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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 03-25-2010 APPROVED 4/20/2010 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ASSEMBLY OF GOVERNMENTS March 25, 2010 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in regular session for an Assembly of Governments meeting on Monday, March 25, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Valerie P. Foushee and Commissioners Alice Gordon, Pam Hemminger, Bernadette Pelissier, and Steve Yuhasz COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Barry Jacobs and Mike Nelson COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Frank Clifton, 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) CHAPEL HILL TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Council Members Jim Ward, Ed Harrison, Matt Czajkowski, and Penny Rich CHAPEL HILL TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt and Councilmembers Sally Greene, Gene Pease, Laurin Easthom, and Donna Bell CARRBORO BOARD OF ALDERMEN MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Mark Chilton and Aldermen Randee Haven-O'Donnell, and Sammy Slade CARRBORO BOARD OF ALDERMEN MEMBERS ABSENT: Aldermen Dan Coleman, Jacquelyn Gist, Lydia Lavelle, and Joal Hall Broun HILLSBOROUGH TOWN COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Mayor Tom Stevens and Town Commissioners Frances Dancey and Evelyn Lloyd HILLSBOROUGH TOWN COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Town Commissioners Brian Lowen, Michael Gering, and Eric Hallman Call to Order/Introductions/Opening Comments Introductions were made. Chapel Hill Town Council Mayor Pro Tem Jim Ward said that he is sitting in for Mayor Kleinschmidt. Chair Foushee said that Commissioner Jacobs and Alderman Broun could not attend tonight. Chair Foushee made reference to the additional information to add an item to the agenda. A motion was made by Commissioner Gordon, seconded by Commissioner Pelissier to add Orange County Transit Plan as the first item on the agenda. VOTE: UNANIMOUS 1. Orange County Transit Item Chapel Hill Town Manager Roger Stancil introduced Steve Spade and said that this is a preliminary plan and is not the Orange County Transit Plan until the elected officials say it is the Orange County Transit Plan. He said that staff found out recently that the Durham —Chapel Hill- Carrboro MPO—Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) was planning a meeting with the CAMPO-TAC to discuss this and thus they wanted the elected officials to know about this before this meeting. Steve Spade made a PowerPoint presentation. Orange County Transit Plan Assembly of Governments Meeting March 25, 2010 Today's Agenda •Describe efforts to develop the Orange County Transit Plan —Purpose —Goals —Assumptions Planning Efforts in the Triangle •Regional plan —By Triangle Transit in cooperation with local staff. —Identifies costs to build and operate light rail and expanded local bus service in triangle —Regional financial model identifies funds available for construction and operation of light rail and local bus service •County plans —Meant to identify local bus service improvements within funding limitations Revenue Assumptions for Orange County •Revenue - —'/2 cent sales tax •$5.3 million in 2010 •1.9 to 2.1% growth thru 2015 •2.5% growth after 2015 —$10 vehicle registration fee •$1 million in 2010 •3.5% growth —TTA - $460,000 annual contribution from regional car rental tax —Local support of new services —Farebox revenue—3.5% recovery —Will borrow $87 million Purpose - Orange County Transit Plan —Develop a bus service improvement plan that: •Supports long term stable transit funding and advances public transit in the Triangle •Supports light rail in the Triangle •Fits the regional financial model •Facilitates policy level discussion of transit Goals - Orange County Transit Plan •Support ongoing transit operations •Provide an alternative to property tax •Introduce new services -Expand local services -Intro regional connecting services •Fit within the regional financial model •Identify issues to be considered / resolved Assumptions - Orange County Plan •Allocate funds to offset growth of cost •Sales tax used to support local services -Expansion of local service -Regional services that connect smaller communities with network •Sales tax support for bus service would be phased from 100% to 50% •Emphasize operating projects or capital local match Commissioner Gordon asked if they were going to present the routes and the maps during this presentation. Steve Spade said that tonight they were only covering the overall concepts in terms of the goals and assumptions. Commissioner Gordon said that it would be good to talk about the future and when there will be light rail and where. Mayor Chilton made reference to the decision to allocate resources in central areas versus reaching out to outlying areas. He said that this proposed tax is one that everyone in Orange County will pay no matter where they live in Orange County-whether there is transit or not in their area. He said that they owe it to people in the rural part of the County to reach out to them with a part of the service. This has the potential added benefit to provide park and ride opportunities and also to connect the transit system to some future transit system in Alamance County. Steve Spade said that part of the plan is to begin these discussions about the types of services in the County. Randee Haven O'Donnell said that she wants to make sure that Carrboro is included in this plan with light rail between Carrboro and Hillsborough. Patrick McDonough from TTA said that TTA has recently hired a consultant and the idea of connecting these two entities has been discussed. Carrboro's interest in light rail has been noted. Discussion ensued about extending transit service throughout the County. Penny Rich asked what role UNC would play besides having stops at the medical buildings. Steve Spade said that UNC would be a key partner in the transit plan discussions. Commissioner Pelissier said that Chatham County will have the option for the 1/4 cent sales tax and she asked how and when Chatham County will be involved. Steve Spade said that at the staff level, they have designed the service and are working with Chatham and the Town of Pittsboro to manage the existing service. The ridership is increasing and everyone is happy with the service. Chair Foushee said that it would be helpful to know the next steps in moving forward so that it can be approved. Steve Spade said that he would defer to the Town and County Managers. He said that he would like to know if the assumptions are acceptable. Commissioner Gordon said that before deciding what to do, she thinks that more details about the proposed services are needed. She suggested having staff come back with the specifics and the dollar allocations as well as when the light rail would go in. She said that at some point the full boards all need to be involved in the three counties. She would like to get the details back pretty quickly in a presentation. In answer to a question about the light rail, Patrick McDonough said that right now the financial model has a default setup and it is showing light rail in 2023-24 from Durham to UNC Hospital. Most of that timetable is driven by the environmental process. If the recession ends quicker, then more could be done earlier. Ed Harrison said that a poll was released yesterday by Triangle Transit and it addressed how the public feels about transit. It is broken out by county. In answer to a question about the sales tax, Steve Spade said that 100% of the new service would be paid by the additional sales tax, but not all of the sales tax would go to the new service. 2. Amendments to the Water and Sewer Management, Planning, and Boundary Agreement Orange County Planner Perdita Holtz presented this item. The agreement was in Appendix 1. Proposed Amendments —Water and Sewer Management, Planning, and Boundary Agreement Proposed WASMPBA Amendments - 2001 Agreement o Orange County o OWASA o Towns of Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough - Defines Utility Service Areas - Efland-Mebane Small Area Plan (Orange County) - Hillsborough-Orange County Strategic Growth Plan (joint plan) - Orange County— O 1,941 acres from Long Term Interest Area to Primary Service Area O 170 acres from Primary Service Area to Long Term Interest Area - Hillsborough area— o Create category— Hillsborough Long Term Interest Area O 12,869 acres from Primary Service Area to Long Term Interest Area O 240 acres from O. C. Long Term Interest Area to Hillsborough Primary Service Area - Formalize the fact the Town of Hillsborough presently provides water service outside of its proposed Primary Service Area o May continue to service areas currently served o May not extend service in the presently-served areas or outside of the Primary Service Area Proposed Adoption Process Action Proposed Date Officials Discuss Proposed Amendments March 25, 2010 AOG Meeting Town of Hillsborough Approves/Adopts Proposed Amendments April 12, 2010 Town of Chapel Hill Approves/Adopts Proposed Amendments May 10, 2010 Town of Carrboro Approves/Adopts Proposed Amendments April 6, 2010 OWASA Approves/Adopts Proposed Amendments May 13, or 27, 2010 Orange County Approves/Adopts Proposed Amendments June 1, 2010 (if Towns and OWASA have Adopted) Commissioner Gordon left at 8:08 PM. Mayor Chilton said that he has been doing some work out in this area, and the east side of Ben Wilson Road is far more attractive than the west side and what they are proposing will change that. He suggested showing these changes in person. Perdita Holtz said that this area would be developed under Orange County regulations and that is what the small area plan calls for. Commissioner Yuhasz said that the County Commissioners saw this in the fall and at that work session he suggested that the area that was being removed east of the 1-85/70 connector ought not to be taken out of this. This is an area that drains to the north and to the west and would be suitable for non-residential development, which Orange County needs. He thinks it would be easier to go back and refine the Small Area Plan to include this as developable property than it would be to come back later and ask that it be put back into the Water and Sewer Boundary Area. He said that when he asked about this in October, he was told that there would be another opportunity to talk about it before it came forward and there has not been this opportunity to discuss it. He is disturbed that this is before the Assembly of Governments right now. Perdita Holtz said that she was sorry and this was not her recollection. She said that they can discuss keeping this area in the primary service area. Clarifying questions were asked about the specific area. The road being referenced is the US 70 connector and it is a four-lane road. Commissioner Yuhasz said that most of the property that is north of 1-85 drains to the north and west and could be served by any sewer that would serve that Efland area. It is adjacent to a four-lane road that is currently used just as a connector between 70 and 85. This area is suitable for non-residential development. There have also been discussions about creating an access to this road coming from the east on US 70. Ed Harrison said that it seems like this area meets the criteria for an Economic Development District and Perdita Holtz said that it could potentially work for an EDD. Chair Foushee said that if there is consensus for everything but this area, then this should be removed for further study. It will come back to the Orange County Board of Commissioners first. All agreed. Jim Ward made reference to the Long-Term Interest Area and asked what this means to Hillsborough. Perdita Holtz said that it is defined in the agreement, and Hillsborough is the utility with the first obligation to go in and help areas that have failing septic systems or failing wells that create a public health impact. Jim Ward said that the title makes it sound like it is phase 2. Tom Stevens said that the agreements they have been working with Orange County indicates that it is an area that should be more protected because of water supply. It means that all of the areas in the service area have the opportunity to come before the utility to see if there is enough capacity for addition. He said that water capacity is the primary concern in the Strategic Growth Plan. Chair Foushee asked if all were in agreement with the proposed adoption process with the exception of the identified area for removal. Mayor Chilton said that he has some reservations about the area between Bowman Road and 1-85. He would be willing to read through the plan some more. He sees some evidence of 20 houses in that area and lots of farm fields and historic areas. He thinks that this is a very important historic and agriculturally valuable area and he has some reservations. Chair Foushee said that they are being asked to approve the schedule for each board to consider. She asked if there was consensus for the schedule in Attachment 4, with the removal of the US 70 Connector. All agreed. 3. Emergency Medical Services Delivery Report Commissioner Gordon returned to the meeting at 8:41 PM. Emergency Services Director Frank Montes de Oca made a PowerPoint presentation. Critical Mass The impacts of resource limitations on emergency services delivery throughout Orange County A Changing Community - Increases in overall population - Growth in traditionally rural areas - Increases in chronic disease - Population is aging 26% Growth from 1990-2000 The environmental shifts are increasing demands for emergency services Increasing Demand Year Incidents requiring 9-1-1 dispatch in Orange County 2000— 143,948— Handled by 6.25 Telecommunicators 2004— 160,014— Handled by 6.25 Telecommunicators 2008— 165,400— Handled by 6.5 Telecommunicators 9-1-1 service demand has increased dramatically in the last 8 years Workload Indicators 2009 2009 Calls for Service: 186,225 427,755 Phone Transactions 3,571,644 Radio Transactions 1,172 Phone Transactions and 9,875 Radio Transactions Every Day Extended Call Processing Time Number of incidents where CHFD response time was greater than 5 minutes increased by 38% In these incidents, response time to those calls increased by 17% This data pertains to Chapel Hill Fire Department Increasing EMS Demand 68% growth from 2000-2009 In 2000, 3.5 ambulances were available In 2009, 4.5 ambulances were available Below the Bar Goal set in 2001 for paramedic response of 12 minutes Currently, this number is 17 minutes 90% of the time Response times are above accepted standards for an EMS system: National Fire Protection Association Standard 1710 and 1720 Longer Wait Times These numbers represent a 74% increase in the number of times an EMS unit had a response time of>15 minutes in Chapel Hill from 2008 to 2009 110 in 2008 and 210 in 2009 Impacts on Partner Agencies - There were 56 total incidents in 2009 of scene times of > 40 minutes for CHFD. - 29 of those incidents occurred because ambulances were not available. - 6 of these incidents resulted in scene times > 49 minutes These incidents impact our partner agencies by reducing their ability to respond to other incidents. Impacts to the Community Average Time on Scene 2008 2009 % change Carrboro 0:53 1:01 11% Chapel Hill 0:53 0:58 8% Hillsborough 1:07 1:06 -1% Impacts to the Community 220 —The actual number of 9-1-1 calls in 2009 that a community member required an ambulance and one was not available ES Staffing Recommendations •Increase Personnel —4 Paramedics and 4 EMTs (right-sizing) —6 Paramedics and 6 EMTs (added unit) •Improve 9-1-1 Center Process —1 Telecommunicator (right-sizing) —8 Telecommunicators (to improve processing) Additional human resources required to address the increased call volume Projected Cost Approximately $1.4M in additional personnel in FY 2010-11 Approximately $150K for additional console equipment in FY 2010-11 •$225K for an additional ambulance in FY 2011-2012 Clarifying questions were asked by the elected officials and answered by Emergency Services staff. Matt Cjazkowski asked for some data on what percentage of ambulance calls are for UNC. Jim Ward asked about the recommendation and said that this should be solved quicker than "several years." Fire Chief Dan Jones (Chapel Hill) said that he was asked to speak on behalf of the communities in response to the report. He said that there is a combination of indicators here that demonstrates that this is much more of a priority problem than may seem on the surface. He said that the increased workloads, etc., was hidden from view because of changes in the system, increased service demands, increased dependency on first responders, and multiple changes in leadership at Orange County Emergency Services. These have all contributed to the camouflaging of this problem. The increased processing time is only a piece of the problem. The other piece of the problem is the lack of telecommunicators. He said that the delays in dispatching are affecting their response time and they can not do anything about it because they are at the mercy of the Orange County system. This is frustrating when they are trying to maintain a quality emergency service. They support these recommendations and this warrants a higher priority than is indicated in the report. This cannot be phased in over many years. The workload is having detrimental affects on response times and staff. There are fatigue and morale issues. The last piece operationally is the increased demand of the mutual-aid partners in Durham County and Alamance County. He said that it appears that they are subsidizing the neighbors and they do not want to do this anymore. This is a critical public safety issue. Mayor Stevens said that the Hillsborough Town Manager regretted that he could not be here tonight and they see the stress in this issue. He said that the purpose of government is to protect. The Town of Hillsborough shares this concern with everyone. Randee Haven-O'Donnell said that she agreed with Mayor Stevens and these numbers are appalling. She said that the residents in this County would be outraged if they knew these numbers and this could be a perfect storm. She supported the recommendations. Jim Ward said that they need to apply additional resources to this area that approaches the best management practices in this budget cycle. Mayor Chilton said that the elected officials will be counting on the Board of County Commissioners to take progressive action on this as soon as possible. 4. Next Assembly of Governments Meeting — September 16, 2010 5. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 PM. Valerie Foushee, Chair Donna S. Baker, CMC Clerk to the Board