HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 03-17-2015 - 6a
1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date:March 17, 2015
Action Agenda
Item No.6-a
SUBJECT:
MINUTES
DEPARTMENT:PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N)No
ATTACHMENT(S):INFORMATION CONTACT:
Donna Baker, 245-2130
Draft Minutes
PURPOSE:
To correct and/or approve the minutes as submitted by the Clerk to the Board as
listed below:
February 3, 2015BOCC Regular Meeting
February 10, 2015BOCC Work Session
March 6, 2015BOCC Special Meeting (Rural Internet)
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.
1
1
Attachment 1
2
3
DRAFTMINUTES
4
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
5
REGULAR MEETING
6
February 3, 2015
7
7:00 p.m.
8
9
The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday,
10
February 3, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Building in Hillsborough, N.C.
11
12
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT
: Chair McKee and Commissioners Mia Burroughs,
13
Mark Dorosin, Barry Jacobs, Bernadette Pelissier, Renee Price and Penny Rich
14
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT
:
15
COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT
: John Roberts
16
COUNTY STAFF PRESENT
: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Assistant County Manager
17
Cheryl Young and Deputy Clerk to the Board David Hunt(All other staff members will be
18
identified appropriately below)
19
20
Chair McKee called the meeting to order at 7:00p.m.
21
1.Additions or Changes to the Agenda
22
Chair McKee noted thefollowing items at the Commissioners’ places:
23
Blue sheet –Strategic Communications information for the Work session following the
24
regular meeting
25
White Sheet –Petition from the Orange Partnership for Alcohol and Drug Free Youth
26
27
PUBLICCHARGE
28
Chair McKee dispensed with the reading of the public charge.
29
30
2.Public Comments
31
a.Matters not on the Printed Agenda
32
Marianne Hark with Orange Partnership for Alcohol and Drug Free Youthread from the
33
petition included in the abstract, which outlines the need for regulation of Alcopops in North
34
Carolina.
35
36
b. Matters on the Printed Agenda
37
(These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda below.)
38
39
3.Petitions by Board Members
40
Commissioner Rich said she has had a number of questions about Google Fiber coming
41
to the areaand what can be done for people who do not have internet. She said there needs to
42
be a statement issued regarding the Board’s efforts to help those without access. She noted
43
the divide between internet accessavailability in the two school systems.
44
Chair McKee said this is an informational item. He said he has spoken with Time
45
Warner Cable (TWC), and they have the same type of fiber system in place in some of the
46
Chapel Hill neighborhoods. He said he has spoken with them about trying to push some of that
47
out into the County.
48
Bonnie Hammersley said staff is strategizing about how to address this, and there have
49
been discussions with Time Warner Cable. She said there have been numerous inquiries from
2
1
residents without access, and she has been working with the information technology directorto
2
consider options for more Countywide accessibility.
3
Commissioner Rich said this should be viewedas a social justiceissue. She said it is a
4
shame to have the top public university in the country and not have internet service for
5
everyone.
6
Commissioner Jacobs recognized and welcomed former Orange County Commissioner
7
Moses Carey,who was in attendance.
8
9
4.Proclamations/ Resolutions/ Special Presentations
10
th
11
a.Orange County Arts Grant Recipients & 30Anniversary of Arts Commission
12
The Board presentedchecks to local artists and arts organizations receivingFall 2014
13
Orange County Arts Grants, and acknowledgedthe 30th Anniversary of the Orange County
14
ArtsCommission, established unanimously by Resolution of the Board of County
15
Commissioners on February 4, 1985.
16
Moses Carey said the purpose of tonight is to celebrate30 years of the Arts
17
Commission. He noted the tremendous economic impact the development of arts has provided
18
to the County. He thanked the Board for their support.
19
Arts Commissioner Director Martha Shannon reviewed the history of the creation of the
20
Arts Commission. She said the total state grassroots allocation from 1985 through the present
21
time is $695,048, and $78,394 in state funds was retained by the Arts Commission to fund the
22
arts programming. She said from 1987 to the present, the arts commission sub-granted
23
$565,452 in County funds to artists and non-profit arts organization.
24
Martha Shannon said this year the arts commission awarded $26,925 in County funds.
25
Commissioner Burroughs handed out the grants as Chair McKee read through the
26
following list of recipients:
27
28
Fall, 2014 Grant Recipients
29
Grantees:Attendees:
30
Ashley Clay
ArtsCenter -
31
Barbara Barnes
Barbara Barnes -
32
Ben Rodgers
Cedar Ridge High School -
33
John Konanc
Chapel Hill Philharmonia -
34
Sarah Cornette
35
Joy Javits
Door to Door of UNC Health Care -
36
Tammy & Brandon Finch
Expedition School -
37
Cyndi Whisnant & Holly
Extraordinary Ventures -
38
Johnson
39
Nerys Levy
Friends of the Carrboro Branch Library -
40
Philip Cooley
Hillsborough Arts Council -
41
Rachael Cruickshank
McDougle Elementary School PTA
42
Bethany Donnell
North Carolina Symphony Society, Inc. -
43
Marichi Gupta, Rosie
One Song Productions -
44
Kerwin & Julia Perkins
45
Beverly Tyndall & Cristina
Phillips Middle School PTSA -
46
Smith
47
Alicia & Miriam Altmueller
Seawell Elementary School PTA -
48
Lindsay Ann Leach Sparks
Lindsay Ann Leach Sparks -
49
Lauren Lorentz de Haas
Triangle Youth Ballet -
50
Barbara Tyroler
Barbara Tyroler -
3
1
2
b.OWASA Annual Update Presentation
3
The Board receiveda presentation and information from the Orange Water and Sewer
4
Authority (OWASA) on recent activities.
5
OWASA Board Chair John Young introduced Executive Director Ed Kerwinand several
6
other staff and board members. HesaidOWASA earned the Sustainable Water Utility
7
Management Award in the fall from the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies.
8
John Young discussed the preliminary engineering study for sewers in the Historic
9
Rogers Road, which is funded by the County and the townsat a cost of $130,000. He said this
10
study is scheduled for completion in late March. He said there have been no major surprises in
11
the study so far. He said the final cost of the project will not be known until the completion of
12
the construction design. He said anew inter-local agreement is being drafted to keep things
13
moving into the next phase of installation and construction, and once all of this is in place, it will
14
take about 2 years to complete this project.
15
John Young discussed bio-solids management, which is handledat the Mason Farm
16
wastewater treatment plant. He said evaluations are underway to optimize the sustainability of
17
those operations. He discussed the different methods of recycling this material. He discussed
18
the work and partnership with local farmers in this process.
19
John Young reviewed information on rates and affordability. He said the recent
20
refinancing of bonds will yield $2.5 million in savings for customers. He noted that there have
21
been no rate increases for service in the past 3years.
22
He discussed affordability outreach efforts, and he expressed thanks to Nancy Coston
23
at the Department of Social Services and James Davis at the Department of Housing and
24
Human Rights and Community Development for their contributions to this project. He said this
25
has resulted in a new process by which OWASA will not disconnect service to customers
26
actively seeking financial aid for their water bills. He said information is also being provided to
27
the public regardingwater conservation and how to reduce water bills.
28
Chair McKee expressed his appreciation for the sensitivity shown in handling the bio-
29
solids issue and in addressing the affordability concerns.
30
Commissioner Price asked what the aforementioned $2.5 million in savings will look like
31
in terms of its effect on an average customer on a monthly basis.
32
John Young said this will not go into the bills right away. He discussed overall numbers
33
andsaid this would equate to about a one percent savings over a ten year period. He said the
34
average homeowner will likely not notice a direct change to their bill. He said rate and budget
35
decisions will be made this spring.
36
Commissioner Rich asked if the Care toShare Program will replacethe Taste of Hope
37
program.
38
John Young said yes.
39
Commissioner Rich asked how this program is going.
40
Orange County appointee to the OWASA board TerriBuckner saidstaff is a little behind
41
in making the changes to the website, due to the associated costs. She said work is still being
42
done to make this operational, and there have been no changes yet.
43
Commissioner Rich said this program allows people to round theirbillpaymentup to the
44
nearest dollarto help people who cannot pay their water bills.
45
TerriBuckner said some of the wealthier residents in southern Orange County do not
46
get a water bill, so there needs to be some restructuring of the contributions to allow everyone
47
the opportunity to give.
48
Commissioner Pelissier asked about the mitigation tract for forestry management.
49
Ed Kerwinsaidhe believes this is around 100 feet, and he will email the manager with a
50
more specific answer.
4
1
Commissioner Pelissier asked for more information about the composting of bio-solids
2
John Young saidthe process introduces other biomaterials, along with the bio-solids, to
3
create compost for landscaping companies, golf courses, farmers and others. He said Orange
4
County’s waste is treated to the highest EPA standard. He said there have been concerns
5
expressed by citizens about pharmaceutical products that may enter the waste stream and be
6
in the compost. He said the farmers do not see any health or safety issues with the compost.
7
Commissioner Dorosin noted that the County has a living wage policy, and he asked if
8
OWASA has any employees that make less than the living wage.
9
Ed Kerwin saidhe assumes that everyone is above that, but OWASA is embarking on a
10
total compensation study this year that will look at this.
11
Commissioner Dorosinasked if the Care to Share program is completely funded by
12
private citizens.
13
John Young said OWASA is not authorized to support these programs. He said they
14
endeavor to support community giving to come to the aid of residents, but it is difficult to even
15
rationalize supporting the marketing of these programs.
16
Commissioner Dorosin asked about the possibility of requestingspecial legislationto
17
change these legal constraints.
18
John Young said OWASA seeks co-funding, and this is more consistent with the
19
mission of the County and other local partners.
20
Commissioner Dorosin saidhe would like to explore every path possible.
21
Commissioner Jacobs said one of the major constraints on theOWASA board members
22
is the limitation of the purchase and sale agreement. He wonders if OWASA should be
23
encouraged periodically to approach the University about renegotiating this purchase and sale
24
agreement,so that the cost of service can be discussed. He suggested reaching out to the
25
new leadership at the University.
26
Commissioner Jacobs commended OWASA on the energy savings and the wastewater
27
treatment plant.
28
He asked about the planned process for resolving the bio-solids management issues.
29
John Young said long term there is potential for collaboration with other water and
30
sewer utilities in the region. He said some solutions involve a larger scale than would be
31
inappropriate for OWASA’s operation. He said this would involve time to develop and work out
32
with other partners.
33
John Young said the short term decisions will be figuring out the balance between the
34
dewatered cakes, compost and liquid bio-solids application. He thinks that residents concerned
35
about risks do not seem to see a difference between these forms. He said these residents are
36
more concerned with the long term solutions.
37
He said there are meetings planned with local farmers and all concerned parties.
38
Commissioner Jacobs notedthe University seems intent on maintaining its own airport,
39
and the bio-solids land is a contiguous property. He hopes OWASA will continue to use this
40
land for some public purpose.
41
Commissioner Richasked if there are any plans to place solar panels on either plant to
42
help with electrical cost.
43
John Young said this has been evaluated, and it would only be cost effective if there
44
was a private partner to provide cost investment.
45
Commissioner Rich saidshe has seen this work at a plant outside of Phoenix.
46
John Young said OWASA will be looking seriously at energy management.
47
48
5.Public Hearings
–NONE
49
50
5
1
6.Consent Agenda
2
3
4
Approval ofConsent Agenda
5
A motion was made by Commissioner Pelissier,seconded by Commissioner Rich to
6
approve all theitems on the Consent Agenda.
7
8
VOTE:UNANIMOUS
9
10
a. Minutes
–None
11
b. Motor Vehicle Property Tax Releases/Refunds
12
The Board adopteda resolution, which is incorporated by reference,to release motor vehicle
13
property tax values for fourteen (14)taxpayers with a total of seventeen (17) bills that will result
14
in a reduction of revenue.Approval of theserelease/refund requests will result in a net
15
reduction of $4,282.94 to Orange County, the towns,and schooland fire districts. Financial
16
impact year to date for FY 2014-2015 is $29,708.80.
17
c. Property Tax Releases/Refunds
18
The Board adopteda resolution, which is incorporated by reference,to release property tax
19
values in accordance with NorthCarolina General Statute 105-381 for four (4) taxpayers with a
20
total of four (4) bills that will result in areduction of revenueof $3,259.68 to the County,
21
municipalities, and special districts.
22
d. Applications for Property Tax Exemption/Exclusion
23
The Board approvedfive (5) untimely applications for exemption/exclusion from ad valorem
24
taxation forfive (5) bills for the 2014 tax year andapprovedaresolutionfor the above-listed
25
applications forFY 2014/2015 exemption.
26
e. Advertisement of Tax Liens on Real Property
27
The Board accepteda report on the amount of unpaid taxes for the current year that are liens
28
on real property as required by North Carolina General Statute (NCGS) 105-369 andapproved
29
a request thatMarch 25, 2015 be set by the Board as the date for the tax lien advertisement.
30
f. Orange County Arts Commission Annual DCP Renewal with NC Arts Council
31
The Board authorizedthe Orange County Arts Commission and staff to apply by the March 2,
32
2015 deadline for Designated County Partner (DCP) renewal from the NC Arts Council in order
33
to receivestate Grassroots Arts Program funds for Orange County.
34
g. Request for Road Addition to the State Maintained Secondary Road System
35
The Board approved:1) Making an affirmative finding that the re-development of Whirlaway
36
Lane into apublic road is consistent with the provisions of Section 7.8.1 and 7.8.2 of the UDO
37
as recommended by staff;and 2) Recommending sending the application to NCDOT for
38
addition to the State Maintained Secondary Road System.
39
h. Boardsand Commissions –Commissioner Assignments
40
The Board approvedthe list of boards and commissions on which members ofthe Board of
41
County Commissioners have chosen to serve as agreed upon at the January 27, 2015 BOCC
42
Work Session.
43
44
7.Regular Agenda
-NONE
45
46
8.Reports
47
48
a.Report of the Orange County Housing Authority
49
The Board consideredaccepting the report of the Housing Authority for 2014 and
50
providing feedback.
6
1
Jean Bolducthanked the Commissioners for their funding of this department even
2
during the difficulty of the sequester. Shereviewedsome highlights from the following report, as
3
included in the abstract:
4
5
Though the following is not an exhaustive list, it does represent the Board’s primary
6
activities and accomplishments.
7
• During the late Spring and through the Summer, there was a growingcontroversy surrounding
8
the decision of one property management company(GSC) to discontinue its acceptance of
9
Housing Choice Vouchers. This was acorporate level decision based on many factors, having
10
nothing to do withOrange County’s voucher holders or the management of its program.
11
Nevertheless, activists and housing advocates took up the issue and beganmeeting regularly in
12
an effort to force GSC to reverse its decision.
13
Although we are always concerned about the pressure on our housing market, theVoucher
14
program itself was managing this within its normal course of activity. Wewere left, then, with a
15
disconnect between the actual problem and the perception ofthe problem.
16
Through the summer, Mr. Davis and I spend many Wednesday afternoons atEmpowerment,
17
Inc. meeting with the ad hoc group of advocates who were seeking toassist the affected
18
families. We spent a significant amount of time correctingmisinformation on many points, the
19
leading one being thatthese families were“losing their vouchers.”
20
This activity culminated in a press conference given by the mayors of Chapel Hilland Carrboro
21
to bring attention to the issue and to assistance funds they hadavailable to help families that
22
needed emergency funds for security deposits. Mr.Davis spoke at the August press
23
conference, which was well covered by local media,and we both took questions from reporters
24
during and following the pressconference.
25
26
Takeaway:
The Orange County Community, including several segments of housingproviders,
27
advocates, political leadership and the general public would benefit fromlearning much more
28
about the HCV program and how it works in Orange County.
29
Following the mayors’ press conference in August, the Housing Authority, aspromised, hosted
30
an information session for landlords and the public about theprogram and how to participate as
31
a housing provider. It was held at the OrangeCounty Library in Hillsborough and had modest
32
attendance. We were disappointedthat none of the housing advocates were able to attend,
33
after repeatedly requestingsuch a meeting.
34
• As a beginning to our educational efforts, we have (in addition to the PowerPointcreated for
35
the Landlords meeting) created a brochure that was printed in January2015after review with
36
the County’s Public Information Officer. We are also lookingforward to taking advantage of new
37
information infrastructure soon to be availablewhen the County launches its new website. It’s
38
critically important that OrangeCounty’s Voucher program not “rest on its laurels” after many,
39
many years of beinga quietly well-run, effective program.
40
41
Takeaway:
The Orange County Government has long supported the HCV programand now
42
does so at an even greater funding level following Federal Sequester. During2015, we would
43
like to raise the profile of the HCV program and its benefits totaxpayers to highlight the value of
44
that investment.
45
• In response to the increased pressures on the Orange County housing market, ourboard
46
voted at year-end to exercise its authority to increase the program’s paymentstandard to 110%
47
of the HUD Fair Market Rent (FMR) rate. We are able to makethis change without
48
authorization from HUD, but to extend further (up to 120%) wewould need written consent from
49
HUD’s Greensboro office. This will allow manyfamilies to stay where they are, despite rental
7
1
increases due to renovations. Itexpands the affordable options for those assisted by the HCV
2
program but will tendto reduce the total number of families overall that we can help.
3
• We have also taken administrative steps to bring onto our books some of the voucherholders
4
who have moved to Orange County with the permission of their authorities.Most of these are
5
families with vouchers issued from the Durham HousingAuthority. This process is called
6
“absorption” and means that instead of simplyaccepting a “pass-thru” payment from Durham
7
with those vouchers being counted byHUD as Durham vouchers, they become Orange County
8
vouchers and areadministered in the future just as any other we issued. This is important for us
9
to dobecause it helps to more accurately reflect the number of families who are here and
10
receiving assistance from our program. It also reduces the administrative burdenthat is created
11
for the two agencies who are cooperatively managing one voucher intwo jurisdictions.
12
• Our struggle to operate as a board cannot be overstated. Following the retirement of one
13
board member and the loss of two others due to lack of attendance (one new board member
14
never appearedat all), we were forced to cancel several monthly board meetings for lack of
15
quorum. How to confront this problem and our attemptsto mitigate its consequences took an
16
unfortunately significant amount of time for Mr. Davis and me.
17
18
Takeaway:
In the future, if faced with this type of issue, we will reach out to theChair of the
19
County Commissioners (and staff) for assistance much sooner.
20
• We have begun efforts to secure an HCV participant as a board member (as requiredby
21
HUD) and hope to have a recommendation for the Board of Commissioners’review and
22
approval in the first quarter of 2015. With a more complete complementof board members in
23
2015, we hope to do more.
24
We welcome your feedback and guidance as to how we can better serve Orange County inthis
25
important capacity of providing citizen oversight for the Housing Choice Voucherprogram. We
26
look forward to a productive and progressive year ahead.
27
28
Jean Bolduc said families affected by the changes to section 8 housing were all
29
successfully relocated,and no one was abruptly displaced. She said it was still difficult, but it
30
was not as bad as the publicity made it seem. She said it has been made clear that there is
31
work to be done in educating the public and the landlords about the pros and cons of the
32
program, and there is a need to get more landlords involved. She said Orange County is lucky
33
to have a very well-run section 8 program, and she expects this to continue.
34
Chair McKee thanked her for the report.
35
Commissioner Rich asked about the struggles to get a quorum on this board. She said
36
there might need to be discussion about solutions to this issue. She suggested that perhaps
37
there need to be other people appointed to the board.
38
Chair McKee said this has been a sporadic problem forall boards, and there have been
39
letters issued to remove people for non-attendance in the past.
40
Commissioner Jacobs said staff keeps attendance and provides a periodic report.
41
Jean Bolduc said this attendance can be reported to the clerk on a quarterly basis.
42
Commissioner Rich said she would like to get this for all of the boards.
43
Commissioner Dorosin said he has real concerns about thesection 8 program’s
44
continuing viability in a high wealth community. He asked if the landlords are not taking
45
vouchersdue to perceived stereotypes about the people who use them, or if it seems to be a
46
problem of cost now that the economy is back up. He said he is concerned that this is an issue
47
of money.
48
Jean Bolduc said the money is a difficult challenge, but both of these issues are factors.
49
She said the board has increased the payment standard from 100 percent to 110 percent of fair
50
market rent. This means the value of all of the vouchers goes up, but the number of families
8
1
served will decrease. She said there will be a greater pool of available housing. She said the
2
larger view is that section 8 is only one program, and it is not the silver bullet to make housing
3
affordablein this community. She said there is a whole menu of options to address the
4
problem that exists.
5
Commissioner Dorosin agreed, and he said that is an excellent point. He wonders if
6
section 8 is not as useful in this community, given the economic realities, as other menu
7
options. He clarified that the overall pool of money has not changed, so this is why the increase
8
in the value of each voucher means that the number served will decrease.
9
Jean Bolduc said that is correct.
10
Commissioner Dorosin asked about the situation with the Gateway Apartments in
11
Hillsborough.
12
Jean Bolduc said thatapartment complex is a project base section 8, versus a tenant
13
based section 8. She said these project base section 8 programs are run directly from HUD,
14
and her staff has no management in those vouchers.
15
James Davis saidone of the issues landlords mayin not accepting vouchers is that the
16
department does have a high standard from the inspection process. He said landlords know
17
that they can rent apartments to low income residents without vouchersand not have to meet
18
the quality standards that have to be met with a voucher.
19
Commissioner Dorosin said the County ought to be a resourcefor working closely with
20
other groups. He said there needs to be synergy in these efforts.
21
Commissioner Burroughs asked about the status of thewaiting list.
22
James Davis said there are about1300residents on the waiting list. He said there is an
23
average wait time of 5 to 8 years.
24
Commissioner Jacobs referred to his previous discussion of section 8 childcare
25
subsidies from the County. He asked if more affordable housing opportunities could be offered
26
to more people if there was enough money to bump the 110 percent up to 120 percent.
27
Jean Bolduc said HUD would probably not allow that additional subsidy, as it would be
28
counted as income to those individuals. She said of the housing department’s ideas is to take
29
some of the unrestricted funds from the sale of land to use for an incentive program for
30
landlords. This would provide a sign on bonus, and would pay for publicity to up the profile of
31
the program.
32
She said the County could also fund security deposits for residents coming into the
33
program.
34
James Davissaid this is permitted, and the Department of Social Services has been
35
doing this for people not already receiving subsidies from the towns.
36
Commissioner Jacobs said he hopesthere can be some strategizingabout how to
37
reduce the waiting list through judicious application of County funds, if the Board of
38
Commissioners can make them available.
39
He noted that the reduction of section 8 has been a concern of Congressman Pricefor
40
awhile, and he offered to have the Board communicate department information to the
41
Congressman.
42
43
b.Report of the Human Relations Commission
44
The Board consideredacceptingthe reporton the activities of the Human Relations
45
Commission (HRC) in response to the Commission’s request to address the issue of the
46
equitable treatment of womenand providing feedback to staff regarding any next steps.
47
Matt Hughesnoted that a report and plan have been submitted to the Board regarding
48
progress on addressing the topic of equitable treatment of women. He said there were 4 goals
49
in the report, as outlined below:
9
1
1) A proclamation to establish of August 26 as Women’s Equality Day in Orange County, which
2
was passed by the Board.
th
3
2) AHuman Relations Month Forum, with a focus on the 19amendment, which was held this
4
past weekend.
5
3) A community read at the Orange County Library, which is scheduled for Monday, March 23,
6
with a book selection and topic focused on the equitable treatment of women.
7
4) A long term goal of forging relationships with organizationsthat promote women’s rights,
8
including the League of Women Voters, and the Compass Center.
9
10
Matt Hughes said, moving forward, the department will continue to work to address
11
concerns regarding discrimination and equal access,especially with regard to gender equity.
12
He said there will bea poster contestandan essay contest for the schools, as part of
13
the Pauli Murray awards. He said the work to foster parity in the community is ongoing.
th
14
Commissioner Richsaid the 25anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
15
(ADA) is coming up, and the Visitors Bureau is working on putting out a brochure listing all ADA
16
facilities and hotels. She suggested that the Human Resources Committeecould coordinate
17
with them on these efforts.
18
Chair McKee noted that CommissionerRich and Commissioner Priceparticipatedin the
19
Human Relations Month Forum.
20
21
9.County Manager’s Report
th
22
Bonnie Hammersley noted that the work session on February 12will include discussion
23
regarding Potential Requirement that Contractors Doing Business with Orange County Pay
24
Employees a Living Wage. She said there will also be several carry-over items from the
25
January 30, 2015 Board Retreat, including the process forthe public to place items on a regular
26
meeting agenda, and a discussion on boards/commissions’processes.
27
28
10.County Attorney’s Report
29
NONE
30
31
11.Appointments-
NONE
32
Chair McKee noted that he will follow up with the Clerk and Manager tomorrow
33
regarding the status of the Orange County Housing Authorityboard appointments.
34
35
12.Board Comments
36
Commissioner Price said she would like to make sure applicationsfor board
37
appointments are current, to insure that appointees are still interested in serving. She also
38
suggested checking to be sure the advisory board polices regarding unexcused absences are
39
being followed.
40
Commissioner Price said theNational Association of Counties (NACo)newsmentioned
41
that counties were moving forward with raising the minimum wage, ahead of the passage of the
42
minimum wage act. She said Orange County was not mentioned, and it would help if NACo
43
knew what Orange County has done.
44
Commissioner Jacobs said this should be communicated through Public Affairs.
45
Commissioner Jacobs said this meeting room will be used for the Agricultural Summit
th
46
on February 16, and it will be free, with lunch provided.
47
Commissioner Jacobs commended Orange County Schools for paying all of its
48
employees a living wage, and Chapel Hill Carrboro Schools for being nominated to compete
49
nationally for their green practices.
10
1
Chair Jacobs said hemet with SteveBrantleyand others today to discuss how the
2
County might work to support the food council. He said these meetings are filled with energetic
3
young people who are excited to work on the local food economy. He said Steve Brantley will
4
be following up with the presentation of some new ideas.
5
Chair Jacobs expressedcondolences to the families of Charlene Pilkey and Don Shea.
6
Commissioner Dorosin said several weeks ago this Board passed a resolution regarding
7
equal access to education for immigrant children. He said other local boards were asked to
8
pass similar resolutions. He said the Chapel Hill Carrboro School Board has decided not to
9
pass a resolution, though they reiterated that they do not discriminate. He said the goal of
10
passing these resolutions is to add a progressive voice to a discussion that is often dominated
11
by anti-progressive advocates.
12
Commissioner Dorosin noted that the constitutionality of the private school vouchers will
th
13
be discussed in the state supreme court on February 16. He said this will ultimately have an
14
effect on public school funding across the state.
15
Commissioner Rich asked when there will be discussion regarding the request to move
16
board comments up to the beginning of regular meetings.
th
17
Chair McKee said this will be discussed at the February 10BOCC Work Session.
18
Commissioner Rich congratulated theChapel Hill High fencing team,who won their
19
division tournament and will be moving on to state competition. She recognized Bobby
20
Woodward, the electrician for the district, and LeonardSterns, the East Chapel Hill High
21
custodian, who stayed to watch the fencing tournament and helped clean up.
22
Chair McKeesaid he had the honor of speaking at an event put on by Free Spirit
23
Freedomto commemorate early Orange County schools for colored children. He said his
24
comments centered on not forgetting history, and he spoke on the desegregation of the school
25
system. He said this was a good event.
26
Commissioner Jacobs said there is an upcomingribbon cutting scheduled for the
th
27
Mebane Park and Ridelot at the Wal-Martexit on Wednesday, February 18, at 10:30 a.m.
28
Chair McKeenoted that there are several information items contained in the packet.
29
30
13.Information Items
31
January 22, 2015 BOCC Meeting Follow-up Actions List
32
Tax Collector’s Report –Numerical Analysis
33
Tax Assessor's Report –Releases/Refunds under $100
34
Memorandum Regarding Road and Rail Traffic Separation Study for the Town of
35
Hillsborough Report
36
Memorandum Regarding Update to BOCC on 2013-2016 Library Strategic Plan
37
Memorandum Concerning Board of County Commissioners Petition Regarding Orange
38
Unified Transportation Board (OUTBoard)/Bicycle Safety
39
BOCC Chair Letter Regarding Petitions from January 22, 2015 Regular Board Meeting
40
Major Fund Financial Statement for the Six Months Ended December 31, 2014
41
42
14.Closed Session
-NONE
43
44
15.Adjournment
45
46
A motion was made by Commissioner Burroughs,seconded by Commissioner Rich to adjourn
47
the meeting at 8:33 p.m.
48
49
VOTE: UNANIMOUS
50
11
1
Chair McKee announced a 5 minute break, after which the Board would reconvene for a work
2
session.
3
4
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
5
WORK SESSION
6
7
Chair McKee called the work session to order at 8:43 p.m.
8
9
1.Draft Strategic Communications Plan (SCP)
10
Assistant County Manager Cheryl Young saidthe draft strategic communications plan
11
came about as a result of the Board’s 2014 retreat. A three phase process was developed to
12
help move this forward.
13
She said the first phase included interviews with each of the Commissioners, and the
14
second phase was gathering of strategic communications plans being used by other
15
departments.
16
She said the final phase was the appointment of a communications workgroup facilitated
17
by Rod Visser. She said this group started meeting in July 2014, and a draft plan was put
18
together and circulated for peer review and comments from department directors.
19
Cheryl Young said comments that were in conflict with the group decisions are included
20
on the blue sheet. She asked for comment and direction from the Board on these four items.
21
Chair McKee said, although the Board typically does not vote in work sessions, direction
22
and consensus can be given.
23
Commissioner Jacobs asked how there could be dispute about the spokesperson for the
24
Commissioners.
25
Cheryl Young said there was not dispute about that, but this information was not
26
included in writing, and there was a question of whether to include it in this plan.
27
John Roberts said the Chair is the spokespersonfor the Board;however he also could
28
not find this in writing
29
Cheryl Young said there was an additional comment from John Roberts requesting that
30
the plan include notification that a declaration of a state of emergency is to be made by the
31
Chair of the Board of Commissioners.
32
Commissioner Rich asked the attorney if he thinks itis important to have a policynoting
33
that the Chair is the spokesman of the Board.
34
John Roberts said it might be helpful to add this to the procedure book.
35
Chair McKee said these things are unspoken policy, but it would be good to have it in
36
writing.
37
Commissioner Pelissier said this is discussedin new chair training.
38
Commissioner Price asked if it should be added that the Vice Chair takes over in the
39
absence of the Chair.
40
Chair McKee said this is a good suggestion, and staff can work on the wording and
41
bring it back to the Board for approval.
42
Cheryl Young saidthe second item is regarding the strengths, weaknesses,
43
opportunities, and threats (SWOT), which are set forth in the plan. She said there are differing
44
opinions on whether this should be included. She asked for Board comment.
45
Commissioner Jacobs said he agrees with the manager’srecommendationto include
46
this information.
47
Commissioner Dorosin asked if this is something that will be revised annually.
48
Cheryl Young said the plan states there will be a communications governance teamto
49
examine this and make recommendations for revision. She said it would be an easy snapshot
50
to look at the SWOT if it is left in there.
12
1
Bonnie Hammersley said she recommended that this stay in the plan, as it is an
2
attachment. She said this is a living document, and the SWOT analysis will be done on an
3
annual basis. Shesaid this can be used as a guide for measuring improvements, and she
4
thinks there is value in keeping it.
5
Commissioner Rich said it is important to understand that this is a living document. She
6
said communications are constantly changing, so there will be changes to this document. She
7
said the SWOT can be taken out later if it is not valuable.
8
Chair McKee said the Board consensus is to follow the manager’s recommendation to
9
include the SWOT.
10
Commissioner Pelissier said, on priority B, she would liketo specifically state that a
11
SWOT analysis should be done as part of the evaluation on an annual basis.
12
Chair McKee noted Board consensus on this proposal.
13
Cheryl Young referred to the third item, which is discussed the establishment ofa
14
protocol forCounty communicators to follow in determining what information warrants relay to
15
the Board of Commissioners.
16
She read the following peer review suggestion from the blue sheet:
17
(Any information that is shared with one Commissioner should be shared with all
18
Commissioners. You may want to reword this one to take the focus off of staff and put it on the
19
Commissioners; i.e. establish an appropriate method for Commissioners to use when
20
contacting individual staff members for information [such as all requestsgo through the County
21
manger, who then contacts the appropriate staff person to get the information and then
22
responds to ALL Commissioners.] You don’t want staff to get in the middle of a policy debate or
23
to be perceived as playing favorites.)
24
25
Chair McKee asked if this means that Commissioners would take it on themselves to
26
communicate with other Commissioners.
27
Bonnie Hammersley saidit is her recommendation not to take this peer review
28
suggestion. She said it is clear to her that the Board should have access to staff and should
29
communicate with staffas needed. She does not feel the Board needs to go through the
30
County manager to determine when to communicate with staff. She said there is a protocol in
31
place that when a Commissioner asks for information, a response is sent to all members of the
32
Board.
33
Commissioner Dorosin asked where this item is located in the actual plan.
34
Cheryl Young said this is shownonpage 34 in the second plan.
35
John Roberts said when hewas hiredhe was given instruction to communicate any
36
question from an individual Commissioner back to all of the Commissioners.
37
Chair McKee said the Board willfollow the manager’s recommendationon this item.
38
39
Cheryl Young said the final provision is regarding the protocol for communications that
40
representindividual Commissioner viewpointsversus those representing the Board as a whole.
41
She said the peer review stated that communications from the County should express the
42
official stance of the County, and any individual opinions should not be expressed using County
43
resources.
44
CherylYoung said the manager’s recommendation was to leave the provision in the
45
plan and allow an opportunity for protocol to be developed during implementation. She said the
46
manager did not want to limit Commissioners from sending a letter to someone because it had
47
not come before the entire Board. She said there are ways to identify communication as
48
coming from the entire Board by use of signatures and the County logo. She said this can be
49
clarified through the development of protocol.
13
1
Chair McKee asked the Manager address this. He feels that every Commissioner has a
2
right to state their position;however there is a fine line between County endorsement and
3
minority statements.
4
Bonnie Hammersley said this is a discussion for the Boardto have in order to address
5
this. She thinks that a media relations document, which has not been developed yet, will be a
6
good place to address this. She does not have a strong feeling on this, as she thinks it is a
7
Board issue.
8
Commissioner Rich said she hasnever written anything on letter head; instead she
9
replies to citizens by email, and she almost always starts by stating that she is representing her
10
own opinion.
11
Commissioner Jacobs saidthere was an issue related to this several years ago. He
12
said aCommissioner used County letter head,and someone took it as the view of the entire
13
Board.He said it is important to have an understanding that when letters are written, it is made
14
clear that the opinion isbeing expressed by an individual and is not an endorsement from the
15
entire Board.
16
Commissioner Price said she can go either way as long as a standard is set. She can
17
see an issue with using letterhead or email with a Board signature. She said people know each
18
of them are Commissioners, and if it just needs to be clear if their statements are personal.
19
Commissioner Dorosin said there was discussion earlier about formalizing a policy that
20
the Chair (or the Vice Chair) is the only formal spokespersonfor the Board, unless the Chair
21
designates someone else in his/her absence.
22
Commissioner Rich said it is important to make provision to designate another
23
spokesperson in the event that the Chair cannot make it to a meeting or event.
24
Chair McKee said he has been careful to make it clear when he is stating his opinion,
25
and he feels this is an obligation for the Commissioners.
26
Commissioner Price clarified that it is okay to use your title and to use County email.
27
Commissioner Richsaid she feels you should always use your County email when
28
responding to a citizen’s email.
29
Commissioner Price asked about the policy when responding to general events, or
30
letters to the editor.
31
Commissioner Rich said if you are not using your capacity as a County Commissioner,
32
then that is up for interpretation.
33
Chair McKeesaid it is important to look after what is best for the Board.
34
Commissioner Rich said this is more important in the Chair’s position, because you are
35
the voice of the Board, and it is more importantto clarify when a statement is your personal
36
opinion.
37
Chair McKeesaid he would likely not feel comfortable writing an opinion or argument
38
now that he is in the Chair position.
39
Commissioner Rich said she would recommend taking the manager’s recommendation
40
on this as well, and this can be developed as things move along.
41
Bonnie Hammersley said there may be an addition to clarify that the Board is the
42
spokesperson. She said the Commissioners have a right to speak as individual regarding
43
issues.
44
Chair McKee said he sees consensus to take the manager’s recommendation and
45
further fill this out.
46
Commissioner Jacobs asked about the next steps in this process.
47
Bonnie Hammersley said this has been reviewed, and an implementation team will be
48
put togetherto identify the low hanging fruit that can be addressed immediately. She said a
49
governance team will also be put together, and reports will come back to the Board on a
14
1
quarterly basis. She said this is a living document,and it will be used as a guide.
2
Commissioner Jacobsasked when the governance teamwill be appointed.
3
Bonnie Hammersleysaid this will be done as the document is revised and ready to go.
4
Commissioner Rich said thisplan is not intended to be too specific, but it is to be a
5
guidanceplan for the manager to implement. She said the implementation will then be worked
6
into the plan. She said some of the items are already being worked on, but some of the big
7
picture items are going to take a little more finesse. She said this will keepcoming to the
8
Board, and this will be an ongoing effort.
9
Chair McKee saidit is good to remember that this is a living document.
10
Cheryl Young thanked all of the committee members for their work.
11
12
A motion was made by Commissioner Dorosin,seconded byCommissioner Jacobs to
13
adjourn the meeting at 9:18 p.m.
14
15
VOTE: UNANIMOUS
16
17
Earl McKee, Chair
18
19
20
David Hunt,Deputy Clerk
21
22
1
1
Attachment 2
2
3
DRAFTMINUTES
4
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
5
WORK SESSION
6
February 10, 2015
7
7:00 p.m.
8
9
The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a work session on Tuesday,
10
February 10, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, N.C.
11
12
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT
: Chair McKee and Commissioners Mia Burroughs,
13
Mark Dorosin, Barry Jacobs, Bernadette Pelissier, Renee Price and Penny Rich
14
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT
:
15
COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT
: John Roberts
16
COUNTY STAFF PRESENT
: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Assistant County Manager
17
Cheryl Young and Deputy Clerk to the Board David Hunt (All other staff members will be
18
identified appropriately below)
19
20
Chair McKee called the meeting to order at 7:03p.m.He asked for a moment of silence
21
in honor of Dean Smith.
22
23
1.Discussion Regarding Potential Requirement that Contractors Doing Business
24
with Orange County Pay Employees a Living Wage
25
John Roberts reviewed the following background information and issues for
26
consideration:
27
28
BACKGROUND:
At the December 9, 2014 meeting the Board adopted a motion to direct the
29
attorney to “come back with an explicit policy for when and under what circumstances the board
30
of commissioners can, might, and cannot require vendors or contractors to pay a living wage.”
31
In 2013 the North Carolina General Assembly limited the authority of counties and cities by
32
amending §153A-449, which authorizes contracting with private contractors, to include a new
33
sentence, “A county may notrequire a private contractor under this section to abide by any
34
restriction that the county could not impose on all employers in the county, such as paying
35
minimum wage or providing paid sick leave to its employees, as a condition of bidding on a
36
contract.” This language limits the County’s authority to contractually require a living wage to
37
those contracts for which the County does not solicit bids. A contractual living wage
38
requirement could therefore only apply to construction contracts below $30,000, purchases of
39
supplies andapparatus below $30,000, and service contracts in any amount so long as the
40
County did not choose to solicit bids.
41
Proposed policy: It is the policy of Orange County that vendors who enter contracts with Orange
42
County must pay their employees a living wage. This policy shall not apply to contracts in the
43
formal and informal bidding ranges or to any other contract on which the county solicits bids.
44
This policy may be adopted as a standalone policy, as part of the budget ordinance, oras part
45
of the general ordinances.
46
47
Issues for Consideration
48
1.What is the living wage? Is it what it costs to live in the county or the state? With or
49
without benefits?
2
1
2.Do we require the equivalent of an Orange County living wage when both the vendor
2
and the vendor’s employees live outside the county? Outside the state?
3
3.Do we require the vendor pay all of its employees a living wage or just those assigned to
4
the contract project?
5
4.Vendors can avoid this requirement by designating workers as subcontractors. Do we
6
require vendors to pay their subcontractors a living wage? Require vendors to require
7
subcontractors to pay their employees a living wage?
8
5.How do we verify and enforce the requirement(s)? Audits? Such a policy must be
9
enforced because it likely creates third party beneficiaries who could have grounds to
10
sue Orange County for its failure to enforce the provisions.
11
6.Is this policy to apply to contracts within a designated range of amounts to all vendors or
12
just those with more than a designated number of employees?
13
7.Some sole source vendors are likely to refuse to sign such a contract. Examples include
14
Time Warner, MuniCode, and Apple. How should this be addressed?
15
16
John Roberts saidhe does not believe the state statute applies to all contracts, but it
17
seems to limit the authority to contracts that require bidding. He said it is fine for the Board to
18
adopt a living wage policy as long as there are limits. He said, since bidding is never required
19
for service contracts, it may be a good idea to set a limit. He noted that Asheville has a limit of
20
$90,000 on service contracts, and the policy does not apply to anything above that, which
21
allows bidding for larger contracts.
22
He said Durham and Asheville require this by ordinance, and there are benefits and
23
downsides to this. He suggested that a policy may be the better way to do this.
24
Bonnie Hammersley said she has had previous experience with this in Dane County,
25
where this was done by ordinancefor human services contracts. She said all bids provided
26
terms requiring contractors to provide a living wage for their workers. She said there was also
27
no law like the one recently passed in North Carolina, and this is why this could be done. She
28
said there were no increased costs or decreased competitionas a result of this.
29
Chair McKee thanked her for this input.
30
Commissioner Dorosin asked John Robertsif he is recommending that this be a term of
31
the contract, rather than an ordinance.
32
John Roberts saidthis was initially suggested as a policy stating that the Board only
33
works with contractors who pay a living wage. He believes this can be addressed by putting a
34
clause in each contract for the designated amounts. He said if the contractor does not follow
35
this, it is a breach of contract. He suggested that the Board also give some discretion to the
36
manager to bypass it when necessary. He gave an example in which Apple was the sole
37
source of a needed information technology service.
38
Commissioner Dorosin asked if John Roberts thinks it would be easier to enforce this if
39
it isin acontract.
40
John Roberts said yes. He said these will be small contracts, and many could go to
41
small claims court or district court to have a dispute resolved. He believes this is easier than
42
going to superior court for an ordinance violation.
43
Commissioner Dorosin said if it makes more sense to have it in acontract, a minimum
44
damage clause, such as a liquidated damages clause, could be included.
45
John Roberts saidthere is case law stating that you cannot have a liquidated damages
46
clause that looks like a punishment. He said it has to have some sort of rational relationship to
47
the actual damages.
48
Commissioner Rich asked how the Countywould find out if someone is not living up to
49
the contract.
3
1
John Robertssaid the Countycan require auditing of the company’srecords, or an
2
appeals process can be provided for workers.
3
Bonnie Hammersley said Dane Countyheld back a percentage of the contractuntil the
4
contractor turned in their time records.
5
Commissioner Rich asked if Bonnie Hammersley had seen companies who did not play
6
by the rules.
7
Bonnie Hammersley said there were a couple of timeswhen funds were held back. She
8
said there were sometimes challenges when working with subcontractors.
9
Commissioner Price said the goalis to make sure employees are getting paida living
10
wage,and to make sure the County is dealing with companies that treat their employees
11
properly. She asked what happens if the County signs a contract, and the company pays a
12
living wage here, but then pays less in other locations.
13
John Roberts saideven if the County adopted an ordinance, it would only be applicable
14
in Orange County.
15
Commissioner Price asked if there is a way to find out what contractors pay their
16
employees on other jobs.
17
John Roberts said you can ask, but many contractors will not answer.
18
Commissioner Price asked what the minimum would be.
19
Chair McKee said the minimum would be $12.76.
20
Commissioner Jacobs said this is adjusted every year in the budget process, so it would
21
presumably go up.
22
Commissioner Jacobs said he feels that the questions on the second page are
23
interesting, and he would still like to get answers in writing from the staff. He said this
24
information can be gathered from other jurisdictions and through research. He said he would
25
like a list of the pros and cons of a policy versus a contract or an ordinance. He is not confident
26
that he has sufficient information to answer these very good questions.
27
Commissioner Price saidthe living wage in this area may be$12.76, but this is different
28
in other locations. She said this is worth investigating.
29
Chair McKee asked if this would fall under the samecategory as the question of
30
controlling jobs outside of the County’s jurisdiction.
31
John Roberts said the living wage would be tied to thework being done inOrange
32
County for Orange County.
33
Commissioner Dorosin said he would be happy to get more answersto some of these
34
questions, but he feels the County should require that workers here are paid the living wage
35
that Orange County has set.
36
Commissioner Dorosin said these are contracts that do not have to be bidonso there is
37
much more flexibility in who is chosen. He said the County can choose companies that
38
represent their interests, and the living wage is one of those criteria. He asked if there are any
39
other jurisdictions that have done this, other than Asheville and Durham.
40
Bonnie Hammersley said the City of Durham,DurhamCounty,and Ashevillewere the
41
three areas listed in North Carolina.
42
Commissioner Rich said it does send a messagethat the County expects employers
43
who work with them to pay a living wage. She said some of the questions do need to be
44
answered. She questioned whether Commission Dorosin wants this to be a policy or an
45
ordinance.
46
Commissioner Dorosin saidhe wants whichever of these options will be most easily
47
enforced and effectively defended in court.
48
Commissioner Rich asked if the County has received a letter from Chapel Hill Carrboro
49
City Schools(CHCCS) stating that they agree to pay a living wage. She noted that Orange
50
County hasprovidedthis letter.
4
1
Commissioner Burroughs saidin order for CHCCS to do this, it would have to come
2
through the budget process.
3
Commissioner Rich saidthe CHCCS arean extension of the County, since bothschool
4
systems receive almost half of the tax dollars. She said it is a problem to create a policy that is
5
not being followed by the inside circle.
6
Commissioner Burroughs said the CHCCS havebeen contracting out more over the
7
past several years. She said, in order to deal with the remaining employees and look at all of
8
the contracting that they do, it would be a multi-million dollar budget question. She said it could
9
bethe right thing to ask them to think about this, but it is a large scale discussion.
10
Commissioner Rich said the schools were asked to provide this information during the
11
collaborationmeeting, and Orange County provided this, but no letter or statement has been
12
received from CHCCS.
13
Chair McKee said he will follow up on this.
14
Commissioner Jacobs said hehas tried to push for doing this on contracts for years. He
15
said he has asked for follow up on how other jurisdictions deal with these issues. He noted that
16
no providers of homecare for the elderlycome close to payinga living wage for that service.
17
He questioned what the policy would be in a case like this, and he said it is important to
18
anticipate the difficulties of a potential policy. He said other jurisdictions have already dealt with
19
these issues and could provide advice.
20
Chair McKee said he is hearing that the Board would like to see answers for the
21
questions on page twoof their abstract. He said he will follow up with the chair of the Chapel
22
Hill Board of Education regarding the living wage question. He said his understanding is that
23
Orange County Schools’ movement on the living wage is for its employees, but he is not sure if
24
this applies to their contract providers.
25
Chair McKee suggested this item should be scheduled for another work session to
26
provide time for the answers to be provided.
27
Greg Wilder said thiscould possibly be added to the April 9thwork session.
28
Commissioner Pelissier asked if there have been any conversations with the Sheriff’s
29
department.
30
Bonnie Hammersley said she will follow up on this.
31
Commissioner Dorosin asked if this item can be discussed at a regular meeting, as soon
32
as it can be added.
33
Bonnie Hammersley said staff will bring it backas soon as possible.
34
Commissioner McKee said this can come back to a regular meeting, and the Board can
35
decide to vote or not vote at that time.
36
37
38
2.Discussion of Process for the Public to Place an Item on a Regular Board Meeting
39
Agenda
40
Chair McKee said that the Board did not get to this item at the recent retreat, although
41
there was a discussion of bringing petitions from the Board. He said he heard that if the petition
42
was an item that had a quick answer, then the manager or staff member could address it on the
43
same night. He said if it was a regular petition item or decision item that would require study,
44
the item would go through standard Chair/Vice-Chairagenda review and then brought back at a
45
later date.
46
Commissioner Price clarified that this is not regarding public petitions.
47
Chair McKee saidno. He is just trying to tie up the discussion that was started regarding
48
petitions by Board members.
5
1
Commissioner Rich asked what happens if there is an information item, and the person
2
who can provide the information is not present. She asked if this becomes a petition, or it is still
3
an information item.
4
Bonnie Hammersley said staff is sometimes able to answer thequestion right awayif it
5
is just an information item.She said things are being done a little differently for petitions. She
6
said these are accepted, and thenrecommendations and next steps for completion are worked
7
out by the manager and Greg Wilder before being brought to the Chair and Vice Chair.
8
Commissioner Rich said she likesto hear that, as it means that every petition gets
9
movementand it sounds likeall of them would get resolved.
10
Bonnie Hammersley said if she or her staffmembersdo not understand the petition,
11
clarification will be requested.
12
Commissioner Jacobs said he does not think that it is necessary to get the answer
13
instantaneously at the meeting. He said his understanding wasthat the manager would try to
14
address and handle any concerns expressed by the Commissioners, and if clarification was
15
needed, she would contact the Commissioner or seek guidance from the Chair or Vice Chair.
16
He said there may be times when there is a political issue that requires the Chair or Vice Chair
17
to weigh in.
18
Chair McKee said the goal is to be timelierwhile still keeping an orderly process.
19
Commissioner Price asked about situations where immediate action is needed, such as
20
a situation where a high school team deserves recognition, and it is the end of the school year.
21
She asked if something like this would require a 2 to 3 week approval.
22
Chair McKee saidthesewill have to be examined on a case by case basis.
23
Commissioner Price said that is fine as long as it allows someflexibility.
24
Commissioner Rich asked the manager if she will recognize when something is an
25
informationitem versus a petition.
26
Chair McKee said he and the manager will be looking out for this.
27
Chair McKee said he just wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page
28
regarding Board member petitions.
29
30
Chair McKee transitioned to a discussion of the process for members of the public to
31
place an item on a regular meeting agenda. He asked if anyone has problems with the current
32
process. He feels that all of these should go through agenda review.
33
Commissioner Rich said in the two yearsthat she has been here, there has only been
34
one public petition, and it was approved that samenight. She said this was just some sort of
35
recognition.She said she agrees that petitions from the public should go through a process;
36
otherwise the Board would be discussing every petition.
37
Commissioner Burroughs said she agrees that public petitions need to have a process.
38
She said the school board had a requirement that 8 school board members had to agree to put
39
public petitions on an agenda.
40
Commissioner Price discussed the example of public petitions regarding fluoride in the
41
water supply, which is not in the purview of the Board. She said this issue keeps coming before
42
them, and she wonders if there needs to be a discussion and perhaps a tabling of this in a work
43
session. She said she sometimes feels a responsibility to do something other than just let it lie.
44
Chair McKee saidhe feels this issue can only be addressed in Board comments.
45
Commissioner Pelissier saidmore than one person should decide whether or not to
46
address a petition. She questioned what would happen if the Chair and Vice Chair do not want
47
to address a petition and all of the other Commissioners do want to address it. She said there
48
should be a way to communicate this to the Chair and Vice Chair.
49
Commissioner Jacobs saidhe wants to make sure to keep thepublic petitionprocess
50
separate from the Commissioners’ petition process. He said he feels that his job as a
6
1
Commissioner is to get people answers to their questions.He said he has dealt with the
2
fluoride issue before, and while he could not solve the problem, he could provide a response.
3
He thinks it should not matter if one of the Commissioners is going to sponsor the question or
4
not.
5
Commissioner Rich asked about the resident who petitioned the Board regarding the
6
impervious surfaceissue.
7
Craig Benedictsaidthiswill come back to the Board, and there will be two options. He
8
said Orange County is more restrictive on this than the state, and there are some questions
9
about this. He said one option is a unified development ordinance(UDO)change, and the
10
other option would be to ask the state about allowing impervious pavement. He said a memo
11
will be coming to the Board in the coming weeks.
12
Commissioner Rich asked if the resident knows that this work is being done.
13
CraigBenedict said yes.
14
Commissioner Rich referred to Commissioner Jacob’s statement that it is the Board’s
15
job toprovide peoplewithinformation. She questioned whether this is happening.
16
Bonnie Hammersleysaid the impervious surface questionis an example of how the
17
petition process works. She said the petition was submitted, and it was assigned to Craig
18
Benedict. She said the department directors take these petitions seriously.
19
Commissioner Dorosin asked if every petition that has been raised bycitizens has
20
received a response.
21
Chair McKee and Commissioner Jacobs said yes.
22
Commissioner Dorosin said it would be good to know that. He would like to see an
23
update when residents are sent a letter or answers are provided.
24
Commissioner Jacobs said the response letter that Commissioner’s receive in response
25
to petitions states that the item was referred to the planning director,who will follow through
26
with the citizen, and it often gives a time frame. He said you will not see the actual letter, but
27
you will see a reference to the fact that it is being sent,or that it has been assigned to
28
someone.
29
Commissioner Dorosin said he has seen the department references, but he does not
30
recall seeing updates when a letter is sent to residents.
31
Commissioner Jacobssaidmost of the time staffbrings it back to the Board before
32
answering the reference.
33
Commissioner Rich asked if the issue is considered resolvedif a letter has gone outto a
34
resident. She questioned the process if a Commissioner wants to address an overall change
35
versus just for an individual person.
36
Chair McKee said to keep in mind that this situation does not happen very often, and the
37
Board has to be careful to avoid a feedback loop that is too tight.
38
Commissioner Rich said she just wants to make sure nothing slips through the cracks.
39
Chair McKee said there is an effort going on right now regarding connectivity, and this
40
was not initiated by a citizen or Board member petition. He said this came from a general email
41
from a resident. He said this is not something he canwork on, because it is an issue that
42
information technology (IT) has to resolve. He said many issues that may seem to have slipped
43
through the crack are actually just being slowly processed.
44
Commissioner Rich said this issue is one that the Board knowsabout and updates are
45
being received. She questioned whether there are other issues where this is not happening.
46
Chair McKee said it is a rare occasion when this happens.
47
Commissioner Price saida whole group of people came and petitioned the Board to
48
name the senior center aftera particular person. She said this went to agenda review and it
49
never came back to the full Board. She said a letter was sent out, and the rest of the Board
50
had no knowledge of what was happening until it was done. She said the Board members are
7
1
out in the public and being questioned about this. She said it would be nice to know in advance
2
when this will happen.
3
Chair McKee saidin that instance, the letter responded with a statement on the naming
4
policy, which has very little leeway. He said this speaks the idea that each issue is situational.
5
Commissioner Jacobs saidevery member of the Board got a copy of the letterthat was
6
sent, and no one has raised the issue or petitioned the Board to reconsider the policy.
7
Commissioner Pricesaid she has suggested that perhaps a wing or a room could be
8
named after the person. She said by the time the Board received the letter, it had already gone
9
out, and it would be nice to know in advance.
10
Bonnie Hammersley said staff isaddressing questions all the time. She said she
11
receives the same emails that the Board receives, and she sends them to staff for a response.
12
She said she will try to remember to copy the Board on these emails and letters. She said she
13
tries to respondto these very quickly so the Board will not have to do it. She encouraged the
14
Board to let her know if they feel something is falling through the cracks.
15
Chair McKee said he is not hearing that there is a need for any major changes, but that
16
theprocess just needsa little tweaking.
17
18
3.Discussion on Boards and Commissions Processes
19
Chair McKee saideveryone is awareof the current process for filling boards and
20
commissions. He invited questions and discussion from the Commissioners regarding the four
21
decision points listed on Attachment A and referenced below:
22
23
1) Diverse pool of candidates
24
Decision Point:Does the Board want the Clerk’s office to use paid advertising
25
(currently we use PSAs)?
26
27
Commissioner Price asked if there is a differentlevel of response anticipated if paid
28
advertising is used versus a public service announcement (PSA).
29
Thom Freemansaid it is hard to tell. He said the PSAs are going out to abroad group
30
of people, and these are picked up by newspapers on occasion.
31
Commissioner Price asked if there is any need to change to paid advertisements.
32
David Hunt saidthe PSAs go out to about 600 people, including media outlets, bloggers,
33
political activists, and private citizens. He is not sure that a paid advertisement will grab much
34
more attention. He said there are multiple ways to publicize openings. He said Thom Freeman
35
and he have discussed the fact that the members of some of these boards have co-workers,
36
friends and people with common interests. He said it may be more effective than paid
37
advertising to have these people help get the word out that there are openings
38
Thom Freeman said the use of social mediahas also been discussed.
39
Commissioner Jacobs said the Board has contemplated paid advertising in the past for
40
positions that were difficult to fill. He said there is also a large group of people who attend the
41
university,and he does not believe they arebeingreached. He suggested advertising in the
42
Daily Tarheel. He said a little humor and creativity in the PSA or advertising might also help.
43
He said paid advertising might help with targeting places where it is difficult to shine a light, but
44
not as a general rule.
45
Commissioner Dorosin saidhe agreedwith the idea of reaching out to the students.He
46
said he also believes it is worth exploring the public schools as a means of helping recruit
47
people. He is not sure that paid advertising is the way to go, other than the Daily Tarheel,which
48
comes out every day and has the largest circulation in OrangeCounty.
49
Thom Freemansaidhe does see a surge when a PSA is sent out.
8
1
David Hunt said some of those responses come as a result of the direct emails. He said
2
the main reason for the question about paid advertising is to determine if it is something that
3
needs to be included in the upcoming budget discussions.
4
Chair McKee said he is not hearing a lot of support for paid advertising.
5
Thom Freeman asked about the Daily Tarheel.
6
Chair Jacobs said he would support advertising here, but he would like to first see if the
7
newspaper would run the advertisement.
8
Commissioner Dorosin said the Campus Yis another central point to get the word out to
9
a targeted group.
10
Commissioner Richsaid a lot of this involves word of mouth. She also thinks that the
11
public schools are a great way to reach people. She said there is a transition happening from
12
the use of flyers to a webpage. She is not sure how this will affect things.
13
Commissioner Burroughs said she was present when this change was decided, and it
14
was due to the staff cost for stuffing the backpacks. She was not aware that people would have
15
to actively go to a website. She said this does not cost the school system anything, so it is
16
something to consider.
17
Commissioner Jacobssaid the Daily Tarheel may also run a PSArather than requiring a
18
paid advertisement.
19
David Hunt said that currently the PSAs go out to all of the media outlets,and it is up to
20
them whether they run it or not. He said with paid advertisementsthe County decides which
21
papersto advertise with, and what size ofadvertisement to run. He said some entities do a
22
regular weekly or monthly display advertisement.
23
Commissioner Jacobs suggested that staff have a conversation with the Daily Tarheel
24
about whether a PSA would be run, or if paid advertising is needed. He said the food council
25
meetings are packed with young people, and these are the people that never participate in
26
these boards. He said this part of the community is not being reached, and if it takes a little
27
extra effort to reach them, he still thinks it will be worth the payout.
28
Chair McKee said he is still hearing that there is not a lot of current support for paid
29
advertisement, but there is support for PSAs and possible paid advertising at a later point.
30
Thom Freeman said candidates are asked on their application where they found out
31
about the opening. He said the top answer is the Orange Countywebsite, followed by word of
32
mouth.
33
34
2)Filling all positions on a particular board or commission
35
Currently there are a minimal number of vacancies on our boards and commissions; however,
36
the larger the board, the more vacancies there may be.
37
There has been some discussion that it may be harder to fill vacancies that are “specifically
38
defined” such as At Large vs Cheeks Township or a particular designation.
39
Decision Point: Does the Board want to leave as is the “special position requirements”
40
or consider alternatives?
41
42
3)Do boards and commissions need to vet applications prior to submission to
43
BOCC?
44
Currently, with the exception of some boards (Planning, Board of Adjustment, and even the
45
OUTBOARD), most boards vet applicants and present recommendations to the BOCC for
46
consideration.
47
:
Decision PointDoes the Board want to adopt a formalized process as relates to this
48
issue?
49
9
1
Commissioner Dorosin said he would be in favor of getting rid of all special
2
requirements. He said the Board can take things like geographic diversity or applicant
3
backgrounds into account during the nomination process. He said he thinks it makes no sense
4
to have vacancies when people have applied to be on the Board.
5
Commissioner Rich asked what happens if you find that all of the applicants are from
6
Chapel Hill and no other part of the County. She questioned how you could know that future
7
Commissioners would not stack committees in their favor. She said if you take away
8
requirements, such as geographical location, you could wind up with too many people from one
9
area, and then you do not have diversity. She questioned how to make sure each area of the
10
County gets to participate in advisory board decisions.
11
Commissioner Pelissier asked if this discussion is just about the geographical
12
requirementsthat are a choice. She said there are a lot of boards where you have to be
13
qualified in a certain way, including some geographical requirements, and some of these are by
14
state statute.
15
Chair McKee said his reading is that this discussion is about geographical requirements
16
only.
17
Commissioner Dorosin said he would be in favor of getting rid of any of these
18
requirements that are not statutory.
19
Chair McKee said he is not sure that all of the specific types are statutorily required, but
20
they might be necessary.
21
Commissioner Rich asked which boards are having a problem.
22
Chair McKee said the Housing Authorityboard has had difficulty with achieving quorum.
23
Commissioner Rich said she is trying to figure out the boards with a geographical
24
requirement.
25
Chair McKee said this includes Animal Services, and Agricultural Preservation.
26
Commissioner Jacobs said the Commission for the Environment has very specific
27
limitations.
28
Commissioner Pelissier said these are notgeographical limitations. She said if it is
29
focused on geographical, the primary board is the Planning Board. She thinks it is very
30
important for the Planning Board to have people from different parts of the County. She said
31
these people have very different experiences to offer.
32
Commissioner Pelissier said, thinking about non-geographical requirements, it is
33
important for a board such as the Commission for the Environment to have people who know
34
about different aspects of the environment. She wants to see that diversity. She said there has
35
been not much of a problem, and she does not want to see a change because of a few glitches.
36
She does not think this helps with moving forward.
37
Commissioner Price saidthere have been problems with geographicissues on the
38
Planning Board. She said her spot on this board has changed continuously as a result of this.
39
She said she agrees with Commissioner Dorosin that flexibility is needed, but she also agrees
40
with Commissioner Rich that there needs to be balance.
41
Commissioner Price said the other issue is that some people are just not interested
42
because they feel it is a waste of time. She said many boards and commissions meet in the
43
evening, which can be difficult for people. She said there have been people on the OUTBoard
44
who have had to leave. She said people have also questioned whether the Commissioners pay
45
attention to what comes out of these advisory board meetings.
46
Commissioner Jacobs saidhe came into this thinking of the fact that the places with the
47
longest unfilled vacancies are the ones that are designated to the towns, who never bother to fill
48
them. He said the towns do not care, and he would like to create a mechanism that if atown
49
vacancyis not filled within 6 months, it is up for “grabs”. He said efforts can still be made to find
10
1
someone in that municipality, but they would not have to berecommended by the elected
2
officials.
3
Commissioner Jacobs said he thinks there are a lot of other boards with specific
4
requirements. He said the slate could be wiped, and the Board of Commissioners would just be
5
trusted to put applicantson these boards thatrepresent a diversity of interest in that particular
6
area, if there is not statutory requirement. However, he said his inclination is that the
7
requirements have been worked out over a long period of time to create a balance.
8
He said it is important to have the geographical diversity on the Planning Board to make
9
sure everyone has a say. He said he would be willing to look at the board to see if any are
10
morerestrictive than necessary, and he would like to make a policy regarding the unfilled town
11
positions.
12
Commissioner Burroughs said her thinking issomewhat incremental. She believes the
13
current system was set up for fairly good reasons. She likes the idea that if a town position is
14
not filled in 6 months, the Board can fill it. She said she would not throw outthe whole system,
15
as it can lead to homogenization. She said this is directly dealing with the seats that are not
16
getting filled, rather than throwing out the whole system.
17
Commissioner Dorosin said hisinterest is not tearing downwhat has been constructed.
18
He questions, when there are seats that are vacantfor a period of time, whether it is better to
19
have this reserved for a specific category, or to have the Board fill those seats with people who
20
have applied to be on that Board. He said this may not mean that the requirements go away
21
forever.
22
He said it is important to recognize the people who step forward with interest in being on
23
these boards. He said the other question is identifying why there are vacancies. He
24
questioned whether the problemis recruitment or a board that is not functioning well. He said
25
all of this speaks to other issues, such as people serving on multiple boards. He said the goal
26
should be to maximize the level of citizen engagement. He said he has talked to people who
27
applied for boards and never heard anything. He would expand Commissioner Jacob’s
28
suggestion about filling the town seats after 6 months to include any seat that is hard to fill.
29
Commissioner Jacobs said he would be willing to consider this proposal.
30
Commissioner Jacobs said Randy Marshall, the former principal of Carrboro
31
Elementary, has been applying for the Planning Board for at least 10 years. He said it would be
32
nice to see this information and see how long people have been on the list. He said if people
33
continue to renew their application to serve, then the Board does owe them a courtesy.
34
Commissioner Jacobs gave some background history on the Housing Authority, and he
35
said there is some gray area about what this board is supposed to be doing.He suggested
36
work by the department heads and the attorney to determine the distinctive roles of the boards
37
to make it easier to recruitfor them.
38
Chair McKee already asked the staff to work with the chairs of these boards on a six
39
month record of attendanceto identify where there are problems. He said if a person has a
40
long history of not attending meetings, it is time to start looking for another applicant.
41
Commissioner Rich said this is moving toward a six month periodafter which another
42
applicant is considered. She asked if information on the length of a vacancy is provided in the
43
abstracts. She said the Commissioners do not have this information.
44
ThomFreeman said there has been information added to the bottom of the abstract,
45
which lists the vacant seats and the expiration date of the vacancy. He said it does not list the
46
amount of time the position has been open. He said part of this is a flaw with the database, but
47
staff can work on getting this information in there.
48
Commissioner Richsaid it would be helpful to have that information, given the direction
49
things are moving.
11
1
Commissioner Rich said she is still not 100 percent comfortable with removing the
2
requirements. She said she understands what Commissioner Dorosin is saying about
3
extending courtesy to people who are sending in applications.
4
ThomFreeman said a form email is sent to all applicants to note the receipt of their
5
application, and it outlines the fact that applications stay on file for two years and are continually
6
placed in the running for vacancies.
7
Commissioner Rich said people’s names might be lingering on the list, and they have
8
moved.
9
Thom Freeman said if he sees someone who has been out there for a year without
10
being appointed, he sends another email to see if they are still interested. He then updates the
11
file with the information supplied.
12
Commissioner Price saidone of the reasons for the lack of full membershipis because
13
staff and members of the advisory boards pick who will be on the boards. She said the Board
14
has not been allowed to suggest new people, and she thinks this is wrong. She said if there are
15
vacancies, and no one has been suggested, she feels that the Commissioners should be able
16
to suggest someone.
17
Commissioner Price said the Boardhas a responsibility to bring people onto these
18
boards and commissioners if they are interested and qualified.
19
Commissioner Jacobs saidhe thinks this has gotten a little contorted. He referred to the
20
last decision point, which asks if the Board wants to develop a process for nominating
21
applicants that are not recommended by a particular advisory board. He said this makes it
22
sound like the Board is precluded from nominating people, and he does not feel like this is the
23
case. He said when he and Chair McKee met with the advisory board chairs, it was explained
24
that the final decision on appointments would be made by the Board of Commissioners. He
25
said the Board has gotten comfortable with just accepting the nominations that have been
26
recommended. He said the Board needs to resolve how to become comfortable doing
27
something different at the meetings.
28
Commissioner Price said her point is that if staff has not recommended a person,
29
anyone recommended by a Commissioner would need to be vetted. She said there have been
30
meetings where positions were not filled when there were people on the roster who could have
31
been nominated.
32
Chair McKee said this was done in deference to his objection to immediate nominations.
33
Commissioner Price said she does not knowsome of the nominees, but she is willing to
34
trust the recommendation of her colleagues.
35
Chair McKee said there is no reason why the Commissioners could not nominate
36
someone, and he might or might not vote against them.
37
Thom Freeman said it is stated in the advisory board policy that the appointment
38
decisions are ultimately the decision of the Board.
39
Chair McKee saidhe appreciated the deference to his objection, but he did not expect it
40
to go to the extent that it did. He did not expect it to becomean established practice.
41
Commissioner Pelissier said she thinks this did go way off track. She said she never felt
42
constrained before by the recommendations of the advisory boards. She said one of the other
43
things that caused this to go off track is the fact that these advisory boards go through a lengthy
44
interview process with the applicants, and one of these boards got upset because they did not
45
have an opportunity to vet some of the applicants that were going to be appointed by the
46
Commissioners. She said it is important to give the advisory boards an opportunity to make
47
recommendations, and if no recommendations are made, then the Board may want to fill some
48
positions.
12
1
Chair McKee said he is hearing three different areas of discussion. He said there
2
seems to be consensus on the idea of the Board making appointments for town positions that
3
remain unfilled for sixmonthsor more.
4
Chair McKee said he is not hearing consensus on the issue of positions based on
5
geographic area. He thinks it is critical to hold some of these positions for specific areas of the
6
County, though he could possibly be persuaded on a sixmonth argument.He said his fear is
7
that a future board might fill some of these vacancies for outlying areas, and the term is 3 years
8
at a time, so this might eliminate a person from that area who might be interested. He said he
9
recruits for some of these positions.
10
Commissioner Rich said that for some of these positions, if the six month rule was in
11
place there might be more pressureto fill the spot.
12
Commissioner Dorosin said on the question of geography, he would support a six month
13
window. He said that would put the burden on the Board and staff to try to recruit. He said, as
14
far as the three year term, if you get rid of the geographic requirements, seats come up all the
15
time,and there is flexibility to recruit from the area that is lacking representation the next time a
16
seat comes up.
17
Commissioner Dorosin said if you consider having vacant seats while there are people
18
on a wait listversus having the boards fully filled, he would be in favor of the latter option.
19
He said, as far as vetting applications, he thinks the Board has put itself in a box. He
20
said if you want the advisory boards to make recommendations, but then the Commissioners
21
are ultimately going to do whatever they want, this sends mixed signals. He said if the Board
22
wants to have the discretion,they should just say that they are going to fill the seats, or more
23
clear direction needs to be given to the advisory board on the desired diversity.He said if the
24
recommendations do not meet these guidelines, they should not be taken.
25
Commissioner Dorosin said he would be in favor of the advisory boards not vetting the
26
applications. He has referred candidates that were then screened out of the process.
27
Commissioner Jacobssaidthere was atime when theBoard received no
28
recommendationsfrom the advisory boards. He said the predilection could be changed if the
29
Board chooses to do so. He said there needs to besome sort of hands on approach to insure
30
diversity. He said there can be more flexibility for the Board to appoint, and it does not have to
31
be a given that the advisory board makes recommendations.
32
Chair McKee said hewould propose trying the sixmonthproposal for filling the positions
33
with a geographic requirement.
34
Commissioner Price said if you make sure there are enough at-largeseats, it allows the
35
flexibility to switch the people around. She said this will ensure that you are not locked into that
36
three year term issue.
37
Chair McKee said he is seeing consensus on this, and on using the six month time for
38
the geographic spots from this point forward.
39
Commissioner Jacobs said staff will make the effortto try and find someone to fill that
40
spot within the six month time.
41
Chair McKeesaid he would also like to see efforts to alert the Commissioners about
42
these spots, to allow them the opportunityto recruit.
43
Thom Freeman requesteda little time to get with Information Technology to set up a
44
system for tracking the six month periods.
45
Chair McKee asked Thom Freeman to present this as an information item at a future
46
meeting to give an update on where things stand.
47
John Roberts said this will also require an amendment to the advisory board policy.
48
Chair McKee said, on the issue of vetting, he is hearing that the advisory boards will still
49
vet candidates and make a recommendation, but the Board would not be so constrained to
50
follow that recommendation unless it is statutory.
13
1
Commissioner Price questioned whether the Board would be able to make a
2
recommendation or decision for some of the health boards. She said there are some strict
3
requirements for these positions.
4
Chair McKee said if candidate with a nursing degree is recommended, the Boardcould
5
recommend a different candidate as long as they also had a nursing degree. He said the
6
alternate candidate would just need to have the same qualifications.
7
Thom Freeman said those type of vacancies are rare. He said the nursing homes have
8
a one year training program for some of these positions.
9
10
4)Service on multiple boards-–which currently allows service up to two boards
11
and task forces
?
12
According to the BOCC Adopted Advisory Board Policy (Adopted 2012), it states:
13
SECTION III:MEMBERSHIP
14
E. Term
15
5.Advisory board members may not serve concurrently on more than two (2) Orange
16
County advisory boards. This restriction does not impact an individual’s service on
17
boards and commissions that are not Orange County advisory boards or short term task
18
forces or work groups.
19
20
Decision Point:Does the Board wish to change this portion of the policy or leave as
21
adopted?
22
23
Commissioner Price said the policy should not allow more than twoadvisory boardsif
24
there is a pool of people wanting to serve.
25
Commissioner Dorosin said he thinks the policy should be changed so that you can only
26
serve on one board at a time. He said this restriction would not impact service on temporary
27
task forces or work groups.
28
John Roberts said people could actually beon three boards at a timeif they are
29
appointed to one of the quasi-judicial boards, as these are not advisory boards.
30
Thom Freeman said if this becomes the rule, people who have applied to three boards
31
and have been appointed to one board would need tobe removed from the other two applicant
32
pools. He said these people would need to be notified.
33
Commissioner Rich said she does not have a problem with people servingon more than
34
one board, because people have different interests. She said some boardsmeeting quarterly
35
and others meet once a month. She does not like this restriction.
36
Commissioner Jacobs said he feels that the cross pollination of being on different
37
boards is a good thing. He said it is sometimes difficult to get boards of similar interest to
38
actually communicate, and having people on multiple boards facilitates communication.
39
Commissioner Pelissier said she has served on two boards, and she saw herself as a
40
liaison between the two. She said it is good to have some of this, but nottoo much. She said it
41
is important to find ways to have cross pollination between boards. For example, she said it is
42
important that the Board of Health knows what is going on in other boards with regard to health
43
related issues.
44
Commissioner Pelissier said she does see some of the same names over and over, and
45
it is not just an issue of serving on two boards at one time, but also an issue of moving from one
46
board to another when terms end. She said there are certain reasons why boards will
47
sometimesactually want someone who serves on another board.
48
Chair McKee said he is alsohesitant to restrict the policy to one board. He agrees with
49
the idea of spreading the wealth around, but there are some boards that are not overrun with
50
applicants, and heis comfortable allowing service on two boards.
14
1
Commissioner Rich asked if there is a way to get a report on the number of people
2
serving on more than one board.
3
Thom Freeman said he can have that information pulled.
4
Commissioner Dorosinsaid he wouldlike to register his respectful dissent. He said
5
even if you change this to one board, people can still serve on multiple boards by being on
6
short term task forces, work groups or the non-advisory boards.
7
Commissioner Price said she does not mind the multiple boards.She said it is the job
8
of the Board to make sure that the wealth is spread around.
9
Commissioner Dorosin suggested that if someone is already serving on an advisory
10
board, they would only be placed on a second board if there were no other applicants.
11
Chair McKee said he is not seeing consensus on this.
12
13
5)Process for nominations for applicants (who are not recommended) at Board
14
meetings?
15
Currently, most nominations for applicants to boards and commissions come from advisory
16
board recommendations.
17
Decision Point:Does the Board want to develop a process for nominating applicants
18
at BOCC meetings who are not recommended by a particular advisory board?
19
20
There was consensus that this issue was already decided in the earlier discussion.
21
22
4.Discussion on Board Rules of Procedures
23
Chair McKee said this item arises from discussion about moving board comments to the
24
beginning of the meeting when there is more of an audience present.
25
Commissioner Dorosin said his real concern was regarding announcements that are
26
directed at the public, such as event announcements and things of that nature. He thinks this
27
should be included at the front of the meeting as Board petitions and announcements, and the
28
Board should police themselves that these announcements are directed outward.
29
He said reports that are more internal process updates could stay at the end of the
30
meeting. He said when there are community based events, it is important to have these at the
31
front of the meeting.
32
Chair McKee suggested that the Board open up the petition section to include
33
announcements that are related to public events, while holding the three minute limit. He said
34
he objects to moving all comments to the beginning,becausethere are people waiting to
35
discuss other items.
36
Commissioner Rich said she would like to keep the petitions separate from the
37
announcements.
38
Chair McKee said he is just trying to find a way to limit the time.
39
Commissioner Price said she is still thinking along the lines of comments versus
40
announcements. She said there are times when you want to make a comment recognizing
41
employees for doing an outstanding job, and you want the public to hear this.
42
Chair McKeesaid he does not have a problem with that, and the Board members would
43
have to use their own discretion.
44
Commissioner Price said she agrees with the idea of giving certain comments in the
45
beginning and then give more internalreports at the end of the meeting.
46
Commissioner Jacobssaid the key is keepingit to three minutes. He said Board
47
members should have the opportunity to make any comments while the room is full.He said
48
there have been problems in the past with sticking to the three minute requirement, but
49
everyone in this group is good at keeping within the time frame.
50
Commissioner Burroughssaid she is very comfortable with the three minute limit.
15
1
Chair McKee said he is hearing consensus to make this change and leave three minutes
2
for eachBoard member.
3
Commissioner Rich asked if “Petitions” wouldbecome “Petitions and Announcements.”
4
Chair McKee said that was his wording, but he is open to other suggestions. He said it
5
will be up to the Board to clarify when a comment is being made versus a petition. He said
6
there needs to be a habit of making aclear statement when it is a petition.
7
David Hunt said this proposal would need to come back to the Board for approval. He
8
said he is hearing that this is to be changed to “Petitions and Announcements” with a three
9
minute time limit, and then there will be comments time at the end of the meeting, without a
10
time limit.
11
Chair McKee said there seems to be consensus on that solution.
12
13
A motion was made by Commissioner Jacobs,seconded by Commissioner Burroughs to
14
adjourn the meeting at 9:31p.m.
15
16
17
Earl McKee, Chair
18
19
20
David Hunt
21
Deputy Clerk
22
23
24
25
1
1
Attachment 3
2
3
DRAFT MINUTES
4
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
5
SPECIAL MEETING
6
March 6, 2015
7
2:00 P.M.
8
9
The Orange County Board of Commissioners met with State elected officialsfor a
10
discussion on Rural Internet Accesson Friday, March 6, 2015at 2:00 p.m. at the West Campus
11
Office,inHillsborough, N.C.
12
13
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT:
Chair Earl McKee and CommissionersBarry Jacobs,
14
Renee Price and Penny Rich
15
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT:
Commissioners Mia Burroughs, Mark Dorosin and
16
Bernadette Pelissier
17
COUNTY ATTORNEY PRESENT:
John Roberts
18
COUNTY STAFF PRESENT:
County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, CIO Jim Northrupand
19
Deputy Clerk to the Board David Hunt (All other staff members will be identified appropriately
20
below)
21
OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALSPRESENT:
Representative Graig Meyer, Representative Verla
22
Insko, Senator Valerie Foushee
23
STATE STAFF:
Keith E. Conover(Technical Analyst, Office of Digital Infrastructure –OITS)
24
25
(Around a dozen members of the public also attended the meeting.)
26
27
Chair McKee called the meeting to order at 2:03 p.m.
28
29
Chair McKee asked for short introductions of all present, including the members of the public.
30
Introductions followed.
31
32
County Manager Bonnie Hammersley gave a brief descriptionabout the history of requests for
33
improved Internet access by rural residents.
34
35
Jim Northrup provided additional technical details on actions taken to date by Orange County,
36
including establishing pre-approved tower sites. He also referenced limitations due to State and
37
Federal regulations.
38
39
Representative Insko emphasized the correlation of the availability of network access and
40
economic development.
41
42
Senator Foushee said a huge amount of attention has recently been placed onInternet access
43
in the rural areas.
44
45
Keith Conover with the Office of Digital Infrastructure (with the State of North Carolina) saidthe
46
County could help with showing a potential for return on investment for smaller
47
telecommunications companies who may be interested in filling the gap left by major service
48
providers such as Time Warner Cable andAT&T. Some counties have created broadband
49
committees to help guide additional coverage options.
50
51
Jim Northrup saidthere are already local meetingsin progressto identify potential customers.
52
53
CommissionerJacobs said that there was a difference between providing service and providing
54
adequate service.
2
1
2
Discussionfollowed on the technical aspects of broadband, transmission speeds, fiber,
3
hardware and standards.
4
5
Commissioner Rich saidemails from the public about rural network access have increased
6
since the Google Fiber announcement.
7
8
There was a short discussion on current and possible changes in FCCrulesrelated to
9
telecommunications.
10
11
Commissioner Price saidthe North Carolina Association of County Commissioners supported
12
legislation to improve broadband services.
13
14
A member of the public in attendance commented that not only does network access impact a
15
child’s ability to do school work, but network access also impacts home/property values.
16
17
Jim Northrup saidthat some of the next steps will be to identify vertical assets. Vertical assets
18
can include existing elevated structures such as farm silos. He also stated that the Planning
19
Department had looked at possible tower sites. However, those sites were based on a need to
20
improve radio communications for emergency services (law enforcement, fire, ambulance, etc.).
21
22
Representative Meyer asked if there was a timeline for the next steps.
23
24
Jim Northrup saidmany topics had been covered during the meeting and that the specific goals
25
would need to be better defined before establishing timelines. He did state that a next step
26
would be a survey, which was already being designed, to get information from the public.
27
28
Bonnie Hammersley and Chair McKee both expressed appreciation for all who attended and
29
participated in the meeting.
30
31
Representative Meyer said there wasa need to get the survey out to the public and bring the
32
telecommunications companies to the table.
33
34
The meeting adjourned at 3:15 p.m.
35
36
37
38
39