Minutes 10-25-2022 Joint Meeting with the Fire Department

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23 Commissioner Hamilton said she is open to the idea, she just wanted to bring it up for consideration. She said that, in her experience, sometimes people hold biases that they do not realize. Commissioner Greene said that in this case there is an overlap of interests, not conflict. Chair Price said both Commissioner Hamilton and Commissioner Greene made good points. Chair Price said it seemed like the Board was leaning towards Evan Ashkin for Substance Use Treatment Provider position, but she asked that the Board hold Joyce Harper as an option. The Board then discussed the position for a Community Group Working on Opioid-related Concerns. Tara May said she thought Gayane Chambless, Kyle Smith, Steven Marshall, and Tom Mercolino would fit in this category. Commissioner Greene also suggested Chris Ringwalt. Commissioner Bedford nominated Chris Ringwalt for the position for a Community Group Working on Opioid-related Concerns. Chair Price said he had written extensively about the topic. Commissioner Bedford noted that he helped with re-entry related to the opioid crisis. Commissioner Greene said his organization was a critical community group. The Board then discussed the position for an Employment Provider. Tara May said that in her review of the applications, she did not see anyone who would fit for this position. She said she would be happy to request for more applications specifically for this position. Commissioner Bedford suggested changing the position to an At-Large/Flexible position. The Board agreed by consensus to change the position to an At-Large/Flexible position. Chair Price wanted to nominate Gayane Chambless for a position. She said she had been involved with the opioid project from the beginning and that it would be an oversight to leave her off of the advisory committee. Commissioner Bedford said she would not support Gayane Chambless for a position. Commissioner McKee said Gayane Chambless has been working for a while in some capacity on this issue. Commissioner Bedford said her concerns stemmed from Gayane Chambless’s anger during a meeting in which the Board discussed the constitution of the advisory committee. She said she had concerns about her effectiveness as a committee member. Chair Price said she felt like it was more passion than anger. She said that Orange County might not be in this position without Gayane Chambless’s efforts. Commissioner McKee said he has been on several boards with strong personalities, but he has found that one person does not carry the day. He said he supported Gayane Chambless. Commissioner Fowler said she has worked on two other boards with Gayane Chambless and said she was helpful. She said she liked all of the applicants from the School of Health. She said she liked Natalie Blackburn, Steven Marshall, and David Colston. She said that Tiffany Barber would bring a different perspective to the advisory committee as a pharmacist. Commissioner Greene said she liked Natalie Blackburn state opioid settlement dashboard. She said that the charge for the advisory committee is to be stewards of the funding the county is receiving. She said that Kerri Hefner, as a pastor of New Hope Presbyterian, could be very helpful to the committee. She said she liked Patrick Mann’s background. She also mentioned Natalie Ziemba. She said that she felt those four applicants would be a better fit than Gayane Chambless. She said that one person can derail a discussion, and since there were so many qualified people she thought another applicant might be a better fit. Commissioner McKee said he respected Commissioner Greene’s comments. He said different experiences are valued. He said that Gayane Chambless has worked in this area for