Jovana Amaro

The business meeting agenda included several significant items. Key discussions involved proclamations for Black History Month and Human Relations Month for February 2026. The board was set to discuss and potentially approve the School Construction Interlocal Agreement (ILA) with the School Districts, including creating a dedicated School Capital and Financial Analyst position, and consider requested amendments from school staff regarding project appropriation, design payment timing, and the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) requirement. Additionally, the agenda covered an update on Interlocal Agreements between the County and Towns regarding municipal tax collection, with a proposal to discuss fee increases to better sustain county costs, and scheduled discussions for renewing expiring agreements with Durham and Mebane.

The One Orange Countywide Racial Equity Framework serves as a guide for Orange County jurisdictions to advance racial equity. It outlines a strategy for change through five key pillars: Training, Community Engagement, Racial Equity Index, Racial Equity Assessment Lens, and Evaluation/Accountability. The framework aims to uncover and address implicit biases, ensuring that race no longer predicts life outcomes within the Orange County community and improving outcomes for all groups.

The meeting included updates from broadband stakeholders. Catharine Rice discussed broadband matters, contrasting slow service with gigabit symmetrical service, and attendees questioned proceeding with fiber as the ultimate goal versus interim wireless technologies. Piedmont Electric (PEMC) provided an update on their fiber network development (160 miles of fiber between facilities) and their for-profit subsidiary, RiverStreet Communications, detailed their fixed wireless approach, highlighting successes in Person and Caswell Counties. The discussion extensively covered the Task Force's mandate, which is to recommend a viable and responsible broadband solution to serve approximately 5,000 unserved/underserved homes. Key considerations included leveraging existing vertical assets like public safety towers (VIPER program), the financial viability of fiber-to-the-home versus hybrid solutions, and the looming deadlines for federal funding such as the America Recovery program funds. The immediate next step determined was whether to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a Request for Information (RFI) to providers to define costs and scope, with a decision targeted for the next meeting.

Orange County's Strategic Plan aims to be a visionary leader in providing equitable, sustainable, innovative, and efficient governmental services, strengthening the community, and enhancing the quality of life for all residents. The plan focuses on six key priorities: Environmental Protection and Climate Action, Healthy Community, Housing for All, Multi-modal Transportation, Public Education/Learning Community, and Diverse and Vibrant Economy.

The meeting agenda primarily focused on Appeals Hearings scheduled throughout the afternoon, involving property owner Jeff Erick Essen regarding several unimproved parcels on Shadylawn Road. The agenda also included a Consent Agenda section for the Orange County Board of Equalization and Review, which detailed numerous recommended value adjustments for various properties based on factors such as fee appraisals, utility easements, sales data comparisons, structural grade adjustments, and physical property characteristics like topography and floodplain restrictions.