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APPROVED 5/15/2007 <br />MINUTES <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />WORK SESSION <br />April 12, 2007 <br />7:30 p.m. <br />The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Work Session on Thursday, <br />April 12, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. at the Link Government Services Center in Hillsborough, <br />North Carolina. <br />COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Moses Carey, Jr., and <br />Commissioners Valerie P. Foushee, Alice M. Gordon, Barry Jacobs, and Mike Nelson <br />COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: <br />COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: Geof Gledhill <br />COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Laura Blackmon, Assistant County <br />Manager Gwen Harvey, and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker {All other staff members <br />will be identified appropriately below) <br />NOTE: <br />MEETING WILL BE KEPT FOR 5 YEARS. <br />Chair Carey distributed a copy of a bill that was filed today, which has 125 co- <br />signers in this House, which means that it has a significant amount of support. This bill <br />is related to the counties' share of Medicaid being reduced. <br />1. Economic Development Commission FY 2007-08 Goals Update <br />Laura Blackman said that these goals are not on the retreat follow-up list <br />because this department has a whole list of goals and she wanted to do a complete <br />update. <br />Economic Development Director Dianne Reid said that when the staff brought <br />goals in February, there were some specific things targeted that needed to happen right <br />away, specifically getting the loan program up and running. This is underway. The <br />bylaws are also being revised. There was also an immediate goal of getting the <br />feasibility study for the value added agricultural processing center underway. She said <br />that she spoke with Senator Kinnaird and someone from Person County about setting up <br />a meeting to get Person County as a final partner. The other immediate goals are listed <br />in the abstract, and are as follows: <br />Expansion of Broadband and Cell Phone Coverage <br />During March, members of the Infrastructure Wark Group met with Jane Patterson, <br />Executive Director of e-NC, whose mission is increasing statewide access to broadband <br />connectivity. Ms. Patterson shared information an broadband availability in Orange <br />County, and agreed to have her GIS staff work with Orange County staff to map access. <br />The group will meet again in May to review the results and discuss next steps. The <br />effort to expand coverage for economic development includes County Information staff, <br />the County Manager's office, and County Planning staff in addition to EDC staff. <br />