Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 20041019APPROVED 11/16/2004 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WITH THE BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES WORK SESSION OCTOBER 19, 2004 5:30 p.m. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Work Session with the Board of Social Services on Tuesday, October 19, 2004 at 5:30 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Barry Jacobs and Commissioners Moses Carey, Jr. (arrived at 6:06 p.m.), Alice M. Gordon and Stephen Halkiotis COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Margaret Brown COUNTY ATTORNEY PRESENT: S. Sean Borhanian arrived at 6:00 p.m. COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr., Manager and Acting Deputy Clerk to the Board Evelyn Cecil (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES MEMBERS PRESENT: Vice Chair Mary Bowe and members Harold Russell and Joe Robbins BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES MEMBERS ABSENT: DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES STAFF PRESENT: Director Nancy Coston and staff members Gwen Price, Joyce Lee, and Lindsey Shewmaker NOTE: ALL DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THESE MINUTES ARE IN THE PERMANENT AGENDA FILE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE. 1. Welcome and Introductions- Chair Barry Jacobs Commissioner Jacobs called the meeting to order at 5:45 p.m. and thanked everyone for attending. He said that Commissioner Carey would be late. He introduced Mary Bowe, Vice Chair of the Social Services Board. Mary Bowe said the Board of Social Services appreciates the opportunity to be here and apologized for Chair Wash not attending. She said that DSS is particularly affected by the economy and many of their funds are being cut. Medicaid has experienced a large increase in use since last year. There has also been an increase in the number of people needing food stamps and subsidized child care. The DSS Board feels extremely positive about the direction that Orange County DSS is moving. She thanked the staff and the Board of County Commissioners for the positions approved in the budget. 2. Department of Social Services Agency Overview Social Services Director Nancy Coston summarized what DSS is about and pointed out different activities that the pamphlet highlights -food stamps, emergency assistance, Work First, JobLink, Medicaid, Health Choice, Day care subsidy, Child Protective Services, adoption/foster care, adult services, and other services. She said that they are trying to get this information out to the public to make sure that people know which agency to come to for services. She pointed out the pie chart in the folder and explained the share comparisons. The total budget is $95.6 million. The federal share is $61.5 million, the State share is $25.9 million, and the County share is $8.1 million. She then explained the last page, which is the 12-month Departmental Summary. She also went over the organizational structure of DSS. John Link asked about the Professional Social Workers and the ratio of Master's and Bachelor's Social Workers. Nancy Coston said that it is probably close to 50/50. John Link said that DSS has historically treated Professional Social Workers as exempt employees that are not eligible for overtime. He said that this should be discussed in the future. He has mixed feelings about it. 3. Multiple Response System for Child Protective Services Nancy Coston made a presentation on Child Welfare Reform, as follows. Multiple Response Systems: Reforms in the Child Welfare Continuum Underlying Beliefs of the Multiple Response System - Safety of the child is the first concern - Children have a right to their family - Parents should be supported in their efforts to care for their children - Families are diverse and have the right to be respected for their special cultural, racial, ethnic, and religious traditions - A crisis is an opportunity for change and growth - Family members are our colleagues and partners Seven Strategies of MRS - Strengths-based, structured intake - Two approaches to reports of abuse, neglect, and dependency - Coordination between law enforcement agencies and CPS - Redesign in-home family services - Child and family team meetings - Shared parenting meetings - Collaboration between Work First and Child Welfare Programs Strengths-Based Structured Intake Process A Structured Intake Report Form: - Provides a clear, consistent, and organized method of gathering information regarding allegations of child abuse, neglect and dependency throughout the entire state of NC - All referrals screened for substance abuse and domestic violence - Information obtained has to meet present statutory definitions of abuse, neglect and dependency and will be screened accordingly for MRS Two approaches to reports of abuse, neglect, and dependency - Investigative Forensic Assessment Response (Traditional CPS Response) - Family Assessment Response Approach 1: Investigative Forensic Treatment Response - Interviews with the child are usually done without the parents' knowledge and permission - Collateral contacts are often made without the parents' knowledge and/or permission - The report is either substantiated or unsubstantiated - In substantiated cases, the perpetrator is identified and entered into a centralized database Which type of reports: - Reports of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, or delinquent acts on the part of the child involving moral turpitude - Cases where a child has been taken into custody by a physician or law enforcement - Child is hospitalized due to a suspicion of abuse or neglect - Child is abandoned - Child found to be endangered, and a juvenile petition is filed - Families who refuse to cooperate in the family assessment approach - Incident reported occurred in a daycare, group home, or foster care setting Approach 2: The Family Assessment Approach - Parents are contacted and interviewed first or at the same time as children - Collateral contacts interviewed with the knowledge and permission of the parents and preferably in their presence - Reports are classified as "in need of services" (non-voluntary), "services recommended" (voluntary), or "not in need of services" (case closed) - A perpetrator is not entered into a centralized database Which type of reports: - Neglect reports o Inadequate supervision o Educational neglect o Domestic violence without imminent child harm o Inappropriate discipline o Substance abuse o Unmet basic needs - Dependency reports o No parent/guardian o Parent/guardian unable to provide for child's care or supervision due to physical or mental incapacity 2 Approaches to Reports of Abuse, Neglect, and Dependency Both Approaches: - Address child safety, well being, and permanence - Identify families' strengths and needs - Provide services and resources matched to the families' needs Coordination Between Law Enforcement Agencies and CPS - All abuse reports requiring the investigative forensic approach - Joint effort to interview family members and children - DSS to report evidence of abuse to the appropriate law enforcement agency and to the District Attorney within specified time frames - DSS determines if maltreatment has occurred and protects the child - Law enforcement determines if a criminal act has occurred - Benefits of Coordination o Perpetrators are held accountable for harming children o Number of interviews with children is reduced thus preventing/reducing trauma o The evidence gathering process for criminal prosecution is enhanced Focus on In-Home Family Services - The family and DSS work together to identify the family's strengths and needs - Families are matched with services at an appropriate level and intensity based on their unique strengths and needs - Families with the greatest needs are provided the most intensive services and contacts - Services are delivered within the context of the family's own community and culture - Supportive/voluntary services are available for families where there is a low risk of harm to the child - Families are engaged in the planning process, thus producing better outcomes of safety, well being, and permanence for the child Child and Family Team Meetings - Meetings will maximize and engage family input and decision making with support from DSS and other community resources - The meeting is with the family, not about the family - Family and social worker jointly decide who will be invited to the meeting - The team will be involved with the family throughout the life of the case, even when it is necessary to remove the child due to safety issues - Discuss the family's strengths and needs and how these affect the child's safety, well-being, and permanence - Address what needs to occur to help the family safely parent the children - Seek improvement in decision making process - Encourage the support, and buy-in of the family, extended family, and the community in the planning and assessment process - Develop specific, individualized and appropriate interventions for children and families - Recognize the birth family as an expert Shared Parent Meetings - For families who have had their children placed in foster care - Meetings are a time for the social worker, birth parents, and foster parents to meet and discuss the care of the child when an out-of-home placement is necessary. (Meetings occur within one week of the child's placement) - Share information that may positively influence the child's transition to foster care and timely achievement of a safe and permanent home - Provide parents with an opportunity to have valuable input into the care of their child - Provide the foster parents with the opportunity to share information about themselves and what they observe and have learned about the child - Make plans regarding visitation, medical appointments, and transportation - Keeps the birth family actively involved in their roles as parents of their child - Cultivates a nurturing relationship between the birthparents and the foster parents - Foster parents can become mentors for the birth family regarding appropriate parenting Collaboration Between Work First and Child Welfare Programs - Work First is a program that provides families with financial aid and employment services to help them become self sufficient - Related services and benefits include childcare, employment counseling, and transportation - Work First and Child Welfare staff share information, case planning, and resources with one another regarding families that they share - Work First services can help child welfare workers provide follow up services with families once safety issues have been resolved - By sharing information, the number of times that families have to repeat the same information is reduced - By involving Work First in a preventative effort, the number of children needing CPS and placement services will be reduced and some recidivism will be prevented Current Status Update: - Structured intake began in July, 2003 - Began using forensic and family assessment approaches effective July 2004 - Protocols with law enforcement agencies are being revised to reflect MRS - In-home services not significantly different from current Orange County practice - Child and Family Team Meetings to be implemented during FY 04-05 beginning with the team meeting that occurs when a child enters custody - Shared parenting is being phased in - Agency planning committee is developing strategies for Work First/Child Welfare collaboration - Number of reports accepted since dual approach began: 239 0 105 forensic 0 134 family assessment 4. Public Assistance Workload Gwen Price went over the Work First Caseload Data. The caseload is on a slight increase because of some of the economic conditions. Work First Profile: - Average age of adults - 30 years with two children - 95% are women - 50% high school diploma - Average payment $220 - 47% of participants live in northern Orange (Hillsborough, Efland, Cedar Grove) - 53% of participants live in southern Orange (Chapel Hill, Carrboro) Length of Time on Work First: - 0-6 months - 50% - 7-12 months - 16% - 13-24 months - 14% - 25-36 months - 4% - 37-48 months - 4% - 49-60 months - 3% - over 60 months - 9% DSS Staff member Gwen Price said that 14 families have reached lifetime status, which is 60 months. John Link asked what happens to the children after the five years. Gwen Price said that they have not tracked the families. DSS is required to coordinate with other agencies. Most of the families have issues of disability, so they receive social security. Barry Jacobs asked about fixing the child up with childcare. Gwen Price said that the Work First staff person has priority for childcare. John Link asked how many were on the DSS waiting list for childcare. Nancy Coston said that there are 200-300 families waiting for day care. Gwen Price made reference to the next two pages of the handout and the Medicaid and food stamps increase. She said that these services have continued to increase over the past six months. This has impacted the quality of service. Commissioner Carey asked about the increase and what percentage was Latino children. Gwen Price will research this and provide this information at a later date. Commissioner Carey asked how many cases they process to get one enrolled. Gwen Price said that with Medicaid, there are 560 applicants and they enroll about 280 per month. She said that the Medicaid number on the handout does not include Work First. Gwen Price said that the Orange County Skills Development Job Link Center has been accredited by the State as a Level 3 Job Link facility, which is the highest chartering criteria. 5. Medicaid Spending Nancy Coston spoke next about Medicaid spending. She made reference to the pie chart, "Selected Orange County Medicaid Providers Earnings". The County receives about $177 million for Medicaid - $111 million of which is hospital care. The County pays out about $64 million, most of which is spent on hospitalization and mental health. She said that they try very hard to help people get aid when they need it if they are eligible. They do not try and turn people away. 6. Annual Report Nancy Coston went over the handout entitled, "Orange County Department of Social Services Accomplishments 2003-2004." - Managed large increase in workload with limited new staff resources. Utilizing two new time-limited income maintenance positions to help with high volume in Medicaid and food stamps. - Implemented new policies in emergency assistance programs which now offer financial counseling to families and require counseling for families who make second requests for assistance during a year. Contracts with HR Consulting and Women's Center effective in changing the program. - Maximized revenue from all available resources to help defray agency expenses. - Surpassed County goals for completed adoptions and received incentive payments from the State for this work. - Adolescent Parenting Program successful in helping teen parents to delay second pregnancies and to finish school. Contracts in place with both school systems. - Work First Faith Teams continue to support our families. University Methodist Church recognized for its commitment. - New Fatherhood Program addressing needs of non-custodial fathers to find and keep employment, to pay child support, and to maintain meaningful relationships with their children. - Skills Development Center is now chartered at Level III, the highest level. - Child Welfare Services received a very positive review from the State during its recent Child and Family biennial review. - Complete implementation of Multiple Response System elements. - Increased efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect - Continue to study ways to address day care needs through Day Care Task Force. - Find ways to reduce need for foster care. - Improve options for disabled and elderly adults living in community. Utilize additional CAP/DA slots and Special Assistance In-home Program. - Continue to solicit feedback sessions with staff to identify issues related to staff turnover. - Increase services to persons with limited English proficiency. Currently have eight bilingual staff. - Improve outreach and community understanding of DSS through additional brochures, annual reports, participation in local events, media coverage, and presentations at other agencies. Commissioner Carey asked about the number of children in foster care and it was answered 161. Three years ago it was 110 children. Commissioner Halkiotis made reference to the organizational charts and the eleven vacancies. He asked how this has impacted the service delivery system. Nancy Coston said that there is a lot of focus in trying to fill the positions. She said that it has been a terrible hardship and the workload is overwhelming. Commissioner Gordon asked for more information on the Adolescent Parenting Program. Gwen Price said that there is a coordinator that is trying to keep the children in school. They are coordinating with the schools with issues of absenteeism and school work. Chair Jacobs asked where they stood on emergency assistance and fuel assistance. Nancy Coston said that they have not been successful in negotiating a lower rate with the utility companies. Chair Jacobs asked if the Board of County Commissioners could talk to the legislators about this. Nancy Coston will provide some information. Commissioner Halkiotis suggested inviting representatives from Duke Power, Piedmont Electric, and others to talk about possible assistance to the citizens of Orange County. Chair Jacobs asked about the Daycare Task Force and if they would look at giving incentives to employers or recruiting employers. Nancy Coston said that the first step of the task force was to ask the staff to compile data on where everybody works now that is getting daycare or waiting for daycare. Nancy Coston showed three clips that are being shown on local television stations. These clips were developed using grants. With no further items to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 7:00 p.m. Barry Jacobs, Chair Donna S. Baker Clerk to the Board APPROVED 11/16/2004 MINUTES BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING OCTOBER 19, 2004 7:30 p.m. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for regular session on Tuesday, October 19, 2004 at 7:30 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Barry Jacobs and Commissioners Margaret Brown, Moses Carey, Jr., Alice M. Gordon, Stephen Halkiotis COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: COUNTY ATTORNEY PRESENT: Geoffrey Gledhill, Sean Borhanian COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr., Assistant County Managers Rod Visser and Clerk to the Board Donna S. Baker (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) NOTE: ALL DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THESE MINUTES ARE IN THE PERMANENT AGENDA FILE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND RECORDINGS WILL BE KEPT FOR FIVE YEARS. 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda Item 6-a, the pink sheet, is a resolution honoring Chris Moran from the Inter-Faith Council, which will be presented to him at the Thursday, October 28th annual meeting of the I FC. PUBLIC CHARGE The Chair dispensed with the reading of the public charge. 2. Public Comments a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda None b. Matters on the Printed Agenda (These matters were considered when the Board addressed that item on the agenda below.) 3. Board Comments Commissioner Carey said that he represented the Board of County Commissioners at the awards ceremony at the Chamber of Commerce. Orange County had two employees to win community service awards and he asked that they be recognized at a future Board of County Commissioners' meeting. Rod Visser said that the Chamber of Commerce has had community service awards each year and public service agencies in the County are asked to nominate people. Assistant Fire Marshall Jerry Wagner was nominated and received the award for the Outstanding Emergency Management Employee of the Year. He noted that Mr. Wagner is serving in Iraq and he was back for two weeks and received this award. The Sheriff's Department also had a nominee, Chris Wagner, who also received a Public Service Officer of the Year award. The staff will make sure that these people receive recognition at a County Commissioners' meeting. Commissioner Carey reported that he and Commissioner Halkiotis met with Durham Tech representatives and they are making progress. The Board will be receiving an update soon on activities that have occurred to date and the next steps. Commissioner Gordon said that the Transportation Advisory Committee of the Durham- Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization is discussing funding strategies. She thinks the Board should have a session or an expression of opinion on what strategies the Board of County Commissioners would like to support. Commissioner Gordon mentioned that citizens can vote early and that they do not have to wait until November 2nd. There are three sites -Orange County Board of Elections in Hillsborough, Carrboro Town Hall, and in Chapel Hill at the Morehead Planetarium. The hours when all three sites are open are from 9-5 Monday through Saturday. Commissioner Halkiotis said that he would like for the Board to meet with DOT again. He said that on his way to this meeting, he came into a dangerous situation trying to cross I-85 on NC 86. He said that there are not enough lanes to handle the traffic that is on this roadway, especially with the upcoming development of retail. He would like to request that the Board ask the Manager to put a letter together to DOT to do a traffic analysis on this area of I- 85 and NC 86. Commissioner Halkiotis said that Health Director Rosemary Summers is here tonight for an update on flu vaccines. He thinks government has failed its citizens and government needs to get back in the business of manufacturing flu vaccines. Commissioner Halkiotis said that he voted the other day, and in Hillsborough the ladies explained the procedures on how to vote, and it was a complicated process. He asked that the Board of Elections send the Board information about how each polling place will explain to people how to vote. He found it very confusing. He said that the Sheriff's Department has promised to help with traffic control at some of the polling areas because of limited parking. Commissioner Brown said that Director of Orange-Person-Chatham Mental Health Tom Maynard resigned last week. The Transition Committee met this past week to discuss issues such as the interim director after Tom Maynard leaves at the first of December. The committee will meet again in another week. Commissioner Brown said that the daycare subcommittee from the Social Services Board has met one time. This subcommittee was set up to specifically address the issues of the money the Board of County Commissioners set aside for potential daycare issues. There will be an in-depth study that will come back to the County Commissioners in January. Commissioner Carey asked if there would be a report on how money should be spent in terms of priorities. Commissioner Brown said that she thinks they would look at the entire issue of eligibility and who was being funded. The Social Services Board would make some recommendations. Chair Jacobs asked John Link where they are with updating the noise ordinance. He knows it was on the Planning Board's agenda. He would like to know what progress they are making. Chair Jacobs said that the opening of the Little River Regional Park is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, December Stn Chair Jacobs said that he represented the Board of County Commissioners at an event hosted by Duke Forest, at which they announced formally that they had dedicated 1,200 acres to be put into the North Carolina Heritage Program. Of the twelve sites, nine were in Orange County. He said that he had asked Dave Stancil to print the draft memorandum of understanding that the Board has been trying to negotiate with Duke, and he happened to see the person there that has been the holdup. He saw this person in the parking lot at the event and handed the MOU to him. Hopefully this can move forward. Chair Jacobs said that he represented the Board of County Commissioners at the 25tH anniversary of Carol Woods, which has 460 residents. He also talked with one of the Administrators from UNC and mentioned what Duke had just done (preserving areage), and the person was actually embarrassed that Duke had been willing to do this and UNC had done nothing and has even resisted protecting permanently any of its acreage. Chair Jacobs said that at the Duke event, Becky Heron, the County Commissioner from Durham, pleaded with Duke to let them know when properties are for sale in Durham County so that they may acquire them. Chair Jacobs said that he represented the Board of County Commissioners at the North Carolina Conference on Aging and Orange County won an award for its Master Aging Plan. This is considered a model in North Carolina and beyond and it is a testament to the seniors and staff. He recognized Department on Aging Director Jerry Passmore and gave him the award. Chair Jacobs said that he represented the Board of County Commissioners at the celebration of the 35th anniversary of EFNEP (Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program). He said that he pointed out to the group that the Orange County Commissioners have maintained a social safety net and were able to put money toward maintaining three positions in the EFNEP program because of the social safety net. Commissioner Carey asked about a time for the Little River Park dedication on the Stn and Chair Jacobs said that it has not been set, but it will be post-church time. 4. County Manager's Report John Link asked Health Director Rosemary Summers to come forward to give an update about the flu vaccine. He has heard conflicting reports. Rosemary Summers said that it is confusing because they get conflicting messages. It is a very unstable situation at this time. She said that the Health Department has received this week, 1,700 dosages that have been previously committed for high-risk groups. Most of these are previously scheduled appointments. They now have enough to honor the high-risk patients. In a normal year, the Health Department alone will provide between 4,000-5,000 flu shots. The normal high-risk population is about 55%. Nationally, the country only received about 50% of the expected doses. Not all of this has been distributed. She said that Chapel Hill Pediatrics received all of their privately purchased vaccine in a single shipment, and has opened their doors to provide high-risk vaccinations to all populations in Orange County. The last two Saturdays, they have had walk-in clinics. The Health Department sent four nurses to help with the vaccinations. Other providers have not received the full amount of dosage. The Health Department is in conference calls with the State on a daily basis to get updates on the national situation. The next level of distribution at the national level is going to be to long-term care providers, hospitals, and all of the pediatric and other groups that ordered federal vaccine. Beyond that, they will look at redistributing any remaining Aventis doses to cover some of the practices and populations that only ordered from Chiron. The Health Department is also in the process of setting up a walk-in clinic for October 30th and possibly adrive-through option. There are no additional sources of vaccine, but they are redistributing it in several ways across the country. There are no confirmed flu cases yet in North Carolina. They are still emphasizing prevention measures. Commissioner Gordon asked for clarification on whether long-term health care facilities rely on the Health Department for their supply, and therefore have not given flu shots to their residents. Rosemary Summers said that long-term care facilities usually have a medical contract with a private provider. They either order their own vaccine or order it through the private provider. The Health Department vaccinates rest homes rather than nursing homes. The rest homes are on the list and the Health Department is proceeding with these vaccinations. Commissioner Gordon said that a private practice could have been unfortunate in their choice of supplier and she asked if there was any long-term care facility that does not have enough vaccines. Rosemary Summers said that they have gotten calls from two facilities and they are trying to determine what kind of distribution the facilities will get in the next round, which should be in the next week. Commissioner Gordon said that this does show a problem with the distribution system. She is surprised at how ad hoc the process has been. Rosemary Summers said that it is a national problem and will only be solved by a national policy on vaccine manufacturing and distribution. A local department cannot have much affect on it, other than to raise the issue. Commissioner Gordon suggested coming up with a resolution to initiate this and send it on to the State and to the national governments. Rosemary Summers and Commissioner Halkiotis volunteered to work on this. Chair Jacobs asked if Rosemary Summers had a chance to talk to other health departments in other states. Rosemary Summers said that she talked to the North Carolina State Health Department about the other state programs, and they are not using flu vaccine from other countries, but only pharmaceuticals. There are many liability issues with vaccine usage that is not FDA regulated. Rosemary Summers said that the flu line is updated daily, and the number is 245- 2479. The website is also updated daily on vaccine availability. Commissioner Halkiotis asked about client groups that are eligible and Rosemary Summers said children ages 6-23 months and household contacts with that group, adults with a chronic condition, children on long-term aspirin therapy or with a high-risk chronic condition, adults over the age of 65, and pregnant women and their household contacts. 5. Items for Decision--Consent Agenda A motion was made by Commissioner Halkiotis, seconded by Commissioner Carey to approve those items on the consent agenda as stated below: a. Minutes The Board approved the minutes from meetings on September 9, 21, and 27 as submitted by the Clerk to the Board. b. Appointments -None c. Motor Vehicle Property Tax Release/Refunds The Board approved a refund resolution, which is incorporated by reference, related to 82 requests for motor vehicle property tax releases or refunds in accordance with North Carolina General Statutes. d. Property Tax Refunds The Board adopted a refund resolution, which is incorporated by reference, related to three (3) requests for property tax refunds in accordance with N.C. General Statute 105-381. e. Property Tax Releases The Board adopted a resolution, which is incorporated by reference, to release property values related to six (6) requests for property tax releases in accordance with N.C. General Statute 105-381. f. Application for Property Tax Exemption The Board approved one (1) untimely application for granting exempt status from ad valorem taxation for the 2004 tax year. g_ Adoption of Schedule of Values for 2005 Revaluation The Board approved the final schedule of values, standards, and rules to be used in appraising real property in Orange County effective January 1, 2005, and directed the Assessor to observe all statutory requirements related to public notice about the schedule of values. h. Agreement Renewal Between UNC Hospitals and Orange County for the Senior Wellness Program The Board approved an agreement renewal to receive $50,000 from the University of North Carolina (UNC) Hospitals for their co-sponsorship of the Department on Aging's Senior Wellness Program from July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2005 and authorized the Chair to sign, subject to final review by staff and the County Attorney. i. Budget Amendment #4 The Board approved budget and capital project ordinance amendments for fiscal year 2004-05 for Social Services, Board of Elections, Health Department, and Environment and Resource Conservation. L Work First County Plan for 2005-2007 The Board approved the proposed Work First Plan for 2005-2007 as developed by the planning committee appointed by the Board of Commissioners. VOTE ON CONSENT AGENDA: UNANIMOUS 6. Resolutions or Proclamations a. Resolution Honoring Chris Moran The Board considered a resolution honoring Chris Moran and his 20 years with the Inter-Faith Council. A motion was made by Commissioner Carey, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to approve and authorize the Chair to sign the resolution as stated below honoring Chris Moran and his 20 years with the Inter-Faith Council. Resolution of Appreciation Honoring Chris Moran WHEREAS, Chris Moran has completed 20 years of loyal service to the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service; and WHEREAS, Chris Moran is a friend to and advocate for families and individuals who are impoverished, homeless or at the risk of being homeless; and WHEREAS, Chris Moran has given freely and unselfishly of his time and energy and through his foresight and leadership, helped promote progressive changes and improvements in the lives of many Orange County residents; and WHEREAS, Chris Moran has worked tirelessly for the creation of more affordable housing options in Orange County; and WHEREAS, Chris Moran has partnered with Orange County to bring about the construction and successful operation of the HomeStart residential program for women and children; and WHEREAS, During his tenure as Executive Director of the IFC, Chris Moran has shared his talent for leadership and public service through his dedication and hard work on many IFC Programs, including the Community Kitchen, Community House, the Community Services Program, the Hispanic Outreach Initiative, and the Homestart Program; and NOW, BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of Commissioners officially commends Chris Moran for his distinguished service to the community and continued leadership over the past twenty years. This the nineteenth day of October 2004. VOTE: UNANIMOUS 7. Special Presentations a. Public Art Project Finalists (Southern Community Park and Homestead Aquatics Center) The Board received a presentation and considered approval of the finalists for the Southern Community Park and Homestead Aquatics Center Public Art Projects (BOCC approval must be secured before the public art aspect of these projects can move forward). Chair of Orange County Arts Commission Leah Rade thanked Chair Jacobs, Commissioner Brown, John Link, and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker for meeting with the chairs on Thursday night. She said that a year ago they began a process, upon the Board's designation of 1 % of County funds allocated for the Southern Community Park and Homestead Aquatic Center projects for public art. During this same meeting, permission was granted to the Orange County Arts Commission to collaborate with the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission on these two projects. Artist selection committees were assembled and requests for qualifications were sent out by various means. Three artists were selected for interview. The decision was made to grant the project to Ray King for Homestead Aquatic Center. She spoke about his credentials. He mainly works with light and glass. For the Southern Community Park, she showed a slide presentation of the chosen team of Laura Haddad and Tom Drugan. She requested the approval of the design teams as described above. Commissioner Gordon asked if the teams would interact with anyone before the projects are done, or if they would do what they thought was best. Leah Rade said that with Ray King, the proposal is what would be used (the glass jewels in the floor). She said that they have worked extensively with the community to understand the culture and what would work best. A motion was made by Commissioner Brown, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to approve the design Team of Tom Drugan and Laura Haddad for the Southern Community Park Public Art Project and artist Ray King for the Homestead Aquatics Center for Public Art Project. The County Commissioners praised the Arts Commission for the work on this project. Chair Jacobs said that they talked about doing this in part because the County is working with Chapel Hill on these two projects, and it is Chapel Hill's policy to put 1 % of its capital projects toward public art. The Board of County Commissioners will discuss if it wants to have this policy also. He read that in Charlotte they are putting 1 % toward public art and now they are second-guessing the art. He hopes that Orange County never second-guesses the art. However, he is still not convinced that it is in the best interest of Orange County to do a national search rather than a state or local search. Leah Rade said that this was also a concern of theirs. Local artists were invited and they mailed out over 2,000 invitations within the community. They were so concerned that they devoted one of the artist salons to educating the artists within the community about how to apply for public art and helping them understand the level of competition. Martha Shannon said that there would be projects in the future that may be limited to North Carolina artists. She said that they want the local artists to be competitive nationwide. Commissioner Brown said that she wanted to take note of this collaboration with Chapel Hill to provide public park spaces and other amenities. She said that this collaboration has been so successful on every level, and she would hope that this Board and the Chapel Hill Town Council would realize how successful this is. VOTE: UNANIMOUS b. Proposed Constitutional Amendment on Use of "Self-Financing Bonds" The Board received a report on the proposed amendment to the North Carolina Constitution that would authorize local governments to issue so-called "self-financing bonds". John Link said that recently the Board asked for staff to come back with a report about this ballot issue. This is an amendment to the State constitution that would permit local governments to issue tax-supported bonds without voter approval for certain economic development related activities. These self-financing bonds are being used in a number of places in the country. There is a report in the abstract about the history of these bonds. The County can consider the use of this tool, should the amendment pass. Rod Visser gave the background of the self-financing bonds. It is also referred to as project development financing and tax increment financing. North Carolina voters were asked to consider this amendment twice before in 1982 and 1993 and in both cases it was defeated by 77% and 73%. The proponents indicate that it is a very valuable financing tool to fund public improvements that will bring economic development to areas that need it the most. Some critics say that the bonds approach is risky and there is no guarantee that there will be enough revenue to pay it off without relying on tax increases. More pros and cons are in the agenda packet. He pointed out the following observations from the staff on this issue: • Orange County's debt management policy as currently written does not permit the use of debt for the types of activities contemplated under the proposed constitutional amendment. • In order to receive Local Government Commission approval for a project, commitments from the business partners will need to be firm. In other words, you can't build it and hope they come. • The debt obligation resulting from these bonds is a direct obligation of the issuing unit and therefore counts against the unit's debt ratios and in Orange's case, the County's own debt management policy parameters. • In most cases, the property taxes generated from these projects would be insufficient to cover the entire amount of debt service. This would mean that the issuer could be required to pledge other revenues toward the project (property taxes could not be pledged). The issuer may also be required to obtain bond insurance. Commissioner Halkiotis said that he was the one that asked for this report because there is a lot of propaganda about it. He thinks there is some false advertising and he cannot understand why the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners endorses this amendment. He said that there is no guarantee that revenues will be sufficient to pay for the debt. The ads on television are showing that new schools will be built as a result of this, and he said that this is not true. He did not vote for this. Commissioner Gordon asked for clarification on this. Rod Visser said that if you have a district with a tax base of $10 million, and certain improvements are made and a few years later, the tax value goes up to $20 million, the county tax rate that would be applied against the original $10 million would still come to the general county coffers. However, the tax revenue that would come from the increased value of $10 million would be sequestered and would be used to pay the debt service on the bonds. Chair Jacobs pointed out that in the News and Observer today there were three pieces on this. One was very critical in saying that there is not necessarily any guaranteed payback. Commissioner Carey said that he recognizes that if this passes, the language has only changed slightly from the past two failings and this does not require local governments to take action, but only enables them to. He thinks Orange County would never use it because there are other options. He recognizes that smaller counties may need this option. He said that the NCACC has to represent all entities in the state and they typically support things that give counties options. c. Library Services Task Force Final Report The Board received the Final Report from the Library Services Task Force and provided feedback and direction to the Task Force and/or County Staff. Chair Jacobs served on this task force. He asked the members present to stand. He introduced the Chair of the task force, Evelyn Daniel. He said that the last time the Board specifically visited this issue was in 2000. There were issues of access at that time, as well as finance, and they were brought up short with the Governor's sequestering of funds. It was only this year that the branch library in Cedar Grove and the Cybrary in Carrboro were opened. These were outgrowths of the 2000 report. He pointed out page 15 and the statement, "Orange County's current central library facility was opened in 1981; since that time the population exclusive of the Town of Chapel Hill has grown 59% from 45,017 to 71,429 in 2000, with no expansion of the library. Even in 1981, the facility did not meet the standard for an adequately sized central library." Evelyn Daniel thanked the Board for allowing her to serve on this task force. She said that they were able to hire a consultant, Dale Gaddis, who is the retired Director of Durham County Public Library. She said that the task force was charged to review the November 2001 report and to recommend improvements to Orange County libraries, particularly to examine the co-location option for a central library and to consider combining some branches in Carrboro. The task force endorsed the minimum standard for library services from the 2001 report. The report recommended increasing funding for the central library to the state average by 2004, and the County Commissioners were able to increase this. It is still somewhat below state average, but it is progress. The third recommendation was to add a library in the northern and southern parts of the County, and this was done with the Cedar Grove branch and the Cybrary in Carrboro. The fourth recommendation was to create an Orange County Heritage Center to collect historical materials. This has not yet been done. She said that, with their consultant, they examined library services very thoroughly. They met with a number of groups. She summarized the findings. Findings: - There is confusion with citizens about the current system of library governance and funding responsibilities. There is also confusion about the Chapel Hill Library, which is municipal, and the Hillsborough library, which is a County library. - There continues to be a disparity in the level of library services for the population. Members of the northern part are less well served than the southern part. - The central library facility is substandard, and so there is heavy dependence on the Chapel Hill library. - Access to historical records is very limited. She made reference to the substandard central library facility, and pointed out some statistics. The state standard says that there should be two books per capita in the County library. There are only .88. The state standard says that there should be full-time equivalent staff members of one for each 2,000 members of the population, and there are only .27. The state guideline for the income per capita is $18.88, and in 2002 the income for the central library was $10.12. This has been increased in 2004 to $12.02. She made reference to the population projections and said that they need to look 20 years into the future. They anticipate, from Planning Department estimates, that the population they need to plan for is 100,000. The anticipated highest growth is within the ages of 45-59. The juvenile group of 5-14 is also growing faster than the average. The Hispanic population is also growing. After examining a lot of data and collecting opinions from citizens, the task force has nine recommendations to make to the County Commissioners: 1. Adopt along-range 20-year facility plan. This includes a new central library, a southwest regional branch in Carrboro, a northern branch in Cedar Grove, a western branch to serve Cheeks, and the Chapel Hill Public Library to serve the southeast region. 2. Develop a 3-5 year strategic action plan for equitable library services and resources for all County residents. 3. Construct a new central library in the Hillsborough vicinity. The recommended size, according to the consultant, is 65,000 square feet. The current facility is only 12,750 square feet. The task force recommends a size of between 30,000-65,000 square feet. If a library were built within the Waterstone development, the task force would recommend keeping a library presence in central Hillsborough. There are many advantages to co-locating a library with the satellite campus of Durham Tech in the Waterstone development. 4. Establish a southwest regional branch in Carrboro. They endorse the recommendations from the Carrboro Library Workgroup. They would like a freestanding library building that would combine the collection, staff, and resources in the Carrboro branch library in McDougle and the new Cybrary. The 20-year population projection would call for a facility of 25,000 square feet. 5. Establish an Orange County Heritage Center for historical and archival material. There is about $120,000 in endowment funds set aside for this purpose. 6. Recognize Chapel Hill Public Library as a significant partner in providing County library services and as the primary provider in southeastern Orange County. This would mean maintaining the current County funding level of $250,000 and considering expanding this amount. 7. Establish a branch library centered on Cheeks Township to serve the central west area. This is on the I-85 corridor near Efland and Mebane. There is a possible co-location with the new middle school #3. 8. Monitor the Cedar Grove branch library and consider possible future expansion. 9. Evaluate the rural community for library access, possibly through establishing cybraries or small branch libraries. The state guidelines say that 90% of the service population should be no more than a 15-minute drive from a library. There are areas in the County that are farther than that. PUBLIC COMMENT: Amy Efland served on the Library Services Task Force as a representative from the Board of Trustees. She supports the recommendations of the task force as presented. She said that the central library has served the community well, but the task force agrees that the citizens served deserve more than a conference room with a maximum capacity of 20 people, one bathroom for the patrons, and half of the library's audio collections stored on the floor. They are recommending enhancement of library services to provide a solid foundation for long learning in the County that is continually growing. Lisa Stuckey served on the Carrboro Library Task Force as well as the Orange County Library Task Force. She was the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board liaison. She supports the report. She thinks that the middle college program at Durham Tech would be a wonderful thing. She said that the committee as a whole was concerned about moving the library out of downtown Hillsborough. They saw that a way to resolve this dilemma was to have a small library presence within downtown Hillsborough attached to the Orange County Heritage Center. She said that she is a constant user of the library and she is grateful that the County is looking into this. Jeff Schmidt complimented Evelyn Daniel for a job well done. He said that it is all about the quality of life in Orange County. He said that the Board of County Commissioners and their predecessors have done a lot of wonderful things to bring Orange County to the forefront and to provide a quality of life. He thinks this is a fair and balanced report. He thinks the services provided presently are not representative of what the County Commissioners would like to see the citizens have available to them. Rachel Royce is a mother of a three-year old that loves the library. Her son is also bi- lingual (Spanish and English). She said that they were concerned that the county library may be moving because they can walk there. The toddler hour is very important to them to meet other people and to use the library. She said that her son is concerned that the library stays strong. She read a letter on behalf of some concerned citizens as follows: 19 October 2004 To the Board of County Commissioners: The matter of relocating the Orange County Central Library out of the county seat in downtown Hillsborough, as has been recently proposed by the Library Task Force, has rightly alarmed many county residents. However, we are not categorically opposed to all plans for county library expansion - or even relocation. Like many of our downtown neighbors and county resident friends, we believe that Orange County's Central Library belongs in the administrative and geographic hub of Orange County - in downtown Hillsborough, the 250 year-old county seat. A library is "the soul of the community" and rightly belongs in the body of the town. The library in Hillsborough has been a centerpiece of the town for decades; relocating it altogether or diminishing it greatly would tarnish the traditional townscape and also erode community vitality. Let us learn from the sad examples of other historic town centers that have suffered the effects of sprawl sapping the life out of them. However, we recognize that the Central Library has expansion needs that may exceed the capacity of the Whitted Center. We are also aware that, should the Whitted Center be upgraded and enlarged for this purpose, it would likely generate significant additional traffic in the historic district. Thus, if the county's Central Library functions are indeed to be moved out of town, we propose the following: John Delconte finished reading the letter from this point. That a full service Neighborhood Library be created to replace the Central Library, and that such a facility include a full complement of books, newspapers, magazines, computer terminals, a community meeting room, and other amenities necessary to serve the county's adults and children in downtown Hillsborough. That an Orange County Heritage Center be established alongside the Neighborhood Library in which documents, maps, photographs, and other items relevant to the history of Hillsborough and Orange County can be brought together under one roof in a centralized, state-of-the-art facility. We believe it is essential that these two facilities be co-located in the current Central Library building. This structure, amuch-loved former school, has occupied a commanding presence in the townscape since 1922. It is the very essence of civic architecture, and one of the landmarks that gives Hillsborough such a powerful sense of place. If the needs of Orange County require that the Central Library be relocated to a suburban site, establishing a Neighborhood Library and Heritage Center would both ease the loss to our community and assure that providing for Orange County's continued growth does not end up imperiling the town where it all began. Sincerely, Thomas J. Campanella John Delconte Mary Ann Peter Holly Reid Rachel Royce Cathleen Turner John Delconte said that he came across Hillsborough in the late-90's and was immediately attracted to its centrality, cohesiveness, and compactness. He felt that this community was such a jewel that he has worked on several committees and boards to preserve, and if possible, to improve its vitality. For example, he currently serves on an economic development task force to improve the quality of life in the County. One of the priorities is to work to improve urban vitality by keeping a full functioning library in the center of the highest population center in the northern part of the County. He said that the current library is a downtown meeting space that serves as the soul of the County, a centralized full functioning library space, and an urban center where all walks of life can come together. He said that moving the library to an affluent suburb would result in a net decrease in services to the people that need it most. Commissioner Gordon asked staff to run cost figures for the recommendations of the task force and the potential sources of revenue. Commissioner Halkiotis suggested putting this on the upcoming agenda for the discussion of space needs. He agrees with the recommended size of a central library. He said that they have known for a long time that they do not pay as much attention to delivery of library services in Orange County as they should. He also thinks the County should have discussions with the Town of Hillsborough about contributions to the library. He thinks the report is right on the money. He agrees that there should be a presence in downtown, but this space is inadequate. He is embarrassed at the level of services provided, in comparison with other counties that are not as resourceful as Orange County. Commissioner Carey said that he appreciates that the first recommendation is a long- range plan. He thanked the task force. Commissioner Brown said that one group that has put the need for libraries in Orange County always in the forefront is the Friends of the Carrboro Library. When she read the report she thought about what the vision is of the Board of County Commissioners. She has always felt that the County should increase the contribution to the Chapel Hill Library. She would like for Chapel Hill to see it as a collaborative effort with the County. She would also like the school systems to be more collaborative. Commissioner Gordon said that it was fair to say that the County Commissioners are committed to quality of life issues, and the library is one of those. The Board will take the recommendations very seriously. Chair Jacobs said that there has been a lot of collaboration. He noted that Carrboro, who in the past has been rather stingy in its contributions, has stepped up wonderfully with the Cybrary and has been a complete partner in funding. He agrees that Hillsborough needs to decide how serious it is about library services. He has always thought that there should be a branch library and a heritage center in downtown Hillsborough. He thinks the Board can start to look at this in terms of space needs and talk about who is going to work on the long-range plan. John Link confirmed that the Board wanted to have this as an item for discussion on October 25th as part of the discussion of looking at the funding policy for capital. He said that, if you take 40,000 square feet for a proposed library, not taking into account where it would be, and multiplied it by $150 per square foot, it would be $6 million. 8. Public Hearings a. Orange County Hazard Mitigation Plan -Public Hearing and Decision The Board held a public hearing and considered adoption of the Orange County Hazard Mitigation Plan and directing staff to submit it to the State in compliance with the November 1, 2004 deadline. Planning Director Craig Benedict introduced Perdita Holtz, Planner in the Planning Department, who has been heading up this project for about a year and working with the towns and Emergency Management Services. Perdita Holtz said this is a joint effort with the Towns of Carrboro and Hillsborough. She said that local hazard mitigation plans are required by federal legislation passed in 2000, and also in North Carolina legislation that was passed in 2001. If a jurisdiction wants to be eligible for post-hazard public assistance funding, an approved hazard mitigation plan is required to be on file. A plan previously came before the Board in 2002 and was adopted in June 2002. Subsequently, FEMA issued new criteria for hazard mitigation plans and the submission deadline is now November 1, 2004. The Orange County Hazard Mitigation Team has been working with state reviewers to incorporate revisions, and there is preliminary approval from the state. The staff is asking that the Board hold the public hearing and consider adoption of the plan. Public Comment: NONE A motion was made by Commissioner Halkiotis, seconded by Commissioner Carey to close the public hearing. Commissioner Gordon asked that the County Commissioners speak as part of the public hearing. Commissioner Gordon asked why the Town of Chapel Hill was considered separately. Perdita Holtz said that it was her understanding that back in 2001 when the jurisdictions got together to discuss the plan that Chapel Hill opted to produce their own separate plan. Commissioner Gordon said that she saw that most of the events were natural events, but there are some that were not. She asked about the absence of a nuclear event. Perdita Holtz said that the ones that were not natural events were included as part of the 2002 discussion. Nuclear events are not required to be in the hazard mitigation plan, but any type of hazard can be included at the jurisdiction's discretion. Commissioner Gordon said that she is not sure if they mentioned this in time to get it into the plan, but the Board has certainly talked about nuclear events and have been worried about nuclear disasters. She considers this a serious omission. Perdita Holtz said that this was not brought up, but part of the implementation is that the plan will be reviewed each year by the hazard mitigation team, and they can look at this. Commissioner Gordon asked that the plan include any kind of nuclear events, including something that happens in another county that might spill into this county as part of the list. Commissioner Halkiotis agreed with Commissioner Gordon and said that the County hosted a regional meeting in 2002 on what would happen if terrorists were to hit Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant. The opportunities for evacuations, treatments, etc. are horrific. He said that he is not worried about a tsunami or a volcano, but he is worried about nuclear issues. He thinks it is foolish not to address this. Chair Jacobs suggested that the Board add a section on nuclear accidents after "chemical spills" and bring it back on the agenda at their October 25th Work Session. This should satisfy the November 1St deadline. He does not think there would be much discussion because of all of the documentation that exists. John Link said that they could speak to the 2002 summit and also what Triangle J Council of Governments sponsored a year later, which was an exercise that included dirty bombs. Commissioner Brown said that it is clear that the reason nuclear accidents are not addressed here is because the political people do not want it addressed because it threatens the nuclear power industry. She thinks this is the bottom line. She got an email this morning from NCWARN that the Shearon Harris plant was shut down two days ago for the cooling system failing. This is an ongoing thing. Commissioner Brown asked for more information about chemical spills and a master list of where the facilities are. Perdita Holtz said that she did not have a list, but EMS probably does. Commissioner Halkiotis said that there is a list and Nick Waters were very careful in putting it together several years ago. Every entity in the County had to go through a vigorous inspection procedure by the Fire Marshall and others in the County system and were all coded. He said that it is important to get a new EMS Director on board as soon as possible to help with this. Commissioner Brown asked for clarification on flood plains and Craig Benedict explained this. Commissioner Brown would like to see a commentary page with a reference on where to find documents such as the list of places with chemicals, etc. VOTE (close the public hearing): UNANIMOUS This item was deferred until October 25tH 9. Items for Decision--Regular Agenda a. Interlocal Aareement on OCS Middle School #3/West Ten Soccer Complex The Board considered approving an interlocal agreement, and related documents, with the Orange County Schools that will facilitate the development and construction of the third Orange County Schools Middle School in the Efland area and the adjacent West Ten Soccer Complex that is owned and will be operated by Orange County. Rod Visser said that Orange County and OCS have decided to collaborate in the development on these two major capital projects - a six-field soccer complex owned and operated by the County and a new 700-student middle school owned and operated by Orange County Schools. He gave the background on the approval of this project. The County has retained the services of Corley Redfoot and Zack to design the soccer complex. The same firm will design the school. The goal is to keep both projects on the same timeline to achieve some economies of scale and cost savings in the design and development of the two sites. The pre-grading bids came in last week and the total cost for both sites will $838,000. Of that, the County's share is $347,000. The engineer's preliminary estimate had been that the work was going to cost $1,080,000. The County Commissioners need to consider how to pay for the portion of the pre-grading costs. At this point, the County Commissioners have appropriated $508,000 for the purchase price of the land and $119,000 for the architects and engineering design fees. The Board can use the Soccer Superfund for the pre-grading, which would mean that $975,000 of the soccer superfund will be spent for this project. Commissioner Gordon asked whether $1,000,000 would be the maximum amount possible from the Soccer Superfund for the West Ten Soccer Complex. Chair Jacobs confirmed that was the Commissioners' policy. Commissioner Carey said that he was the Board representative that has been working on this. He thinks this is an excellent example of collaboration between jurisdictions and school and county organizations that can result in real savings. He commends the staff, school officials, and the Board for having the foresight to proceed with this plan. Geof Gledhill said that items two and three of the recommendation include the dedication by Orange County of the portion of West Ten Road that is in front of the County soccer complex. The dedication involves widening the right-of-way to accommodate some turn lanes and other improvements. It also involves the County accepting the public dedication of all of the roadway improvements without maintenance responsibility. Regarding the interlocal agreement, he said that the County is agreeing to grant an easement to the school and the school is agreeing to grant easements to the County for the access road and for parking. The access road will be located almost entirely on the soccer complex property (easement area A). The other access easement (easement area C) will be the small portion of the access road that lies on the school property that will be granted to the County. In response to a question from Commissioner Gordon, Geof Gledhill made reference to page 31 and the northwest corner and said that there will be a conservation area, which will be about 25 acres. The exact dimensions and the terms have not yet been determined. The special use permit for this school project contemplates that all of the impervious surface from the conservation easement would remain with the rest of the school property. Commissioner Brown asked about the ownership of property and said that she heard that after the properties are paid for that they will be given back to the school. She is concerned about this. Geof Gledhill said that all of the property is paid for. The Board of Education purchased 66 acres and Orange County purchased 33 acres. The Board of Education paid $775,000 for the 66 acres, and Orange County paid $508,000 for the 33 acres. Commissioner Brown asked about Scroggs Elementary and why the property for the fields will revert back to the schools after the financing is finished. She does not understand why the County would want the ownership to revert. Rod Visser suggested that the staff come back with more information on these types of transactions. Commissioner Gordon verified that the ownership will remain within the property lines, but the County gives the Board of Education easement for the road on its property and the Board of Education gives easement for the other three pieces on its property for use and parking under the terms specified. Rod Visser introduced Mike Hammersly, the Project Engineer. He asked Mr. Hammersly to talk about the changes in the concept plan since the meeting in July. Mike Hammersly said that the changes came about from the July 21St public meeting. The changes in the concept plan have to do with comments that were made. They located the building further to the south than it was originally and turned it to take advantage of getting closer to the utilities and also to facilitate abilities in the future to put in a grandstand next to the championship field as well as to be able to add on to the building. They also talked about not providing fences between every field but at strategic places to keep the balls in the fields. Commissioner Gordon said that she read through the summary of comments of the public meeting and that 11 people attended. There were two coaches from Cedar Ridge, three people from the City of Mebane, one County Commissioner candidate, one representative from Geof Gledhill's office, a citizen, two news reporters, and Chair Jacobs. She asked about the idea of enlarging the facilities. Mike Hammersly said that they did not enlarge them; it is still a 2,000-square foot facility. The idea is the ability to add on to the facility in the future if needed. Commissioner Halkiotis said that there is a lot of small stuff in the agreement and he suggested that a smaller group review this and come back to the Board. He thinks there will be more economies of scale because of the collaboration, but all of the details cannot be resolved tonight. Rod Visser said that the staff is asking that the six actions be approved tonight. There are other issues that can be resolved later. It is important to stay on schedule. Commissioner Carey said that the actions are consistent with actions the Board has taken on similar projects. He agrees that a work group should be convened to resolve the other issues. The issues for the work group are on page five. A motion was made by Commissioner Carey, seconded by Commissioner Brown to approve the Manager's recommendation as stated below and to authorize a work group to continue to work on the items on page five and other issues as needed. a. Approve the revised concept plan for the Orange County Schools Middle School #3 and West Ten Soccer Park; b. dedicate to the public the portion of West Ten Road lying within the property owned by the County to be used for the soccer complex to the public for public road purposes; c. accept, for the use of the general public, without maintenance responsibility, the public dedication along West Ten Road of both the Orange County Middle School #3 site and the West Ten soccer center site; d. approve the interlocal agreement between Orange County and the Orange County Board of Education for the joint development and for access and parking easements; e. authorize the Chair and Clerk to execute the interlocal agreement and the easements to the Orange County Board of Education for the access roads; and f. approve the allocation of an additional $347,030 in soccer superfund bond proceeds to cover the County's cost of the pre-grading site work. Commissioner Gordon said that she hopes we are only adopting this is in principle because she does not want to send a work group off without a charge. Commissioner Carey said that the issues on the list represent the charge. Other things that need to be addressed can be raised in writing. The members of the work group, besides Commissioner Carey, will be decided at a subsequent meeting. Chair Jacobs would like for the County to reserve the right to name the access road. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Chair Jacobs asked that this be referred to Commissioner Carey and the work group, and Commissioner Carey said to include this in charge. b. Agreement with Robert Segal, CPA, for School Efficiency Study The Board considered approving an agreement with the firm of Robert Segal, CPA, to carry out an examination of opportunities for achieving budgetary efficiencies in the operations of Orange County and the two school systems, subject to final review by staff and the County Attorney, and authorize the Manager to sign. Rod Visser said that this is a follow-up to the discussion at the September 27, 2004 joint work session between the County Commissioners and the two school boards where the County Commissioners had indicated that they were interested in pursuing the Robert Segal, CPA firm to come in and work on behalf of all three entities to find additional revenue, to reduce expenses, or to find ways for the three entities to achieve some economies of scale in purchasing, etc. This agreement would be specifically between the Board of County Commissioners and the firm that would enable Robert Segal to look at the County's financial records and see if there are any opportunities for savings. The firm will also enter into similar agreements with the two school boards. Chair Jacobs asked if CHCCS passed a resolution authorizing Mr. Segal to work with them on these matters. Robert Segal said that at their last board meeting, they authorized Dr. Pedersen to initiate a final agreement. It is his understanding that the superintendent will present the final agreement Thursday night, the 21St Commissioner Brown read from the letter of agreement, "Segal agrees to maintain strict confidence of all information received...." She said that this does not apply and she would like to see it removed because it is all public information. Geof Gledhill said that there are things in Orange County records that are not public records (i.e., income and expense data for tax determinations), and he suggested that it be made subject to the public records laws of North Carolina. The Board agreed. Geof Gledhill read some language that he would add to the letter of agreement, as follows: "Segal agrees to maintain, as provided by the North Carolina Open Records Law, in strict confidence, all information received." In answer to a question by Commissioner Gordon, Rod Visser said that the Board has discussed in the past that as the firm is looking into this, issues might present themselves that represent possible opportunities for efficiencies. The firm works on a contingency fee basis, where they retain a certain percentage of savings. If there were an efficiency opportunity that does not lend itself to a percentage of savings, the County would pay a retainer or a certain amount (such as an hourly basis) to Mr. Segal for the work. Chair Jacobs said that the Board also wants Mr. Segal to analyze, without necessarily doing it for the purpose of achieving efficiencies. He suggested the language, "in obtaining operational efficiencies and comparisons." For example, if one school system has one computer for every six students and the other one has one computer for every one student, this is a comparison that the County wants to make because of the issue of equalizing funding. This has nothing to do with whether Mr. Segal has identified efficiency. John Link said that there would be a cover letter to both school systems amending this language for their adoption as well. A motion was made by Commissioner Halkiotis, seconded by Commissioner Brown to approve an agreement with the firm of Robert Segal, CPA, to carry out an examination of opportunities for achieving budgetary efficiencies in the operations of Orange County and the two school systems, subject to final review by staff and the County Attorney, and authorize the Manager to sign. VOTE: UNANIMOUS c. Appointments (1) Hyconeechee Regional Library Board of Trustees -One New Appointment The Board was to consider making one new appointment to the Hyconeechee Regional Library Board of Trustees. DEFERRED (2) Orange County Planning Board -Three New Appointments The Board was to consider appointments to the Orange County Planning Board. DEFERRED (3) Arts Commission -One New Appointment The Board was to consider one new appointment to the Orange County Arts Commission. DEFERRED (4) Commission for Women -Eight New Appointments The Board was to consider making appointments to the Commission for Women. DEFERRED 10. Reports a. Status Report -Jordan Lake Stakeholder Project/Nutrient Management Strategy The Board was to receive a report on the ongoing Jordan Lake Stakeholder Project, which will yield a proposed Nutrient Management Strategy for the lake in late 2004 and provide any comments to staff. DEFERRED 11. Closed Session -NONE 12. Adjournment A motion was made by Commissioner Halkiotis, seconded by Commissioner Carey to adjourn the meeting at 10:40 p.m. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Barry Jacobs, Chair Donna S. Baker Clerk to the Board