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