Orange County Board of Commissioners discusses changing election method for board members -

The Orange County Board of Commissioners met Tuesday to hear annual reports from county boards and discuss the election method for board members. Staff writer Molly Horak live-tweeted the meeting.

i know everyone has been missing my live meeting tweets but never fear — I'm back again tonight at the Orange County BOCC meeting
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 28, 2017

Amy Jeroloman from the Carrboro Northern Transition Area said traffic is a main concern
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 28, 2017

Recommendations made by Jeroloman to amend traffic flow along Eubanks Road, Old NC 86 and that new parks plan for more traffic
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 28, 2017

Susan Poulton from the Carrboro Planning Board addresses flex zoning, eligibility and site-specific plans for mixed use areas
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 28, 2017

Poulton said that Carrboro has approved a second hotel for the town to accommodate more visitors
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 28, 2017

Morgan Creek Trail along Merritt's Pasture has been problematic for Chapel Hill Parks and Rec dept., said Mary Musacchia
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 28, 2017

A bridge will be build adjacent to 15-501, Musacchia said. Her department is working with the state DOT on the project
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 28, 2017

Chapel Hill PGR department has been left out of development commissions, Musacchia said
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 28, 2017

PGR commission applauds the purchase of the 36-acre tract of American Legion land, Musacchia urges BOCC to be involved in the project
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 28, 2017

BOCC moves on to next agenda item, annual reports from county boards and their representatives.
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

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Adult Care Community Advisory representative Max Mason said he sees facilities struggling to make ends meet
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

"Something has got to give here," Mason said. "We're assuring the resident's rights are upheld."
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

The state reimburses facilities roughly $36 dollars a day, Mason said
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

Chair of the Advisory Board of Aging said they are working on their five year plan, which all has to do with Medicaid funding
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

Commissioner Jacobs said from personal experience he has seen very different levels of care, asks if there are problem facilities
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

A master aging plan will be presented in May to address goals and objectives of the Board
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

"Our senior centers have been recognized across the country as extraordinary, but they are bursting at the seams," Cohn said
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

Affordable Housing Advisory Board is trying to find the best models that will work in Orange County, will push heavily towards rentals
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

Arts Commission is still under probation, but is working diligently to alleviate concerns, said commission chair Tim Hoke
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

A partnership between Agricultural Preservation Board and Animal Services mentioned matching feral cats with farms
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

Issue of bonafide farms is a topic that the BOCC worked on earlier this week, board is looking at matching NC standards for these farms
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

A new focus of the Animal Services Advisory Board is on the pets of the homeless, Hoffman said
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

Board of Health just completed four-year community health report, said board chair Lisa Lackey
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

"I don't know what the future is of the Visitor's Center," said Rosemary Waldorf of the Orange County Visitors department
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

"HB2 has hurt the county a lot," Waldorf said. "We are doing a lot of marketing to get out the message that we are welcoming to everybody."
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

Jim Kitchen of Economic Advisory Board said the small business grant program has created and retained over 245 jobs since its creation
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

Housing Authority has ability to give priority housing vouchers to local residents, veterans, disabled — but homeless is not a preference
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

Ending homelessness is a high priority and is now added as a preference that will trump all others said Jean Bolduc, Housing Authority chair
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

Monica Richard, chair of Human Relations Commission, said they are looking into a hate crime hotline
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

Human Relations Commission is also creating a public forum to discuss issues within schools
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

BOCC moves to last item on the agenda, a discussion regarding election method for members of the BOCC
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

Currently, five district seats on the Board are filled based on district residency and two are based on countywide nomination and election
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

Mark Dorosin asks if the districting information is still consistent to what is anticipated in 2020
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

Mark Marcoplos said he thinks that cumulative voting empowers significant minorities in the political system
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

"There's a large portion of people in the county who are not represented, and frankly, it's republicans," Marcoplos said
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

"I think someone has to raise it so people know about it," Marcoplos said
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

Commissioner Burroughs said she likes the idea of cumulative voting but wants to keep issue out of legislature and within the county
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

"We don't change how we elect commissioners very often, so if we do change, let's do something that makes a big difference," Marcoplos said
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

Dorosin directs staff to look into both cumulative voting and non-partisan voting policies
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

And with that, the BOCC meeting is officially over!
— Molly Horak (@molly_horak) March 29, 2017

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