Minutes 10-07-2025-Business Meeting

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2 advise neighbors about the procedures for engaging in the process and don't appear to report thoroughly on some of the concerns raised by neighbors for planning and zoning decisions. She said there is no mention of how or where to send comments to the Planning Board or to commissioners' email accounts. She asked the Board to prioritize equitable access to information. b. Matters on the Printed Agenda (These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda below.) 3. Announcements, Petitions and Comments by Board Members Commissioner Fowler said she attended the Triangle West TPO meeting where they held a public hearing on the 2025 MTP preferred options and their work plan. She said they approved the SPOT 8 candidate project list. She said there was a Board of Health meeting on September 24t". She said one of the subcommittees is preparing a resolution advocating for initiatives to increase affordable housing, recognizing it as a health issue. She said she attended Last Fridays in Hillsborough with the Board of Health to provide information on suicide prevention. She said she attended a meeting the evening before with Justice United where vertical equity in tax revaluations was discussed. She said the Board is very committed to researching this issue in detail and examining inequities so that they can improve. Commissioner Carter said she attended the reception for Paint it Orange, hosted by the Arts Commission. She congratulated the winners and said that the event demonstrates the county's whole community focus. She said she toured the OWASA plant on Mason Farm Road. She learned more about how they managed the flooding from Tropical Storm Chantal. She said she attended the Justice United event the previous evening. She petitioned for the Board to receive brief updates on the progress of that work at every business meeting. She said she was looking forward to hearing more about the impacts of federal funding changes to nutrition programs. Vice-Chair Hamilton said she attended the Justice United meeting the previous evening. She was glad to hear from many residents of how the revaluation process affects them and is committed to finding a way to do it better. Chair Bedford highlighted the Orange County Road Show on October 12 at the Cedar Grove Community Center. She noted that there was a proclamation for 4-H Week on the agenda and she applauded the group for the work they do with children. She said it was Fire Prevention Week and gave tips on preventing fires from lithium batteries and chargers. She noted item 8-1 on the agenda regarding animal control contracts with the municipalities. She petitioned for information on why animal control is not available on the weekends, the history of animal services in the county, and why the towns pay for service. Commissioner Greene said that this week is Banned Books Week. She said the theme is "Censorship is so 1984 - Read for Your Rights." She said Pen America, an organization that a literary organization that champions the freedom to write, reports that 6,870 books were banned from school libraries in 2024-25. She said that the General Assembly passed a law in July requiring schools to catalog all books in libraries, including the books kept by teachers in their classrooms. She noted the Arts and Humanities Month proclamation on the agenda, and said the the humanities are best equipped to teach critical thinking and fostering the power of empathy. She said empathy is needed to get through the present time and back to the framework of a pluralistic society, because pluralism is essential to a democratic culture. She petitioned for a formal proclamation for Banned Books week and an updated Arts and Humanities Month proclamation.