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Attachment 1 <br /> 1 <br /> 1 DRAFT MINUTES <br /> 2 ORANGE COUNTY <br /> 3 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> 4 BUSINESS MEETING <br /> 5 August 26, 2025 <br /> 6 7:00 p.m. <br /> 7 <br /> 8 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Business Meeting on Tuesday,August 26, <br /> 9 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough, NC. <br /> 10 <br /> 11 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jamezetta Bedford, Vice-Chair Jean Hamilton, <br /> 12 and Commissioners Amy Fowler, Sally Greene, Earl McKee, and Phyllis Portie-Ascott <br /> 13 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Commissioner Marilyn Carter <br /> 14 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT. John Roberts <br /> 15 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT. County Manager Travis Myren and Clerk to the Board Laura Jensen <br /> 16 (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below). <br /> 17 <br /> 18 Chair Bedford called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. She noted that Commissioner <br /> 19 Carter was absent as she was traveling for her daughter's wedding. <br /> 20 <br /> 21 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda <br /> 22 Chair Bedford announced two additions to the agenda: a discussion on bridge funding <br /> 23 from the Social Justice Fund for residents displaced by Tropical Storm Chantal, and <br /> 24 Commissioner McKee's request to discuss senior meals. She said the Board would need to be <br /> 25 flexible on timing for the first discussion, as they were waiting for members of the public to arrive, <br /> 26 and will discuss the second item as item 6. <br /> 27 The Board approved the agenda modifications by unanimous consent. <br /> 28 <br /> 29 The Board recognized Tiana Oxendine, recipient of the North Carolina Association of <br /> 30 Black County Officials Scholarship. <br /> 31 Commissioner Port-Ascott noted this was the first year Orange County had an applicant. <br /> 32 Oxendine graduated from Cedar Ridge High School with a 4.0 GPA while playing basketball, <br /> 33 volunteering in the community, and participating in several clubs. She obtained her certified <br /> 34 nursing assistant certification over the summer and is enrolled at UNCG studying to become a <br /> 35 nurse. <br /> 36 Tiana Oxendine shared that her first week of college was challenging with heavy textbook <br /> 37 reading for biology class, and she's taking sociology, two honors courses, an English history <br /> 38 course, a mandatory honors course, and a nursing instruction course. <br /> 39 <br /> 40 2. Public Comments (Limited to One Hour) <br /> 41 a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda <br /> 42 Kari Hamel addressed the Board, requesting opportunities for community input at the joint <br /> 43 school board meeting next month, specifically regarding the terms of the interlocal agreement <br /> 44 between the school districts and the county. She noted that over$1 billion in funding would go to <br /> 45 school districts over the next 10 years. She referenced a wellness check conducted at Chapel <br /> 46 Hill-Carrboro schools five years ago by two retired Winston-Salem Forsyth School executives, <br /> 47 noting that Winston-Salem Forsyth School now has over $48 million in debt. She requested <br /> 48 tangible open government practices as requirements for funding, including suspending vendors <br /> 49 who violate state statutes, creating a dashboard with granular financials, and requiring both school <br /> 50 districts to record and post all school board meetings subject to open meetings laws. She <br />