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Attachment 2 <br /> 1 <br /> 1 DRAFT MINUTES <br /> 2 ORANGE COUNTY <br /> 3 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> 4 BUSINESS MEETING <br /> 5 May 21, 2024 <br /> 6 7:00 p.m. <br /> 7 <br /> 8 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Business Meeting on Tuesday, May 21, <br /> 9 2024, at 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, NC. <br /> 10 <br /> 11 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT. Chair Jamezetta Bedford, Vice-Chair Sally Greene <br /> 12 and Commissioners Amy Fowler, Jean Hamilton, Earl McKee, Phyllis Portie-Ascott, and Anna <br /> 13 Richards (arrived at 7:05 pm) <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 7:01 p.m.All commissioners were present, <br /> 21 except Commissioner Richards. <br /> 22 <br /> 23 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda <br /> 24 There were no changes to the agenda. <br /> 25 <br /> 26 2. Public Comments (Limited to One Hour) <br /> 27 a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda <br /> 28 Alice Gordon read from the following statement: <br /> 29 "Orange County's environmental department, known originally as the Environment and <br /> 30 Resource Conservation Department (ERCD) and now known as the Department of Environment, <br /> 31 Agriculture, Parks and Recreation, was created in June 1998 and began its operations in January <br /> 32 1999. A major task of the new department, supported by the commissioners, was to devise and <br /> 33 implement a Comprehensive Resource Conservation Program. That effort took two years. As <br /> 34 you know, the Lands Legacy Program, which was the first comprehensive land acquisition <br /> 35 program in North Carolina, won a national planning award. <br /> 36 Before 1998, the Orange County Commission for the Environment did valuable work, but <br /> 37 the county did not have a separate department to support efforts on environmental <br /> 38 protection. June 1998 is an important date because that is when Orange County began its <br /> 39 commitment to a significant focus on environmental protection, a focus which is especially <br /> 40 important today in this time of climate crisis. Through the Lands Legacy Program, the county has <br /> 41 protected over 3500 acres of our precious natural and cultural resources and I would be interested <br /> 42 in knowing what that figure is today. <br /> 43 It is my belief that the county's excellent environmental protection work should be <br /> 44 recognized,from origin to present day and even to a future vision, and celebrated in some way. At <br /> 45 this time, I am not suggesting the form of the recognition though I could contribute ideas and <br /> 46 share some institutional memory if there is interest. <br /> 47 Action requested: Recognize the creation in 1998 of Orange County's environmental <br /> 48 department and the Lands Legacy Program, which the department was responsible for <br /> 49 implementing. Include how the department and program were created and describe the major <br /> 50 accomplishments and highlights of the past approximately 25 years, I would recommend that <br />