HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 19750109~~~
Chairman Garrett inquired of the County Administrator, if he was aware that
a report from the Tax Collector to the Board of Commissioners was due on the first
Monday in February.
The matter of Executive Session of the Board of Adjustments was discussed by
the Board. The Count Attorney stated that in his opinion that the Board of AdJ'ust-
ments is a quasi judicial body but he was also of the opinion that the Board of
Adjustments is an administrative body, therefore, when it hears appeals from a
decision of the Zoning Board then these appeals should be heard in Executive Session,
however, when it attends to only administrative matters then it should sit in open
meeting.
~ Discussion ensued.
The Board advised the County Attorney that they wanted him to research the
question of Executive Sessions for the Board of Adjustments as they did not wish to
have any County Board operating in violation of the General Statu6es.
There being no further business to come before the Board, the Board adjourned to
meet again on Thursday, January 9, at 8 P.M, in the Commissioners Room at the '
Gourthouse in Hillsborough, North Carolina.
Flora Garrett, Chairman
Betty June Hayes, Clerk
Approved
Items filed: .Food stamp report from Orange County Department of Social Services.
~ MINUTES OF THE ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMTSSIONERS
January 9, 1975
The Orange County Board of Commissioners met on Thursday, January 9, 1975,
at 8 P.M., in the Coa¢nissianers Room at the Courthouse in Hillsborough, North
Carolina.
Members Present: Chairman Flora Garrett, Commissioners Norm Gustaveson, Jan
Pinney, Norman Walker, and Richard E. Whitted.:
Members Absent: None.
Sam Gattis, County Administrator, Neal Evans, Fiscal Officer, and Betty June
Hayes, Clerk, were also present.
Chairman Garrett inquired of the Board members if they would agree to hear a
request from Lansford Long, Assistant District Attorney, as the matter was of some
urgency. Mr. Long stated that there had been a rash number of breaking and enterings
in the County. The State now has a witness who can testify in a breaking and
entering case if monies were available to get him from his military base back to
the County for the trial. Mr. Long stated that the State has no monies that it can
allocate to bring this witness from out of State, therefore, he is requesting the
Board to appropriate $180.00 for air fare.
Discussion ensued.
Upon motion of Commissioner Pinney, seconded by Commissioner Gustaveson, it was
moved and adopted that the Board take $180.00 from the Contingency Fund to pay for the
return of a witness in order that this witness might appear in court.
Chairman Garrett stated that the purpose of this meeting tonight was to receive
__ a report from the Community Development Task Force.
The following report was filed by Marilyn Riddle:
t
(~:~:.~
"The Task Force for Community Development has determined in its two
meetings that the following items could be included in Orange County's
application for Community Development funds. These are listed as the Task
Force has ranked them with relevant discussion included.
1. Water resources and sewage extension and treatment. Specifically
the Task Force agreed that funds should be requested tb im lament sewage
extension and treatment programs proposed through studies~ed with
208 and 201 funding. Community development funds are not to be requested
for engineering studies or surveys since these can be funded under the other
programs now in progress.
Other comments by the Task Force included concern about specific areas
such as Fairview Community, West Hillsborough, and trailer park sanitation.
However, no agreement was reached that it was this group's responsibility to i
target certain areas since most members felt that a comprehensive survey of -"
needs would have to be done before such targeting would be possible.
The group's concern about water resources was not discussed after Mr.
Burnham indicated that other programs are available which specifically address
the problems of water resources.
2. Under the general discussion of problems of housing rehabilitation the
Task Force reached some agreement on these ideas:
Community development funds could be used to provide fora rural
rehabilitation housing coordinator, full time, with a staff of two or three
rehabilitation crew supervisors. The coordinator would help eligible Orange
County citizens to apply for Farm Home Administration funds already available,
and would identify and implement other housing rehabilitation programs now
available or which may become available in the future. Ms. Mace indicated that
rehabilitation crew supervisors and Manpower program trainees can provide
low-cost labor in rehabilitation program and thereby increase the value of funds
loaned for rehabilitation purposes. The Task Force felt that two or three such
rehabilitation crews could be effectively used by the County.
Need something more than a loan program fund to guarantee loans. Members
of the Task Force placed a lower priority on a rent subsidy program. However,
proposal was made that the c~~*+ity development funds could be utilized to
provide fox implementation of an existing program -- the Section 8 leasing
program -- for rehabilitating rental property. This could be included as a
mandate of the rural housing coordinator.
Members of the Task Force generally agreed that the Commissioners should
consider setting a goal that all Orange County housing be brought up to minimum
standard in the next 10 years. This includes providing for a program of code
enforcement beginning at a specified future date.
3. The third priority seemed to be a comprehensive program of community
centers. There was not time to cover this in great depth; however, these
specific suggestions were made:
That community development funds be utilized to rehabilitate existing
buildings in corruuunities in the county (such as schools which have been closed,
or other suitable buildings) for the purpose of providing space for such
programs as: day care, after-school care, Head Start, adult education, day care
for elderly citizens, scheduled clinics (well child, immunization, screening,
etc) meals for elderly citizens, and recreation programs.
The Task Force was unable to agree to recommend any of these programs for
specific funding, it agreed only to provision of facilities.
It also tentatively agreed that community development funds could be
requested to provide personnel -- probably a County coordinator of community
service programs and appropriate staff -- to assure that communities can maintain `
active viable programs in their Centers.
4. Many members of the Task Force placed a high priority on extension of fire
protection to northern Orange and areas in southern Orange not presently protected.
However, citizens who visited the Task Force meeting suggested that the whole issue
of fire protection in Orange County needs study. It was proposed that the
County utilize the services of the North Carolina Fire Insurance Rating Bureau
to redraw fire district lines. This would allow a unified county fire tax rate
and assure .county-wide fire protection. The citizens also urged that a County
Fire Marshall be employed.
Enough members of the Task Force expressed concern about fire protection so
that it is included as an item for consideration. However, other members of the
Task Force suggested that the Commissioners be urged to look into this matter
themselves to see what might be done. The Commissioners may wish to consider
including a request for personnel costs for a County Fire Marshall in the
community development request.
=~~
S. Health care needs were discussed, specifically the possibility of
purchasing and equipping a van for the purpose of providing mobile clinic
service on a scheduled basis to outlying communities in the county. It was
suggested by one of the planners present that more health care services may
be available to the County than are now being utilized and that the
Gommissioners should investigate this. Members of the Task Force understood
from the planners that health care needs might not receive a favorable
reaction from HUD since DHEG1 funds are more appropriate for such programs.
Other items suggested but not discussed were job training and retraining;
employment; and comprehensive planning for public utilities. Since there was
not time to discuss these the Task Force has no specific proposals to make
concerning them."
Discussion ensued on each of the recommendations that were presented by the
Task Force. Mark Burnham explained the 201 and 2D8 funding. Under the Community
Development Act it could serve as an extension of these studies. The 201 funding
for Hillsborough could be funded under the 208 program. The question was asked,
"What is the role of Region J itt this matter?" It was pointed out that the Board
has between now and tomorrow to make a priority listing. Commissioner Gustaveson
asked, "Woujd it be helpful in terms of the immediacy of the situation if the
Board took action on some of the proposals?" Another member asked "How could the
Counties application be tied in with Hillsborough and Carrboro?"
Further Discussion ensued.
Chairman Garrett stated that she felt the Board should be specific and identify
the areas of need relative to water and sewerage.
Upon motion of Commissioner Gustaveson, seconded by Commissioner Whitted, it
was moved, that the County accept the report .of the Task Force and that Items ~~1,
2, & 3 become the first priorities for the first three (3) year period of the grant.
Commissioner Walker stated that he could vote for the motion provided that the Board
include Item ~~4 in its list of priorities in that the areas that did not currently
have fire protection were those areas that did not have the destiny required for
the supporting of afire district. He stated that these funds might be used to
subsidize the areas.
Further discussion ensued.
Gommissioner Pinney moved to amend the motion of Commissioner Gustaveson to
include Items 4~4 & 5 of the Task Force as a part of the Pre-Application Grant.
Commissioner Gustaveson and Whitted agreed to the amendment of their motion.
Chairman Garrett called for the vote on the amended motion and the original
motion.
All members voted aye.
There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was
adjourned to meet again on Tuesday, January 14, 1975, at 8 P.M. in the Commissioners
Room at the Courthouse in Hillsborough, North Carolina.
~~~ ~
Flora Garrett, Chairman
Betty June Hayes, Clerk
Approved
Items filed: Draft report from the Community Development Task Force.
Copy of Sedimentation Ordinance prepared by P. A. Vesilind