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2 <br /> 1 emphasized wanting to see students like scholarship recipient Tiana Oxendine get quality <br /> 2 education and have bright futures. <br /> 3 <br /> 4 b. Matters on the Printed Agenda <br /> 5 These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda below. <br /> 6 <br /> 7 3. Announcements, Petitions, and Comments by Board Members <br /> 8 Commissioner Portie-Ascott reported on the NCACC annual conference themed <br /> 9 "Cultivate: Inspire County Growth." She celebrated that Health Director Quintana Stewart was <br /> 10 honored through the Heroic Hands Initiative for going above and beyond the call of duty, and <br /> 11 Orange County Cooperative Extension was recognized as runner-up for the Northern Central <br /> 12 District Extension County Partnership award. She said she had lunch with Navya Sharma, a 4-H <br /> 13 student from East Chapel Hill High School, who participated in Youth Voices and shared her <br /> 14 passion for addressing food insecurity and disaster preparation. Commissioner Portie-Ascott <br /> 15 highlighted two impactful sessions on emergency preparation and affordable housing strategies. <br /> 16 She said the key takeaways included securing redundant communications, planning for volunteer <br /> 17 and donation management, ensuring generators for public buildings are accessible, and <br /> 18 recognizing that real recovery happens after week two. She noted the Community Giving Fund <br /> 19 was cited as innovative, though Orange County wasn't named specifically. She said the <br /> 20 conference strongly suggested that each county develop strategies for affordable housing, <br /> 21 specifically for those with middle income. <br /> 22 Commissioner Hamilton welcomed everyone back to school and highlighted several <br /> 23 activities. She said she made comments at the Opioid Settlement Funding Annual Meeting, and <br /> 24 was impressed with Health Director Quintana Stewart and staff showing that initiatives were <br /> 25 benefiting the community with lower opioid deaths. She shared that she attended the opening of <br /> 26 the FitLot outdoor exercise facility at the Seymour Center and attended multiple community events <br /> 27 including the walk at Fairview and Unity in the Community at Rogers Road Community Center, <br /> 28 where she heard many concerns about the tax reevaluation. She emphasized her commitment to <br /> 29 ensuring a fair process. <br /> 30 Chair Bedford noted committees have continued meeting through summer break and <br /> 31 reported that Durham Tech Community College received needed funding for increased <br /> 32 enrollment. She attended the grand opening of Thermo Fisher Scientific, which will manufacture <br /> 33 pipettes with federal funding. She said the public art tour, UPROAR, closed out Saturday. She <br /> 34 said that she and Commissioner McKee spent three days in court as defendants in a jury trial <br /> 35 regarding impact fees, where the jury unanimously found in the county's favor, though litigation <br /> 36 will continue. <br /> 37 Commissioner Fowler reported on her two-week vacation to Iceland. She said she was <br /> 38 impressed with the country's emphasis on avoiding plastics and disposable products to preserve <br /> 39 the climate, noting visible evidence of rapidly receding glaciers. She said she attended the <br /> 40 Triangle West TPO meeting, where they authorized staff to release the preferred option for the <br /> 41 2055 Metropolitan Transportation Plan for 45-day public comment and the ADA Transition Plan <br /> 42 for 30-day comment. She attended the FitLot ribbon-cutting and tried the equipment. Due to <br /> 43 travel, she missed the Opioid Settlement Annual Meeting, but said she looks forward to attending <br /> 44 the Board of Health meeting the following day. She emphasized priorities of ensuring equitable <br /> 45 tax valuations, supporting Tropical Storm Chantal-impacted residents, and ensuring a <br /> 46 comprehensive land use plan. <br /> 47 Commissioner Greene also attended the Opioid Meeting and the Thermo Fisher event.As <br /> 48 Grow Triangle representative, she attended the Triangle West meeting. At the Visitors Bureau <br /> 49 meeting, she learned all UNC home games are sold out, but the University encourages people to <br /> 50 attend anyway for Chapel Thrill concerts, the Modelo Kickoff Club, and food trucks at every home <br /> 51 game. At the meeting, she said Lynn Mines from the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging <br />