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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 19880517 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMM2SSIONERS REGULAR MEETING MAY 17, 1988 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on May 17, 1988 at 7:30 p.m. in the Courtroom of the old Post Office in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Shirley E. Marshall and Commissioners Moses Carey, Jr., John Hartwell, Stephen Halkiotis (arrived at 7:40 p.m.) and Don Willhoit. ATTORNEY PRESENT: Geoffrey Gledhill. STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr., Assistant County Managers William T. Laws and Albert Kittrell, County Extension Director Fletcher Barber, Clerk to the Board Beverly A. Blythe, Planning Director Marvin Collins, Housing and Community Development Director Tara Fikes, Economic Development Director Sylvia Price, and Social Services Director Marti Pryor-Cook. A. BOARD AND MANAGERS COMMENTS Chair Marshall removed the minutes from the agenda and moved item F2 from the Consent Agenda to the regular agenda as item G3a so that additional information could be received. B. PUBLIC COMMENTS None C. MINUTES None =- ~ PUBLIC CHARGE Chair Shirley E. Marshall read the public charge. D. RESOLUTIONS OR PROCLAMATIONS 1. RURITAN WEEK DESIGNATION Chair Marshall stated and Commissioner Carey agreed that it is very difficult to present a resolution that excludes from its membership women and blacks. A motion was made by Commissioner Willhoit, seconded by Commissioner Carey to table the resolution. VOTE: AYES, 3; ABSTENTION, 1 (Commissioner Hartwell) (Commissioner Halkiotis was not present for the vote.) 2. SUPPORT FOR TRIANGLE J's POSITION AS TO MEBANE HOME TELEPHONE'S FULL PARTICIPATION IN TOLL FREE CALLING PLANS FOR THE TRIANGLE Motion was made by Commissioner Hartwell, seconded by Commissioner Carey to approve the resolution of support as stated below: RESOLUTION WHEREAS, the Orange County Board of Commissioners is distressed by bath the Motion and Response of Mebane Home Telephone filed with the North Carolina Utilities Commission on May 6, 1988 in Docket P- 55, SUB 888; in particular, the tone of unwillingness to participate with the Commission's experimental plans as ordered on April 7, 1988 and the previously stated unwillingness to be included i.n this matter at all, and v WHEREAS, many citizens of Orange County in the Mebane exchange have independently petitioned the North Carolina Utilities Commission with their desire to be included, with the rest of ~`~ Orange County, in toll-free calling plans for the Triangle area, and ~ 1 d 1 t WHEREAS, a substantial portion of Orange County s industria eve opmen land in our economic development plan is served entirely by Mebane Home Telephone, and our recruitment efforts quite _ naturally focus on development complimentary with that ~~~~ occurring throughout Orange, Durham and Wake, the Research Triangle counties, and WHEREAS, the Orange County Board of Commissioners addresses regional issues through strong involvement with the Triangle J Council of Governments, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board expresses most strongly to the North Carolina Utilities Commission its full support of the positions posed by the Triangle J Council of Governments in this matter, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board asks the North Carolina Utilities Commission to maintain its position as to the inclusion of part r or all of the Mebane exchange in this matter, including parti- cipation in the experimental plans the Commission has ordered, and further, urges the Commission to consider favorably Triangle J's Third Motion to Amend which would add service between Mebane and RTP-RDU and between Hillsborough and RDU to the Commission's experimental service plan, BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Board conveys to the North Carolina Utili- ties Commission its sense of urgency in this matter and requests that the Commission proceed with all due speed toward the goal of toll-free calling throughout the Triangle area. VOTE: UNANIMOUS. E. REPORTS 1. MASTER RECREATION AND PARK PLAN Recreation and Parks Advisory Council member Richard Ward presented: on behalf of the Council three recommendations: (1) the Plan be adopted as presented at the last public hearing on May 2, 1988 (with the greenways element deleted) as a planning tool for the Recreation and Parks Department, (2) Chapters 1 - 6 of the Plan which contain the basic planning elements be adopted as the Recreation and Parks Element of the Orange County Comprehensive Plan, and _ (3) Chapter 7 of the. Plan be utilized in formulating funding requests for five-year capital improvement planning periods, beginning FY 88-89. Revisions to the funding request for the first five-year period were also recommended. He stated that the Council supports all efforts for the educational needs of the County but asked that no one lose site of the fact that the children in the County spend the majority of their time outside of the classroom. Opportunities that are healthy, safe and wholesome need to be provided to the children of Orange County. Implementation of the Plan beyond the first five-year planning period is to be based on annual review of the Plan's recommendations and reexamination of population demand and changing demographics. The report as presented in the agenda is stated below: The Orange County Recreation and parks Master Plan is a document which can "stand alone" as a planning tool far the Recreation and Parks Department. The Plan is composed of two components: planning principles (Chapter 1-5) financial/funding data (Chapter 7) 11~ The planning principles are appropriate for inclusion in the Orange County Comprehensive Plan, as the Recreation and Parks Element. The financial data is appropriate for utilization in Orange County's 5-year capital improvement planning efforts, to be reviewed annually. __ The financial data has been recently reviewed in light of much public discussion in recent months concerning the broad scope of the Plan. If funding support of the Plan is to be realized, it is important that monies requested are clearly identified with specific projects. To provide this focus, it is recommended that the CIP Request be broken down into funding for (a) pools, (b) park development (for three existing publicly-owned sites), and (c) park lands fund. Specifically: POOLS Two (2) pools - one to be located in the Chapel Hill $3,260,000 and one in the Hillsborough area. PARK DEVELOPMENT Development of existing publicly-owned sites. $738,000 Efland-Cheeks Community Park $ 113,000 Fairview Community Park 436,000 Cane Creek District Park 189,000 PARK LANDS FUND Acreage for park development as future population demand $600,000 warrants. Use of these monies would include securing options on properties. 5-YEAR CIP REQUEST: Pools Park Development Contingency Park Lands Fund $ 3,260,000 738,000 399,800 _ 600,000 $ 4,997,800 TOTAL This recommendation results in a reprioritization of the project elements in the first five-year planning period and focuses efforts on development of three projects on existing publicly-owned facilities. This recommendation results in a $1,505,000 difference (compared with the original plan request) in needed funding for the first five-year planning period. This significant cost difference is caused by the exclusion of all but $600,000 in park land funds in the first five year planning period. 2. PROPOSED TEEN SYMPOSIUM Fletcher Barber as a representative of the Human Services Management Team presented a tentative planning structure for a teen symposium. He explained that the team tried to identify all the youth agencies or groups in the County that provides youth services. A list of these agencies was included as part of the agenda abstract. A symposium steering committee will be selected from the list of youth agency providers. Their mission will be to (1) finalize goals and objectives for the symposium, (2) develop a mechanism which permits input from youth groups not serving on the steering committee and (3) establish symposium logistics. Chair Marshall asked that emphasis be placed on the teen problems that deal with teens moving on into adulthood. The Board Members will call Mr. Barber with additional names of youth agency providers. Commissioner Halkiotis asked that the scope of the symposium be expanded to include the enforcement issue of alcohol and drugs. Motion was made by Commissioner Carey, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to approve the plan of action as proposed. VOTE: UNANIMOUS. ~1~ F. ITEMS FOR DECISION M CONSENT AGENDA Motion was made by Commissioner Carey, seconded by Commissioner Willhoit to approve items Fl and F3 of the Consent Agenda as stated below. _.~ a 1. ADDITION OF OPEN SPACE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ~,, To appoint Clint Burklin to the Open Space Technical Advisory Committee. -~ 2. HAZEN AND SAWYER ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT - WASTEWATER TREATMENT ~ moved to item G3a on the agenda. 3. HAZEN AND SAWYER ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT - SEVEN MILE CREEK (Copy of the contract is in the permanent agenda file in the Clerk's Office.) To approve a contract with Hazen and Sawyer to prepare a report on the proposed Seven Mill Creek Reservoir and to authorize the Chair to sign. VOTE: UNANIMOUS. G. ITEMS FOR DECISION - REGULAR AGENDA 1. 1988 CDBG APPLICATION FOR THE RENCHER STREET AREA Tara Fikes made corrections to the application document. The total project cost was corrected to read $685,000 with $85,000 contributed by the County. Motion was made by Commissioner Willhoit, seconded by Commissioner Hartwell to (1) approve the CDBG application for the Rencher Street Area and authorize the Chair to sign and (2) authorize a financial commitment of $85,000 to the CDBG project and authorize the Chair to sign a letter of commitment to NRCD on behalf of the Board. VOTE: UNANIMOUS. ;, 2. JUNE 20 1988 PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE JOINT PLANNING AREA -'=°-' Motion was made by Commissioner Hartwell, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to approve June 30, 1988 as the Joint Planning public hearing date. VOTE: UNANIMOUS. 3. COUNTY FUNDING FOR THE SEWER BOTTLENECK County Manager John Link asked that the Board consider for approval the necessary funding to assist in the solution of the "sewer bottleneck" near Hillsborough to further the Economic Development Commission's efforts in that area. The term "sewer bottleneck""describes the under-capacity of the sewer lines between the Hillsborough sewage treatment plant and US 7oA. This bottleneck currently bars the extension of sewer service to Meadowlands Business Park and to Cornerstone Park (the proposed development on the former FCX property). The EDC, the Town of Hillsborough, private developers and others have discussed the problem and have recommended a proposal which would eliminate this bottleneck. The proposal for funding these improvements is as follows: Town of Hillsborough $213,500 Private Developers 209,000 Orange County 66,000 The Town of Hillsborough has not yet formally considered the proposal, but if approved by the Town, and the County, contracts will be entered into by all parties. Motion was made by Commissioner Carey, seconded by Commissioner Hartwell to approve $66,000 to be appropriated in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1988 for the County's share of the funding package to eliminate the "sewer bottleneck" and the agreement be subject to the approval of the ~~~ County Attorney as to form and content. VOTE: UNANIMOUS. 3A. HAZEN AND SAWYER ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT AND RESOLUTION WASTEWATER TREATMENT (A copy of this contract and resolution is in the permanent agenda file in the Clerk's Office). Motion was made by Commissioner Hartwell, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to approve the contract and the resolution as stated below and authorize the Chair to sign. VOTE: UNANIMOUS. RESOLUTION WHEREAS, Orange County is eligible to receive $242,450 in Senate Bill 2 funds over a two year period for water and sewer projects; and WHEREAS, the orange County Board of Commissioners have identified wastewater projects as the most appropriate means of allocating the County's remaining Senate Bill 2 funds; and WHEREAS, the orange County Board of Commissioners have concerns over alternative wastewater treatment systems in Orange County. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Orange County Board of Commissioners that the remaining $4,015 be encumbered for the purpose of conducting a study of alternative wastewater treatment systems in Orange County. 4. PETITION FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION TO SELL A LOT Superintendent Dan Lunsford explained that the lot contains .77 acres and is located across the street from the A. L. Stanback School complex. The parcel of land is adjacent to the Mebane Chapel Holiness Church who have expressed an interest in purchasing this land to be used as ',a parking lot for the church. After a brief discussion with Dr. Lunsford answering questions from ;the Board Members, no action was taken on this item. Dr. Lunsford will review the acreage for the highest and best use value before further action is requested from the Board. 5. PROPOSAL FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION ON ANIMAL CONTROL Animal Control Officer Alma Johnson presented a proposal for public education on animal control and the necessary funding that would be needed to carry out the objectives outlined in the proposal. Commissioner Willhoit asked that the procedure for people registering their animals be put back on the tax listing. All the necessary information could be requested on the tax form which would make it easier for the citizens to register their animals. After a brief discussion it was decided to ask the Health Board to review the registering procedure and that the Health Board and the Health Director work with the County Manager in formulating a recommendation to be brought back to the Board. Promotional ideas were discussed and it was decided that an effort should be put forth in this fiscal year to begin a public information campaign to let the people know what is expected of them by June 30. The County Manager indicated that this could be accomplished. Approval of the proposal far fiscal. year 1988-89 wall be considered at a later date. 6. JTPA PROGRAM Assistant County Manager Albert Kittrell presented the information as .included in the agenda abstract. He explained that both JOCCA and the Employment Security Commission submitted proposals that were basically the same. JOCCA was chosen because they have expressed an interest over the years of operating the County's JTPA Program and because of the County's long term relationship with JOCCA and because they are located in County facilities. The PIC members chosen will have an input into the process to select an operator for the Adult Comprehensive program. Motion was made by Commissioner Hartwell, seconded by Commissioner Carey to approve the Joint Orange-Chatham Community Action Agency as the ~~~ operator for the summer youth program and to appoint Dan Lunsford to the- PIC. VOTE: UNANIMOUS. Commissioner Willhoit nominated Cleon Curry and Commissioner Halkiotis nominated Jim Gibson as members of the Private Industry Council. Motion was made by Commissioner Willhoit, seconded by Chair Marshall to appoint C1eon Currie, and.Jim Gibson to the PIC. VOTE: UNANIMOUS. H. APPOINTMENTS The following appointments were approved by the Board:. HUMAN SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION -Martha S. Perry ARTS COMMISSION - Katherine M. Nelson and Jeanne Phillips CARRBORO PLANNING BOARD -- Toy Cheek EXECUTIVE SESSION Motion was made by Commissioner Hartwell, seconded by Commissicner Halkiotis to go into Executive Session to discuss a property matter. VOTE: UNANIMOUS. Motion was made by Commissioner Carey, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to go out of Executive Session. VOTE: UNANIMOUS. The Board discussed the problem of additional Rural Suffer (RB) designation in Township Comprehensive plans leading, when zoned, to spot zoning. It was the consensus of the Board to await the completion of the` =`, Open Space/Rural. Suffer study before adding new RB areas to Land Use Plans. The Board, in addition, requested that the Study be called "Rural Character" as the use of the word open space has accepted connotations other than what is intended and is~;,~eading, even as the study gets started, to confusion. I. ADJOURNMENT With no further items to be considered, motion was made by Commissioner Halkiotis, seconded by Chair Marshall to adjourn the meeting. The next regular meeting will be a Joint Public Hearing on May 23, 1988 at 7:30 p.m. in Superior Courtroom, Hillsborough, North Carolina. Shirley E. Marshall, Chair Beverly A. Blythe, Clerk