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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 04-24-2000APPROVED 4/3/2001 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION APRIL 24, 2000 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a work session on Monday, April 24, 2000 at 7:30 p.m. in the meeting room of the Government Services Center in Hillsborough, 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. APPROVAL OF REVISID LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE PROCESS AND PROPOSED CALENDAR Commissioner Gordon made reference to the top of page 7 that reads, "As the session continues, the Assistant to the Manager will follow the committees' schedule regarding the discussion of items and inform the designatedtappropriate Board member(s) and/or all Board members as well as the County Manager and County Attorney of those committee discussion times." Commissioner Gordan said that she feels that all County Commissioners should be informed. Commissioner Jacobs said that there was no reference to the two County Commissioners who made up the legislative committee. He feels it easier to use a committee approach to keep informed of legislative issues. Commissioner Halkiotis asked about the method that will be used to inform the Board members, and Commissioner Jacobs said that he has requested that emails be sent. Cammissianer Brown said that she would like to get a telephone call. John Link recommended that the Commissioners be informed by either fax or email. He said that a telephone call could be made if there was some immediate deadline. Chair Carey suggested that the Board indicate to the staff how each wants to receive this information. Commissioner Jacobs requested that Greg Wilder find out what the legislative agendas are far Chapel Hill, Carrbora, Hillsborough, and the school systems. Commissioner Jacobs and Commissioner Halkiotis have a luncheon on May 2nd to talk about getting the Innovation and Efficiency Committee together and also to talk about the legislative agenda. Commissioner Gordon feels it would be helpful to let Triangle J Council of Governments know about the Commissioners' legislative initiatives. Cammissianer Halkiotis feels that a recommendation should be brought back to this group to start this process a lot earlier, like in January. Chair Carey said that since next year will be a long session that the County Commissioners need to start thinking about the legislative initiatives in October. A motion was made by Commissioner Gordon, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to approve the draft Orange County Plan for an Effective Legislative and Lobbying Campaign for the 2000 North Carolina General Assembly Session document as amended. VOTE: UNANIMOUS A revised copy of this document will be distributed. 2. APPROVAL OF CAPITAL PROJECT ORDINANCES FOR CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO CITY SCHOOLS John Link said that this item which was carried forward from another meeting is to approve additional funds to address the school renovation projects and additional funds to address the site development necessary for the Smith Middle School. Some of the funding will come from savings realized from the Scroggs Elementary School. Budget Director Donna Dean clarified that funding far the Glenwood Elementary School would come from savings at the Scroggs Elementary School. These renovations would include the replacement of exterior doors and hardware. She said that there was a timing issue with Glenwood in that it would be done during the summer months. The proposal is to appropriate $77,000 in contingency to allow the school system to act expeditiously on the renovation projects. The other project in this proposal is the Smith Middle School K-12 campus. She said that this plan has changed significantly from the original plan. The Chapel Hill/Carrboro City Schools are asking for an additional 1.2 million dollars for Smith Middle School. Commissioner Halkiotis said that it is really important that the school systems look ahead with regard to HVAC for some of the oldest buildings in both school systems. HVAC systems are expensive and he feels that the County Commissioners should be looking at this. He asked about the playground and it was verified that there would be new playground equipment at the Smith Middle School. Commissioner Brown asked about the relationship between the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School system and the School of Education at UNC-Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board Superintendent Neil Pedersen said that there would be a comprehensive report coming out in June that would define this relationship in more detail. In terms of a facility, the school system is going to be leasing property from the University in exchange for 2,000 square feet of office space far the University. The University will be using the school system's facility after hours to conduct classes. Cammissianer Brawn asked that Neil Pedersen do a presentation at some time in the future on the Smith Elementary School. Commissioner Jacobs asked what type of groundcover would be used on the playground and Assistant Superintendent Bill Mullins said that wood chips would be used. Commissioner Jacobs asked that the school contact Orange County recycling for wood chips. Cammissianer Brawn feels that the County Commissioners need to sit down with the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board and the Carrboro Board of Aldermen to talk about parks. She suggested sending a letter to set up a meeting. John Link said that so far the grading and the initial development of the ground for the park has been funded by Carrboro and the County. Phase 2 is yet to be defined. Commissioner Gordon said that the County Commissioners have asked that Carrboro give a written report on the use of one of the fields located at Smith Elementary School. Chair Carey said that the Commissioners could ask Carrboro to clarify in writing their plan for using these fields before a meeting is planned. Beverly Blythe will look in the minute indexing for when the presentation of the park design by Aldermen Allen Spalt and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board member Nick Didow was presented. The Schools and Land Use Council will be asked to discuss this issue. A motion was made by Commissioner Gordon, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to approve the capital project ordinances for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools as incorporated herein by reference. VOTE: UNANIMOUS John Link said that he would communicate to the Carrboro Town Manager that the Commissioners would like to get an update on the plans and that those plans would be shared at the Schools and Land Use Council far discussion. 3. CLARIFICATION ON COUNTY POLICY FOR PLANNING AND FUNDING OF SCHOOL CAPITAL PROJECTS John Link summarized the information in the agenda abstract. He said that the Commissioners' comments have been incorporated into this second draft. He said that the staff focused on level 2 projects, which are major projects that require several phases to complete. Commissioner Gordon noted that she feels there should be an opportunity far the two school Systems to give the County Commissioners feedback on this policy. She feels this policy might be a surprise to the two school systems. John Link said that he did share a copy of this policy with each school superintendent last Thursday. He feels that seeking feedback from the two school systems is very important. Commissioner Brown said that she hopes that this policy will improve the timing of projects. Commissioner Halkiotis agrees that this policy is pulling together all that has happened the last few years. He feels that decisions need to be made way in advance if there is to be any community use of school facilities. He said that this policy addresses concerns of environmental issues. Commissioner Jacobs agrees that this policy needs to have input from the two school systems. He suggested submitting the policy to the school systems and bringing it back to the Commissioners when the feedback is received. He feels there is a lack of communication between the two school systems and the County Commissioners. He hopes that the Schools and Land Use Council will add environmental standards to the school standards already adopted. He asked if the agreement for ca-location of facilities could be added to this item, and John Link said yes. Commissioner Brown made reference to the standards as they relate to an evaluation process that is ongoing. She would like for the schools to be evaluated on a continual basis. Commissioner Jacobs made reference to site selection for when a developer is offering a site and the school system is not responding. Commissioner Gordon made reference to page 5 where it says "Appoint, by majority vote of the Board, either a Commissioner representative and one staff representative, or two staff representatives, to partner with the school system as the plans develop." Also, on page 3 it is exactly an analogous situation where it says, "Upon receipt of the Board of Education's notification, the Commissioners will appoint, by a majority vote of the Board, a representative to work directly with the Board of Education." She asked if when the Board of Education is working on selecting a site, if Board of Education members are directly involved. Elizabeth Williams, Chair of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board, said that the staff keeps them informed as necessary. Superintendent Neil Pedersen said that with regard to sites, there have been committees that have identified potential sites and all of those have been presented to the Board. With regard to building and design, the Board of Education members are not directly involved. Commissioner Halkiotis made reference to the selection of sites and said that when buildings are built in wet areas, there are continuous problems. He feels that the County Engineer should be involved in looking at sites for schools. Commissioner Brown said that she feels that the County Commissioners could help in school development from siting through development of the facility. She hopes that this document will help facilitate that process. Chair Carey summarized the changes that need to be made in the document. On page 3 and page 5, the appointment of a representative is not consistent; the Planning Department's involvement in the school siting process; an evaluation process for after school programs and involving the County Engineer in the siting process. He was told that the policy will be shared with the two school boards before it is finalized. John Link said that he would add toward the end of page six that what has already been built will be reviewed and evaluated to determine if the standards were met. The policy will also address an evaluation of after hour uses of Schaal facilities. The Board agreed that this would be revised and circulated to the County Commissioners for comments and then forwarded to the two school boards. John Link said that the revisions would be circulated to the County Commissioners within the next 8 to 10 working days for comment. He will share the same draft with the school superintendents. 4. SCHOOL FUNDING OPTIONS TASK FORCE REPORT Chair Carey made reference to the letters included in the agenda abstract from Nick Didow, Vice Chair of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Board of Education and Susan Halkiotis, Chair of the Orange County Board of Education. He asked for feedback from the County Commissioners on the draft report from the School Funding Options Task Farce. Commissioner Gordon said that both Boards of Education expressed concerns about separating capital and operating budgets. She asked how this concern was going to be addressed. Chair Carey said that this was discussed and there were strong feelings both ways, separating the two budgets or combining capital and operating budgets. The preliminary decision of the two County Commissioners who participated on this committee was to consider these two budgets together. He feels it would be difficult to separate the capital and operating budgets because of the impact on the County's budget. Commissioner Gordon asked how the Board would address the bond referendum. She asked if the bond referendum would be put in a separate category. She asked if the spending from the bond monies would be treated any differently. Chair Carey said that when voters approve a bond, he is not sure if the voters assume that their taxes will be increased. Commissioner Halkiotis said that in 1988, 1992, and 1997, the majority of the people in this County showed their support for the bond issues. He feels that the County Commissioners need a plan for facilities from now to 2025. He said that old buildings require more maintenance and cost more money. There was also bond money for technology that was approved. He said that it is very expensive to keep up with the technology in the schools. He said that the schools do not need any more mandates put on them. He feels that the per-pupil funding should be based on how many students shave up and not on projections. He asked that the County Commissioners take into consideration the technology casts that the schools are experiencing. Chair Carey made reference to the benchmarks on the bottom of page 5 and the top of page 6, which is the foundation for any final recommendations from the Draft Report. The process calls on the Board to finalize the recommendations tonight and adapt the plan on May 3rd. Commissioner Gordon said that she feels that both school systems are worried about the separation of operating and capital budgets and addressing mandates. John Link said that whatever recommendations are made to the Boards of Education should be straightforward so that the citizens and the school boards know what is expected. A final recommendation on the School Funding Options Task Force Report will be brought back at the May 3rd meeting. 5. INSTRUCTIONS Tc_) COUNTY 11dANAGER REGARDING PREPARATION OF PROPOSED 2000-2001 FISCAL YE.aR BUDGET Chair Carey suggested that the budget be presented with no tax increase, none-cent increase, atwo-cent increase, and athree-cent increase. Commissioner Jacobs asked for additional information on how these scenarios could be achieved. He made reference to the fee schedule of the Planning Department. Chair Carey made reference to his suggestion that a committee do a comprehensive study of the level of library services the County Commissioners want to offer the citizens in Orange County before the County Commissioners consider expansion of existing services. He said that if the Board agrees with this, a proposed charge and composition will come back to the County Commissioners next month. Commissioner Halkiotis said that he agrees with the suggestion of doing a comprehensive study of library services. Cammissianer Gordan agreed with setting up this committee but feels that there should be increases for existing facilities. Commissioner Brown agrees with doing a comprehensive study. She feels that additional funding far libraries should come from the State. She made reference to the equity issue that is reported each year by the Chapel Hill Library and the fact that it is not constructive. John Link said that two elective items that the County Commissioners fund each year are libraries and recreation. However, the County Commissioners are not mandated to fund either one. Chair Carey mentioned that there was not as much of a demand for libraries because of the Internet. He thinks the Commissioners should set a standard for this type of funding. Commissioner Gordan said that she was feeling a lot of pressure from citizens for funding of libraries and it is not even a core County function. Cammissianer Jacobs said that there was a consensus of the Board to look at an expected level of service for both libraries and recreation and that he would be willing to work on this Board. He asked that comments submitted by the County Commissioners last year on the budget process be returned to them. Also, he wants to be sure that news releases go out about the budget meetings. John Link made reference to the housing trust fund and said that he would try to incorporate some appropriation to that fund. Chair Carey said that he suggested a specific appropriation far the housing trust fund of $200,000 a year until the vision and the County's role becomes clearer. There will be two task forces in place that will give recommendations to the County Commissioners. He feels that the County Commissioners should use the $200,000 figure as a starting point. Cammissianer Gordan wants to see how the housing trust fund plays out in the scenarios. She said that it is not a care County function either. She said that there are a lot of competing needs in the County. Commissioner Jacobs said he is not opposed to a specific amount of money but he is not sure if the money for affordable housing should include those things the County is already doing or far new initiatives. He needs additional information on what the County is doing at the present time far housing. He suggested allocating one cent aver athree-year period, which would be approximately $225,000 a year. He does not have enough information to set a specific amount. Chair Carey said that he sees the fact that there is not a comprehensive plan not as a deterrent for not setting aside an amount of money because ultimately the County Commissioners will decide how to spend the money. He also wants to know what the current expenditures are for affordable housing but not necessarily before he agrees to set aside an amount of money for this effort. Commissioner Halkiotis emphasized that the Orange County Board of Commissioners go beyond funding the core functions in County government. He agrees with setting aside some money for affordable housing. He agrees with Commissioner Brown's statement a few meetings ago that the County Commissioners should ask for proposals according to what the Board wants to see happen. Commissioner Brown said that she feels the County should put funds into affordable housing. She also feels that there are other ways to encourage affordable housing such as through the County's Zoning Ordinance. She feels the County Commissioners should look at how the money has been expended in the past. She asked about setting up a revolving account from the band monies. John Link said that the property tax money did not necessarily have to be used. He said that he would present several proposals on how to fund affordable housing. He said that using the sales tax would also be an option for funding affordable housing. Commissioner Brown feels that the municipalities should be a part of funding affordable housing and that there should be matching funds from the municipalities. Commissioner Jacobs asked for information on keeping Aging and Transportation under one Director and at what paint the County Commissioners would consider these two functions under two departments. John Link said that this would need in-depth study before a recommendation could be made. Regarding Environmental Health, Commissioner Jacobs asked that the staff look at some creative approaches to getting septic permits in a reasonable amount of time. He keeps getting phone calls from people who are dissatisfied because it takes an extended period of time to get septic permits. He would also like to know what other counties are doing in this area. Commissioner Gordon asked when she would get the information she requested about school capacity and affordable housing. Commissioner Halkiotis said that it was taking a long time to get the school capacity figures because it was very detailed information, and he is working on it. John Link said that the information on affordable housing should be available next week. 6. RECOMMENDED NEW POSITIONS AND CHANGES IN EXISTING POSITIONS This item was delayed until May 9` . Commissioner Brown said that she has a lot of questions about these new positions and how they address the goals of the Commissioners. John Link said that some of these requests are in response to services the County provides to the citizens of Orange County. He said that in some cases, the positions address mandates of the County. Commissioner Gordon said that there were not a lot of positions that address the goals of the Commissioners and she did not understand why that was. John Link said that there are situations that address what the state and federal law requires. He said that the goals of the Commissioners were being carried out by the existing staff. CLOSED SESSION A motion was made by Commissioner Halkiotis, seconded by Commissioner Gordon to ga into Closed Session "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 143-318.11(a)(5). VOTE: UNANIMOUS 8. ADJOURNMENT A motion was made by Commissioner Halkiotis, seconded by Commissioner Gordon to adjourn the meeting at 10:47 p.m. The next regular meeting will be held next Wednesday, May 3, 2000 at 7:30 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Moses Carey, Jr., Chair Beverly A. Blythe, Clerk