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APPROVED 2/17/2009 <br /> MINUTES <br /> ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> REGULAR MEETING <br /> January 22, 2009 <br /> 7:30 p.m. <br /> The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Thursday, <br /> January 22, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. in the Central Orange Senior Center in Hillsborough, North <br /> Carolina. <br /> COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Valerie P. Foushee, and Commissioners <br /> Alice M. Gordon, Barry Jacobs, Pam Hemminger, Mike Nelson, Bernadette Pelissier, and <br /> Steve Yuhasz <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 S. Baker (All other <br /> staff members will be identified appropriately below) <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 /> Laura Blackmon introduced Lucinda Munger, the new Library Services Director. <br /> Sheriff Lindy Pendergrass spoke on the 287g program and said that Orange County <br /> does not participate in this program. He does not intend to participate in this program. He said <br /> that in N.C. there is an automatic fingerprint identification system that was put in all Sheriff's <br /> offices in the State. Orange County was one of three counties that was selected to receive the <br /> new system. It started in January. Orange County does not and has not gone out to pick up <br /> anyone to bring to the Orange County jail. The system is for correct identification of an <br /> individual. The system does not tell if the individual is an alien. He said that there was a <br /> misunderstanding about this system. <br /> Commissioner Jacobs asked Geof Gledhill to explain from the Board of County <br /> Commissioners' perspective the difference between the County's system and the 287g <br /> program. Geof Gledhill said that the Secure Communities Program is a Federal government <br /> identification that deals with immigration. Most of this section of federal law talks about the <br /> agreements between the State and the subdivisions of the State. <br /> Sheriff Pendergrass said that by the end of the year, all 100 counties will be connected <br /> to both systems, and he will never know if someone is wanted by immigration through this <br /> system. <br /> Geof Gledhill said that two other things are pertinent. One is a new requirement under <br /> N.C. law for people responsible for jails or other detention centers to identify people with <br /> respect to their national origin. One of the ways the Sheriff is authorized to do this is by <br /> accessing the databases maintained by the FBI and Homeland Security. The second thing is <br /> that 287g has a subsection, which is not part of the Memorandum of Agreement. <br /> Commissioner Nelson arrived at 7:47 PM. <br />