Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
1 <br /> APPROVED 6/6/23 <br /> MINUTES <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> BUSINESS MEETING <br /> April 18, 2023 <br /> 7:00 p.m. <br /> The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Business Meeting on Tuesday, April 18, <br /> 2023 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough, NC. <br /> COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jamezetta Bedford, Vice Chair Earl McKee, <br /> and Commissioners Amy Fowler, Sally Greene, Jean Hamilton, Phyllis Portie-Ascott, and Anna <br /> Richards (arrived at 7:01 p.m.) <br /> COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: None. <br /> COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts <br /> COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager <br /> Travis Myren, and Clerk to the Board Laura Jensen. (All other staff members will be identified <br /> appropriately below) <br /> Chair Bedford called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. All commissioners were present, <br /> except for Commissioner Richards. <br /> 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda <br /> Chair Bedford dispensed with reading the public charge. <br /> 2. Public Comments (Limited to One Hour) <br /> a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda <br /> There was no one signed up to speak. <br /> b. Matters on the Printed Agenda <br /> (These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda below.) <br /> Commissioner Richards arrived at 7:01 p.m. <br /> 3. Announcements, Petitions and Comments by Board Members <br /> Commissioner Greene said she went to the Orange County Partnership to End <br /> Homelessness meeting. She said they received presentations on the Homeless System Equity <br /> Analysis and on the supportive housing systems gap. She said the two presentations made it <br /> clear that readily available ongoing rental subsidy and intensive high quality case management <br /> provided through permanent supportive housing is the lynch pin to equitable homelessness <br /> systems. She said that Black and African American people comprise 12% of the Orange County <br /> population and count for over half of the people experiencing homelessness. She said that people <br /> experiencing homelessness are 14 times more likely to die by overdose and 9 times more likely <br /> to die by suicide. She said almost half of those experiencing homelessness meet the vulnerability <br /> threshold for needing permanent supportive housing. She said the lack of ongoing rental subsidy <br /> paired with high quality intensive case management means that Black and African-American <br />