Agenda 03-19-24; 8-a - Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 1 but residents are completely helpless to protect their homes and safety without the BOCC's 2 resistance. 3 Catherine Vaughan thanked the Commissioners for their responses to an email she sent 4 earlier in the week. She said she applauds the decision to have a crisis diversion facility in the 5 community and reflects humanity and pragmatism. She said she is concerned that her 6 neighborhood is being enclosed by development. She asked the Board to consider helping to 7 preserve the residential character of the Waterstone at Harmony community by minimizing 8 intrusion from development around the neighborhood. She said she would like for there to be 9 sufficient setback, a substantial wooded buffer so that lights will not come into residential windows 10 at night and would also like to see perimeter fencing. 11 12 b. Matters on the Printed Agenda 13 (These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda below.) 14 15 3. Announcements, Petitions and Comments by Board Members 16 Commissioner McKee petitioned the Board to instruct staff or the Broadband Task Force 17 to identify solutions that would extend broadband to the areas that have been identified and would 18 not otherwise receive service in Lumos's current plans. 19 Commissioner Hamilton said she attended the Central Pines Regional Council Open 20 House and board meeting. She said this council is an important regional governmental body that 21 encourages collaboration between participating counties and helps tax dollars go further. She 22 said Central Pines recently won a $3.9 million grant to study EV charging stations and help create 23 a national standard to enhance reliability. She said she also attended an Alliance Health board 24 meeting and encouraged residents to apply for vacancies on the board. Lastly, she said she 25 attended the Durham Technical Community College Board of Trustees meeting and update and 26 the Go Triangle Special Tax Board meeting. 27 Vice-Chair Greene said she attended the Orange County Democratic Party meeting at 28 Carol Woods last Sunday which recognized Chapel Hill Town Council Member Theodore Nollert's 29 efforts to organize the student vote for the fall election. She said she appreciates Commissioner 30 McKee's petition and joined him and Commissioner Portie-Ascott at the Caldwell Community 31 Center for another Lumos community presentation. She said on Saturday, she and Commissioner 32 Richards represented the Board at the Orange County Extension and Community Association, 33 which dates to the home demonstration groups of the early 2011 century. She said the Association 34 is a group of women who used to do canning and quilting, and they now raise money and give 35 goods and services to nonprofits in the community. She shared that one member has been part 36 of the group for 65 years. 37 Commissioner Fowler petitioned staff to bring forward an Ordinance that would preclude 38 tobacco, vape, and hemp shops within 1000 feet of schools and parks. She said she would also 39 like the county to serve as a resource to municipalities so they may adopt similar ordinances, 40 which is vital for them to have any real impact. She said she has reached out to elected officials 41 in Hillsborough, Carrboro, and Chapel Hill with this request. She said County Attorney John 42 Roberts anticipated this issue and has been delineating a course of action. Further, she said this 43 topic has been discussed by Health Director Quintana Stewart and the Board of Health Equity 44 Committee, who agree it is worthwhile. She said surrounding counties and municipalities in Wake, 45 Alamance, Durham, and Chatham have already or are looking into adopting similar ordinances. 46 She shared some statistics regarding tobacco use and vaping, including that usage among NC 47 high school students has increased over 1000% since 2011 and that NC has the second highest 48 rate of youth vaping in the country. She shared that 4 local Orange County youth met with Senator 49 Tillis to discuss substance use prevention. She said there are things that will have to be addressed 50 by the state, but a county ordinance is something that can be done on a local level. Commissioner