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APPROVED 11/6/2008 <br /> MINUTES <br /> ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> REGULAR MEETING <br /> September 16, 2008 <br /> 7:30 p.m. <br /> The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, September <br /> 16, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. in the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. <br /> COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Barry Jacobs and Commissioners Moses <br /> Carey, Jr., Valerie P. Foushee, Alice M. Gordon, and Mike Nelson <br /> COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: <br /> COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: Geoffrey Gledhill <br /> COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Laura Blackmon, Assistant County <br /> Managers Willie Best and Gwen Harvey, and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker. <br /> NOTE: ALL DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THESE MINUTES ARE IN THE PERMANENT <br /> AGENDA FILE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE. <br /> 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda <br /> Chair Jacobs pointed out the items at the County Commissioners' places. There was a <br /> revised item 6-e. The blue sheet was for item 5-a, Tilley Home Building Progress <br /> Documentation. The pink sheet was a resolution to provide comments specifically related to <br /> item 6-e. There was also a PowerPoint from the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan <br /> Planning Organization 2035 Long-Range Transportation Plan. There was an additional <br /> application for the OWASA Board. <br /> PUBLIC CHARGE <br /> The Chair dispensed with the reading of the public charge. <br /> 2. Public Comments <br /> a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda <br /> Luke Smith is a resident of Orange County and works as a physician at El Futuro, Inc. <br /> He distributed a letter to the County Commissioners. He said that the Human Services <br /> Advisory Commission recommended El Futuro for funding last year, but it did not receive <br /> funding. El Futuro has continued its work and has 1,500 active patients at this time. The <br /> organization has been in existence for three years in Orange County and it provides behavioral <br /> health services, which includes mental health and substance abuse services. Many of the <br /> people that El Futuro serves face discrimination, poverty, violence, and shame because of <br /> mental illness or addiction. He said that people from around the State come to see the work <br /> done at El Futuro. He pointed out some clients in the audience that would like to request the <br /> County Commissioners to reconsider the funding request for El Futuro. He said that the <br /> organization is looking to charitable trusts and foundations to help empower the work even <br /> further. One of the things that the trusts and foundations ask is how the community is invested <br /> in the work. There are many volunteers, medical clinics ask them to come in, and the schools <br />