HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 19940113 MINUTES
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 688
BI-MONTHLY WORK SESSION.
JANUARY 13, 1994
The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in special session on
January 13, 1994 at 7: 30 p.m. in the Government Services Center in
Hillsborough, North Carolina for the purpose of holding a bi-monthly work
session.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Moses Carey, Jr. , and Commissioners
Alice M. Gordon, Stephen H. Halkiotis, Verla C. Insko and Don Willhoit.
ATTORNEY PRESENT: Geoffrey Gledhill
STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr. , Clerk to the Board
Beverly A. Blythe, Planning Director Marvin Collins, Environmental Health
Supervisor Ron Holdway, Director of Environmental Health Tony Laws, Health
Director Dan Reimer, County Engineer Paul Thames,
OPENING COMMENTS
Chair Carey welcomed everyone to the meeting. He asked the Board to
review the list of suggested items for future bi-monthly work sessions and
determine which items they want to discuss at their next meeting scheduled for
March 10, 1994. The Board agreed to use a portion of these work sessions for
receipt of updates on their goals whereby they can provide feedback on whether
work is proceeding in the right direction.
The Board agreed to set a 9:30 adjournment time for their bi-monthly
meetings. They agreed to discuss the following two items at their next work
session scheduled for March 10, 1994:
1. Youth Services Coordination: orange County's role
2. Joint Planning for service delivery with public and/or private
organizations:
Library
Recreation and Parks
Senior Center Services
In answer to a question from Commissioner Insko on the Piney Mountain
situation, John Link said that this will be on the next agenda for discussion.
With regard to a proposal for utility service areas long term, Chair
Carey indicated that the next step -is to ask the managers to work up_. a
proposal and bring to the Board for consideration of approval.
RURAL CHARACTER STUDY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Commissioner Insko suggested reviewing the two. options that will be, taken
out into the townships for comments.
Marvin Collins stressed that they will be taking to the townships the
development standards and not the strategies. The only difference is the
scale for density bonuses and the starting point.
Discussion ensued on these two options. The Board felt that it was
important to understand the options so they could give some direction to the
staff on what they wanted the staff to take out to the townships for public
comment.
Commissioner Gordon said that the real limitation on density is the
availability of water and sewer. Marvin Collins noted that in order to make
water and sewer pay for itself, there would need to be two units per acre.
All options can use alternative systems.
Marvin Collins said that Arendt's approach uses the carrying capacity of
the soil. When doing a subdivision plan, the developer would have to identify
on a map the area they will preserve and those that will be primary and
secondary areas. The minimum open space is 40%. He noted that the issue is
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which option to go with and the starting point -- not the strategies. Their
goal is to take both strategies out to the townships for comments.
Commissioner Insko emphasized that the staff has already done a lot of
work and have followed the goal set by the County Commissioners.
Commissioner Gordon expressed a concern that the Board has not been kep'
informed of what has been accomplished by the staff and had an opportunity f;.
input.
It was decided that both options as developed by the staff would be
presented at the township meetings for feedback. Commissioner Halkiotis asked -
that the presentations be simplified so the citizens can fully understand what
is being presented.
With regard to a process whereby the County Commissioners can provide
feedback to the staff in time for it to be considered in their
recommendations, it was decided that periodic reports would go to the Board
on the goals where they can give feedback. Also, it was suggested that the
Board members could attend various meetings to personally hear citizen
comments.
Chair Carey made reference to the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine Study and
the State proposal to put together a "How to do it" manual and implementation
ordinance. It has been proposed to Jonathan Howes, Director of Environment,
Health and Natural Resources, for the State of North Carolina to fund a
project involving three counties in which Randal Arendt would prepare
guidebooks on how to
g implement these open space strategies which fits in with
the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine Study. The Board supports this study being
done.
NOTE: The other two items on the agenda dealing with Alternative
System/Monitoring and Maintenance Program and Utility Service Area
Designations were not discussed because of lack of time.
ADJOURNMENT
Chair Carey adjourned the meeting at 9: 30 p.m. The next regular meeting
of the Board will be held on January 18, 1994 at 7 : 30 p.m. in the OWASA
Community Room in Carrboro, North Carolina.
Moses Carey, Jr. , Chair
Beverly A. Blythe