P-0155 - A Lands Legacy Program for Orange County 04-04-2000

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APPROVED NOVEMBER 1 2000 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING APRIL 4, 2000 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, April 4, 2000 at 7:30 p.m. in the F. Gordon Battle Courtroom, Hillsborough, North Carolina. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Moses Carey, Jr. and Commissioners Margaret W. Brown, Alice M. Gordon (arrived at 7:42) and Barry Jacobs COUNTY COMMISSIONER ABSENT: Stephen Halkiotis COUNTY ATTORNEY PRESENT: Geoffrey Gledhill COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr., Assistant County Manager Rod Visser, and Clerk to the Board Beverly A. Blythe (all other staff members will be identified appropriately below) NOTE: ALL DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THESE MINUTES ARE IN THE PERMANENT AGENDA FILE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE. ALL RECORDINGS OF THE MEETING WILL BE KEPT FOR 5 YEARS. Chair Carey said that both Commissioner Halkiotis and Commissioner Gordon indicated that they would be late to the meeting. NOTE: Commissioner Halkiotis did not make it in time for the meeting. 1. ADDITIONS OR CHANGES TO THE AGENDA The Board Comments were deferred until either Commissioner Gordon and/or Commissioner Halkiotis arrived. 2. CITIZEN 8~ AUDIENCE COMMENTS a. Matters on the Printed Agenda (These matters were considered as the Board addressed the items on the agenda below.) 35 b. Matters not on the Printed Agenda 36 Rosetta Moore, co-chair of the Orange County Complete Count Committee, gave an update on 37 the initial response of the returns of the United States Census forms. Orange County's response rate at this 38 time is 53%, which is ninth in the state. The target initial response rate is 71 % and it is not too late to send 39 in this census form. Rosetta Moore urged everyone that had not turned in their census form to do so by the 40 middle of April. She gave the number to call for those who did not receive a census form. 41 Commissioner Brown asked if there was any break out for the municipalities and the response 42 rates. Rosetta Moore deferred this question to Craig Benedict. 43 Planning Director Craig Benedict said that the majority of information is coming in from the 44 towns. He said that it was hard to get forms to people living in some of the new construction areas and out 45 to some of the rural areas. He said that enumerators would be making personal deliveries for the next two 46 months. 47 Commissioner Jacobs asked what happened to the other 29% if the goal is 71 %. 48 Craig Benedict said that the numbers are extrapolated from the sample that is received. He 49 said that the 66% that was received in the 1990 census was still very low. He said that for those people who 50 have received forms and are on the address list and have not turned in their forms, the enumerators would 51 contact them. 52 Commissioner Brown asked for Ms. Moore to explain to the public why it was so important to 53 respond to the census. i4 Rosetta Moore said that it is possible for North Carolina to get another representative to the 55 United States House and also to receive more funds for education and other areas. She said that there are > plans to put up banners in each of the towns to urge citizens to return their forms. They will also give out T- ~ shirts in the schools in Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese. i Commissioner Gordon arrived at this point of the agenda.