting a petition signed by over five hundred community members that urge the Board to do 42 more. He asked the Board to pass the amendments and try to find more money for the schools. 43 Chair Price read a letter from Pamela Winstead, the President of the Perry Hills 44 Community Association: 45 To Whom It May Concern: 46 The Perry Hills Community Association is requesting the funding and installation of 47 a community park at the county owned lot located at the corner of Frazier Rd and 48 Lancaster Rd in Mebane (PIN# 9835416142). The lot is currently undeveloped and 49 has become an area where trash and other debris accumulates. By purposing the 50 lot as community park, it will create a space for community members to congregate 51 and kids to play safely. Since our streets do not have sidewalks, the park will