Agenda 08-26-2025; 8-a - Minutes

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4 1 condolences to the families in Minnesota. She said that they can help set the tone of how to 2 deal with those that are struggling. She said a lot of people in communities are struggling. She 3 said she attended a session by the Department on Aging last week called Anyone Can Be a 4 Mental Health Advocate. She said political violence and mental health are not the same thing, 5 but a lot of violence does come from other sources. She said she isa proud of how this local 6 government normalizes mental health as part of overall health. She thanked everyone for the 7 feedback and the colleagues for modeling the way they should go forward. 8 Commissioner Fowler said she attended the Board of Health's behavioral health 9 subcommittee meeting, and they are supporting the increasing the prevention of suicide and to 10 provide mental health resources. She said she also attended the Triangle West TPO, and they 11 approved putting out Metropolitan Transportation Plan 2026-2035 for a 45-day comment period 12 and the SPOT 8 public comment period. She said that elected members asked how they can 13 start preferring transit and bike-ped without losing funds from the state. She said that 90% of 14 transportation funds go to highways from the state. She said that 4% goes to transit and 15 bike/ped, ferries, airports and the remaining 6% gets flexed between highways and the other 16 categories. She said that she also attended the Juneteenth observance last Friday and the No 17 Kings protest. She said that she appreciates that 99.5% of them were peaceful. She called for 18 civil discourse amongst all and said she shares her colleagues' sentiments about the heinous 19 political violence in Minnesota. She said that she just attended two different gun violence events 20 the prior weekend. She said she also attended the groundbreaking for Almond Village with 75 21 affordable housing units. She thanked Habitat for Humanity and all that helped. She thanked 22 those who came to the meeting tonight to speak about tax fairness and justice. She said that in 23 prior meetings they have asked the manager to work on vertical equity and noted that the 24 Manager is forming a work group to focus on equity in tax values. 25 Chair Bedford said she agrees with her colleagues on their thoughts on the political 26 violence and expressed her appreciation to all of those that speak at the meetings and how they 27 remain civil. She said that tomorrow morning there is a grand opening of a new EMS station in 28 Efland. She said there is a job fair on June 25th from 9am-1 pm in Hillsborough at DSS. She 29 reminded everyone that county offices, including the landfill and recycling, are closed on 30 Juneteenth. She said the celebrations last Friday celebrate freedom and remind people to keep 31 hopes alive and to work through peaceful protests. She encouraged everyone to be careful in 32 the summer heat and announced the county cooling centers. She said the board will approve an 33 increase in funding for the longtime homeowners assistance program tonight to help with county 34 portion of tax bills. She thanked county department directors and staff for their work throughout 35 the year. 36 37 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/ Special Presentations 38 a. Proclamation Honoring Jason Johnson as the 2025 Wells Fargo North Carolina 39 Principal of the Year 40 The Board approved a proclamation honoring Jason Johnson as the 2025 Wells Fargo North 41 Carolina Principal of the Year. 42 BACKGROUND: Principal Jason Johnson of Orange High School was named the 2025 Wells 43 Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year. Principal Johnson was also named the Orange 44 County Schools Principal of the Year in 2010 and 2024. North Carolina has recognized 45 outstanding principals through its Principal of the Year program since the 1980s, helping 46 promote the profession through advocacy and support while recognizing principals who are 47 implementing best practices in schools across North Carolina. Johnson will spend the 2025-26 48 school year traveling the state as an ambassador for the profession. The NC Principal of the 49 Year serves in an advisory capacity to the North Carolina State Board of Education for a two- 50 year term and also serves on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Public School Forum.