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31 <br /> Commissioner Richards said that the farm bill has cause for concern because they could <br /> separate SNAP and those services from the farm bill. She asked if Nancy Coston has insight into <br /> that. <br /> Nancy Coston said they expect Congress to enforce work requirements again. She said <br /> employment waivers will end. She said some people have had wages go up, but it has been an <br /> uneven recovery. She said the concern with changing rules is who gets left out, or who does not <br /> understand the rules. <br /> Commissioner Richards asked if there are efforts to analyze all of the benefits and how <br /> the community might approach this. <br /> Nancy Coston said the supplemental funds during the pandemic also exposed a lot of the <br /> problems that already existed. She said there are a lot of questions, but they do not know the <br /> answer. She said it is a $1.3 million a month loss just in food and nutrition. She said there was <br /> emergency help for water payments, and electricity. She said all of those things are going away. <br /> She said that if Medicaid expansion happens, some who will lose benefits will be in that group, <br /> and they might get the help through this. <br /> Commissioner Hamilton asked about the eligibility impacts. She asked if there are any <br /> estimates of how many people in Orange County were getting benefits based on those waivers. <br /> Lindsey Shewmaker said pre-pandemic, they were at 4,800 cases and over 1,000 <br /> households. <br /> Commissioner Hamilton asked about the breakdown of the waivers to consider the <br /> programs that other institutions might have to support that individual. <br /> Lindsey Shewmaker said she would look into it for the Board. <br /> A motion was made by Commissioner Fowler, seconded by Commissioner Hamilton, to <br /> approve Budget Amendment#6-A: <br /> 1) authorizing three additional time-limited positions in DSS through June 30, 2024; <br /> 2) extending two existing time-limited positions in DSS through June 30, 2024; and <br /> 3) transferring $125,000 from the Social Justice Reserve Fund to the Department of <br /> Social Services to provide food to Food and Nutrition Services recipients during the <br /> transition from pandemic emergency allocations. <br /> VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> Commissioner Greene said she thought this was an appropriate use of social justice <br /> funds. <br /> Nancy Coston said that as they get data they will bring it back to the Board. <br /> Vice-Chair McKee asked the County Manager if the Board can replenish funds in the social <br /> justice fund in future budgets. <br /> Bonnie Hammersley said yes, it is a base budget amount each year. <br /> b. Approval of Police and Mental Health Collaborations for Diversion Programs Grant Staff <br /> Positions and Budget Amendment#6-B <br /> The Board approved two new staff positions funded by the Police and Mental Health <br /> Collaborations for Diversion Programs Grant, and approve Budget Amendment#6-B. <br /> BACKGROUND: The Orange County Criminal Justice Resource Department (CJRD) was <br /> awarded a grant in the amount of$1,193,745 on November 28, 2022 by the N.C. Department of <br /> Health and Human Services, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance <br /> Abuse Services. The contract for the grant, entitled Police and Mental Health Collaborations for <br /> Diversion Programs, was fully executed on February 2, 2023. The grant runs from January 2023 <br /> to September 30, 2025. <br />