Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
1 <br /> APPROVED 9116/25 <br /> MINUTES <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> BUSINESS MEETING <br /> August 26, 2025 <br /> 7:00 p.m. <br /> The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Business Meeting on Tuesday,August 26, <br /> 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough, NC. <br /> COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jamezetta Bedford, Vice-Chair Jean Hamilton, <br /> and Commissioners Amy Fowler, Sally Greene, Earl McKee, and Phyllis Portie-Ascott <br /> COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Commissioner Marilyn Carter <br /> COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts <br /> COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Travis Myren and Clerk to the Board Laura Jensen <br /> (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below). <br /> Chair Bedford called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. She noted that Commissioner <br /> Carter was absent as she was traveling for her daughter's wedding. <br /> 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda <br /> Chair Bedford announced two additions to the agenda: a discussion on bridge funding <br /> from the Social Justice Fund for residents displaced by Tropical Storm Chantal, and <br /> Commissioner McKee's request to discuss senior meals. She said the Board would need to be <br /> flexible on timing for the first discussion, as they were waiting for members of the public to arrive, <br /> and will discuss the second item as item 6. <br /> The Board approved the agenda modifications by unanimous consent. <br /> The Board recognized Tiana Oxendine, recipient of the North Carolina Association of <br /> Black County Officials Scholarship. <br /> Commissioner Port-Ascott noted this was the first year Orange County had an applicant. <br /> Oxendine graduated from Cedar Ridge High School with a 4.0 GPA while playing basketball, <br /> volunteering in the community, and participating in several clubs. She obtained her certified <br /> nursing assistant certification over the summer and is enrolled at UNCG studying to become a <br /> nurse. <br /> Tiana Oxendine shared that her first week of college was challenging with heavy textbook <br /> reading for biology class, and she's taking sociology, two honors courses, an English history <br /> course, a mandatory honors course, and a nursing instruction course. <br /> 2. Public Comments (Limited to One Hour) <br /> a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda <br /> Kari Hamel addressed the Board, requesting opportunities for community input at the joint <br /> school board meeting next month, specifically regarding the terms of the interlocal agreement <br /> between the school districts and the county. She noted that over $1 billion in funding would go to <br /> school districts over the next 10 years. She referenced a wellness check conducted at Chapel <br /> Hill-Carrboro schools five years ago by two retired Winston-Salem Forsyth School executives, <br /> noting that Winston-Salem Forsyth School now has over $48 million in debt. She requested <br /> tangible open government practices as requirements for funding, including suspending vendors <br /> who violate state statutes, creating a dashboard with granular financials, and requiring both school <br /> districts to record and post all school board meetings subject to open meetings laws. She <br />