Orange County Board of Commissioners decided to look for a location for a new dental services facility that would serve the northern part of the county at Tuesday’s meeting.
Rosemary Summers, the county’s health director, said adding a second clinic would be the best way to better provide dental services to the community.
Right now, she said, patients have to travel to the clinic at Carr Mill Mall, a location difficult for some to access.
“People are more hesitant to travel to the southern part of the county compared to the northern,” Summers said. “Two full-time locations is ideal.”
Although the board of health recommended the county operate only one clinic and focus on improving transportation to the Carr Mill Mall location, commissioners decided in a 5-2 vote to begin searching for a suitable place to house a second clinic.
“I’m finding it very difficult to support the recommended option,” said chairwoman Valerie Foushee.
Lack of funding hit the commissioners personally when the plans for their possible permanent meeting chambers came to discussion.
The commissioners reviewed the proposed plan, brought forth during the June 2010 meeting, and the new budget information for the Link Government Services Center.
The new center would provide meeting chambers for the commissioners that has more public seating as well as a multimedia infrastructure for audio and video broadcast.