HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 20081204 - Retreat APPROVED 3/17/2009
MINUTES
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ANNUAL PLANNING RETREAT
SOUTHERN HUMAN SERVICES CENTER
December 4, 2008
9:00 a.m.
The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Board retreat on Thursday,
December 4, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, North
Carolina.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Valerie P. Foushee, Vice-Chair Mike Nelson,
and Commissioners Alice Gordon, Pam Hemminger, Barry Jacobs, Bernadette Pelissier, and
Steve Yuhasz
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT:
COUNTY ATTORNEY PRESENT: Geof Gledhill
COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Laura Blackmon and Clerk to the Board Donna
S. Baker
Facilitators: Lydian Altman and Donna Warner, UNC-CH School of Government.
Assistant managers and department heads were present 9:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m.
Retreat Outcomes
1 . Identified factors impacting policy decisions at the county level.
2. Created a timeline and outlined issues that will likely impact Orange County
in the next 5 years.
3. Established key issues important to achieving the board's mission and vision
for Orange County.
4. Began work on defining what the board means by "sustainability."
5. Drafted the agenda for January 10, 2009 retreat.
Issues to Examine
As a way to frame the discussion about issues facing the county, board
members identified the following global, economic, environmental, social,
intergovernmental and demographic factors influencing their decisions as
policymakers.
Factors Driving Change in Orange County
Global
• Global warming
Environmental
• Rising costs of energy and transportation
• Solid waste and biosolids will continue to be local issue
• Change in land use policies
• Limits to the amount of water available for development
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Demographic
• Increase in the county's population
• Increase in the number of retirees moving from other parts of the state
and the nation to the county
Economic
• Change in the national and local economy
• Change in the amount of funding coming to the county from the state
and federal government
Citizen attitudes
• Citizen expectation about levels of service
• Attitudes about growth. Some citizens favor growth while others are
against it.
Intergovernmental relations
• University of North Carolina's interest in siting an airport in the county
• Municipalities within the county are planning for growth in a vacuum and
are not consulting the county about their plans
KEY ISSUE POTENTIAL COUNTY RESPONSE
Economy and Finance
1 . Impact of impending state budget • Continue to support efforts to oppose
cuts and possible reduced support unfunded state and federal mandates
from federal government on
county budget
2. Challenge of continuing to offer • Begin now to relay the message to
'customary' county services given citizens, partner agencies, and
tough economic times organizations that current levels of
service may not be able to be
maintained.
• Create a new budget ethic/discipline
for BOCC and staff that does not
assume an annual increase in the tax
rate
• Develop budget priorities to help make
decisions about potential budget cuts
• Focus on providing 'core' county
services
• Review how SAPFO is being enforced
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by BOCC. Is it doing what it was
originally intended? Is it still relevant?
• Work with other local governments
(especially in WNC) to lobby General
Assembly for these changes
3. Difficulty in maintaining current • Alert school systems not to expect in
level of dollars allocated towards increase and be aware potential
school expenditure decrease for FY 09-10
4. Difficult financial or managerial • Preserve current ability to respond to a
situations arise with service partners 'crisis' by maintaining a reserve fund
that can create 'gaps or holes' in dedicated for this purpose
the social service safety net in the
'areas of greatest need'
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5. Concern about generating • Work to diversify tax base, including
sufficient revenues to operate new 'green' commercial tax base
county government without
overburdening individual property
owners. Leakage of tax revenue to
neighboring counties
6. Reduce the county's debt load. • Exercise caution when considering
Increase flexibility. Stabilize overall issuing new debt
financial condition and situation
TRANSPORTATION
1 . Increasing number of vehicles • Create and connect to local, regional,
leads to congestion and impacts and national transit networks
negatively on air quality
• Support transit, pedestrian, and
bicycle facilities and other alternatives
to the single passenger automobile
• Seek potential federal dollars for
infrastructure
HOUSING
1 . Grow and maintain the county's • Influence private investments through
affordable housing stock to retain building regulations and land use
diversity policies
COMMUNICATION
1 . Improve communication with the • Provide adequate public information
public and within county about county actions
government
• Change ways of communicating with
citizens. Explore ways to improve
communication between citizens and
county
• Counteract the citizen expectation
that services will not change by
making clear what might change
2. Ensure public participation and
transparency in Orange County
government for all residents
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
1 . Develop an energy plan that
includes economic development
strategies to attract, retain, and
grow "green" business
2. Diversify tax base • Develop economic development
plan for Economic Development
Districts
3. Retain diversity • Create jobs for all skill levels
INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS
1 . Locate UNC-CH airport in Orange • Challenge the assumptions made
County about local home rule vs. UNC
authority to supersede local authority
• Explore use of local zoning to guide
land use within the county
• Be actively involved and informed
about UNC decisions and intentions
and reacting to such
• Continue to clarify the county's role in
selecting site for the airport
2. Recognize natural tensions and • Discuss whether to change how
perceived inequities exist between resources are distributed within the
various areas of the county county
because of population density,
residency in more 'urbanized' • Clarify, communicate to public how
areas of the county, and and why county funding is allocated
perceived differences in the the way it is, including identifying core
amount of funding available for county (versus other local
services (based on potential dual government) responsibilities for
streams from both county and services
cities) • Consider what to do about inequities
between old and new schools. Older
The urban center believes it is schools are in need of capital
underwriting the solid waste improvements. Building new schools
services for the rural portions of the has been the funding priority.
county. Similarly, the rural portions
believe they are supporting
education for cities and towns.
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3. Recognize shared interests with • Finalize annexation boundaries with
jurisdictions within county borders Hillsborough
• Continue working with Mebane to
define annexation boundaries
• Work with both Mebane and
Hillsborough about joint land use
planning approaches, policies and
ordinances, Economic Development
Districts, SAPFO (Schools and
Adequate Facilities Public Funding
Ordinance?)
MISCELLANEOUS
1 . Providing `equitable' library Agree on what `equitable" means
services for Orange County Resources equal to those offered by
•residents the Town of Chapel Hill? All OC
residents have equal access to
services? Or same quality and
quantity of programs and services?
• Options to consider: Implement
the Library Task Force Plan. Partner
with the Town of Chapel Hill to
provide library services.
2. Park development. Master plans • Develop a policy/update current plan
have created a public about how parks will be developed.
expectation about `development' Determine appropriate ratio of parks
•that have not been realized given to population, length of time to
rising costs of development and/or develop, and incorporation of such
other pressing priorities. into CIP.
• Consider `land bank' - purchase land
now and develop later.
• Schedule a briefing update for staff
and board on previous park efforts so
all have relevant background
information
3. Design and provide funding for • Discuss concept and staffing with
attorney's offices in 2009 manager and BOCC
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ORGANIZATIONAL
1 . Current staffing levels are: • Provide 'adequate' staffing to
1 . stretched too thin to be able to perform 'core county services'
monitor some key • Hire staff with 'flexibility' to be
responsibilities with the reallocated to cover core functions
vigilance required
2. inadequate to staff facilities or
maintain infrastructure
2. Current level of staffing requires • Invest in available technology that
maximum worker efficiency increases worker efficiencies, e.g.,
web streaming, paperless agendas,
integrated tracking systems between
field and office
3. County policies are out-of-date. • Systematic and prioritized review and
update of county policies, procedures
and ordinances
• Examine advisory boards and
commissions to see if they are
meeting their missions (consider
disbanding if necessary) and how
their work can be best integrated
with BOCC.
Staff Feedback and Reactions
Board members were interested in hearing staff's reactions to the issues
identified. The following is a list of issues/challenges/opportunities identified by
staff.
1 . Explore the role of advisory boards.
2. Examine duplication of efforts within the county.
3. Consider how the county communicates with citizens and solicits input into the
decision making process.
4. Extension: Understand concerns presented by the agricultural community on
the future of the county. Consider how land use plans will impact agriculture
now and in 2014.
5. Economic Development: Place job creation on the list of work for county
government.
6. Planning: Move beyond the land use plan vision with a plan for water/sewer,
roads and a green economy.
7. Public works: Identify needs for new public works facilities and allocate
resources to maintain them.
8. Aging: create an aging "friendly" community. Consider using the two new
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senior centers as core service and transportation centers. This would use
resources more efficiently.
9. Housing and community development: The County's current tier designation
makes it difficult to receive funds from the state and feds. Suggestion: define
local needs in a different way to make the county eligible for funding from
others sources and the state and federal government.
10. Recommend county be proactive in leadership & planning as this is worst
economy in 30 years.
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Defining Sustainability
The board's vision for Orange County is one of "sustainability." Board members
and staff believe it is important to define and operationalize the term.
Preliminary discussions defined sustainability as having three primary elements:
1 . Environment
• Preservation of rural character of the county; preserve farms, maintain
good water quality, preserve habitats and natural biological resources,
and open space.
• Manage growth by adopting land development policies and applying
them consistently in the approval process to protect the natural
environment, promote `sustainable development' and provide
`appropriate amenities' such as parks and open space.
2. Social Justice
• Preserve cultural resources
• `Ensure that all residents are treated equitably and fairly.'
3. Economic Development
• Grow economic base in a sustainable, green manner
The notion of sustainability can be applied to the services we provide, the
organization we oversee, the policies we adopt or promote for our community
and our organization, and
the ordinances we pass.
Organizational Perspective of Sustainability:
1 . Fiscal responsibility
2. Efficient staff and processes
• Reorganize county departments in order to operate more
efficiently. Consider creating a Department of Sustainability
• Structure an integrated, coordinated approach to sustainability
• Use advisory boards in BOCC decision-making
3. Plan for the sustainability of the organization
4. HR
• Implement staff development that keeps staff technologically
current and up-to-date
• Develop succession plan for departments and administration
5. Public Works
• "Green" fleet management purchases and maintenance
6. Public support
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DRAFT Agenda for January 10th Retreat
1 . Prepare for upcoming 2010 budget process by reviewing a matrix of
mandatory services (must do/nice to do/should do) drafted by staff and
submitted to the board in advance of the January 10th retreat.
2. Define roles and expectations of board members, board chair and
manager.
3. Define "sustainability" and agree how it applies to county government.
4. Hear from Laura Blackmon on the board's role in the county budget
process
5. Address logistical and "nitty gritty" issues of board process and
management. Review issues listed at the November retreat to determine
what procedures to change and adopt.
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