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Board of Commissioners — Special Meeting Agenda with the Climate Change Advisory Committee for a Climate Retreat Day 1

Chatham County · Board of Commissioners
Friday, October 17, 2025 at 9:00 am · Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center located at 1192 US Hwy 64 West Business in Pittsboro

Retreat or planning session Environment and sustainabilityComprehensive planFarmland and open spaceFire and EMS

Agenda document Minutes Meeting page Watch Meeting recap

What's on this agenda

Chatham County's Board of Commissioners spends a full day with the Climate Change Advisory Committee on the first of a two-day climate retreat, hearing from outside experts on climate science, how other communities build climate action plans, and how to engage residents on the subject. The day closes with a look at agriculture as a starting sector for a future county climate plan.

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

A State Climate Office scientist presented data on rising temperature extremes and storm intensity in Chatham County and discussed how to communicate climate risk to skeptical residents. A regional planning facilitator walked through what other governments put in a climate action plan, noting Pittsboro tracks action-based metrics rather than a formal emissions baseline, and flagged staffing capacity and alignment with the county's comprehensive plan as open questions.

An anthropology professor led a discussion on engaging the public on climate change, citing a lack of trust and a feeling that residents' voices go unheard as recurring obstacles. Participants then discussed organizing future climate action by sector, agriculture, energy, buildings, transportation, land use, and emergency management, and heard a detailed presentation on agricultural resilience and local food systems from an NC State researcher. The retreat's second day was left for participants to keep identifying local assets and opportunities before reconvening.

How the votes went

The board voted 5-0 to adjourn; no other votes were taken during this planning-focused session.

From the published minutes.

Speaking at this meeting

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

Agenda items (11)

Presentation · 5Procedural · 4Other · 2
  1. CALL TO ORDER
    Procedural
  2. BOARD PRIORITIES
    Procedural
  3. 25-0534 9:00 to 9:45 Welcome, Brief History, and Around-the-Room
    Other Environment and sustainability
    Facilitators opened the retreat, reviewed the Climate Change Advisory Committee's decade of work since 2015, and set goals of building shared understanding of climate science and a common framework for county climate action.
  4. 25-0535 9:45 to 11:30 Receive a presentation on the Urgency of Climate Change and the Effects We Can Expect to See in Chatham County from Dr. Jared Bowen, Associate Director of the North Carolina State Climate Office at NC State University
    Presentation Environment and sustainability
    A State Climate Office scientist presented data on rising temperature extremes, humidity, and storm intensity expected in Chatham County, prompting discussion of how to reach residents skeptical of climate science.
  5. RECESS
    Procedural
  6. 25-0536 12:30 to 2:00 Receive a presentation on What is a Climate Action Plan (CAP) from Emily Barrett, Facilitator with Central Pines Regional Council and Discuss Elements and Processes
    Presentation Comprehensive planEnvironment and sustainability
    A regional planning facilitator described what goes into a climate action plan, including emissions baselines, mitigation strategies, and metrics, and discussed staffing needs and alignment with the county's comprehensive plan.
  7. 25-0537 2:15 to 3:15 Receive a presentation on Climate Adaptation, Community Impact, and Education and Engagement from Dr. Susan “Susie” Crate, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at George Mason University
    Presentation Environment and sustainability
    An anthropology professor discussed engaging residents on climate change through local storytelling and meeting people at existing community gathering points, and identified trust and a sense of being unheard as common obstacles.
  8. 25-0538 3:15 to 3:45 Receive a presentation and discuss a Sector-by-Sector Approach to Framing Climate Change Action from Emily Barrett, Facilitator with Central Pines Regional Council
    Presentation Environment and sustainability
    Facilitators outlined organizing a future climate plan by sector, agriculture, energy, buildings, transportation, land use, and emergency management, with participants agreeing agriculture should be an early focus.
  9. 25-0539 3:45 to 4:45 Receive a presentation on Sector: Agriculture from Dr. Michelle Schroeder Moreno, Director, Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) and Agroecology Professor, NC State University
    Presentation Environment and sustainabilityFarmland and open spaceFire and EMS
    An NC State researcher discussed agricultural resilience, local food systems, and soil health, and participants discussed how local farms could support the county during climate-related emergencies.
  10. 25-0540 4:45 to 5:00 Closeout and Next Steps of the Climate Change Retreat with Facilitator Emily Barrett, Central Pines Regional Council
    Other Environment and sustainability
    Facilitators closed the first retreat day and asked participants to keep identifying local climate assets and priorities ahead of the second session.
  11. ADJOURNMENT
    Procedural
    adjourned · Pass · A motion was made by Vice Chair Katie Kenlan, seconded by Commissioner Amanda Robertson, that the meeting was adjourned. The motion carried by the following vote:

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