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Attachment 1 <br /> 1 <br /> 1 DRAFT MINUTES <br /> 2 ORANGE COUNTY <br /> 3 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> 4 BUSINESS MEETING <br /> 5 October 3, 2023 <br /> 6 7:00 p.m. <br /> 7 <br /> 8 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Business Meeting on Tuesday, October <br /> 9 3, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough, NC. <br /> 10 <br /> 11 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jamezetta Bedford, Vice-Chair McKee and <br /> 12 Commissioners Amy Fowler, Sally Greene, Jean Hamilton, Phyllis Portie-Ascott, and <br /> 13 Commissioner Richards <br /> 14 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: NONE <br /> 15 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts <br /> 16 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager <br /> 17 Travis Myren, and Clerk to the Board Laura Jensen. (All other staff members will be identified <br /> 18 appropriately below) <br /> 19 <br /> 20 Chair Bedford called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. All commissioners were present. <br /> 21 <br /> 22 Chair Bedford invited Tara May, Deputy Clerk to the Board, to recognize boards and <br /> 23 commissions volunteers in attendance. <br /> 24 Tara May thanked volunteers for their contributions to Orange County and invited them <br /> 25 forward to take a photo with the Board. <br /> 26 Board members expressed their appreciation to volunteers for their service on boards and <br /> 27 commissions. <br /> 28 <br /> 29 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda <br /> 30 Chair Bedford dispensed with reading the public charge. <br /> 31 <br /> 32 2. Public Comments (Limited to One Hour) <br /> 33 a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda <br /> 34 Mary Bratsch-Hines spoke on the proposed Orange Grove Rd.waste and recycling facility. <br /> 35 She again extended an offer to Commissioners to tour the proposed site with her and/or other <br /> 36 neighbors to the property. She said through a public records request, she learned that the Solid <br /> 37 Waste Management Department and OWASA have been in discussions for 18 months on the <br /> 38 proposed site. She said she and other neighboring residents only learned about the plan 2 months <br /> 39 ago. She said she understands this process may be lengthy but doesn't understand why the public <br /> 40 wasn't included in the decision-making process earlier. She said the neighborhood information <br /> 41 meetings hosted by Solid Waste Management brought out 85 and 110 people who are all opposed <br /> 42 to the site. She said little to no data was provided on the existing sites related to why they need <br /> 43 to close, and no public documentation was provided on the process for choosing the site. She <br /> 44 said she subsequently learned that Solid Waste Management had already identified 3 sites, all <br /> 45 owned by OWASA and all located on the same stretch of Highway 54, without community input <br /> 46 by the time they contracted with an outside consultant in March 2022. She said since August, she <br /> 47 said over 100 neighbors within 2000 ft. of the proposed site have signed a letter to OWASA, and <br /> 48 over 750 people have signed an online or paper petition against the proposed site. She said the <br /> 49 issues the community has raised are irreconcilable and a new site must be selected. She said <br /> 50 instead of understanding these issues 18 months ago, county staff have engaged in hours of paid <br /> 51 work and the contract for the outside consultant was $18,000 and this was not a good use of <br />