Agenda - 11-07-2024; 8-a - Minutes

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2 1 Post on Highway 54 West. She said this plan gives the vision for how land use will be in the 2 unincorporated parts of Orange County. She announced that Plant Fest will be held this Saturday 3 from 10 am-2 pm at the Bonnie B. Davis Environment and Agricultural Center. She said the 4 Sustainability Department is holding a Drive Electric Event at the Board of Elections on Saturday 5 from 9-11 am. She said this will give people an opportunity to see electric vehicles in case anyone 6 is interested in purchasing one. Chair Bedford also announced the Seymour Center is holding a 7 Hispanic Heritage month celebration on October 8, 2024. She encouraged anyone interested in 8 attending to register. Finally, she encouraged people to be aware of scams when donating to 9 those affected by Hurricane Helene. 10 11 Commissioner Richards arrived at 7:06 pm. 12 13 Commissioner Hamilton echoed thanks to the Emergency Managers and first responders 14 who have been sent to help victims in the western part of the state. She said she appreciates 15 everyone who has come together across the state to support each other. She said she has been 16 to various meetings recently but wants to mention she is the chair of the Aging Advisory Group 17 that's part of the Area Agency on Aging. She said she is looking to see how the group can work 18 together to address some of the aging issues in this region. She said one need is to increase the 19 number of ombudsmen for long-term care. She said there are people who are hired through 20 Central Pines Regional Council to go out and help support people in long-term care facilities and 21 know their rights. She said she wants to work on increasing the number of ombudsmen this year. 22 Commissioner Richards announced that there are accommodations for folks with 23 disabilities when voting. Since the last meeting, she said she sat in on the re-entry simulation and 24 encouraged anyone who has not attended before to consider attending in the future. She said 25 everyone she talked to who attended said they learned a lot from the experience. She said the 26 Orange County Partnership for Young Children looking for people to serve on their board and 27 encouraged residents to apply. 28 Commissioner Portie-Ascott also thanked staff and first responders assisting in the 29 Western part of the state. She said she attended the Greene Tract Master Plan Update and Land 30 Use Plan 2050 community engagement session last week at Gravelly Hill last week. She said 31 residents were outspoken which is always a good thing. She said she attended the Efland 32 Volunteer Fire Department Expansion Ribbon Cutting and took a tour and heard about all of their 33 successes and challenges. She said she attended the Justice and Public Safety Steering 34 Committee with the NCACC. She said each steering committee was voting on legislative goals to 35 determine which ones make it to the legislative conference in November. She said her committee 36 had 2 goals on the list. The first was legislation to support authorizing counties to regulate the 37 carrying of concealed weapons on county-owned playgrounds and county-owned park lands and 38 allowing courts to prevent access to firearms for individuals who show signs of being a danger to 39 themselves or others. She said this item moved forward while the second item did not, which was 40 about some recommendations to the North Carolina Task Force on Racial Equity. 41 Commissioner Richards said she also wants to mention she attended the Orange County 42 Employee Appreciation Event on Friday and congratulated Orange County staff that celebrated 43 their work anniversaries. 44 45 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/Special Presentations 46 a. Disability Employment Awareness Month Proclamation 47 The Board approved a proclamation declaring October 2024 as Disability Employment Awareness 48 Month in Orange County. 49 50 BACKGROUND: October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month to commemorate 51 the many contributions people with disabilities make in America's workplaces and economy.