Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
14 <br /> The MOU also designates the four elected appointees to serve on the OCPEH Executive <br /> Team to ensure that the interests of all four funding jurisdictions are consistently <br /> represented and clearly specifies the role of the Towns and the County. <br /> • Food Council <br /> The Orange County Food Council was formally created in June of 2015 as each <br /> jurisdiction approved an MOU specifying the role, governance, and funding model to <br /> support the work of the Council. This MOU modeled on the Partnership to End <br /> Homelessness MOU. <br /> Although the Food Council did not have a ten year plan to guide its initial work, the <br /> MOU specifies that the Council's role is to "...provide advice and recommendations to <br /> the four jurisdictions on issues related to the county community food system and <br /> also facilitate communication between community groups, committees, <br /> commissions, and other boards whose work supports a thriving local farm economy, <br /> access to healthy food, food related economic development, strong communities, <br /> sustainable ecosystems, and healthy people. <br /> The MOU also specifies a sixteen member Council consisting of elected representatives <br /> appointed from each of the above governmental partners and a cross-section of <br /> community members, food access and food provider representation, charged with <br /> providing direction for the council's work. <br /> Sub-Committee Recommendations <br /> The Sub-Committee recommends that the Climate Council be modeled after the <br /> Intergovernmental Parks Work group. Both groups serve as forums to share information, <br /> promote communication among jurisdictions, identify areas of potential collaboration, and <br /> educate the public. <br /> The Partnership to End Homelessness conducts these activities but also serves a more formal <br /> role as the County's designated Continuum of Care under rules established by the Department <br /> of Housing and Urban Development, and both the Partnership to End Homeless and the Food <br /> Council have staff dedicated to implement programming and funding from each of the <br /> jurisdictions to support those staff. The Climate Council offers an important opportunity for <br /> communication but does not have the same level of responsibility. <br /> The Sub-Committee also recommends that the participating jurisdictions create a <br /> Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to govern the new Climate Council. This is consistent <br /> with the request from the Climate Council and the direction from the Mayors and Chair to their <br /> respective attorneys. The MOU should detail the membership, charge and boundaries of work, <br /> meeting frequency, appointment process, and an understanding of staff responsibilities. <br /> Pending completion of that MOU, the County's participation in the Climate Council should be <br /> suspended. <br /> 7 <br />