Orange County NC Website
APPROVE 616102 <br />MINUTES <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />WORK SESSION <br />April 3, 2002 <br />The Orange County Board of Commissioners met far a work session on Wednesday, April 3, <br />2002 at 6:30 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. <br />COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Barry Jacobs and Commissioners Margaret W. <br />Brown, Moses Carey, Jr., Alice M. Gordan and Stephen Halkiotis <br />COUNTY ATTORNEY PRESENT: Geoffrey Gledhill and S. Sean Borhanian <br />COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr., Assistant County Manager <br />Rod Visser and Clerk to the Board Beverly A. Blythe (All other staff members will be identified <br />appropriately below) <br />BOARD OF HEALTH MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Jonathan Klein and members Melvin <br />Hurston, Janet Southerland, Martha Jane Stucker, Lee D. Werley III, Alice White, Edith Wilder and <br />Sharon E. Van Harn <br />BOARD OF HEALTH MEMBERS ABSENT: Barry Adler and Alan Rimer <br />BOARD OF HEALTH STAFF PRESENT: Health Director Rosemary Summers <br />NOTE: ALL DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THESE MINUTES ARE IN THE PERMANENT <br />AGENDA FILE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE. <br />1. DISCUSSION ISSUES FROM THE BOARD OF HEALTH <br />Healthy Carolinians Report Card and Activity Update <br />Introductions were made and Dr. Jonathan Klein talked about the Healthy Carolinians Report <br />Card. Mary Beck, Coordinator of the Healthy Carolinians, made this PowerPoint presentation. She <br />said that Orange County was the first county in the state to publish a report card of the health status <br />of the citizens. The grade far tobacco use for adults was `B', which is considered a celebration. <br />Orange County rated far better than most other areas of the states. Almost 56°~ of Orange County <br />residents have never smoked. The greatest concern in the adult category is substance abuse. Over <br />the past few years, hospitalization rates for alcohol and drug-related causes for Orange County <br />citizens increased by 11 %. There were also significant increases in the number of DWI and drug <br />arrests. Nutrition received a grade of `C', overweight adults a `D', and physical activity a `D'. In the <br />youth category, tobacco use received a grade of `B', which is also a celebration. The survey did not <br />include high school students, only middle school students. There are concerns with regard to child <br />abuse and neglect and obesity, bath of which received a grade of `D'. There are now 23 agencies <br />participating in child abuse prevention. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Mary Beck spoke <br />about the activities for the month. <br />With regard to youth obesity, there are multiple efforts to address this problem. The schools are <br />participating in trying to improve the nutrition. There are also several initiatives to address the issues <br />for overweight adults. <br />There are also initiatives for mental health and substance abuse. There is a task force to <br />discuss the effects of the mental health reform. <br />There is still a need for more agencies to participate in solutions to some of the problems. <br />Commissioner Carey asked about the institutional rate for substance abuse compared with other <br />counties. Mary Beck will look at this and report back that data. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis asked what the County Commissioners could do to help the Board of <br />Health to help the state understand the significance of the smoking prevention campaign. <br />Health Director Rosemary Summers said that the members of the Board of Health did write <br />