Snow Days

[Blake Wilson]

Dear Commissioners-

Thank you so much for your service to our county.  As a teacher, I am writing out of concern for the number of recent missed school days due to snow/ice.  I am aware that many parts of our county are rural and that travel on secondary roads is not always safe, so i understand the decision by the school districts to close schools when necessary.  I would encourage the commissioners to consider ways to obtain more equipment for preparing and/or clearing roads or to increase coordination between the school districts and with state and local entities so that we can reduce the number of school days lost to inclement weather.  i know that any solution will cost money, but given the increased likelihood of severe weather due to climate change, i believe investments may be needed.

Thanks!

Blake

[Jean Hamilton]

Dear Blake,

 

On behalf of the BOCC, thank you for sharing your concerns about the number school days missed due to poor road conditions.  We reached out to our Emergency Management Director, Kirby Saunders, and he explained that in the county all road maintenance is done by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and their contractors.  Kirby said that he and his staff has been in frequent contact with NCDOT to address high priority areas like school bus routes. Your comments remind us all to continue to advocate for the resources needed, especially with climate change, to keep our roads clear so students can get to school and people can get to work safely.

 

Sincerely,

Jean

 

Jean Hamilton, Chair

Orange County Board of Commissioners

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From: Blake Wilson <mblake...@yahoo.com>
Sent: Monday, February 2, 2026 3:36 PM
To: ALL_BOCC_MANAGER_CLERK <OCB...@orangecountync.gov>
Subject: Snow Days

 

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