HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 10-21-2014 - 6aSUBJECT: MINUTES
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ATTACHMENT(S):
Draft Minutes
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: October 21, 2014
Action Agenda
Item No. 6 -a
PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Donna Baker, 245 -2130
PURPOSE: To correct and /or approve the minutes as submitted by the Clerk to the Board as
listed below:
September 11, 2014
September 16, 2014
BOCC Work Session
BOCC Regular Meeting
I
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 Manager recommends the Board approve minutes as
presented or as amended.
Attachment 1
2
3 DRAFT MINUTES
4 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
5 WORK SESSION
6 September 11, 2014
7 7:00 p.m.
8
9 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Work Session on Thursday,
10 September 11, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, N.C.
11
12 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jacobs and Commissioners Mark Dorosin,
13 Alice M. Gordon, Earl McKee, Bernadette Pelissier, Renee Price and Penny Rich
14 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT:
15 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: Annette Moore
16 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Assistant County
17 Managers Cheryl Young and Clarence Grier and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (All other
18 staff members will be identified appropriately below)
19
20 Chair Jacobs called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. He asked for a moment of silence
21 to honor the victims of September 11 th 2001.
22
23 1. Central and Rural Orange County Five -Year Bus Service Expansion Concepts —
24 Orange Public Transportation (OPT)
25 Craig Benedict introduced this item. He said the research being presented tonight is
26 part of a three year program to get ideas for bus service that can be incorporated into the Bus
27 and Rail Investment Plan. He introduced Bret Martin, Transportation Planner, and Peter
28 Murphy, OPT Administrator.
29 Bret Martin presented the following PowerPoint slides:
30
31 BOCC WORK SESSION ITEM #1
32 Central and Rural Orange County Five -Year Bus Service Expansion Concepts
33
34 Structure of Presentation
35 • Summary of Outreach and Themes
36 • OPT Existing Services
37 • OPT Proposed Services
38 ■ Option #1
39 ■ Option #2
40 ■ Option #1 Vs. Option #2 Differences
41 ■ Mix and Match from Options #1 and #2
42 ■ Unfunded Priorities
43 Program Assumptions and Overarching Policies
44 ■ Program Budget and Costs
45 ■ Service Standards
46 ■ Fares
47
48 Outreach
49 • Public Outreach Meetings Summer 2013 and Spring /Summer 2014
W
1 Participation and Resolutions from Orange County Human Service Agencies
2 ■ Department of Social Services
3 ■ Department of Health
4 ■ Department on Aging
5 ■ Northern Orange Project Engage
6 ■ Libraries
7 ■ Department of Housing and Community Development
8 Common Themes
9 ■ Access to employment
10 ■ Rural and urban residents' access to social services
11 ■ More emphasis on elderly /senior transportation
12 ■ Focus on transit - dependent populations
13
14 OPT Existing Fixed -Route Services
15 Hillsborough Circulator
16 ■ 20 stops throughout Hillsborough
17 ■ Hourly Headways
18 ■ 8am -12pm and 1 pm -5pm on weekdays
19 ■ No fare
20 Hillsborough to Chapel Hill Shuttle (Route 420 OPT Midday)
21 ■ 23 stops in Hillsborough and Chapel Hill
22 ■ 1.5 -hour total run time, 2 runs
23 ■ 10:00- 11:30am and 1:00- 2:30pm on weekdays
24 ■ Fares:
25 - $2 general public
26 - $1 disabled passengers
27 - Free for persons 60+
28
29 Hillsborough Circulator (Map)
30 Hillsborough to Chapel Hill Shuttle (Route 420 Midday) (Map)
31
32 Demand - Response and Contracted Services
33 Demand - Response
34 • General Public
35 ■ Any origin or destination within county
36 ■ $12.75 /one -way trip
37 • Medical
38 ■ Medical appointment trips to disabled and 60 +; $3 /one -way trip
39 ■ Medical appointment trips to Medicaid enrollees; OPT bills DSS
40
41 Contracted Services
42 • Senior Center Shuttles
43 ■ 3 for Central Orange and 1 for Seymour Center
44 ■ Arrive at 10am and depart at 1 pm
45 • Special Department on Aging Trips
46 • Orange Enterprises
47 ■ 3 deviated fixed routes for transporting persons with developmental
48 disabilities
49 ■ Technically open to general public
50 • Orange County Sportsplex After School Programs
2 Option #1 Service Concepts
3 Attachment A
4 Bret Martin reviewed the six, option #1 route maps, and said these correspond with the
5 listings in the budget worksheet in Attachment A.
6
7 1A and 1113 (Northern Zonal Routes):
8 - 1 day /week
9 - Deviated fixed route
10 - 48 hour advance reservation for deviation
11 - 10am — 3pm
12 - Tuesday or Thursday
13 - Higher deviation fare
14 - Lower nominal fare for fixed route
15
16 2 (Senior Center Shuttles:
17 - 5 days /week
18 - 2:30pm and 4:00 pm
19 - Transport Seniors back to residences
20 - Focus on Central Orange Senior Center
21 - Secured separate grant source to fund for at least one year
22 - No fare
23
24 3 ( Mebane - Efland- Hillsborough- Durham):
25 - 5 days /week
26 - 10am — 3:00 pm
27 - Fixed -route general public
28 - 2 hour directional headways
29 - Connection to VA/Duke Hospitals in Durham
30 - Nominal fare
31
32 4 (Efland - Hillsborough Commuter Service
33 - 5 days /week
34 - 6 - 9am and 4 - 7pm
35 - Fixed route general public
36 - 1 hour directional headways
37 - Provides peak direction connection from Efland to ODX and Peak period commuter service in
38 Hillsborough
39 - Nominal Fare
40
41 5 (Cedar Grove - Hillsborough - Chapel Hill):
42 - 5 days /week
43 - 10am - 3:OOpm
44 - Fixed route general public
45 - 1 hour directional headways
46 - Connection to UNC Campus and UNC Med
47 - Nominal fare
48
49 6 (Hillsborough Circulator):
50 - 5 days /week
il
1 - 8am- 5:OOpm
2 - Fixed route general public
3 - 1 hour directional headways
4 - No fare
5
6 Option #2 Service Concepts
7 Attachment B
8
9 1A, 1113 and 1C (Northern and Soutlllnouirun Zonal Routes:
10 2 days
11 - Deviated fixed route
12 - 48 hour advance reservation for deviation
13 - 10am — 3pm
14 "Monday ,,�° ����e a
and nu.uuIT,.� o. ouIT u.u�^,: o. and ....iiITu ��.
15 - Higher deviation fare
16 - Lower nominal fare for fixed route
17
18 3 (Mebane - Efland- Hillsborough):
19 - 5 days /week
20 - 10am — 3:00 pm
21 - Fixed -route general public
22 `I hour 6r�::���?cflioigaol Ilgeadway s
23 No fixed route connecflon to IDu.uu horn
24 - Nominal fare
25
26 4 ( Efland- Hillsborough Commuter Service
27 No seirvlice
28
29 Differences in Options #1 and #2 (chart)
30 Mix - and - Match: Option #3 (chart)
31
32 If Additional $$ is Made Available For Bus Service From:
33 • Better sales tax /vehicle registration fee revenue projections than anticipated
34 OCBRIP amendments are making adjustments to revenues and will come before
35 BOCC later this year
36 AND /OR
37 • Federal and State Grants for Transit Operating Assistance
38 THEN
Can )rder II::'.�epen ling oun rnoa.unt of
39 i�Vun�u.uuno ouIT�lioo oinoo�,ni.: noun II:�o Ilu"nl�,nllou"nounio lion IC:: uITiiouITiii.
40 Ad6floiqall ���eveique
41
42 Ranked Unfunded Concepts — Options #1 and #2 (chart)
43
44 Other OPT Exoansion Proaram Notes
45 Program Budget and Costs
46 ■ Overhead vs. variable /marginal cost of providing service
47 ■ Program uses OPT system direct and indirect operating cost per service hour for
48 FY 2014 as base
49 ■ Cost escalation of 3.1 % per year
50 Service Standards for Existing and Expanded Services
1 ■ Passengers per service hour
2 ■ No less than 1/2 below system's average for each type of service (i.e., fixed - route,
3 demand response)
4 ■ Evaluation after introductory period of 12 months
5 ■ Evaluation by OUTBoard /Transportation Advisory Board with recommendations
6 to BOCC
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
• Fares
Fixed - route: Collect nominal fare if technology permits (compatibility with
Triangle Transit farecards) on all services except Hillsborough Circulator
Deviated Fixed - Route: Collect nominal fare for fixed -route riders; collect higher
fare for riders requesting deviation
Vouchers to those who qualify for other social services (Medicaid, Work First,
etc.)
Next Steps
• Manager's Recommendation Tonight
• Receive Presentation; and
• Discuss Options #1 and #2, or combination thereof, and consider providing
feedback indicating a preference for one of the options, if deemed appropriate.
19 • Fall- Winter 2014 -2015
20 ■ Staff develops more detailed service design characteristics for concepts
21 ■ Staff begins marketing services in advance of initiation
22 ■ Staff secures capital and personnel resources to initiate service
23 ■ Service begins
24 Future:
25 ■ Services consistently evaluated against performance standards
26 ■ Refinements /Improvements to service evaluated
27
28 Bret Martin referred to the slide on page 11 regarding the Northern Zonal Routes. He
29 said there is demand in this area for more of a fixed route schedule, as opposed to purely
30 demand response. He said the proposal is to offer the opportunity for people to call for demand
31 response service, but there will still be specific service nodes within this zone at specific times.
32 He said this will allow the opportunity to gather data on what method people are really using, in
33 order to refine the service.
34 Bret Martin said three service hours per day are being added to the Senior Center
35 shuttles.
36 Bret Martin referred to slide 15 regarding the Cedar Grove - Hillsborough - Chapel Hill
37 route. He said this service is really just an extension of the Hillsborough to Chapel Hill shuttle
38 up to Cedar Grove, which is just a 15 minute extension. He said the service hours would be
39 extended.
40 Bret Martin said the Hillsborough Circulator route is listed as part of the option 1 service
41 routes because, beginning in 2016, it will begin to take advantage of the vehicle registration fee
42 funding. He said to keep this consistent with other circulator routes it will continue not to have a
43 fare.
44 Bret Martin reviewed the maps for option #2 service concepts, and said these slides only
45 highlight the things that are different from option #1. These differences are listed in red on the
46 PowerPoint slides.
47 He said option #2 for the US 70 mid -day service would not provide service to Durham.
48 He said one reason for this proposal is the fact that the budget only allows for the inclusion of 2
49 hour directional headways. He said this option would allow for 1 hour directional headways and
50 would be more user friendly, but it would not provide service to Durham.
I He said because more money is put into the budget for the northeastern, northwestern
2 zonal routes, as well as the southern expansion, money is then taken away from the Efland-
3 Hillsborough Commuter Service, and this service would not exist.
4 Bret Martin reviewed the chart titled Mix and Match: Option #3 and he said all of the
5 chart items highlighted in Orange are mix and match options.
6 He said this plan has been put together very conservatively, only assuming revenue
7 made available by Triangle Transit. He referenced the ranked chart of unfunded concepts that
8 might be implemented in the event of additional funding.
9 Craig Benedict said this proposal assumes 100 percent funding from the Orange County
10 Bus and Rail Investment Plan, and it is not using other sources that will likely be available. He
11 said this means that perhaps there will not be so many unfunded priorities.
12 Bret Martin said that Commissioner Gordon had posed some questions regarding
13 assumed costs built into the program. He said Orange County Bus and Rail Investment Plan,
14 when it was developed, assumed an OPT operating cost of $58 per hour. He said he has gone
15 back and looked at OPT's budget for the past two fiscal years, as well as the County's indirect
16 cost allocation plan. He said the $58 per hour figure was developed based on everything,
17 including overhead, and operating costs. He said when talking about adding new service, the
18 concern is about isolating the marginal costs of providing that service, which came out to be
19 $45 per hour.
20 Craig Benedict said this item will come back on a regular meeting agenda to proceed
21 toward finite marketing of a program that would likely start in February of 2015.
22 Commissioner Rich asked for more explanation of the demand response versus the
23 deviated route. She said the demand response is an expensive trip. She asked if a bus is
24 actually held for demand response use.
25 Peter Murphy said all demand response trips are booked two days in advance and no
26 buses are held. He said the two day notice allows for scheduling of drivers one day in advance.
27 He said the difference between the demand and deviated routes is that you can put fixed route
28 stops out there for deviated route service, and if there are no calls the bus only runs to those
29 fixed stops. He said you can deviate off of this based off of calls that do come in.
30 Commissioner Rich asked how much the deviated route costs versus the demand route.
31 Peter Murphy said a price has not been set, but right now the charge for demand
32 response services is $3 for those who are eligible. He said this is a subsidized service, and the
33 cost that Medicaid and the general public pay is $12.75.
34 Bret Martin said there is no true deviated fixed route for the general public now, so no
35 fare is being charged. He said the idea of the program is to charge a higher fare for those who
36 request a deviation than for those who are picked up at fixed stops.
37 Craig Benedict reviewed the routes on a map.
38 Commissioner Gordon referred to the public comments and noted that option 2 was in
39 response to option 1.
40 Bret Martin said additional comments had been received on the difference between
41 option 1 and option 2, as it relates to the zonal routes. He said comments were focused on the
42 availability and user friendliness of the US Highway 70 mid day service.
43 Commissioner Gordon asked when staff will get the full cost and revenue picture.
44 Commissioner Gordon said the importance of the $58 versus $45 is that in the bus and
45 rail plan Orange County received a certain number of hours over a certain amount of time. She
46 said this amount was based on the cost of $58 per hour. She said the question is whether this
47 number of hours changes based on cost effectiveness. She wants to know if they will get the
48 hours they were promised.
49 Bret Martin referred to her first question about revenue sources. He believes some
50 5307 funding will be available through the Durham Chapel Hill Carrboro Metropolitan Planning
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Organization (DCHC MPO) for capital to provide the service. He does not see there being
much available here for operating assistance.
Bret Martin said on the Burlington Graham MPO side, there is about $1.9 million
available annually for use in that area. He said this area extends pretty far into Orange County
and includes Mebane and Efland. He said services that involve this area can take advantage of
still being part of the Burlington's MPO. He has sent a request for funding for three buses and
for operating assistance in the amount of $90,000 per year beginning in fiscal year 2016.
He said staff has also requested that Orange County be a State Maintenance
Assistance Program recipient, which would involve up to $130,000 annually. He said all of
these funding sources are being sought, but there is no indication of what will be received.
Craig Benedict said the money that is being apportioned through the Bus and Rail
Investment Plan is not done by hours. He said this is apportioned according to the percentage
of how much revenue comes in. He said 64 percent of the money goes to Chapel Hill, 24
percent to Triangle Transit, and 12 percent to OPT. He said the target is to turn 4,000 hours
into about 7,000 hours, based on the lower cost per unit.
Commissioner Pelissier referred to the grant that was just announced at the MPO and
said that the County has to match $32,500. She asked where this money will come from.
Bret Martin said staff was able to work with the Department on Aging to put together
some creative financing. He said they will use a federal grant source that is not a US
Department of Transportation grant as the match.
Commissioner Pelissier said the grant also stated that there will be a volunteer driver
program established. She asked how this will fit into the deviated zonal routes.
Bret Martin said this program is only successful if there are willing participants to provide
rides at specific times for people who need them. He said once this program is off the ground it
could reduce the demand for these rural zonal routes, because there are other opportunities
that are more one on one to provide that service.
Craig Benedict said the volunteer drivers would pick up a rider in the rural area and take
them directly to a fixed route.
Bret Martin said the 5310 grant specifies that it the volunteer driver program still has to
be a shared ride situation, so drivers still have make their vehicles available to provide more
than one ride at a time.
Commissioner Pelissier said funding comes every year from the Rural Operating
Assistance Program (ROAP), and some of this goes to disabilities and some to the general
public. She said it is important to see what people are being served from other funding sources
as opposed to the half cent sales tax.
Commissioner Pelissier said she does not have a sense of how the ROAP funding has
been allocated. She asked if this is what is being used for the Sportsplex.
Bret Martin said ROAP funds EdTAP, which provides transportation for the elderly and
disabled to medical appointments. He said there is also funding for Rural General Public
(RGP).
Commissioner Pelissier said the Hillsborough circulator can take forever to get from
point A to point B. She asked why there has not been consideration of starting a route in the
opposite direction.
Bret Martin said this has been considered, but it is not in the funded program. He said
that is a very expensive, high ticket item.
Craig Benedict said this would be another 2,500 hours per year, and the total amount of
hours available is only 7,000 hours. He said this will be put on the list for funding in the event of
additional funding.
Bret Martin said this is listed in the unfunded priorities as "expand the Hillsborough
circulator service to half hour headways." He said in FY 2013 OPT provided over 18,000
I service hours, and in FY 13 they provided 16,336. He said this program involves 7,300 new
2 hours, and about 2500 of the total hours are fixed routes, and everything else is demand
3 response or contracted.
4 Commissioner Pelissier asked if most of the demand response service is paid for by
5 Medicaid or ROAP money.
6 Craig Benedict said yes.
7 Commissioner Price asked if any TARPO funds will be used in the expansion to the
8 southern region.
9 Bret Martin said no. He said TARPO does not control any transit funding. He said the
10 state has made a policy decision not to give section 5311 funding for operating assistance to
11 systems that are not regionally consolidated.
12 Commissioner Price asked if there has been much discussion about going from Durham
13 Tech campuses and /or providing free fares for students.
14 Bret Martin said these services would service Durham Tech in Orange County only. He
15 said there has not been discussion about free fares for students.
16 Commissioner Rich said a request was made at the work group to make sure there was
17 transparence as to how the half cent sales tax is being used. She said there was a request to
18 put this on the transit websites. She would like for the County citizens to be aware of this as
19 well. She would like to see this information on the County website.
20 Commissioner Gordon said she recommends they do option 2. She said this would
21 allow the loop service to be prioritized as the number one thing on the unfunded priority list.
22 She said option 1 does not have much for the Southern part of the County, and option 2 does.
23 She said it is really helpful to get a one hour headway, and this would be a benefit to Mebane,
24 Efland, and Hillsborough. She said it is important to have some of this funding go to the
25 southern part of the County.
26 Commissioner McKee said he would also support option 2. He said this removes the
27 Efland to Hillsborough commuter loop, but he hopes this can eventually be built back in as
28 revenues increase. He said it does not seem quite fair, if service will be extended into rural
29 areas, that it not be done Countywide, and option 2 accomplishes this.
30 Commissioner Pelissier said she would like a modified version of option 2. She would
31 like to make the three zonal routes only one day a week, and to put in the Efland /Hillsborough
32 commuter loop.
33 Commissioner Price said she is in favor of option 2. She said doing only one day a
34 week just continues to isolate people. She said twice a week would be the better option.
35 Commissioner Price said she hoped to find a way to do a demand response service for
36 those who don't have the funds to pay the $12.75 fee. She said these are usually the people
37 who need it.
38 Commissioner Price said something needs to be done about service to Durham Tech in
39 Durham. She said Durham will be offering the go -pass, which means that anyone there can get
40 on the bus and go to Durham Tech at no cost. She suggested the same should be done here.
41 Commissioner Rich said she likes option 2, but she is intrigued with what Commissioner
42 Pelissier said about doing studies regarding the two day a week route. She said her concern is
43 taking out the loop at the expense of putting extra days in for a northern route. She would like
44 to see some review and flexibility of this, and she asked how long it would take to get this.
45 Bret Martin said the service standards being adopted would be for 12 months notice of
46 the routes to the public and then evaluation of data after 6 months of service. He said this
47 means it would take 18 months total.
48 Craig Benedict said if some of these grants come in it might be possible to implement
49 the commuter loop within the next year.
I
1 Chair Jacobs said he agrees with Commissioner Pelissier and Commissioner Rich. He
2 likes option 2, but he does not want to give up the Efland /Hillsborough commuter loop.
3 Commissioner Gordon asked if the discussion is to go only one day a week for the zonal
4 routes.
5 Chair Jacobs said the staff asked for feedback on options, and it seems that there is a
6 preference for option 2 with some combination.
7 Commissioner Dorosin said it sounds like the consensus is option 2, with yes on the
8 Hillsborough Loop.
9 Commissioner Pelissier asked if the new grant could be used for the Efland Hillsborough
10 circulator route.
11 Bret Martin said this grant is only for one year, but he is confident that additional sources
12 of revenue will be made available.
13 Commissioner Gordon said when staff comes back with this, the zonal routes need to
14 start with two days a week, and it is important to be fair to the both ends of the County.
15
16 2. Employee Benefits Updates and Preliminary Recommendations Regarding
17 Benefits Effective January 1, 2015
18 Brenda Bartholomew said Mark Browder presented the renewal options for 2015.
19 Mark Browder said he would be reviewing Attachment B, and the renewal estimate for
20 the health plan. He discussed several PowerPoint slide spreadsheets.
21 He said slide 15 is a reminder that the County transitioned from being fully insured to
22 self funded. He said the budgetary numbers were left the same as they were in 2013. He said
23 slide 16 is an experience review since the plan has been self- funded, and he pointed out the 1
24 percent change in cost from 2013. He said the plan is currently running well and at budget.
25 Mark Browder said slide 17 shows renewal calculations. He said when all of the costs
26 are wrapped into one amount, they equal a 13 percent increase for 2015. He said 5 percent of
27 that increase is due to healthcare reform changes, which means the plan itself would only call
28 for an 8 percent increase.
29 He said there are two renewal options for the 2015 plan year, as outlined in the abstract
30 and on slide 8:
31
32 Option 1: Renewal of the current two plans, the Point of Service Plan (POS) and the High
33 Deductible Plan (HDP), without any change to plan design for six - months. Employees will
34 continue to pay 2014 rates for dependent coverage. The County will bear the increased cost for
35 dependent coverage for the six -month renewal period.
36 Option 2: Renewal of the two current plans with plan design changes to the Point of Service
37 Plan, with a 9% increase for both plans. The change in plan design for the POS plan increases
38 co -pays for office visits and prescription coverage. Employees will continue to pay 2014 rates
39 and for dependent coverage. The County will bear the increased cost for dependent coverage
40 for the six -month renewal period.
41
42 Mark Browder said option 1 has no benefit design changes and has a 13 percent
43 increase in cost. He said option 2 reflects a benefit design change to offer some relief on the
44 renewal. He said there is a 5 dollar increase on the primary physician co -pay, and a 10 dollar
45 increase on the specialist co -pay. He read through several changes to the pharmacy benefits.
46 He said this option reflects a 9 percent increase in funding, and the rates and details are
47 included on slide 19.
48 Mark Browder said the staff recommendation on slide 20 is to transition the plan from
49 being a calendar year plan to a fiscal year plan. He said this would align with the budget
10
1 process, and it would provide an additional 6 months of claims data to prepare for the new plan
2 year.
3 Commissioner Rich said the pharmacy increases seem to be a large jump.
4 Mark Browder said this is purely to help with cost relief. He said the $4, $45, and $60
5 co -pays are common within the County government plans.
6 Chair Jacobs asked for an explanation of the pharmacy tiers.
7 Mark Browder said tier 1 is typically for the low cost and generic medications; the
8 second tier is for the preferred medications from a cost and efficacy perspective, and these are
9 typically brand names. He said the third tier includes the most expensive medications.
10 Commissioner Rich asked which tier birth control falls under.
11 Mark Browder said these fall under tier one.
12 Diane Shepherd said due to health care reform birth control is in the first tier or free.
13 Commissioner Dorosin asked about the differences in the listed change percentages.
14 Mark Browder said there were discussions on how to insulate employees from an
15 increase in their premium cost structure. He said staff looked at what it cost for the County to
16 bear the entire increase, and these numbers are reflected.
17 Commissioner Rich asked if staff has looked into other insurance companies.
18 Mark Browder said this has not been done for this year. He said United Healthcare was
19 the most competitive in the past. He said if you look at the renewal based on the fully insured
20 for this year, it would probably be a 4 to 5 percent higher cost structure. He said it is typically
21 more cost effective to be self- funded, especially for the size of the group.
22 Chair Jacobs asked if there would there be a point where it would make sense to pursue
23 other companies.
24 Mark Browder said this would usually be done every three years.
25 Chair Jacobs said he knows there is not enough experience with the self- funded option
26 yet.
27 Bonnie Hammersley said staff will continue to look all of this. She said staff is also
28 looking into an in -house clinic. She said the next six months will give a better track record to
29 consider.
30 Chair Jacobs thanked the staff for listening. He said this will not be exactly aligned with
31 the budget adoption but it will be closer than 8 or 9 months out.
32 Bonne Hammersley said she has experience with this, and it does become very much a
33 part of the budget process.
34
35
36 3. Analysis of Non - Permanent Employees (Temporary Employees)
37 Brenda Bartholomew said at their June meeting the Board of County Commissioners
38 asked her to look at how the County was employing its temporary employees.
39 She reviewed the following information from the abstract:
40 Section 1: Definition of a Temporary Employee
41 Subject to the provisions of the County Code of Ordinances Section 28 -15 (b) a new temporary
42 appointment may be made for up to six months and may be extended for six additional months,
43 not to exceed a total of one year, except as provided in Subsection 28- 15(b)(3).
44 Subsection 28 -15(b) (3) states that the County Manager may approve the extension of a
45 temporary appointment beyond one year:
46 • When the employee regularly works 15 hours or less each workweek (as averaged on a
47 monthly basis). In urgent circumstances where additional hours are necessary to continue
48 critical services, the County Manager may approve additional hours in writing.
49 For this purpose, critical services include such services as public safety and top priority goals of
50 the County.
11
1 • When the employee is working under an established academic internship program or work
2 study program.
3 ATTACHMENT provides the referenced Ordinance and the Non - Temporary categories.
4 Section 2: Rights of Temporary Employees
5 Under Section 28 -36 of the Code of Ordinances, it is the policy of Orange County to provide
6 permanent employees both full -time and part -time (regularly scheduled at least 20 hours each
7 workweek) with group health insurance. Temporary employees are considered non - permanent
8 and are not eligible for health insurance.
9 Section 3: Current Work Assignments of Temporary Employees
10 There are varying uses of temporary employees, summarized as follows:
11 • Employees work a regular work schedule for periods longer than six months to a year
12 • Employees work within the duration of a grant time period
13 • Employees work a defined time period, considered seasonal, may return year after year
14 • Employees work on as needed basis or per diem (called when needed)
15 • Employees are filling a position vacated because an employee is on leave
16 • Employees are filling a need during the time period to process the filling of vacancies
17 • Employees in the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) (DSS youth employment grant)
18 • Employees in the Work First Program, which services parents of children with little or no
19 income
20
21 The Board of County Commissioners may want to consider implementing a policy that
22 determines the full status of any non - permanent temp employee over a 12 month measurement
23 period as suggested under the affordable care act.
24 There are 22 employees of the 300 temporary employees that worked more than 1,040 hours in
25 FY 2013 - 2014, which represents 7.33% of the temporary population. Five of these temporary
26 employees are County retirees from the BOCC (1), Health (1), Solid Waste (1), and the
27 Sheriff's Office (2).
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29 Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), employers with 50 or more fulltime employees (including
30 full -time equivalents) must offer all employees working an average of 30 hours per week or
31 more in a month a health insurance coverage or pay penalties, effective January 1, 2015.
32 The ACA measures full time status month by month. A seasonal employee who works an
33 average of 30 hours per week during any month must be offered health care coverage for the
34 month worked unless the employer takes certain actions.
35 Employers subject to the employer mandate may adopt a "measurement period" longer than a
36 month to measure the full time status of employees. This provides an average of hours worked
37 recognizing seasonal and temporary employees.
38 Additionally, the North Carolina Local Governmental Employees' Retirement System defines an
39 employee" as any person who is regularly employed in a regular position, the duties of which
40 require not less than 1,000 hours or more in a twelve -month period. Such employees are
41 subject to membership in the retirement system and would be required to contribute 6% of all
42 earnings to the Retirement System, and the County would contribute the required employer
43 amount (currently 7.41 %).
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45 Brenda Bartholomew said she does not think that Orange County is employing their
46 temporary employees over the recommended hours.
47 Commissioner Dorosin said there was a reference to 22 employees that worked more
48 than part time hours and the fact that this has been fixed. He asked how this was fixed.
49 Brenda Bartholomew said some of the temporary employees did not continue on into
50 this fiscal year and some were made permanent during the last budget process. She said
12
1 another issue with the departments was just bringing this matter to their attention and looking at
2 the hours to consider whether a full time position was needed.
3 Commissioner Dorosin asked what conclusion should be drawn.
4 Brenda Bartholomew said she brought the positions that were of concern to the
5 directors, and there was direction to follow the ACA and the County's policy. She said anyone
6 seasonal or part time is called a temporary employee. She said a part timer is some one that
7 works 20 hours or less on a regular basis, while a seasonal worker is employed only for a
8 certain season, and then they are terminated once that season over. She said staff can look at
9 better classifying these employees by title.
10 Commissioner Dorosin asked about the large variation of the wages listed in attachment
11 B. He asked how the hourly wage is set, and whether the salaries are related to the duties and
12 the equivalent full time position.
13 Brenda Bartholomew said a lot of the lower wages are for the seasonal workers or
14 interns. She said the job responsibilities do measure up to the rates, and some are very
15 specialized and may be done under a grant. She said the salaries are driven by the job
16 Commissioner Dorosin asked if someone working for the Department of Environment,
17 Agriculture, Parks and Recreation (DEAPR) would make an hourly wage that would be
18 equivalent pay to the full time salary.
19 Brenda Bartholomew said yes. She noted that these figures represent wages from
20 2013 -14, and the living wage was implemented in 2014 -15. She said part time workers are
21 paid nearly as much per hour as a permanent worker.
22 Commissioner Rich asked how to ensure that employees and seasonal workers know
23 about approved wage increases. She cited a specific instance of poll employees being
24 unaware of an increase that had occurred.
25 Brenda Bartholomew said she did send a memo out to all employees on this issue.
26 Commissioner Price asked if there are ever issues with overtime.
27 Brenda Bartholomew said only employees who work over 40 hours would be eligible for
28 overtime. She said even employees hired for 20 hours, who work more than that are not
29 eligible for overtime. She said these employees should not be consistently working over part
30 time hours, and she would address issues like that to make sure there is no violation of the
31 Affordable Care Act. She thinks that overall, temporary employees are being used
32 appropriately.
33 Chair Jacobs said it may be good to revise the language.
34 Brenda Bartholomew said she would be in favor of that recommendation.
35 Chair Jacobs said another issue is the 12 month definition. He said a department might
36 try to help their budget by telling someone not to come in for a month.
37 Brenda Bartholomew said you still look at 12 months past that employment.
38 Chair Jacobs said he just does not want to use the 12 month definition to disadvantage
39 the part time employees.
40 Brenda Bartholomew said that is not the intent. She said the point is to look at the
41 seasonal employees, and to insure them.
42 Chair Jacobs said there may be a philosophical way of looking at whether or not there is
43 some advantage to having permanent part time employees. He said there is a lot of time spent
44 chopping down on personnel costs in a recession, and this would be an option where you don't
45 have to go back and fill those open positions. He said the permanent part time employees may
46 be a good way to provide a more equitable workplace.
47 Annette Moore said there used to be permanent part time employees with benefits, and
48 most of those were converted to full time positions, so that level was taken away. She said the
49 ordinance can be changed to put this back in.
13
1 Commissioner Dorosin said the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a huge step forward for
2 their community. He thinks it is necessary to re -think the categories; if there are current part -
3 time people working 20 hours and it is a position that is needed all the time, then that should not
4 be considered a temporary position, and it should be a category.
5 Commissioner Dorosin said there is another category of temporary full time and 30 hour
6 employees, as well as seasonal employees. He thinks the one month standard should be used,
7 and if an employee works 30 hours a week for a month or two months, they should receive
8 benefits.
9 He said the County should be setting the moral high ground for employers. He likes the
10 idea of a modified benefit for permanent part -time employees. He thinks that is a critical stand
11 that should be taken on this issue.
12 Commissioner Rich said the concept is interesting but it could be a logistical nightmare
13 for the employer and employee. She said it could be a problem for an employee to receive
14 benefits for 3 months and then have to go back on the affordable care plan. She wonders if
15 there is a way to help them with their affordable care plan in a way that does not disrupt service
16 and create logistical issues.
17 Brenda Bartholomew said most of the seasonal employees have health insurance with
18 their parents or another venue, although they could certainly waive out of it if there was another
19 option.
20 Commissioner Pelissier said she is heartened by the discussion. She noted that some
21 counties are doing the opposite by reducing employee's hours in the face of the ACA, while
22 Orange County is embracing it and not trying to save money on the backs of the employees.
23 Brenda Bartholomew apologized if the Commissioners felt the ACA was portrayed in a
24 negative light.
25 Commissioner Dorosin said he just wants it to go on record that he and his colleagues
26 embrace the ACA because of the good it does for the people in need in the community.
27 Bonnie Hammersley said one of the things she has heard is the need to look at the
28 titling of these positions. She said the positions will be monitored heading into the budget to
29 see if they are all needed.
30
31 4. Update on Strategic Communications Plan (SCP)
32 Cheryl Young said this is an update of the Strategic Communications Plan (SCP). She
33 said the Board moved forward in June with a contract with Rod Visser to facilitate a strategic
34 communications workgroup, and he is here to give an update.
35 Rod Visser said the team has met six times in the last six weeks, and the group has
36 been a pleasure to work with. He said there is excellent commitment and good discussion. He
37 expressed appreciation to Cheryl Young for her help.
38 He noted the attachments developed by the team and included in the abstract, which
39 includes: working outline, draft statement of purpose and goals, and a matrix of working
40 information.
41 Rod Visser said a memo from Commissioner Gordon is also included, which outlines the
42 communication goals and the goals of the Board of County Commissioners. He said the team
43 has worked on the Board of County Commissioners' priorities.
44 He said the final attachment is a preliminary inventory of potential communication tools
45 being envisioned as an appendix to the recommended plan. He said this report tonight does
46 not reflect any final recommendations.
47 Rod Visser said the group decided to draft the communications plan during the
48 scheduled team meetings, versus using a subcommittee outside of the regular meetings. He
49 said a matrix was chosen that had been used in another department's communication plan
50 development. He said the team has been discussing various plan elements, while decisions
14
1 are recorded on a worksheet and edited in a live setting. He said attachments A and B reflect
2 these efforts. He said the team will continue to work on incorporating the Board's priorities as it
3 decided how to flesh out the plan.
4 Rod Visser said the team is also working with a set of elements suggested by the
5 manager. He said the work will be crafted into a narrative form to be reviewed and edited and
6 the recommended plan will be brought back for Board consideration. He said the goal, as
7 articulated by Commissioner Rich, is to emerge with a plan to allow everyone to correctly
8 message the Board of County Commissioners, which will allow the Board to correctly message
9 its citizens.
10 Commissioner Gordon said this started with the outline on page 3, and she would like to
11 know if this is what the Board is interested in covering and if this is organized in the way they
12 would like to see it. She said attachment B shows the approach, and there are worksheets to
13 make them consider all aspects of the plan. She said the last attachment is something she was
14 asked to put together. She wonders if the part that lists the overall goals and role of the Board
15 of County Commissioners would fit into the top category on page 5.
16 Commissioner Gordon said if anyone wants to comment on the roles of the Board of
17 County Commissioners or the manager or the Public Information Officer (PIO) that would be
18 helpful. She said overall she would like to know if the Board feels that this group is going in the
19 right direction.
20 Commissioner Rich said this was purposefully made to be not too detailed, in order to
21 receive feedback from the Board on the direction. She feels that the 8 week timeframe is not
22 sufficient, and she would request more time.
23 Commissioner McKee said this seems is very inclusive in covering the different areas
24 that need to be hit. He agreed that eight weeks is a tight schedule. He said he does not have a
25 problem with the group defining the end point.
26 Commissioner Rich asked Commissioner McKee if he finds the matrix helpful.
27 Commissioner McKee said the committee should use what they are most comfortable
28 with in order to get the result they need.
29 Commissioner Pelissier said she likes the matrix, and it defines what is being
30 accomplished. She said timelines sometimes don't work, and if this takes longer than 8 weeks
31 it is fine by her. She just wants to see a really good product.
32 Commissioner Price said she liked the matrix and the outline. She suggested a
33 language edit to include a specific mention of hearing impaired challenged. She also
34 suggested the addition of a County app for phones under the listing of potential tools.
35 Chair Jacobs said he talked with Jeff Thompson about handicapped accommodations in
36 the County buildings, and it got him thinking about how poorly equipped the buildings were for
37 the visually impaired and handicapped. He said a phone app might work to help guide people
38 to the proper offices, and he thinks this technology exists
39 Chair Jacobs said he also agrees that it is important to get this done right, rather than to
40 get it done fast.
41 Commissioner Gordon said the question was whether the Board wants their
42 communication plan to be in a matrix or to have text and then matrixes to flesh it out.
43 Chair Jacobs referred to the outline and said you can follow this framework and then for
44 each messenger you could have a table, or you could do it for the entire item. He said this is up
45 to the group.
46 Commissioner Gordon said it would be a good idea to come back to the Board of
47 Commissioners with some kind of update on November 6th. She said an extension could then
48 be given based on need. She asked if there are any suggestions regarding the role of the PIO.
49 Chair Jacobs said the Board can send comments to Cheryl Young.
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Bonnie Hammersley said one of the decisions she made was that neither she nor the
PIO would be involved in this process since this plan would guide their work. She said she did
direct the PIO to assess the needs of individual departments related to communication as
things move forward.
Commissioner Dorosin asked if it is true that neither Bonnie Hammersley nor the PIO
are participating in this work.
Bonnie Hammersley said that is correct.
Commissioner Dorosin said it seems counter intuitive not to have them on this
committee. He said these two roles are the hub around which this is going to work, and the
plan relies on hierarchal structure.
Bonnie Hammersley said she is not participating in the meetings, but she is working
closely with Rod Visser and Cheryl Young. She said she and the PIO see this as something
that will be a working document and a guide for them. She said this is an opportunity to step
back and let the people who need the services communicate what they need.
Commissioner Dorosin said if there was a committee assessing how he would have to
do his job, he feels they would need to know how he does it now and what works for him and
what does not.
Chair Jacobs asked if the group could invite the relevant people to attend a meeting to
express their vision.
Bonnie Hammersley said yes.
Bonnie Hammersley said she has participated in giving some guidance and expectation.
Cheryl Young said the County Manager provided a list of what she would like to see in a
communications plan.
Commissioner Rich said the Manager was asked to fill in a portion of the matrix. She
said there is back and forth communication.
Commissioner Price referred to the timeline. She asked what procedure or protocol is in
place now in terms the chain of command if a crisis should happen.
Bonnie Hammersley said she would be the main contact for any kind of communications
in a crisis and she would involve all that need to be involved. She said a plan would be put
together to get information out as soon as possible.
Commissioner Price asked who she should call in the event of a flood, fire or other
emergency.
Bonnie Hammersley said she should call the County Manager. She said there is a call
tree that she will share with the Commissioners.
Commissioner Gordon said there were questions during the flood about whether Chapel
Hill or the County was the prime contact.
Commissioner Gordon said they were not sure what Bonnie Hammersley asked the PIO
to do with the assessment from the departments and how it relates to the work of the group.
Bonnie Hammersley said this information will be shared with the group once it is
complete. She said a call tree has been put together amongst the towns and the County by the
SWAG group and this can be used by anyone.
Chair Jacobs asked if it is reasonable to ask the Strategic Communications Group to
handle the emergency information first.
Bonnie Hammersley said they would be happy to do that. She said she and Jim Groves
have been working on a virtual meeting plan that she would be happy to share. She did not
realize the Board did not know what would happen in the event of an emergency.
Chair Jacobs said he assumes this would include a plan for how to communicate when
everyone can't be in one room.
16
1 Commissioner Gordon said she filled out the Board of County Commissioners matrix in
2 response to a request from the group. She read some specific questions and statements, and
3 she asked if high level input is desired.
4 Chair Jacobs said they had a retreat two years ago that was dedicated to
5 communication. He suggested this might be interesting information to look back at, and it
6 expresses the will of the Board.
7 Commissioner Gordon said the group will review the background information and the
8 interviews Rod Visser did with the Commissioners.
9
10 5. Potential Bond Issuance and Debt Capacity
11 Clarence Grier reviewed some of the following background information from the
12 abstract:
13
14 Over the past fiscal year, the Board of County Commissioners has discussed the need for a
15 future bond referendum to fund some County and school long -range capital needs. As recently
16 discussed by the Board of County Commissioners and both school districts (Chapel Hill —
17 Carrboro City Schools and Orange County Schools), part of the incentive for going forward with
18 a potential general obligation bond referendum is the repair, renovation, and upgrading of
19 existing and older school facilities.
20
21 The County maintains excellent bond ratings.
22 S &P - AAA
23 Fitch - AAA
24 Moody's — AAA
25
26 The issuance of debt for two of the County's largest projects most recently discussed — New
27 County Jail Facility and Middle School #5 for the Chapel Hill - Carrboro City School District —
28 total a combined $73.2 million dollars, and both projects are included in the current County
29 Capital Investment Plan for the fiscal years 2015 - 2020. It is not anticipated that the new jail
30 project will be included in a potential general obligation bond referendum, but would be financed
31 with alternative financing. Orange County Schools has indicated the need for a new Elementary
32 #8. That project is not scheduled until FY 2021 -2022, but could be a potential project for
33 inclusion in a potential bond referendum.
34 Additionally, as previously mentioned, both school districts have older facility needs totaling
35 approximately $330 million that could potentially be addressed in part with a general obligation
36 bond referendum.
37 Additionally, in order to afford additional debt, the County would potentially have to increase the
38 property tax rate 2.82 cents for the new debt service. This projected tax increase would not
39 include 1) any future other operating expenditure increases or 2) any future operating
40 expenditure increases related directly to the new facilities and schools being built.
41 Based on current projects included in the County's Capital Investment Plan and future debt
42 service, the County could afford additional debt of the following after FY2018 — 19:
43
44
Fiscal Year Capacity
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2016
$34,762,073
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2017
21,359,811
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2018
29,089,027
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2019
11,405,556
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2020
17,808,611
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Total
$114,425,078
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The Board of County Commissioners will need to finalize its decisions regarding outstanding
issues such as the need for a future jail and school, and any other potential projects that would
be financed with alternative financing and an approved bond referendum. Furthermore, the
decision to start an educational campaign and appoint a Capital Needs Advisory Task Force will
need to be completed as soon as possible.
Clarence Grier said there is not a financial impact with the information being provided. There
will be a financial impact in future years as decisions are made to proceed with a bond
referendum and issuing debt for future County and School projects. All projects that are being
considered are currently in the County's Capital Investment Plan.
It is currently expected that projects totaling $100 million will be financed with the issuance of
general obligation or limited obligation bonds over a period not to exceed 20 years. At current
municipal bond interest rates, the total combined debt service is estimated to be $6.1.million
annually. This would represent 4.00 cents on the current property tax rate. Based the County
current budget and budgeted revenues, the County could afford an additional $25,000,000 of
additional general obligation debt capacity for a potential bond referendum if General Fund
revenues remain consistent. At current municipal bond interest rates, the total combined debt
service for $125 million is estimated to $7.6 million annually. This would represent 4.67 cents or
the current property tax rate.
Clarence Grier said as a result of the budget being $200 million staff wanted to look at
debt capacity again to see how much additional could be afforded on a bond referendum. He
said $10 million was appropriated, so the revenue was $100 million to pay for debt service on
the bond. He said the revenues for the 2013/14 fiscal year were approximately $196 million.
He said there was a property tax increase of 2 cents, which will add an additional $3.2 million,
so the total expected revenue is approximately $197 to $199 million.
Clarence Grier discussed the school needs, and said there has also been a request for
an additional building on the Durham Tech Orange County campus, as well as needs for
affordable housing.
He referred to the listing of fiscal year debt capacity. He said, based on what we know
now, he would estimate that the County can afford $125 million in debt capacity. He said he will
work on whatever the Board would like to do. He said the additional $25 million would add
about $1.6 million, based on current interest rates and property tax rates.
Clarence Grier said he took the existing debt service in the current County budget and
then added on debt service and the new County jail. He reviewed the numbers listed in the
spreadsheet Attachment A.
He said this basically says that the $10 million in appropriated fund balance may not
need to be used. He said the policy for debt service is 15 percent of general fund expenditures
and there will potentially be $29 million available. He said right now there is additional debt
service capacity of $3.4 million.
Clarence Grier said the assumption is that revenues grow at least 1 percent each year.
He said the jail is listed at $2 million and the debt service on the jail would not be $2
million. He said there have been discussions that the jail may actually be only half of the
amount listed in the CIP, which would free up an additional $15 million in debt capacity.
He said this is in the early stages, so it is hard to estimate what can be afforded until all
of the components are known. He said if revenue grows or projects are downsized, it frees up
debt capacity.
Clarence Grier said he would like to highlight that in 2025, their total debt capacity goes
up $100 million, and this is based on revenues increasing 1 cent per year and no property tax
increase.
IN
I He said the biggest thing is to structure the bond package to meet the needs that
2 everyone has. He said with the credit ratings and low rates, there should not be an issue with
3 increasing the debt service.
4 Chair Jacobs said if there is going to be a bond committee the timeline would partially
5 dictate what could be put in a bond. He said establishing this will provide guidance to the
6 group.
7 Clarence Grier said he agrees that time is of the essence. He said he also forgot to
8 note that Bob Jessup would bring back a detailed analysis of capital after the first of the year.
9 Commissioner Dorosin said if staff goes back to the Local Government Commission
10 (LGC) for approval of more than $150 million, and then they decide to go with less, it will not be
11 necessary to go back to the LGC again. He said the amount can always be scaled back but not
12 up. He said it might be the best plan to make a ceiling and then get a green light.
13 Clarence Grier said even if there is a voter approved referendum there are 7 years after
14 that to issue the debt. He said it may be better to have a series of bond referendums and split
15 them up.
16 Chair Jacobs said they have talked about doing that with the older school facility needs.
17 Commissioner Gordon asked for clarification on what the general assembly has said
18 about when they can have a referendum.
19 Clarence Grier said he does not remember the general assembly passing that item, but
20 the plan is to have this on a major election in May or November of 2016.
21 Bob Jessup said the election law changes included a provision that said counties can
22 only have a bond referendum in even years and only on primary or general election dates.
23 Commissioner Gordon asked if staff has to inform the LGC of the specifics on what they
24 are doing when asking for formal approval.
25 Clarence Grier said they have to be specific as to what they are going to do with the
26 debt issuance.
27 Commissioner Gordon said as long as interest rates remain low, they can use
28 alternative financing instead of a bond referendum. She said this process is a balancing act.
29 Commissioner Rich asked for clarification on the sequence of the process.
30 Clarence Grier said staff will ask the LGC first, in order to determine how much can be
31 approved.
32 Chair Jacobs said he feels that the committee should decide the needs not the amount.
33 He said if interest rates are low, the committee structure can then be used to talk about things
34 like affordable housing. He said at least everyone can be at the table to decide a common
35 purpose.
36 Chair Jacobs asked Clarence Grier to do a review of the 2001 bonds, including the
37 percentage by which they were approved; the size of the budget then; and whether they did a 7
38 cent increase due to bonds. He said a lot of the tax increases are due to voter approved bonds.
39 Chair Jacobs asked Bonnie Hammersley for an agenda or timeline for a May 2016
40 bond, as well as an identification of what the categories would be. He would like to see this
41 before the break in December.
42 Chair Jacobs said in his opinion Durham Tech is not ready for County to give them money until
43 there is a strategic plan in place for their property. He would like to see them be more
44 coordinated.
45 Clarence Grier said over the past year, he has had more calls about bonds from
46 competing interests.
47 Commissioner Gordon said the committee needs to be told the total amount of money
48 for the bond, and then they can decide the needs. She said this will be the cleanest way to do
49 it.
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1 Chair Jacobs asked staff for an assimilation of what was said tonight to be presented at
2 the September 30th meeting with the school boards. He thinks the school board needs to know
3 what the process is, and he would like to hear their priorities.
4 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded Commissioner Rich to adjourn
5 the meeting at 9:54 pm.
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8 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
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10 Barry Jacobs, Chair
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12 Donna Baker
13 Clerk to the Board
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Attachment 2
MINUTES
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
REGULAR MEETING
September 16, 2014
7:00 p.m.
The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday,
September 16, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center, in Chapel Hill, N.C.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jacobs and Commissioners Mark Dorosin,
Alice M. Gordon, Earl McKee, Bernadette Pelissier, Renee Price and Penny Rich
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT:
COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts
COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Assistant County
Managers Clarence Grier, 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 called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m.
1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda
Chair Jacobs reviewed the following items at the Commissioner's places:
- Pink sheet - Additional information for Item 11 -a - Animal Services Advisory Board
- Green sheet - Additional information for Item 11 -e - Economic Development Advisory
Board
- White sheet - Petition from Commissioner Gordon in reference to "Policies for the
Language Used in County Documents"
PUBLIC CHARGE
Chair Jacobs dispensed with the reading of the Public Charge.
2. Public Comments
a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda
Don O'Leary said he received email from clerk noting that his request to look into the
fluoride issue in the water would be referred to the Health department. He said this will be good
opportunity to gauge the credibility of the health department.
b. Matters on the Printed Agenda
(These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda
below.)
45 3. Petitions by Board Members
46 Commissioner Dorosin said at their last Board meeting the Commissioners were
47 provided with copies of resolutions from the Surry County Board of Commissioners and other
48 counties arguing that counties in N.C. should not accept the placement of children from across
49 the border, and that any children placed should not be allowed to enroll in the public schools.
50 He said these resolutions are unconstitutional, racist, and immoral. He feels it is incumbent
W
1 upon the Board of County Commissioners to adopt a resolution affirming the rights of children
2 to attend public schools in the County in which they reside, regardless of their immigration
3 status. He asked that the Board consider a resolution in that regard.
4 Commissioner Dorosin said the 2015 draft meeting calendar has been distributed for the
5 Board's review. He said there are an unprecedented number of meetings, and he would like to
6 look at how these are scheduled. He said there are several times when there are weeks with
7 multiple meetings, and then there are weeks with none. He feels there might be a more
8 balanced way of scheduling these 51 meetings.
9
10 Chair Jacobs reminded everyone that petitions are referred to agenda review and will
11 come back with a recommendation as soon as possible.
12
13 Commissioner Gordon reviewed the following memo regarding her petition on Policies
14 for the Language Used in County Documents:
15
16 The language used in all county documents should support the policies, goals and objectives of
17 the county. Right now the county has some existing practices, but they should be made into
18 policies so that they would be consistently followed. In the future, as appropriate, the county
19 could develop other policies for the language used in county documents.
20
21 The county should adopt the following two policies, and then all county departments should be
22 informed that the policies are in place.
23
24 1. Gender Neutral Language
25 All county documents should use gender neutral language. As new documents are created or
26 existing documents are renewed or revised, they should be checked for compliance with that
27 policy. For example, the term "Chair" should be used rather than "Chairman," the term
28 "firefighter" should be used rather "fireman," pronouns should not automatically be male, and so
29 forth.
30
31 2. Abbreviations
32 The language of county documents should be as clear and transparent as possible, and a part
33 of achieving that goal is to have guidelines for the use of abbreviations, including the following
34 two:
35 a. Any abbreviation should be used with care.
36 b. The first time an abbreviation is used, it should be spelled out, so that the reader will know
37 what is being referenced. For example, the county department dealing with county lands would
38 appear first as Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation (DEAPR) and
39 then, subsequently, as DEAPR.
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41 Commissioner Gordon referred to a resolution from the Commission for the
42 Environment (CFE) that was sent to the Board in November 2013, and she asked that this be
43 considered for one of the Board agendas.
44 Commissioner Rich said she has been working with the Information Technology Director
45 and County Manager on the issue of public emails. She said there have been discussions
46 regarding the possibility of putting emails online for the public to see. She said the research
47 has been done, and it is time to put that petition forward in order to look at the research and
48 decide whether to put funds toward this effort.
49 Commissioner Rich said her next petition is for the planning department. She would like
50 to know when a controversial plan has been withdrawn.
I Commissioner Rich said there was discussion at the work session about the Unified
2 Development Ordinance (UDO) as it relates to renewable and solar energy and utility
3 placement in the County. She wonders if it would be possible to have a forum to educate the
4 Board on what it means to put those utilities in the County.
5 Commissioner Rich said there has been a report in the News and Observer about
6 contractors who are subcontracting work, and then not paying the subcontractors properly. She
7 said the Board had received an update on what the County can demand from its contractors.
8 She thinks the Board needs to examine this issue more.
9
10 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/ Special Presentations
11
12 a. Orange County Long Term Care Quality Service Awards
13 The Board recognized the winners of the 2014 Orange County Long Term Care Quality
14 Service Awards.
15 Janice Tyler introduced Donna Prather, Chair of the Long Term Care Leaning
16 Collaborative, who reviewed the following information:
17
18 Background: As part of the Orange County 2012 -17 Master Aging Plan, the Department on
19 Aging was asked to develop a mechanism to help increase the quality of care provided in
20 Orange County's long -term care facilities and home care organizations.
21
22 In 2013, the Advisory Board on Aging created the Orange County Long Term Care (LTC)
23 Learning Collaborative to bring administrators and direct -care staff together to learn about and
24 share successful approaches to quality care. The Aging Board wanted to provide organizations
25 the opportunity to learn about these new approaches and to support them in their
26 implementation.
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28 Long Term Care organizations were invited to a series of seminars in the summer of 2013
29 which focused on two areas 1) activity programming and 2) administrative practices to reduce
30 staff turn -over. LTC organizations that attended the seminars were then challenged to
31 implement and evaluate the results of at least one of these practices over the coming year.
32
33 The Advisory Board on Aging was so impressed with the results of some of these
34 efforts /projects that it would like to honor them with a 2014 LTC Quality Service Award. It is
35 hoped that the recognition of these Long Term Care organizations will be used as motivation for
36 other organizations to implement practices that support high levels of quality care.
37
38 Donna Prather announced the following award winners:
39
40 2014 Long Term Care Quality Service Award Winners:
41
42 Livewell Assisted Living: Executive Director Diane Beckett and Activity Director
43 Marriettie Morris
44 Livewell is a 6 -bed family care home located in Chapel Hill. Many of its residents are
45 persons with dementia. The goal of its project was to implement an individualized program of
46 memory stimulation with each resident at least 15- minutes each day. With input from their
47 families, a set of activities was designed for each resident based on their past interests and
48 hobbies. It was hoped that these activities would bring pleasure to the residents, as well as
49 reduce some of the negative effects of dementia. The program was so well received by the
50 residents that they willingly engaged in these activities far more than just 15- minutes each day.
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The individualized activities were especially soothing in the "sun- downing" part of the day. As a
result of this project, many residents have displayed less anxiety and agitation, fewer
hallucinations, and less wandering. This approach to activities planning can be implemented in
a wide variety of long term care settings and should be replicated widely.
Carol Woods Retirement Community: Pat Sprigg, CEO and Life Enrichment Coordinator
Mallory Wilcox
Carol Woods is a Continuous Care Retirement Community in Chapel Hill, home to
approximately 400 older adults at various levels of functioning. The goal of this project was to
create a resident - driven, meaningful activity that would engage residents at all levels of service
and provide them with a sense of purpose through community outreach.
Carol Woods' residents were invited to a series of meetings to design a project that the whole
community could do together. The residents decided on a "Corn Shuckin & Bean Snappin"
project that could engage all members of the Carol Woods community and produce an outcome
that would benefit the wider Orange County community. Carol Woods' residents did the corn
shucking and bean snapping together; local farmers provided the produce; and clients of Club
Nova and the Interfaith Council received the fresh vegetables. The event was considered a
huge success. More people, at more levels of functioning, were involved than originally hoped.
Residents with advanced dementia took part. It helped facilitate the use of skills thought to be
lost or dormant. Residents who had known each other from previous years had a chance to
reunite and work together on a common project. Carol Woods was so impressed with the level
of resident engagement on this project that it has committed to plan a campus -wide event
similar to this one on a quarterly basis. Carol Woods hopes that these types of activities will
become the "norm" in the way that Carol Woods supports resident well- being. This project can
be replicated in a variety of long -term care settings to provide meaningful activities that engage
residents at multiple functional levels.
Acorn Home Care Services: Owners Lorenzo and Mary Lynn Mejia
Acorn Home Care Services, Inc. is a private home care agency operating within Orange
County. Acorn undertook two projects this year - one to improve care directly through an
individualized music and memory program and one to improve care indirectly through new
management practices designed to support and reward direct care workers for good work.
Regarding the first project, Acorn Home Care implemented a new, individualized music
program with their clients who have dementia. As a result, family members have noted more
social engagement, improved cognitive skills, better vocabulary, and less agitation. In the
coming years, Acorn Home Services wants to offer this service to all their families caring for a
loved one with dementia.
To better support its paid caregivers so that they can provide quality care to clients, Acorn also
implemented a new employee reward system. It offered merit bonuses for high quality care and
good work practices and created a variety of non - monetary supports on an individualized basis.
Since implementing these new management strategies, there has been excellent worker
attendance, low turn -over rates, and improved employee satisfaction. Keeping good workers in
place leads to better continuity of care, which is highly correlated with client satisfaction and
quality of life in long -term care settings.
Donna Prather said they are grateful for these leaders in the long -term care industry in
Orange County and, with the Board of Commissioners, want to publicly acknowledge their
willingness to try new, promising care practices and management strategies and serve as a
I model for other facilities and organizations providing important services to some of Orange
2 County's most vulnerable residents. She said The Advisory Board on Aging and the Department
3 would like to congratulate Livewell Assisted Living, Inc., Carol Woods Retirement Community,
4 and Acorn Home Care Services, Inc. for winning an Orange County 2014 LTC Quality Service
5 Award.
6
7 5. Public Hearings NONE
8
9 6. Consent Agenda
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11 • Removal of Any Items from Consent Agenda - NONE
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13 • Approval of Remaining Consent Agenda
14
15 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Rich to
16 approve the remaining items on the consent agenda.
17
18 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
19
20 a. Minutes
21 The Board approved the minutes from April 10, 29, May 13 (5:30 and 7:00) and June 10, 2014
22 as submitted by the Clerk to the Board.
23 b. Fiscal Year 2014 -15 Budget Amendment #1
24 The Board approved budget, grant, and capital project ordinance amendments for fiscal year
25 2014 -15 for: Department on Aging; Non - Departmental; Emergency Services; Animal Services;
26 Health Department; Meaningful Use Incentive Grant; Medicaid Maximization; Triple P Initiative;
27 Board of Elections; The Department of Environment; Agriculture, Parks and Recreation; and
28 Cooperative Extension.
29 c. Application for North Carolina Education Lottery Proceeds for Chapel Hill — Carrboro
30 City Schools ( CHCCS) and Contingent Approval of Budget Amendment # 1 -A Related
31 to CHCCS Capital Project Ordinances
32 The Board approved an application to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
33 (NCDPI) to release funds from the NC Education Lottery account related to FY 2014 -15 debt
34 service payments for Chapel Hill — Carrboro City Schools, and to approve Budget Amendment
35 #1 -A (amended School Capital Project Ordinances), contingent on the State's approval of the
36 application, and authorized the Chair to sign.
37 d. McGowan Creek Sewer Interceptor Project — Acceptance of State Revolving Fund
38 Loan and Approval of Budget Amendment #1 -113
39 The Board approved and authorized the Chair to sign the Resolution of Acceptance for the
40 State Revolving Fund (SRF) Loan for this project; authorizing the County Manager to sign the
41 State Loan Offer and Acceptance letter on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners; and
42 approve Budget Amendment #1 -B to reflect a reduced project budget based on an expenditure
43 of $31,239 less than estimated for rock removal.
44
45 7. Regular Agenda
46
47 a. Bid Award — Hook Lift Truck for Solid Waste
48 The Board considered awarding a bid to Freightliner of Austin in Austin, TX for a Hook
49 Lift Truck at a delivered cost of $193,225 for the Recycling Division of the Solid Waste
50 Management Department.
I Gayle Wilson said they are here tonight for the Board to consider awarding a bid to
2 Freightliner of Austin in Austin, TX for a Hook Lift Truck at a delivered cost of $193,225 for the
3 Recycling Division of the Solid Waste Management Department. He said the hook lift truck is
4 used to serve the recycling compactors at the Walnut Grove Convenient Center, the cardboard
5 compactors at the landfill, and rigid plastic containers at the convenience centers and drop off
6 sites. He said Funds were budgeted in current department appropriation and truck being
7 replaced has over 200,000 miles. He said this is the second and last truck to be purchased by
8 the recycling division this year.
9
10 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee seconded by Commissioner Rich for the
11 Board to award the bid to Freightliner of Austin, 1701 Smith Road, Austin, TX for the purchase
12 of a Hook Lift Truck at a delivered cost of $193,225.
13
14 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
15
16
17 b. Orange County's Recommendations Regarding Goals for Inclusion in the North
18 Carolina Association of County Commissioners' (NCACC) 2015 -16 Legislative
19 Goals Package (8:20 -8:45)
20 The Board considered approving a Resolution Detailing Orange County's
21 Recommendations Regarding Goals for Inclusion in the North Carolina Association of County
22 Commissioners' (NCACC) 2015 -16 Legislative Goals Package and authorizing the Chair to
23 sign.
24 Greg Wilder said every two years the North Carolina Association of County
25 Commissioners (NCACC) organizes a process to develop a legislative goals package. He said
26 the purpose of the package is to develop a package of legislative goals in preparation for the
27 next two General Assembly calendar years.
28 He said the NCACC began the process to develop its 2015 -16 Legislative Goals
29 Package in July 2014. He said, as noted in Attachment 1, North Carolina counties have been
30 asked to submit proposed legislative goals for consideration for inclusion in the package, with a
31 submittal deadline of September 19, 2014.
32
33 Greg Wilder reviewed the following additional background information from the abstract:
34 The County's Legislative Issues Work Group (LIWG), including Commissioners Renee Price
35 and Earl McKee, County Attorney John Roberts, Staff Attorney Annette Moore, Staff Attorney
36 James Bryan, and County Manager's Office staff, has recently met. The LIWG developed a
37 draft resolution for Board consideration that outlines several proposed legislative goals for
38 inclusion in NCACC's 2015 -16 package. The LIWG's draft resolution is provided in Attachment
39 2. The Board will likely want to discuss the draft resolution and possibly add to, delete from,
40 and /or revise the language of the proposed goals included in the draft.
41
42 In an effort to assist the Board in considering possible goals to forward to NCACC, a copy of
43 Orange County's 2014 Resolution Regarding Legislative Matters (Statewide Matters) is
44 provided for reference purposes at Attachment 3. This Resolution was approved by the Board
45 on April 15, 2014 for the 2014 General Assembly Session.
46
47 A copy of NCACC's 2013 -14 Legislative Goals document is also provided for reference in
48 Attachment 4. These documents may provide some insight on potential goals to propose to
49 NCACC for 2015 -16.
50
7
1 Commissioner McKee said the work group used previous goals as guidelines, and these
2 were goals that the group thought would align with the NCACC's priorities.
3 Chair Jacobs asked about the Orange Alamance line.
4 Greg Wilder said the Orange Alamance line is a local issue, not a statewide issue, and
5 this will be a part of their local legislative package.
6 Chair Jacobs said the Board received an email from a member of the Chapel Hill
7 Carrboro City School Board requesting inclusion of language that more specifically supports the
8 state's role in providing sufficient funds to support quality education. He asked where this could
9 be incorporated.
10 Greg Wilder said this could be incorporated into Item 3, and language could be
11 incorporated to support the state re- instating adequate funds for quality education. He said an
12 additional item could also be added if that is the Board's desire.
13 Commissioner Gordon suggested an item titled "Increased State Support for Public
14 Education." She read the following suggested wording: "Support legislation to increase and
15 insure secure and stable funding for operating and capital expenses for quality K -12 education
16 in public schools."
17 Commissioner McKee and Commissioner Price said they are fine with the addition of
18 that language being added as item #6.
19 Chair Jacobs said he prefers the use of the word "re- instate" in place of "increase." He
20 said Commissioner Gordon's wording is fine though.
21 Commissioner Gordon re -read her wording, and said she suggested this become Item
22 #6.
23 Commissioner Dorosin said this is more of a discussion item for the Board collectively.
24 He said this process is gone through each year and the same language is used. He thinks the
25 Board should consider staking out a more progressive political position with these goals. He
26 said these are public documents that state the County's public legislative priorities, and they
27 should include issues such as restoring early voting, same day registration, and issues related
28 to the social justice act. He would like to see some of the policy issues the Board has spoken
29 of consistently, like living wage and the County's authority that has been taken away in so many
30 areas. He said to him this should be a statement of the Board's policy priorities.
31 Commissioner McKee said this is a collective document from all 100 counties, and the
32 work group tried to work within the framework that was presented. He agreed with
33 Commissioner Dorosin about the idea of stating their goals more vividly, but he said it might be
34 better to work on that in the coming year, given the September 19th deadline.
35 Chair Jacobs said the issues brought up by Commissioner Dorosin's may be better
36 served if directed at their local legislative delegation in the spring. Chair Jacobs said these are
37 things that the Board wants to resonate with other counties.
38 Chair Jacobs said he would like to come back to the issue of voting rights, as this would
39 be a good conversation for NCACC.
40 Commissioner Price said many of these issues are already being worked on by NCACC
41 staff. She said this is more about being realistic than expressing "our wish list," which would be
42 more appropriate for our local delegation.
43 Commissioner Rich said the Board needs to go back and review their goals and make
44 sub - headings for each goal to include those issues that Commissioner Dorosin mentioned. She
45 said this will allow some of these to go into the legislative goals the next time around.
46 Commissioner Pelissier said she previously sat on the legislative goals committee. She
47 said you have to find something that all counties agree upon, and many things do get dropped.
48 She said resolutions are a good way to make values and goals known.
49 Commissioner Dorosin said he understood this format and forum, but nothing is ever
50 going to change unless these progressive priorities are put into these legislative goals. He said
I other counties are likely putting their priorities in, and it is important to stake out the moral high
2 ground.
3 Chair Jacobs referred to page 23, which includes a resolution to support funding for the
4 Clean Water Management Trust Fund. He said if there are other issues that they feel strongly
5 about, such as voting issues, it might be appropriate to have a resolution about them.
6 Chair Jacobs said this process is self- censored. He said the Board needs to pay more
7 attention next year and send items of interest to the legislative work group. He said tonight is
8 the eleventh hour for this, but personally he would be willing to take a shot at voting rights.
9 He asked if staff could put together a draft resolution to be voted on at the end of the
10 Mebane City Council meeting.
11 John Roberts noted that this meeting takes place in Orange County, and any action
12 taken, must be voted on within Orange County.
13 Commissioner Gordon referred to her earlier comments, and said she has looked at the
14 order of these items and the school item would be better placed as item #5 instead of item #6.
15 Commissioner Price said it is not too late to bring items to the NCACC. She said there
16 is time to submit other items, and she will be attending that conference and is happy to present
17 them.
18 Commissioner Rich said she would like to remember to look at these items one time
19 before voting on the package next year. She does feel that it is important to get the voter's
20 rights issues in there this time.
21 Commissioner Pelissier said she thought that in order to be included, items must be
22 voted on by the full Board of County Commissioners.
23 Commissioner Gordon these goals will go to NCACC and then on to the steering
24 committees for review. She said the steering committees will hold meetings in the fall, so there
25 is still time to send resolutions directly to these committees.
26 Chair Jacobs said the Board could try that route.
27
28 A motion was made by Commissioner Dorosin, seconded by Commissioner Price to add
29 the following suggested language:
30
31 Title: Restore Voting Rights
32 Support legislation to:
33 • Restore same day voter registration;
34 • extend early voting periods and include Sundays during early voting periods
35 • re- instate pre- registration for 16 and17 year olds
36 • restore straight ticket voting
37 • eliminate any photo identification requirements
38 • restore validity of out of precincts provisional ballots
39 • restore public financing of judicial elections
![I
41 Chair Jacobs suggested the addition of restoring public financing for judges.
42 Commissioner McKee said this would be item # 24.
43 Greg Wilder suggested following the format of the other items by adjusting the verbs as
44 needed, which would include the addition of the phrase "support legislation to."
45
46 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
47
48 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Price to
49 adopt the entire resolution with the inclusion of the two additional items referencing support for
50 school funding and voting issues and authorize the Chair to sign the resolution and direct the
I
1 Clerk to the Board to forward the approved resolution, the completed NCACC Legislative Goals
2 Proposal Forms, and any other related materials to NCACC by the September 19, 2014
3 deadline.
4
5 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
6
7
8 b. Employee Benefits and Recommendations Effective January 1, 2015 (8:45 -9:20)
9 The Board considered the County Manager's recommendations for employee health
10 insurance and other benefits effective January 1, 2015.
11 Brenda Bartholomew said these benefit recommendations were presented at the
12 September 11 th work session.
13 She said option 1 was for a 13 percent renewal rate increase to the County, beginning
14 January 1, 2015, for 6 months with no costs being shifted to employees. She said the second
15 option was for a 9 percent increase, to include benefit changes to the co -pay and pharmacy
16 amounts. She said the County Manager is recommending option 1.
17 Bonnie Hammersley repeated the recommendation and said this will put the health
18 insurance back into the budget process, as it will now coincide with the fiscal year.
19 Commissioner Dorosin asked for clarification on the timing. He asked if the idea is to
20 bring together the calendars for the insurance and the County budget and that is the reason for
21 the 6 month window.
22 Bonnie Hammersley said yes.
23 Commissioner Dorosin asked if during the budget process the next installment will go
24 from July 1 to June 30th
25 Bonnie Hammersley said that is correct, and the insurance plan will now always reflect
26 the fiscal year.
27 Commissioner Gordon asked about health retiree benefits.
28 Diane Shepherd said the benefits for pre -65 retirees are the same as active employees.
29 She said after a retiree reaches age 65, they go on to Medicare, and the County provides a
30 supplement in part D. She said this is budgeted separately from active employees, and it is a
31 different document during budget process. She said retirees will have the same plan year as
32 the employees.
33 Commissioner Rich said the County is picking up the difference to the employee during
34 the 6 month period. She asked what happens after this.
35 Mark Browder said next spring staff will come back with renewal projections and costs
36 for the fiscal year 15 -16.
37 Commissioner Rich asked if staff is anticipating that it will not go up.
38 Mark Browder said he would not commit to that, but he feels good that costs will not go
39 up that much.
40 Commissioner Rich asked if there will be discussion during budget season about how
41 employees will absorb the additional cost, or if the County will continue to pay that.
42 Bonnie Hammersley said staff will evaluate this information during the six month period,
43 and she will make a recommendation during the budget process to address this concern.
44
45 A motion was made by Commissioner Pelissier, seconded by Commissioner Price to
46 approve Health Insurance Option 1, which requires a 13% renewal rate increase to the County
47 beginning January 1, 2015.
48
49 Commissioner Dorosin suggested that this process and the reason for the 6 month
50 renewal need to be explained to employees during open enrollment in October.
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Mark Browder said staff will make sure to communicate this.
Bonnie Hammersley said she will also begin the employee listening sessions in October.
She said this item will be on the agenda and will be part of this discussion.
Chair Jacobs suggested this could be a topic for the internal newsletter.
Commissioner Rich said she is thankful for all of the work that has been done, but she
will vote against this because she has a hard time voting for a company that takes their
marching orders from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
Chair Jacobs suggested that the Board may want to get a list of the insurance
companies affiliated with ALEC for next year.
VOTE: 6 -1 (Commissioner Rich)
8. Reports -NONE
9. County Manager's Report
Bonnie Hammersley said Commissioner Price had asked about the small business loan
program at the last meeting. She said information about this has been provided in the packet
under information items.
Bonnie Hammersley said the county manager's report on the next agenda will provide
an agenda for the next work session. She said this will be the policy going forward, so the
Board can see the draft agenda and have an opportunity to make comments and suggestions.
10. County Attorney's Report
NONE
11. Appointments
Chair Jacobs noted that the clerk's office had made the improvement of noting on the
face sheet of each advisory board whether there are any vacancies remaining after
recommendations have been presented.
He said the clerk has also provided definitions for the specialized positions being filled.
He said the pink sheets are relevant to the Animal Services Advisory Board (ASAB), and the
green sheet is relevant to the Economic Development Advisory Board (EDAB).
Chair Jacobs said the way in which the Board does appointments has been identified as
a possible topic for the retreat.
a Animal Services Advisory Board — Appointments
The Board considered making appointments to the Animal Services Advisory Board.
A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Gordon to
appoint
• Michael Stewart to a second full term (Position #8) non - municipality with a term expiring
06/30/2017.
• Dr. Maureane Hoffman to a first full term (Position #10) Animal Advocacy expiring
06/30/2017.
POSITION
NO.
NAME
SPECIAL
REPRESENTATIVE
EXPIRATION
DATE
8
Mr. Michael Stewart
Non-Municipality
06/30/2017
10
Dr. Maureane Hoffman
Animal Advocacy
06/30/2017
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VOTE: UNANIMOUS
Discussion ensued regarding the open position of Animal welfare /advocacy. The Board
would like to get more clarification from the Animal Services Director on the details of this
position.
b. Arts Commission — Appointments
The Board considered making appointments to the Arts Commission.
A motion was made by Commissioner Pelissier, seconded by Commissioner McKee to
appoint:
• Tim Hoke to a partial term (position #2) At -Large with a term expiring 03/31/2015.
• Tinka Jordy to a first full term (position #5) At -Large with a term expiring 03/31/2017.
• Brownwyn Merritt to a partial term (position #8) At -Large with a term expiring
03/31/2015.
• Joy Slayers to a first full term (position #9) At -Large with a term expiring 03/31/2017.
• Scott Van Manen to a partial term (position #14) At -Large with a term expiring
03/31/2016.
POSITION
NO.
NAME
SPECIAL
REPRESENTATIVE
EXPIRATION
DATE
2
Tim Hoke
At-Large
03/31/2015
5
Tinka Jord
At-Large
03/31/2017
8
Bronw n Merritt
At-Large
03/31/2015
9
Joy Sal ers
At-Large
03/31/2017
14
Scott Van Manen
At-Large
09/30/2016
VOTE: UNANIMOUS
c. Board of Health —Appointments
The Board considered making appointments to the Board of Health.
A motion was made by Commissioner Pelissier, seconded by Commissioner Price to
appoint:
• Dr. Susan Elmore, DVM to a second full term (position #1) At -Large Veterinarian for Dr.
Susan Elmore, DVM with a term expiring 06/30/2017.
• Ms. Esther Earbin to a first full term (position #3) At -Large Citizen /Commissioner
Appointment with a term expiring 06/30/17.
• Ms. Liska Lackey, RN to a second full term (position #4) At -Large Nurse with a term
expiring 06/30/2017.
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POSITION
NAME
SPECIAL
EXPIRATION
NO.
Annette Stone
REPRESENTATIVE
DATE
1
Dr. Susan Elmore, DVM
At-Large Veterinarian
06/30/2017
3
Ms. Esther Earbin
At -Large
06/30/2017
Citizen /Commissioner
Appointment
4
1 Ms. Liska Lackey, RN
At-Large Nurse
06/30/2017
VOTE: UNANIMOUS
Commissioner Dorosin noted that Dr. Susan Elmore is also the chair of the Animal
Services Advisory Board (ASAB). He appreciates this dedication, but he has mentioned this
general issue before.
Chair Jacobs said this is one of the items for the possible retreat discussion. He said
there is some good logic in having a direct link from the ASAB to the Board of Health, as these
departments were separated not that long ago. He said this issue can be revisited.
Commissioner Pelissier and Commissioner Gordon expressed their support for this
particular linkage in service.
d. Chapel Hill Orange County Visitors Bureau —Appointments
The Board considered making appointments to the Chapel Hill Orange County Visitors
Bureau.
A motion was made by Commissioner Rich, seconded by Commissioner Gordon to
appoint:
Annette Stone to a First Full term (Position #15) Economic Development Staff — Town of
Carrboro for with a term ending 06/30/2017.
• Meg McGurk to a First Full term (Position #15) Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership Staff
with a term ending 06/30/2017.
Position No.
Name
Representation
Expiration Date
15
Annette Stone
Economic Development
06/30/2017
Staff — Town of Carrboro
16
Meg McGurk
Chapel Hill Downtown
06/30/2017
Partnership Staff
VOTE: UNANIMOUS
e. Economic Development Advisory Board —Appointments
The Board considered making appointments to the Economic Development Advisory
Board.
A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Price to
appoint:
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• Delores Bailey to a first full term (position #1) Non - Profit Agency with a term ending
06/30/2017.
• Nicholas Thomas to a first full term (position #4) Entrepreneur with a term ending
06/30/2017.
• Donald Bryan (D.R.) Jr.to a first full term (position #7) Entrepreneur with a term ending
06/30/2017.
POSITION
NO.
NAME
SPECIAL
REPRESENTATIVE
EXPIRATION
DATE
1
Delores Bailey
Non - Profit Agency
06/30/2017
4
Nicholas Thomas
Entrepreneur
06/30/2017
7
Donald Bryan D.R. Jr.
Core Business Community
06/30/2017
Chair Jacobs said the Board will await a recommendation for position 6, the "Core
Business Community."
Commissioner Dorosin said the list of applicants does not contain any indication of
whether any of the applicants would be qualified for the Core Business position. He said this
information should be noted.
Steve Brantley said this application is not tailored to the Economic Development
Advisory Board, and it is a blanket application.
Chair Jacobs suggested more clarity be provided for this, including a page outlining
positions on the commission, with descriptions of what skills each position requires. He said
there is little information listed by applicants regarding interest or skills, and he suggested
phone calls to follow up and gather this information.
Commissioner Dorosin said if there are particular requirements that need to be
represented on these boards, they need to be made clear, and it needs to be clear whether the
applicants meet those requirements.
Steve Brantley said the policies and by -laws are listed on line for applicants. He said
the general County application could be amended to specify categories within advisory boards,
and why the applicant is qualified for this.
VOTE: UNANIMOUS
Commissioner Price asked why Durham Tech is not listed on the green sheet.
Steve Brantley said there is no specific reason for this. He said there could be more of
a general education position, rather than specific schools.
Commissioner Price said she would like to consider the addition of Durham Tech.
Chair Jacobs said he has talked with the Manager for more information about this board
to be provided to the Board of County Commissioners. He said this is an important board. He
suggested that at a future meeting Steve Brantley could walk them through the history of this
board, an explanation of the current makeup, and details of current meetings and the way
things are being done.
f. OPC Oversight Board — Appointment
The Board considered making an appointment to the OPC Oversight Board.
A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Dorosin to
appoint:
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Dr. Jesse Brunson to a first partial term (position #2) Consumer or Family Member with
a term expiring 06/30/2015.
POSITION
NAME
SPECIAL
EXPIRATION
NO.
REPRESENTATIVE
DATE
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Dr. Jesse Brunson
Consumer or Family
06/30/2015
Member
VOTE: UNANIMOUS
g_ County Commissioners Appointment (Alternate) to the Durham - Chapel Hill -
Carrboro- Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC -MPO)
The Board considered appointing a County Commissioner to the Alternate position on
the DCHC -MPO.
A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Rich to
appoint Chair Jacobs to the Alternate position on the DCHC -MPO.
VOTE: UNANIMOUS
12. Board Comments
Commissioner Rich said she stopped by the Rogers Road community center and
construction is moving forward, and it is looking good.
Commissioner Rich said Community Home Trust fundraiser was a success.
Commissioner Rich said the next communications plan meeting will be at the Animal
Services building at 8 a.m.
Commissioner Gordon noted that the Durham Chapel Hill Carrboro Metropolitan
Planning Organization (DCHC MPO) has made changes in their memorandum of
understanding, and this is contained in the agenda packet. She said the actual effective date of
these changes was July 31, 2014. She said the by -laws were just approved at the last meeting.
She said the board is now called the MPO Board, and the staff group is called the Technical
Committee. She said there was discussion in this group about the draft 15 -501 corridor study,
and the deadline for comments on this project has been extended to September 19tH
Commissioner McKee said he attended the Maple View Customer Appreciation Day this
past weekend. He said this business is a perfect example of Agricultural Support Enterprises,
and it is located in the Rural Buffer. He encouraged people to visit the store in order to get
insight for upcoming discussion about Agricultural Support Enterprises in the Rural Buffer.
Commissioner Pelissier encouraged all Board members and community members to
volunteer for Project Connect. She said this is being held at the Hargraves Community Center
on October 9th.
Commissioner Pelissier said she and Commissioner McKee will be attending the inter-
city trip with the Chamber to Athens, Georgia this upcoming weekend.
Commissioner Price said Orange County held a 9/11 ceremony at the Old Courthouse
honoring the first responders, and the County was well represented by their Emergency
Services.
Commissioner Price said Durham Technical Community College is in the midst of
strategic planning, and there is a lot of excitement about how the college is spreading.
Chair Jacobs said there was another school collaboration meeting today in advance of
the September 30th joint meeting. He said there were some interesting facts, including the fact
that the school systems had the same number of pupils in 1989, but since then the growth of
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1 the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools has been 125 percent and Orange County has had a 55
2 percent growth rate. He said this is why it is so difficult to do equal funding. He said most of
3 the other issues will be re- visited at the joint meeting.
4 Chair Jacobs said the Solid Waste Advisory Group (SWAG) met again last Friday
5 evening and had a lively discussion about the inter -local agreement. He thought it was a very
6 promising meeting, and progress is being made.
7 Chair Jacobs said three volunteers are needed for a retreat planning group and strategic
8 goals review.
9 Chair Jacobs said he has talked with manager about helping the Board reduce the
10 number of meetings, and the content of the agendas. He said the last two meetings show that
11 she has been effective in this. And we will review the draft meeting calendar again at agenda
12 review.
13 Chair Jacobs said the Board would like to receive updates and pictures on the progress
14 of the Cedar Grove Community Center and Rogers Road Neighborhood.
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16 13. Information Items
17 e September 4, 2014 BOCC Meeting Follow -up Actions List
18 0 Annual Work Session For Appointees to External Advisory Boards
19 0 BOCC Chair Letter Regarding Petitions from September 4, 2014 Regular Board Meeting
20 e Memorandum -Small Business Loan Program Update
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22 14. Closed Session - NONE
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24 15. Adjournment
25 A motion was made by Commissioner Rich, seconded by Commissioner McKee to
26 adjourn the meeting at 8:45 p.m.
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28 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
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30 Barry Jacobs, Chair
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33 Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board
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