Approved Minutes of August 27, 2025

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MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH August 27, 2025 S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agendas & Abstracts\2025 Agenda and Abstracts/ August Page 2 necessity for public health; and 2. The rules as written were determined to be subject to interpretation due to grammatical issues and a lack of clarity. Ms. Stewart said that staff have been notified of the results of the appeal and that Victoria Hudson, Environmental Health Director, will be able to provide an impact analysis to the Board as early as the September Board of Health meeting. In response to Dr. Crandell’s question, Ms. Hudson replied that the Board will be required to make a motion and vote to issue a permit to the appellant, Mr. Richard Gurlitz, allowing the construction of a car port on his property. Commissioner Amy Fowler Commissioner Fowler commented that the impact of Tropical Storm Chantal continues to be a concern for the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), particularly for individuals who were living in Camelot Village Apartments. She noted that there has been a disproportionate impact on those with disabilities – e.g., those who use wheelchairs, who use prosthetics, or have cognitive disabilities. The BOCC have approved $20K in funding for bridge housing for those displaced by the storm, while the Town of Chapel Hill has allotted $100K, but it’s costing around $2,000 per day to keep people in temporary housing until something more permanent can be found. She noted that the upheaval has limited many people’s ability to access needed medications, that some people lost their IDs and have been unable to replace them, and that overall, it has been very stressful for residents. Because Camelot Village was constructed in a flood zone, she added that this is likely severe weather events like this will continue to happen until either the owners or the Town of Chapel Hill condemn the buildings. Dr. Stuebe commented on the possibility of the Board of Health drafting a resolution on the impact of climate change on public health, offering Tropical Storm Chantal as an example. Dr. Royce arrived during this conversation. Dr. Rachel Royce Dr. Royce thanked the Board and shared that she has been awarded the Carl Durham Award by the Association of North Carolina Boards of Health for her work promoting Medicaid expansion to the people of Orange County. She invited any interested Board Members to attend the awards ceremony luncheon on September 11th. Commissioner Amy Fowler shared that Ms. Stewart was recently recognized through the Heroic Hands initiative as a public servant who goes above and beyond in service of her community. IV. Priority Committee Updates Access to Care Committee Dr. Pickett provided an update for the Access to Care Committee. The committee has been working on a resolution promoting access to public health resources for vulnerable populations considering immigration enforcement, which they plan to present to the Board at the September meeting. Additionally, the Summer Photovoice project has wrapped up, and the committee