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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 04-17-2000APPROVED 4/3/2001 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING April 17, 2000 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Monday, April 17, 2000 at 7:30 p.m. in the boardroom of the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Moses Carey, Jr. and Commissioners Margaret W. Brown, Alice M. Gordon, Stephen H. Halkiotis, and Barry Jacobs COUNTY ATTORNEY PRESENT: Geoffrey Gledhill COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr., Assistant County Manager Rod Visser, and Clerk to the Board Beverly A. Blythe (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. ALL RECORDINGS OF THE MEETING WILL BE KEPT FOR 5 YEARS. 1. ADDITIONS OR CHANGES TO THE AGENDA None 2. CITIZEN & AUDIENCE COMMENTS a. Matters on the Printed Agenda (These matters were considered as the Board addressed the items on the agenda below.} b. Matters not on the Printed Agenda Daniel Newman, Intern in the Clerk's Office, spoke representing the Orange County Complete Count Committee. Regarding the census form, he reported that Orange County's initial response rate was fit%, which is the 7th best in the state. The target rate is 71 %. Hillsborough's response rate is currently 66°~. The final numbers for the initial mail-in response rate will be released tomorrow. He encouraged any citizen who has not returned their census form to do sa as soon as possible. Citizens may go to the Carrboro Community Health Center, Carrboro Senior Center, Hargraves Recreation Center, Narthside Senior Center, Orange County Volunteer Center, Orange County main library or the post offices to pick up census forms. He said that the Census Bureau's next step is to collect the addresses of those who have returned forms and those who have not. Orange County was awarded a grant from the Census Bureau. Daniel Newman presented T-shirts to the County Commissioners. PUBLIC CHARGE Chair Carey read the public charge. 3. BOARD COMMENTS Commissioner Gordon spoke about the set up of the meeting room noting that it needs to be changed so everyone can see everything at all times. She asked that the staff come up with a plan within one month to remodel this room and also to ask the architect, Mark Zack, if he has any suggestions. She suggested asking Chapel Hill if the Commissioners could use their facility for large meetings. She asked the County Commissioners to join her in asking the staff to do this. Commissioner Halkiotis suggested adding an additional screen. He said that when it comes to accommodating a large group, there is not a place to hold that type of meeting. Commissioner Jacobs would like far staff to came back in the fall with a suggested plan far the boardroom. He feels that presentations are based on mare than just screens. He said that presentations are difficult far the staff to do in a way that is both visible to the Board and the public simultaneously. He feels that this facility should meet both of those needs. He supports Commissioner Cordon's suggestion, but feels that the staff could come back with a plan after the budget cycle. Commissioner Gordon said that she would like for staff to come up with a plan for proceeding within a month. She said that the short-term plan could be implemented during the summer. John Link reiterated that the staff would ask for advice from the architect and come back with a plan with steps for the County Commissioners to consider sometime before the end of June. Commissioner Brown mentioned that the Cable Advisory Board might be able to address some of these issues. Commissioner Halkiotis said that he would like to extend this recommendation to the F. Gordon Battle courtroom also. Commissioner Jacobs asked if the plans are available for the new Orange County high school. Jahn Link said that he would be meeting with the Orange County superintendent next Tuesday and will ask him to provide a set of plans. Commissioner Jacobs said that he and Commissioner Brawn met with the Planning Director several weeks ago to talk about a hypothetical open space development. He said that they were going to meet with him again soon to discuss how to deal with the planning process with the public and work on a timetable for the comprehensive plan update. Also, he wondered if Commissioner Gordon could update the County Commissioners an what happened at the Transportation Advisory Council (TAC} with the I-40 widening issue. Commissioner Gordon said that when the Transportation Improvement Plan {TIP) is developed, at some point, the Chair, Vice-Chair and another member of the TAC will meet with officials from the Department of Transportation {DOT} to try to reconcile the state transportation improvement program and the regional priorities for transportation. She said that this meeting was held and there was a surprise in that the DOT had already done the planning for widening of I-4Q from six lanes to eight lanes near the Wake County line at a cost of about eight million dollars. There is a current TIP that the DOT wanted updated and modified to add this widening. There is a high occupancy vehicle (HOV} lane study going on that is supposed to be finished in about a year. In order to put in high occupancy vehicle {HOV} lanes they would need to add lanes to bridges because there is not enough roam for eight lanes and also HOV lanes. One of the reasons that DOT wants this at this moment is because I-540 will be finished and it might cause a problem. Commissioner Gordon said that there was no assurance that DOT is going to be recommending HOV lanes. She said that the Triangle Transit Authority has just voted to add a significant number of new buses to provide increased bus service including I-40. Chair Carey asked if there was anything that the Board could do to make sure that the TAC does not modify the current plan to add the additional lanes before the HOV study is completed. Commissioner Gordon suggested writing a letter indicating the Caunty Commissioners' support for HOV lanes. The Board agreed that Chair Carey would write a letter indicating support far HOV lanes. Commissioner Gordon said that the Triangle Transit Authority (TTA) is working on their budget. The concentration is an phase one which is a rail route going between paints in Wake County and points in Durham County. The airport and Orange County are in phase two. The question remains in the planning for Orange County of where to expand TTA services. She suggested that the Board ask TTA to consider a new position for another planner to prepare for transit with specific land use planners in the various counties. Commissioner Jacobs supported this idea. Commissioner Halkiotis made reference to a meeting hosted by Triangle J on looking at building design. He made reference to a letter from Triangle J sent to Pam Jones. A similar letter was sent to school systems and government bodies in the Triangle J region. He said that Wake County government and the Wake County school system are rewriting their guidelines to incorporate same sustainable building design principles. He encouraged the Board to send someone to represent Orange County government to this meeting to bring back information about building design principles. Jahn Link said that he would send someone to the Triangle J meeting. Commissioner Brown updated the Board an two information meetings taking place this week. One is on the Chapel Hill Comprehensive Plan and the other is Wednesday on the widening of Smith Level Road up to Culbreth Road. The Orange County Planning Department should be aware of both of these meetings. Chair Carey said that he and Commissioner Gordan met with two Hillsborough Town Commissioners on the Water and Sewer Boundary agreement. The two Town Commissioners agreed with the substantive changes the Board made and agreed that the original boundary lines should stay the same. The Hillsborough Town Commissioners wanted to check the boundary lines with their board members before indicating approval. The next step will be to take the agreement to the Mayors and OWASA for their approval. Commissioner Gordon said that she feels that when Hillsborough gives their input that the Water and Sewer Boundary agreement needs to come back to the County Commissioners before being sent to the Mayors and OWASA far their consideration. She said that the Hillsborough Tawn Commissioners also wanted to check the non-emergency water transfer issue with their staff as well as check on the sizing of lines into interest areas. 4. COUNTY MANAGER'S REPORT John Link introduced three staff members from the Tax Collector's office and commended them for taking the necessary training to become certified assistant tax collectors. The three staff members are Valerie Curry, Bernice Gwyne, and Jennifer Blalock. John Link reported that today was the first day that solid waste operations operated under Orange County and he feels it was a smooth transition. 5. RESOLUTIONSIPROCLAMATIONS a. Proclamation for Armenian Martyrs Day. April 24. 2000 The Board considered proclaiming April 24, 2000 as Armenian Martyrs Day. Sheila O'Donnell, a representative from the Department of Human Rights and Relations, said that Armenians have traditionally designated this date to remember and honor the victims of the Armenian genocide that took place between 1915 and 1923. Commissioner Halkiotis thanked the Department of Human Rights and Relations for doing this because his father left this situation before the genocide. A motion was made by Commissioner Halkiotis, seconded by Commissioner Gordon to approve and authorize the Chair to sign the proclamation as stated below: PROCLAMATION for ARMENIAN MARTYRS DAY APRIL 24, 2000 WHEREAS, between 1915-1923, the extermination of more than one and one- half million Armenians and the deportation of countless other Armenians took place by the Ottoman Turks; and WHEREAS, during this atrocity, Armenians were forced to witness the slaughter of their relatives and the loss of their ancestral homelands; and WHEREAS, Armenians assert that the government of modern-day Turkey refuses to recognize the facts of the genocide; and WHEREAS, the denial of the Armenian genocide by the present-day Turkish government serves to taint history and disavows Armenians of the right to their homeland and heritage; and WHEREAS, ancestral Armenian lands taken by the Ottoman Turks have not been returned to the Armenian people, nor have the Armenians received compensation for their losses; and WHEREAS, Armenians have traditionally designated April 24~" as ARMENIAN MARTYRS DAY, in recognition and remembrance of those who died during the Armenian genocide; and WHEREAS, it is important to remember history so that mistakes of the past are not repeated in future generations; NOW, THEREFORE, do we, the Commissioners of Orange County, proclaim April 24, 2000 as ARMENIAN MARTYRS DAY and commend this observance to all Orange County citizens. VOTE: UNANIMOUS b. Proclamation for Fair Hausing Month, April, 2aaa The Board considered proclaiming April as Fair Housing Month. Sheila O'Donnell from the Department of Human Rights and Relations presented this proclamation. She said that 32 years ago this month, congress passed the Federal Fair Housing Act and the Orange County ordinance mirrors this act. The purpose of these laws is to ensure equal housing opportunities to everyone regardless of race, color, national origin, disability, etc. A motion was made by Commissioner Gordon, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to approve and authorize the Chair to sign the proclamation as stated below: PROCLAMATION FAIR HOUSING MONTH WHEREAS, April, 2000 marks the thirty-second anniversary of Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, the Federal Fair Housing Act, which provides far equal opportunity for all people in the sale, rental, and financing of housing, and prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, or national origin; and WHEREAS, the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 added familial status and handicap to those classes protected by Title VIII and added strong new rights, remedies, monetary penalties, and judicial and administrative enforcement procedures; and WHEREAS, the Orange County Board of Commissioners enacted the Orange County Civil Rights Ordinance on June 6, 1994, which affords to the residents of Orange County the protections guaranteed by Title VIII and additionally encompasses the protected classes of veteran status and age; and WHEREAS, in spite of the protections afforded by the Orange County Civil Rights Ordinance and Title VIII as amended, illegal hauling discrimination still occurs in our nation and in our county; NOW, THEREFORE, do we, the Commissioners of Orange County, proclaim April, 2000 as FAIR HOUSING DAY and commend this observance to all Orange County citizens. VOTE: UNANIMOUS 6. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS -NONE 7. PUBLIC HEARINGS a. 2000-2010 Capital Investment Plan Public Hearina The Board held a public hearing on the proposed 2000-2010 Capital Investment Plan. Jahn Link summarized the major points of the 2000-2010 CIP. This plan is a ten-year plan that totals almost 225 million dollars. Of the 225 million dollars, there is 153 million dollars for school projects and 71 million dollars for County projects. It addresses the mast important facility, equipment and property concerns for both school and County functions. He gave an update on the school projects saying that both of the districts are addressing needs of the older schools. Two new projects were added this past fall -the expansion of East Chapel Hill High School and the Scroggs Elementary School. There are also three schools being constructed -Pathways Elementary Schoal (Orange), Orange County High Schoal (Orange), and the Smith Middle Schoal (Chapel HilllCarrboro). In the past three months, the County has addressed three affordable hauling prajects funded through previous bond funds. He pointed out the recent purchase of the Duke Forest property. The County is also moving forward with the necessary renovations at the Whitted and Northern Human Services Centers. The County Commissioners will have an opportunity at the work session next Monday evening to further refine and clarify issues and expectations related to capital projects. Regarding future needs, the Chapel Hill/Carrboro City school system has indicated the need for a new elementary school around 2003-2004. The two school systems also indicated the need far more school sites. The Orange County school system has also indicated the need for a new middle school in the near future. John Link said that after tonight, the County Commissioners will hold a work session on April 24t" and will make same decisions as to the CIP on Tuesday, May 9t". He painted out that the entire CIP is on the Internet at ~~~ww.co.oran~e.nc.uslbudtet/cip.htm. There were no questions ar comments from the public. 8. ITEMS FOR DECISION -CONSENT AGENDA A motion was made by Commissioner Halkiotis, seconded by Commissioner Gordon to approve those items on the consent agenda as stated below: a. Appointments This item was removed and placed at the end of the consent agenda. b. Minutes The Board approved the minutes from the following meetings: Dec. 7, 1999 regular meeting; Jan. 24, 2000 meeting with the town of Mebane; Jan. 31 meeting with the town of Hillsborough and March 14, 2000 regular meeting. c. Bid Award -Utility Body Mounted on Cutaway Van for EMS The Board awarded a bid to Don Lacefield Chevrolet of Hillsborough in the amount of $27,123.56 for a utility body van to be used in fire investigations. d. Property Tax Refunds This item was removed and placed at the end of the consent agenda. e. Property Value Changes This item was removed and placed at the end of the consent agenda. f. Renewal of State Consolidated Contract with Health Department The Board renewed and authorized the Chair to sign a contract with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services in the amount of $457,813 to assist Orange County in providing mandated services. g_ Exercise of Lease Option -112 N. Churton St., Hillsborough The Board exercised an option to renew a lease far offices of the Clerk of Court at 112 N. Churton St. for the period July 1, 2000-June 30, 2003, in the amount of $165,736 over the lease term and authorized the Chair to sign. h. Revisions to the Voluntary Farmland Preservation Program (VFPP) Ordinance This item was removed and placed at the end of the consent agenda. i. Acquisition of Register of Deeds Imaging System The Board approved agreements for acquisition and implementation of imaging and retrieval software for the Register of Deeds office. L Purchase of Laptop Computers This item was removed and placed at the end of the consent agenda. k. Petition for Addition of Elizabeth Walters Road to the State Maintenance Program The Board approved a petition from NCDOT for the addition of Elizabeth Walters Road in Hannah Creek subdivision, Cedar Grove township, to the state-maintained secondary road system . I. NCDOT Petitions for Addition of Realigned Segments of four Roads to the State of-way Alignments of same four Roads to Property Owners The Board approved a petition by NCDOT to add realigned segments of four roads to the state-maintained secondary road system and the abandonment or maintenancelreturn of the old road segments to property owners. m. Program Agreement - OrangelChatham Opportunities ilntensive Services) The Board approved the receipt of approximately $9,185 for Orange-Chatham Opportunities Intensive Services. VOTE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA: UNANIMOUS ITEMS REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA a. Appointments The Board considered appointments to the Adult Care Home Cammunity Advisory Committee; Cable TV Advisory Committee; Carrboro Planning Board; Commission for Women; Community College Task Farce; Human Services Advisory Commission; Nursing Hame Community Advisory Committee; and, Chapel HilUOrange County Visitors Bureau. Commissioner Brown requested that the appointments for the Carrboro Planning Board be postponed to allow additional time for recruitment of more applications. A motion was made by Commissioner Brown, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to approve the following appointments: Tracy Diefenderfer was appointed to the Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee far the term ending April 6, 2002. John Gilbert was appointed to the Cable TV Advisory Committee far the term ending December 31, 2001. Jacqueline Philips and Amy Adams were appointed to the Commission for Women for the term ending June 30, 2001 and Tarsha Marcel Franklin and Terry B. Hill for the term ending June 30, 2002. Jacqueline Philips was moved from position number 18 {at-large} to position number 5 (non-Ch/non-Hillsborough Township), and Terry B. Hill was appointed to position number 18 (at- large}. Dorothy Pennell was appointed to the Cammunity College Task Farce for the Employment Security Commission as anon-resident consultant. Rosetta Wash was moved from position 16 (at-large) to position 2 (Interfaith Council) of the Human Services Advisory Commission because Natalie Ammarell resigned. This is for the unexpired term ending March 31, 2002. Marvin Block and Rebecca Young were also appointed to the Human Services Advisory Commission for the term ending March 31, 2003. Sheila M. White, Alice Woodbury, and Anilizabeth Fearringtan were appointed to the Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee for the term ending April 17, 2001; Margaret F. Hudson and Aurora Hoobler for the term ending January 19, 2003; and Patricia S. Earnhardt for the term ending March 3, 2003. Ann Laeb was appointed to the Visitors Bureau -Chapel HilllOrange County for the term ending December 31, 2002; Frances Dancy for the term ending December 31, 2001; and Robert Rudolph for the term ending December 31, 2000. VOTE: UNANIMOUS d. Property Tax Refunds The Board considered seven requests for property tax refunds. Commissioner Jacobs asked why the Property Tax Commission reduced Wal-Mart's taxes. Tax Assessor John Smith said that Wal-Mart had an appraisal on that property and an adjustment was made based an the new appraisal. A motion was made by Commissioner Halkiotis, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs to approve seven requests for property tax refunds in accordance with the resolution that is incorporated herein by reference. VOTE: UNANIMOUS e. Property Value Changes The Board considered property value changes for 1999 after the 1999 Board of Equalization and Review had adjourned. Commissioner Gordon asked how the assessed value for Scotland Estates was reduced to $342,180. She would like to know how the values are determined. Tax Assessor John Smith said that any adjustment that is made for incompletion automatically comes off at the end of the year. He said that effective January 1, 2001 all of the adjustments will come off. Commissioner Gordan verified that there was a system in place to check for when the subdivision was completed. A motion was made by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to approve the property value changes for Scotland Estates in accordance with the resolution that is incorporated herein by reference. VOTE: UNANIMOUS h. Revisions to the Voluntary Farmland Preservation Praaram 1VFPP1 Ordinance The Board considered revisions to the Voluntary Farmland Preservation Program (VFPP) Ordinance. Commissioner Gordan said that on page three it indicates that there will be seven at- large members and seven members from agricultural districts. She asked if mast of these districts had only one representative who qualified. Dave Stancil said that each district had at least one who would be qualified. He said that there was a statutory requirement that each district must have a seat. Commissioner Gordon made reference to page four and the tenure for the members. She asked if this was saying that the County's policy on term limits does not apply here. Dave Stancil said that the term limits would not apply here if there was only one person in the district who was qualified to serve. Commissioner Brown clarified that in an agricultural district, if there were only one farm owner in the district then that person would serve on a continuous basis. However, if there were more than one, the County Commissioners would make the appointment. A motion was made by Commissioner Brown, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs to approve revisions to the Voluntary Farmland Preservation Program Ordinance. VOTE: UNANIMOUS L Purchase of Laptop Computers The Board considered purchasing three laptop computers at a cost of $2,802 each. Commissioner Jacobs said that this was a good idea to have laptop computers for the Commissioners, but he feels that the proposal should be developed further. Commissioner Halkiotis said that he feels he will not use the desktop if he also has a laptop. He agrees that the Commissioners should not have both a desktop and a laptop. He agrees that the paper that is produced needs to be decreased. Commissioner Gordon said that she is not sure about the reliability of laptops. Chair Carey said that he would like to continue with this item. He said that the Board agreed to take action to reduce the amount of paper produced and now everyone is reluctant to do anything. He thinks each Commissioner should decide whether he ar she would like to proceed with the use of laptop computers. Commissioner Brawn feels that it is an individual choice to have a laptop. She is not interested in having one. A motion was made by Commissioner Halkiotis, seconded by Chair Carey to purchase three laptop computers at a cost of $2,802 each. Commissioner Jacobs said that he was not saying that people should not have laptops or that it would not be a more efficient way to do things. He was just saying that there should be some sort of plan. VOTE: AYES, 4; NO, 1 (Commissioner Jacobs) 9. ITEMS FOR DECISION -REGULAR AGENDA a. Contract with OWASA to Extend Water Main Lines to the Historic Rogers Road Neighborhood The Board considered approving a contract with OWASA to construct waterline extensions to designated properties in the historic Rogers Road neighborhood. John Link said that he is pleased to bring forward a contract between the Orange Water and Sewer Authority and the County whereby water lines could be extended to serve the designated properties of the historic Rogers Road neighborhood. The governing boards from all member governments of the landfill owners group approved a series of benefits to be provided to the neighbors, and these benefits were to be carried out by the interlacal agreement through Orange County. In November, the process of installing these watermain lines was brought to the Commissioners. He said that OWASA has been very cooperative and has indicated an aggressive timeline to get the main water lines put in. County Engineer Paul Thames summarized the contract. He said that OWASA would handle all phases to include the acquisition of the consulting engineer to do the design work, to put the project out for bids, to manage the project, and to inspect the project. OWASA will pay the bills initially and will bill the County on a monthly basis. The total project cost is estimated to be approximately $550,000 with about $16,000 for OWASA's administrative overhead costs, $30,000- 35,000 far engineering services and easement acquisition and $500,000 for construction costs. It is estimated that the project will be finished within a year from the approval of the contract. John Link pointed out that the funding for this project comes from the landfill owners group. Commissioner Gordon asked about a plan for connections to the homes along this waterline. John Link said that one of the alternatives would be to use sales tax revenue from each jurisdiction although that suggestion has not been well received by the other jurisdictions. Another alternative would be to have the County Commissioners establish an availability fee, which would be charged to each taxpayer in the County. Another alternative would be to establish a district tax. These alternatives will come back to the County Commissioners for a decision. Commissioner Gordon made reference to the memo from Paul Thames, an page 3 in the second paragraph where it says, "It does not provide for a sharing of project costs with potential project beneficiaries living outside the target neighborhood. This might be accomplished through an assessment process." She asked to what he was referring. Paul Thames said that there are same properties beyond the northwest terminus of the 12-inch borderline dawn Rogers Raad, which is a neighborhood of fairly expensive houses, on wells and septic tanks. The people in that neighborhood could ask that OWASA extend the waterline to serve them as well. In an assessment project they would be assessed a portion of the complete cost. If that happened there would be a slight cost savings to the County. Commissioner Brown made reference to page six and asked about the estimated cost of design, easement and construction and how the cost of easements would be broken down. Paul Thames said that there would not be a purchase of easements but a cost associated with identifying, surveying, and locating these easements. Commissioner Brown made reference to Sandburg Lane and Hated that the price for these 8 lots is $43,000, so automatically these eight lots have an additional $5,000 value to their property. Paul Thames said that this project captures the installation of the mains in the street and a service line going out to a meter, which sits right at the property line. The additional plumbing costs involve connecting from the house to the meter. It is up to the County to determine if those connections from the meter to the house are going to be paid for out of public funds ar by the homeowners. Commissioner Brown questioned why the County would pay for connections to rental houses. She made reference to Edgar Road and asked about the 14 lots that were not developed and if there would be any way to recoup the cast to the LOG for extending the line. Paul Thames said that sometimes there is a way to recoup the cost to the LOG through an agreement between the utility and the developer. He said that this type of agreement could be made with OWASA and the County if it became necessary. Commissioner Brown said that she feels that the County should be reimbursed for future hookups to this line. She feels that the public's money should be protected. Commissioner Jacobs said that this is a project he is glad the County is doing. He agrees that the County should be responsible in the manner public funds are used. Commissioner Brawn made reference to Sandburg Lane where the homes were built after the landfill was opened. She asked if any of the newer houses an Sandburg Lane had water problems. Paul Thames said that the new well standards are in effect on all of the houses on Sandburg Lane. Commissioner Halkiotis said that he and Commissioner Jacobs were part of the subgroup that had numerous meetings and was chaired by Kevin Foy from the Chapel Hill Town Council. The issue of not unnecessarily creating a situation where the improvement and the quality of life so enhanced the property value that some people renting would suddenly be facing higher rents was a concern that was discussed at two or three meetings. He said that they would rather get the water extended and deal with the issues later. He said that he visited Bonnie Norwood in her mobile home a couple of years ago and spoke to a couple of her neighbors. He said that several of the residents on Sandburg Lane were having problems with their water. He supports moving ahead with this project. A motion was made by Commissioner Halkiotis, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs to approve the contract between OWASA and Orange County and authorize the Chair to sign, subject to final review by staff and the County Attorney. This is contingent upon an amendment coming back including a contribution of the costs from future developments along the 12-inch waterline. VOTE: UNANIMOUS b. Hillsborough Court Campus Master Plan The Board considered the draft Hillsborough Court Campus Master Plan. Chair Carey welcomed Mayor Horace Johnson and asked that he make comments on these proposals. Chair Carey said that if, for any reason, the Mayor's entire board was not notified of this matter being on the agenda tonight, he would like to apologize for that. Director of Central Stores and Purchasing Pam Jones said that this plan is a culmination of many years of work. She introduced some of the members of the committee, which includes Clerk of Courts Joan Terry, Superior Court Judge Wade Barber, and District Court Judge Joe Buckner. The Sheriff and the District Attorney also served on this committee. As of Friday, the 15b Bar President is a member of the committee and has provided some input. Pam Jones said that this has been a cooperative effort among all of the court officials. The rise in the caseload continues to increase to where the need for space can no longer be ignored. In preparation for the addition of court facilities, the Board asked in September of last year, for the staff to prepare an analysis of the Hillsborough court campus and to define how much build out could be experienced on this site. The area of study goes from the courthouse to the Government Services building. She introduced Alone Baldwin with Freeman White Architects who will present the findings of the analysis. He will give two options for the site. She said that the funds for a portion of the design fees for phase 1 are included in the 2000-2010 CIP. The staff is asking that the Board allow staff to solicit far an architect after July 1St if the funds are approved. Alone Baldwin said that the three things that the architects looked at were the construction that is possible an the site, the parking, and increasing the level of security with respect to the entire campus. He summarized some issues that were driving the master plan. One of the issues is the subsurface sail condition of the site. Another issue is the high water table, which fluctuates seasonally from 3.5 to 14 feet. He then explained the first option for the master plan. Option A is a linear development recommending a single point of entry for all access and egress to the building. Each one of the additions is four levels. The lower level would be for secured parking and the upper three levels would be for program space. He said that the historic ordinance would require a sensitivity with respect to the architecture which is a constraint. Chair Carey asked about the controlled entry and Alone Baldwin said that one entry would minimize the number of staff and the control points throughout the structure. Alone Baldwin said that in each of the additions, the footprints are 10,000 square feet. Each structure would be 24,000 square feet, not including the parking on the first level. Commissioner Halkiotis asked if it was noted for the successful completion of Phase 1, that the Sheriff's department would be moving to the new building, and the Sheriffs building would be demolished. Alone Baldwin said yes, after Phase 1, the Sheriff's building would be demolished. Commissioner Gordon clarified that Phase 1 in option A would have secured parking in the bottom level and then there would be three levels of program space. She asked how far the building was from the street and how much taller the building was than the existing courthouse. Alone Baldwin said that the buildings would be approximately nine feet higher than the existing courthouse. He said that the distance from the building to the street is exactly the same as the existing structure on the corner of East Margaret Lane and Churton Street. Commissioner Brown questioned that there was only one access point into the building because it was so long. She would rather have two secure access paints. Alone Baldwin said that another access point could be developed after the second phase, but it would require mare program space and more staff. Qiscussion ensued about who would occupy the new buildings. Commissioner Brown said that she would like for County resources to ga toward other buildings besides the jail and court system. Also, she would like to see how this fits in with the County space study. John Link said that he believes that the space needs of other County functions would converge with the court campus space study. Commissioner Halkiotis said that the County has never spent more than three or four million dollars in building a facility strictly for County government other than schools. He mentioned that there would be a causeway that would run the length to the single port of entry. He said that it might be time to look at doing a traffic study and make East Margaret Lane and East King Street one way streets because the traffic is horrendous. Commissioner Jacobs asked about a portion of the park that is being used for parking. Alone Baldwin said that the reason for taking this additional space of the park was to allow for circulation and access to Churton Street. He said that this space did not necessarily have to be included. Commissioner Jacobs asked about the archeological analysis. Pam Jones said that the staff was tasked with defining the constraints of the site. She said that the archeological issues would be in the next phase. The first analysis was to determine if the soils would support the buildings. Commissioner Jacobs asked if there was any consideration given to an underground access from the jail to the Sheriff and Mr. Baldwin said yes. Commissioner Jacobs verified that the dimensions of the parking for option A would be 120' X 200'. He made reference to a new robotic parking system that has just started in the United States that would accommodate more cars but would require higher buildings. Commissioner Jacobs asked about the $5 million cost per phase and said that different programmable space would have different cast implications. Alone Baldwin said that they averaged out the cost on asquare-foot basis. Commissioner Jacobs asked that this presentation be made to the Hillsborough Tawn Board. Chair Carey said that he would be opposed to going higher than four stories. He asked if using the technology as suggested by Commissioner Jacobs could accommodate more cars, and Mr. Baldwin said yes. Commissioner Gordon said that she feels that the County should get input from Hillsborough on this project. She is concerned about the massive nature of the project. She made reference to the overflow of the Hillsborough campus in Chapel Hill. She asked to see a copy of the 1995 space study report and for information an haw this project fits in with the Chapel Hill facilities. She asked about enabling legislation and information an what has to be provided in the county seat and what could go in Chapel Hill. Judge Joe Buckner said that in GS 7A-42, it sets out specifically the statutory authority of functions. The Clerk of Court and the records are all to be kept in the County seat. There is a permissive act in 7A-Article 13 that allows establishment of satellite courts. Chapel Hill is designated as a satellite court. Commissioner Gordon asked if there was a comprehensive plan of what would be appropriate for Chapel Hill because Hillsborough is running out of roam. She asked for information on what other auxiliary services would be permitted in Chapel Hill. Judge Joe Buckner said that he would not know exactly what functions the legislature would give the court. He said that by building out in phases, they would be able to meet the needs that the legislature says are court responsibilities. He said that at some point Orange County would have to stop growing and the cases would not grow exponentially. Pam Janes said that the Chapel Hill part would be available within the next few months as the current space study and the space study from 1995 are merged. John Link said that phase one would have to include the Sheriff and the Clerk of Court. This would allow the Clerk of Courts staff to be moved from rental space back to the courthouse area. He said that the positive aspect of this plan is that it can be done in phases. He asked if the Board of County Commissioners had enough information to approve moving ahead with hiring an architect. Commissioner Halkiotis said that this project now needs to blend in with the space study group. He said that this was a wonderful opportunity to work with Hillsborough to see what can be done with parking. Commissioner Brown said that she likes this plan. She asked, as this is merged with the space study group, if the actual design of the first phase would begin. Pam Jones said that the first phase would only take people from the rented space at the Hillsborough Savings and Loan, which would be the Clerk of Court and the Sheriff. Commissioner Gordon said that she supports Option "A" although she feels that the buildings might be a little too close to the street. Chair Carey said that he hears that the staff is asking the Board to adopt a plan in concept and not specifically A or B. After Hillsborough has been allowed to comment on it, then a specific plan will be adopted. John Link recommended that this presentation be made to the Town of Hillsborough to solicit their response. Also, he recommended getting some input from Chapel Hill about the courtroom there and asked that the staff solicit from the Board the ideas and concerns about what the architect would need to address. Commissioner Jacobs said that he would like to have further discussion an the height of the buildings and what other counties have done. Commissioner Brown would like to know more about the daylight piece. Commissioner Halkiotis would like to know where the space study group stands. He does not feel comfortable with starting the architectural selection process when there has not been sufficient discussion with the County Commissioners and with Hillsborough. He would like to have the project endorsed in concept. A motion was made by Commissioner Gordon, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to endorse the broad, general Hillsborough Court Campus Master Plan in concept. Commissioner Gordon said that the space survey is taking such a long time because Pam Janes is doing it herself. She would like to spend some money to hire some help for Pam Jones. A recommendation to hire some help far the space study will be brought forward. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Horace Johnson, Mayor of Hillsborough, said that he was looking forward to talking about this plan. He mentioned the height ordinance and the parking situation in Hillsborough. c. School Funding Options Task Force Report The Board will hear the draft report of the School Funding Options Task Farce on April 24`". d. Joint Master Recreation and Parks Work Group Report The Board will consider the Joint Master Recreation and Parks Work Group Report at the next regular meeting. e. Approval of Capital Project Ordinances for Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools The Board will consider capital project ordinances for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools on April 24`" 10. REPORTS -NONE 11. APPOINTMENTS -NONE 12. MINUTES- NONE 13. CLOSED SESSION The Board was "To discuss the County's position and to instruct the County Manager and County Attorney on the negotiating position regarding the terms of a contract to purchase real property," NCGS § 143-31$.11(a)(5) and "To consider the qualifications, competence, performance, character, fitness, conditions of appointment, or conditions of initial employment of an individual public officer or employee or prospective public officer or employee;" NCGS § 143- 318.11(a)(6}. This item was postponed to a future meeting. 14. ADJOURNMENT With no further items for the County Commissioners to consider, a motion was made by Commissioner Halkiotis, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs to adjourn the meeting at 10:30 p.m. VOTE: UNANIMOUS The next meeting listed on the regular meeting calendar will be held an Monday, April 24, 2000 at 7:30 p.m. in the Government Services Center in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Moses Carey, Jr., Chair Beverly A. Blythe, Clerk