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1 <br /> APPROVED 915124 <br /> MINUTES <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> BUSINESS MEETING <br /> May 21, 2024 <br /> 7:00 p.m. <br /> The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Business Meeting on Tuesday, May 21, <br /> 2024, at 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, NC. <br /> COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jamezetta Bedford, Vice-Chair Sally Greene <br /> and Commissioners Amy Fowler, Jean Hamilton, Earl McKee, Phyllis Portie-Ascott, and Anna <br /> Richards (arrived at 7:05 pm) <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 7:01 p.m. All commissioners were present, <br /> except Commissioner Richards. <br /> 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda <br /> There were no changes to the agenda. <br /> 2. Public Comments (Limited to One Hour) <br /> a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda <br /> Alice Gordon read from the following statement: <br /> "Orange County's environmental department, known originally as the Environment and <br /> Resource Conservation Department (ERCD) and now known as the Department of Environment, <br /> Agriculture, Parks and Recreation, was created in June 1998 and began its operations in January <br /> 1999. A major task of the new department, supported by the commissioners, was to devise and <br /> implement a Comprehensive Resource Conservation Program. That effort took two years. As <br /> you know, the Lands Legacy Program, which was the first comprehensive land acquisition <br /> program in North Carolina, won a national planning award. <br /> Before 1998, the Orange County Commission for the Environment did valuable work, but <br /> the county did not have a separate department to support efforts on environmental <br /> protection. June 1998 is an important date because that is when Orange County began its <br /> commitment to a significant focus on environmental protection, a focus which is especially <br /> important today in this time of climate crisis. Through the Lands Legacy Program, the county has <br /> protected over 3500 acres of our precious natural and cultural resources and I would be interested <br /> in knowing what that figure is today. <br /> It is my belief that the county's excellent environmental protection work should be <br /> recognized,from origin to present day and even to a future vision, and celebrated in some way. At <br /> this time, I am not suggesting the form of the recognition though I could contribute ideas and <br /> share some institutional memory if there is interest. <br /> Action requested: Recognize the creation in 1998 of Orange County's environmental <br /> department and the Lands Legacy Program, which the department was responsible for <br /> implementing. Include how the department and program were created and describe the major <br /> accomplishments and highlights of the past approximately 25 years, I would recommend that <br />