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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 10-16-2014 APPROVED 12/1/2014 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS CARRBORO BOARD OF ALDERMEN JOINT MEETING October 16, 2014 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in a joint meeting with the Town of Carrboro Aldermen on Thursday, October 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: James Bryan, Staff Attorney COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Assistant County Managers Clarence Grier and Cheryl Young and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (All other staff inembers will be identified appropriately below) CARRBORO BOARD OF ALDERMEN MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Lydia Lavelle and Aldermen Bethany Chaney, Randee Haven-O'Donnell, Michelle Johnson, Sammy Slade, Jacquelyn Gist, and David Andrews, Town Manager CARRBORO BOARD OF ALDERMEN MEMBERS ABSENT: Damon Seils Welcome/Introductions and Opening Remarks (Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle and BOCC Chair Barry Jacobs) Chair Jacobs called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. Introductions were made. 1. Update on Southern Branch Library— Carrboro Partnership Jeff Thompson said there is a timeline included in their packets. He reviewed the following background information: On May 13, 2014 the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) authorized staff to engage in negotiations with Main Street Partners of Chapel Hill ("Main Street") regarding the potential Southern Branch Library location adjacent to the 300 Main Street development located in Carrboro. At its October 21, 2014 regular meeting, the BOCC will consider authorizing the Chair to execute a non-binding Letter of Intent with regards to a potential Orange County Southern Branch Library. Should the BOCC authorize this non-binding Letter of Intent, the estimated timeline regarding the project activity is noted below. It is still planned that as the process for the new Southern Branch Library goes forward the staff will begin preparation for the closure of the two (2) current locations and the transfer of operations, services and staff. For at least the last 10 years the Library, County, the Town of Carrboro has maintained a mutually beneficial partnership in providing library services to the residents of Carrboro. While the County has always funded the majority of operating funds, the Town has given the Carrboro McDougle Library an annual contribution of$4000 that primarily goes towards new materials for the collection. The Cybrary has received in-kind contributions from the Town of 1,000 square feet of space in the Century Center, plus utilities, phone, internet and other technology support. The value of this cash and in-kind contribution is approximately $30,000 per year. The County looks forward to continuing and expanding this partnership for the Orange County's new Southern Branch Library. Southern Branch Library - Estimated Project Activity Timeline This estimated timeline for the development, Estimated Completion Date construction, and operation of the potential Southern Branch Library is as follows. A conservative 4-6 month contingency interval for is reasonable for planning purposes and process delays. Bolded activities signify Board of County Commissioner actions. Event Board of County Commissioners Action: October, 2014 Approval of Letter of Intent between Orange County and Developer Board of County Commissioners Action: December, 2014 Development Agreement, Ground Lease approval Board of County Commissioner Action: April, 2015 Designer, Construction Manager at Risk firms selected through RFQ process Carrboro CUP process (est. 9 months) September, 2015 Board of County Commissioners Action: November, 2016 Design approval; Authorization to finalize construction documents and solicit Guaranteed Maximum Price; Regulatory review & construction permitting; Acceptance of LGC financing review and approval Board of County Commissioners Action: April, 2016 Approval of Guaranteed Maximum Price Project construction & systems commissioning December, 2016 (est. 8 months) Board of County Commissioners Action: February, 2017 Condominium Declaration & Associated Agreements; Dissolution of Ground Lease Library Occupancy; February, 2017 Library operations start-up Opening April, 2017 Jeff Thompson said space planning and programming has been put off until after the contract negotiations are complete. He thanked staff inembers who have participated in this process. Commissioner Price asked about the Carrboro Conditional Use Permit (CUP) process. Jeff Thompson said the CUP process will happen parallel to the schematic design work. Commissioner Price asked about the guaranteed maximum price, which is listed prior to the date of completed design work. Jeff Thompson said he will look into this. Commissioner McKee said Carrboro contributes a significant amount of money and other resources for the current Cybrary and the McDougle library. He expressed appreciation for this and said he hopes this collaboration will continue. David Andrews said he hoped to continue this relationship. Mayor Lavelle said it is exciting to see some dates. She said everyone is happy to be moving forward collaboratively. Alderman Haven O'Donnell thanked Lucinda Munger for all of her hard work on this project. Alderman Chaney said she hopes that this project can stick with a 9 month CUP process, and she encouraged County staff to be candid with them in helping keep things on track. 2. Article 46 One-Quarter(1/4) Cent Sales Tax Revenues Steve Brantley referenced the information provided in their packets. He said article 46 was approved by Orange County residents in 2011, and it provides additional funding for education and for economic development for 10 years. He said $1.25 million is designated for each of these two items. He said in December 2011 the Board of County Commissioners adopted a resolution on the uses and expenditures of this collection, and in spring of 2012 the County began to receive the proceeds of the tax. Steve Brantley said Orange County also began to approve major water and sewer contracts in the Economic Development Districts (EDDs). He said this was the largest expenditure of the article 46 funds, at approximately $600,000 to $700,000 per year. He said this water and sewer structure attracts new businesses. He said these EDDs make up 3 percent of Orange County's property along the interstate. Steve Brantley said the Town and County previously collaborated and signed an Interlocal Agreement to establish joint 50/50 co-pay for the repair of the privately owned sewer line on Roberson Street, serving over 20 businesses. He said the primary repair cost to replace this sewer line was funded by a State of North Carolina "Community Development Block Grant" (CDBG) through the N.C. Department of Commerce. He said the County's 50 percent portion of the remaining cost was originally estimated at $37,500 - $40,000, and was later increased up to an additional $40,000 to cover the increased repair estimate. He said the County's portion will be paid by Article 46 half cent sales tax proceeds for economic development. He said the construction of the new sewer line is now complete, most of the existing businesses have since reconnected to the new line, and in the next 30 days the Town expects to invoice the County for the actual co-pay amount. Steve Brantley said article 46 has another category for small business loans. He said another category is the business investment grant. He said when this article was passed and funds started coming in, he realized there was no policy in place to make these grants. He said the Economic Development Advisory Board has worked for the past year on a draft proposed application and multi-tiered structure for evaluating small business grant applicants. He said if this is approved, it will also provide a blueprint for the subsequent agricultural investment grant. Alderman Johnson arrived at 7:20. Steve Brantley reviewed some other possible uses of this funding. Mayor Lavelle said $1.25 million of the revenues received per year for the ten year period are designated for economic development. She asked if the $600,000 - $700,000 going to water and sewer would be for all ten years. Steve Brantley said the sales tax is permanent, but the economic development use is for ten years. Mayor Lavelle asked if the water and sewer infrastructure target is for all ten years. Steve Brantley said those categories represent the framework for what was voted on. He said staff worked with the planning and inspections department, which was a chief participant in prioritizing water and sewer. Mayor Lavelle said she is trying to understand if this means there is roughly $400,000 - $500,000 for the remaining 7 years. She is trying to see how this projects out over the ten years. Steve Brantley said there is a huge demand in several categories, but there were certain categories where reserves had built up. He said he is trying to find ways to get all of the categories engaged so that nothing is unused. He said there are individuals who can explain more details of the charts. Alderman Chaney asked about the size and deployment rate of the small business loan funds. Steve Brantley said $200,000 annually would be the equivalent of making 4 maximum size loans in a calendar year. He said the program allows for 5 year term loans of up to $50,000, and there are a few borrowers who do this. He said when the recession hit, there was some difficulty in finding applicants. He said staff has tried to find ways to expand knowledge of the program and increase demand. He said there have been some policies and procedures that have been amended to allow lending to non-profits, and remove some questions related to probation issues, and this was at the request of the Commissioners. Alderman Chaney asked how much has not been deployed for this program. Steve Brantley said $360,000 in funds is kept in the bank, and the origin of this is the movement of money from the Visitor's Bureau fund balance into the small business loan program in 2011. He said this was the seed money, and the article 46 funds are there for use after the seed money is depleted. Alderman Chaney said the town also has a lot of undeployed money, and they are struggling with demand too. She said if there are questions of how these funds are being allocated, maybe staff should take a look at the assets in the small business loan program within the County as a whole to see if these funds are being used efficiently. She said perhaps the funds could be combined to create a niche to meet different markets or the amount in the funds could be reduced and this money could be used them elsewhere. Alderman Gist asked if the small business loan program is working directly with LAUNCH. Steve Brantley said LAUNCH is a prospect and an incubator. He said the goal is to find promising entrepreneurial prospects that could be considered for a small grant as well as for a loan. He said many of the LAUNCH companies have been so successful at raising venture capital that they have not needed the funds. Alderman Gist said the aldermen hear different but true things in Carrboro. She said those who want to build residential say there is very little demand for commercial, but businesses say there is no affordable place to rent, so they take their business to other cities. She said maybe what is being learned through the small business program can be applied to the development and approval process with new mixed use development. She said perhaps there needs to be a requirement of a certain percentage of affordable office and commercial space in new mixed use developments. She would like for this to be considered. Steve Brantley said there is an 18,000 square foot office building sitting next to the old Orange County Health Department. He said this is a great space for offices and incubator type tenants. Alderman Gist said maybe this needs to be marketed more as a small business startup center. Commissioner Price asked if there is a maximum grant amount one person can apply for, and if the grants can be used in cooperation with a loan from the County or the Town of Carrboro. Steve Brantley said the current proposal has a multi-tiered application for grants as low as $1000 with limited required information, and up to as much as a $10,000 grant with greater proof of how a potential business will deliver. He said there could be a combination of grants and loans. Chair Jacobs said in this last budget cycle the Board approved a position for business retention. He said the Board hopes that this person would go and see if someone needs assistance. He said if the relationships were good, then perhaps there could be better retention of small and larger businesses. Commissioner Gordon said it is an excellent idea to have an integrative approach. She said if all of the resources could work together, more businesses could be attracted to the County. Commissioner McKee said he sits on this loan committee, and the applications he has seen have run the gamut in terms of focus and detail. He said the committee has gone out of their way to make sure loans are approved. He said there is also a realization that these are tax funds, and the committee does not want the County to be in the position of having to take someone's home, since people use that as collateral. He said once the application and rules are in place for the grant, it may be possible to do a combination of a grant and an additional loan. He said it might be possible to collaborate with the towns if the amount was too large for one entity. Steve Brantley said he and Bonnie Hammersley met with the Chair and Vice Chair to provide direction. He said there is a draft of the kind of document that Commissioner Gordon referred to. He said this will touch on state areas of assistance, as well as non-profits in order to create a comprehensive view of the services that are available. Commissioner Pelissier asked if Hillsborough is more affordable than the American Tobacco space or the other towns. Steve Brantley said incubator space can be well served in Carrboro and Hillsborough. He said Hillsborough has a healthy menu of products and space. He said anything that adds space to Carrboro will affect market rate and give businesses an opportunity to be there. Alderman Haven O'Donnell said one of the things that has been learned about loans in Carrboro is that people come there as the last possible resort. She said many of the people who come for loans lack business experience, and there is a need to provide training for loan applicants. She said they need mentorship during the first 3-5 years. She questioned whether funds in the small business loan program can be used throughout the County. She said that businesses get started in Carrboro and then they reach certain size and the space rate is too expensive, so they move elsewhere. She said there is no graduation of space within Carrboro, and this is a retention issue. She said incubators say that they need to reduce costs with the space, and there is no public private partnership to provide this. She said the other piece is to have a shared space with shared administrative assistance. Bonnie Hammersley asked Steve Brantley to provide an update on the business retention and recruitment position. Steve Brantley said this position was approved in the spring. He said this person would be calling on existing large and small businesses to develop a relationship and help provide any needed assistance. He said the job has been posted, and staff is screening applicants now. Commissioner McKee said the committee has had some discussion regarding ways to direct these applicants on where to get help with their business plan. Commissioner Rich asked about the rate of failure on the loans that have been given out. Steve Brantley said one company moved to Alamance County for larger space. He said the bylaws require payment of the loan balance if a business moves out of the County. He said no one has failed yet, however not everyone who starts through the application process completes it. Chair Jacobs said the Board has been approached by Chapel Hill with a request to use some of the article 46 funds for the Ephesus Fordham area. He said the Board has agreed to discuss this. 3. Update on Solid Waste Advisory Group (SWAG) Discussions Chair Jacobs said the agenda states that there have been discussions about the development of a local transfer station, but in fact there not been any discussions about this. He said the goal at this point is to have an agreement regarding recycling and construction waste disposal and to understand a fee schedule. Mayor Lavelle said it has been helpful to have UNC and UNC Hospitals in the group. She said the goal is to have an update at the Assembly of Governments. Chair Jacobs said the group will be updating all four boards next month. He said there are a lot of issues still to come, including a decision on how much longer this group needs to exist. Alderman Gist thanked all of the representatives on this group. 4. Update on Possible Bond Referendum Clarence Grier said in recent months the Board has been discussing a General Obligation Bond (GOB) referendum. He reviewed the following history of the 2001 bond referendum: The most recent Orange County general obligation bond referendum occurred in November 2001. That bond referendum totaled $75 million and the items included on the referendum were as follows: ♦ School related projects totaling $47 million. ♦ Parks and Recreation projects totaling $20 million ♦ Senior Center projects totaling $ 4 million ♦ Low and moderate income projects (Affordable Housing) totaling $4 million All of the individual items on the bond referendum were approved by the voters in the November 2001. The total bond referendum passed with an average approval rate of approximately 55 percent. Due to recent changes enacted by the North Carolina General Assembly related to the dates in which a general obligation bond referendum can be held, a general obligation bond referendum can only be held on even numbered years. Therefore, the two possible closest upcoming dates for the Board of County Commissioners to conduct a voter approved general obligation bond referendum are May 2016 and November 2016. If not held at one of these dates, a potential general obligation bond referendum would be required to be held in May 2018 or November 2018 or in subsequent even numbered years. At the September 11, 2014 Board of County Commissioners Work Session, the recommended sizing of the potential general obligation bond referendum was discussed at a range between $100 and $125 million over a period of 20 years. At current AAA municipal bond interest rates, the total combined debt service for $100 million is estimated to be $6.1.million annually. This would represent 4.00 cents on the current property tax rate. At current AAA municipal bond interest rates, the total combined debt service for $125 million is estimated to be $7.6 million annually. This would represent 4.67 cents on the current property tax rate. Mayor Lavelle said the blue sheet refers to the breakdown from the 2001 bond referendum. Clarence Grier said there have been some preliminary discussions with the local government commission, and they are generally in favor of the current sizing of the debt. Alderman Gist asked about the progress of paying off the bond from 2001. Clarence Grier said there are 5 more years to pay off that debt. He said there was a recent refinancing of that debt that will save an additional $830,000 over the next 5 years. Alderman Gist asked if the tax burden to citizens will be decreased when this debt is paid off. Clarence Grier said that is a Board of County Commissioners decision, though in theory this could happen. Alderman Gist said if one was passed two years from now, then residents would be paying on two bonds for a two or three year period. Clarence Grier said the current outstanding general obligation debt is $86.5 million, but this will all be extinguished in the next 10 years. He said if this referendum is passed in 2016, the existing debt will be gone within 10 years, and the bond referendum will be the only outstanding debt. Alderman Gist said her problem is that money is borrowed to pay the bond, and then when the bond is paid off residents keep paying. She said 4.5 cents on the tax rate is real money for some people. She wonders if there is some way to cut some of this. Clarence Grier said this rate is at current economic conditions. He said this can go up or down. Alderman Gist said this depends on how you define current economic conditions. She said sometimes the economy may only be getting better for a small group of people, but the middle class is not getting better. Chair Jacobs said one of the key components of a proposed bond package would be parks and open space. He said the Commission for the Environment has proposed that 12 percent of the County's land be preserved, and currently this number is about 10 percent. Chair Jacobs said the main drivers of this bond are the schools. He said the two school systems have identified a combined total of$300 million in needed safety improvements, repairs and upgrades to improve capacity. He said there may need to be more than one bond issue in order to swallow this amount of school needs. Chair Jacobs said the County has been borrowing at low interest rates. He said it is important to educate voters upfront when asking them to agree to these bonds. He said these bonds will be a burden to the community, not a bad burden, but an expensive burden. Chair Jacobs noted that there is a March presidential primary in 2016. He questioned whether that is a date that qualifies for a bond under N.C. law. Bob Jessup says if this stays in March then the bond can be on that date, but the presidential primaries are subject to change on short notice. Alderman Chaney said many areas got hammered by the legislature this year. She questioned where else they might get squeezed. She asked if there would be an opportunity cost for not doing a bond in 2016 due to the political environment. She wonders about the appetite for affordable housing, especially for seniors. She is very interested in housing, and she said there are no other resources available to subsidize seniors' housing except at the local level. Clarence Grier said the biggest concern would be additional costs being passed on from the state or any restrictions on revenue or debt. He said this is going to be hard to predict. He said the state has been limiting the County's ability to generate or raise certain revenues. He said there has been an appetite to pass on state funded expenses to local governments and counties. He said there were funds expended for senior housing on the last bond. He said this would depend on the components of this next bond. Alderman Haven O'Donnell asked if anyone in Orange County has looked at the projected number of fixed income people that are going to be retiring in the next few years. She feels there is going to be an unprecedented baby boom bump. She would love to see any projections that staff have on this, as this will drive demand for services. Chair Jacobs said three reiterations of the master aging plan have just been completed. He said the Department on Aging is on top of these trends, and seniors would be one of the groups that would be a big part of the bond committee. He said the bulk of the bond money will go to schools, but he does not know what else will come out of that process. He said all four governments will be represented in that discussion, as well as a lot of different interest groups. Commissioner Price said affordable can mean many different things. She said she is concerned about younger families that are living on the edge. She said there is a need for housing for the lower wealth population. Commissioner Pelissier said she agrees with Chair Jacobs that the senior community is really on top of these issues. She said the most participation she has seen in County public input sessions has been with the master aging plan. She said she also wants to mention those who are at risk for homelessness. She noted that the County had rapid re-housing money available, but there was no housing to be had. She said this homeless population is coming in and out of the jails, and that is not going to solve any problems. She said the provision of housing is key, and something needs to be done at a local level. Commissioner Rich said this is a cause and effect process. She said if the bond is not placed, and the community is not involved in the decision, the County will still wind up building the schools and spending the money. She said residents will then be taxed and not have a choice. She said you have to build schools. She said the discussion of bonds allows the community to be involved in the process. Alderman Gist said it is the middle class that keeps getting squeezed, and that is very real. She said the part she has trouble with is that the bond referendum is never really paid off, because you never stop charging the tax, even after it is over. She questioned whether there is a way to cut down on how much is being spent on the schools. Chair Jacobs said these are good points. He gave some history of the past school building process. He said the school systems are a huge part of the community's value. He said the schools are trying to promote the fact that they can add capacity and age in place. He said all of the past bonds have been approved by the voters. Commissioner Gordon said the County has an obligation to build schools. She said there are a few new schools and then some much older schools, and this difference is what is being addressed. She said one proposal for this bond is to renovate the older schools to make them equivalent to the new schools, and this will also allow for the addition of capacity in several schools. Commissioner McKee said there is a normal escalation in cost for household expenses and County expenses, and this helps somewhat offset the tax increases that are not discontinued. Commissioner porosin said if you get to the end of the bond, you still have continuing costs associated with what was purchased. Clarence Grier said when staff has done any debt issuance in the past, they have worked hard to prevent a tax increase. He said staff has done financial models going forward if there is a bond, and they would work hard to do what is prudent for the residents of Orange County. 5. Update on Oranqe County Bus and Rail Investment Plan (OCBRIP) Status Chair Jacobs said he talked to the County manager about this, and the Board stands ready to work with Carrboro to better coordinate transit planning with them. Craig Benedict said this project was passed by referendum in 2012, and the monies for this are from the half cent sales tax, as well as increases in registration fees. He said these monies came in 2013. He reviewed the following summary of projects: Summary of Orange County Bus and Rail Investment Plan (OCBRIP) Status Liqht Rail Transit (LRT) -Accepted by FTA into the `project development stage' to be complete by Feb 2016. Triangle Transit will be holding workshops in November to provide information and collect comments on the environmental work that's underway. The November 1 gtn workshop will be held from 4:00-7:OOpm at the UNC Friday Center, Chapel Hill. North-South Corridor Study—A transit service planning initiative being completed by Chapel Hill and its consultant for the corridor linking Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, South Columbia Street and US Highway 15-501 South. The study will identify and evaluate improved accessibility, capacity, convenience and travel-time for riders. Amtrak Train Station in Hillsborouqh —A capacity study on the rail corridor to help determine future needs, which could impact the station or its location, is underway and anticipated to be complete by the end of this year. Following the capacity study, the Town and Triangle Transit will pursue environmental documentation. Bus Services: Triangle Transit— • On August 18, 2014, Triangle Transit initiated Phase I (Hillsborough to Durham) of the Orange-Durham Express (ODX) service and Phase II (extension to Mebane) is expected to commence in early 2015. • Introduce Saturday night and Sunday service for first time on routes serving and connecting Chapel Hill to other Triangle Area destinations - Starting August 2014 - 1,442 FY 2015 service hours in Orange County • Additional frequency between Southpoint Mall and UNC - Continuation of August 2013 implementation - 1,228 annual service hours in Orange County Chapel Hill Transit - • Additional peak trips on busiest routes • Later service on two Saturday routes • Continuation of evening service during former "reduced service periods - Introduced 2013 - 1,690 annual service hours • Offsetting increased cost of existing service • Financing new buses Orange Public Transit - Increasing its service incrementally over the next 5-years. Approximately 2,600 additional bus hours will be provided by OPT during year one and increasing to a total of 7,500 additional bus hours thereafter. The BOCC will consider program specifics at its October 21 meeting, which to date include: • Expanded dial-a-ride, rural general public demand response service • Expanded senior center transportation • Initiation of a midday (10am-3pm) local fixed-route service connecting Mebane, Efland, Hillsborough and Durham • Extension of the existing Route 420 midday service (currently connecting Hillsborough and Chapel Hill) to Cedar Grove with more frequent service; and • Continuation of the existing Hillsborough Circulator service and expansion to an additional hour of service. Carrboro —The Bus and Rail Investment Plan (BRIP) includes a new regional bus service from White Cross to Carrboro to Chapel Hill Express as an "Unfunded Future Priority After Year 2020". This service is divided into the following two phases: Phase I —A new express route serving Alamance County/Carrboro/Chapel Hill (via NC-54) at an hourly frequency; and Phase II -A new express route serving Alamance County/Carrboro/Chapel Hill (via NC-54) at a 30- minute frequency. A site for a park and ride lot would need to be identified and developed in the White Cross area before this new service could be implemented. The Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART) presently provides weekday service from Alamance County to UNC Hospital via NC-54, which may present an opportunity to coordinate on a park and ride lot as well as the services it provides with those of the other transit providers, Orange Public Transit and Chapel Hill Transit. Although presently an unfunded priority, in the event that sales tax revenues exceed estimates, additional funds could be made available to increase bus service and meet unfunded priorities. Craig Benedict said the light rail project is a 17 mile segment from south of UNC Hospital, through Durham and downtown. He said information can be found online at www.ourtransitfuture.com He said the North South corridor project has received $100,000 in grant monies outside of the bus and rail investment plan to study how to better move traffic and buses up and down Martin Luther King Boulevard. Craig Benedict said 40,000 people per day commute into Orange County, 30,000 travel out, and 20,000 stay and work here. He said there is a large amount of traffic that goes down Highway 54, and Piedmont Area Regional Transit (PART) presently has a route that brings people from Burlington and Graham down 54, through Carrboro and Chapel Hill, into Durham. He said with the new east, west routes, PART may be able to modify their service to have more service to Carrboro and Chapel Hill, while handing off Durham bound passengers to the new Orange Durham Express Route. Mayor Lavelle said right now Triangle Transit does not travel anywhere in Carrboro. She has brought up many times that the 405 route would be a great route to go through Carrboro, and this would increase ridership. She said Triangle Transit has heard this suggestion, and it is listed as the number one project on the priority plan. She wants to make sure the Commissioners understand how important this is for Carrboro. Mayor Lavelle said the Carrboro route identified in the packet is under "un-funded" priorities, and it is more of a pass through route to bring in employees. Commissioner Pelissier said for future reference when memos are written up about implementation, there should be reference to the original plan and a list of the priority and the unfunded projects, as well as the status of each one. She said part of this plan is implemented by Orange County, part of it by Triangle Transit, and part of it by Chapel Hill Transit. She said it would be good to get input from Triangle Transit on the status of the proposed routes to include in future agenda packets. Commissioner Pelissier said the categorization of the unfunded White Cross route came from Carrboro's former mayor. She said she agrees that it is really not a Carrboro route. She said it is good to continually look at the routes and re-prioritize as needed. Alderman Haven O'Donnell said two things concern her. She said Carrboro's population does not put the Town in any major transit plans. She said Carrboro would like a light rail spur at some point in the planning. She said ending at UNC does not quite cut it. She asked the Board to keep this in mind. She asked that Carrboro also be considered when Hillsborough gets their Amtrak station. She said the 405 route would be wonderful, but she also thinks people need to remember to include Carrboro in other plans. She finds it offensive that before Carrboro is considered, routes are being added to Southpoint that help leak more dollars to Durham. Mayor Lavelle said Triangle Transit has done a white paper on Carrboro. Alderman Chaney said she is a member of the Chapel Hill Transit Partners committee, and she knows that the team has been working hard with a consultant to analyze all of the capital needs of the system. She said this report is not going to be pretty, and there will be Chapel Hill Transit members looking to the County to help fill holes. She asked Craig Benedict if there have been any conversations about this. Craig Benedict said monies that came through legislation were primarily for new service, and only a small amount is for support of existing service. He said the issue that has been discussed for the past four years is why new service is being expanded when it is difficult to sustain existing service. He said everyone is analyzing their systems to find out how to sustain them with the variables that occur within bus services. He said from an efficiency standpoint, all of the entities are trying to find out who can do service in the best and most efficient way in order to save money with the service that is out there. Alderman Slade arrived at 9:01 p.m. Chair Jacobs noted that most of the money for existing service goes to Chapel Hill transit. He said Orange County Public Transit (OPT) started as mostly a human services transit system, funded almost entirely by the state. He said the County is relatively new to the public transportation business. Craig Benedict said the funding landscape is changing to for both federal and state. He said Orange County is also part of the Burlington MPO, which is different that when the Bus and Rail Investment Plan started. Alderman Gist left at 9:03 p.m. Alderman Johnson left at 9:03 p.m. Commissioner Gordon said the assumptions of the Bus and Rail Investment Plan are that 50 percent will be federal, 25 percent will be state, and 25 percent will be local. She said one of the big changes in the landscape is whether we get the 25 percent state funding. She said the light rail is going through the federal process now, and we cannot expect the state to commit at this point. She said this funding split is an important thing to remember. Commissioner Gordon agrees that Carrboro should be connected to the 405 route. Commissioner Pelissier said knowing that the state funding is uncertain the federal landscape is also continuing to change. She said Triangle Transit is proactively looking at other ways to fund and finance that 25 percent state money. She said there are a lot of places across the country that is using other sources, and there are other alternatives to make this happen. Chair Jacobs said he assumes the Board can count on staff getting updates from all three transit entities on the status of the priority projects. He said this can be distributed to everyone here. Commissioner Rich said it would be good to put information on the website listing how the transit tax is being spent. 6. Aqricultural Support Enterprises in the Rural Buffer Mayor Lavelle said Perdita Holtz has provided them with a summary of the text amendments to the Joint Planning Use Plan and Agreement. She said there have been several meetings to discuss this, and there is one item that is the sticking point. She said Carrboro is recommending that once these amendments are adopted, after five years all jurisdictions have to sign off and state that they like the way this is working out. She said the Alderman wanted to have a few years to see how this process is working out and have a chance to evaluate it. Mayor Lavelle said the Alderman had asked the attorney to look into a sunset clause that requires all jurisdictions to act after five years. She said the Chapel Hill has not looked at this yet, and it is a work in progress. Chair Jacobs said there are three governments involved in this, and it would be good to get all three staffs and attorneys to review and hash out the concerns and sticking points before continuing to go down the road separately. He said maybe this could be done before the Assembly of Governments meeting. He said the Joint Planning Agreement (JPA) is a significant agreement, and he thinks that it is important to first make sure that everyone is in agreement about the issues. He said the Board of County Commissioners has not had any discussions on changes to the JPA, and they are not in any position to discuss what Carrboro has adopted. He would like to have a meeting of the minds to find out where the common ground is and to help make some intelligent joint decisions. Commissioner porosin asked if the concern from the Carrboro Aldermen is about making changes to the JPA, or if there are specific concerns about the Agricultural Support Enterprise amendments. He wants to know if this is a discussion of procedure or substance. Mayor Lavelle said this is more about assessing the impact on the rural buffer. She said the five year point was a place in time to stop and see what is happening. Alderman Slade said the rural buffer has been a feature of the joint governments protecting what a lot of people in the towns' value. He is surprised at how little public input has been given. He said this would be a measure that would guarantee that people get a sense of what this means, while allowing time to come back and reconsider. He said this is not a question of procedure, but it is specific to this one issue. Alderman Slade said he would hope the effect of the sunset clause is that it could revert the rural buffer back to what it currently is. He said this is just a measure to safeguard the future of the community. Alderman Slade said there is a question of whether opening up more uses will only result in more competition with farms. He said this is part of the equation that Carrboro wants to address. He said there is also concern about urban sprawl. Alderman Haven O'Donnell said it felt like the table of permitted uses was far more intense and commercially based than the aldermen had originally anticipated. She said the sunset clause is a way to allow for time to reflect and sensibly address a serious change in land use. She said once you change the landscape it would be hard to change it back. Commissioner Pelissier said it would be good to have a discussion at the AOG meeting. She said she is struggling with people's definition of commercial, and she thinks there needs to be a discussion of this. She questioned the public perception of a sunset clause that allows a usage and then disallows it. She questioned how you would evaluate if it is working or not and how this could be quantified. Alderman Chaney said the aldermen were not in complete agreement about all points of their adopted resolution. She said the first issue was concern that they are setting themselves up for disaster with the sunset clause if one jurisdiction doesn't participate. She said there were general concerns about the rural buffer, and the goal was to have a way to evaluate this, but there is not yet a plan for how to do that evaluation. She said this conversation still needs to be had. Chair Jacobs said you could argue that the current land use pattern in the rural buffer is sprawl; it is suburban sprawl, but it is still sprawl. He said Maple View Farms was initially opposed for many of the same concerns when it was being developed. He said before definitive statements are made, the terms of the discussion need to be decided. He said staff has tried to come up with reasonable gradations for the usages, and it might be best to begin by looking at the most intense uses. He said some people are never going to want any changes in the Rural Buffer. He said if you start opening up the rural buffer to governments reviews of different pieces of it, there are plenty of people in the community who see it as a place to develop more intensely. He questioned whether we want to open the door to this type of cherry picking. He cautioned the boards to get together as a group to lay groundwork instead of working unilaterally when making group decisions. Chair Jacobs said the least objectionable uses can be phased in first and then others added over time. He said the Joint Planning Agreement almost broke down in the past when any development had to be approved by all three governments. He does not want to re-live those types of discussions. Commissioner Gordon said she was interested to hear that Carrboro said the concern is specific to this one issue, and this is not opening up a need to figure out how to change the rural buffer. She said the foundational principle is that they have a JPA that works very well. She said the concern about this one issue, as stated by Carrboro, is that it is a serious change in land use. She said it is important that if you change things, you do not undermine the original principle. She said it is important that development here cannot be reliant on public water and sewer. Commissioner Gordon said this area is different from other rural areas, and this is specified in the way it has been taken forward. She said that in the proposed changes to the UDO, there are four specific uses that are already prohibited in the rural buffer for being too intense. She said proximity to the town is important, because if you are far from the town and its services, and you overtax the capacity of septic and water, there are major concerns. She said if you are in the rural buffer and this happens, and if you have a public health emergency, then you might be allowed to extend water and sewer to the area. She said if this cannot be prohibited, it could completely undo the rural buffer. Commissioner Gordon said the goal is to figure out a way to keep farmers farming, bona-fide farms viable, and the important support enterprises allowed without undermining the general purpose of the rural buffer. She would argue that Carrboro has made a proposal that deserves serious consideration. She would hope to get the three staffs and the attorneys to make recommendations to resolve this, and she hopes that Chapel Hill will consider it in November. Commissioner McKee said there are four interest groups in this, and the fourth group is the landowners. He said their views have not been consulted yet. He said the views and values of one group are being imposed onto another group. He said he understands the rational basis of the sunset proposal, but he could not support it. He said if any of these enterprises are going to be viable, they require a substantial amount of financial investment, and they require an expectation to be able to grow. He reviewed the example of Maple View, and questioned whether the same investments would have been made there without any guarantee of the ability to operate or expand past a five year period. Commissioner McKee said there was mention of concentrating in dense areas, but this does not acknowledge the reality that these farms are not located around nodes. He said this would be choosing winners and losers, and he cannot do that. He would like for someone to explain to him in a clear and concise manner what they are afraid of. Alderman Slade said the aldermen did grapple with how a sunset clause would affect businesses, and this is reflected in the proposal. He said if a business is implemented in the five year time frame, you would not be affected by the sunset clause. Commissioner McKee said it would limit the opportunity for the businesses to grow. Alderman Slade said the town did not propose this in a spirit of being unilateral, but this was proposed in response to the County's initiative of updating their land use ordinance. He said this is seen as part of the process of coming to an understanding of how to best do this in a sensitive way. Alderman Slade said he likes Chair Jacobs idea of doing this as a more slow process, and this may diminish some concerns. He said this is a big proposal and it is up to them to set the policies now and do it in the best manner possible. He looks forward to this being a process and not just a moment of decision. He asked the Board to consider Carrboro's proposal as an offer that is part of that process. Alderman Slade said it is important to assess definitions, and one clear measure of success will be to see how agricultural efforts are supported in the five years. The meeting was adjourned at 9:40 p.m. Barry Jacobs, Chair Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board