HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 11-19-2013 - 6a 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: November 19, 2013
Action Agenda
Item No. 6-a
SUBJECT: MINUTES
DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Donna Baker, 245-2130
Draft Minutes
PURPOSE: To correct and/or approve the minutes as submitted by the Clerk to the Board as
listed below:
September 26, 2013 BOCC Joint Meeting with School Boards
October 3, 2013 BOCC Joint Meeting with Fire Chiefs
BACKGROUND: In accordance with 153A-42 of the General Statutes, the Governing Board
has the legal duty to approve all minutes that are entered into the official journal of the Board's
proceedings.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: NONE
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Interim Manager recommends the Board approve minutes as
presented or as amended.
1
I Attachment 1
2
3 DRAFT MINUTES
4
5 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
6 CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO BOARD OF EDUCATION
7 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
8 JOINT MEETING
9 September 26, 2013
10
11 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a joint session with the Chapel
12 Hill—Carrboro Board of Education and the Orange County Board of Education on Thursday,
13 September 26, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, N.C.
14
15 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Barry Jacobs and Commissioners Alice M.
16 Gordon, Mark Dorosin, Bernadette Pelissier, Renee Price, Earl McKee, and Penny Rich
17 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT:
18 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts
19 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: Interim County Manager Michael Talbert, Assistant County
20 Managers Clarence Grier and Cheryl Young, and Clerk to the Board Donna S. Baker (All other
21 staff members will be identified appropriately below)
22 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Donna Coffey
23 and Board Members Steve Halkiotis, Tony McKnight, Debbie Piscitelli, and Lawrence Sanders.
24 Interim Superintendent Del Burns was also present.
25 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS ABSENT: Brenda Stephens, Anne
26 Medenbleck,
27 CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO CITY SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS
28 PRESENT: Chair Michelle Brownstein and Board Members Mia Burroughs, James Barrett,
29 Jamezetta Bedford and Annetta Streater.
30 CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO CITY SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS ABSENT:
31 Gregory McElveen, Mike Kelly
32
33 Chair Jacobs said he would like to add the following item to the agenda for the Board of
34 County Commissioners: Resolution Honoring Frank Clifton on his retirement.
35
36 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
37 RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING FRANK CLIFTON FOR SERVICE TO ORANGE COUNTY
38
39 WHEREAS, Frank Clifton served for four years as Manager of Orange County and has filled
40 similar administrative positions in government in Florida, Tennessee, and several
41 counties in North Carolina; and
42
43 WHEREAS, Frank Clifton helped lead Orange County through an extended period of national
44 economic turmoil when fiscal discipline, efficient operations, and creative adjustments
45 were the primary means of protecting the county's financial welfare and staying on track
46 to pursue its policy goals; and
47
48 WHEREAS, Frank Clifton worked with commissioners and staff to improve the fiscal standing
49 and long-term financial health of Orange County government; and
50
2
1 WHEREAS, Frank Clifton helped to improve the county's economic development efforts,
2 including the successful passage of a quarter-cent sales tax partially devoted to
3 economic development, funding instrumental in providing infrastructure that resulted in
4 the location of the Morinaga Company in western Orange County; and
5
6 WHEREAS, Frank Clifton worked devotedly to promote policies and practices he believed were
7 essential to the well-being of Orange County; and
8
9 WHEREAS, public service requires a level of dedication, responsiveness, training, and hard
10 work that is to be admired and saluted.
11
12 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of Commissioners, the
13 county staff, and the residents of Orange County do hereby express our appreciation
14 and respect for Frank Clifton for his service and leadership, and wish him well as he
15 retires and moves on to other endeavors.
16
17 This the 26th day of September 2013
18
19 A motion was made by Commissioner Rich, seconded by Commissioner Price to add
20 this item to the agenda and to adopt the resolution.
21
22 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
23
24 1. Welcome and Opening Remarks —CHCCS Chair Brownstein, OCS Chair Coffey and
25 Chair Jacobs
26
27 Chair Brownstein said collaboration has been good. She said she is happy to see
28 relationships being built in order to help all the students in Orange County.
29 Chair Coffey said the same, and she expressed appreciation for all that the Board of
30 County Commissioners does for both schools.
31 Chair Jacobs said that one of the fruitful consequences of the merger discussions is that
32 the three boards began meeting to talk about issues of common concern. He said the meeting
33 agenda has become a collaborative effort.
34
35 2. Overview and Presentation by Davenport and Company, LLC on Orange County's
36 Financial Status and Debt Capacity
37 Chair Jacobs said the Board has seen this at the collaboration meetings and it is an
38 illuminating report.
39 Clarence Grier said this company helps with many of the County's financial and bond
40 issues. He reviewed the County's bond ratings and other background information from the
41 abstract. He said this report will provide an overview of the County's debt.
42 He introduced Ted Cole, Sr. Vice President and Robert High, First Vice President from
43 Davenport and Company, LLC.
44 Ted Cole said this report outlines where the County stands with regard to Debt Capacity
45 and Debt Affordability. He noted that the most current capital program and CIP for the schools
46 has been added as a reference and is located in the final pages of the booklet.
47 He reviewed the following highlights from the Discussion Materials Booklet included in
48 the abstract:
49
50 Page 5 - Existing Tax Supported Debt—All County debt is fixed rate. He noted that debt
51 related to utilities, landfill and the Sportsplex are not included. He noted the current total
3
1 outstanding debt is $190,958,159. He said payments go down every year moving forward and if
2 nothing is done, all existing debt would be retired by fiscal year (FY) 2033. He noted the
3 reduction in annual payments each year and said this is how the County can begin to afford new
4 debt for new projects moving forward.
5
6 Page 6 - Key Debt Ratio: Tax Supported Payout Ratio— He noted that the County is
7 amortizing debt quickly.
8 Commissioner Gordon asked for the definition of back loading debt.
9 Ted Cole said this is when principal is pushed to the back end of the loan.
10
11 Page 7 - Debt Per Capita— He said the County is at$1400 per person, and this ratio will
12 come down as years pass.
13
14 Page 8 —Key Debt Ratio: Debt to Assessed Value— He said this is the amount of debt
15 outstanding, as it relates to the County's tax base. He said the County has a policy in place to
16 cap this ratio at 3 percent, and the current ratio is well below that number. He said the ratio on
17 the top left of this page illustrates where there is a capacity to take on additional debt.
18
19 Page 9 - Debt Service vs. Expenditures—This illustrates how much county money is
20 going toward debt. This number is capped at 15 percent. He said Orange County is much
21 closer to that policy at 14 percent. He said this is a ratio where there is less capacity as it
22 relates to taking on new or additional debt.
23
24 Page 10- Decline in Tax Supported Debt Service— He said this shows the decline in
25 debt service is tied into the 10 year debt payout ratio.
26
27 Page 11 —Debt Affordability Analysis— He said the county has budgeted for pay as you
28 go capital. He said column f shows total debt service going forward. He said column g
29 assumes that same $25 million per year in appropriation, and column h assumes $4.3 million
30 per year in pay-as-you-go cash.
31
32 Page 13— Capital Improvement Program (Years 1-5) — He said the funds usage is
33 addressed at the top of the chart in lines 5-7 and totals $129 million. He said the rest of the
34 table outlines where the dollars come from.
35 He said the green bar shows $94 million in debt to be issued to satisfy a portion of the
36 County capital needs. He said there is an expectation that some of this will be paid with cash.
37
38 Page 14—Existing and Proposed Tax Supported Debt— He noted this is a 20 year term
39 with a 5% interest rate, and he said these are debt issuance assumptions.
40
41 Pages 15-16 - Key Debt Ratios— He said the County will maintain stated policies. He
42 said the take-away is that the capital program is doable over the next 5 years with the listed
43 assumptions.
44
45 Page 17 - Debt Affordability Analysis— He said this looks at how the County pays for
46 their debt. He said column b is the debt that is on the books today; column c is the projected
47 new debt service for the capital program; and column d is pay as you go capital.
48 He said column f would become the new debt schedule if the County were to implement
49 the entire capital plan.
50 He said the affordability depends on the equivalent of a 2.81 cent incremental tax effect,
51 as shown in column o.
4
1
2 Page 19- Future Debt Capacity— He said this shows the County's additional debt
3 capacity beyond the 2018 fiscal year, for years 2019-2023. This page looks at the available
4 debt capacity if the County were to fund the CIP. He said that there will be an additional $120
5 million debt capacity that could be issued while still maintaining compliance with policies and
6 debt affordability.
7
8 Page 20 —Future Debt Affordability—This shows that the cash flow is there.
9
10 Page 21 - Potential Impacts on Future Debt Capacity— He said credit is a large factor,
11 and maintaining good credit insures the lowest cost of capital.
12
13 Page 23 - Observations— He said the County has managed its finances well and has
14 excellent policies. He said the question is where the additional resources will come from to help
15 pay for new debt service.
16
17 Clarence Grier said staff goes through this exercise each time a credit package is
18 created and debt is issued. He noted projects in the current capital plan include the Culbreth
19 Middle School science wing addition, as well as a couple of other school projects.
20
21 Chair Jacobs introduced Michael Talbert as the Interim County Manager.
22
23 Robert High noted that the debt affordability chart does not include operational increases
24 in the plan. This is noted throughout the book and will be a drain on growth increases.
25 Commissioner Price asked what happens in years 2026-28 where the numbers appear
26 to fluctuate. She reference page 11 and noted that the total in column f goes up.
27 Ted Cole said this is tied to the existing debt. He said the annual payments are going
28 down from one year to the next. He said there is a year in 2027 where the debt structure
29 causes the number to go up. He said all of the debt matures at different years, and that is why
30 this number dips and wanes.
31 Chair Jacobs referred to page 13, and he noted that this includes 4 out of 5 years not
32 approved by the County Commissioners.
33 Clarence Grier said the County approves the structure every year, but as the current CIP
34 stands the County has $76 million over the next 5 years.
35 Chair Jacobs said the Board had talked about aligning the three CIPs so each would use
36 the same language and the same projections. He said this has been identified as a source of
37 confusion in the last budget year.
38 Chair Brownstein said this is especially true with the unfunded categories. She said
39 there needs to be a consensus as to where to put large ticket items that are not funded. She
40 said each entity has a different definition for these.
41 Commissioner Gordon asked how this is reflected on page 13.
42 Clarence Grier said the unfunded projects are not listed in this document. He said there
43 needs to be discussion in the future about what is unfunded and how these items will be funded.
44 He said he provided a sheet that gives the funding over the last 25 years and included
45 the long term capital. He said the average of this for both school districts over the last 5 years
46 has been roughly $5 million. He said that any project unfunded over that amount would be
47 considered unfunded. He said the Board and school boards need to find a happy medium.
48 Chair Coffey said that OCS considers any item that cannot be paid for with pay as you
49 go funds to be an unfunded item. She said pay as you go money is maintenance money, and
50 all big ticket items are unfunded.
5
1 Clarence Grier said that is the benchmark that would most likely be used. He said these
2 items would have to be financed, with consideration of the debt capacity.
3 Chair Coffey asked what the equivalent of$1 million in debt would be in debt service.
4 Clarence Grier said this would be $80,000 4100,000.
5 Chair Brownstein said the threshold needs to be defined as to what is unfunded. She
6 said this clarity is needed before next budget process.
7 Clarence Grier said there is a monthly meeting of superintendents and managers, and
8 this will be discussed at that time.
9 Chair Coffey said it would be good for the school collaboration group to hear this
10 discussion.
11 Commissioner Gordon asked if each of the boards will get the same template to use for
12 the budget process.
13 Clarence Grier said yes.
14
15 3. Proposed County Jail and Chapel Hill —Carrboro City Schools Middle School #5
16 Discussion
17 Chair Jacobs said these are the two biggest ticket items on the horizon. He said that
18 these needs must be defined to have starting parameters for a possible bond in 2014.
19 Clarence Grier said the state has given the county a 50 year land lease for the new
20 county jail facility. He said the jail will cost approximately $30 million and house 250 prisoners.
21 He said construction will begin in 2015, with completion by 2017. The state has given the county
22 5 years to complete the project.
23 Clarence Grier said the Culbreth science wing has been approved to alleviate
24 overcrowding. He said this pushes out the need for a 5th Chapel Hill/Carrboro middle school by
25 two years. He said the project will be completed in years 2017-2020, and the cost is projected
26 to be $43 million.
27 He said the total of these two projects is $74 million. He said there are no projects for
28 Orange County Schools addressed here, and there is a possible need for an 8th elementary
29 school in Orange County. He said the debt service for the two big items, measured over 20
30 years, is $4.9 million with 3 cents on the tax rate.
31 Chair Coffey said DPI projected that Orange County Schools would grow by 82 students
32 this year. She said there were already 186 new students as of the 10th day of school. She said
33 the bulk of this has come at the high school level. She said the County is already over 100% at
34 the high school level, which means that this number will be bumping up to 110% over the next
35 couple of years. She asked for some consideration of how far the 500 student addition will go
36 at Cedar Ridge, versus a 1200 student high school. She said the cost effectiveness needs to
37 be considered.
38 She encouraged the Board to consider the new facilities needed by Orange County
39 schools as bonds are being discussed.
40 Chair Brownstein said the other piece to this is the need to address the issue of older
41 schools and the need for new construction. She feels that this issue must be addressed.
42 Commissioner Gordon said there is a process in place to handle school growth, and that
43 is the SAPFO process. She said the County gets new student enrollment numbers in the fall,
44 and these are reviewed by the technical committee. She said projections of growth are not the
45 problem; however the funding of growth is another question. She said that if a bond were
46 initiated, this would involve a bond committee and a process.
47 Chair Jacobs said this is a discussion about two different things— 1) projections 2) two
48 large projects as the impetus for when the Board would make a decision about a bond. He said
49 this grows into the question of other perceived needs of the older schools and whether these
50 would be addressed with a bond or not. He noted that the jail is a pressing item as this land is
51 leased and must be used by a certain date.
6
1 Commissioner Dorosin asked for clarification of the state law for paying off bonds for
2 jails.
3 Clarence Grier said the time frame is 20 years for any bond.
4 Commissioner Price said she does not feel that there has been a good analysis on
5 Orange County Schools yet. She would not want to move forward on a bond without this
6 analysis.
7 Chair Jacobs said no one is proposing that only these two items be put on the bond
8 issue. These items are just the impetus for making a decision. He said if the Board decided to
9 go forward with a bond, a bond committee would be formed to vet out these questions.
10 Chair Brownstein said the middle school and OCS needs can be affected directly by
11 these decisions, and any bond may need to include these other issues.
12 Chair Jacobs said the next item will address this.
13 Commissioner McKee said he also wants to make sure all needs are considered. He
14 said this is just the beginning of the process and a bond referendum is likely a year out or more.
15 He noted that new school and old school needs are bumping up against each other as Orange
16 County expands.
17 Mia Burroughs said the old schools are very spread out in both districts, and this will
18 affect when and where a bond will be needed. She said there needs to be some thought
19 regarding what will be appealing to voters county-wide.
20 Commissioner Dorosin asked for clarification on the jail timeline and outside constraints
21 for the building of the jail.
22 Michael Talbert said the lease has been signed, and the County has 5 years from that
23 date. He said construction needs to be underway by year 4 in order to show intent.
24 Commissioner Dorosin asked for the latest date that a bond could be issued to pay for
25 this.
26 Michael Talbert said the discussion of a bond referendum allows an 8 year window to
27 issue debt.
28 Commissioner Dorosin asked when the referendum is needed.
29 Michael Talbert said he recommends the County would need funding by 2016-17, and a
30 bond referendum would be needed 6-9 months before that date.
31 Clarence Grier said the latest date would be November 16, 2014 for that schedule.
32 Chair Jacobs said there has been no discussion or decision of what kind of jail the
33 County would want, or when the old jail would close. This item is here to give guidance on
34 when the County has to act.
35 Commissioner Pelissier said none of the debt capacity included operational costs. She
36 said the sticker price for a new school can be shocking with the inclusion of operation costs.
37 She said it is important to consider this and present the total budget accurately to the public.
38 Commissioner Rich asked if both a school and jail bond would be issued at the same
39 time or separately. She said a bond for a jail could be a hard sell.
40 Bond Attorney Bob Jessup said the program items for the bond have to be presented
41 separately. He said all school projects could be in one item, but he jail would have to be
42 presented separately.
43 Commissioner Rich asked if the voters would still vote on one bond.
44 Bob Jessup said the voters would vote separately for each item on the referendum.
45 Commissioner Price said the packet states that a bond is proposed for 2014. She said
46 the full picture hasn't been considered yet, and she questioned the timeline projected for these
47 items.
48 Chair Brownstein said it sounds as if there are two separate conversations. She said the
49 school districts are trying to work collaboratively on this bond issue to provide incredible detail
50 about the proposed needs and how to address them. She said the jail conversation seems to
51 be in a different place.
7
1 Commissioner Price said she brings these items up this way because of the joint listing
2 on the agenda. She said she is not contesting the need for a bond, but she wonders about the
3 timeline.
4 Chair Jacobs said that is still to be determined, partially by the next item. He suggested
5 moving forward to the next discussion.
6
7 4. Summary of Ongoing Assessments and Estimates Related to Older Buildings and
8 Facilities for Both School Districts
9
10 Clarence Grier said there was discussion during the collaboration meeting regarding the
11 need to address repairs and updates to older schools. He said CHCCS recently had an
12 assessment and analysis of their older schools. He said the low end figure for limited repair
13 was quoted at$52 million and goes up to $170 million. He said $43 million of that high figure is
14 for middle school number 5.
15 He said that OCS has just started the process and does not have a firm number. He
16 said the ADM projects a low end figure of$20 million and a high end figure of$68 million.
17 He said this means the figure for both school systems ranges from $110 million to $230
18 million.
19 He said this figure is well over the general funds budget and it should be noted that the
20 need to address repairs of old schools is outside of the CIP. He said these needs must be
21 addressed in future years.
22 Chair Brownstein asked for clarification on whether the range for both school districts
23 includes any new schools.
24 Clarence Grier said middle school #5 was included.
25 Chair Brownstein said that is not included. She said this only includes analysis of the 10
26 older schools for CHCCS. She said this analysis is being done in tandem with Orange County
27 who has 13 older schools.
28 Chair Jacobs suggested the superintendents provide an overview of the information from
29 CHCCS and OCS. He said there is no way with the current budget that these expenses could
30 be swallowed with one bond issue. He said this would have to be staged with a series of bonds
31 to cover all of the older school needs.
32 CHCCS Superintendent Forcella said their next step is to look at the proposal and
33 options for their older schools in order to prioritize the most important needs.
34 Chair Brownstein said the sense of urgency is part of the challenge, and the districts are
35 working together in trying to address some safety issues. She said some are glaring needs that
36 cannot wait.
37 Todd LoFrese said phase I of the analysis of their 10 older schools validated that there
38 are significant needs that include: HVAC systems, air quality issues, safety code issues,
39 handicap accessibility needs, electrical systems, plumbing systems, and general structural
40 maintenance issues. He said details are included in the packet.
41 He said staff is working through possible approaches that may include renovations, or
42 complete deconstruction for facilities that have exceeded their useful life. He said that some of
43 this work could push off the need for new schools. He said the need is approaching $200
44 million at the older schools, and this does not include middle school number 5.
45 He said the second phase will be to work directly with building staff to narrow in and
46 make recommendations on a specific basis at each campus. He said three basic options have
47 been laid out at each school.
48 Chair Brownstein said when the numbers for the next ten years were considered, it
49 became apparent that the band aid approach is not working.
50 Todd LoFrese said the CIP puts forward $20 million over the next ten years toward all of
51 the schools, and this is about $100,000 per year for each school. He said this will not go very
8
1 far. He said even the newer schools are entering into the age where HVAC and roofing needs
2 are common.
3 Commissioner Dorosin mentioned the reference to Lincoln Center on page 36. He noted
4 the mention of this being turned back into a school and asked for more information.
5 Todd LoFrese said this is still a very preliminary discussion. He said one option is to just
6 renovate this building and use it as a central office. He said the other option is to deconstruct it
7 and build a new central office; and the third option is to return Lincoln Center to some type of
8 community use and build a new central office at a different location.
9 Commissioner Dorosin said he appreciates the potential for increased capacity with
10 upgrades, and he wonders if this can be prioritized. He said the next school needed will be the
11 middle school. He asked if there is a way to put more money into maximizing the increased
12 capacity to push the need for the next middle school out even further.
13 Commissioner Pelissier asked if OCS study will incorporate the issue of Pre-K
14 classrooms. She wants to make sure that this is looked at.
15 Todd Lofrese said two of the options have presented the idea of coming in line with the
16 Orange County construction standards, to include a dedicated Pre-K site.
17 Commissioner Price asked if staff anticipates that any of the schools would need to be
18 deconstructed and re-built.
19 Todd Lofrese said one portion of Chapel Hill High School may require this. He said
20 other options at Estes Hills do remove some existing buildings and replace them with others.
21 He said the approach would depend on the campus.
22 Commissioner Price asked if there is any goal to get rid of trailers in both systems.
23 Todd LoFrese said this is part of the recommendation. He said the HVAC and flooring in
24 the mobile units already need to be replaced.
25 Commissioner Gordon referred to the square footage information on pages 9 and 36 of
26 the presentation. She noted the differences in the various schools in the number of square feet
27 per student. She asked how the calculation is made to determine how many students get
28 added to the capacity of the building when additional square footage is constructed.
29 Todd LoFrese said each school is unique and has to be looked at individually. He said
30 there were some things that were assumed to be fixed. He said realistically it does not make
31 sense to tear a wing down if it is in good shape and is only 200 square feet under the standard.
32 He said core capacities, such as cafeterias and gymnasiums, are a big consideration.
33 These must be large enough to handle increased capacity. He said the impact of capacity on
34 programming and teams within the schools also has to be considered.
35 Commissioner Gordon said at some point the rooms are just too small to serve the
36 needed purpose. She said she assumes this would be looked at in another level of analysis.
37 OCS Interim Superintendent Burns referred to the timeline for the OCS approach,
38 outlined on page 41. He said there have been three steps, which included: 1. Working with DPI
39 on an assessment of older facilities; 2. Contracting with Safe Haven for a comprehensive review
40 of buildings to look at facility safety needs and risk management practices; and 3. Approval of a
41 complete facilities assessment.
42 He said the timeline for this third step estimates the results will be back in January, 2014
43 for presentation to the Board of Education.
44 Chair Brownstein said this has been a wonderful collaboration between the two school
45 systems.
46 Jamezetta Bedford said has been looking at the number. She wants the Board of
47 County Commissioners to think about the fact that the CIP has been reduced, and the older
48 schools have been deferred. She said the schools are facing what the County faced 10 or 15
49 years ago in terms of facility needs.
50 She said there needs to be a conversation with the citizens about this. She said there
51 needs to be discussion before moving forward with buildings, parks and other programs when
9
1 the current schools cannot be maintained. She said there are serious issues, and there needs
2 to be criteria and a long range plan to evaluate these older schools.
3
4 Michael Talbert said the current outstanding debt is $190 million, and these proposals
5 would double that debt in a short period of time. He said there are limits to what can be done,
6 and the debt has to grow in proportion to the budget and the population. He said a 25 year plan
7 is not realistic, as things will change. He said the two projects that started the discussion are
8 both in the CIP. He said this discussion is about adding additional projects and there will have
9 to be some give and take, as the County cannot afford to do it all.
10 Chair Coffey clarified that the County will do the first two items without a bond
11 referendum but these projects will be debt financed.
12 Michael Talbert said yes.
13 Chair Jacobs said financing a jail through existing mechanisms is better than a bond.
14 He said the County will need to be strategic in this process.
15 Chair Jacobs said reports from the boards should be back by April, and the options can
16 be laid out and compared.
17 Chair Jacobs said both school systems wanted to put this before everyone to see the
18 task that lies ahead.
19
20 5. Possible Bond Issuance for November 2014
21
22 Clarence Grier said dates were discussed at the collaboration meeting, and May 2014
23 was too soon. He said the focus is on November 2014, and the amount discussed was $100
24 million. He said the two projects total $76 million, which leaves $24 million left for other debt
25 issuance.
26 He said the latest possible date would be November 2016.
27 Chair Jacobs said there is no assumption; the Board is just getting information on the
28 bond process.
29 Commissioner Gordon said the Board has not had a general discussion of this, and
30 there needs to be clarification that all that is being discussed tonight is the possibility of a bond
31 issuance.
32 Chair Brownstein clarified that the mention of November 2016 was in the context of the
33 jail. She asked if the date piece is still fluid. She said there will be a sense of urgency as more
34 details come forth about level of need. She said 2016 is too late to address school needs.
35 Clarence Grier said staff will start prioritizing issues now, but no decisions are made yet.
36 Bob Jessup said there is a formal timeline to get a referendum called. He said there are
37 formal steps that must be taken by Board of County Commissioners in January for a May
38 referendum, and in June for a November referendum.
39 He said the second issue is that a bond referendum must happen on a regular election
40 day. He said the voters vote once, but the money is borrowed and issued over a multi-year
41 period.
42 He said the last point is that the voters vote on separate generic questions regarding
43 specific dollar amounts for separate generic projects. He said it is up to Board of County
44 Commissioners to determine when that money is borrowed and what specific projects it is used
45 for. He noted that priorities may evolve over time and use of the dollars may be changed.
46 He said there would be one figure proposed to cover both schools
47 Commissioner Gordon referred to Bob Jessup's comment regarding priorities and
48 money usage changing after a bond referendum was passed. She said the County has always
49 estimated funding per project and spent the money on those projects. She has always felt that
50 the Board of County Commissioners had an obligation to follow through on what was proposed.
51 She asked for more information on this issue.
10
1 Bob Jessup said the law says the voters approve whatever the question is, such as
2 "bonds for schools". He said voters are told where the dollar figure comes from, but the control
3 of how the money is borrowed comes back to the Commissioners.
4 Commissioner Gordon said it should not be easy to deviate from proposed purposes that
5 the voters approved. She said there would need to be a compelling reason to do this.
6 Steve Halkiotis said he is puzzled. He said the packet tonight references past bonds
7 with specific designations for the use of the money. He agreed with Commissioner Gordon.
8 Bob Jessup said he is just informing them of their legal authority. He said the decision is
9 still up to the Board.
10 Chair Jacobs noted that there are 8 school board members and 5 Commissioners who
11 have not gone through a bond, and he said this is a helpful discussion. He said what the voters
12 vote on based on educational efforts is what the elected officials feel committed to doing. He
13 said this is only deviated from for extenuating circumstances and changes should be well
14 explained.
15 Chair Brownstein said what the boards are working toward is unprecedented in terms of
16 the level of detail and the campaign to educate the public. She said the focus is on the older
17 schools now, versus building new buildings.
18 Chair Jacobs said he does not feel that impact of Newtown can be underestimated in
19 terms of looking at the older schools. He said that safety issues have forced school systems to
20 look comprehensively at all of their facilities.
21 Chair Jacobs noted that the Board of County Commissioners discussion on bonds will
22 continue at a work session on October 8th
23
24 6. Update on Legislative Actions Affecting Funding for Public Education (NC
25 Schools Boards Association and Others)
26 Chair Jacobs said there is no presentation in their packets. He asked for an update on
27 the effects of the legislature's actions.
28 Chair Coffey said Superintendent Burns could share some preliminary information.
29 OCS Interim Superintendent Burns said the final presentation of the adopted budget will
30 occur at the October 14th Board of Education Meeting. He said the analysis at this point shows
31 a positive impact on revenue due to the growth of Orange County Schools. He noted the
32 projected change of 81 students, which allowed for an additional $400,000 in state revenue. He
33 said this was a good thing, though there was still a reduction in state revenue. He said the net
34 is over $100,000 less, even with the growth.
35 He said there has been a net reduction in the federal allotment. He said the generosity
36 of the Board made a big difference in mitigating the impact of the stimulus money that was lost.
37 He said the Board has made hard decisions to reduce recurring funding, and this has made an
38 impact.
39 He said there will be a fund balance appropriation of$900,000 to balance the budget
40 and there will be adjustments made in the state budget.
41 He said there will not be a reduction in force for teachers, teacher's assistants (TA's), or
42 programs.
43 Chair Brownstein said the schools are very lucky to have such a supportive Board of
44 County Commissioners.
45 Superintendent Tom Forcella said CHCCS is in a position where things are still moving
46 to the bottom of the barrel. He said the schools have been able to maintain the TA positions,
47 but there are some difficult times ahead.
48 Todd LoFrese said the discretionary reduction in the General Assembly (GA) was
49 thought to be temporary; but this June the GA eliminated discretionary reduction and then
50 reduced funding for teachers and TAs. He said CHCCS got less money from the state this year
51 than last year. He said this is the last year that CHCCS has a fund balance left.
11
1 He noted that teachers' salaries have been reduced.
2 Commissioner Dorosin asked if there are salary supplements for teachers. He noted
3 that it takes NC teachers up to 16 years to work up to the starting salary in other states.
4 Todd LoFrese said CHCCS does pay a 12% supplement in addition to salary; however
5 this still does not compete with other states.
6 Commissioner Dorosin said it is good that impacts have been softened by wise
7 budgeting and increased enrollment, but it is a mistake not to be very aware that the legislature
8 has declared war on education. He said there has been a devaluation of teaching as a
9 profession. He noted the increase in charter schools and the voucher systems, and he said
10 Orange County needs to recognize the situation and take a stand.
11 Chair Jacobs said funding education was a commitment of the Board of County
12 Commissioners when he came on board 15 years ago. He said it was also a priority of the
13 citizens, and it still is. He said he is proud to be a part of that commitment.
14
15 7. Pre-K Discussion
16 Chair Jacobs said the capital needs discussion took priority at the joint school
17 collaboration meetings, so there has not been adequate time to discuss this issue in depth yet.
18 Commissioner Dorosin noted that Orange County serves 240 Pre-k children, and there
19 are at least 140 at risk children on a waiting list. He said there is a real need out there.
20
21 8. Whitted Building Permanent Meeting Room Update
22 Chair Jacobs said the Board of County Commissioners has not adopted anything yet.
23 He said the Board still wanted to bring this forth, since there have been misconceptions about
24 the usage of this room by other governmental entities. He said this is proceeding on a schedule
25 that would have the Board reach a decision by the end of this year as to whether or not to
26 proceed.
27 Jeff Thompson presented the location, background and schematic designs of the
28 proposed Board of County Commissioners meeting room at Whitted.
29 Commissioner McKee said Chapel Hill Carrboro School Board would be welcome to use
30 the facility as well.
31
32 With no further items to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 9:36 pm.
33
34
35
36 Barry Jacobs, Chair
37
38
39 Donna Baker
40 Clerk to the Board
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
1
I Attachment 2
2
3 DRAFT MINUTES
4 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
5 JOINT MEETING WITH THE
6 ORANGE COUNTY CHIEF'S ASSOCIATION
7 October 3, 2013
8 7:00 p.m.
9
10
11 The Orange County Board of Commissioners held a joint meeting on Thursday, October
12 3, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, N.C.
13
14 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jacobs and Commissioners Alice M. Gordon,
15 Earl McKee, Bernadette Pelissier, Renee Price and Penny Rich
16 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Mark Dorosin
17 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: James Bryan
18 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: Interim County Manager Michael Talbert and Assistant County
19 Managers Clarence Grier, Cheryl Young and Clerk to the Board Donna S. Baker (All other staff
20 members will be identified appropriately below)
21
VOLUNTEER FIRE CHIEFS PRESENT: VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPTS. — CHAIRS,
Brad Allison, Fire Chief, Caldwell FD BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Bryan Baker, Fire Chief, Eno FD Mac Miller, Caldwell BOD President
Dan Jones, Fire Chief, Town of Chapel Hill Bill Waddell, Orange Grove, BOD
Jeff Borland, Fire Chief, Cedar Grove FD President
Phillip Nasseri, Fire Chief, White Cross FD Wayne Paschall, Eno BOD President
Jeff Cabe, Fire Chief, Orange Rural FD Jeff Roberts, Orange Rural BOD President
John Stroud, Fire Chief, North Chatham, Jacques Morin, SORS BOD President
FD Howard Pratt, New Hope BOD President
Kevin Brooks, Fire Chief, Efland FD
Matthew Mauzy, Chief, South Orange
Rescue Squad (SORS)
Mike Tapp, Fire Chief, New Hope FD
Steve McCauley, Fire Chief, Orange Grove
FD
Jim Groves, Orange County Emergency
Services Director
Phillip Nasseri, Fire Chief, White Cross FD
Kent McKenzie, Town of Carrboro
FIRE CHIEFS/BOD CHAIRS ABSENT:
Ronnie McAdams, Efland BOD President
Chad Woods, Cedar Grove BOD President
Tony Blake, White Cross BOD President,
Brian Vaughn, North Chatham BOD
President
Travis Crabtree, Fire Chief, Town of
Carrboro
22
2
1 Welcome and Introductions — BOCC Chair Barry Jacobs
2
3 Chair Jacobs welcomed everyone and said that Commissioner Dorosin sends his
4 regrets because he is unable to attend tonight.
5 Introductions were made.
6
7 1. Orange County Chief's Association Strategic Plan Update
8 Fire Chiefs' Chief's Association President Steve McCauley thanked the Board of County
9 Commissioners for this meeting and their working relationship.
10
11 A) Goals
12 Steve McCauley reviewed each of the following goals, as listed in the Orange County
13 Chief's Association Strategic Plan:
14
15 • GOAL I: Ensuring Viable and Reliable Voice and Data Communication
16 • GOAL II: Improving the 9-1-1 Telecommunications System and Center
17 • GOAL III: Encouraging the Adoption of Measureable Emergency Response System
18 Benchmarks and Reporting Norms
19 • GOAL IV: Setting Service Standard Goals for Volunteer Fire Departments
20 • GOAL V: Planning for a Countywide Training Facility
21 • GOAL VI: Preparing a Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment Plan
22 • GOAL VII: Building Better Relationships with Key Stakeholders
23 • GOAL VIII: Fostering Increased Public Awareness
24
25 Steve McCauley said part of the objective for Goal I is to provide radio coverage with
26 building penetration throughout the County. He said there has been funding provided to create
27 additional channels to address this communications need.
28 He said a second objective for Goal I is to encourage the development of a mobile data
29 network. He said this would allow command to view the location of all units, as well as water
30 sources and other environmental factors. He said Pagetrack is the preferred choice for this
31 service, and he asked the Board for their support in implementing this.
32 He said one objective for Goal II is to work with Orange County to ensure deployment of
33 a state of the art 911 communications center that is able to dispatch calls in 90 seconds or less
34 90 percent of the time.
35 Steve McCauley said one objective for Goal IV is to ensure all Orange County residents
36 can receive the maximum fire protection and home owners' insurance savings by improving
37 individual department ISO ratings. He said there are several departments on the wait list for
38 ratings change.
39 He said one objective for Goal V is to provide a modern, centrally located training
40 facility for firefighters and emergency services personnel. He said the chiefs would like to ask
41 the County to set aside land for this.
42 He said the last six months have seen great improvements with the addition of Jim
43 Groves. He said relationships have improved, and there has been dramatic change in
44 emergency services.
45 Chair Jacobs said the Board appreciates hearing good things about the Fire Chiefs
46 Association's improved relationship with Emergency Services.
47 Commissioner McKee noted that last Tuesday the Board of County Commissioners
48 approved a position involving planning for emergency preparedness. He asked if this person
49 would be able to help with Goal VI.
3
1 Jim Groves said this is a shared position working with both DSS and Emergency
2 Services, and working 50 percent with each. He said this position would be able to help
3 conduct a new federal guide for Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment
4 (THIRA). He said this is high on the list of job priorities.
5 Commissioner McKee asked if the fire chiefs see this as helpful in their preparedness of
6 a multi-hazard plan.
7 Jeff Cabe said the fire service in Orange County has historically worked with fires, and
8 rescue squads dealt with everything else. He said the rescue squads are primarily gone, and
9 the role of the fire department is more involved. He said, with the fire service contracts, the fire
10 departments level of service expectation has been raised. He said that there are obstacles to
11 overcome from 911 to the new CAD system, but Jim Groves has promised that a community
12 risk assessment is coming. He said no one individually has the resources to do a countywide
13 risk assessment. He said this is what the Fire Chiefs had in mind when the decision was made
14 to get a risk manager involved.
15 Commissioner Price noted that this report was completed in 2012, and she asked what
16 other equipment is needed in 2013.
17 Jeff Cabe said Orange County bought the dispatcher software for IPADS, and it has a
18 lot of capabilities; however there is a learning curve. He said there is a section of this where the
19 firefighters can see from the trucks, what the telecommunicators are typing into the system. He
20 said past quotes were in the range of$6,000 per truck to implement this. He said this would be
21 $60,000 for his department, and this does not include a monthly data plan.
22 He said Pagetrack is currently used because it is more cost efficient, and it can be used
23 with Google maps and any mobile device. He said the County is doing ok with that part of
24 things. He said there are some radio penetration problems, and this is a state system. He said
25 there is work being done toward a solution.
26 He said, with the data issue, once you go out of population areas there is minimal cell
27 service. He said if there was anything the Board of County Commissioners could do to
28 increase the data penetration (cell service) in the northern areas of Orange County that would
29 be helpful. He said there are penetration problems throughout the county with the landscape of
30 this area.
31 Chair Jacobs said the Board is working on adding towers in northern rural Orange
32 County, and a tower for Walnut Grove has been approved.
33 Commissioner Price asked what can be done to help make progress.
34 Michael Talbert said there was a report done, and the County is entering year 2 of a 5
35 year plan. He said progress is being made, and most of the improvements needed are in the 5
36 year CIP.
37 Dan Jones, Chapel Hill Fire Chief, said he will make suggestions on cell towers and
38 equipment, as well as some suggested changes in direction later in the meeting agenda.
39 Chair Jacobs said the County did offer a parcel in northern Orange for a countywide
40 training facility a few years back, and the Chiefs Association was not interested at that time. He
41 said he would like to bring this option forth again. He suggested Council and staff to get
42 together, along with Dave Stancil, to discuss this further.
43 Jeff Cabe said the reason for the original objection to this site was because it was not
44 centrally located and had no water supply.
45 Phillip Nasseri said efforts are being made to add substations to help with ISO ratings.
46
47 B) Modified Fire Service Agreements/Contracts
48
49 Michael Talbert noted that he started this Agreement before Jim Groves came. He said
50 the Board of County Commissioners approved fire contracts for three fire service districts (Chapel
4
1 Hill, Carrboro and North Chatham) on June 18th and those are in force. He said agreements for
2 the more rural departments have not been signed, as these were found to need more clarity.
3 He said the three contracts for the fire service districts were cancelled, making it
4 imperative to get those in place July 1. He said the other contracts are still in force until new
5 agreements are signed.
6 Michael Talbert went through 4 basic changes to the new fire protection and emergency
7 services contract, as highlighted below:
8
9 Page 17
10 • 4. That from said special tax district the Board of County Commissioners will approve a
11 Fire Protection District tax rate and Annual Budget for the fire Department. The County
12 agrees to remit quarterly payments, by the 15th day of the first month of each quarter.
13 The total quarterly payments to the fire department will equal the annual budget.
14 • 5. "The Fire Department shall provide and furnish adequate fire protection services and
15 shall provide the necessary equipment, personnel, and other resources as determined
16 by the North Carolina Department of Insurance, Fire and Rescue Service Division, and
17 the Insurance Service Office for all persons and property located within the District. Fire
18 Department currently has an insurance rating of , and during the term of this
19 Agreement will maintain at least a 9E insurance rating. Fire Department will furnish fire
20 and rescue services free of charge to all persons and individuals within the District
21 (excluding non-public commercial transportation). Fire Department shall strive to
22 achieve an insurance rating of 8 (or better) by July 2014 and 6 (or better) by July 2016.
23 This section does not preclude the Fire Department from charging a pre-arranged
24 nominal fee when standing by for special events.
25
26 Page 18
27 9. The Fire Department shall provide Rescue Services to all persons and individuals
28 within the District. Rescue Services are defined as the removal, extrication, or freeing of
29 individuals from vehicle confinement or danger. Such Rescue Services may be provided
30 through mutual aid agreements or through third party contracts.
31
32 Page 20
33 14. The Fire Department shall comply with the State of North Carolina purchasing
34 procedures for local governments as identified in Attachment #1, as well as other
35 procedures provided for by state law.
36
37 Page 26
38 Updated dollar thresholds for formal and informal bidding for fire departments
39
40 Phillip Nasseri, Fire Chief, White Cross Fire Department asked if Orange Grove will
41 need to continue doing its own audits.
42 Michael Talbert said the intent is to piggyback with their current auditor to do all audits.
43 Phillip Nasseri said White Cross is using federal funding for a station renovation, and
44 this requires a more detailed audit. He asked if this would still be covered by the County.
45 Clarence Grier said the County auditors use the single audit, so this would not be a
46 problem.
47 Mike Tapp said New Hope and Eno cover some areas of Durham County, which
48 requires the submission of documentation from Durham County. He asked if Orange County will
49 still accept this audit.
5
1 Michael Talbert said if the whole department is being audited, then it will still be
2 accepted.
3 Chair Jacobs referred to item 5 on page 18, relating to nominal fees. He suggested the
4 addition of the term rescue squad.
5 Matthew Mauzy said this is a simple change, and there is a separate process and
6 agreement for fire and rescue.
7 Commissioner Price referred to item 9 and asked who will be responsible for trench and
8 swift water rescue.
9 Jim Groves said there are existing mutual aid inter-local agreements with other fire
10 departments, including Durham County and other surrounding agencies.
11 Commissioner Price clarified that 911 would still be called for dispatch of these
12 situations.
13 Matthew Mauzy said South Orange Rescue Service (SORS) also covers some of these
14 other types of rescue. He said the area does not typically see a need for trench rescue.
15 Jim Groves said Chapel Hill Fire and Rescue also has resources for these situations.
16 Jeff Cabe said the County contracts show in section 1-b-3 that Orange Rural's contract
17 is a little different. He said that Orange Rural has picked up some of the rescue services as well.
18 He noted that trench rescue equipment is very expensive and rarely if ever used.
19 Michael Talbert said this can be seen on page 37, item 9, and this is the main difference
20 in their contract.
21 Jeff Cabe said Orange County also has service agreements with other fire departments.
22 He said some areas were also moved around to accommodate ISO issues. He said agreements
23 have been made to cover district lines without building stations and buying trucks.
24
25 2. Orange County Emergency Services Update
26
27 A) Comprehensive Assessment of Emergency Medical Services &
28 911/Communications Center Operations Assessment Report
29 B) 9-1-1
30 C) EMS
31 D) Viper Tower Study
32
33 Jim Groves said the Emergency Services work group consultant Steve Allen put
34 together a 911 EMS assessment report with 19 recommendations. He said this report was
35 approved and adopted by the Board and the work group. He said tonight's presentation will be
36 a status update on this report. He answered questions as he reviewed each of the above topics
37 with the following PowerPoint presentations:
38
39 911/EMS Assessment update
40 October 3, 2013
41 Presented during the joint Orange County BOCC/Chiefs meeting
42
43 ACRONYMS
44 ALS — Advanced Life Support (Intermediate/ Paramedic)
45 AVL — Automatic Vehicle Location
46 BLS — Basic Life Support (Medical Responder/ EMT)
47 EM D — Emergency Medical Dispatch
48 ■ Alpha-Bravo (BLS) and Charlie-Delta-Echo (ALS)
49 EMS — Emergency Medical Service
50 OCES — Orange County Emergency Services
6
1 QA - Quality Audit and Improvement
2 QRV - Quick Response Vehicle
3 SORS - South Orange Rescue Squad
4 VHF - Very High Frequency
5 VIPER - Voice Interoperability Plan for Emergency Responders
6
7 EMS
8
9 EMS Statistics
10 Call Volume Comparison By Year
nod
11 2013 through 2 Quarter = 6,384 (projected - 13k)
12 2012 = 13,445
13 2011 = 10,719
14
15 Average Response Time Comparison By Year (Chute + Travel)
nod
16 2013 through 2 Quarter (1:02 + 8:43) = 9:45
17 2012 (1:17 + 9:13) = 10:30
18 2011 (1:16 + 9:30) = 10:46
19
20 EMS Recommendations
21 R-1 Adjust M-5 and M-8 Coverage Hours (complete)
22 Based on recent geographic call data (North/South)
23 M-5 coverage remained 6am-6pm (unchanged)
24 M-8 coverage changed to 6pm-6am
25
26 R-2 Add additional ambulance 9am-9pm (complete)
27 M-9 added 8am-8pm based on recent geographical call data
28
29 EMS Recommendations
30 R-3a&b Use SORS for BLS and bring on BLS ambulance (in-process)
31 o EMD data did not support implementation
32 o Re-visiting initiative to utilize SORS from 6pm-6am for BLS calls with EMS
33 supervisor "chasing" calls. This accomplishes both recommendations.
34 If Alpha or Bravo turns into something more serious, a Paramedic will be there to
35 provide ALS patient care
36
37 EMS Recommendations
38 • R-4 Assess Fire Department capabilities for First Responder (complete)
39 Fire Departments have been providing Medical First Responder care
40 • R-5a Implement Fire Department First Responder Initiative (complete)
41 Fire Departments are providing Medical First Responder care
42 • R-5b QRV Initiative (not-applicable)
43 Offered as an alternate recommendation to R-5a
44
45 Jim Groves said there is ongoing discussion about rebuilding OSI software to tailor
46 district responses. He said some of the departments would like to be dispatched to Alpha and
47 Bravo calls.
48 Commissioner McKee said there was discussion about whether the QRVs would be best
49 located in the rural or urban areas. He said a decision was never really made.
7
1 Chief Dan Jones said some people did not think this was the best application of
2 resources. He said the group thought that this should be studied further, with consideration of
3 the impact of the other positive changes as those take effect.
4
5 EMS Recommendations
6 R-6 Staff& Equip six (6) ALS ambulances (in-process)
7 ■ OCES budgets for one new (1) ambulance each year inclusive of staff and
8 equipment
9 ■ Monitoring effectiveness of program each year
10 ■ Intent is to not over-purchase or over-staff
11 Call volume and response times drive units and staffing
12
13 EMS Recommendations
14 R-7 Hire Paramedic Level Shift Supervisor 24/7 (in-process)
15 13/14 budget approval for 4 Assistant Supervisors in January, 2014
16 o 14/15 budget request will move the Asst. Supervisors to Supervisors
17 o This tiered approach enables the Asst. Supervisors to be mentored for
18 one year before being released
19 R-8 Prepare a space needs assessment (in-process)
20 ■ Selection committee chose Stewart Cooper Newell for award (10/1/13)
21 ■ Staff meeting with firm the week of 10/7/13 or 10/14/13 to begin space needs
22 assessment
23
24 EMS Recommendations
25 R-9 Identify 9 strategic locations for future EMS base (in-process)
26 ■ As part of Stewart Cooper Newell discussions
27 ■ Co-location with existing Fire Departments
28 o Orange Rural
29 o Orange Grove
30 o Carrboro
31 o New Hope
32 o Chapel Hill (potential future co-location/co-build)
33
34 Commissioner Gordon asked for details on the potential joint location in the Town of
35 Chapel Hill.
36 Chief Jones said Chapel Hill is in the process of bringing forth recommendations to
37 enter into public and private partnerships to rebuild 3 stations (#2 Glen Lennox, #3 Elliot
38 Road/Franklin Street, and # 4 Weaver Dairy/MLK). He said the plan would be to sell these
39 properties and return to the money to the tax roll to build new stations nearby. He said the
40 other option is to enter a public/private partnership to co-locate a station in a commercial
41 development on the same property. This second option would be modeled after 140 West on
42 Franklin Street.
43 He said Chapel Hill received authorization from the State Legislature to expand the area
44 to facilitate co-location within the entire city limits. He said EMS is open to including the County
45 in any project that might be appropriate for an EMS station.
46 He said the only reason the town cannot work something out now is because the space
47 in all fire stations is maxed out, and many trucks have to park outside.
48 Commissioner Rich asked for more information about the training station at the
49 intersection of MLK Boulevard and Weaver Dairy Road. She asked if this is still being used for
50 live burns and rescue practice.
8
1 Chief Jones said yes. He said the town is looking to move this training facility out
2 toward the public works area and away from residences.
3 Commissioner McKee referred to the second slide at the top of page three. He noted
4 that the adjustment of hours for medic 5 and 9 occurred in conjunction with the location at
5 Phelps and Orange Grove.
6 Jim Groves said run times will likely be improved by the next report.
7
8 EMS Recommendations
9 • R-10 Obtain sites for development (not started)
10 ■ Based on outcome of R-8 and R-11
11 • R-11 Procure EMS planning and design services (complete)
12 ■ Selection committee chose Stewart Cooper Newell for award (10/1/13)
13 ■ Staff meeting with firm the week of 10/7/13 or 10/14/13 to begin space needs
14 assessment
15 • R-12 Advertise, bid, construct EMS facilities (not started)
16 ■ Based on outcome of R-8, R-10 and R-11
17
18 Hillsborough Town Commissioner Evelyn Lloyd asked about the contracts for
19 ambulance purchases. She asked if it would be possible to look at smaller ambulances that
20 would fit more easily into the smaller driveways being served.
21 Jim Groves said the answer is yes, but the factors are cost and usability. He said these
22 ambulances look huge; however the turn radius is tight, and these are higher performing units
23 than the wheeled coach units. He said there are ongoing conversations, and options are being
24 explored.
25
26 9-1-1
27
28 9-1-1 Communications Statistics
29 Call Volume Comparison By Year
nd
30 ■2013 through 2 Quarter
31 o Incoming 911+ Admin (47,153 + 39,854) = 87,007
32 o Average Dispatch Time = 1:25 (1:11 non-EMD and 1:38 EMD)
33 ■2012
34 o Incoming 911+ Admin (98,735 + 84,741) = 183,476
35 o Average Dispatch Time = 1:52 (1:10 non-EMD and 1:53 EMD)
36 ■2011
37 o Incoming 911+ Admin (86,800 + 158,782) = 245,582
38 o Average Dispatch Time = 2:42 (no specific EMD data available)
39
40 9-1-1 Recommendations
41 • R-13 Hire full time Data Systems Manager (complete)
42 Craig Blackwood was promoted to Data Systems Manager
43 o Mr. Blackwood retired 9/27/13
44 o Position is being advertised internally. Expected to be filled by 10/18/13
45 • R-14 Hire full time Training/Quality Assurance Officer (complete)
46 Josh Robinson promoted from Tele-communicator to Training/QA Officer
47
48 9-1-1 Recommendations
49 R-15 Hire additional Training/QA Officer (in-process)
50 ■ 13/14 budget approved to hire in January, 2014
9
1 R-16 & 17 Hire Tele-communicator positions (in-process/on-going)
2 ■ 13/14 budget approved to hire four (4) new Telecom municators in January, 2014
3 ■ Developing new initiative to fill vacant Tele-communicator positions
4
5 Jim Groves noted that the tele-communicator position has a high turnover rate, with the
6 average time being 18 months. He said these are challenging roles to fill and keep.
7 Commissioner Pelissier asked what happens after that 18 month period.
8 Jim Groves said staff is good about warning people that this is a stressful job. He said it
9 can be difficult to deal with, and it has a hard psychological impact on people.
10
11 9-1-1 Recommendations
12 • R-18 Purchase AVL hardware for new EMS vehicles (complete)
13 ■ All units outfitted with AVL
14 ■ All new units will be outfitted with AVL
15 • R-19 Provide informational meetings with emergency responders to share new software
16 capabilities (in-process)
17 ■ 9-1-1 Users Group re-activated
18 o Members of each response organization are represented
19 ■ Information shared during Chiefs Association meeting
20
21 Bill Waddell, Orange Grove BOD President, asked about Pagetrack. He asked how far
22 down the line this might be.
23 Jim Groves said this is a robust system; however there are technology issues with the
24 design of the system. He said the vendor has not been the best in the customer service and
25 support, so there are efforts being made to arrange a face-to-face meeting to handle the
26 issues. He said funds are being withheld due to the seriousness of the issues. He said there is
27 a commitment to making Pagetrack work, but he focus now is on getting the system stable.
28 He said this went live on July 9, and it was initially a go. He said there have been some
29 hard lessons learned and the focus now is on working out the glitches.
30 Commissioner McKee said it should also be noted that OSSI considers Pagetrack a
31 competitor.
32 Chair Jacobs addressed Michael Talbert and noted that the County has received bad
33 publicity over poor call times in the past. He asked that the improvements be part of a press
34 release after this meeting to inform the community of the investment and progress on this
35 issue.
36
37 Viper Site Coverage/Towers
38 Draft Report
39
40 Current Viper "Talk-In" (map)
41
42 Proposed viper sites
43 Four (4) additional sites were selected to improve VIPER coverage within the County.
44 These four sites are existing sites, and co-location was to be investigated.
45 ■ Northeast portion of County— Caldwell area— existing guyed tower
46 7444 Bill Poole Road —AT&T Wireless
47 ■ South-Central portion of County— Chapel Hill — existing monopole
48 1403 New Hope Trace— GTE Wireless
49 ■ Southwest portion of County— Chapel Hill — existing monopole
50 4900 NC 54 West - SBA
10
1 Southeast portion of County— Chapel Hill — existing monopole
2 E. Franklin St—WCHL or New Site near the Mall
3
4 Proposed "Talk-In"
5
6 Proposed VHF Paging Sites- page 211
7 Two (2) additional Fire Paging sites were selected to improve coverage within the
8 County. They are:
9 ■ North portion of County— Cedar Grove Fire Station
10 o 720 Hawkins Road — Existing Tower
11 ■ Southwest portion of County— Orange Grove Fire Station
12 o 6800 Orange Grove Road — Requires new tower
13
14 Proposed VHF paging (map)
15
16 Short story
17 • Four (4) tower sites recommended for VIPER coverage
18 • One (1) new tower site for VHF coverage
19 • One (1) existing tower site for VHF coverage
20 • Cost Example (GTE Wireless)
21 ■ $1,000 credit application fee
22 ■ $2,000 structural analysis
23 ■ $2,000 inspection fee (if construction installation fee is waived)
24 ■ $1,500 Closeout documentation fee
25 ■ $2,500 per month, rental fee with 5 year initial term
26 o Four (4) automatic renewal 5 year terms at 3% escalation
27
28 Next steps
29 1. Present the final report to the BOCC during the January, 2014 work session
30 2. Develop a project management plan and implementation schedule
31 3. Incorporate the recommendations of the study into the Capital Investment Plan
32
33 Jim Groves said VIPER stands for Voice Interoperability Plan for Emergency
34 Responders, and it is a state initiated system. He said it was designed to provide
35 interoperability throughout the state.
36 Referring to the talk-in map slides, he noted that the green indicates a good signal;
37 yellow indicates a fair signal; red indicates a poor signal; and gray indicates no signal. He
38 noted that this applies to coverage outdoors only.
39
40 Chief Jones said he would like to bring up an item for discussion regarding the
41 possibility of having a stand alone system. He said this is a discussion that has been ongoing
42 for a number of years. He said that the County is about to invest significant money into
43 improving tower coverage and thus improving the VIPER system. He said this helps the state
44 by adding infrastructure to their system. He said there are problems with the state VIPER
45 system, including building penetration and the fact that the system is not controlled at the local
46 level.
47 He said there is now an opportunity to make a change, and this might be the most
48 efficient time to look at their own systems. He said that a 700Mgz system with its own controller
49 could use the same towers and radios. He said this system could still be compatible with
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1 VIPER for disaster situations where statewide communication is needed. He said this would
2 mean investing money into our own system instead of a state system.
3 Chief Jones said Durham County has gone this way and is still open to the possibility of
4 working with Orange County. He said this provides a possibility of combining systems to
5 improve cost and coverage.
6 He suggested that radio consultants do the extra work to look into what it would take to
7 convert to 700Mgz. He said it is already known that existing towers and new towers can be
8 used. He said there would be some cost to add controllers.
9 He said the added advantage of this is the ability to add public works, transit and other
10 agencies to the system, which the state would not allow with VIPER.
11 He said he has approached the city manager about this, and he has suggested
12 governments in Orange County come together as a partnership to build this system. He
13 suggested that the Board of County Commissioners could instruct staff to direct the consultants
14 to go to this next step of looking at options. He said perhaps discussions could then be opened
15 with Durham.
16 He said this would mean that there would still be compatibility with VIPER; but there
17 would no longer be a dependency or need to wait on the state infrastructure.
18 Chair Jacobs said the Assembly of Governments (AOG) meeting with all the
19 governmental entities is being held in November. He said this issue can be raised at that
20 meeting, but he would like to see where staff stands first.
21 Michael Talbert said he and Jim Groves have had some discussions about this, and
22 there are benefits for the County. He said inter-operability with all of the other agencies is a
23 huge plus. He noted that the state is dragging their feet in making improvements, such as
24 adding channels, and there are definite limitations with the VIPER system. He said this route
25 does provide more potential. He feels that Orange County staff could explore this option.
26 Chair Jacobs asked if people would be interested in bringing this to the AOG meeting
27 for discussion.
28 Matthew Mauzy expressed his support and said this is a great time to look at this option.
29 He said one limiting factor in the potential tower site location search was the conflict with
30 existing state VIPER tower sites. He said a clean slate to develop tower locations would create
31 the potential to put more green on the maps.
32 Chief Jones asked if he understands correctly that 700 MHz has better building
33 penetration than 800 MHz.
34 Matthew Mauzy said yes.
35 Chief Jones said there is currently a terrible problem with building penetration, which is a
36 serious safety issue for fire fighters and police officers working indoors.
37 Matthew Mauzy said switching to 700 MHz will not solve all problems such as schools
38 and malls; however it could lead to better penetration into larger houses and into areas of the
39 map where 800 MHz signals trail off.
40 Jim Groves said the new radios now can include GPS and Bluetooth. He said this is a
41 great asset, and this capability is not available with the VIPER system.
42 Commissioner Price asked where this system has been successfully used already.
43 Chief Jones said it is being used around the country, and that information could be
44 found He said Durham County and Cary have their own system.
45 Commissioner Price asked if Orange County would be able to contact Durham and Cary
46 on this system.
47 Chief Jones said there would be access to the VIPER system, so in theory there would
48 be communication with anyone in the state.
49 Commissioner Price asked if work would also have to be done with Alamance County
50 since Mebane extends into Orange County.
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1 Jim Groves said that Alamance County would not have to be on board. He said that
2 when Mebane Fire Department comes to Orange County there is communication through
3 VIPER, so it would be simple radio programming issue.
4 Commissioner Gordon said this sounds like a promising option. She suggested a
5 systematic look at the pros and cons to present at the AOG meeting. She noted the increased
6 coverage potential. She would like to see if their consultant could look at this, and she feels it is
7 fantastic to have this kind of opportunity.
8 Commissioner McKee said he is glad to see the discussion. He said the 700 MHz would
9 not be a cure all, but it would cure the lack of control.
10 Commissioner Pelissier said she heard about some new updates to VIPER, and she
11 would like to make sure that a stand-alone system would not cost additional money if it has to
12 be compatible with VIPER as it changes.
13 Jim Groves said the P-25 system is the newest VIPER system and this would be
14 compatible with the stand alone system.
15 Commissioner Rich said she is encouraged with this proactive approach to make this a
16 better system for the County.
17 Chair Jacobs said the County is ready to work with other governmental entities for the
18 betterment of the County. He said he hears everyone going toward a collaborative, cost
19 effective, pro-safety direction, and he looks forward to hearing more about this.
20 Jeff Cabe said if this system will cover the county, he would like to know if data can also
21 be added.
22 Michael Talbert said the County is currently looking at tower sites and encouraging
23 private developers to install towers. He said that if towers are installed, these private
24 developers may want to pay them to be on the towers.
25 Commissioner Gordon asked how North Chatham and Mebane fit into this stand alone
26 system.
27 Chief Stroud said Chatham uses the VIPER system, and they are also looking at the
28 700 system.
29 Jim Groves said Mebane has a dual system like Chatham.
30 Chief Jones said if Chatham is thinking about moving to 700 MHz, perhaps a
31 partnership could be established with them as well. He said these types of partnerships create
32 lower costs for everyone.
33 Michael Talbert expressed thanks to all of the partners who have assisted with the OSI
34 system.
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36 3. Open Discussion
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38 A. Field Relationships
39 B. Radio Communications
40 C. Unmet Needs
41 D. Unified Development Ordinance Change
42 E. Other
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44 Chair Jacobs said he heard something about the updated MAP (Master Aging Plan) and
45 a new program for seniors. He would like an update on this.
46 Kim Woodward, Paramedic Supervisor, said she went to the MAP public meetings and
47 discussed a new initiative that Emergency Services (ES) has initiated, along with their partners
48 at UNC and the Department on Aging. She said this initiative is to provide a fall prevention
49 program for those persons over 60. She said ES receives about 11,000 calls for Emergency
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1 victims and 10% are falls. She said another 10% of those are falling more than once. She said
2 there needs to be an initiative to prevent those first falls.
3 She said senior paramedics and assistant supervisors have been trained to provide a
4 home visit, and each of them has been trained in a fall preventative protocol. She said the
5 protocol instructs paramedics to ask three basic questions. - Have you fallen in the past? Do
6 you feel unsteady when you are walking?Are you fearful that you may fall? - She said if
7 patients answer yes, they will be put into a database and contacted by a senior paramedic.
8 She said 29 patients have currently been identified and ES and their partners are in the
9 process of following up with phone calls and home visits to go through some fall prevention
10 protocols.
11 She said patients that opt in and sign a release form will be forwarded to the
12 Department on Aging for follow up. She said the Department on Aging will then meet with
13 these patients, and this will provide feedback to the paramedics.
14 Commissioner Gordon asked about the origin of the base population.
15 Kim Woodward said the patient criteria were anyone over 60 that EMS identifies as
16 having fallen or having a fall risk. She said the paramedic who identifies this then asks the
17 three questions and documents the responses into the database. She said the database
18 generates a report that goes to the supervisors, who can enter the patients into WebEOC.
19 Commissioner Gordon said she feels the protocol could include more questions
20 regarding behaviors and environment.
21 Kim Woodward said these three questions are asked during an emergency care
22 situation, so things cannot be too complex. She said guidance is being provided from the
23 Centers for Disease Control. She said more follow up questions are asked later in the process.
24 Commissioner Gordon asked if the system is noting the reasons for the fall.
25 Kim Woodward said there is a subset of the population who fall no matter what, but the
26 subset that fall out of fear can be impacted with preventative measures.
27 Commissioner Rich asked if the Department on Aging has classes that teach people
28 how to fall correctly.
29 Kim Woodward said she does not know, but she will find out.
30 Chair Jacobs said he was thrilled to hear about this. He said this is the third Master
31 Aging Plan, and there is an emphasis on aging in place. He said this is a key component to
32 that concept. . .
33 Kim said the name of the initiative is "Stay Up and Stay Active", and the goal is to keep
34 people in their homes and out of hospitals and nursing homes.
35 Commissioner Rich asked about the VIPER presentation coverage maps and what
36 creates the "target" looking area in the Chatham County area.
37 Bill Waddell said this is called the shadow effect. He said this is a result of the
38 transmitter being so high in the air and creating dead spots below it. He said this has taught
39 them not to put transmitters quite so high.
40 Chief Jones said almost three years ago Chapel Hill came to the Board of County
41 Commissioners with a long list of grievances and a lot of problems. He expressed thanks to the
42 Board for taking the initiative to hire the Emergency Services consultant and taking the steps to
43 move forward with many of these recent initiatives.
44 He said there are improvements in ambulance availability, dispatching, and cooperation
45 between agencies. He expressed appreciation for the effort that has gone into this, and he
46 complimented Michael Talbert for his guidance, assistance and steady hand approach. He
47 feels everyone is in a much better place now to solve many of these issues.
48 Commissioner McKee said this is a two way street with the fire departments and with the
49 Towns.
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1 Michael Talbert asked if the Board would like to mention the new UDO proposed
2 changes.
3 Chair Jacobs said there were citizen concerns with the siting of the new White Cross
4 substation, and some residents felt that government facilities siting should have a public input
5 process prior to moving forward. He said, in response, the Board is considering adding a public
6 information meeting requirement to the UDO before the siting process moves too far forward.
7 He said this may be required for the Board, as well as fire departments in the future.
8 Phillip Nasserri gave a brief update on the information meeting for the White Cross sub-
9 station and thanked the Board of County Commissioners for their support.
10 Commissioner McKee said the positive of this meeting was that the residents were
11 supportive of it.
12 Fire Chief's Association President Steve McCauley thanked the Board again for this
13 meeting.
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15 A motion was made by Commissioner Rich, seconded by Commissioner Gordon to
16 adjourn the meeting at 9:58 pm.
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18 Barry Jacobs, Chair
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21 Donna Baker
22 Clerk to the Board
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