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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 20071207APPROVED 2/5/2008 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS' WORK SESSION December 7, 2007 11:30 a.m. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Work Session on Friday, December 7, 2007 at 11:30 a.m. at the Link Government Services Center in Hillsborough, N.C. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Barry Jacobs and Commissioners Moses Carey, Jr., Valerie P. Foushee, Alice Gordon, and Mike Nelson COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: Geoffrey Gledhill COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Laura Blackmon, Assistant County Manager Gwen Harvey, and Clerk to the Board Donna S. Baker (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below). Laura Blackmon reviewed the interview process with the perspective consulting firms with the Board of County Commissioners and she suggested asking both firms the same questions. Chair Jacobs suggested that each Commissioner ask two questions, since there are ten questions. Potential Interview Q's • What is the level of impact on the siting process, if any, if the future destination of the transferred waste is unknown? • How important is locating the transfer station near the center of waste generation? • What are criteria you've used in previous siting processes to address environmental justice considerations? Alternatively, are there siting techniques that can increase the assurance of an environmentally just process and candidate sites? • Explain how sites that result from the site screening (application of the siting criteria) can be effectively compared and the number of sites narrowed? • How critical is having public water and sewer available. If critical, what are the implications/consequences of not having it? • Who on your staff will be the project director/manager that will be personally responsible and accountable to the BOCC for the process and why? • If the preferred site(s) are located where public water and sewer are not available, how (measures/mechanisms) will the transfer station obtain water pressure necessary for effective wash down? Environmentally sound waste water treatment? • Have you previously been associated with a controversial siting process whereby the governing board has acted as the search committee? If so, summarize the pro's and con's of that process. • What process or mechanisms could be utilized to provide for public participation in determining the site search criteria? • What are the provisions in North Carolina law pertaining to the siting of a transfer station? Commissioner Carey asked about the two companies and if they had both done work for Orange County before. Laura Blackmon said that both are on retainer with Orange County already for other activities. Solid Waste Director Gayle Wilson said that Draper has been under contract since 1995 and Olver is more recent -two or three years. Chair Carey asked if there were any issues related to response time and Gayle Wilson said no. Laura Blackmon said that if either of these two firms were not acceptable, then the other option was for the County to issue another RFP for other companies. Olver, Incorporated Interview Ed Shuffler and Bob Sallach were representing this firm. Ed Shuffler said that one of the lessons he learned 30 years ago was that there must be an honest and very forthright public information program. They are committed to set up purely informational meetings to show the public all about a transfer station. He summarized the PowerPoint presentation as shown below: Overview: - Founded in 1973, established in the Carolinas in 1994 - Offices in Charlotte, Cary, Blacksburg, and Richmond - Full-Service, multi-disciplined staff including Solid Waste and Water and Wastewater - Experienced professionals providing municipal solid waste management services for more than 30 years General Understanding: The desire of the Orange County Board of Commissioners is to identify and select a transfer station site that is environmentally acceptable, feasible from an engineering and operation perspective, and is acceptable to the public. Siting Approach - The development by the BOCC, along with staff input, of the exclusionary, technical and community specific criteria for the selection of a site. - The approval by BOCC of the site selection criteria. - Site identification. Potential sites will be identified. - Broad site screening. Sites will be screened according to general criteria (regulatory, environmental, development or other situational factors), and a prioritized list of sites is compiled. - Focused site screening. Sites will be screened for site-specific criteria and then ranked. The highest ranked sites proceed to comparative site evaluation. - Comparative site evaluation. The highest ranked sites will be examined from environmental, operational, and policy perspectives. Sites meeting these criteria are ranked again, and the top three or four sites proceed to environmental review. - Publishing of the site selection process and selection criteria in local newspapers and making this information available to all local citizen groups in the vicinity of the final candidate sites. - Conduct candidate site public information meetings to identify major concerns of each effected neighborhood. - Documentation of comments and concerns raised at the public meetings along with alternative methods of addressing these issues. - Solicitation of comments from the Planning Commission. - Conduct a public hearing before the BOCC to consider the recommended transfer station site. - Approval of the selected transfer station site by the BOCC. - Development of detailed plans for transfer station facilities by the County's consultant and staff with input from the SWAB. - BOCC approval of the final site plan. Exclusionary Criteria: - Wetlands and floodplains - Endangered and protected flora and fauna habitats - Protected sites of historical, archeological, or cultural significance - Prime agricultural land - Parks and preserves - Proximity to airports - Reservoirs Screening Methodology: Technical Criteria: - Central location to collection routes - Access to major transportation routes - Site size requirements - Sufficient space for onsite roadways, queuing, and parking - Truck and traffic compatibility - Ability for expansion - Space for recycling, composting, and public education - Buffer space - Gently sloping topography - Access to utilities - Zoning designations and requirements Community-Specific Criteria: - Environmental justice considerations - Impact on air quality - Impact on the local infrastructure - Adjacent land uses - Proximity to schools, churches, recreation sites, and residences - Prevailing winds - Number of residences impacted - Presence of natural buffers - Impacts on existing businesses - Expansion capability - Buffer zones and screening measures - Traffic compatibility - Impact on historic or cultural features - Impact on neighborhood character Commissioner Nelson said that the County has not yet selected a destination and he asked how this would factor in. Ed Shuffler said that it would not be a problem. He said that generally it was better to site something closer to where the most trash is generated. Commissioner Foushee asked about the criteria used in previous processes for environmental justice concerns. Ed Shuffler said that they went through this process in Durham. He said that if this is something that is very important to Orange County, then it could be weighted higher. Commissioner Foushee asked question #3, which was, "Explain how sites that result from the site screening (application of the siting criteria) can be effectively compared and the number of sites narrowed?" Ed Shuffler said that the numerical rankings with the wider point spread work out better. Bob Sallach said that each of the criteria have a numeric weighting factor. Commissioner Jacobs said that Ed Shuffler and Bob Sallach would be the primary contacts. He asked how this would work about how frequently the County Commissioners would see them. He said that this is the first time that they have worked with the Board of County Commissioners as the siting committee. There will have to be a lot of face time to go through the criteria. It is also recommended that the entire siting committee attend the community meetings. Chair Carey asked how many of these sessions would be needed with the public. Ed Shuffler said that in the past they have done as few as one and as many as four introductory type meetings. He thinks that it would be something in between one and four for this project. There would have to be at least one meeting in each potential site area. Commissioner Gordon asked question #10, which was "What are the provisions in North Carolina law pertaining to the siting of a transfer station?" Ed Shuffler said that in North Carolina the regulations are very thin. There are no set criteria that are exclusionary with the exception of the wetlands, floodplains, etc. Commissioner Gordon asked question #5 and #7, which were, "How critical is having public water and sewer available? If critical, what are the implications/consequences of not having it? If the preferred site(s) are located where public water and sewer are not available, how (measures/mechanisms) will the transfer station obtain water pressure necessary for effective wash down? Environmentally sound waste water treatment? " Bob Sallach said that there would need to be some supply of water as a well and provision of a storage station for adequate water pressure for wash down. Depending on the fire codes, there may also be a requirement to have some capabilities for fire protection. Commissioner Gordon asked clarifying questions about water pressure for fire protection. Bob Sallach said that the fire protection becomes a function of insurance. The fire protection needs would have to be worked out with insurance carriers. He does not think that there is specific criteria for a transfer station, but it falls into a gray area in terms of building classifications. Commissioner Nelson verified that, regardless of whether the site is on water and sewer, there will be a grit and grease trap. He asked if there was a public perception or issue of not having these sites on water and sewer. Ed Shuffler said that the main thing is traffic, noise, odor, and vectors. Commissioner Nelson asked how Olver responds to this perception and Ed Shuffler said that the slides work pretty well with showing the public the process. Commissioner Gordon asked for a definition of environmental justice and Ed Shuffler said that he does not think that anyone has a good way to define this yet. Bob Sallach said that, in the siting process, they need to look carefully at what other functions are being performed in those areas and be conscious of the addition of an environmental issue. Commissioner Jacobs thanked Ed Shuffler and Bob Sallach. At this point, the Board took a break from 12:18pm to 12: 22pm Draper Aden Associates Interview: Solid Waste Director Gayle Wilson introduced Jeff Crate, Vice President, of Draper Aden Associates. Jeff Crate said that Orange County is already a client of Draper Aden and they want Orange County to succeed in the siting project. He reviewed part of the Interview Manual, as follows: Draper Aden Associates -What You Get Over 30 years of solid waste management experience - We practice a specialty in serving all aspects of the Solid Waste Management field - Over 60 individuals in our program, in the following disciplines: o Planning and Design o Environmental Services o Geotechnical and Construction Services Our experience includes: - Transfer Station Design and Permitting o North Carolina Experience - Work with Orange County's Solid Waste Management Program - Siting of Solid Waste Facilities applying siting criteria County-wide - Extensive work in the public arena, with BOCCs, CACs, local groups, media - Conducting due diligence on prospective Solid Waste Facilities, including existing facilities and greenfields As amulti-disciplined firm, we also provide: - 225-person firm - Comprehensive Environmental Services - Groundwater Monitoring, water quality assessments - Wetlands delineation, Stream assessments and mitigation - Site Planning and Engineering - Utilities, Geotechnical, Structural, and Traffic Engineering Objectivity: DraperAden Associates' Mission Statement: We exist to help our clients succeed. To do this, we will: - Understand our clients' business - Provide full range of quality services - Make best use of our clients' resources - Use appropriate technology - Be there when our clients need us - Have a great work environment He made reference to the Project Experience -Solid Waste Facility Siting information in their packet, and said that, out of the entire list, including convenience centers, Draper Aden has done 40 different siting projects. When it comes to landfill facilities, using the criteria that Orange County has discussed so far, they have sited about 8-9 of them. Lynn Klappich, Team Leader/Project Manager, said that she knows that this process will take time, challenge communications, and challenge timelines and it is a hard process. She said that the most challenging projects for her are the siting projects since they become emotional very quickly. She said that there must be communication from the beginning. She said that the process that Draper Aden uses does find sites, though. The more objective and transparent the process, the more likely that people will know why you are where you are in the end. She explained the process. At first, they management team would sit down with all of the stakeholders- elected officials, staff, advisory committees - to identify exclusionary siting criteria (or fatal flaw). She said that siting a landfill is different than a transfer station, and transportation networks are the biggest concern with a transfer station. She went over the bullets on Section IV, page 2: Typical Process: Through our previous facility siting efforts, we have developed several processes for identifying locations for solid waste management facilities. The first and most commonly used process has been to develop exclusionary siting criteria (fatal flaws), as well as technical and community- specific siting criteria (weighted relative to importance), and numerically rank available sites identified through parcel size, relative to these criteria. The process typically adheres to the following process: - Compile and review current County mapping and information, including but not limited to topographic, land use, parcels, wetlands, floodplains, and utilities, as well as waste generation data, previous studies, etc.; - Develop a draft target parcel size and siting methodology, along with draft fatal flaw criteria and selection (technical and community-specific) criteria with weighting; - Coordinate activities with the selection committee, particularly to finalize the siting methodology, establish fatal-flaw and selection criteria, review the ranking process, and oversee the consultant's efforts; - Apply exclusionary (fatal flaw) criteria to the County and eliminate the areas failing these criteria from further consideration; - Identify all parcels of the target size located within the remaining area of the County subsequent to the fatal flaw analysis. At this time, the parcels will be assigned a number that will remove ownership identification; - Rank the parcels based on the siting criteria, and develop a short list of sites for the facility, and review them with the selection committee; - Once approved by the selection committee, conduct a more thorough evaluation of the short-listed sites, including potential site drive-bys or walk-overs; work may include title evaluations, preliminary wetlands assessments, preliminary environmental site assessments, preliminary geotechnical investigations, and other site-specific evaluation activities; - Re-rank short-listed sites and list benefits or liabilities of each, including potential costs of development, and obtain concurrence with the selection committee; - Participate in public meetings to present information and to field questions; - Re-evaluate site rankings (if needed) based upon any new information disclosed during public presentations; - Submit a final ranking of sites with a recommendation for project implementation to the BOCC. Jeff Crate said that the overall process that is used will be decided by the management team and the Board of County Commissioners together. Another option is a selective screening process, where there are multiple tiers of screening. Commissioner Nelson said that it is not yet known where the waste will be going and he asked how important a factor this is in siting. Jeff Crate said that, from an environmental standpoint, you want to minimize carbon footprint. It all leads to getting the waste as quickly as possible from the waste center to a major traffic corridor. Commissioner Foushee asked about the criteria used to address environmental justice concerns or considerations. Jeff Crate said that they would work with the Board of County Commissioners and they may have recommendations, but it is what the Board wants that gets factored in. He said that the important thing is to always remain objective with ample opportunities for effective public input. Commissioner Jacobs asked how important it was to locate a transfer station near the center of waste generation. Jeff Crate said that Chapel Hill is the major population center. From a carbon footprint standpoint, if the transfer station were located far west of the County, the street collection vehicles would have to be modified since it would take longer to get to the transfer station. He thinks that this issue should weigh in heavily. Lynn Klappich said that the further you are from your waste, the less control you have over how the waste gets there. She is in favor of placing the facility closer to the waste generation, but it may not be important to the Board because of other factors. Chair Carey made reference to the use of numerical criteria for screening/siting versus general criteria for screening/siting and asked about the public's perspective on the general criteria. Lynn Klappich said that she has done it both ways and numerical causes more questions. She said that this process is only as good as the group is clear. Commissioner Gordon asked the question, "How critical is having public water and sewer available. If critical, what are the implications/consequences of not having it? and, If the preferred site(s) are located where public water and sewer are not available, how (measures/mechanisms) will the transfer station obtain water pressure necessary for effective wash down? Environmentally sound waste water treatment?" Lynn Klappich said that public water and sewer is nice, but it is not absolutely critical. Sewer is more troublesome than water because it must be treated, and a septic system is not the appropriate treatment facility. It really should go to a larger wastewater treatment facility. Sewer is the preferred utility. Commissioner Gordon asked how many gallons per minute would be needed from a well. Lynn Klappich said 20-25 gallons/minute. Commissioner Gordon asked about fire protection and Lynn Klappich said that, to date, all of the transfer stations Draper Aden has done, because of the codes of the counties, have not required fire protection because the waste is not there. If the code requires fire suppression, it would have to be 500 gallons/minute. This creates a huge situation, but her background has not required fire suppression. Commissioner Gordon asked about the definition of environmental justice and Jeff Crate said that there is an executive order and it is in Draper Aden's policy. He said that all things need to be equally evaluated and they want to promote the feedback of all citizens that may be affected. BOCC Debrief and Discussion/Lunch Commissioner Jacobs asked that the Board discuss strengths and weaknesses of both firms. Commissioner Gordon said that the strength of the Olver firm was that they were clear, and the Draper firm was not as clear. She appreciated the Draper firm doing research on Orange County. She said that Draper had good criteria, but Olver has a better understanding of the water issues. She thinks that the County could work with either firm. Commissioner Foushee agreed with Commissioner Gordon and said that the firms prepared differently, and the presentation by Olver was much more clear. She thought that Draper was not prepared to answer the follow up questions like Olver was. Commissioner Nelson said that either one of the firms would do a fine job. He said that he thought that the Draper firm explained terms better such as the "fatal flaw" wording. Regarding Olver, he has had a chance to work with Bob Sallach, and he really likes him. In terms of how the general public would respond, he liked Lynn Klappich and her presentation, but he could go with either firm. Chair Carey said that he liked both firms and he agreed with Commissioner Nelson in terms of public reaction and that Draper seemed more sensitive to the public reaction. He said that he liked what Lynn Klappich said about being sensitive to the landowners. He could work with either firm. Commissioner Jacobs said that the more he listened to Draper, the less he liked them. He said that the way they answered questions was exactly the reverse of how he thinks questions should be answered. He said that there was also not a lot of anticipation of what issues the Board might raise such as the water and sewer issues. He did not understand the panels from Draper. He liked Draper personally, but they could not get to the point and they talked too long. He has a preference for the first group and he felt that Draper did not understand that the Board of County Commissioners was the site selection committee. Chair Carey said that he likes working with groups that have offices in N.C., like Olver. Commissioner Gordon said that she would like to read the information from each group and their references. Commissioner Nelson suggested that the County Commissioners could Google reference information. He would like to vote on this on Tuesday, December 11tH The Board agreed to decide on December 11tH Commissioner Gordon said that the Board has not come to a unanimous impression. Commissioner Nelson said that three out of five liked Olver, and he would vote for Olver with the rest of the Board. Chair Carey said that he liked Olver also, and he would vote in favor of it. Commissioner Nelson said that he went to the SWAB meeting last night and citizens were there, and one issue raised was that the Board of County Commissioners is the site selection committee. He said that if the general public makes an issue of this, then he would suggest setting up a press meeting and inviting reporters to talk about why this is a crisis situation and why the decision must be made so quickly. He thinks that this will make the conversation easier later on. Commissioner Gordon agreed with Commissioner Nelson and said that the County needs to explain what a transfer station is to the public. She would like to emphasize that the speed of this process is very important. Commissioner Jacobs made reference to page 5 of the memo from Gayle Wilson, where he suggested a work session. He said that the Board could say in public what is going to be done at a work session. He thinks that there should be a meeting to make the point and then talk about the schedule. The Board asked that the Clerk look at the possibility of televising the work session. Laura Blackmon said that once the firm is chosen, the firm could do a lot of the preliminary work for discussions. The meeting was adjourned at 1:25 p.m. Barry Jacobs, Chair Donna S. Baker, CMC Clerk to the Board APPROVED 2/5/2008 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS' RETREAT December 7, 2007 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Board retreat on Friday, December 7, 2007 at 1:00 p.m. at the Link Government Services Center in Hillsborough, N.C. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Barry Jacobs and Commissioners Moses Carey, Jr., Valerie P. Foushee, Alice M. Gordon, and Mike Nelson COUNTY ATTORNEY PRESENT: Geoffrey Gledhill and Brian Ferrell COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Laura Blackmon, Assistant County Managers Willie Best and Gwen Harvey, and Clerk to the Board Donna S. Baker (all other staff members will be identified appropriately below) FACILITATOR: Phillip Boyle STAFF IN ATTENDANCE: Purchasing and Central Services Director Pam Jones, Budget Director Donna Coffey, and Assistant to the Manager Greg Wilder NOTE: ALL DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THESE MINUTES ARE IN THE PERMANENT AGENDA FILE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE. Purpose Facilitator Phillip Boyle said that at the September 28th mini-retreat, the Board reviewed a public values framework for navigating policy choices and applied this framework to the Orange County Northern Human Services Center. The Board also discussed and defined the "good life" in Orange County, discussed what members value about Orange County and what value county government should add to Orange County, and identified some of the forces that help sustain or restrain this good life. The purpose of this mini-retreat is to follow-up on the Board's September 28th discussion to develop a greater shared vision, mission, and understanding of county government. Commissioner Gordon asked about the difference between the Board of County Commissioners' retreat and the meeting with the staff. Laura Blackmon said that with staff, they want to know the services Orange County is going to provide and the things that the County is doing that it should not be doing. She wants to tighten up and focus on the issues that need to be focused on and not on the peripheral things. Commissioner Gordon verified that this retreat was foundational for the County Commissioners' retreat. Laura Blackmon said that this meeting was more strategic in nature to develop the direction for the future. Also, there will be two more County Commissioners next year and there needs to be a framework. Phillip Boyle said that the issue is to get beyond the obvious and define some fundamental, core issues. Discussion Outline What does Orange County government do? The following is a list of services that the County provides, as indicated by the County Commissioners: • Buys and preserves land • Collects garbage • Controls erosion • Creates processes • Enforces laws • Establishes policies • Funds affordable housing • Funds school facilities • Helps incubate and grow ideas • Helps people navigate government • Inspects restaurants • Inspects nursing homes • Intervenes in cases of family risk • Investigates cases of discrimination • Levies and collects taxes • Maintains meeting and public records • Maintains vital statistics • Mediates community disputes • Nurtures small business • Plans land use • Promotes buy local and local economy • Protect watersheds • Protects animals/ensures animal safety • Protects natural and historical resources • Provides fire protection in unincorporated areas of the county • Provides services • Provides adult day care • Provides and protects community health • Provides court and correctional facilities • Provides general and human service transportation • Provides libraries • Provides parks and recreation • Provides primary health and dental care • Records land ownership and transactions • Recycles • Regulates waste water • Serve as emergency first responder • Serves as guardian ad litem • Sets expectations/standards for human conduct • Stores and disposes of solid waste • Subsidizes child care • Tests wells Phillip Boyle asked if this was a pretty substantive list, and Commissioner Gordon said that there might be some social services items missing. Phillip Boyle said that at least the ideas are there and the list can be amended. What does Orange County government believe in and stand for- what beliefs and principles support its decisions regarding how to invest and spend its resources? • Allocating resources fairly and equitably • Educating people • Fostering innovation • High-quality, efficient, and fiscally responsible services • Protecting human and non-human health and welfare • Protecting the environment • Protecting the least among us • Providing opportunities • Public participation and transparency in government • Tolerance for differences and disagreement in anon-judgmental way How should Orange County government behave -what values should guide the actions of county government? • Efficiency • Equity • Fairness • Individual freedom • Innovation • Opportunity • Preservation • Responsive • Sense of place • Transparency • Responsible • Stewardship • Community • Tolerance • Protection • Diversity Chair Jacobs made reference to freedom and said that the County tries to provide a framework in which people can elevate themselves, in which they can express their ideas, in which they can live their differences, etc. After further discussion, the Board decided to put "individual freedom" as one of the core values. Laura Blackmon said that she sees that sometimes the Board wants to make certain people happy, so it tries to be everything to everyone. Chair Jacobs said that compassion is important to the Board. Phillip Boyle asked Commissioner Foushee why she chose "diversity" and Commissioner Foushee said that this jumps out because the County Commissioners have talked about tolerance, affordable housing, childcare subsidies, and adult day care. Phillip Boyle said that this is a working list for Orange County and it can become guiding values for the County elected officials and staff in how the County carries out its functions. At this point, the Board took a short break. 2:56 p.m. to 3:08 p. m. Why does Orange County government exist - what is its purpose, its mission, its reason for being? Phillip Boyle asked each County Commissioner to craft a statement of 25 words or less that captures Orange County's purpose, its mission, and its reason for being. Individual Statements from Four County Commissioners. • To provide the services and policies necessary to protect and promote the health, welfare, and safety of Orange County residents. • To promote justice and tolerance, protect people, places, and things and to provide basic services efficiently. • To ensure that all of its citizens have fair and equitable opportunities for safe communities, education and public health services. • To protect and enhance the well-being of our people and our environment, and to effectively provide facilities and services to carry out that purpose fairly. Commissioner Carey said that mission statements need to capture what is done, but also what might need to be done as public servants. Phillip Boyle said that after this statement, the Board will craft a vision statement. The mission statement is the tangible portion and the vision statement is the legacy statement. Since he had not provided an individual statement, Chair Jacobs suggested a statement, as follows, which summarizes the individual statements of the other four Commissioners: "To protect and enhance opportunity, justice and tolerance, and the health, safety, and welfare of our people and environment." Phillip Boyle said that this mission statement should capture clearly, tangibly, and compellingly what Orange County government is. Commissioner Nelson said that it does not cover animals, but he does like it. Commissioner Gordon suggested, since there was space for six more words, to add at the end, "in a fair and effective manner." Other suggestions included, "in a fair and transparent/effective manner" and "fairly, transparently, and effectively." Discussion ensued about how to include animals in the statement. Purchasing and Central Services Director Pam Jones suggested saying, "other living things." The Board agreed with this, but would also like to include historic buildings. Phillip Boyle said that this mission statement says why Orange County government exists and is grounded in what Orange County government does. Draft Board Statement: • To protect and enhance opportunity, justice and tolerance, and the health, safety, and welfare of our people, environment, and other living things fairly, effectively, and transparently. What is the Board's vision for Orange County government, what should it aspire to, what legacy do you wish to leave as a board for those who will follow you? Phillip Boyle asked each County Commissioner to draft a statement to this effect. The County Commissioners made the following individual statements and Phillip Boyle read them. Individual Statements from the Five County Commissioners: • A county with a diverse physical and natural environment and a culturally and economically diverse population, which values freedom of expression of opinions and preferences in public and private settings. • A county that provides for the preservation and sustainability of economic, natural, and cultural resources that ensure the effective and efficient delivery of services to promote and enhance the quality of life for all residents. • A county with enhanced opportunity, justice and tolerance for all people, where people and other living things are healthy and safe, where the natural environment is protected, and government is effective, transparent and fair. • A county that operates efficiently and transparently, provides services such as libraries in an equitable manner, and has a dynamic economy benefiting a diverse population. • A county that is a flexible, inclusive, and just vehicle for promoting opportunity, organizing development and services, and protecting residents and the environment. Phillip Boyle said that this conversation was to provide a context and framework for thinking about what the strategic navigation process looks like. The participants would be senior staff and the Board. He said that one day is sufficient to come out of that with a working and living document. Every participant would be solicited for issues, challenges, needs, priorities, and actions that are critical for the County to address. All of the input would come to him and he would collate, edit out specific solutions, and focus on the issues. There would be no identification or particular order of the listing. Small groups would then meet to identify key themes and the whole package would be put into about five strategic goal statements. Phillip Boyle said that the items could be fiscal or operational, small or large, and this would be a framework. The document should have a shelf life. Commissioner Gordon asked about the staff that would be involved. Laura Blackmon said that it would be more than her small management team of ten members. Phillip Boyle said that more staff is less of a problem than having fewer staff. Chair Jacobs suggested including all department heads and directors. Commissioner Gordon asked what would be done with the living document and Phillip Boyle said that the County Commissioners would get a copy and then the staff would take it and see where the operational/fiscal obligations are. With this data, the priorities can be discussed. There will not be any commitments at the retreat for the document. The Board would not be bound by the document until there is a decision to adopt it. Reflection and Next Steps 1. What observations, reflections, or conclusions do you have regarding this conversation? Chair Jacobs pointed out that no one mentioned property as something to protect. He said that this was very unusual. He also noted that four of the five County Commissioners have agreed that January 26th will be the retreat. Commissioner Foushee said that today was a good opportunity as a Board to talk about Orange County and the legacy they want to leave, and it is also good to have a conversation about structure. She said that she believes that the lack of structure has inhibited the County from moving forward by being tied to doing things the same old way. She said that the discussion today sets up a framework for moving forward. Next Steps • Conduct afull-day joint board-staff retreat on Saturday, January 26, 2008 to develop a set of county-wide strategic goals that can guide the actions and decisions of board and staff. A motion was made by Commissioner Foushee, seconded by Commissioner Carey to adjourn this meeting at 4:37 p.m. until Tuesday, December 11, 2007 at 6:45 p.m. in the BOCC office at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. Barry Jacobs Chair Donna S. Baker, CMC Clerk to the Board