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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 09-12-2013 APPROVED 10/15/2013 MINUTES BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION September 12, 2013 7:00 p.m. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Work Session on Thursday, September 12, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jacobs and Commissioners Alice M. Gordon, Earl McKee, Bernadette Pelissier, Renee Price and Penny Rich COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Mark Dorosin COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts COUNTY STAFF PRESENT : County Manager Frank Clifton, Assistant County Managers Clarence Grier, Michael Talbert, Cheryl Young 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. Chair Jacobs went through items at the Commissioners' places: - Yellow Sheet— Item 1- Library Strategic Plan - White PowerPoint - Item 1 - Library Strategic Plan - Southern Library Evaluation Update- Item 2 —Southern Branch Library Siting Criteria - PowerPoint— Item 3 —Whitted Meeting Room Schematic Design Review - Blue and pink sheets — Item 4 — Strategic Communications Plan/County Logo, The blue sheets contain the Strategic Communications Plan (current plan) developed in 1999 and the pink sheets contain the May 21, 2013 minutes. Addition of closed session: A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Pelissier to add a closed session for the purpose of: 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; or to hear or investigate a complaint, charge, or grievance by or against an individual public officer or employee. NCGS § 143-318.11(a)(6); and. VOTE: UNANIMOUS 1. DRAFT 2013-2016 Library Strategic Plan Lucinda Munger said this is a follow up to the May 14th meeting where the Board saw the first draft of the library strategic plan. She said this plan has a different format that is based on Board comments, feedback and request for more detail. She reviewed the following PowerPoint slides: Library DRAFT Strategic Plan 2013-2016 Presented September 12, 2013 For Board discussion and feedback, in preparation of proposed adoption at next available Board meeting Plan Overview • Purpose: - To set the direction of and inform future library planning in a higher-level framework • Time Frame: - Fall 2013 through July 2016 • Evaluation: - Peer library comparisons using state and national data - Surveys and feedback from staff and community - Full evaluation to be completed for commencement of future planning in 2016 Building on Our Strengths Community Needs Assessment results commended the library in four areas: Staff Funding Facilities Programming FY 2012-13 OCPL Statistics ■ Operational Budget: $1,790,445 (an increase of 14% since 2010) ■ Circulation: 444,261 items borrowed (an increase of 64% since 2010) ■ Registered Customers: 29,573 (an increase of 9% since 2010) ■ Annual Programming Attendance: 8,746 residents (an increase of 13% since 2010) ■ Annual Number of Library Visitors: 198,240 (an increase of 12% since 2010) - Aligning the Plan with Community Priorities Aligning the Plan with Community Priorities OCPL Strategic Priorities 1. Collections and Materials 2. Community Connections 3. Services and Community Space 4. Technology Tools and Training Library Guiding Principles Vision ■ We empower people by providing a place and a face to explore, enjoy, and engage. Mission ■ The Orange County Public Library aims to be the heart of the community by: - being a welcoming gathering place for all - having a clear focus on the future and responding with creativity and innovation - offering relevant services, programs, collections and technologies - serving the entire community through collaborative efforts with organizations, educational institutions, and town and County governments - providing free and equal access to the resources and materials community members need to be informed and engaged Strategic Priorities Strategic Priority #1 — Library Collections and Materials ■ Focus Area #1 — Consider customer preferences and demand within material selection ■ Focus Area #2 — Collections should be easy to find by customers ■ Focus Area #3 — Promote the collection of materials available from OCPL Strategic Priorities Strategic Priority #2 — Community Connections ■ Focus Area #1 — Community engagement ■ Focus Area #2 — Outreach in the community ("beyond the walls") ■ Focus Area #3 — Raise awareness of library services ■ Focus Area #4 — Collaborate with local organizations Strategic Priorities Strategic Priority #3 — Services and Community Space ■ Focus Area #1 — Deliver high quality customer service ("find a way to yes") ■ Focus Area #2 — Offer programs that educate, engage, and entertain ■ Focus Area #3 — Provide inviting, functional library facilities Strategic Priorities Strategic Priority #4 —Technology Tools and Training ■ Focus Area #1 — Community-focused technology center ■ Focus Area #2 — Prioritize training opportunities ■ Focus Area #3 — Use technology as an evaluation tool How the Plan Supports the Site Criteria The Strategic Plan is aligned with the guiding principles of the site selection criteria to support the development of future library services Site Selection Criteria: Preliminary Phase ("dirt') Primary Phase: Strategic Plan focuses on future library services Once the Board selects a final site for library development, a dialogue can begin with the community regarding services. Measuring our Success Community Input • Conversations with the Director • Online Surveys • OCPL Customer Advisors • Community Review Group Data Review • Real —time data provided by library automation system • State and National Library Peer reviews and comparisons • Project Timeline updates on library website • Performance measurements from the FY13-14 Budget Future Funding Possible Budgetary Implications: Many items in this plan can be implemented at low or no cost. Capital Investment Plan: FY2016-17 Southern Branch Library Future Possible re-design of Main Library interior for increased flexibility/adaptability to support current and future customer needs, services and technology Operations: FY2014-15 Full-time Library Communications Specialist Future Ongoing technology investment Future Ongoing investment in all formats of library collections Conclusion: Feedback and Q&A Lucinda Munger, referring to slide 7, Strategic Priority focus area #3, said there will be budgetary implications with the possible hiring of a full time communications specialist. She said this is currently a part time position, but the vision is to create a full time position within the next 3 years. This person would be responsible for marketing and communicating library services to the community. Lucinda Munger said once the Board selects a site, there will be a study of demographics regarding the population surrounding that site. This will help determine the services that will be offered and the square footage required for those services. She said the current formula for square footage is .7 square foot per capita. She said library space is becoming smaller but more adaptable. Lucinda Munger, discussing slide 1- Measuring our Success, said she would like to recruit an intern from the Library Sciences and Masters of Public Administration Program to analyze feedback and create a formal report for the Board and county manager, by June of 2014. She referred to the Yellow sheet as an example of the library website timeline updates. She noted that there is an update to the CIP amount, which is now $8,125,000. Commissioner Pelissier asked who would be reviewing the performance measurements. She suggested that these might evolve and should also be reviewed with the Board of County Commissioners. Lucinda Munger said part of the charge for the community group would be to provide feedback to both staff and the Board on a regular basis. Commissioner Pelissier asked where staff is seeing the increase in involvement and activities. Lucinda Munger said the increase has primarily been in children's programs. She also noted that there have been no adult or teen programs until the past two years, and there has been some increase there as well. Commissioner Price asked if the priorities are in rank order. Lucinda Munger said staff feels all of the priorities are equally important. She said the most energy and time will be spent in community connection. Commissioner Price said she read that some libraries are having problems with getting e-books. Lucinda Munger said this is an issue for all libraries. She said their national association is working diligently with the publishing companies to work out a better arrangement than the current situation. She noted that a-books are much more expensive than paper books and these a-books are borrowed but not owned by the library. She said there is a large collection budget, and a-books have been added, though this is harder for smaller libraries. Commissioner McKee referred to page 15, priority 2, focus area 2, regarding provisional services at Northern Human Services Center. He said, considering the fact that the previous library service was suspended, he would like staff to elaborate on these plans and the thought behind them. Lucinda Munger said she knows the Board has been working with the Cedar Grove Community Center, and this group has coalesced around the idea of a casual sort of an internet cafe with access to library databases. She also suggested some children's programming, computer classes, and other informational classes. Commissioner McKee said this is a community need. He referred to page 16, focus area 4, item 5, regarding the Chapel Hill library. He noted that this section does not list interoperability or a common library card to be used in both libraries. He said this is and has been a point of contention. Chair Jacobs said he asked about the timeframe for completion of the Cedar Grove Community Center, and it is 6 months prior to Lucinda Munger's projection. He suggested she amend this timeline. Lucinda Munger said these timelines can be adjusted as construction commences. Commissioner Gordon said she was surprised to see this because she thought staff was tasked to develop services in rural Orange County. She said it seems staff has a plan for the Cedar Grove Community Center, but nowhere else in Orange County. She thought the task was for all of Orange County Lucinda Munger said the report was focused on the Northern Human Services Center because it is a county owned facility, and there aren't any other governmental centers staff could plan for at this time. She said that the smaller community centers often cannot offer internet service. She feels this is a good start to offering services in rural Orange County. Commissioner Gordon said she wanted to see the overall plan for Orange County for library services. She said this piecemeal approach is not what she expected. Commissioner Pelissier said she is impressed with this plan, as it addresses the concerns of the Board of County Commissioners and it is comprehensive but flexible. She said the collaboration with elected officials is an excellent idea. She said this reflects staff's forward thinking on library services. Commissioner Gordon said this report is much improved from the last one the Board saw in the spring. She said, when it gets to data collection, the Board does need to see those performance measures in the budget as well as in the plan. She said there need to be more detailed explanations of methods and more concrete examples of metrics. Commissioner Gordon said there is one place where the part-time specialist is discussed and then another section where the full-time communications specialist is discussed. She noted that hiring should be part of the budget process, not part of the plan. She said that her expectation is that the strategic plan should be an overall plan for the County, and then the Public Affairs Office would be in charge of communications, rather than just one position for the library only. She would question hiring a communications specialist for just the library. Commissioner McKee said he agreed with expanding library services throughout Orange County, but he feels there are two issues that raise the Northern Human Services Center high up on the list. He said the first is the proposed tower location at the Walnut Grove solid waste center, which will increase broadband availability. He said the second factor is the location of that center, which is in the center of the northern third of Orange County. He said this is an area that is currently underserved. Commissioner Price agreed with Commissioner McKee. She said the community continues to ask for services to return to that location. She commended what is in the report about the siting of library services in rural northern Orange County, and she commended the entire plan. She said it is obvious that communication is happening, and someone is doing a really good job with that. Lucinda Munger said this is due to the person in the communications position now, Ms. Shepherd. She said this person is responsible for their community public relations, and she does a great job. Commissioner Rich said this is a better format than what the Board saw previously. She asked for clarification on the interviews section on page 10, regarding the reference to Friends' Board. She asked if the reference to a main chair is in reference to the main library in Chapel Hill Lucinda Munger said this refers to the main library in Hillsborough. She said staff did not talk to the Friends' boards in Chapel Hill. Commissioner Rich said she would suggest keeping clear communication between Chapel Hill and the Orange County libraries. She said a marketing person could fall under different realms. She said it is important that information get out through all different avenues, including social media, and the website. Lucinda Munger said staff is working to make continuous improvements to the library website and the library does have a twitter and Facebook account. Commissioner Rich said when she looks at strategic plans, she likes them to be fluid and to be reviewed and updated regularly in order to stay live. Lucinda Munger said this is part of the role of the community review group. She said there will be reviews at least annually, and adjustments will be made as needed to keep the plan alive. Chair Jacobs said, as far as the Cedar Grove Community Center, he is supportive of staff mentioning it in the plan. He said there does need to be a focus on other facilities as well. He suggested she work with planning, especially as it relates to the siting of telecommunication towers and the availability of public and quasi-public places. Chair Jacobs said he agrees with Commissioner Gordon that there needs to be an overarching philosophy. He said he feels the communications position is related to the Public Affairs Office. He does not feel this needs to be so specifically designated in the strategic plan. Chair Jacobs said the County should continue to accent interoperability with Chapel Hill as a key component to making a more seamless system for the residents of Orange County. Chair Jacobs said it is good to be aggressive about updates, but it is best not to over-commit on how often this can be done. Commissioner Gordon referenced her previous comment regarding the Communications Position and gave recommendations on the appropriate placement of this information. 2. Southern Branch Library Siting Criteria, Process Update Jeff Thompson reviewed the following PowerPoint slides. Southern Library Site Evaluation Update 9/12/13 Area Locator: (Map) Intended Outcome: • Background/Feedback from 3119113 Regular Meeting • Additional Carrboro Suggested Site Evaluation ■ BOCC Feedback, Next Steps Background/Feedback: • Summary of Carrboro Suggested Site Evaluation— 3119113 • Eliminate Town Hall • Technical Phase l Due Diligence: ■ 1128 Hillsborough ■ 401 Fidelity • Preliminary "Phase I"Review: • Literature Review • Site Visits • No Technical Analysis • (Survey, Soils, Environmental, Appraisal, Title, etc.) 401 Fidelity: (map) 1128 Hillsborough: (map) Background/Feedback: ■ BOCC Feedback and Guidance • No decision on recommendations • Review more sites • Emphasis on: • honoring Carrboro partnership • multi-use facility • adequate parking • projected uses of rural and urban populations • proximity to lower/middle income neighborhoods Background: • Additional Site Review • May 7, 2013 letter - 203 Greensboro-parking lot - 201 Greensboro- CVS site - 300 E. Main - 120 Brewer Michael Harvey reviewed the following PowerPoint slides: 203 South Greensboro: (map) 203 South Greensboro: (map) 300 East Main; 120 Brewer Lane: (map) 300 East Main; 120 Brewer Lane: (map) Staff Opinion for Continued Technical Site Review &Assessment: Eliminate 203 Greensboro (Carrboro owned parking lot) • Difficult site with many constraints • Potential expense • Need for structured parking Staff Opinion for Continued Technical Site Review &Assessment: Eliminate 201 Greensboro ("CVS Site') • Site constraints • Potential need for more property acquisition • Expensive Staff Opinion for Continued Technical Site Review &Assessment: Eliminate 300 E. Main • Expensive • Commercial retail highest and best use, not library Staff Opinion for Continued Technical Site Review &Assessment: Continue Study of 120 Brewer Pros: • More reasonably priced • Likely adequate parking • Proximate to low/mid income housing • Potential multi-use, destination ("sense of place') • Attractive to Carrboro Aldermen Cons: • Lack of direct visibility • Wayfinding challenges • Potential parking issues, unless exclusive parking deck assignments are arranged Q&A: Michael Harvey reminded the Board that a listing of the criteria for site evaluations is included on page 7 of the abstract. He said that public comment has not been sought yet, and this will be done in phase two. He said there are detailed comments regarding the additional 4 sites on page 14 of the abstract. He reviewed the maps of the 4 sites in slides 9-12. He said staff believes the fourth site, 120 Brewer, has significant potential. He said it is his recommendation that the Board allow staff to do a comprehensive review of Fidelity Street, 1128 Hillsborough, and Brewer Street. Commissioner Gordon asked how much it will cost to do the next phase of due diligence for each site. Michael Harvey said this will cost $10,000-15,000 per site, and these funds are available in the budget. Commissioner Rich asked why this would go to phase two before getting public input. Michael Harvey said phase two specifically involves public comment. Commissioner Rich noted that the sites that need public comment are being eliminated. Michael Harvey said staff is recommending the elimination of these sites, but it is the Board of County Commissioners' choice. Commissioner Rich said it seems, looking at the sites that have been chosen, that staff is still trying to build a suburban library in an urban area. She said she does not agree with spending $15,000 on each of these properties. She feels this is a waste of money. Commissioner Rich asked about the price on 300 Main Street. She asked if the price of$25 per square foot came from the developer. Jeff Thompson said the ground floor prime space is upfront on this site and the price did come from the developer Jeff Thompson said the Brewer property is less per sq ft because there is no visibility from the street, and it is more conducive to non-retail use Commissioner Pelissier said the Brewer Lane and 300 Main would involve amendments to the previously approved master plan by the town of Carrboro. She asked what this would involve. Jeff Thompson said, in talking with the developer, it seems that this would be little more than an administrative process. Realtor Ms. Van Zandt said the Brewer property was acquired late last year and by incorporating it into the 300 East Main Development, it allows for expansion of the parking deck on to this property. She said that the reconfiguration of the buildings requires a modified permit from the town of Carrboro; however it is a minor modification that does not require public hearings. Commissioner Gordon asked about the boxy buildings designated as placeholders. Ms. Van Zandt said this refers to the boxy buildings in the second tier with no windows. Commissioner Gordon asked if there is any particular place at the Brewer Lane site that is being considered for a library, and she asked for details on the parking arrangement. Ms. Van Zandt said property will consist of one building and the ground floor will be non-residential. She said the top floor would be condos, and the library would be on the bottom floor. She said there are currently 500 spaces in the deck that will be open to the public, and there is room for a third bay that would add another 250 spaces. She said this gives 750 spaces in the deck and she plans to work together with the town to devise the best plan for use. Commissioner Gordon asked if there would be a lease arrangement with parking and the library. Ms. Van Zandt said this is flexible and could be done either way, lease or purchase. She said with the library there may be a preference for leasing versus ownership early on. Commissioner Gordon asked how this would work with the parking. She asked if the county would be able to have particular spaces at particular costs. Ms. Van Zandt said staff will work with Orange County on this issue. She said the Arts Center and the Cat's Cradle are also there, but the Cat's Cradle does not really operate until after the library is closed, so sharing of spaces does make some sense. Commissioner Gordon asked about a review of the Shetley property on Hillsborough Road, and she asked about the utility easement on that site. She said she is not interested in seeing a library on the Shetley property. She said there had been discussions about swapping properties with Carrboro, so that the library would be on the Carrboro owned property. She questioned whether the Aldermen are interested in a swap, and if not, she feels this site is not suitable for a library because of site limitations, including the utility easement. Frank Clifton said nobody on County staff would recommend the library be put on the Shetley property. He said there were some discussions at one point with town staff regarding a joint project that would involve a County library site on the street frontage of the park property. He said that, it is best to do more study to make sure a library can be built on these sites before proposing them to the public. Commissioner Gordon said her point is that the Board needs to find out if the Aldermen are even interested in a swap. Commissioner Rich asked why the Board should invest in sites with no guarantee that the town or the public want them. She would like to see more public comment first. She asked if staff is considering that Brewer Lane has close proximity to a lower-middle class neighborhood. Jeff Thompson said yes. He said this is true for Brewer Lane as well as Fidelity. Commissioner Rich said the Brewer site fits into a lot of criteria. She said she wants to keep this an urban library, and she keeps hearing this from others as well. Her current preference is for the Brewer Lane property. Commissioner Pelissier said she prefers the Brewer Lane site too; however there need to be multiple sites for the public to compare and discuss. She still has concerns about the Hillsborough Road site because this would require conditional use re-zoning. She noted that if Carrboro were building a library it would not need re- zoning, and she asked why Orange County has to have it. Jeff Thompson said when staff says yes to a site this is just part of the technical phase. He said the technical site overview is not just about engineering, but it also includes planning and zoning, and it takes about 60 days. Commissioner McKee said he has no particular objections to any of these sites. He does have a concern about the Brewer site's lack of visibility and accessibility. He also has a concern about the shift in the discussion from building a County library for Orange County residents in the southern part of the County, to a focus on building a Carrboro town library. Commissioner Price said her concerns are similar to Commissioner McKee's. She thought this was for the southwest region of the County. She said, when it is time for public input, all of the sites need to be presented, along with the applicable pros and cons. Commissioner Rich said she does not think the Brewer site is a problem. She said her intention is to build a County branch library in an urban setting in Carrboro. She feels this is a unique setting, and it is a step in the progression of what a branch library should look like. She feels this should be brought back to the public before spending $15,000 on a site that may not be used. Chair Jacobs said the Fidelity Street site is owned by Carrboro. He asked if Carrboro intends to give it to the county. Frank Clifton said the town board has not officially said that, but it is on the table for consideration. Chair Jacobs said the county has three sites and then one that needs Carrboro's collaboration. He this means there are multiple options to take to the public. He said there are some urban and some suburban. He said that it may turn out that one site is superior, but this cannot be pre-determined. He said, bringing people to Brewer Lane will enhance the economic development in Carrboro, which will benefit Orange County. Chair Jacobs said, if there are too many sites, this will confuse people. He said the County has set expectation levels too high in the past with regard to what kind of facility this will be. He said the Board wants to be clear that the County is not going to duplicate the Chapel Hill library. He said the goal is to establish a library that serves the southwest portion of the county and does not duplicate either central library. He said these criteria should be established before this goes to the public so that there are realistic expectations. Chair Jacobs reviewed the Boards' thoughts thus far. He said there are 3 sites that need to be investigated. He said the library is to be a branch library and public expectations need to be tamped down to a realistic level. He said it needs to be stressed that this library is to serve a specific segment of Orange County. Frank Clifton clarified that all of these sites were recommended by the Town of Carrboro. Commissioner Gordon said it seems that the Board discussion is converging on three sites. She said she is encouraged by the fact that Carrboro seems most favorably disposed to Brewer Lane. She said it would be $30-$40,000 to investigate these properties. Frank Clifton said staff needs to sit down with the developer before the technical reviews are done on each site and before the site is put before the public. Commissioner Rich said she is not fond of the 201 site. She questioned why the 203 West Greensboro site would be ruled out if the Brewer Lane does not pan out. She said she is pushing for an urban style library and the 203 Greensboro is right in the middle of town with plenty of parking around. Commissioner Price asked which three sites Chair Jacobs listed earlier. Chair Jacobs said the three sites being discussed were 401 Fidelity Street, 1128 Hillsborough Road and 120 Brewer Lane. He said these sites need to go through due diligence before being taken to the public. Commissioner Price said she would recommend the site at 201 Greensboro Street. She would like to see less emphasis on parking. She said, with several of the sites, especially the Brewer Lane site, there are neighborhoods close by, and residents can walk to the library. She said bus service is also widely available. Michael Harvey said governmental sites are required to have allocated parking sites by the Unified Development Ordinance. He said this may be a problem with the 203 Greensboro site. Commissioner Pelissier suggested a poll. Frank Clifton noted that this library will not only attract neighborhood residents, but it will also attract residents from Southern Village and other areas that require transportation that creates a need for parking. Chair Jacobs polled the board regarding the sites that should move forward. The Board decided on the following three sites: 1128 Hillsborough Road Brewer Lane 401 Fidelity Street Chair Jacobs said if any of these 3 sites do not work out, then the site at 201 Greensboro Street can be added back to the mix. Commissioner McKee said the Board needs to definitively explain what will replace the model of a full service library. He feels that most residents will still expect to see a full service library. Chair Jacobs said the term "full service" is a confusing term and should not be used. Lucinda Munger said one of the benefits of doing a demographic study around the sites is that it will allow staff to know what services are needed and expected by the residents. Chair Jacobs suggested that if a Commissioner has not been to Brewer Lane, it would be a good idea to take a look at the site. 3. Whitted Meeting Room Schematic Design Review Jeff Thompson presented a series of schematic design photos in a PowerPoint presentation regarding the interior of the proposed Whitted Building meeting room. He said the timeline is on track for construction to begin in the spring, and the facility would open in June. Architect, Ken Redfoot reviewed the different interior designs and the boardroom layout. He said there will be asphalt parking areas with adequate access to the building and handicap parking space. He reviewed three different meeting room layouts beginning with the regular meeting layout. He said there will be a kitchenette area and a proposed bathroom, both of which are major refinements to the plan. Ken Redfoot said the sound block area had also been refined, which eliminates some of the rooms that had been designated as television production rooms. He then reviewed the joint meeting room and showed the table arrangement for discussion. He reviewed the theater layout with a permanent dais, a center aisle and two side aisles. He said the restrooms had also been adjusted to accommodate this setup. He reviewed the alternate plan which is a fourth meeting layout that shows a smaller permanent board room and then several flex rooms for additional office and meeting space. Ken Redfoot reviewed slides of the interior views. Commissioner Rich asked if there would be a television monitor in front of the podium for the Commissioners view. Ken Redfoot said yes. He said the dais would sit 7 inches higher than the floor in front and could accommodate up to 11 people. He said there would be floor boxes to accommodate electrical and data to the requirements, eliminating or diminishing visual wiring. Commissioner Gordon asked about the large tables. Ken Redfoot said the furniture has not actually been chosen yet. He said if the plan is embraced tonight there will be details on moveable furniture in the future. He said there will be flex spaces on either side for storage of furniture to accommodate changing the room as needed. Commissioner Price asked about the stage. Ken Redfoot said the stage would be elevated, but the plan is simply showing a space for a stage. Ken Redfoot said they could drape the dais with materials if a stage was needed for a theatrical production. The meeting room takes top priority. Commissioner McKee asked if the project is still within budget. Ken Redfoot said yes. He said this is on the agenda for the 17tH Chair Jacobs asked if there could be a curtain between the stage and dais if needed. Ken Redfoot said the production company would need to provide their own curtains. He said the Board will not provide the actual stage, but will provide the electrical infrastructure and what the floor can support. Chair Jacobs said this space will not be for traveling road shows but more for events from local churches and other organizations with limited resources. He said he is open to discussion on a movable stage and curtain to accommodate small community groups. Chair Jacobs asked about the distance of the seating in relation to the stage. Frank Clifton said the stage would be only about 12- 18 inches high. Chair Jacobs said he is concerned that the seating rows are too long. Ken Redfoot said this can be loosened to accommodate what Chair Jacobs requested with more aisle space. He said this design is just showing the maximum. Commissioner Gordon asked for details on the flex space. She asked what would be happening in the rooms and what will be on the floors. Ken Redfoot said these will be newly carpeted and painted with technology consistent with the meeting room. He said the flex space is open to uses that would be associated with the Board of County Commissioners meeting room, community events, or future offices. Commissioner Gordon said her understanding is that the Board of County Commissioners will be the primary user. She said that the cultural center is not going to use the space; so she is not sure why accommodations are being made for a theater. Ken Redfoot said the stage is a Board of County Commissioners decision. Commissioner Gordon said the Board of Education has decided not to use the space, and the Town Board has not committed to using it. She said this is a venue for the Board of County Commissioners, and there is no need to provide a temporary stage. She said for the Parks and Recreation programs there is a need for an activity room, and she asked if the flex space could be used for this. She asked if there is any difference between a conference room and a flex space. Ken Redfoot said no. He said the driver of these flex spaces is the big space and its size. Commissioner Gordon asked about the size of the flex spaces. Ken Redfoot said the flex spaces to the far left and right are approximately 800 square feet. He said the two down below are 1000 square feet on one side and 1200 square feet on the other. Commissioner McKee said this room and design accommodates their meeting room needs and can be adapted as needed. He said once the other potential users see the space their decision about use may change. Commissioner Pelissier said the cultural center did disband, but she knows people that are still interested in renting the facility for community use. She said she likes the plan, and she wants to keep the flex space. She would like to keep a placeholder for this. Jeff Thompson said there was a plan shown in February that had office space as part of a space study update. He said that there was a discussion in May about adding these spaces at a later date. He said it was also requested that staff reach out to the arts community, and the purpose of the flex space proposal is to leave that option open. Commissioner Price said the cultural center has been disbanded, but there are some members hanging on to the name and some of the funding. She said there are neighborhood groups who may want to use this space. She asked if the building would be open during the day. Chair Jacobs said it would be open if there are offices on the floor, it would be open. Commissioner Rich asked about the green space. She asked if this could be used for closed sessions. Frank Clifton answered yes, and he said this is a secure room. Commissioner Rich said she likes the adaptability of the space. She would like to leave space for a portable stage. She said this will all come in stages though. Chair Jacobs said Commissioner McKee's point is good. He feels that this space will likely get more use once it is built. He said the Board of Education had no information earlier in the process and thought there would be a charge to use the space, which led to the vote against it. He feels that this decision may change sometime down the line. Commissioner Gordon said she has reservations about this plan. 4. Strategic Communications Plan/County Logo Carla Banks reviewed the proposed outline for the strategic communications plan. She said the outline is tied to the goals of the Board of County Commissioners as discussed in the February planning retreat, specifically goals 2, 3, and 4. She said she would like to determine which elements the Commissioners would like to keep, change, delete or add. She began with point 1 in media relations on page 3 of the outline and asked for Board feedback. Commissioner Gordon asked if Carla Banks could go through her presentation starting at the beginning of the outline. She said she has general questions and she thought this would start with an overview, before getting into the details. Carla Banks said she is proposing the outline so she has a basis to create a working document based on Board input. She noted that the Board had requested the opportunity to be part of that process. She said the outline's purpose was to list the elements that should be in the plan and give an opportunity for things to be added. Commissioner Gordon said she would prefer starting at the beginning of the document. Carla Banks read the purpose as outlined on page 2 of the abstract. Commissioner Gordon said she wanted to start on the first page and discuss the overall issues. She referenced the original Strategic Communications Plan from 1999 which was on the blue sheets. She said that if you compare the wording of the abstract outline with the wording of the plan that is on the blue sheets, you will see a difference with respect to the role of the Board. She quoted two sections on the first page of the original plan to give examples of this difference. First, she read that the purpose was "to promote more effective communication between and among the County Commissioners and the citizens." Second, she read "staff will develop for Board approval a single, unified style for all County communications efforts to establish the County's "identity" in communication vehicles." She said a major difference is whether the Board of County Commissioners is even referenced in the outline as compared with the references concerning the Board's role stated in the 1999 plan. She feels that the Board of County Commissioner's oversight has been eliminated in the outline proposed by Carla Banks. Commissioner Gordon said the Board of County Commissioners would have approval for the overall communications vision in the original plan; and in this new plan the Board of County Commissioners is almost invisible. She referred to the pink sheets with the minutes from the May 21 st meeting, and said that the Commissioners requested a say in the branding, the logo and other areas. She feels this is a strategic piece that is different from the staff proposal and it is important to clarify the role of the Board. Carla Banks said she thought she was proposing a County-wide plan, rather than a plan that was focused specifically on the Board of County Commissioners. Commissioner Gordon said this is a County-wide plan, but she does not see a role for the Board of County Commissioners in this proposed outline. Commissioner McKee said his view of the role of the Board of County Commissioners, both as a whole and individual, is to provide policy and direction, not to be intimately involved in the design of a logo or choice of a media outlet. He does not feel comfortable discussing Board oversight of any department. He said it is easy to then move into micro-management. He said he is not being critical of Commissioner Gordon, but he is just trying to understand her position of their role. He sees his role as policy and oversight. Commissioner Gordon said she is talking about how the County communicates its brand and image in efforts to reach out to citizens. She said the details are technical and she is not talking about managing a department. She is talking about the Board of County Commissioners having some type of role, and in this new plan the Board does not seem to have a role. She said that the Board is responsible for how their image is projected. Commissioner Pelissier said she does not understand what Commissioner Gordon wants. She said her impression is that the Board has had a role, because the Board decided to hire a Public Affairs Officer that was not a Commissioner directed position. She said the Board is having involvement by being allowed to review the plan. She said this is similar to the Board of Health. She trusts the experts in all of the departments. She said that having an overall goal of increased transparency, knowledge of services, and making services readily accessible are the goals of the Board. She said staff takes care of it beyond that. Commissioner Rich said she is in between the two viewpoints. She said she does think you hire someone to do a job, and you don't tell them what to do on a daily basis; however she feels that when you start creating websites and re-branding, the elected officials should be part of those decisions about how image is projected. She said maybe the Board does want to be involved in media interviews. She said there are places where the Board of County Commissioners needs to be involved and some where they do not. She feels the Board should have a say in branding. Commissioner Price said the Board of County Commissioners needs to have some review and approval of branding and logo. She said the press releases are already sent for approval before going out, and that is enough vetting in that situation. She said everyday issues should be left to the Public Affairs Office (PAO). Chair Jacobs said he does not disagree with anyone, but he does not think the PAO hears the Board or connects with them. He said he feels Carla Banks has taken her lead from the Manager, and somehow there is a disconnect. He said Carla Banks is their most direct public outlet, and there is no connection. Chair Jacobs said Commissioner Rich was concerned about the tweets during the flood, since it seemed that others were more proactive than Orange County. Carla Banks said she was in the EOC and as she produced press releases, she posted these to Twitter, Facebook and the website. She said she was flying solo during that event and doing the best she could do under the circumstances. Commissioner Rich said the twitter feeds from other entities were not connected to a link to a web site to a press release. She said the other entities had a feed telling residents where to go and not to go and what to do. Her concern during the flood was that Orange County was not communicating quickly enough to tell people what to do. She said she quick tweets rather than a link to a press release. She said she does not want or need to be involved in doing this, she is just giving a criticism of what happened that day. Chair Jacobs said there is no mechanism or way for the Board of County Commissioners to change anything or to tell the PAO what their vision is. Carla Banks said that flood day she was working that effort solo and press releases were going out every ten minutes in addition to updating the website, twitter, and social media. She suggested the need for a secondary person to solely handle Facebook or twitter. Frank Clifton said he can be blamed for the logo and it is time to move on from that. Secondly, he said there was no plan of any kind before Carla Banks' position was created. He said no one is debating the criticisms that have been levied. He said the issue is that you don't go from a-z overnight. He said some Board of County Commissioners respond to requests for information and want to be involved and some who don't. He said he advocated for this position under the clerk originally. However, he said this is a County wide position, and not a political position. He said the Board has 7 different points for opinion and the public relations person cannot call all 7 for each press release. He is not opposed to constructive criticism. He said twitter is fairly new to Orange County and it is a constant issue. He said the role of Orange County was to be in support of Chapel Hill during the flood, as this was inside the town limits. He said County staff was in the backup role, and was not there to run the show. He said if the majority of the Board wants to move this function to the clerk's office, that's fine; if the Board wants to take a more deeply invested role, that's fine. He said that it would be hard to be spontaneous and quick to respond when seven different opinions are involved. Frank Clifton said the County needs some consistency. He said the constructive way to address this is to have a group of Commissioners volunteer to work with the PAO on any of these issues. He said Carla Banks has a lot of knowledge and will be excellent to work with. He questioned what role as a political leader the Board wants to have in the daily involvement of every department of County government. Commissioner Pelissier said their share is not responsible for the town and it is about coordination. She said there are different opinions and the Board needs to decide what the majority wants. She said this position should stay in the manager's office. She does not want this position to become a competition amongst and between Commissioners. She said this is about County services. Commissioner Rich said the conversation was not about who should have taken the lead. She said, at the point of an emergency, the press releases did not work. She said that the Board needs to get together and decide what the Commissioners want Carla Banks' role to be. She said she does not want to micro-manage the PAO. She said there is a feeling that the Board does not have a connection to Carla Banks, and she is the voice of the Board of County Commissioners. She said there needs to be some dialogue. Commissioner Price said that emergencies fall under Emergency Services or the Sheriff, and what Carla Banks did was supportive and should be commended. She said her concerns with regard to image, were just that she wanted input into the final design. Chair Jacobs said there is just not good communication between the Board of County Commissioners and the PAO. He said he used the tweets as an example. He said when the Board passes a resolution about the logo, and then it does not get put into the logo presentation, he gets the message that there is a dis-connect. Chair Jacobs said that Commissioner Price had volunteered to work with PAO on the logo. He said this is a new department, and there needs to be a pathway. He said there is no mechanism for the Chair to sit down with PAO. He asked Carla Banks to look at the purpose to determine how she would feed the Board of County Commissioners into the process. Chair Jacobs said this issue is structural and not personal. Commissioner Gordon said it is important to do the strategic communications plan and it is clear this will not be done tonight. She said the current plan from 1999 has a paragraph under press releases that should be in the new plan. She read it as follows. "The staff should develop and implement methods for addressing fast breaking and/or potentially controversial public relations issues in a timely manner so that the County can be in a position to anticipate these situations and respond with an appropriate message quickly and effectively when dealing with matters that are controversial or fast breaking." She said there is also some good language in the current plan regarding coordination related to emergency services, and she thought it should be included in the new plan. She reviewed this language which said that there should be an "action plan for communications between and among the county departments, other governmental agencies, the media, and the public in times of crisis, such as natural disasters, evacuations, and other emergency situations. Commissioner Gordon said that stating the intent to hire a public relations specialist should not be part of the plan. Instead, that is a method to implement the plan and should be part of the budget process. She said there needs to be a high priority on developing a strategic communications plan that takes into account the Board of County Commissioners' role. She said there is a difference between micro- management and having a high priority on the Board's role in setting policy. She said she believes the Board does not want to micro-manage but there is a desire to have a high level of control with regard to the County's image. Commissioner Gordon said she has a concern with the logo because it is difficult to tell what the central figure in the logo is supposed to mean, and she feels it needs to be re-done. Chair Jacobs suggested Carla Banks discuss with the Chair and Vice Chair how to re-shape this and to bring this back at the next agenda review. Closed Session: A motion was made by Commissioner Gordon, seconded by Commissioner McKee to go into closed session at 10:10pm for the purpose of: 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; or to hear or investigate a complaint, charge, or grievance by or against an individual public officer or employee. NCGS § 143-318.11(a)(6); and. VOTE: UNANIMOUS RECONVENE INTO OPEN SESSION: A motion was made by Commissioner Gordon seconded by Commissioner Rich to reconvene into open session at 10:36pm. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Adjournment A motion was made by Commissioner Gordon, seconded by Commissioner Rich to adjourn the meeting at 10:36pm. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Barry Jacobs, Chair Donna S. Baker, CMC Clerk to the Board