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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 02-05-2013 APPROVED 4/9/2013 MINUTES BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING February 5, 2013 7:00 p.m. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, February 5, 2103 at 7:00 p.m. at the DSS offices, in Hillsborough, N.C. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jacobs and Commissioners Mark Dorosin, Alice M. Gordon, Barry Jacobs, Earl McKee, Bernadette Pelissier, Renee Price and Penny Rich COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Frank Clifton, Assistant County Managers Michael Talbert, Clarence Grier and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (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. 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda Chair Jacobs went through the items at the County Commissioners' places - PowerPoint for Item 6-b regarding the Comprehensive Plan and Unified Development Ordinance Text Amendments and Zoning Atlas Amendments to Establish Two New Zoning Overlay Districts in the Efland Area - PowerPoint for Item 7-a regarding the Comprehensive Land Use Element Map and Zoning Atlas Amendments- Orange Alamance Line PUBLIC CHARGE The Board of Commissioners pledges to the residents of Orange County its respect. The Board asks its residents to conduct themselves in a respectful, courteous manner, both with the Board and with fellow residents. At any time should any member of the Board or any resident fail to observe this public charge, the Chair will ask the offending person to leave the meeting until that individual regains personal control. Should decorum fail to be restored, the Chair will recess the meeting until such time that a genuine commitment to this public charge is observed. All electronic devices such as cell phones, pagers, and computers should please be turned off or set to silent/vibrate. 2. Public Comments (Limited to One Hour) a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda Don O'Leary said that the social engineers of our time are using the same tactics as the social engineers leading Nazi German, the Soviet Union and China. He said that the environment, sustainable development, collectivism, and division are being used as tools to achieve tyranny. He stated his belief that the county is promoting the enemy, ICLEI, the UN and Agenda 21 through overregulation, unelected appointees, over taxation, land grabbing and wasteful spending. He said that this will contribute to the buildup of an overload to the system that could destroy the United States. He said that this is happening due to a lack of knowledge with regard to history. Valee Taylor introduced himself as the minority owner of Taylor Fish Farm. He asked the Board of County Commissioners to help incubate them at the Piedmont Food and Agricultural Processing Center (PFAP). He said the business can bring in 15 workers and when completed can employ up to 45 people. He said they are a local, home grown business in Cedar Grove and they need local jobs in their community. Economic downturn has hurt a lot of their businesses in their area. They are a sustainable business; they comply with the Clean Water Act; they are a value added commodity and they need some help. He said they are a part of the community and have been operating for four generations on the same land. He said that they want to be able to open up jobs to others through their tilapia business. Renee Stewart introduced herself as part owner in Taylor Fish Farm. She asked if their business follows all the procedures for PFAP, then can they use the facility as an incubator. b. Matters on the Printed Agenda (These matters were considered when the Board addressed that item on the agenda below.) 3. Petitions by Board Members (Three Minute Limit per Commissioner) Commissioner McKee petitioned the Board for staff to explore the possibilities of the Taylor's being able to work with PFAP and this was seconded by Commissioner Price. Commissioner Price noted that the Board heard about a solar project from the Commission for the Environment last week and the Commission for the Environment would like to know when the Board would be reviewing their request. Chair Jacobs referred this to agenda review. 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/ Special Presentations a. Orange County Arts Grant Recipients The Board presented checks to local artists and arts organizations receiving Fall 2012 Orange County Arts Grants. Martha Shannon said that 38 grant requests had been received. She said the Arts Commission awarded a total of over $26,749 in county funds for art projects proposed by 10 non-profits, 8 schools, and 2 individual artists. She gave an overview and some facts about the grants. She said that Orange County Arts Commission was created on February 4, 1985 as the local distributing agent in Orange County and to award state grassroots arts programming funding. She said that there is a request on the consent agenda to allow the Arts Commission to apply to the state for the 29th consecutive year as designated county partner in Orange County. She said that grants are awarded every six months, awarding state funds in spring and county funds in the fall. She said grants are awarded for high quality arts programming based on artistic merit and benefits to the citizens of Orange County. She noted that all applicants are funded at no more than 50% of their budget and that individual artists are paid only with county funds, not state. She said that 85-95% of grant funds are given to outside non-profits and the remaining funds are used to supplement the Arts Commission's own programs. She thanked the Commissioners for their continued support. Chair Jacobs announced the recipients and Commissioner McKee awarded the grant funds. February 5, 2013 List of the recipients: Grant Recipient: Attendees: Arts Center - Julie Tomkovick Botanical Garden Foundation, Inc./North Carolina Botanical Garden- Elisha Taylor Cedar Ridge High School - Janice Wereszczak Chapel Hill High School/Carrboro High School/Phoenix Academy Coalition- Michael Irwin Estes Hills Elementary School PTA - Meredith Lassiter Extraordinary Ventures - Cyndi Whisnant Franklin Street Arts Collective dba FRANK Gallery - Barbara Tyroler Friends of the Carrboro Branch Library - Nerys Levy Hillsborough Arts Council - Gail Cooley Michael Roy Layne dba Legacyworks - Michael Roy Layne McDougle Elementary School PTA - Michelle Nickerson McDougle Middle School PTA - Michelle Nickerson One Song Productions - Nell Ovitt & Taylor Norris Phillips Middle School PTSA - Lyn Billings SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals - Kirsten Beattie St. Joseph's Historic Foundation (fiscal agent for Sacrificial Poets) - Will McInerney, Kane Smego & CJ Suitt Mary Carter Taub - NOT AVAILABLE TONIGHT Town of Carrboro Arts Committee - Julie Tomkovick b. OWASA Annual Update Presentation The Board received a presentation and information from the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) on recent activities. OWASA Chair Alan Rimer made this presentation. He introduced Ed Kerwin, the Executive Director of OWASA and the Orange County representatives to OWASA, Terri Buckner and Michael Hughes. Alan Rimer noted that the annual report is included in the Commissioner's packet and he thanked Commissioner Rich, Commissioner Price and Commissioner Dorosin for attending a recent orientation. He said, in regard to Jordan Lake, as a utility, OWASA has made a tremendous effort at conserving water more than any other entity in N.C. He said there is a 50 year supply of water but until 2035 date passes, when the quarry supply can be tapped, there is still potential for vulnerability. As a result, a request has been made to move to a level one allocation for Jordan Lake, which would give access to the water. He said that Cary and Durham specified that, under condition of drought, access to that water might not be available without the level one, which gives OWASA a piece of that pie. He said the Drought Response Operating Protocol (DROP) was recently passed, which provides an opportunity for OWASA, at stage one, to make a decision whether or not they will need Jordan Lake when reservoirs are dropping and demand reaches certain levels. He referenced a note from Michael Hughes stating that Wichita is in a Stage 3 shortage. Alan Rimer said, in reference to the Rogers Road area, OWASA has acted as a resource for this project and has provided answers as needed. He said this cooperation will continue. Commissioner Gordon referenced the DROP, page 10 under#4, and she asked about page 3, which stated that Orange County and Hillsborough did approve it but Chapel Hill and Carrboro did not. She questioned whether the DROP wording addresses concerns for both jurisdictions. She said her other question is on the top of page 7, regarding Level One allocation. She said this passage seems to say that if Level One is obtained there must be withdrawal within 5 years, but on the other hand there is only withdrawal when triggered. Alan Rimer said when they activated DROP there were many considerations and Carrboro did not buy into DROP as a principle, but believed OWASA should just conserve more and wait for a more serious drought situation before going to alternative sources. He said the problem with that is when a drought is occurring, sometimes the drought drains lake quickly and other times slowly and they don't know at any one time about the speed of the drought. Carrboro thought there should be a longer wait and Chapel Hill accepted as a whole the OWASA principles, but their board felt that it would serve the community as it is now. He said the OWASA board believes that if a level one drought is reached, it is not an immediate trigger to go to an alternative source, rather this begins a process of gathering data and examining it before a decision is made by the board. He said it is more of a deliberation point. He said that the way their withdrawal policy reads, a withdrawal has to be done in 5 years, but DNR has reassured the board that this does not really apply. He said that OWASA has decided based on conversations with DNR that asking for Level One provides opportunities needed and the five year limit is not a concern at this time. He said that if the five year is reached and there has not been a need for action, there will be a check in with DNR. With respect to the WASMBA, he said there is no plan to change the water and sewer master plan at this time. Commissioner Price questioned, with regard to the Mountains to Sea Trail (MTST), whether agreement had been reached with some of the citizens adjacent to OWASA property. Alan Rimer said the feeling is that this lies in the hands of the county and county staff. He said if staff continues to endorse this and if the Board of County Commissioners endorses it, then OWASA would support whatever decisions the Board of County Commissioners make. Commissioner Price questioned whether OWASA has had any further conversations with citizens since their open houses last fall. Michael Hughes said there has not been any contact with the neighbors and he said OWASA's position is that they will work with county staff on whatever is proposed and whatever the Board proposes. Chair Jacobs said there is a technical group with TJCOG to look the Jordan Lake rules and he said there is no representative that represents the rural area. He said the Board of County Commissioners wrote a letter several years ago expressing concern that, starting at current levels, reducing nitrogen loading on farms in the rural buffer, it would be impossible to have agriculture in that area. He wondered if OWASA was plugged into that study or aware of the letter. Ed Kerwin said they do not know. Alan Rimer said this topic has been around for a long time and Orange County does a great job with management of over-fertilization. He said the Soil Conservation Service works closely with the farmers and there are more conservation easements along strings of water bodies in Orange County than any other county in the state. He said this speaks to why the rural voice of Orange County needs to be heard. Chair Jacobs referred to page 3 of their agenda item, the forestry management issue that caused interest previously. He urged OWASA to get as much constructive public participation as they can when this comes back. Alan Rimer said this issue has been shelved with no sense of urgency at this point but they did learn some lessons. Commissioner Pelissier questioned whether the DROP has to be revised with population growth. Alan Rimer said this document was modified up to the point it was adopted by their board and it gets refined on a regular basis. Commissioner Dorosin asked about the Rogers Road issue. He said his concern is that the longer they delay in providing water and sewer there, the higher the costs will be and he noted that the cost estimate has risen from 4 million to 5.8 million in the last few years. He said, costs can be prohibitive, by other options. He asked if OWASA is against alternatives like gravity sewer and if that is their policy, he wondered how that might be changed. Alan Rimer said these are not policy matters, but are matters related to system operation. He said OWASA does have sewer pumping stations and they are not opposed to them, however it is problematic to put a pump in a house. He said it requires maintenance and most people, just like with septic systems, do not maintain them. Part of this maintenance is the need for a duplex system in the event of a failure. He said an alternative solution would be a vacuum sewer, but this is not the answer in an area like Rogers Road. He said that doesn't mean that alternatives can't be looked at; however the number of lots and the location need to be considered. He said several of the lots are problematic and analysis has shown that the cost will be about $180,000 per lot. He said that once the final configuration is agreed to and there is an understanding of the area to be served, OWASA will then go back and look at it to bring forward the costs for different systems. He said the decision then lies with the Board of County Commissioners and what they are willing to pay. He said that OWASA's job is to present the options and the County will need to make a decision that best serves the people and makes economic sense for the taxpayers. 5. Consent Agenda A motion was made by Commissioner McKee seconded by Commissioner Pelissier to approve the consent agenda as stated below: VOTE: UNANIMOUS a. Minutes The Board approved the minutes from November 8 and December 6, 2012 as submitted by the Clerk to the Board. b. Motor Vehicle Property Tax Releases/Refunds The Board adopted a resolution, which is incorporated by reference, to release motor vehicle property tax values for thirteen (13) taxpayer requests that will result in a reduction of revenue, in accordance with NCGS. C. Property Tax Releases/Refunds The Board adopted a resolution, which is incorporated by reference, to release property tax values for seven (7) taxpayer requests that will result in a reduction of revenue, in accordance with North Carolina General Statute 105-381. d. Advertisement of Tax Liens on Real Property The Board received a report on the amount of unpaid taxes for the current year that are liens on real property as required by North Carolina General Statute (NCGS) 105-369 and approved the Order setting March 13, 2013 as the date set by the Board for the tax lien advertisement. e. Notice of Public Hearing on Orange County's 2013 Legislative Agenda The Board approved the notice of the Board of County Commissioners' plans to hold a public hearing on February 19, 2013 on potential items for inclusion in Orange County's legislative agenda package for the 2013 North Carolina General Assembly Session. f. Orange County Arts Commission Annual DCP Renewal with NC Arts Council The Board authorized the Orange County Arts Commission and staff to apply by the March1, 2013 deadline for annual Designated County Partner (DCP) renewal with the NC Arts Council in order to receive state Grassroots Arts Program funds for Orange County. g_ Request for Three Time-Limited Staff Positions at DSS The Board approved Social Services (DSS) creating three new time-limited positions to be used during the transition of the current legacy automation systems to the new NCFAST program. h. Legal Advertisement for Quarterly Public Hearing — February 25, 2013 The Board approved the legal advertisement for items to be presented at the joint Board of County Commissioners/Planning Board Quarterly Public Hearing scheduled for February 25, 2013. i. Change in BOCC Regular Meeting Schedule for 2013 The Board approved one change in the County Commissioners' regular meeting calendar for 2013 by changing the March 12, 2013 BOCC Dinner Meeting at 5:30pm FROM Link Government Services Center TO Southern Human Services Center, 2501 Homestead Road, Chapel Hill, prior to the 7:OOpm work session (the change in location for the dinner meeting inadvertently got left off of the change that was made for the 7pm work session at the 1/24/13 meeting). L Boards and Commissions-Commissioner Assignments The Board approved the list of boards and commissions on which members of the Board of County Commissioners have chosen to serve, which is incorporated by reference. 6. Public Hearings a. Orange County Consolidated Housing Plan Update The Board received comments from the public regarding the housing and non-housing needs to be included in the Annual Update of the 2010-2015 Consolidated Housing Plan for Housing and Community Development Programs in Orange County and proposed uses of 2013-2014 HOME funds. Housing and Community Development Director, Tara Fikes said their last plan was completed in May of 2010 and they did identify three goals in Orange County. One of those goals was to provide decent and affordable housing for lower income households through the following efforts: 1) Assisting low income home owners living in sub-standard housing, 2) providing rental units for low income residents, 3) assisting people who lack indoor plumbing, 4) helping low income renters become home owners, and 5) help extremely low income renters find affordable housing. She said that the second goal was to assist the homeless in finding housing as well as services to maintain housing, and the third goal was to assist in provision housing and services for the special needs population. She asked for any additional comments regarding needs in the community. Tara Fikes said that the second purpose of this meeting was to hear comments about the proposed usage of the HOME investment partnership dollars. She said this program allows activities such as property acquisition, new construction, housing rehabilitation and rental assistance. She said they are unsure about final fund allocations for this year, but they are proceeding with the plan under the assumption that they will receive at least the same funds as last year, which equaled $383,485. She said there has also been program investment and some projects that no longer require funding, leaving another $180,000 available as well. Chair Jacobs said affordable housing was a topic of conversation at the Board retreat last week and there will be a joint dinner meeting with Affordable Housing Advisory Board on March 12. Commissioner Dorosin asked if there was there anything in this plan substantively different from last year's plan and he asked for clarification of how much of last years' money was allocated to the low income rental units. Tara Fikes said that the plan is the same as it was last year and it is a five year plan that remains in place until 2015. With regard to the rental units, she said, $50,000 was provided for rental assistance in support of the homeless outreach program. She said they also allocated $37,000 for housing rehabilitation funding for complexes in Chapel Hill (Elliot Woods and Chase Park), and $90,000 to EMPOWERMENT for purchase of rental apartments to rent to low income people. Commissioner Dorosin asked if the latest copy of the CDBG, showing impediments to fair housing, could be provided, and Tara Fikes said yes. PUBLIC COMMENT: Susan Levy, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity, gave a brief overview of 2012. She said there were twelve creative partnerships formed to build twelve new homes this past year. She said that eleven of those homes were in the Phoenix Place subdivision in Historic Rogers Road and one of those homes was in the Fairview Community. She noted that families who purchase from Habitat are local people who work and provide services within the community. She said that most of the families served, lived in overcrowded apartments, paid over 30% of their income for rent, and had high utility cost and lack of repair service. She noted that once the people move into Habitat homes, mortgage cost is often less than prior rental costs and utility cost is lower, which leaves more income to be spent in the local economy and to meet basic needs. Susan Levy said that low and very low income households were also served through a new exterior repair program called Brush of Kindness, and she stressed the pressing need for these types of repair projects and the goal of increasing this service. She said Habitat had nearly 2000 volunteers, who logged more than 1700 volunteer hours. She noted that Habitat home owners paid a total of$304,455 in property taxes. She said that HOME funds have been a critical factor in building efforts. She said that 225 homes have been built. Four homes are currently under construction and the demand for homes by qualified families has consistently exceeded demand. She noted that there are only seven lots left in Phoenix Place and Habitat will soon be moving on to a 28 home subdivision in Efland Cheeks Township. She recognized several home owners present who will be moving into Habitat Homes in the near future. She concluded by saying that Habitat will be requesting 2013 home funds for second mortgages for 15 new homes. Deborah Burton said she is building her home here in Hillsborough in partnership with Habitat for Humanity and Orange County Schools. She thanked the Board for making this possible and asked them to continue funding this year to make this possible for other families. Robert Dowling, Executive Director of Community Home Trust (CHT), said CHT implements inclusionary housing in Orange County and currently has 200 homes in its inventory. He said the expectation is to sell an additional 25 homes in the next 6 months; many of these homes will require public subsidies totaling more than $300,000, which is available from HOME funds and other sources. He said there is a lot of turnover with townhomes and condominiums, not single family homes. When these properties turn over, subsidies are lost. He noted that median income has become flat but the costs of the homes increase, which increases the need for subsidies. He said they will be coming to the Board of County Commissioners to ask for HOME funds in the amount of$60,000. He noted that $40,000 will be used to keep homes affordable and $20,000 will be for operating support. He said they could never have done this with the support of local governments. He said that this is the most difficult housing market he has seen. Commissioner Dorosin said he is appreciative of all the work that has been done and he echoed the comments from the retreat. He said this plan should likely be re-visited sooner than 2015 in light of changes mentioned. He said this is an opportune time to be thinking more creatively. He said he has been haunted by the recent purchase of Abbey Court, which has 252 units and sold for $7 million. He said these were the most affordable units in Orange County and now it looks as if the rent is going to be raised along with assessments. He said there is a need to talk about different ways of doing things, including manufactured housing and he would value advice from the professionals and the Affordable Housing Advisory Board. Chair Jacobs noted that 1.3, page 32 talks about people not having indoor plumbing. He questioned how much this count has been reduced and Tara Fikes said she would get him that information. Chair Jacobs said the Board heard on Friday that the Community Home Trust was recruiting people from Durham County to move into unoccupied Orange County housing. Robert Dowling said he is not aware of this. He said he wrote a memo to the Board of County Commissioners asking for relief from some of the requirements if a home has not sold after a certain number of days. He said there are so many properties on the market and it is difficult to sell them, which puts a burden on CHT and makes the homeowners unhappy and frustrated. He said the memo requests relief from hurdles to allow interested buyers, who don't live or work here, to purchase the homes. Chair Jacobs clarified that theoretically people outside of the county will be purchasing the homes if the Board waives those hurdles and Robert Dowling said yes, after 90 days. Commissioner McKee asked if there was any thought to transfer these homes to rental properties, considering the number of homes on the market Robert Dowling said there are several hurdles and CHT needs to stay focused on home ownership not rentals. He said another issue is that special use permits that are approved by local governments refer to home ownership, not rentals. He said if HOME funds are involved then Orange County does have a say in some of the hurdles. Commissioner McKee said they may have to start thinking out of the box. Commissioner Rich said the same letter came to the Town Council several months ago and it stated there are certain steps before Durham residents are looked at, thus giving Orange County residents preference. She said that it may be time to view that memo again. Commissioner Dorosin asked if the CHT receives any discount on the HOA dues of condos in the high end markets. Robert Dowling said this is by project. He said that for East 54 there is no discount but there is a transfer fee whereby private sector owners pay a 1% fee that is used to supplement dues. He said that Greenbridge also has transfer fees and at 140 West there is no transfer fee but there is an agreement with the Town of Chapel Hill. He said that it basically varies by project but that special assessments don't get built in and dues can rise, making transfer fees inadequate. Commissioner Dorosin asked if the subsidies mentioned are upfront or if they are additional with homeowner dues. Robert Dowling said that subsidies are put in at the initial sale, but because median income has declined and everything else goes up, creating the need to re-subsidize when it is transferred. Chair Jacobs said he gave Tara Fikes some suggested topics from the retreat to share with the joint meeting on March 12. Tara Fikes said their advisory board is reviewing the letter now. A motion was made by Commissioner Rich seconded by Commissioner McKee to close the public hearing. VOTE: UNANIMOUS b. Comprehensive Plan and Unified Development Ordinance Text Amendments and Zoning Atlas Amendments to Establish Two New Zoning Overlay Districts in the Efland Area - Public Hearing Closure and Action (No Additional Comments Accepted) The Board will receive the Planning Board's recommendation, close the public hearing, and make a decision on Planning Director initiated amendments to the Comprehensive Plan, Unified Development Ordinance, and Zoning Atlas in order to establish two new zoning overlay districts in the Efland area. The primary purpose of the overlay districts is to provide for a more village and urban style of development in an area of the county served, or intended to be served, by public water and sewer systems. Perdita Holtz said, because of the presence of new Board members and because the staff and Planning Board recommendations differ, she would do a review of the plan text using PowerPoint. The slides are included in the abstract notes for Item 6B and are as follows: Comprehensive Plan Text, Unified Development Ordinance Text, and Zoning Atlas Amendments to Establish Two New Zoning Overlay Districts in the Efland Area February 5, 2013 Item 6.b Zoning Atlas Amendment (Map-see abstract) • Heard at November 19, 2012 quarterly public hearing and referred to Planning Board for a recommendation. • Staff asked Planning Board to specifically weigh in on: a. Whether to retain the staff-proposed "tick" for a Special Zoning Overlay District in the 20-Year Transition land use classification. b. Whether an "internal pedestrian circulation system" should be required in the Efland Village Overlay District on a large project. Comprehensive Plan Text Amendment (Chart-see abstract) Planning Board Recommendation • Keep the "tick" in the 20-Year Transition row. • Include language to require privately-owned, connecting walkways throughout the Efland Village Overlay District. c. Believes that provision of a pedestrian system (and other modes of transportation) is very important • Unanimously voted to recommend approval if pedestrian system language added. Staff Recommendation • Partially based on October 2011 work session regarding sidewalks and NC counties' challenges in providing and maintaining sidewalks. d. BOCC sentiment that getting into "the sidewalk business" is not feasible at this time. • Also based on issues identified in abstract regarding requiring private provision of an interconnecting public walkway system. • Require that "large" projects in Efland Village Overlay District provide an "internal pedestrian circulation system" e. "Large" defined (for this overlay district) as: i. Located on 2 or more acres or ii. > 15,000 square feet of building area iii. Large parking area: > 50 parking spaces • Also continue to acknowledge the importance of providing sidewalks and facilities for other modes of transportation. • Pursue opportunities to advance these ideas and ways counties can implement them at the State level. Manager's Recommendation • Receive the Planning Board's recommendation of approval with changes (require interconnecting walkways) • Close the public hearing • Deliberate as necessary and decide accordingly -Manager recommends adoption of the staff-recommended ordinance in Attachment 2 and the Resolution of Consistency in Attachment 4 Chair Jacobs clarified that if the Board follows staff recommendation, attachments 2 and 4 will be adopted and if the Board follows the Planning Board's recommendation, attachments 3 and 4 will be adopted. Perdita Holtz said this is correct. Commissioner McKee questioned why approval of either recommendation would not put the area in the sidewalk business. Perdita Holtz said the internal pedestrian system would be private for use of development residents only, but it would not be open to the public or interconnected to adjacent parcels. She said that the sidewalks would be owned and maintained by the property owners. Frank Clifton said with the alternative of a small office or shopping complex which would provide walkways to get to and from the complex from the parking area and again, would be maintained by the property owners. He said that there were just so many hurdles with sidewalks when the county does not have a public works department. He said that it is an issue to be looked at further; the state has given the county permission to get into the sidewalk business, but no revenue to do so. Commissioner Price said, with regards to the sidewalks in a small development, she wondered if this would be a requirement for every development. Perdita Holtz said it would be a sidewalk in the public right of way and would be provided by the developer. Commissioner Price questioned if it would it be a requirement for builders Perdita Holtz said it would not be frontage and the language does give the Planning Board Director some leeway in the site review process. Commissioner Price questioned if the sidewalk has to be concrete or could just be extra shoulder width. Perdita Holtz said the Unified Development Ordinance does not specify a material, but the sidewalk would just have to be designated in some way. Commissioner Price said when the planning board was discussing this, did they have any specific ideas about sidewalk versus extra right-of-way areas on the road. Perdita Holtz said that it had started out as a right-of-way discussion but this did not mesh with DOT standards for sidewalks. She said the discussion then turned to how to have sidewalk on private property for public use, but specific materials were not discussed. This was left open so as to be site specific and determined during the site plan review process. Commissioner Rich said she is a big fan of connectivity and wondered if there is a way to make sure that there is connectivity. She questioned if the area is being looked at as a whole or each parcel individually. She said she believes it should be a goal to have parcels connected. Perdita Holtz said staff is a proponent of connectivity, but their hands are tied by the state. She said that the NCDOT has not been receptive to allowing sidewalks in the right-of- way or of taking on any maintenance responsibility. She said things are done on a site by site basis and there are requirements for open space connectivity. Commissioner Rich said this is a concern and as overlay districts happen throughout the County, the developments should not isolated. She said that the full picture is not being considered if connectivity is not allowed. Commissioner Price said the Board is getting caught up with the word sidewalk when it could be called a walk way and should just be about getting to point A and point B without being in the middle of the street. She said that NCDOT should allow use of right-of-ways for bicycles. Perdita Holtz said the staff's recommendation is to continue to bring this issue to the forefront at the state level. Frank Clifton said as staff looked at this, the reality of this village concept in a rural area is that they don't have a connectivity plan. The hesitancy of DOT to accept more responsibility for these right-of-ways and with the Board of County Commissioners not wanting to be involved in the maintaining of those right-of-ways, creates the awkward position of asking property owners to put the walkway in and accept the maintenance and liability. He said there is need for more study and a decision about how far the County wants to get into the urbanization business. He said that the state is expanding ability but not revenue sources for this. He said that if the desire is to encourage development then before rules burdening property owners are established, the issues need to be studied further. Commissioner Gordon said she supported connectivity, but wondered if there is a collector street plan for this area, because they are trying to make this more urban but they have no mechanism for connectivity. She said the whole point was to allow more non- residential development but there needs to be a path to that. She said that collector street plans are more in the paradigm and at least have the developer build the street. Perdita Holtz said they could look at this issue. She noted that in Efland, many of the lots go to the center line of the roads and DOT maintains them but does not own any right of ways. She said that the suggestion is to adopt the overlay districts at this time and put some design standards in place before any more large scale development takes place, while continuing to work on the topic of sidewalks. Commissioner Dorosin clarified that what the staff recommends is approval of the internal walkway plan for the five acre interstate district with no walkway plan for the village district. Perdita Holtz said that for the Village District there would be an internal pedestrian system required for projects on 2 acres or greater than 15,000 square feet of building area. She said that there is leeway in this during the site plan process. Commissioner Dorosin questioned how the Planning Board's recommendation differs. Perdita Holtz said that the Planning Board recommends a privately owned and maintained walkway system throughout the area, on private property. Commissioner Dorosin questions how this differs from the requirement for 2 acres or more. Perdita Holtz said the 2 acre requirement is only for internal use, larger businesses would only have walkways between buildings; however the Planning Board's recommended walkways would be a private sidewalk system that anyone could use. Commissioner Dorosin said his question is with regard to the approval process and he wonders if they could incentivize the developers to provide a publicly accessible sidewalk. Perdita Holtz said there would need to be a sidewalk plan for the area to avoid issues with encouraging trespass on adjoining properties if a sidewalk ends at the edge of one property and is not continued on the next. Commissioner Pelissier said most lots in this overlay district either face Hwy 70 or Efland Cheeks Road and these are highly traveled roads. She said that requiring sidewalks is not going to encourage connectivity in this area. Perdita Holtz said the internal pedestrian system is an amenity for that property. Commissioner McKee said that this issue brings up questions that center on the cost of housing and the cost of building in Orange County. He said that he does not believe the planning is not far enough along to really consider and he feels the discussion is premature. He said there should be a closer look at connectivity and whether this will continue the escalation in property cost on housing and businesses. He thinks the high housing cost in Orange County is partially due to these regulations. Chair Jacobs asked Craig Benedict how this fits into the Planning Department's work plan to pursue a connectivity plan. Craig Benedict, Orange County Planning Director, said there is an Efland/Mebane area implementation focus group that could be re-convened to discuss this issue along with other topics that come with making this a village area. He said that the struggle is that there are designated urban transition areas, yet there are characteristics that fit more with a rural county. He said that if growth is to be promoted, the connectivity characteristic is needed. He said there will be a work plan note put together and sent to the Commissioners on what the Planning Board is trying to achieve and how progress will be made. He said there is potential to bring this up on the work plan for this year. Chair Jacobs agreed with the connectivity issue being a priority and said this issue has been discussed in the Efland area for about 8 years. He said it has not been satisfactorily addressed. He said either recommendation will require more work for planning staff. He said that an incentive plan is worth looking at and a connectivity plan is essential. He said that if intensity is going to be encouraged then comprehensive connectivity must be dealt with. He said that it is the job of the Board, if planning for urban style growth, to plan for urban style transit and he would hope for concrete recommendations this year. A motion was made by Commissioner McKee seconded by Commissioner Gordon to close the public hearing. VOTE: UNANIMOUS A motion was made by Commissioner McKee seconded by Commissioner Rich to adopt item 3-c which states the Board will not adopt any changes, and that the Board will adopt Attachments 5 and 6, which consist of an ordinance denying the amendments and the Statement of Inconsistency with the Comprehensive Plan; and that staff and the Planning Board will address and answer the issues on page 3, Items 1-7 listed below: 1. The imposition of `requiring' public use of private property including the cost (potentially upwards of$100 per linear foot, depending on site conditions), liability and maintenance. Do issues of partial taking arise? 2. Would this pedestrian system have to be Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compatible (i.e. paved)? 3. The legal authority to enforce lack of maintenance. 4. The increase in impervious square footage due to the walkway causes a restriction in the potential building size. 5. Would the `piece-meal' implementation cause "sidewalks to nowhere" and/or affect the development design of adjacent parcels? 6. Associated liabilities to third parties by individual property owners. 7. Lack of an overall master plan for walkability. Commissioner Dorosin said he sees the seven issues as narrower than what Chair Jacobs said about connectivity plans and urbanization of the area. Commissioner McKee said his intent is that this be moved back to the Planning Board and staff for discussion and not that any comments or ideas discussed be eliminated or not considered. He said the idea of putting the plan in place and then addressing the issues is counterproductive and said that he is supportive of the village and the zoning. Chair Jacobs said #7 on page 3 is just a comment, not a direction and he questioned Commissioner McKee's intention in requesting an answer to this open ended statement. Commissioner McKee said the intention is to address the lack of overall plan or to ask what the plan is. Chair Jacobs said he wanted to clarify if the Board is directing staff to proactively address a walkability plan or just saying that there is no overall plan. Commissioner McKee said the issue of need for, or lack of need for, a master plan should be part of the Planning Board and staff's discussion. He said that his concern continues to be the 700 pages of the Economic Development Ordinance and its impact on the affordability of housing and the attractiveness of locating businesses in Orange County. Commissioner Rich said it feels like this is not ready to be voted on. Commissioner Gordon suggested that the Motion 3-c should include the additional statement to "Accept the planning director's recommendation", followed by the recommendation wording below Issue 7 on page 3, which states as follows: ...Planning Director recommends that additional study occur to create more logical, legal and cost effective regulation in regards to pedestrian systems. The development of a village pedestrian master plan with associated private maintenance authorities (should) potentially be explored Commissioner McKee accepted the friendly amendment Commissioner Gordon asked for clarification about Commissioner McKee's original statement of the issues. Chair Jacobs said that he read 3-c and then asked for answers and clarification to issues 1-7. Commissioner Gordon said she would say address the issues and then add the second point she read previously, changing the word could to should. Commissioner Rich accepted the friendly amendment. Commissioner Price said that liability is mentioned with regard to pedestrian walkways but she is concerned about safety and this is not mentioned. Commissioner Dorosin asked Craig Benedict about the recommendation of adoption of Attachment 2, in the interim. Craig Benedict said that, aside from the pedestrian walkway issue, there are 15-20 good aspects that are not being questioned and make sense. He said that going with 3-c throws these good things out. He said that going with Attachment 2 accepts these good things and holds off the pedestrian circulation issues. Chair Jacobs said that if you read 3-c it states that everything comes to a halt. VOTE: Ayes, 4 (Commissioner Rich Commissioner McKee Commissioner Gordon Commissioner Price); Nays, 3 (Chair Jacobs, Commissioner Pelissier and Commissioner Dorosin) Motion passed Commissioner Pelissier questioned if there would be a need for a new public hearing. Perdita Holtz said yes and noted that the buffer requirements are still in effect. Chair Jacobs asked for clarification regarding all of the discussion on buffering. He referred to page 59 — c, and said the statements about vegetative buffering do not clarify if existing vegetation can be used. Perdita Holtz said that existing vegetations is acceptable and referred to this statement in section 6.8. 7. Regular Agenda a. Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Atlas Amendment Outline and Schedule for Upcoming Item — Orange-Alamance County Line Adjustment The Board considered processes components and schedule for a Planning Director initiated item for amendments to the Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map and Zoning Atlas related to the finalization of the Orange-Alamance County Line, currently scheduled for the May 28, 2013 Quarterly Public Hearing. For the purpose of informing the new Board members, Craig Benedict presented a PowerPoint Presentation on the background information. He referred to the slides that follow: February 5, 2013 AGENDA ITEM Comprehensive Land Use Element Map and Zoning Atlas Amendments — Orange Alamance Line ORANGE-ALAMANCE COUNTY BOUNDARY LINE REPORT (Graphic) BACKGROUND: • Boundary line had become `uncertain' over the years creating contradictory maps. • Both the Orange and Alamance County Board of Commissioners requested the North Carolina Geodetic Survey (NCGS) prepare preliminary surveys linking description to field monuments BACKGROUND: • Both Counties initiated process • Adoption of Session Law 2010-61 petition criteria to `adjust the line' • Project involved numerous Orange County departments including, but not limited to: Manager's office, Planning, Land Records, Tax Administration, GIS, Attorney's office, Health Department, etc. BACKGROUND: • 91% Line' was resolved with the passing of Session Law 2011-88 on May 25, 2011 • The remaining 9% was addressed with the passage of Session Law 2012-108. Alamance-Orange Boundary Implementation Flowchart (Chart) (Michael Harvey takes over the PowerPoint presentation at this point.) NECESSARY ACTIONS: • Orange County has to extend zoning and land use categories on properties located within our planning jurisdiction as the result of the boundary line agreement. • In November of 2011 the BOCC held a public hearing to extend zoning and land use onto 65 properties (approximately 221 acres involved) as part of the `91 W boundary line project. • The BOCC approved the zoning atlas and future land use map amendments on December 13, 2011. • Now we have to do the same thing with the properties associated with the `9%' portion of the line. ADOPTED COUNTY LINE — 91%: (Map) 9% Line Project: • Project impacts 11 properties in northern Orange County along Eliza Lane. • Properties currently have zoning/land use classifications assigned. Staff will be extending these existing classifications on those portions of property now located in our jurisdiction. IMPACTED AREA - 9% LINE: (Map) RECOMMENDATION: • The Manager recommends the Board approve the attached Amendment Outline Form and direct staff to proceed accordingly. When presenting slide 5, Craig Benedict noted that there are two communities where work still needs to be done, with Mill Creek and Morrow Mill and this will not be forgotten. Michael Harvey noted that there will be an open house in April for impacted property owners and notification requirements will be followed. Commissioner Rich asked if the zoning would be consistent with the property that is already there. Michael Harvey said yes, they are just extending existing zoning and land use categories. Commissioner Rich asked if there were any foreseeable problems with this. Michael Harvey said no. Chair Jacobs and Frank Clifton reviewed more historical information for the newer board members. A motion was made by Commissioner Pelissier seconded by Commissioner Rich to: Approve the processes' components and schedule for a Planning Director initiated item for amendments to the Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map and Zoning Atlas related to the finalization of the Orange-Alamance County Line, currently scheduled for the May 28, 2013 Quarterly Public Hearing. VOTE: UNANIMOUS b. Follow-up Discussion on the Continuation of the Historic Rogers Road Neighborhood Task Force The Board considered follow-up on Board discussions at the January 24, 2013 regular meeting and the January 29, 2013 work session regarding the continuation of the Historic Rogers Road Neighborhood Task Force with consideration of the following: requesting that the Towns appoint their respective representatives; confirming the appointment of Commissioners Penny Rich and Renee Price to serve on the Task Force; consider appointing David Caldwell and Robert Campbell from the Rogers Eubanks Neighborhood Association (RENA) to serve on the Task Force; and confirming the Charge and a Timeline for the continued activities of the Task Force. Frank Clifton said the board requested this to come back for review. He said the Board took action tonight on the consent agenda for appointments on this task force. He said that the two citizens need to be reappointed and the towns need to appoint as well. He said that clarification was asked for on the motions from January 24tH Chair Jacobs asked for clarification of the task force timeline included in the motion, which is 6 months from adoption, and he noted 6 months from adoption would be July 24tH Frank Clifton said the issue for the Board of County Commissioners is that there is summer break and he asked if the board would want this task force to come back with a report in September. Commissioner Rich said; regarding bullet point one, could the towns also be asked to approve, along with their appointments, the continuation of the task force. She said there is an assumption that the towns want the task force continue but this should be confirmed. Chair Jacobs said, assuming the towns approve this, it could be six months from the last town endorsement and approval. Commissioner Rich said Orange County should put a deadline date on it and not wait for the towns. Chair Jacobs pointed out that the board reconvenes on September 5tH Commissioner Price said she believes that the task force wanted this to end by June. She said that since none of this is new, the Board should move forward and attempt to have something done by June. Chair Jacobs said June is full with budget items even though no one disputes her point. Commissioner Price said the point was to have things done no later than June. Commissioner Dorosin said that June puts it down to four months and he believes the start should be when the task force meets again. He said that this needs to be meaningful and four months will lead to ramming through recommendations without really engaging the community. He said that the target should be 6 months from when the task force meets again. Commissioner McKee expressed his agreement with Commissioner Dorosin and said that the other boards will take some time to make appointments and then there will be a lag before the group meets. He said that because this will not be addressed until at least September 5th, he does not have a problem with asking for a report back by the second meeting in September. He also suggested a 6 month timeframe from the date of either the last appointment by the towns or the first meeting by the task force. Frank Clifton said he did not want to create confusion and that he sees no reason to have a report due July 1St if none of the bodies meet until September. He feels a September deadline is good. Commissioner Dorosin said that since the community center has been bifurcated from the task force, that will proceed at pace. He said he is less concerned that giving a 6 month time frame will keep things from proceeding. Commissioner Price said she is fine as long as they do have a certain deadline date. Chair Jacobs pointed out that the motion that was ratified was to continue the task force for 6 months, but it has no definition of this timeline. He suggested that they clarify the timeline by setting the expectation of a report at their September 17th meeting. Michael Talbert said all of his points have been covered and it is unlikely the task force will meet before mid-March and a September date is feasible. He said that it will take at least 4-6 weeks to pull together a final report for approval from the task force, prior to the town and county seeing it. Chair Jacobs said that Commissioner Dorosin had made an observation about the charge from January 24th meeting related to items 3-4 on the motion. Commissioner Dorosin said that when he made the motion to consider options to address gentrification, he intended on including Chapel Hill Small Area Plan (SAP) as all one bullet item, considering future development in the area. Chair Jacobs said he was not sure there was any substantive difference. Commissioner Gordon said it should be left as is. She said she listened carefully to the video of the meeting. When Chair Jacobs read the motion he used a lot of"ands", which resulted in the clerk writing it as it stands, and Commissioner Gordon accepted what the clerk wrote. Commissioner Rich said it is important to bring the Small Area Plan (SAP) back when they talk about this in the task force; but that it is also a good idea to go back and look at all the recommendations dating back to 1997 to bring those past opinions back to the table. Chair Jacobs reviewed what he had noted from the discussion: -Request that towns appoint task force members and confirm the continuation of the task force. - Make a separate recommendation that the six month period conclude with a report to come back to the County Commissioners no later than the September 17, 2013 meeting. A motion was made by Commissioner Gordon seconded by Commissioner Price to request that the towns confirm that the task force should continue and that they appoint task force members; confirm the appointment of Commissioners Rich and Price as the County's members on the Historic Rogers Road Neighborhood Task Force; appoint David Caldwell and Robert Campbell from the Rogers Eubanks Neighborhood Association to the Historic Rogers Road Neighborhood Task Force; confirm the Charge and Timeline of the task force as specified in the second motion at the top of page 3 from the previous meeting, and specify that the report be due no later than the September 17th Board of Commissioner's meeting. Chair Jacobs asked for additional comments. Commissioner Dorosin said that the Rogers Eubank Neighborhood Association (RENA) should appoint its own two citizens to the Historic Rogers Road Task Force and offered this as a friendly amendment. Commissioner Rich said the neighborhood should be asked the same questions as the towns, thus they should be asked to appoint two members and they should be asked if they wish to continue the task force. Commissioner Gordon requested that RENA confirm that the task force continues and appoint two task force members. A motion was made by Commissioner Alice Gordon and seconded by Commissioner Renee Price to: 1. Request that the towns confirm the continuation of the Historic Rogers Road Neighborhood Task Force and appoint members to the Task force; 2. Confirm the appointment of Commissioners Rich and Price as the county's members on the Historic Rogers Road Neighborhood Task Force; 3. Request that the Rogers Eubanks Neighborhood Association confirm the continuation of the Historic Rogers Road Neighborhood Task Force and appoint two members to the Task Force; 4. Confirm the charge and a timeline for the Task force as specified by the motion approved at the January 24 meeting: - To continue the Task Force for six (6) months; - To have the Task Force consider the final costs, provision and installation of water and sewer utility extensions preferably at no cost for members of the Historic Rogers Road community; - Consider options to address gentrification; - Consider Chapel Hill's most recent Small Area Plan; - Consider funding options, including the Greene Tract. 5. Specify that the Task Force provide a report to the Board of County Commissioners no later than the Board's September 17th meeting. Prior to voting, Commissioner Dorosin raised an item from the 1/29 work session, stating that he feels that the voting procedure at the work session was not appropriate. He said when multiple people are being appointed, Board members should be required to vote for the two people at one time. He noted that some people voted three times for two seats and this is problematic. Commissioner Dorosin also said there was some concern from board members that he had a conflict of interest and should not have been appointed. He said that the County Attorney addressed this issue in a memo. He said that all Board members have association interests with organizations and groups across the county and the idea that participation in those groups disqualifies members from participating is nonsensical. He said he wants to be mindful of that and that there was no conflict of interest pursuant to the law. He asked the County Attorney to clarify this on the record. John Roberts said the term conflict of interest is not defined in the county statutes and a county commissioner is required to vote on all issues that come forth unless that member will receive a direct financial impact from that vote or the vote involves an item regarding the Commissioners official conduct. He clarified that he did not find any actual legal conflict with Commissioner Dorosin's potential task force involvement. VOTE: UNANIMOUS 8. Reports a. Changes in Taxation for Motor Vehicles The Board will receive an overview of the upcoming changes to the taxation of registered motor vehicles as stipulated in House Bill 1779, and information on the current status of the project. Dwane Brinson, Orange County Tax Administrator, presented a PowerPoint presentation and discussed the slides included below: North Carolina "Tag and tax" Background: • General Assembly passed HB 1779 in 2005 • Bill was delayed a couple of times, but now is moving forward towards implementation • Will take effect with vehicle registration renewals due July, 2013 Current System: "Billing in Arrears" • Taxpayer renews vehicle registration through NCDMV, either online, mail or in person • Tax office receives monthly file of all new registrants from the preceding month • Vehicle property tax bill mailed out by tax office approximately 3 months after registration renewal • Vehicle property tax bill due the 4th month after registration renewal Current System: "Billing in Arrears" • On average, 66% of Registered Motor Vehicle (RMV) bills are paid on time • In a full fiscal year, vehicle tax collections across are significantly less than annual bills • Figure 1- Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2011 Collections (Table) New System • "Tag and Tax" project • Combines vehicle property tax notice and payment with the vehicle registration process • Invitation to renew - Registration fee and vehicle tax notice sent in advance • Taxpayers must pay vehicle property tax at same time as vehicle registration fee - Must be paid in full New System • Assessor determines value, situs, and taxable status of the vehicle in advance — not in arrears • File is "delivered" to DMV to prepare the invitations to renew the registration • Taxes must be paid in order to obtain the registration — no partial payments will be allowed Configuration • Vehicle Tax System (VTS) will be a separate system housed by the NC Department of Revenue • NCDMV responsible for titles and registrations • NCDOR responsible for tax administration of vehicles Project Goals • To improve the citizen's experience - Reduce the number of government interactions - Eliminate the need for delinquent vehicle collections • Reduce/share costs - Duplicate mailings (postage, materials, handling, etc.) • Increase efficiency of an existing tax - Improve collections and revenues - Improved compliance Implementation • Counties work first files in the new VTS April, 2013 - Combined notices in mailboxes by June 1, 2013 • Old and new system will overlap for four months - Change in due date • Counties to work files in two systems for five months Renewals • Assessor will situs and assess vehicles in VTS • VTS will send amount of taxes due to STARS system • DMV will mail and collect • Due date will be 15th of the month • Valuation appeal must be made within 30 days of due date • Real time How Project Was Paid For • Project costs were paid through the Special Fund administered by the State Treasurer - 3% additional interest on delinquent bills • All taxing jurisdictions on the combined notice would bear their share of costs based upon each unit's contribution to the total amount of the notice • An effective cost comparison should prorate costs among jurisdictions Public Outreach - Provided tri-fold insert with annual listing forms - Notices being mailed with each RMV monthly mailing - Information announcement on county digital monitors - Press release through Public Information Office - Educational video with PIO available 24/7 on website and YouTube - Presentation to BOCC - Twitter @OCNCTAX Dwane Brinson said this is a massive undertaking of combining two large systems and has been in the works for quite some time. He said that under the current system, many taxpayers set bills aside and forget them, creating a need for enforced collection. He stated that even with a higher than average collection rate, the county has over 39,000 delinquent bills. He said this situation should improve with the requirement to pay both tax and registration fee in order to renew registration. He noted that the current system puts a block on vehicles if taxes are not paid within 4 months. This enforced collection often results in payments not arriving in the correct fiscal year for which they were budgeted. This new system aims to reduce or eliminate the need for these enforced collections. Dwane Brinson, referring to slide 11, said under the current plan the county will receive a monthly distribution of revenues from vehicle taxes, but noted that this could change to bi- weekly or weekly. Commissioner Gordon asked him to clarify how often the state will remit to them and asked if there is any danger that these funds could be sequestered Dwane Brinson said the current plan is for the state to remit to the finance office monthly and as for the state taking over that money, that is a legal question and he does not know, but counties have to comply with this system. Commissioner Dorosin asked if the DMV or DOR will take an administrative fee. Dwane Brinson said it depends on method of payment and he has this in a memo that he will forward to the Board of County Commissioners. Commissioner Dorosin asked if the 1.5% cut will still be in effect from the towns or if it would be eliminated. Dwane Brinson said it will no longer be a statutory requirement. Frank Clifton said there were agreements with the town collection process and varies from county to county. He said he does not know why there would be a 1.5% if the state will be doing collection and distribution. He said the goal with the fees is to cover administrative cost, so there will be a look at whether there are any costs involved. Commissioner Dorosin if it was possible that taxpayers would get two bills in one year during this transition period. Dwane Brinson said there is an effort ongoing to send notices to delinquent taxpayers to encourage them to pay now in order to avoid having to pay delinquent and current taxes with the new billing cycle. He said that some people, who paid on time, may get two bills in 8 or 9 months but it could be sooner if they have a delinquent bill. Commissioner Dorosin said they may want to consider including this information in the public information materials. He suggested reaching out to the Orange County Arts Commission to enlist local talent in making the outreach video. Commissioner Pelissier asked for information on what happens when someone is delinquent in Orange County and then moves to another county. Dwane Brinson said there are options through the tax office for collecting those moneys for the county. Commissioner McKee encouraged use of newspapers to engage the public with a news article. He said this new system will be much more cost effective and efficient. Frank Clifton said there should not be two overlapping bills unless someone has been delinquent. Commissioner Price asked if someone does not have the money to pay both bills, could they pay them at separate times. Dwane Brinson, said people could make multiple trips to the DMV to pay but will be unable to renew tags until payments are all made in full. Chair Jacobs asked that the tax be referred to as vehicle tax, not a property tax, in public outreach materials. 9. County Manager's Report-none 10. County Attorney's Report -none 11. Appointments-none 12. Board Comments (Three Minute Limit Per Commissioner) Commissioner Pelissier said she was the Orange County representative on the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) career and technical education task force. She said that the group wants to make sure partnerships are developed that ensure people get training for both local and international jobs that are available. She also said Triangle Transit's annual report showed that ridership is up 22.6%. She referenced a work session presentation regarding the process TTA is developing an accounting process for the new monies coming in from sales tax and vehicle registration. She requested that reports be sent to the board and the public to give clarity about plans for how the money will be spent. Commissioner Rich asked if the board has ever divided complex motions, and if not, could this practice be considered. Commissioner McKee said he was invited to bring greetings from the Board of County Commissioners to the Human Relations Commission event, which focused on the Emancipation Proclamation and its impact and implications in both the past and futures. He said more programs will be forthcoming. Commissioner Gordon followed up on Commissioner Rich's comment and referred to past practices of having motions typed up onto a visible screen. She said it might be a good idea to re-consider this practice. Commissioner Dorosin thanked everyone for their work on their retreat Commissioner Price said there will be community read on the Emancipation Proclamation in March. She said she went to the Mental Health Legislative breakfast and found it very inspiring. She encouraged support of this. Chair Jacobs said Commissioner Dorosin and Commissioner McKee were part of the planning committee for the retreat and get equal thanks. He said there was someone in northern Orange County with a concern about 24 hour lighting at the Walnut Grove Community Center and it was clarified that those lights were only to be continuously on for the first 48 hours. He also noted that the Agricultural Summit will be held on Monday 2/15. Chair Jacobs said that he will work with the clerk and follow the recommendations of the board to find ways to better communicate and convey motions before voting occurs. Clerk to the Board Donna S. Baker said that there was an attempt made to write out motions on a projector, but it was very difficult to hand-write them. She said she likes the idea of breaking up complex motions as it is often difficult to hear the motions clearly on the recordings and she has to go back and listen to her direct recordings. This means she is often clarifying motions the next day and then sends them out to all of the Commissioners. Chair Jacobs said that there will need to be an effort on the part of the Commissioners to stay with the sub-sets of the motions and work through them one at a time. 13. Information Items • January 24, 2013 BOCC Meeting Follow-up Actions List • Tax Collector's Report— Numerical Analysis 14. Closed Session -NONE 15. Adjournment A motion was made by Commissioner McKee seconded by Commissioner Gordon to adjourn the meeting at 10:33pm VOTE: UNANIMOUS Barry Jacobs, Chair Donna S. Baker, CMC Clerk to the Board