Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
47 <br /> 5. Describe this board/commission's activities/accomplishments in carrying out the <br /> goals identified in the Orange County Strategic Plan. General information about the <br /> Strategic Plan is available here. <br /> o Environmental Protection and Climate Action — Promote sustainability and <br /> resiliency across the County and collaborate with our partners to activate our <br /> community, protect and preserve our natural resources, and reduce greenhouse <br /> gas emissions. <br /> o The Board's ad hoc committee has been reviewing the Health <br /> Department's groundwater protection program to consider the <br /> science around the current well rules and ensure that the rules are <br /> equitable while ensuring safe groundwater for all. The committee is <br /> currently deciding how to proceed in terms of revising the rules <br /> related to the outcome of a recent adjudication case. <br /> o Healthy Community — Increase equitable access to care and social safety net <br /> programming to promote the physical, social, and mental well-being of our <br /> community. <br /> o The Board of Health is the primary policy-making and adjudicatory <br /> body for the Health Department and is charged with protecting and <br /> promoting the public health of Orange County residents. <br /> o The Board is sponsoring a Photovoice project, allowing Orange <br /> County residents to submit photographs detailing challenges that <br /> they face in accessing healthcare. So far, the Board has heard from <br /> individuals who have experienced incarceration, individuals who are <br /> living unsheltered, and individuals with limited English proficiency. <br /> The results are helping inform changes at the Health Department to <br /> improve their services and outreach. <br /> o Housing for All — Promote equitable and accessible housing and address <br /> housing disparities through policies, partnerships, and collaboration to create a <br /> thriving community <br /> o The Board approved a resolution recognizing housing as a public <br /> health issue and encouraging local governments to incorporate <br /> specific public health approaches to increasing affordable housing <br /> supply in their land use plans. <br /> o Multi-modal Transportation — Collaborate with our regional partners to expand, <br /> integrate%onnect, and provide accessible public transportation options. <br /> o The Board heard from Vision Zero: Chapel Hill about their efforts to <br /> improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists and reduce traffic <br /> fatalities in Chapel Hill to zero by 2030. <br /> o Public Education/Learning Community — Enhance and maintain quality school <br /> operations and infrastructure and cultivate lifelong learning. <br /> o The Board approved a resolution on the potential negative impact of <br /> excessive screen use and social media on youth mental health. In <br /> this resolution, the Board encouraged local school systems to <br /> review their school cell phone policies to promote youth mental <br /> health. <br /> Page 3 of 6 <br />