Agenda - 10-03-2022; 8-a - Minutes

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43 1 BACKGROUND: Every two years, the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners 2 (NCACC) organizes a process to develop a legislative goals package. The purpose of the 3 package is to develop a consensus of broad support on legislative goals and issues for matters 4 affecting North Carolina counties that may be addressed by the North Carolina General 5 Assembly during the next two calendar years. The goals and issues included in the package, 6 with their broad support, guide and strengthen NCACC representatives and staff as they 7 converse with individual legislators and committees on legislative matters. 8 9 NCACC initiated the process to develop its 2023-2024 Legislative Goals Package in May. North 10 Carolina counties have been asked to submit proposed legislative goals for consideration for 11 inclusion in the Package by a September 12, 2022 submittal deadline. 12 13 The County's Legislative Issues Work Group (LIWG), including Commissioners Renee Price 14 and Anna Richards, County Attorney John Roberts, and County Manager's Office staff, has 15 developed a draft resolution for Board consideration that outlines several proposed legislative 16 goals for inclusion in NCACC's 2023-2024 package. The LIWG's draft resolution is attached. 17 The Board will likely want to discuss the draft resolution and possibly add to, delete from, and/or 18 revise the language of the proposed goals included in the draft. 19 20 Greg Wilder, Assistant to the County Attorney on Legislative Issues, reviewed the 21 background information for the item. 22 Commissioner Richards thanked those who worked on the committee for their work. 23 Chair Price said the legislative goals committee takes recommendations from the policy 24 steering committee and it gets whittled down to a smaller number anyway. 25 Commissioner Fowler said it is difficult to pare it down because they are all very 26 important. 27 Chair Price said that this is going to the state association and other issues can go to the 28 county's delegation when they meet with them in the spring. 29 30 A motion was made by Commissioner Fowler, seconded by Commissioner Hamilton, to 31 approve and authorize the Chair to sign the resolution as presented. 32 33 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 34 35 d. Resolution Supporting Operation Green Light for Veterans 36 The Board considered draft resolution expressing support for Operation Green Light for 37 veterans. 38 39 BACKGROUND: Operation Green Light is a new national collaborative initiative of the National 40 Association of Counties (NACo) to support military veterans, as well as raise awareness about 41 the unique challenges faced by many veterans and the resources available to assist them and 42 their families. Approximately 200,000 members transition out of the armed services each year. 43 In the period following separation from the military, service members face the challenge of 44 transitioning to a post-military civilian life. Tragically, evidence suggests that transitioning 45 veterans are at higher risk for suicide, yet they often do not receive adequate support and 46 resources. Veteran suicides have claimed over 30,000 lives since 2001 alone —four times more 47 than the number of U.S. military personnel who died in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. 48 Veterans make up roughly 11% of adults experiencing homelessness. Of that group, 70% of 49 homeless veterans also experience substance abuse, and 50% live with mental illnesses like 50 post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In 2019, 61% (or 11.7 million) veterans were over the 51 age of 65.