Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 12-11-2007 - 4zORANGE couNTY BOARD of COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: , Qecember ~ ~ , 2DD~ Action Agenda Item No. ~ - . SUBJECT: Authorization for Additional Funding and Time for Hillsborough Farmer's Market Mediation Activities DEPARTMENT: Cooperative Extension PUBLIC HEARING. ~YCN} No County Manager ATTACNMENT~S~: INFORMATION CONTACT: Qr. Fletcher Barber, Jr., 2454205 .aura Blackmon, 245-2300 PURPOSE: To request authorization fur additional funds and time in excess of those previously approved by the Board of Commissioners to cover half of the costs far mediation related to the parties interested in the Hillsborough farmer's market at~ the Public Market House. BACCGROUND~ At the September 6, 2DD?' Board of Gounty Commissioners meeting, the Board asked the Manager and Coaperative Extension staff to draft and present to the Board at the Goober 9, 200?' meeting an initial set of draft guidelines to direct the, operation of the Public Market House facility as the Hillsborough Farmer's Market. Those materials were presented to the Board at the Goober 9, 2041 Board meeting. It was also discussed at that sleeting that there were two groups within the community interested in maintaining the traditional Hillsborough farmer's market in the new Public Market House. Stafif rv osed as art of the Goober 9t~ discussion that the County offer to assist in pp p prompting mediation ofthe differences between the various interests and suggested that the County pay 5D°l~ of the costs for mediation for up to 10 hours of mediation preparation and actual meeting time. That mediation, potentially through the Dispute Settlement Center, would possibly help address the differences among the interests and could also enhance the discussions of the draft guidelines and ultimate final document. The goal was to unify ail vendors into one entity with a strung Board of Directors capable of entering into an agreement with the County for extended use of the County's facility for the Hillsborough Farmer's Market. The Board authorized staff to extend an offer from the Gounty to assist with mediation of the differences between the various interests, with the County paying 50°la of the casts for mediation far up to ~o hours of mediation preparation and actual meeting time and the other artici antsl rou s a in the other 50°/0 of the casts. As part of its action, the Board also p p g ppYg requested that al! mediation efforts be completed by the end of the 2DD?' calendar year and that z a set of final draft guidelines be brought back to the Board at the first regular Board meeting in X008 for additional review~and approval. Since the C~ctvber 9~ meeting, Andy Sachs with the dispute Settlement Center, with some minima! organizational assistance from County staff, has been working to bang the various interests together for discussion. Tv date, Mr. Sachs has invested eight and a half hours and anticipates another ~~ hours prior to an upcoming mediation session. Following that meeting, Mr. Sachs anticipates another ~-~ hours of follow-up work, including the drafting of a Memorandum of Understanding. Mr. Sachs has requested an additional 15 hours of mediation time to complete this effort. Mr. Sachs has also noted a charge of $85 an hour. Rased vn the information above and Mr. Sachs' request, it is proposed that the Board approve up to an additional 15 hours forthe mediation process. The cost for just the additional 15 hours would be $1,2?5 x$85 per hour}. FINANCI-4L l~[PACT: 0n October 9t~, the Board approved the pursuit of the mediation process with the County paying 54°/° of the costs for mediation for up to 10 hours of mediation preparation and actual meeting time. An estimated cost of approximately $?5 per hour fvr mediation services potentially through the Dispute Settlement Center had been Hated in the October 9~~ Board meeting materials. The total potential cost to the County at that time was up to $3?5. It is proposed that up to an additional 15 hours be added to the mediation timeframe and that the cost per hour would be $85, making the potential total approved time 25 hours at $85 per hour. The costs could total up to $2,1 Z5, with the County potentially being responsible far 54°/° of this cast ~ $1,052.50. The other parkicipantslgroups would also need to commit to the additional hours and paying the additional costs up to $1,44.54. r~EC01~lI~ENDATIC3N~S~: The Manager recommends that the Board authorize up to an additional 15 hours of mediation time through the Dispute Settlement Centerfar a fatal of up to ~5 hours of total mediation time, with the other participantslgroups being asked to commit to the additional 15 hours, for a total of 25 hours fatal mediation time, and the associated cast.