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Business Meeting

Orange County · Board of County Commissioners
Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Regular meeting Police and public safetyPublic facilitiesAppointments and personnelFire and EMSGrants and outside fundingParks and recreationBroadband and technologyBudget and appropriationsEnvironment and sustainabilityHealth and human servicesHomelessness and shelterHousing and affordabilitySchools and educationTax rate and revaluation

Agenda document Minutes Watch Meeting recap

What was decided

  1. Approved 6.aAmendment to the Network Development Agreement for Broadband Deployment with Lumos Approved 5-2; the board separately voted unanimously to reconvene the county's broadband task force
  2. Approved 6.bDiscussion of a Ground Lease with UNC for 2700 Homestead Road for the Cold Weather Cots Program and Integrated Day Center Approved unanimously: authorized negotiation of the lease and a budget amendment for a compliance and design study
  3. Approved 8.bRequest for Proposed Naming of Cedar Grove Athletic Field #1 as the "Coach Willie Lawrence Vanhook Athletic Field" Approved as part of the consent agenda
  4. Approved 8.cCybersecurity Awareness Month Proclamation Approved as part of the consent agenda
  5. Approved 8.dAuthorization for Use of Construction Manager at Risk Services for the Sheriff's Office Evidence Storage Facility and John M. Link, Jr. Government Services Center Renovations Approved as part of the consent agenda
  6. Approved 8.eFiscal Year 2025-26 Purchase of Seven LIFEPAK 15 Monitors/Defibrillators Approved as part of the consent agenda
  7. Approved 8.fPurchase of Vehicles for the Emergency Services Department Approved as part of the consent agenda
  8. Approved 8.gAmendments to the Emergency Management Ordinance - Second Consideration Approved as part of the consent agenda
  9. Approved 8.hAmendments to the Noise Ordinance - Second Consideration Approved as part of the consent agenda
  10. Approved 8.iEstablishment of the Tax Assessment Work Group and Commissioner Appointments Approved as part of the consent agenda
  11. Approved 8.jBoards and Commissions - Appointments Approved as part of the consent agenda

Read from the agenda's recorded outcomes. Where the board published minutes, those are the record — this is a pointer to them.

What's on this agenda

Orange County commissioners take up a contested amendment to the county's 2022 broadband deployment contract with Lumos, now T-Fiber and owned by T-Mobile. It would cut the number of homes to be connected from 6,370 to 5,852 and push the deadline to July 2026. The board also considers a proposed ten-year, rent-free ground lease with UNC for a building at 2700 Homestead Road to house the county's cold weather cots program and a future day center for unhoused residents. It holds its required annual public hearing on HOME program housing funds and works through a lengthy consent agenda covering ordinance amendments, equipment purchases and appointments.

Summarized from the published agenda. Read the agenda itself before acting on it.

Meeting recap

What happened, drawn from the records published after the meeting. Minutes

After roughly twenty residents spoke, most opposing or raising concerns, commissioners voted 5-2 to approve the Lumos amendment, with Commissioners McKee and Vice-Chair Hamilton dissenting; both said the county was accepting a worse deal than it should from a company with $81 billion in gross income. The board separately voted unanimously to reconvene the county's broadband task force. Roughly 600 homes, in three defined areas, will be excluded from the revised contract; the county is pursuing state stop-gap and federal BEAD funding to try to reach them. On the UNC ground lease, the board voted unanimously to authorize staff to negotiate a lease of up to ten years for 2700 Homestead Road and to develop a budget amendment for a compliance and design study, after hearing support from UNC's local relations director, an IFC program leader and a resident who has experienced homelessness; several commissioners asked for more detail on staffing and Phase II renovation costs, estimated at $750,000 to $1.25 million for the roof and HVAC alone, before committing further. The board removed two other items, a review of Crisis Diversion Facility design options and the Countywide Strategic Plan progress report, from the agenda for later consideration, and dropped a previously announced closed session entirely. It approved its full consent agenda unanimously, including second-consideration ordinance amendments to the county's emergency management and noise ordinances, a construction-manager-at-risk authorization for a sheriff's evidence storage facility and government center renovation, purchase of seven LIFEPAK defibrillators and two EMS trucks, and the creation of a three-member Tax Assessment Work Group. It also held a required public hearing on the county's HOME program annual performance report, drawing no public comment.

How the votes went

The Lumos broadband amendment passed 5-2 (ayes: Greene, Carter, Bedford, Portie-Ascott, Fowler; nays: McKee, Hamilton). Reconvening the broadband task force, the UNC ground lease authorization, the full consent agenda, opening and closing the HOME program public hearing, removing the closed session from the agenda, and adjournment all passed unanimously.

From the published minutes.

What was said

The meeting opened with a one-hour general public comment period. The board also took public comment specifically on the Lumos broadband amendment and the UNC ground lease, and held a separate public hearing on the county's HOME program report that drew no comments.

Read from the records the government published after the meeting. Members of the public are private residents and are not named or indexed.

Speaking at this meeting

Orange County's own rules for public comment — check them before you rely on anything here.

Jump to an item (17 on this agenda)
  1. 4.aRecognition of the Heroic Actions of A.L. Stanback Middle School Staf…
  2. 4.b"The Nature of Orange" 2025 Photography Contest
  3. 5.aPublic Hearing on 2024-25 Consolidated Annual Performance Report (CAP…
  4. 6.aAmendment to the Network Development Agreement for Broadband Deployme…
  5. 6.bDiscussion of a Ground Lease with UNC for 2700 Homestead Road for the…
  6. 6.cReview of Options for the Design of Crisis Diversion Facility
  7. 7.aPresentation of the Countywide Strategic Plan FY2024-25 Progress Repo…
  8. 8.bRequest for Proposed Naming of Cedar Grove Athletic Field #1 as the "…
  9. 8.cCybersecurity Awareness Month Proclamation
  10. 8.dAuthorization for Use of Construction Manager at Risk Services for th…
  11. 8.eFiscal Year 2025-26 Purchase of Seven LIFEPAK 15 Monitors/Defibrillat…
  12. 8.fPurchase of Vehicles for the Emergency Services Department
  13. 8.gAmendments to the Emergency Management Ordinance - Second Considerati…
  14. 8.hAmendments to the Noise Ordinance - Second Consideration
  15. 8.iEstablishment of the Tax Assessment Work Group and Commissioner Appoi…
  16. 8.jBoards and Commissions - Appointments
  17. 13Closed Session

Agenda items (17)

Contract or award · 3Proclamation or recognition · 2Procedural · 2Budget action · 2Ordinance · 2Appointment · 2Other · 1Public hearing · 1Staff or committee report · 1Resolution · 1
  1. 4.a Recognition of the Heroic Actions of A.L. Stanback Middle School Staff During a Cardiac Arrest Response
    Proclamation or recognition Police and public safetySchools and education
    The board recognizes school nurse, staff and first responders whose rapid CPR and defibrillator use saved a 14-year-old student who collapsed from cardiac arrest in June 2025; the student has fully recovered.
  2. 4.b "The Nature of Orange" 2025 Photography Contest
    Other Environment and sustainabilityParks and recreation
    The board recognizes winners of the county's annual nature photography contest, themed "My Place in Nature."
  3. 5.a Public Hearing on 2024-25 Consolidated Annual Performance Report (CAPER) for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program
    Public hearing Grants and outside fundingHousing and affordability
    The county's required annual hearing on its HOME program report, covering about $539,000 in available funds, of which $169,166 was spent on tenant-based rental assistance; the public comment period runs through September 24.
    Public hearing opened and closed; no public comments received
  4. 6.a Amendment to the Network Development Agreement for Broadband Deployment with Lumos
    Contract or award Broadband and technologyGrants and outside funding
    An amendment to the county's 2022 broadband grant agreement with Lumos (T-Fiber/T-Mobile) reducing the number of homes to be connected from 6,370 to 5,852, extending the deadline to July 1, 2026, and revising the $5.2 million remaining payment schedule; about 600 homes in three areas would be dropped from the contract.
    Approved 5-2; the board separately voted unanimously to reconvene the county's broadband task force
  5. 6.b Discussion of a Ground Lease with UNC for 2700 Homestead Road for the Cold Weather Cots Program and Integrated Day Center
    Contract or award Health and human servicesHomelessness and shelterPublic facilities
    UNC offered the county a rent-free, up-to-ten-year ground lease on an underused building for a cold weather shelter and a future integrated day center serving unhoused residents; the county would bear renovation and maintenance costs, estimated at $80,000-plus for initial compliance work and $750,000 to $1.25 million for later roof and HVAC replacement.
    Approved unanimously: authorized negotiation of the lease and a budget amendment for a compliance and design study
    • 2700 Homestead Rd · no matching parcel on file
  6. 6.c Review of Options for the Design of Crisis Diversion Facility
    Procedural Public facilities
    A review of design options for the county's planned Crisis Diversion Facility.
  7. 7.a Presentation of the Countywide Strategic Plan FY2024-25 Progress Report
    Staff or committee report
    A presentation on the Countywide Strategic Plan's FY2024-25 progress.
  8. 8.b Request for Proposed Naming of Cedar Grove Athletic Field #1 as the "Coach Willie Lawrence Vanhook Athletic Field"
    Resolution Parks and recreation
    A resolution stating the board's intent to name Cedar Grove Athletic Field #1 the "Coach Willie Lawrence Vanhook Athletic Field," following a request from the Cedar Grove Recreation Association.
    Approved as part of the consent agenda
  9. 8.c Cybersecurity Awareness Month Proclamation
    Proclamation or recognition
    A proclamation designating October 2025 as Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
    Approved as part of the consent agenda
  10. 8.d Authorization for Use of Construction Manager at Risk Services for the Sheriff's Office Evidence Storage Facility and John M. Link, Jr. Government Services Center Renovations
    Contract or award Police and public safetyPublic facilities
    Authorization of the Construction Manager at Risk project delivery method for a new Sheriff's Office evidence storage facility and renovations to the John M. Link, Jr. Government Services Center.
    Approved as part of the consent agenda
  11. 8.e Fiscal Year 2025-26 Purchase of Seven LIFEPAK 15 Monitors/Defibrillators
    Budget action Budget and appropriationsFire and EMS
    Purchase of seven LIFEPAK 15 cardiac monitor/defibrillator units for Emergency Services.
    Approved as part of the consent agenda
  12. 8.f Purchase of Vehicles for the Emergency Services Department
    Budget action Fire and EMS
    Purchase of two Ford Super Duty F350 trucks to replace older Emergency Services Department vehicles.
    Approved as part of the consent agenda
  13. 8.g Amendments to the Emergency Management Ordinance - Second Consideration
    Ordinance Police and public safety
    Second-consideration approval of amendments to the county's Emergency Management Ordinance.
    Approved as part of the consent agenda
  14. 8.h Amendments to the Noise Ordinance - Second Consideration
    Ordinance
    Second-consideration approval of amendments to the county's Noise Ordinance.
    Approved as part of the consent agenda
  15. 8.i Establishment of the Tax Assessment Work Group and Commissioner Appointments
    Appointment Appointments and personnelTax rate and revaluation
    Establishment of a Tax Assessment Work Group and appointment of three commissioners to serve on it.
    Approved as part of the consent agenda
  16. 8.j Boards and Commissions - Appointments
    Appointment Appointments and personnel
    Board and commission appointments reviewed at the September 9 work session.
    Approved as part of the consent agenda
  17. 13 Closed Session
    Procedural
    A closed session previously placed on the agenda.
    Removed from agenda, unanimous vote

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