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1 <br /> APPROVED 9/5/23 <br /> MINUTES <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> BUSINESS MEETING <br /> June 20, 2023 <br /> 7:00 p.m. <br /> The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Business Meeting on Tuesday, June <br /> 20, 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 <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 /> 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 /> Todd McGee, Community Relations Director, introduced members of the County <br /> Government Academy and reviewed the work they have completed and all they have learned. <br /> Chair Bedford thanked participants for attending the academy and thanked the staff <br /> members who have helped make it a success. <br /> b. Matters on the Printed Agenda <br /> (These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda below.) <br /> 3. Announcements, Petitions and Comments by Board Members <br /> Commissioner Greene said she attended the NC summit on reducing opioid use that was <br /> sponsored by NCACC. She said it brought together a lot of service providers, people with lived <br /> experience, social workers, etc. She said it was the first time in recent memory that NCACC had <br /> a conference that was not just for county commissioners. She said Attorney General Stein gave <br /> the opening remarks, and said she not only learned a lot, but it was powerful to be in the room <br /> with people with lived experience who were talking about their experiences. She said Orange <br /> County was well-represented including Cait Fenhagen and her staff, as well as Quintana Stewart. <br /> She said one session focused on how to spend and account for the opioid settlement money. <br /> Additionally, she said that one of the important subjects at the conference was housing. She said <br /> people experiencing homelessness need housing as well as people with substance use disorders, <br /> which was very apparent in a session on the housing-first model. She said today in the NY Times <br /> there is a story on how on federal and many state-levels,there is a movement to get rid of housing- <br /> first, even though there is a whole generation of well-documented evidence. She said there is no <br /> doubt this model works, but also no doubt people still can't change their attitudes about <br />