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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 06-22-1998 - 9d ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Action Agenda Item No G - d ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: June 22, 1998 SUBJECT: PROPOSAL TO FORM A NEW ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCE CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT -------------------------------- ------------------------------- DEPARTMENT County Commissioners PUBLIC HEARING YES NO x -------------------------------- ------------------------------- BUDGET AMENDMENT: _YES NO ATTACHMENT(S): Yes - Two May 25 Memos INFORMATION CONTACT Commissioner Alice M. Gordon 1. Proposed Revision to Commissioners Goals and Objectives TELEPHONE NUMBER 2. Comprehensive Resource Conservation Hillsborough 732-8181 Program Chapel Hill 968-4501 Mebane 227-2031 Durham 688-7331 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: To establish a new Environment and Resource Conservation Department. BACKGROUND: Orange County places a great deal of emphasis on environmental matters, including environmental protection, and therefore has established a Commission for the Environment. Furthermore, in the Commissioner's Goal on Natural Resource Protection, the County Commissioners have recognized that resource conservation should have a distinct identity and a higher profile in county government. According to the revised milestones for evaluating resource conservation as a function of county government, the commissioners are scheduled to make a decision about this function in June, 1998. Instead of establishing a new division of the Planning Department, the commissioners should establish a new Environment and Resource Conservation Department to oversee the County's activities in the areas of environmental protection and resource conservation. The two memos attached explain the rationale supporting this recommendation and provide the conceptual framework for implementation. RECOMi~NDATION: Establish a new Environment and Resource Conservation Department. Approval of the new department includes the following steps: 1 1. Establishment of the New Department The Board of County Commissioners hereby establishes a new Environment and Resource Conservation Department. r ' y . 2 2. Conceptual Framework The Commissioners hereby adopt the conceptual framework for this new department outlined in the May 25, 1998 memorandum from Alice Gordon to the Board of Commissioners and Manager entitled "Proposed Revision to Commissioners Goals and Objectives." 3. Implementation The Commissioners hereby instruct the manager, utilizing this conceptual framework, to formulate recommendations concerning the actual staffing of the department, amount of funding needed, space requirements, and other details, and to bring those recommendations as an agenda item to the Commissioners by mid-September, 1998. 4. Comprehensive Resource Conservation Program Since one of the proposed tasks of the new Environment and Resource Conservation Department is to devise and implement a comprehensive resource conservation program, the Commissioners also instruct the manager to provide recommendations concerning the implementation of that program as an agenda item by mid-September, 1998, using the conceptual framework provided in the May 25, 1998 memorandum from Alice Gordon to the Board of Commissioners and Manager entitled "Comprehensive Resource Conservation Program." 3 MEMORANDUM To: Board of Commissioners and Manager From: Alice Gordon Subject: PROPC+SED REVISION TO COMMISSIONERS GOALS AND OBJECTIVES Date: May 25,1.998 CATEGORY: Resources Frotect}on and Development GOAL: Natural Resource Protection (page 3 ) TASK: Evaluate "Resource Gonservation" as a separate division in the Planning Department to give the function identity and a higher profile. According to the Revised Milestones for evaluating Resource Conservation as a function of county government, the commissioners are supposed to make a decision about this function. in June 1998. Instead of establishing a new division of the Planning Department, I recommend that the commissioners establish a new Environment an Resource Conservation De~tment to oversee the county's activities in the areas of environmental protection and resource conservation. ENVIRONMENT' AND RESOURCE CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT Ratio#tale The county commissioners have already recognized that resource conservation should have a distinct identity and a higher profile in county government. This separate function has been analyzed in the Technical Report entitled Pre~ervatlon a Function of Local Governmen Orange County, April 1997. Using this report as a foundation but revising some of the concepts in the report, the commissioners should establish a new department to implement this function to give it the focus and resources it needs. Over the past decade the Planning Department has added a number of resource conservation activities and support for new advisory boards which in other jurisdictions are sometimes handled by a separate department. Also, the commissioners have discussed other initiatives, such as acquiruag conserva- tion easements or acquiring school park sites, which do not have enough county support to allow successful implementation. We need a comprehensive resource conservation program to protect land resources such as significant forests, farms, and historic sites Orange County should also protect its other important resources, such as air and water. All of these efforts should be centralized in a new department. Functions/Duties (compare with page 3-7 of the Technical Report) Environmental Protection, Responsible for the county's efforts in the area of environmental protection, including protection of air quality, water resources, land and other resources, as stated in the county's current goals and objectives and as stated in the charge to the Commission for the Environment. ~d Acquisition and Related Activities. Responsible for conservation- related land acquisition, conservation easements, transfer of development rights and purchase of development rights and similar programs related to natural resource conservation, farmland preservation and conservation of cultural, historical and archaeological resources. It would be advantageous to have expertise in this area for snxart negotiation of land purchases/easements. ., ~ . Page 2 Coherent Resource Conservation Program and Resource Re ords. Responsible for developing a coherent resource conservation program encompassing all of the county's land preservation activities, and for keeping the records and developing GIS maps documenting the preserved areas. The department would take the lead in identifying natural resources tv be protected and conserved, and would coordinate the conservation of resources recommended by other departments, such as Recreation and Parks. Staff Suaoort for Relevant Boars and Conunissions. Provision of administrative, technical and professional support to the Board of Commissioners, Commission for the Environment, Water Resources Committee, Historic Freservation Commission, and committees related to environmental protection and the conservation of natural and historical resources . This would include support for the formation of a Land trust, if one is formed. It would also include support for the Shaping Orange County's Future Task Force, perhaps as a joint effort with the Planning Department. Staff Suonort for Implementation of Relevant Crdinances. This function would need further discussion, but the department probably would provide staff support for the implementation of appropriate ordinances such as the Environmental Impact Ordinance. Liaison with Atz ro~riate Departments and Agencies. This department should closely coordinate its activities with the Planning Deparment. Staff Staffing would be similar in quantity to that suggested for the Planning Deparment division, but the focus gad expertise of the staff would differ. Costs should be similar to forming a separate division in the Planning Department. Full time planner -Department Head (level of expertise probably Plainer III} Full time planner (probably Planner II? Part time G1S staff person gad some clerical assistance. In terms of existing staff, the changed focus of this resource conservation effort and the intent to include environmental protection would make David Stanch a core person, considering his background and current activities as an environmental planner. He could also finish his responsibili- ties concerning Shaping Orange County's Future. Une of the current GIS staffers, Miriam Coleman or Beth McFarland, would also be appropriate. F~azily Cameron would no longer be central in this configurarion, and the subdivision concept plans gad landscaping functions would seem more appropriate in Current Planning where they should remain. Other staff would be discussed. Implemen[ation The commissioners would approve the formation of the new department in principle, following the proposal given above, and direct the staff to formulate appropriate wording for the Goals and Objectives and also for an implementing resolution. The goats and resolution would be approved by the commissioners at the June 2 regular meeting. The actual staffing of the department and other details of bringing it into existence would occur according to a time schedule and guidelines developed and approved later by the staff and commissioners. 5 MEMORANDUM To: Board of Commissioners and Manager From: Alice Gordon ~~LG- Subject: Comprehensive Resource Conservation Program Date: May 25, 1998 In considering our Goals and Objectives, I have proposed that the commissioners form a new Environment and Resource Conservation Department rather than a new section of the Planning Department. One of the tasks of that new department would be to devise and implement a comprehensive resource conservation program The purpose of this memo is to describe chat program and suggest a method for its implementation. COMPREHENSIVE RESOURCE CONSERVATION PROGR4M Rationale Orange County's natural resources. and other resources, are disappearing at an alarming rate. For example, in the last decade 10 percent of the county's prime forest land has been lost. The county commissioners could actively work to slow this trend by initiating, financing, and implementing a comprehensive resource conservation plan for Orange County. The plan should include conservation not only of forest land, but also farmland and historic sites and other significant resources. Elements of the Prog•Zam School/Park AcauisitiQn (existing oolicy~ Purchase of park sites which can be used later for schools or for schools in combination with parks. Financed by reserving the equivalent of one cent on the tax rate: Acouisition of Other Significant County Resource, Purchase of parcels significant for their natural resources or for other valuable features. Financed by continuing to reserve the equivalent of one cent on the tax rate, and then leveraging these funds by seeking grants from available state funds such as the Clean Water Trust Funds. Further Description of a Comprehensive Resource Conservation Program As a first step, we could document the loss of natural resources and other resources using GIS rndps, and then project what future buildout would be (assuming present trends) in the ne~ct fifty years. The county has data from the Triangle Land Conservancy documenting the location and extent of the reinalning prime forest land. The second phase of that study will establish conservation priorities for these lands. w'e also have documented the most significant farmland and historic sites. With this information in hand we should move quickly to draw comprehensive resource protection maps. The digitized data bases for these maps will be dynamic and capable of continuous updating reflecting the changes in status. Fage 2 Using this information, we should devise a comprehensive resource conservation plan for Orange County. Once we have this plan, we can begin to acquire Land. We have a fund now of between one and two million dollars for school/park sites, but no active method of finding and acquiring sites. We have no Comprehensive plan for the acquisition of other resources. However, Land prices are escalating at an unprecedented rate and potential sites are being developed. With this fund we can set about purchasing Land whether in the form of conservation easements, purchase of development rights, fee simple; or other conservation tools. Although two million dollars is a relatively small amount of money, it can be considered seed money for future funding, used perhaps to match available state funds from the Natural Heritage and Clean Water Trust Funds. Later we can seek other methods of financing to provide a continuing source of funds to purchase and maintain natural areas, farmland, and recreational properties, which will balance the quality of life in our community as development in our area increases. To facilitate the development and implementation of a Comprehensive Resource Conservation Program we should focus county efforts in a new Environment and Resource Conservations Department as proposed. C,,oordination of County Deaartments to Suuvort This Program Planning Department. There would be e.Ytensive cooperation between the Planning Department and the new Environment and Resource Conservation Department. For example, they would cooperate in the writing of new elements for the county's comprehensive plan and on efforts related to Shaping Crrange County's Future. Rgcreation and Parks. The parks task force is working to develop a master plan for recreation and parks. Their recommendations would be integrated into the comprehensive resource conservation program. Purchases could be arranged by the new department, and the department could keep a record of all such purchases. Other Deoartznents and Boards. There would be cooperation with other departments and/or advisory boards. For e,~cample, there would most likely be cooperation with the Purchasing Department and with the Agricultural Districts Advisory Board. Implementation 1. Continue the one cent scb.ooL~park reserve fund. 2. Hold a work session in August or as soon as can be arranged to discuss this proposed program and its relationship to existing preservation goals and programs.