HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 04-21-2015 - 6a ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: April 21, 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:
March 17, 2015 BOCC Regular Meeting
March 19, 2015 BOCC Work Session
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 DRAFT MINUTES
4 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
5 REGULAR MEETING
6 March 17, 2015
7 7:00 p.m.
8
9 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, March
10 17, 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 Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (All other staff members will be identified
18 appropriately below)
19
20 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda
21 Chair McKee called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m.
22 He noted the following items at the Commissioners' places:
23
24 - White Sheet - Revised Women's History Month Resolution for item 4a —Women's History
25 Month Proclamation
26 - PowerPoint slides for item 5a - 2015 Orange Public Transportation Americans with
27 Disabilities Act (ADA) Plan
28 - White sheet— Corrections for item 6a - February 10th draft minutes
29 - PowerPoint for Item 8a - Presentation of Manager's Recommended FY 2015-20 Capital
30 Investment Plan (CI P)
31 - PowerPoint for item 8b - Solid Waste Program Fee Options Recommendation — Solid Waste
32 Advisory Group
33 - Yellow Sheet— Revised Abstract for Item 11 b— Board of Equalization and Review
34 - White Sheet—Additional Information for item 11e - Orange County Planning Board
35 Appointments Planning
36
37 PUBLIC CHARGE
38 Chair McKee dispensed with the reading of the Public Charge.
39
40 2. Public Comments
41 a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda
42
43 b. Matters on the Printed Agenda
44 (These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda
45 below.)
46
47 3. Announcements and Petitions by Board Members
48 Commissioner Jacobs announced that he and Commissioner Price will have a meeting
49 on April 1st with a group that is planning a possible veteran's memorial in Orange County. He
50 said he and Commissioner Price have suggested that the group consider placing this on County
2
1 property, perhaps Southern Human Services Center, Mil!house Road Park property, or the Twin
2 Creeks property. He said he has informed the manager, and some of the recreation staff will
3 be in attendance. He said this is in the beginning stages, and he hoped to have a
4 recommendation by June.
5 Commissioner Jacobs said he wanted to make a clarification regarding an information
6 item in their agenda packet. He said the first item was "Review and consider a request that the
7 County consult with Mebane regarding a proposed Orange/Alamance line change that would
8 place the remaining part of Mill Creek subdivision in Orange County." He said the corollary to
9 this would be "and place the Morrow Mountain community back in Orange County." He said the
10 Board should direct the Manager to make this part of her discussion.
11 Commissioner Price referred to the information item regarding the Town of Hillsborough
12 and Faucette Lane and the process of providing County property to affordable housing. She
13 noted that the Board had asked staff to come up with some sort of protocol for dealing with this
14 for other properties in the future.
15 Commissioner Price said the NC Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) held a
16 strategic planning meeting in Orange County earlier this month at Southern Human Services
17 Center, and it was a tight fit, but it went well.
18 Commissioner Price said this is National Social Workers Month, and she said it is
19 important that the County acknowledge the great staff and employees at the Department of
20 Social Services (DSS).
21 Commissioner Pelissier said there will be a public information session on the Durham-
22 Orange Light Rail proposal on March 18th at the Friday Center.
23 Commissioner Rich noted that she is not in favor of giving the Orange County portion of
24 Mill Creek to Alamance County.
25 Commissioner Rich said she went out on Friday with Commissioner Dorosin to survey
26 zone 6 for the Family Success Alliance. She said there will be a group discussing this alliance
27 on March 26th at Hargraves. She said surveys will be back on April 1st, and this information
28 will be presented at Carrboro Elementary.
29 Commissioner Dorosin said he had a petition that he would like the Board to act on. He
30 had emailed this to the full Board ahead of time, and said time is of the essence. He said there
31 was some legislation passed in the Senate last week, and it is on the way to the House for a
32 vote. He said this legislation will allow certain state officials to avoid having to fulfill statutory
33 obligations to provide marriage licenses to same sex couples. He petitioned the Board to adopt
34 the resolution he had prepared to declare their opposition to this legislation.
35 Commissioner Dorosin read the following resolution:
36
37 WHEREAS, Orange County, North Carolina, is a community dedicated to the principles of
38 equality, non-discrimination, and full inclusion and engagement by any resident in the civil
39 rights, benefits and privileges of all residents; and
40
41 WHEREAS, legal rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals have
42 determined that the denial of equal rights for same-sex residents of North Carolina is
43 unconstitutional, and that those residents have the right to marry; and
44
45 WHEREAS, in the wake of these rulings, the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts,
46 has determined that the state's judicial magistrates, who are bound by their oath of office to
47 "support the Constitution of the United States," cannot deny any same sex couple their
48 constitutional rights to due process and equal protection by refusing such couples the right to
49 marry; and
50
3
1 WHEREAS, members of the General Assembly have asserted that requiring magistrates to
2 fulfill their statutory duties consistent with their oath to support the Constitution of the United
3 States may conflict with an individual's personal beliefs; and
4
5 WHEREAS, members of the General Assembly are considering legislation to exempt
6 magistrates from fulfilling their statutory duties to comply with the U.S. Constitution, and to
7 discriminate against same-sex couples seeking to marry; and
8
9 WHEREAS, such legislation will violate the constitutional rights of our residents, and once again
10 institutionalize discrimination and division through the laws of our state; and
11
12 WHEREAS, we respect the sincerely held religious beliefs of our residents, but are committed
13 to the fundamental constitutional principle of the separation of Church and State, and insist, as
14 James Madison wrote, that "The civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious
15 belief."
16
17 NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
18 That the Orange County Board of Commissioners is opposed to, and urges the General
19 Assembly to reject any legislation, that seeks to exempt any government employee or agent
20 from fulfilling their constitutional duties, including but not limited to guaranteeing the right to
21 marry for same-sex residents of North Carolina; and
22
23 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
24 That the Orange County Board of Commissioners deeply opposes discrimination, prejudice,
25 and homophobia, and supports preserving and protecting the constitutional rights and equal
26 treatment of all residents; and
27
28 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
29 That, if this discriminatory legislation should pass, the Orange County Board of Commissioners
30 directs the County Manager and County Attorney to collaborate with other governmental entities
31 and community partners to directly participate in any litigation seeking to challenge such
32 legislation.
33
34 A motion was made by Commissioner Dorosin, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs to
35 adopt this resolution.
36
37 Chair McKee said this is outside of the normal petition policy and procedures; however,
38 due to the timeframe, he would allow the Board to move forward if they so chose.
39 Commissioner Pelissier said she understood that 78 magistrates out of 100 counties
40 went to Raleigh last week to oppose this bill.
41 Chair McKee asked if Commissioner Dorosin would accept a friendly amendment to
42 retract the words "directs the County Manager and County Attorney" and replace this with "will
43 investigate and consider collaboration with other governments." He said the reasoning is to
44 avoid binding future boards to any action, and to make this more transparent and inclusive.
45 Commissioner Dorosin said he thought this would happen anyway under the language
46 that was written. He wanted to emphasize that they are committed to these principles, and the
47 only check on this is litigation. He asked John Roberts for his input on the language as written.
48 John Roberts said he would interpret this as meaning that if someone files litigation to
49 oppose this, he would join that litigation, after consultation with the Board.
50 Commissioner Dorosin said he would prefer not to change the language.
4
1 Commissioner Rich said it is important when approving these resolutions that these do
2 not sit on a shelf. She said it is important to state that the Board is willing to "stick their neck
3 out" and go to court if necessary.
4
5 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
6
7 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/ Special Presentations
8
9 a. Women's History Month Proclamation
10 The Board considered adopting the Proclamation proclaiming the month of March 2015
11 as "Women's History Month" and authorizing the Chair to sign.
12 Chair McKee noted that Commissioner Price had presented a revised proclamation, as
13 provided at their places, and it would be best to decide which proclamation to use.
14 Commissioner Price said that she had made some grammatical changes and had also
15 added the word "faith" into the proclamation, because women of all faiths have participated in
16 the various movements mentioned in the document.
17
18 A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs to
19 replace the proclamation in their agenda packet with the revised proclamation by Commissioner
20 Price.
21
22 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
23
24 Vanessa Soleil read the revised proclamation as follows:
25
26 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
27 WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH PROCLAMATION
28
29 WHEREAS, the Orange County Human Relations Commission has diligently served the
30 County of Orange since 1987, and is committed to promoting the equal treatment of all
31 individuals; and
32
33 WHEREAS, women of every race, ethnicity, class and faith have made historic contributions to
34 the growth and strength of our County in countless ways, recorded and unrecorded; and
35
36 WHEREAS, Orange County women have played and continue to play a critical role in the
37 economic, cultural, and social spheres of the life of the County ; and
38
39 WHEREAS, women of every race, ethnicity, class and faith served as early leaders in the
40 forefront of every major progressive social change movement; and
41
42 WHEREAS, women have been leaders in securing their own rights of suffrage
43 and equal opportunity, and also in the abolitionist movement, the emancipation movement, the
44 industrial labor movement, the civil rights movement, and other movements, especially the
45 peace movement, which create a more fair and just society for all; and
46
47 WHEREAS, despite these contributions, the role of women in history consistently has been
48 overlooked and undervalued in the literature, teaching and study of American history; and
49
50 WHEREAS, women constitute a majority of the Orange County labor force working
5
1 inside and outside of the home; and
2
3 WHEREAS, currently, women receive unequal pay for equal work;
4
5 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of County Commissioners of Orange
6 County, North Carolina does hereby proclaim March 2015 as "WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH" in
7 Orange County, and challenges County residents to observe this month with appropriate
8 programs, ceremonies and activities.
9
10 THIS, THE 17th DAY OF MARCH, 2015.
11
12 A motion was made by Commissioner Pelissier, seconded by Commissioner Burroughs
13 to adopt the revised Proclamation and authorize the Chair to sign.
14
15 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
16
17 5. Public Hearings
18 a. 2015 Orange Public Transportation Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Plan
19 The Board considered: 1) Opening a public hearing; 2) Receiving any public comments;
20 3) Closing the public hearing; 4) Adopting a resolution approving and authorizing the draft 2015
21 Orange Public Transportation Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Plan; and 5) Authorize the
22 Orange County Transportation Planning staff to submit the plan to the North Carolina
23 Department of Transportation and Federal Transit Administration.
24
25 A motion was made by Commissioner Rich, seconded by Commissioner Burroughs for the
26 Board to open the public hearing.
27
28 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
29
30 Bret Martin said it is federal law that if public transit agencies are providing fixed route
31 service, complimentary services must be provided to persons with disabilities that prevent them
32 from using the fixed route services. He said in order for Orange Public Transportation (OPT) to
33 be eligible for federal or state grants, transit providers must adopt and implement an ADA plan.
34 He said the NC Department of Transportation has set a deadline for this plan to be developed
35 and adopted by the end of this month. He said the plan components are laid out according to
36 the federal regulations. He reviewed the following PowerPoint slides, as well as several maps:
37
38 ORANGE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
39 Americans with Disabilities Act Plan
40 March 17, 2015
41
42 Transit Requirements of ADA
43 • Fixed-Route 4 Complementary Para transit (Curb-to-Curb)
44 • Any service origins and destinations within 3/4 —mile with no trip restrictions
45 • Any requested time when fixed-route service operates
46 • Next-day service
47 • Fare no more than twice that of fixed-route fare
48
49 When???
50 • EXISTING SERVICES
6
1 • Hillsborough Circulator: Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm
2 • "Hill to Hill Shuttle": Monday-Friday, 10am-11:30am and 1 pm-2:30pm
3 • EXPANSION SERVICES (BEGINNING MAY-JUNE 2015)
4 • Efland-Hillsborough Commuter Loop: Monday-Friday, 6-9am and 4-7pm
5 • "Hill to Hill Shuttle": Monday-Friday, 9am-3pm
6 • Orange-Alamance Connector and Cedar Grove-Hillsborough-Chapel Hill Shuttle:
7 Monday-Friday, 10am-3pm
8
9 Who is Eligible????
10 • Persons unable to board, ride or disembark from accessible fixed-route vehicles
11 • Persons who cannot travel to or from a bus stop because disability prevents it
12 • Certification process —ADA Service Applications
13 • Appeals Process — Handled by staff not involved in initial determination
14 • Cannot Abuse the Service— NO-SHOW POLICY
15
16 Who is Eligible—Other Considerations
17 • Disability Certification from Licensed Professional
18 • Personal Care Attendants (No fare) and Traveling Companions (Same fare as ADA-
19 registrant)
20 • Visitors to the Transit System
21 • Eligibility determined in jurisdiction of residence
22 • 21 days of service
23
24 Public Input
25 • 30-Day Public Comment Period t—h No comments received
26 • Public Meeting Held February 12
27 • OUTBoard Member Comments:
28 • Issue ID cards for ADA-certified individuals
29 • Work with Dept. on Aging to coordinate parameters of service
30 • Agencies/Organizations Engaged:
31 • Department on Aging
32 • Department of Social Services
33 • Department of Housing, Human Rights and Community Development
34 • Alliance of Disability Advocates
35 • Project Compassion
36 • Public Hearing - Tonight
37
38 Manager's Recommendation
39 • Open the Public Hearing
40 • Hear/Receive Public Comments
41 • Close the Public Hearing
42 • Consider Approval of Resolution Authorizing the Plan
43 • Authorize Orange County Transportation Planner to submit plan to NCDOT and FTA
44
45 Commissioner Pelissier asked how the County can make it easy for staff and customers
46 to determine the services available to them.
47 Bret Martin said when people register for transportation their address will be on their
48 application, and this will help staff determine their eligibility for services.
49 Commissioner Pelissier asked if the source of funding is the half cent sales tax, or if this
50 is additional money that was previously approved.
7
1 Bret Martin said because ADA services are part of normal operating costs, this should
2 already be included. He said the amount he listed is based on what is in the ADA plan. He said
3 a lot of ADA routes are provided through deviation from existing fixed routes. He said this is not
4 an additional cost.
5 Commissioner Price asked about the pay. She referred to the top of page 3 in
6 attachment one. She said there is a reference to the doubling of the fare for someone who
7 needs the ADA service, and she said this seems discriminatory. She asked if the extra pay is
8 necessary to sustain the service.
9 Bret Martin said it costs more than twice as much to provide a trip for a handicapped
10 person. He said another part of this is to disincentive this service when it is not needed, and to
11 financially incentivize people who are capable of making it to a fixed route stop to do so.
12 Craig Benedict said the fee structure can be set by the Board of Commissioners. He
13 said the alternative to the increased fee is to potentially use more general fund balance to
14 support that service.
15 Commissioner Price said her thought is that a lot of the people using the service are
16 doing so because they cannot afford a car. She asked if there would be subsidies available for
17 fares.
18 Bret Martin said customers could be eligible for Medicaid for transportation to physician
19 appointments. He said when the Board of County Commissioners adopted the 5 year
20 expansion plan they adopted a consideration of subsidies for residents who are already certified
21 for programs through Department of Social Services (DSS). He said there will be quite a few
22 ADA individuals who fall into this category.
23 Commissioner Price said she feels it is discriminatory to require someone to pay double
24 because of a disability.
25 Commissioner Price asked for clarification on the hours. She asked if the windows
26 listed will be the only times someone could ride a bus to get back home.
27 Bret Martin said yes, right now, because of the routes provided. He said this will be
28 expanding.
29 Commissioner Price asked about the determination of ineligibility and appeals, and
30 whether the federal law specifies that the hearing officer must be the OPT administrator, or that
31 the decision is final.
32 Bret Martin said federal law does not require this to be any specific person. He said the
33 guideline does say that the appeals officer must be different than the person who made the
34 initial determination. He said this is something that could change.
35 Bret Martin said sometimes entities use their transportation advisory boards as their
36 appeal boards. He said in Orange County that would be the OUTBoard, but OUTBoard does
37 not meet often enough to meet federal guidelines.
38 Commissioner Price asked John Roberts if someone could come to the Board or to the
39 attorney if they did not like the opinion of the OPT administrator.
40 John Roberts said he would need time to review this in order to provide an answer.
41 Commissioner Price noted that page 28 states that a person would have 30 days to
42 appeal after receipt of letter, and she asked if the letters will be sent by certified mail.
43 Bret Martin said yes.
44 Commissioner Rich asked if the service is coming out of the current operational budget.
45 Bret Martin said yes.
46 Commissioner Rich said people will be paying for service, and she asked how this fits in.
47 Bret Martin said there is a revenue line in the budget for fares. He said payments will go
48 into that revenue account.
49 Commissioner Rich said this looks like a consistent service over the 5 years, and she
50 asked if it is not estimated that more people will take advantage of it over time.
8
1 Bret Martin said yes. He said this is a guess.
2 Commissioner Rich asked if this will be brought back to the Board of County
3 Commissioners for further discussion if the ridership does increase.
4 Bonnie Hammersley said these are just projections over a 5 year period; however the
5 numbers will be monitored annually through the budget process and adjustments will be made
6 as needed.
7 Commission Rich asked if adjustments will always come out of the half cent sales tax for
8 operations.
9 Bonnie Hammersley said yes.
10 John Roberts referred to Commissioner Price's question. He said the appeal process is
11 an administrative process, and if appeal is denied the person would have access to further
12 appeal hearings through the office of civil rights.
13
14 PUBLIC COMMENT:
15 Alex Castro, Jr. is from the Bingham Township. He said he is vice-chair of the Aging
16 Advisory Board, and vice-chair of the OUTBoard. He said this item has not yet come before the
17 OUTBoard. He said his comments are personal, and they do not reflect the opinions of the
18 opinions of the two boards.
19 He read from the following submitted written comments:
20
21 The proposed service expansion is a very positive step for the rural communities of Orange
22 County. However, rural residents are not accustomed to riding a transit bus and marketing
23 efforts are needed to increase ridership rapidly and ensure the success of an expanded Orange
24 Public Transit service. Some suggestions:
25
26 1. Branding: Chapel Hill Transit has EZ Rider and Triangle Transit uses Flex Rider. Triangle
27 Transit is also using GO Triangle. Orange Bus is vague and there should be a catchy name
28 given to OPT to provide instant recognition.
29
30 2. A simple how to use the bus guide needs to be developed, made available on-line and in
31 written form on each bus. On each bus there should be printed route schedules in a case
32 mounted in a readily accessible location on the bus. A map showing the routes should also
33 be posted on the bus. These schedules and guides should be widely distributed to
34 congregations, key retail outlets and the Sportsplex/Central Orange Senior Center. Service
35 changes should be forwarded to the Orange County Public Relations Director for on-line
36 distribution to County residents.
37
38 3. Fixed route bus stops should have a posted sign indicating the name of the stop and a route
39 map showing the times the bus arrives at the stop. Each stop should have a simple shelter
40 that provides cover from the elements for waiting riders. Partnership with sponsors in
41 exchange for simple acknowledgements of the sponsors should be pursued. A good start
42 would be to provide shelters at the Wal-Mart in Hampton Pointe, the new UNC Hospital, and
43 Durham Tech Community College Campus.
44
45 4. Fares for low income ADA certified riders should be subsidized to reduce the financial
46 impact on these riders. For those riders requiring and accompanying health aide, the aide
47 should not be charged a fare.
48
9
1 5. Riders that are certified to use the ADA Para-transit service should be issued a Photo
2 identity card with a magnetic stripe to enable automated tracking of the service being
3 provided.
4
5 It is noted that OPT receives only 12% of the sales tax and fees proceeds dedicated to Transit
6 services yet will probably be the only transit service used in their lifetime by rural seniors. It
7 would be appropriate to allocate additional funding to put in place these suggested additions to
8 render the expanded service more rider friendly.
9
10 Submitted by Alex Castro Jr.
11 Bingham Township Senior Resident
12
13 Commissioner Price said additional bus stops are needed.
14 Craig Benedict said staff has been working on a marketing campaign, and several of the
15 other suggestions are also being pursued. He said staff understands that there is an education
16 process for rural riders.
17
18 A motion was made by Commissioner Rich, seconded by Commissioner Burroughs for
19 the Board to close the public hearing.
20
21 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
22
23 A motion was made by Commissioner Pelissier, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs for
24 the Board to:
25 1. Consider approval of the attached resolution (Attachment 3), approving and authorizing the
26 plan; and
27 2. Authorize the Orange County Transportation Planning staff to submit the plan to the North
28 Carolina Department of Transportation and Federal Transit Administration.
29
30 Commissioner Price asked if this approval includes the double fare.
31 Bret Martin said the Board can make that decision with the adoption of the plan.
32 Commissioner Price said she would like to offer a friendly amendment to ask for a fare
33 study regarding the cost of this service.
34 Commissioner Pelissier said she would accept the amendment, and she would like to
35 specify the need to find out how many people are Medicaid eligible.
36 Commissioner Jacobs accepted the friendly amendment.
37
38 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
39
40 6. Consent Agenda
41
42 • Removal of Any Items from Consent Agenda
43 NONE
44
45 •Approval of Remaining Consent Agenda
46 A motion was made by Commissioner Dorosin, seconded by Commissioner Price to
47 approve the items on the Consent Agenda.
48
49 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
50
10
1 • Discussion and Approval of the Items Removed from the Consent Agenda
2
3 a. Minutes
4 The Board approved the minutes as submitted by the Clerk to the Board for the following
5 meetings: February 3, 2015 BOCC Regular Meeting; February 10, 2015 BOCC Work Session,
6 with corrections; and March 6, 2015 BOCC Special Meeting (Rural Internet).
7 b. Dedication of Stormwater Facility Easements Servicing Culbreth Middle School
8 The Board approved a dedication of the Stormwater Facility Easements built to service Culbreth
9 Middle School to the Town of Chapel Hill as presented, upon final review of the County
10 Attorney, and authorized the Chair to sign.
11 c. Schools Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (SAPFO) — Receipt and Transmittal of
12 2015 Annual Technical Advisory Committee Report
13 The Board received the 2015 Annual Report of the SAPFO Technical Advisory Committee
14 (SAPFOTAC) and will transmit it to the SAPFO partners for comments before certification in
15 May and authorized the Chair to sign the transmittal letter to SAPFO partners.
16 d. Changes in BOCC Regular Meeting Schedule for 2015
17 The Board approved three changes to the County Commissioners' regular meeting calendar for
18 2015 as follows: 1) To add an Assembly of Governments' meeting on Thursday, March 26,
19 2015 at 7:00 p.m. (prior to the scheduled Joint Meeting with the Town of Chapel Hill) at
20 Southern Human Services Center, 2501 Homestead Road in Chapel Hill; 2) To re-schedule the
21 Joint Meeting between the Town of Hillsborough and the Board of Commissioners for Thursday,
22 April 23, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Building, 300 West Tryon Street in Hillsborough; and
23 3) To add a closed session for the County Manager's annual evaluation on Tuesday, June 23,
24 2015 at 6:00 p.m. at the Link Government Services Center, 200 South Cameron Street,
25 Hillsborough.
26
27 7. Regular Agenda
28
29 a. Updates and Recommendations for Employee Benefits Effective July 1, 2015
30 The Board considered approving the County Manager's recommendations regarding
31 employee health insurance and other benefits effective July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016 of
32 no increase for medical and pharmacy costs; $100,000 increase for mitigating the impact of
33 employees paying double deductibles; and a $70,000 increase for dental insurance.
34 Brenda Bartholomew introduced this item.
35 Wesley Grigston introduced the members of his team from Arthur J. Gallagher. He
36 reviewed the process of setting up a budget for the new plan year. He said, given that the
37 County is self funded, the premium equivalents are based on historical data to establish a
38 projected budget.
39 He said for the new plan year, beginning July 1, the projected budget will be
40 $11,079,000. He said the projected cost for the upcoming plan year is $75,000 lower than last
41 year.
42 Dave Costa walked through a PowerPoint slide description of the rates and the
43 background information included below:
44
45 BACKGROUND: The County provides employees with comprehensive benefits including
46 health, dental, life insurance and access to an Employee Assistance Program. The County has
47 been self-funded since January 1, 2014 for medical and pharmacy plans and continues to be
48 self-insured for the dental plan. The County pays an administrative fee and all claims incurred
49 by members enrolled in the United Healthcare and Delta Dental programs. The United
11
1 Healthcare administrative fee of$143.53 per member per month includes stop-loss coverage of
2 $100,000 per person.
3
4 Further, the County is currently transitioning from a twelve-month calendar plan year to a
5 twelve-month fiscal plan year, July 1 through June 30. Therefore, a one time, six-month plan
6 year was implemented effective January 1, 2015 through June 30, 2015. A twelve-month plan
7 year will begin July 1, 2015 and end June 30, 2016 to align with the County's fiscal year.
8 In February 2015, the Health Insurance Advisory Committee, under the direction of County
9 Purchasing Agent David Cannel!, participated in the Request for Proposal (RFP) process for the
10 selection of a Broker of Record for the administration of benefit programs which include but are
11 not necessarily limited to health, dental, vision, and other voluntary programs for employees
12 and retirees. The Manager recommended, and the Board of Commissioners approved, the
13 selection of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AJG) as the Broker of Record at the March 3, 2015
14 regular meeting.
15
16 Overall, enrollment numbers for the six-month benefit period which were effective January 1,
17 2015 have remained consistent, with a slight decrease in the High Deductible Health Plan
18 membership compared to FY 2014/15. The number of employees waiving health insurance
19 coverage has increased primarily due to employees obtaining coverage elsewhere, usually a
20 spouse's benefit plan. Attachment 1 shows benefits and enrollments as of February 16, 2015.
21
22 The County continues to administer voluntary benefit programs including vision coverage, short
23 term disability, whole life insurance, critical illness and accident insurance available through the
24 benefit of a payroll deduction. At this time, there are no plans to change the voluntary benefit
25 programs.
26
27 The County will continue to partner with representatives of the UNC Wellness @ Work program
28 to offer health screenings to all employees. In the fall of 2014, the Health and Human
29 Resources Departments coordinated flu clinics for employees and Human Resources held two
30 Breast Cancer Awareness Days for mammograms at UNC Radiology in Hillsborough. Staff will
31 be working closely with AJG to conduct a feasibility study related to wellness and an employee
32 clinic.
33
34 Health Insurance
35 Open Enrollment for benefits will be held in April 2015 for coverage effective July 1, 2015
36 through June 30, 2016. AJG worked with United Healthcare to obtain utilization data for medical
37 and pharmacy cost projections for the FY2015/2016 budget. The data incorporated 24 months
38 of claims utilization including periods of January 2014 through January 2015 (self-funded) and
39 January 2013 through December 2013 (fully insured). After a detailed review, AJG is
40 recommending that the premium equivalent remain the same, with no increase for medical and
41 pharmacy costs.
42
43 To date, no benefit changes are anticipated for FY2015/16 coverage. Health benefits, co-pays,
44 co-insurance and deductibles are expected to remain the same. AJG will continue to work with
45 staff in analyzing all data relative to benefits and will bring forward any recommendations, if
46 necessary, to the Manager and the BOCC for consideration and approval.
47
48 Staff and the County Manager discussed with AJG ways to mitigate additional deductible
49 expenses for some employees because of the plan year change from calendar to fiscal. It is
50 estimated that approximately 18 percent of employees and retirees may have met or will meet
12
1 some or all of their deductible in the short plan year, and will then incur a second deductible in
2 FY 2015/16. AJG has projected a cost of$100,000 to mitigate the impact of deductibles paid by
3 employees because of the plan change from a calendar year to a fiscal year. These costs
4 represent making employees whole by giving credit to those who will have paid two deductibles
5 within the 18-month period (January 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016).
6
7 Dental Insurance
8 The County will continue providing dental coverage with Delta Dental. The premium rate
9 charged for employees with dependent coverage has not increased since 2007, and the
10 County's reserve fund has been able to sustain increases in claims and administrative fees.
11 The rate for dental coverage is expected to increase 15% for Plan Year 2015/16 to sustain an
12 adequate reserve for future claims. This is an increase of$70,000.
13
14 Commissioner Dorosin asked if it is accurate to say that the rate of dental coverage is
15 going up 15 percent, and $70,000 more needs to be put in to cover this increased rate.
16 Brenda Bartholomew said the County contribution for this will be $40,000, and the other
17 $30,000 will be from the employees. She said this increase will equate to $5 per month for
18 individuals and $10 per month for families.
19 Commissioner Dorosin said this sort of straightforward explanation is what he needs to
20 see.
21 Wesley Grigston said the last piece of the discussion is regarding the shortened 6
22 month plan year. He said this creates the challenge of what to do with people who have begun
23 tracking, or have met their deductible as of July 1st. He said with United Healthcare there are
24 two options: 1) give credit for the deductible they have already met or begun to meet; or 2) do
25 not give credit, and reset back to zero. He said this cost is projected by looking at 6 months of
26 the previous plan year and the money spent towards deductibles. He said this number for the
27 PPO plan, in network, was $89,000. He said this cost would be projected to be roughly the
28 same for the upcoming year. He said the recommendation is to roll the deductible amounts
29 over into the next plan year.
30 Brenda Bartholomew said this was a reiteration of a discussion with the County
31 Manager about making the employees whole after the decision was made to transition to a
32 fiscal year. She said this is why money is being put into the budget to mitigate the possibility of
33 people having to pay two deductibles.
34 Bonnie Hammersley said the hope was to have a full 18 month plan, but that was not
35 feasible. She said lowering the deductible to half would have harmed the employees by raising
36 premiums. She said this was a way to fix this issue without affecting the employees' premiums.
37 Commissioner Rich asked if this locked the County into using United Healthcare (UHC)
38 for the next 18 months.
39 Brenda Bartholomew said the plan is to look at the 2016-17 enrollment period as the
40 time for Gallagher to pursue new quotes.
41 Bonnie Hammersley said the first step in this process was a request for proposals (RFP)
42 for the broker of record, and this was awarded to Arthur J Gallagher. She said the next step is
43 to get RFPs in the competitive market for other providers. She said the timing is not good, so
44 the County will be with UHC for the next 12 months, and then an RFP will be distributed.
45
46 A motion was made by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Pelissier to
47 approve the County Manager's recommendation of no increase for medical and pharmacy
48 costs, $100,000 increase for mitigating the impact of employees paying double deductibles and
49 a $70,000 increase for dental insurance.
50
13
1 VOTE: Ayes, 6; Nays, 1 (Commissioner Rich)
2
3 MOTION PASSES 6-1
4
5 b. Cedar Grove Community Center Construction Bid Award and Approval of Budget
6 Amendment #6-B
7 The Board considered: 1) Awarding a bid to Raccanelli Construction South, Inc. of Apex,
8 North Carolina in the amount of$2,311,900 for the construction of the Cedar Grove Community
9 Center; 2) Approving Budget Amendment#6-B in the amount of$104,000 from the Roofing
10 Projects Capital Project (related to the unused funds for the Northside Human Services Center)
11 to the Cedar Grove Capital Project to provide contingency funds for the project (if necessary);
12 3) Authorizing the Chair to sign the necessary paperwork upon final review of the County
13 Attorney; and 4) Authorizing the County Manager to execute change orders for the project up to
14 the project budget.
15 Jeff Thompson said Raccanelli South is the lowest responsive bidder, and if the Board
16 approves this award, the construction should start in early April. He walked through several
17 slides of the site plan and the improvements. He said the building will be kept in very good
18 working order, with the community center in the middle and the mothballed wings serving as
19 storage or other uses currently being discussed by the workgroup. He said the truck dock
20 access really opens up the southern wing for storage and economic development use.
21 He said the plan is for an 8 month construction period and a projected opening for
22 spring of 2016.
23
24 A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Rich for the
25 Board to:
26
27 1) Award a bid to Raccanelli Construction South, Inc. of Apex, North Carolina in the amount of
28 $2,311,900 for the construction of the Cedar Grove Community Center;
29 2) Approve Budget Amendment#6-B in the amount of$104,000 from the Roofing Projects
30 Capital Project (related to the unused funds for the Northside Human Services Center) to the
31 Cedar Grove Capital Project to provide contingency funds for the project (if necessary);
32 3) Authorize the Chair to sign the necessary paperwork upon final review of the County
33 Attorney; and
34 4) Authorize the County Manager to execute change orders for the project up to the project
35 budget.
36
37 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
38
39 c. 2015 Orange Public Transportation Title VI Plan
40 The Board considered: 1) Adopting a resolution approving and authorizing the draft of
41 the 2015 Orange Public Transportation Title VI Plan/Program, and 2) Authorize the Orange
42 County Transportation Planning staff to submit the plan to the North Carolina Department of
43 Transportation and Federal Transit Administration.
44 Bret Martin said the Title VI plan is a federal requirement for Orange Public
45 Transportation (OPT) to remain eligible for federal transit funding. He said the federal
46 guidelines lay out the requirements of the plan, including specific information that must be
47 disseminated to the public related to their rights; complaint procedures and forms; public
48 outreach plans to engage minority and non-English speaking populations; plan for assistance to
49 those populations; and a racial breakdown of the OUTBoard members. He said the NC DOT
50 has given OPT a deadline of the end of March to submit the plan.
14
1 Commissioner Dorosin asked who is identified as the Title VI coordinator in Orange
2 County.
3 Bret Martin said Peter Murphy is the coordinator.
4 Commissioner Dorosin said Title VI is an anti—discrimination provision. He said this is a
5 comprehensive report, but he did not see much about the demographic of the ridership. He
6 would like to see this information if it is available, and if not, he would like to see a plan for
7 gathering it.
8 Bret Martin said there are no plans in place, but it is possible to get this information. He
9 said the Title VI requirements are more difficult as transportation systems get larger, and this
10 demographic requirement is in place for systems that operate more than 50 vehicles in a fixed
11 route service. He said OPT is not doing this, but it can be done.
12 Craig Benedict said socioeconomic data was looked at during the creation of the 5 year
13 plan, especially in the Efland Cheeks area, which was one of the highest transit dependent
14 populations. He said the ridership data will be looked at more once the service is in place.
15 Commissioner Dorosin said Title VI does not include socioeconomic status as a
16 protected class. He said the Family Success Alliance has been doing some census mapping,
17 and there may be an opportunity for some synergy there.
18 He said there is a lot of information in this plan regarding access to interpreters for
19 passengers with limited English proficiency, but he did not see anything about providing
20 language training for drivers to become bi-lingual. He said this might be something worth
21 incentivizing for folks who will be on the front lines.
22 Chair McKee said he has heard a request for more information on the demographics
23 and a request to look into the possibility of bilingual training. He said it seems like it is the
24 consensus of the Board to endorse these requests.
25 Commissioner Pelissier asked if there are already documents available that have been
26 translated into other languages for their ridership. If not, she would like to suggest this.
27 Commissioner Price echoed this suggestion.
28 Commissioner Price referred to page 6, and asked if complaints can be submitted by
29 email. She asked Bret Martin to look into this.
30 Commissioner Price asked if letters will be sent by certified mail.
31 Bret Martin said all correspondence regarding complaints will be handled by certified
32 mail.
33 Bonnie Hammersley said with the expansion of this service this summer, the system will
34 grow, and the size will require staff to look at these issues more diligently. She said staff is
35 committed to putting more systems in place to track information and reporting this information
36 back to the Board.
37
38 A motion was made by Commissioner Pelissier, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs for
39 the Board to:
40 1) Consider approval of the attached resolution (Attachment 2) approving and authorizing the
41 plan; and
42 2) Authorize the Orange County Transportation Planning staff to submit the plan to the North
43 Carolina Department of Transportation and Federal Transit Administration.
44
45 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
46
47 d. System Safety Program Plan — Orange Public Transportation (OPT)
48 The Board considered adopting an operational System Safety Program Plan (SSP) for
49 Orange Public Transportation meeting the North Carolina Department of Transportation/Public
50 Transportation Division (NCDOT/PTD) requirements.
15
1 Peter Murphy (OPT Administrator) introduced Malcolm Massenburg, the new Assistant
2 OPT Administrator.
3 Peter Murphy said during the past summer OPT's system was reviewed and found to be
4 in non-compliance in several areas. He said these items are listed in the summary. He said
5 the items have been addressed and a letter of closure has been sent to the NCDOT. He said
6 one remaining item is for the Board to adopt the systems safety plan.
7 Commissioner Price referred to one citation where an employee was using a cell phone
8 while driving. She asked if the use of cell phones is or will be prohibited while the vehicle is in
9 motion.
10 Peter Murphy said the use of cell phones, with the exception of hands free devices, are
11 prohibited. He said drivers are instructed to pull over. He said the challenge is that the radio
12 service does not reach all of the areas of the County, so the backup communication method is
13 cell phones. He said drivers are told to pull over even when using a hands free device.
14 Commissioner Price asked clarifying questions regarding the policy.
15 Peter Murphy said the document makes it clear that drivers are not to drive and talk on
16 the phone, and it references the way the law is written. He said this is discussed in training with
17 drivers. He said there is also no texting allowed while driving.
18 Chair McKee expressed his appreciation for staff's efforts to work on these issues.
19
20 A motion was made by Commissioner Pelissier, seconded by Commissioner Price for
21 the Board to adopt the staff-recommended System Safety Program Plan.
22
23 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
24
25 e. Comprehensive Plan and Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) Amendment
26 Outline and Schedule for Impervious Surface Amendments
27 The Board considered: 1) Approving process components and schedule for a
28 government initiated Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) text amendment for the May 26,
29 2015 Quarterly Public Hearing regarding impervious surface regulations; 2) Directing staff to
30 proceed accordingly; and 3) Providing feedback on the need to establish a County wide
31 impervious surface limit in those areas of the County not located within a watershed protection
32 overlay district.
33 Michael Harvey said this item is regarding a text amendment that will be reviewed at the
34 May Quarterly Public Hearing. He reviewed the information in this abstract. He said staff has
35 received a petition from an Orange County property owner to modify impervious surface ratios.
36 He said he was instructed to initiate the ordinance amendment process to create the outline
37 form in attachment 1 with a schedule to bring this forward for approval at the May quarterly
38 public hearing. He reminded the Board of the current methodologies for modifying existing
39 impervious surface allowances.
40 Michael Harvey said this proposal looks to incorporate a current state practice that will
41 allow for the installation of a stormwater feature, called best management practices (BMPs), to
42 allow for additional impervious surface to be installed on a lot. He said this is outlined in
43 attachment 2. He said staff is requesting the Board to approve the outline form to allow them to
44 move forward with the ordinance amendment process and to give direction on several other
45 questions.
46 Commissioner Jacobs referred to page 11 and item 4b-ii. He asked about the example
47 of increasing impervious surface by 50 percent in the University Lake watershed protection
48 overlay district.
49 Michael Harvey said the impervious surface would not be raised by 50 percent. He said
50 under the state programming, if you have a certain amount— say 3,000 square feet - of
16
1 permeable pavement, you could receive as much as 75 percent of additional impervious
2 surface on the lot based on that amount of pavement. He said staff is studying the need for a
3 cap.
4 Commissioner Jacobs asked if staff has talked to OWASA about this.
5 Michael Harvey said that will be part of the peer review. He said authorization would be
6 needed from the Board prior to the peer review process.
7 Commissioner Jacobs asked if owners will have to maintain the BMP.
8 Michael Harvey said yes, a management agreement will have to be recorded at the
9 register of deeds office, and the owners will have to agree to maintain the system.
10 Commissioner Jacobs asked if more staff will be hired to monitor these BMPs.
11 Michael Harvey said this was one of the cons listed. He said he is not sure if more staff
12 will need to be hired, but there will be an increased level of required enforcement.
13 Commissioner Jacobs said he thinks of BMPs from an agricultural standpoint, and these
14 can be a fairly substantial facility. He asked if these could possibly be a neighborhood hazard if
15 not properly maintained.
16 Michael Harvey said that could be a potential problem.
17 Commissioner Jacobs asked if the state standards are higher or lower than Orange
18 County's standards.
19 Michael Harvey said Orange County is more restrictive than the state. He said Orange
20 County chose to be more restrictive in these areas due to the fact that these are primary water
21 sources.
22 Commissioner Jacobs said basically the Board is authorizing staff to take this to a public
23 hearing.
24 Michael Harvey said yes.
25 Commissioner Jacobs said there have been past discussions about a septic tank
26 monitoring system, and if people are going to be putting in BMPs, perhaps they should be
27 paying a fee for monitoring. He said these enhancements can potentially have an adverse
28 effect on other people's properties and on County resources. He said most people do not give
29 a lot of thought about monitoring their septic systems and the protection of groundwater
30 resources.
31 Michael Harvey said the impervious surface limit is important for the County's
32 participation in the state watershed management program. He said there are separate
33 regulations governing the installation of stormwater devices. He said this is regarding a
34 voluntary program where a property owner would be engaging in the installation of a
35 stormwater feature (BMP) with the benefit of receiving additional impervious surface. He said it
36 is important to understand, moving forward, that there are existing state and county
37 requirements that all BMPs have to be maintained in perpetuity.
38 Commissioner Pelissier agreed with Commissioner Jacobs with regard to asking for
39 OWASA's input on this issue, and she would also like for the Commission for the Environment
40 to review it.
41 Michael Harvey said these entities can be part of the peer review that is being
42 recommended.
43 Commissioner Pelissier suggested staff and the OWASA board should review this.
44 Craig Benedict said reviews can be solicited prior to the Quarterly Public Hearing (QPH)
45 and the comments can be made part of the public comment at the QPH.
46 Commissioner Dorosin said there was discussion about the idea of looking at
47 impervious restrictions in other districts. He asked for clarification on why this is being brought
48 up.
17
1 Michael Harvey said there have been comments over the years about this issue. He
2 said as part of their due diligence in responding to a property owner's petition, as well as
3 concerns from the Board, the question was brought up again.
4 Commissioner Dorosin said this is not necessarily integral to resolving this.
5 Michael Harvey said no, it is just comprehensive to the question of impervious surfaces.
6
7 PUBLIC COMMENT:
8 Simon Sexton lives in a home in a protected watershed area, and he feels that this
9 impervious rule is unfair. He said there are exceptions to what this rule is protecting. He said
10 he likes nature and he does not want to pollute the drinking water. He said he has 10 acres
11 and a ditch to prevent runoff. He encouraged the Board to allow people to have more
12 impervious space.
13 Bryan Sexton thanked the Board for their work on this issue. He said impervious
14 restrictions are important for the environment, but his impervious rights as a homeowner were
15 given away before he even moved into his home. He said he moved into a home with less than
16 2 percent of usable pervious surface. He said he has ten acres in which there is a driveway,
17 home and patio that already puts him over the limit. He said he cannot even put in a shed for a
18 mower. He said he pays $14,000 in taxes for his acreage, and he cannot install a shed or a
19 pool. He thanked the Board for their consideration of these issues.
20
21 Letter submitted via email from: Janel D. Sexton
22 Message:
23 Dear Board of County Commissioners:
24 We appreciate how receptive the Board of County Commissioners and the Orange County
25 Planning and Inspections Office have been in hearing our grievances regarding impervious
26 surface issues. It is my understanding that since I spoke at the December 2014 meeting of the
27 BOCC, the Planning and Inspections Office has done a great deal of work to address the
28 restrictions in accordance with current data and a consideration of BMPs.
29 We urge you to support this movement towards more reasonable impervious limits. The new
30 regulations should take into account current science about water quality and the use of best
31 management practices such as disconnected structures, pervious pavers, and having a swale,
32 which mitigate against runoff.
33 As Orange County residents whose 2015 property tax exceeds $14,000, my husband and I feel
34 entitled to use our property, provided it does not come at the cost of polluting a public water
35 source. Our proposal to have more impervious is well within reasonable limits. Furthermore,
36 after delving further into the allotment we received when we purchased our house, we
37 discovered we only have 1.9% of an impervious allocation--no where near the 6% which we
38 should have. This is unreasonable, unfair, and simply unacceptable. We have a right to use our
39 land, to enjoy our land--the land we pay taxes on--in a typical, reasonable way that would be
40 expected of a single family dwelling. As I stated in my last letter, we were aware of impervious
41 restrictions when we purchased our house, however we had no way of knowing at the time how
42 restrictive Orange County is in its definitions and practices. The state on North Carolina not only
43 has more generous impervious allotments, but also does take into account best management
44 practices (BMPs). Please vote to move Orange County forward, to bring this issue to public
45 hearing as soon as possible, and reward residents who employ BMPs. We need to protect
46 water purity using good science rather than status quo measures.
47 Thank you.
48 Respectfully,
49 Dr. Janel D. Sexton
50
18
1
2 Chair McKee said he felt it was important to go back and look at this issue.
3 A motion was made by Commissioner Rich, seconded by Commissioner Rich for the
4 Board to:
5 1. Approve the attached Amendment Outline form;
6 2. Direct staff to proceed accordingly; and
7 3. Provide feedback on the need to establish a County wide impervious surface limit in those
8 areas of the County not located within a watershed protection overlay district.
9 4. Insure input is received from peers and the entities referenced by Commissioner Jacobs and
10 Commissioner Pelissier, prior to the quarterly public hearing.
11
12 Commissioner Dorosin asked about the provision of input and whether this should be in
13 the resolution.
14 Michael Harvey said this Board is going to be looking at this twofold and he would
15 interpret the motion as the Board will provide appropriate feedback on that specific question at
16 a future date, but they have authorized staff to move forward with the amendment process.
17 Chair McKee said he interpreted this as having feedback from discussions held outside
18 of the Board of Commissioners, and this would come back to them at a future date.
19 Commissioner Dorosin said he has not weighed in, and he is reluctant to expand
20 impervious surface restrictions in other areas of the County.
21 Michael Harvey said there should be additional discussion at a future meeting, and that
22 is included in the motion.
23
24 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
25
26 8. Reports
27
28 a. Presentation of Manager's Recommended FY 2015-20 Capital Investment Plan
29 (CIP)
30 The Board considered the presentation of the Manager's Recommended FY 2015-20
31 Capital Investment Plan and provided direction to staff in preparation of the April 9, 2015
32 Budget work session.
33 Bonnie Hammersley said Paul Laughton would be giving a brief presentation of this plan
34 and there will be two work sessions coming up in April and May.
35 Paul Laughton thanked the Manager and the department heads for their assistance in
36 putting this plan together.
37
38 County Manager's Recommended FY 2015-20 Capital Investment Plan
39 March 17, 2015 Presentation
40 Southern Human Services Center
41
42 Overview
43 • 5-Year Capital Investment Plan (CIP) with detailed information in Years 1-5, and
44 an overall picture in Years 6-10
45 • The CIP is a budget planning tool that is evaluated annually to include year-to-
46 year changes in priorities, needs, and available resources.
47 • Funding decisions are approved only for Year 1 (FY 2015-16.
48
49 CIP Format
50 • Divided into the following sections/tabs:
19
1 • CIP Summaries
2 • County Projects
3 • Special Revenue Projects (Article 46 Sales Tax)
4 • Proprietary Projects (Water & Sewer, Solid Waste, and Sportsplex)
5 • School Projects
6 • Appendices (Debt Service and Debt Capacity, and Policies)
7
8 • FY 2015-20 Orange County CIP Projects
9 County-Wide Summary—Appropriations PIE CHART
10 - Year 1: FY 2015-16 - $24,731,705
11 - County 34%
12 - Schools 26%
13 - Proprietary Funds 29%
14 - Article 45 Sales Tax 11%
15 - Year 2: 1-5: FY 2015-2020 - $137,032,666
16 - County 57%
17 - Schools 21%
18 - Proprietary Funds 12%
19 - Article 46 Sales Tax 10%
20
21 • FY 2015-20 Orange County CIP Projects
22 County-Wide Summary— Revenues PIE CHART
23 - Year 1: FY 2015-16 - $24,731,705
24 - Debt-County 27%
25 - Debt-Other 20 %
26 - Article 46 Sales Tax 14%
27 - Transfers from General Fund 19%
28 - Lottery Proceeds 6%
29 - Proprietary Funds 6%
30 - Debt- Schools 5%
31 - Other Funding Sources 3%
32
33 - Year 2: 1-5: FY 2015-2020 - $137,032,666
34 - Debt-County 49%
35 - Debt-Other 7 %
36 - Article 46 Sales Tax 11%
37 - Transfers from General Fund 18%
38 - Lottery Proceeds 5%
39 - Proprietary Funds 4%
40 - Debt- Schools 2%
41 - Other Funding Sources 4%
42
43 Current CIP Projects Removed from Recommended FY 2015-20 CIP
44 County Proiects:
45 • Emergency Services 510 Meadowlands (no funding since FY 2013-14)
46 • Animal Services Facility (generator is now included in a separate Generator
47 Project)
48 Solid Waste Proiects:
49 • Landfill/Municipal Solid Waste (no funding since FY 2013-14; MSW Landfill is
50 closed)
20
1
2 Major Changes to Current FY 2014-19 CIP
3 County Projects:
4 • Southern Branch Library— construction costs reduced by approximately $1.4
5 million, based on 15,000 square feet and 50 parking spaces.
6 • Proposed Jail — construction costs reduced by approximately $4.1 million due to
7 reduction in initial bed capacity from 216 to 144.
8 • Environment and Agriculture Center— construction moved up 1 year to FY 2016-
9 17
10 • Historic Rogers Road Community Center/Infrastructure — infrastructure work
11 related to the OWASA Sewer Concept Plan moved back 1 year to FY 2016-17.
12 • Emergency Services Substations —two (2) initial co-build substations moved
13 back 1 year to Year 2 (FY 2016-17)
14 • Two (2) New Projects — Generator Projects and 9-1-1 Backup Center
15 Park Proiects:
16 • Blackwood Farm Park —the Parks Operations Base has moved up 1 year to
17 Year 4 (FY 2018-19).
18 • Soccer.com Soccer Center— possible land acquisition for future expansion has
19 moved up 1 year to Year 1 (FY 2015-16).
20 • Major Changes to Current FY 2014-19 CIP (cont.)
21 Water and Sewer Proiects:
22 • Buckhorn EDD Phase 2 Extension (Efland Sewer to Mebane) — includes
23 $240,000 in Year 1 for project management funds related to construction of the
24 project, which is scheduled for completion in FY 2015-16.
25 • Eno EDD — moved up 2-3 years to Year 1 due to a smaller area within the EDD
26 that offers the opportunity to extend sewer within the next two years.
27 • Buckhorn-Mebane EDD Phases 3 and 4 — moved back 2 years to Year 3 (FY
28 2017-18) to allow for operation of Phase 2 for a period of time prior to starting
29 this project.
30 Solid Waste Proiects:
31 • Sanitation — estimated increased costs of Eubanks Road Convenience Center
32 improvements by approximately $700,000, which is included in the upcoming
33 Spring financing package for FY 2014-15.
34 • High Rock Road and Ferguson Road Convenience Centers improvements have
35 each been pushed back 1 year.
36 • Recycling — purchase of a new Recycling truck for the Rural curbside program;
37 construction of a new Recycling roll-cart distribution and maintenance building in
38 Year 1 (FY 2015-16).
39 Sportsplex:
40 • Ice rink floor repair funds of$75,000 moved up 2 years to Year 1 (FY 2015-16)
41 due to concerns over structural integrity. Also, $1.5 million added in Years 6-10
42 for a possible rink system rebuild.
43 Schools: (Based on most recent SAPFO #'s)
44 • CHCCS — includes Preliminary Planning Funds of$750,000 to allow for "shovel
45 ready" project(s) after a successful Bond referendum; Middle School #5 and
46 Elementary #12 move back 3 years to open in FY 2023-24; Carrboro HS
47 additions moves out of the 10-year CIP period.
48 • OCS — includes Preliminary Planning Funds of$478,000 to allow for
49 "shovel ready" project(s) after a successful Bond referendum; Cedar
50 Ridge HS Classroom Addition to open in FY 2022-23, with
21
1 planning/design funds beginning in Year 5 (FY 2019-20); Elementary#8
2 moves out of the 10-year CIP period.
3
4 Major County Projects -Year 1
5 • Southern Orange Campus (site work) - $3,600,000
6 • Southern Branch Library (site design work) - $472,500
7 • Information Technology - $500,000
8 • Proposed Jail (site design work) - $500,000
9 • Environment and Ag Center (site design work) - $300,000
10 • 9-1-1 Backup Center - $369,499
11 • Conservation Easements $250,000
12 • Soccer.com Soccer Center (land) - $425,000
13 • River Park Phase II - $300,000
14 • P & R Facility Renovations and Repairs - $300,000
15
16 Special Revenue Projects —Year 1
17 (Article 46 Sales Tax)
18 • 50% of proceeds to Economic Development initiatives, and 50% to Schools
19 • Economic Development— $1,407,287 (approximately 60% reserved for debt service)
20 • Schools — CHCCS $865,482 (1/2 towards Technology, and 1/2 towards facility
21 improvements at older schools); OCS $541,807 (Technology 1:1 laptop initiative and
22 technology upgrades)
23
24 Proprietary Projects —Year 1
25 Water and Sewer Proiects:
26 • Efland Sewer Flow to Mebane - $240,000
27 • Economic Development Infrastructure - $50,000
28 • Economic Development Utility Extension Projects - $250,000
29 • Hillsborough EDD - $1,000,000
30 • Eno EDD - $1,050,000
31 Solid Waste Proiects:
32 • Sanitation — replacement of front end loader - $296,035
33 • Recycling - purchase 1,750 additional Rural Recycling Carts; new Rural curbside
34 Recycling truck; new roll-cart distribution and maintenance building; replacement
35 of 2 trucks (total of$1,177,884)
36 Sportsplex Proiects:
37 • Indoor Turf/Court Addition - $2,800,000
38 • Other improvements/repairs - $350,000
39
40 School Projects -Year 1
41 • Preliminary Planning Funds totaling $1,228,000 ($750,000 to CHCCS and $478,000 to
42 OCS — based on ADM)
43 • Pay-As-You-Go funds ($3,724,849) — same amount as in FY 2014-15
44 • Lottery Proceeds ($1,356,362) — increase of approximately $20,000 from FY 2014-15
45 (based on State estimates)
46
47 Appendices
48 • Debt Service and Debt Capacity:
22
1 • General Fund — remains under the 15% debt capacity throughout the 5-year CIP;
2 highest % is 14.08% in Year 4 (FY 2018-19), and remains under 15% throughout
3 the Years 6-10 period.
4 • Water and Sewer Projects (Article 46 Sales Tax proceeds) — current projected
5 revenue earmarked for debt service is adequate to cover debt service payments
6 over the 5-Year CIP.
7 • Capital Funding, Debt Management, and Fund Balance Management Policies
8
9 Document Availability
10 • Clerk to the Board of Commissioners
11 • County Finance and Administrative Services Office
12 • Orange County Website
13 • www.orangecountync.gov
14
15 Paul Laughton said one of the things controlling the drop in schools percentage in years
16 1 through 5 is the fact that a couple of the schools moved out of the CIP due to capacity issues.
17 He noted that the target over a 10 year period is for capital funding to include schools at 60
18 percent and County projects at 40 percent, and this is pretty close that that goal.
19 Referring to the slide on Appendices, Paul Laughton reminded the Board that debt
20 capacity and debt affordability are two different things. He said you can be under debt capacity,
21 but you must have the revenues to pay for the increase in debt service. He noted that in years
22 2017-18, the debt service increases by $2.1 million, and then in 2018-19 it increases another
23 $1.7 million. He said if the revenue stream is not sufficient, a tax increase may be required at
24 this time to pay for the debt.
25 Bonnie Hammersley said she met with all of the department directors, as well as the
26 schools, and this was a good process. She will come to the future work sessions with a more
27 vertical view of the big picture.
28
29 PUBLIC COMMENT:
30 Bonnie Hauser thanked the Board for the decision to defer their decision on the bond
31 referendum. She said it is clear that better policies are needed to manage the older schools.
32 She asked the Board to please consider the policies that govern how funds are allocated to the
33 schools. She said the current policy design is such that school maintenance needs are made at
34 the expense of teachers and classrooms, and this is why maintenance needs have been
35 deferred for years. She said it is time to modernize these policies.
36 Bonnie Hauser said there is nothing in the CIP about modernizing the Bradshaw Quarry
37 Solid Waste Convenience Center, and she would like for some statement to be included about
38 this facility. She does not want to see it close again.
39 Commissioner McKee noted that there has been no delay or suspension of the bond
40 discussion, and it is in process.
41 Commissioner Dorosin asked for clarification regarding the Rogers Road Infrastructure.
42 Bonnie Hammersley said the schedule has not changed. She said the way it was
43 originally listed in the CIP, all of the money was in one year, and there is one more phase left.
44 She said she and the County attorney are in the process of creating the next interlocal
45 agreement. She said the next design phase would take a year, and the anticipated start is in
46 April or May of 2015, and this will be complete in June or July of 2016. She said the schedule
47 has not changed, but the money has been moved to more accurately fall where it will be spent.
48 Commissioner Dorosin said he would like for them to expedite this process.
49 Bonnie Hammersley said there are a number of easements, and there is work being
50 done with the Jackson Center on these.
23
1 Commissioner Pelissier said the way this has been presented is different than it has
2 been in the past and it is great for the Board and the public.
3 Commissioner Burroughs said she would like to learn more about the site work at
4 Southern Human Services Center campus and the urgency there.
5 Commissioner Burroughs expressed thanks for the planning funds for Orange County
6 Schools (OCS) and Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS). She said the timeframe in the
7 presentation for the schools is very SAPFO oriented, and it is important to remember the
8 varying states of dilapidation for both school systems, as well as the safety concerns with the
9 Orange County Schools. She said there is some breathing room, that allows them not to rush
10 on the capacity piece, but these other issues still exist.
11 Commissioner Burroughs said one inconsistency she saw was regarding the
12 recommendations for shovel ready projects when the bond passes. She referred to page 96
13 and noted that the CHCCS projects lists work starting in the second year, concurrent with the
14 bond. She said she understands the political discussion of starting this before the referendum,
15 but she also knows that the needs are there, and she would be comfortable explaining why
16 work needs to start.
17 Commissioner Jacobs asked that a copy of the CIP be put in the libraries too.
18 Commissioner Price asked about the study related to the sewer construction at Rogers
19 Road.
20 Bonnie Hammersley said this is referring to the schematic design of the system.
21 Commissioner Price asked if Bonnie Hammersley can give the Board advance notice of
22 what sections will be looked at in the future work sessions.
23 Bonnie Hammersley said yes.
24 Commissioner Rich said she appreciated the overview. She likes reviewing projects one
25 at a time and she asked staff to keep the Board updated with the capital projects' sheets.
26 Chair McKee expressed his appreciation for the presentation tonight. He said he also
27 appreciates the conversation about the difference between debt capacity and debt affordability,
28 and he feels it is important to keep this in mind moving forward. He does not want to take a
29 loan that will require a tax increase.
30
31 b. Solid Waste Program Fee Options Recommendation —Solid Waste Advisory
32 Group
33 The Board received the presentation on Solid Waste Program Funding Options and the
34 recommendation from the Solid Waste Advisory Group (SWAG), and asked questions as
35 necessary of staff and the Board's two SWAG representatives in order to be prepared to
36 discuss the issue with the towns on March 26th.
37 Bonnie Hammersley said this report will be discussed at the AOG meeting on March
38 26th. She said this presentation was put together by all of the town and County staff in
39 collaboration.
40 Gayle Wilson presented the following PowerPoint slides:
41
42 RECYCLING PROGRAM FUNDING OPTIONS
43 PURPOSE
44 • Provide an overview of recycling program funding options prior to Assembly of
45 Governments meeting on March 26, 2015.
46 — Finalizing selection of a funding option will be discussed at AOG
47 meeting
48 SWAG
49 • SOLID WASTE ADVISORY GROUP (SWAG)
50 — Board of County Commissioners created SWAG in June 2014.
24
1 - Representatives:
2 • Two members from each elected board of Carrboro,
3 Chapel Hill, Hillsborough and Orange County
4 • One member from UNC-Chapel Hill
5 • One member from UNC Healthcare
6
7 SWAG
8 • SWAG began meeting on August 25, 2014 to develop an Interlocal Agreement for
9 recycling and solid waste services currently provided by Orange County.
10 • Curbside, Multifamily and Commercial Recycling
11 • 24 Hour Recycling Drop-off Centers
12 • Staffed Convenience Centers
13 • C&D Landfill and Vegetative Debris Mulching Facility
14 • Commercial Food Waste Collections
15 • HHW, Electronics, White Goods, Tires, Scrap Metal, Clean Wood and
16 Mattress Recycling
17 SWAG
18 • SWAG discussions have included:
19 • Funding options for recycling program
20 • Interlocal Agreement
21 • Partnership Opportunities with UNC-CH and UNC Healthcare
22 • Future role of SWAG
23
24 SWAG (Pie Chart)
25 • Two recycling program funding options are being proposed by the SWAG for
26 consideration by all elected boards.
27 - Option 1 - $94 Municipal Program fee/ $118 Rural Program fee
28 - Option 2 - $103 County-Wide SW Program
29
30 UNIVERSAL ELEMENTS
31 • All developed properties including tax-exempt properties pay a fee.
32 • Undeveloped properties do not pay a fee.
33 • The fee structure is stable and predictable.
34 • Some property owners may consider the proposed fee rates a significant increase
35 because no fee for rural or urban curbside service or multi-family service has been
36 assessed for the past two years.
37 • Both options include the phased expansion of rural curbside collection service to
38 all remaining -7,000 rural residential units, increasing the recycling and waste
39 reduction rate.
40 • All options assume the current use of fees to fund approximately 35% of Solid
41 Waste Convenience Centers (SWCC) costs, and assumes approximately $1.85
42 million in General Fund contributions to fund the remaining costs.
43 • Funding option proposals are based on FY 2014-15 budget revenue requirements.
44 For FY 2015-16, minor fee adjustments may be implemented to align with the
45 actual FY 2015-16 budget revenue requirements.
46 • Failure of elected boards to approve a funding mechanism may lead to suspension
47 of services or further debiting of the solid waste landfill closure and post-closure
48 reserves account.
49 • Orange County will continue to provide financial assistance for qualifying low-
50 income residents who are unable to pay for solid waste program fees. In 2014,
25
1 approximately 700 parcels were provided assistance through the County's 3 R Fee
2 Financial Assistance program.
3
4 OPTION #1
5 • KEY FACTORS
6 — Simplified fee structure: 2 Fees
7 — Easy to administer, manage & explain
8 — Incremental rural fee increase over phased expansion of rural curbside
9 service
10 — Single family, multi-family, and developed non-residential property owners in
11 the rural sector pay $24 more than property owners in the urban sector.
12
13 OPTION #2
14 • KEY FACTORS
15 — Simplified fee structure: 1 Fee
16 — Easy to administer, manage, and explain
17 — Incremental fee increase over phased expansion of rural curbside service
18 — All developed properties pay the same amount, although eligibility for
19 services may vary between jurisdictions and sectors.
20 — This option presents a new funding paradigm and new way of viewing solid
21 waste program funding by offering a singular fee. This holistic approach to
22 funding eliminates any division between rural and urban boundaries, creating
23 a truly integrated and comprehensive approach to program funding county-
24 wide.
25
26 NEXT STEPS
27 • Assembly of Governments meeting on March 26, 2015
28 — Selection of funding option
29 • Approval of funding option by each elected board to authorize County to charge
30 fee
31 — Approval needed before end of April
32 • Finalize Comprehensive Interlocal Agreement by January 1, 2016
33
34 Commissioner Rich said the group came a long way from where things were at the
35 beginning. She said everyone did a good job of coming to consensus on these two options.
36
37 PUBLIC COMMENT:
38 Bonnie Hauser said she was pleased to hear about the flat fee, but she was not pleased
39 to hear that curbside recycling is expanding throughout the County where most families cannot
40 use it, or that fees will be increasing every year when her taxes are subsidizing the fee. She
41 said equity is equity, and she is prepared to do her part. She said the single fee is a large
42 increase for the rural households that do not get curbside recycling, and it is a large increase
43 for multi-family households. She referenced a spreadsheet to show how fees have increased
44 over the years. She said the fees for rural residents have gone up by $50 since 2010 and by
45 $15 and $30 for town residents. She said the increases are due mostly to the convenience
46 center fees, which were introduced in 2011 at the same time that service levels were cut. She
47 noted that most of the rural centers are still on a reduced schedule. She said the increase for
48 rural residents is nearly 2 points on the tax rate, and it is 1 point for town residents, but there is
49 no improvement in services. She said now there will be more unwanted services and more rate
50 increases. She said she would rather see her tax increases or fees used for schools, public
26
1 safety or affordability instead of services that she will not use. She supports an equitable flat
2 fee, and she would like this to come with a commitment from the Board to limit future increases
3 and begin a process to reign in the cost of the solid waste department and eliminate the subsidy
4 from the general fund.
5 Commissioner Dorosin referred to the splitting of rural and non-rural services, and he
6 asked if the definition of municipal, anyone who lives inside the city limits.
7 Gayle Wilson said the corporate limits are the dividing lines.
8 Commissioner Dorosin asked if these two fees generate the same amount of money.
9 Gayle Wilson said yes. He said the revenue requirement is $6,208,000.
10 Commissioner Dorosin asked how much of a tax hit this would be if it were paid for out
11 of taxes.
12 Paul Laughton said this would be about 4 cents.
13 Commissioner Dorosin asked how the 700 parcels with subsidies are identified.
14 Gayle Wilson said the tax administration office handles this and there is income criteria
15 required in order to qualify. He said if the resident qualifies, then these fees are paid for them.
16 Commissioner Dorosin said this seems like a low number of residents who qualify, and
17 he wonders how effective this system is in identifying these households.
18 Gayle Wilson said these are property owners not renters.
19 Commissioner Dorosin said even under fee structure, there is a base amount of tax
20 money that subsidizes the program.
21 Gayle Wilson said that is correct.
22 Commissioner Price said there are people on fixed incomes who are property owners.
23 She said going from no fee to $103 is a big jump for these people. She asked if this amount
24 will increase with a new proposal. She also asked for justification for the unequal rate between
25 rural and non-rural residents.
26 Gayle Wilson said the urban solid waste program fee includes the cost for weekly
27 curbside recycling program and all but one of the multi-family facilities. He said the rural
28 component includes the rural recycling program and solid waste convenience center (SWCC)
29 fees. He said one-third of the SWCC costs are covered in the urban portion, and the rural
30 portion covers the remaining two-thirds. He said all of the rest of the services are split evenly.
31 Gayle Wilson said the rural fee is higher because there are fewer residents to divide the
32 fee.
33 Gayle Wilson said the unincorporated areas are not going from nothing to $103. He
34 said these residents are actually going from $87 to $103.
35 Commissioner Price asked if it is possible to lower the fee below$100 in order to
36 smooth the transition.
37 Gayle Wilson said this could be done if the services and programs are reduced, or if the
38 general fund takes on a greater share of the cost.
39 Commissioner Price asked about the part of Mebane that is in Orange County.
40 Gayle Wilson said this area is served by the Town of Mebane.
41 Commissioner Price asked if expansion means that every household will be served.
42 Gayle Wilson said the services will have to be made available to everyone if you are
43 going to levy the same fee.
44 Commissioner Pelissier said many rural residents live on roads that trucks may have
45 trouble accessing.
46 Gayle Wilson said the department has dealt with a wide variety of service access
47 challenges. He said if an owner allows it, drivers will even go down private drives.
48 Gayle Wilson said staff will continue to provide surveys through all phases of
49 implementation, and those who want the carts will be able to use them. He said since the initial
27
1 survey there have been 550 additional people requesting carts. He said staff will provide the
2 quality and point of service that is best for the resident to the extent that it can be provided.
3 Commissioner Pelissier said people could choose curbside pickup, convenience center,
4 or both.
5 Gayle Wilson said the Board had requested that residents be allowed to keep their bins,
6 and this is being done as part of the surveys.
7 Commissioner Jacobs said one of the things that was articulated was that they were
8 balancing competing equities. He said one of these competing equities is that it costs more to
9 go to every house in the County, but if people are paying for a service, they deserve to get it.
10 He said, in using the general fund, property tax is based more on the worth of the
11 property, and that is balanced into this equation with the mixture of general fund and straight
12 fee.
13 Commissioner Rich the reason the group brought these two options to the Board is to
14 find out from them which option they favored heading into the March 26th Assembly of
15 Governments (AOG) meeting.
16 Commissioner Burroughs said there are merits to both options. She likes the
17 description of equity discussed by Chair Jacobs. She said her interest is to find a solution that
18 does not take money out of the reserves next year. She asked Gayle Wilson about the
19 Carrboro meeting.
20 Gayle Wilson said Carrboro favored option two.
21 Commissioner Dorosin asked for clarification on the amounts coming from the general
22 fund.
23 Gayle Wilson confirmed that $1.85 million is coming from the general fund, and $6.2
24 million is coming from fees.
25 Commissioner Dorosin said this indicates that the total cost is about $8 million for these
26 services. He said he would favor the flat fee for everyone, but he is also in favor of adjusting
27 the balancing structure to have more money come from the general fund.
28 Commissioner Pelissier said she would favor option two. She said there is another
29 consideration regarding balancing equity. She said with money coming from the general fund,
30 individuals who own undeveloped property are actually paying for this service. She said even if
31 costs are more per household in the rural area, it balances out the fact that the general fund is
32 taxing undeveloped properties, which exist more in the rural areas.
33 Chair McKee asked if there is a three year build-out proposed for areas not currently
34 being served.
35 Gayle Wilson said yes.
36 Chair McKee said these people will be paying from the start, despite receiving service in
37 a staggered fashion.
38 Gayle Wilson said yes. He said this allows time to figure out routing and acquire
39 equipment.
40 Chair McKee said there are 700 exempted properties, and he asked if staff has any idea
41 how many properties in northern and western rural area are expected to receive assistance.
42 Gayle Wilson said these residents are already paying convenience center fees and
43 basic recycling fee, so some of these are likely already included in the 700.
44 Chair McKee said he expects there are more elderly and limited income properties in
45 these areas, and he suspects the number of those needing assistance will increase.
46 Gayle Wilson said information will go out with the tax bill announcing the availability of
47 assistance.
48 Chair McKee said it is important to publicize the availability of this financial assistance
49 option.
28
1 Chair McKee said the convenience centers are available to everyone in the County,
2 regardless of use percentage.
3 Chair McKee said he strongly favored option two.
4 Commissioner Price asked about the hours for the Bradshaw Quarry Convenience
5 Center. She asked if it is possible to give expanded hours, given that many of these folks will
6 pay increased fees for service that will be introduced in staggered fashion.
7 Commissioner Jacobs noted this could be discussed for three of the rural convenience
8 centers.
9 Commissioner Jacobs referred to the equity issue, and he said the Chapel Hill officials
10 have pointed out that Chapel Hill provides half of the County's property tax revenue, so it is an
11 issue for them if a higher percentage of fees are supplemented by the property tax.
12 Commissioner Jacobs said he thought the County cut out notices with the tax bill years
13 ago. He said he would like to include these tax inserts again.
14 Commissioner Burroughs said she could go with the consensus of option two.
15 Chair McKee noted that there seems to be a Board consensus in favor of option two.
16 Commissioner Rich said both Carrboro and Hillsborough were in favor of option two.
17 Commissioner McKee expressed his appreciation to the group for their work, and he
18 said it is great to have UNC participate in the conversation.
19
20 9. County Manager's Report
21 Bonnie Hammersley reviewed the items for the work session on March 19th below:
22
23 Proiected March 19, 2015 Work Session Items
24 BOCC External Advisory Board Appointees
25 County Commissioners: Boards and Commissions—Annual Work Plans/Reports
26 Orange County Bus and Rail Investment Plan Annual Report and Update
27
28 10. County Attorney's Report
29 NONE
30
31 11. Appointments
32
33 a. Affordable Housing Advisory Board —Appointment
34 The Board considered making an appointment to the Affordable Housing Advisory
35 Board.
36
37 A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Pelissier to
38 appoint the following to the Affordable Housing Advisory Board:
39
40 •Arthur Sprinczeles to a second full term (Position #14) "At-Large" expiring 06/30/2017.
41 • Ellie Kinnard to a first full term (Position #2) "At-Large" position expiring 09/30/2017.
42 • Brian Finch to a partial term (Position #9) "At-Large" position expiring 06/30/2015.
43 •Vivian Herndon-Latta to a partial term (Position #12) "At-Large" position expiring
44 06/30/2015.
45 •Jason Obrien to a partial term (Position #13) "At-Large" position expiring 06/30/2016.
46 • Daniel Bullock Position #15--- "At-Large" position expiring 09/30/2015.
47
48 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
49
50 b. Board of Equalization and Review —Appointments
29
1 The Board considered making appointments to the Board of Equalization and Review.
2
3 A motion was made by Commissioner Dorosin, seconded by Commissioner Price to
4 appoint the following to the E&R Board, and to appoint Jennifer Marsh as Chair:
5
6 1. Vacant Regular Member 03/31/2016-Jennifer Marsh (CHAIR)
7 2. Vacant Regular Member 03/31/2016-Pam Davis
8 3. Vacant Regular Member 03/31/2016-Patricia Roberts
9 4. Vacant Alternate Member 03/31/2016-Margaret Brown
10 5. Vacant Alternate Member 03/31/2016-Barbara Levine
11 6. Vacant Alternate Member 03/31/2016-Reginald Morgan
12 7. Vacant Alternate Member 03/31/2016-Karen Morrissette
13 8. Vacant Alternate Member 03/31/2016-Blaine Schmidt
14 9. Vacant Alternate Member 03/31/2016
15 10. Vacant Alternate Member 03/31/2016
16
17 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
18
19 c. Commission for the Environment—Appointment
20 The Board considered making an appointment to the Commission for the Environment.
21
22 A motion was made by Commissioner Rich, seconded by Commissioner Pelissier to
23 appoint the following to the Commission for the Environment:
24
25 • Lynne Gronback to a partial term (Position #14) At-Large with term expiring 12/31/2015.
26
27 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
28
29 d. Human Relations Commission —Appointment
30 The Board considered making an appointment to the Human Relations Commission
31 (HRC).
32
33 A motion was made by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Dorosin to
34 appoint the following to the HRC:
35
36 • Ms. Jamie Paulen to a first full term (Position #17) At-Large representative with a term
37 ending on 06/30/2017.
38 • Move Natalie Turner from Position #2 (Town of Hillsborough) to Position 11 (At Large)
39 with the term ending 6/30/15.
40 • Robin Criffield to a partial term (Position #6) "At-Large" position with the term expiring
41 09/30/2016.
42 • Andy Cagle to a partial term (Position #2) "Town of Hillsborough" position with a term
43 expiring 06/30/2015.
44 • Erin O'Daniel to a partial term (Position #12) "At-Large" position with a term expiring
45 06/30/2016.
46 • Scott Goldsmith to a partial term (Position #14) "At-Large" position with a term expiring
47 09/30/2015.
48
49 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
50
30
1 e. Orange County Planning Board —Appointments
2 The Board considered making appointments to the Orange County Planning Board.
3
4 A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Pelissier to
5 appoint the following to the Orange County Planning Board:
6
7 • Mr. H.T. "Buddy" Hartley to a second full term (Position #2) Little River Township expiring
8 03/31/2018.
9 • Tony Blake to a second full term (Position #4) Bingham Township with a term expiring
10 3/31/2018.
11 • Ms. Andrea Rohrbacher to a second full term (Position #7) At-Large representative expiring
12 03/31/2018.
13
14 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
15
16 Commissioner Jacobs said he had asked for attendance records for these
17 reappointments, and it looked like that most people had excused absences when they did not
18 attend, and some had up to five or six a year. He expressed concerns about this.
19 Commissioner Rich said she feels this is worth future discussion.
20
21 f. Orange Unified Transportation Board —Appointments
22 The Board will consider making appointments to the Orange Unified Transportation
23 Board.
24
25 A motion was made by Commissioner Pelissier, seconded by Commissioner Price to
26 appoint the following to the Orange Unified Transportation Board:
27
28 •Mr. John Rubin to a first full term (Position #9) Orange County Planning Advocate expiring
29 09/30/2017.
30
31 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
32
33 A motion was made by Commissioner Dorosin, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs to
34 appoint the following to the Orange Unified Transportation Board:
35
36 • David I. Laudicina to fill a partial term in the vacant Cheeks Township Position (#2), with
37 an expiration date of 9/30/2016, which has been vacant for more than 6 months, in
38 reference to their newly adopted amendment to the advisory board policy. Mr. Laudicina
39 is not from Cheeks Township. He is from Bingham Township but since this position has
40 been so difficult to fill, this proposal is to fill it with another applicant on the listing.
41
42 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
43
44 12. Board Comments
45 NONE
46
47 13. Information Items
48 • March 3, 2015 BOCC Meeting Follow-up Actions List
49 • Memo Regarding Ambulance Idle Reduction Project and Memorandum of
50 Understanding with Stealth Power LLC and the NC Clean Energy Technology Center
31
1 • Memo Regarding Solid Waste Convenience Center Survey
2 • Memo Regarding Free-Roaming Cat Task Force Recommendation
3 • BOCC Chair Letter Regarding Petitions from March 3, 2015 Regular Meeting
4
5 14. Closed Session
6 A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Rich to go into
7 closed session at 10:38 p.m. for the purposes below:
8
9 "To discuss the County's position and to instruct the County Manager and County Attorney on
10 the negotiating position regarding the terms of a contract to purchase real property," NCGS §
11 143-318.11(a)(5).
12
13 Approval of Closed Session Minutes
14
15 RECONVENE INTO REGULAR SESSION
16
17 A motion was made by Commissioner Dorosin, seconded by Commissioner Price to go
18 into regular session at 11:35pm.
19
20 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
21
22 Southern Library Discussion
23
24 Commissioner Price left at 11:35 p.m.
25
26 Discussion ensued about proposed decision points in reference to the Southern Library
27 discussions moving forward:
28
29 • The Board agreed by consensus to direct the County Manager to participate with the
30 Carrboro Town Manager, Arts Center Executive Director, and the Kidzu Children's
31 Museum Executive Director on developing a timeline and exploring financing options to
32 create a cultural arts area that would include the Southern Branch Library.
33 • The Board agreed by consensus for the reference document "proposed path to new
34 proposal" to be amended to read: Engaging in this process does not constitute a
35 commitment from the Town or County to participate financially in any development
36 project.
37 • The Board agreed by consensus to centralize the information flow, with the main point of
38 contact being the County Manager, for the public and media on Southern Branch Library
39 matters.
40
41 15. Adjournment
42 A motion was made by Commissioner Burroughs, seconded by Commissioner Dorosin
43 to adjourn the meeting at 11:45 p.m.
44
45 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
46
47
48 Earl McKee, Chair
49
50 Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board
1
1 Attachment 2
2
3 DRAFT MINUTES
4 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
5 Work Session
6 March 19, 2015
7
8 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a work session on Tuesday,
9 March 19, 2015 at the Whitted Building in Hillsborough, N.C.
10
11 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair McKee and Commissioners Mia Burroughs,
12 Mark Dorosin, Bernadette Pelissier, Renee Price and Penny Rich
13 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Barry Jacobs
14 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts
15 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Assistant County Manager
16 Cheryl Young and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (All other staff members will be identified
17 appropriately below)
18
19 Chair McKee called the meeting to order at 7:06 p.m. He said that Commissioner
20 Jacobs was not feeling well and would not be attending tonight.
21
22 1. BOCC External Advisory Board Appointees
23 Attended:
24
25 • Northern Transition Area Advisory Commission
26 Amy Jeroloman is the Orange County representative to the Carrboro Northern
27 Transition Area Advisory Commission (NTACC). She reviewed the following information:
28
29 3/19/2015 - The Northern Transition Area Advisory Committee (NTAAC), whose primary
30 purpose is to review and make recommendations about development and planning concerns in
31 the area of Orange County under the jurisdiction of Carrboro, respectfully submits the following
32 concerns and recommendations to the Orange County Board of Commissioners:
33
34 1. Delay in appointing New Orange County Reps to the NTAAC: There is a two-step process
35 for the Orange County Rep positions to be approved. Anahid Vrana is a new applicant
36 pending review by the Commissioners. Chair review was submitted to Carrboro Town Clerk
37 on 1-4-2015. The committee still has another County representative vacancy. It is difficult
38 to get applicants. People living in the northern transition area regulated by Carrboro do not
39 understand the NTAAC's role.
40
41 2. What exactly is the County Commissioner's review process with the Town of Carrboro
42 Board of Aldermen? An example was given of the gas pumping station that was
43 constructed last year near the Buddhist Temple off old Hwy 86. There was considerable
44 confusion about whose jurisdiction this came under since the Town of Carrboro declined to
45 have a hearing but Orange County did have a hearing. The homeowners who live closest to
46 the station were told at the hearing that their concerns would not be addressed since this
47 area is regulated by Carrboro, and it was a County hearing. This project didn't come before
48 the NTAAC, and the first notification received was the letter for the County hearing. The
49 notice was delivered only a few days before the hearing and then the hearing was
50 rescheduled to another date. Amy Jeroloman requested that as the Orange County
2
1 representative, she should at least receive email notification for future projects within the
2 NTAAC.
3
4 The following items were submitted to the Commissioners on 4/10/2014. We would
5 like an update on each. Our concerns and recommendations are also included.
6
7 3. Twin Creek Park Site & Road Access to Old NC 86:
8 The NTAAC understands that the Commissioners are proposing a park entrance to Old NC
9 86 via an existing farm road which straddles the property line between the Ballentine
10 subdivision and the Twin Creek Park Site. (The County's internal working title for this road
11 has been "Twin Creeks Parkway"). This 'farm road' is in a dangerous location given the hill
12 just south which limits the sight distance for traffic traveling north on Old NC 86. This hill
13 was brought to the attention of the DOT by the residents of Deer Ridge Drive on or about
14 2003. It was also brought to the attention of the Commissioners in 2005 and 2006. Only
15 after a 5 year campaign was the funding made available to lower the hill. Nevertheless it still
16 remains a hazard since the DOT could not fully correct the issue. (It is our understanding
17 that there are water pipes under Old 86 which interfere with any additional road corrections.)
18 Keeping the park access in this location will create public safety issues. NTAAC therefore
19 recommends that the park access be moved further north away from this site limiting hill.
20
21 As you may know, Old NC 86 is the original road to the colonial capital of Hillsborough,
22 North Carolina. This wagon trail has now become a major secondary road where the
23 majority of motorists travel 10 to 20 miles over the 45 mile an hour speed limit. Though the
24 neighborhoods have grown and changed unfortunately this section of Old NC 86 has not. It
25 remains a narrow winding road with blind hills and no shoulders where motorists drive
26 aggressively and routinely exceed the speed limit. In addition deer frequently cross this
27 section of the road. There are no bike lanes and the shoulders are too narrow for
28 pedestrians to use. Motorists traveling north will not see any vehicles, deer, bicyclists,
29 and/or pedestrians entering or exiting the park until they are almost upon them.
30
31 Recent traffic studies show that there have been accidents long this section of Old NC 86
32 due to high speeds and deer. Over the years, numerous efforts have been made by
33 NTAAC, with resolutions of support from the Commissioners and the Carrboro Board of
34 Aldermen, to petition DOT to reduce the speed limit on this section of Old 86. These
35 requests have been based on logical principles and anecdotal evidence of the high and
36 reckless speeds from cars, motorcycles, large trucks including dump trucks and town
37 buses. Thus far the DOT has chosen not to act on these requests.
38
39 Years ago Deer Ridge Drive Residents were requested by the postal service to move their
40 mailboxes off Old NC 86 due to the hazard of stopping with limited room to pull over. Other
41 Homeowners along Old NC 86 are also receiving this request. In addition there isn't a
42 shoulder for curb side recycling containers to be placed. This section of the road is
43 especially dangerous to pedestrians and bicyclists alike. The few hundred feet of the road
44 surrounding the proposed park outlet is also very narrow, has deep ditches on both sides of
45 the road, and absolutely no shoulder. (See photo.)
46
47 As the Ballentine development completes new homes, there is a continuous increase in the
48 number of vehicles accessing Old NC 86. The proposed park outlet is configured across
49 from the Buddhist Temple. There are also at least two other driveways/private roads outlets
3
1 in this same location. (See photo.) The additional traffic turning into and out of a park
2 entrance/exit will be dangerous.
3
4 Given the above, the NTAAC recommends that traffic from Old NC 86 be limited a one way
5 right hand turn into the park. An alternative exit route through the park via Eubanks Road
6 would help to mitigate the growing traffic congestion along Old NC 86. There could be a
7 safety bollard to create a way for only emergency vehicles to make a right turn out.
8
9 4. North-South Connector Road via Lake Hogan Farms Extension:
10 Given the above stated issues with Old NC 86, the NTAAC would like to emphasize the
11 importance completing the North-South connector road (Lake Hogan Farms Road
12 Extension northward to Eubanks Road) to the future well-being of the Northern Transition
13 Area. The NTAAC has identified this road extension, which will directly link Eubanks and
14 Homestead Roads and provide an alternate route to Old NC 86, as a project that will do
15 much to improve traffic circulation and safety in the Northern Transition Area. Please
16 consider making the connector one of the Commissioners' highest priorities since this would
17 alleviate (but not in any way "fix") the already existing dangerous traffic pattern on Old NC
18 86.
19
20 5. Eubanks Road Relocation and Pavement:
21 Members of the NTAAC and our neighbors are concerned about the condition of the asphalt
22 on the extension/relocation of Eubanks Road. There are many gaps and holes in the new
23 road as if the contractor ran out of materials. Are the Commissioners aware of this situation
24 and what can be done to hold the contractors accountable for repaving this section of the
25 road? What timeframe can be expected to make the road `whole'? This issue has been a
26 concern for over a year.
27
28 Amy Jeroloman asked about updates regarding the Twin Creeks Road.
29 Chair McKee said Planning or DEAPR would respond to this request.
30 Chair McKee said that the Board can also bring forth her concerns to the Department of
31 Transportation (DOT) at their quarterly meetings.
32 Commissioner Price said the Orange County Board of Commissioners had not received
33 any advanced notice regarding the utility work either. She said some Commissioners had a
34 meeting with PSNC representatives to request efforts to be better neighbors, and PNC said
35 they would try to be more transparent with information.
36 Amy Jeroloman said the development has caused a number of problems for area
37 homes, particularly flooding issues and noise ordinance issues. She said it has been difficult to
38 determine who represents citizens when there are issues like this.
39 Chair McKee said the flooding and noise are valid concerns, and the fact that the
40 pipeline went into an existing right of way took out the possibility of input from anyone.
41
42 • Mebane Planning Board
43 Thomas Fenske is the Orange County representative on the Mebane Planning Board.
44 He said that he does not have a lot of issues, except the northeast development on Leatherman
45 Road, which was a trivial zoning change. He said the adjacent landowner contacted him, and
46 this development was on the extra territorial jurisdiction (ETJ) line. The landowner was just
47 beyond it, and he was concerned about setbacks. He said this was in Mebane, not in Orange
48 County, and he did vote against it. He said in the end, the City of Mebane was able to mediate
49 a resolution with the citizen. He said he tries to be attentive to any issues that involve Orange
50 County.
4
1
2 Chair McKee thanked him, and he noted that this is why it is important to have outside
3 appointees to these boards, because the various entities have different regulations.
4 Thomas Fenske thanked the Orange County Planning Department for having orientation
5 sessions for him and others.
6
7 • Hillsborough Board of Adiustment
8 Carl Edward Sain is the Orange County representative on the Hillsborough Board of
9 Adjustment, and he had no comments.
10
11 • Chapel Hill Library Board of Trustees
12 James Stroud is the Orange County representative on the Chapel Hill Library Board of
13 Trustees. He said everything is going well. He said it seems that the only concern he has
14 heard from the Trustees is about continued financial support from Orange County.
15 Chair McKee said there is no lack of support for the Chapel Hill Library even as the
16 Board discusses a southern branch library.
17 Commissioner Dorosin asked Mr. Stroud if he has heard any discussion of the need for
18 a more collaborative relationship with regard to the southwest branch.
19 James Stroud said no. He said the main concern is how that branch will operate and
20 whether the Chapel Hill Library will keep their funding.
21
22 • Chapel Hill Planning Commission
23 Deborah Fulghieri is the Orange County ETJ representative on the Chapel Hill Planning
24 Commission, which used to be the Planning Board.
25 She said there are fewer seats on the new re-aligned board than before, and Chapel Hill
26 voted to eliminate the joint planning area (JPA) County seat. She asked the Board of County
27 Commissioners to keep this seat and the ETJ seat. She said Rogers Road has been voted into
28 the ETJ area and will have different concerns than the southern ETJ.
29 She said the southern ETJ contains the Obey Creek development, which was recently
30 presented to the planning commission. She said the developer plans to put off annexation from
31 the ETJ into the town of Chapel Hill until July 1st of 2016. She said if the general assembly
32 votes to eliminate ETJs, this development will fall into the County jurisdiction. She said the
33 planner in charge of Obey Creek said that as of March 13th they had sent the proposed
34 development agreement to Orange County. She said a new zoning designation is being
35 formed, called development agreement 1, which is a placeholder. She is trying to vote against
36 this as she thinks it sets a bad precedent.
37 Deborah Fulghieri said 4100-4500 new residences are approved for building in Chapel
38 Hill, plus another 151 single family homes. She said this has bearing on the school districts and
39 County services.
40
41 Chair McKee said it is very difficult to predict what the legislature may or may not do.
42 Commissioner Dorosin clarified that the area of the ETJ has increased, but not the seats
43 on the board. He said the JPA seat is vacant, and he asked if it is going to be eliminated.
44 Deborah Fulghieri said she does not know if it is going to be eliminated. She said the
45 planning commission voted to eliminate one of the two seats, either an ETJ or JPA seat.
46 Commissioner Dorosin said he thinks the number of required seats based on the
47 population of your relative ETJ is governed by the legislature. He said it may be necessary to
48 give the ETJ an extra seat, regardless of whether the JPA seat is kept or not.
49 John Roberts said this is a mathematical calculation based on population.
5
1 Commissioner Rich said the Board stated earlier that they were going to request an
2 extra ETJ position with the addition of Rogers Road into this area by Chapel Hill. She said the
3 Board does not want these residents to feel like they do not have representation.
4 Chair McKee said the Manager has made a note of this.
5 Donna Baker noted that Susan Poulton, from the Carrboro Planning Board, had
6 contacted the Commissioners to notify them that she would be unable to attend due to a
7 Carrboro Planning Board meeting.
8
9 Did not attend:
10 Chapel Hill Parks, Greenways and Recreation Commission - Mary Musacchia
11 Hillsborough Planning - John Bemis
12 Hillsborough Board of Adjustment - David Remington
13 Carrboro Northern Transition Area Advisory Committee — Noah Moore
14 Carrboro Planning Board — David Clinton and Susan Poulton
15 Chapel Hill Board of Adjustment— Dr. Timothy Peppers, Sr. and Jennifer Amster
16 Chapel Hill Parks, Greenways and Recreation Commission — Mary Musacchia
17 Hillsborough Board of Adjustment— Dustin Williams
18 Hillsborough Planning Board — Erin Eckert and Janie Morris
19
20
21 2. County Commissioners: Boards and Commissions —Annual Work Plans/Reports
22
23 • ABC Board —This board will be making a presentation to the BOCC on April 7th
24
25 • Adult Care Community Advisory Board - Max Mason, Chair
26 Commissioner Pelissier referred to the list of concerns included in the annual report,
27 which listed the "Apparent limited experience and preparation of facility and home staff in
28 handling mental health issues of residents." She said a lot of people do not understand mental
29 health needs, and she asked if any of the mental health agencies have been approached to
30 provide training and assistance in this area.
31 Max Mason said this has not been done, but it can be looked into. He said there is quite
32 a mix of residents in these facilities, many with mental health concerns.
33 Commissioner McKee said the Board can provide him with contact information for these
34 agencies.
35 Commissioner Rich asked Max Mason if he can identify the largest concern of this
36 group.
37 Max Mason said from his perspective the biggest issue is insuring there is adequate
38 funding of these facilities. He said inadequate funding is reflected in the services residents
39 receive. He said there is a wide gap in the level of services that are offered within facilities.
40 Commissioner Rich asked if the Medicaid expansion will help.
41 Max Mason said he is not sure.
42 Department on Aging representatives in the audience indicated yes.
43
44 • Advisory Board on Aging - Heather Altman, Chair
45 Heather Altman said the advisory board's report did not include all of the compelling and
46 un-compelling statistics. She noted that N.C. is in the midst of a significant demographic
47 change as the state's 2.4 million baby boomers enter retirement age. She said for the first time
48 in the history of Orange County there are more older adults than there are children in the school
49 system. She said it is important to pay attention to these compelling statistics, as well as the
50 compelling stories of residents.
6
1 Heather Altman said they have exceptional staff in the Department on Aging, and she
2 commended Janice Tyler and Mary Frasier for the energy they bring to the Advisory Board on
3 Aging. She said the board is committed to tackling all of the issues outlined in the Master Aging
4 Plan.
5 Heather Altman invited the Commissioners to an event at the Seymour Center on
6 Wednesday, March 25th, regarding tiny houses and different housing alternatives.
7 She said she presents all of this as an opportunity for Orange County to be innovators in
8 service delivery, work force preparedness and economic development.
9 Commissioner Pelissier said not everyone realizes the amount of public engagement
10 there has been with the Master Aging Plan and the Department of Aging. She expressed
11 appreciation for all of the work that has been done.
12 Commissioner Pelissier asked if the mobility manager is focused only on helping
13 individuals, or if he/she helps identify the transportation needs of the aging population.
14 Heather Altman said the goal is generally to help individuals navigate the opportunities.
15 Janice Tyler said the mobility manager does work closely with OPT and the Planning
16 Department.
17 Commissioner Price asked how much collaboration is done with Adult Care.
18 Heather Altman said there is quite a bit of collaboration with the Nursing Home Advisory
19 Committee and the Adult Care Home in exchanging information and planning educational
20 programs.
21 Chair McKee expressed his appreciation for all that this board does.
22
23 • Affordable Housing Advisory Board -Arthur Sprinczeles—Vice Chair
24 Arthur Sprinczeles thanked the Board members for all of their support at the recent
25 Rotary Pancake sale. He said the advisory board meets once a month and advises the Orange
26 County Board of County Commissioners regarding affordable housing issues and increasing
27 community awareness. He said the board also monitors the implementation of affordable
28 housing and bond programs.
29 He said more affordable housing is needed in Orange County for young and older
30 adults.
31 He listed the following tasks of the Board:
32 - Completed the FY 2014 performance report
33 - Monitor the Affordable Housing Bond Program
34 - Review non-departmental funding applications for six housing related non-profit
35 organizations
36 - Conduct the annual on-ground affordable housing bus tour
37 - Review the Community Home Trust requests for charter and interlocal agreements
38
39 Arthur Sprinczeles said the advisory board was very involved in the development of
40 housing element of the comprehensive plan. He said the Board plans to continue to pursue the
41 opportunity to work collectively with the planning board to assess progress.
42 Chair McKee said the Board is concerned about affordable housing in Orange County.
43 He said this is one of the most pressing issues the County is facing.
44 Commissioner Price asked if there is a way to find out if Hillsborough plans to do
45 inclusionary housing in Waterstone.
46 Commissioner Rich said there are 21 lots there, and the last discussion was about
47 whether all of these would be developed or whether some would be sold back for payment in
48 lieu. She said there is also a concern about the amount of money that Hillsborough puts into
49 the Community Home Trust. She said these discussions are on the table, but there has been
50 no conclusion.
7
1
2
3
4
5 • Agricultural Preservation Board - Howard McAdams, Past Chair/Peter Sandbeck,
6 DEAPR Staff
7 Howard McAdams said elections were held last night, and he is now the past Chair. He
8 said if there are agricultural issues that come before Board of County Commissioners or other
9 advisory boards, the Agricultural Preservation Board would like the opportunity to vet those
10 issues prior to decisions being made.
11 He said his wife was a Cooperative Extension employee who retired in 2009, and since
12 then, that position has been vacant more than it has been filled. He said if there is anything
13 urgent for the farmers in Orange County, it would be important for that position to be filled. He
14 said this position is jointly funded, with 60 percent of funding from the County, and 40 percent
15 from the state.
16 Commissioner Rich said she is excited about the voluntary agricultural districts. She
17 said the Board has done a great job of promoting this.
18 Howard McAdams said Gail Hughes has done a fantastic job.
19 Commissioner Pelissier thanked this board for their work on vetting the agricultural
20 support enterprises. She feels that there have been great steps taken to support agriculture,
21 and she hopes more can be done.
22 Commissioner Price referred to page 36 and the concerns about the animal services
23 board and the unified ordinance. She said it is important for the Board of County
24 Commissioners to follow up on this issue.
25
26 • Animal Services Advisory Board - Michelle Walker, Chair and Bob Marotto
27 Michelle Walker said the Animal Services Advisory Board (ASAB) is full, and there was
28 100 percent attendance at last night's meeting.
29 She said the towns are currently reviewing the Unified Animal Control Ordinance, and
30 she expects votes in April. She said there has been mention of coordination with the
31 Agricultural Preservation Board, and members from the two boards have met in the past year.
32 She said there is a free-roaming cat task force that has met during the past year to
33 discuss strategic management of pet overpopulation, and they have created an excellent report
34 that was included as an information item at the Commissioners' last meeting.
35 Commissioner Price asked if the ASAB has submitted a draft of the Animal Control
36 Ordinance to the Agricultural Preservation Board as it relates to livestock.
37 Michelle said she remembered that the information was shared, and the language was
38 agreed upon by both boards.
39 Bob Marotto said that is the same language that was presented last year at a work
40 session for the Board of County Commissioners.
41 Chair McKee encourage continued collaboration with the Agricultural Preservation
42 Board.
43
44 • Arts Commission - Ashley Nissler, Vice Chair/Martha Shannon, Support Staff
45 Ashley Nissler thanked the Commissioners for their support in making it possible to
46 provide art grants in Orange County. She said this year the Arts Commission will mark their
47 30th anniversary with several special events, and she specifically invited the Board to the
48 commission's birthday celebration on September 3rd
49 Chair McKee thanked the Arts Commission for their work.
50
8
1 • Board of Adjustment - Michael Harvey, Support Staff
2 Michael Harvey said he does not have a formal presentation but he would be happy to
3 answer any questions.
4 Commissioner Pelissier said she did not understand the concern expressed by the
5 Board of Adjustment.
6 Michael Harvey said there is a misspelling in the listed concern. He said if the Board is
7 going to look at processes with respect to changing how land uses are reviewed, the Board of
8 Adjustment would like to be part of that discussion.
9
10 • Board of Health
11 The Board of Health had requested that their work plan be discussed at the Joint Dinner
12 Meeting with the Board of Commissioners on 4/14/15.
13
14 • Board of Social Services - Tamara Dempsey-Tanner, Vice Chair
15 Tamara Dempsey-Tanner said there were some accomplishments that she wanted to
16 highlight. She said over the past year staff was challenged with many issues, including dealing
17 with the rollout of federal marketplace insurance, new eligibility requirements related to
18 Medicaid, and the implementation of NC FAST. She said the staff has done a remarkable job
19 with all of this.
20 She noted that there have also been some legislative changes regarding childcare
21 subsidies, primarily with regard to census rebasing, which has an impact on their subsidy
22 allocations, and she thanked the Board of County Commissioners for their support.
23 Tamara Dempsey said the priorities for next year will be looking at childcare, and
24 continuing to support those families in Orange County. She said new initiatives will include
25 youth employment and veteran services, as retail spaces are developed
26 .
27 • Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau - Visitor's Bureau Director Laurie
28 Paolicelli
29 Commissioner Rich said Chair Anthony Carey sent her a note saying he was ill and
30 would not be able to attend. She said Visitor's Bureau Director Laurie Paolicelli would be
31 presenting tonight.
32 Laurie Paolicelli said that, in terms of total revenue, Orange County now ranks 24th out
33 of 100 counties. She said the County has 1,623 hotel rooms and is outperforming the regions
34 and the state in terms of occupancy and rate.
35 Laurie Paolicelli said there is a lot of interest from hoteliers and builders in Orange
36 County, and there is a lot of growth in tourism.
37 She said the only declining metric is the walk-ins at their visitor center. She said when a
38 visitor's center has a connection to an attraction in a town, such as trolley or train station, there
39 is an increase. She said the three fastest growing segments for travel in Orange County are
40 gay weddings, a greater demand from disabled travelers, and the foodie market.
41 She said tourism is a form of economic development and economic retention, as these
42 visitors help keep these new restaurants and hotels open.
43 Commissioner Rich said it is important to understand that there is an increase in tourism
44 related to youth sports such as soccer. She said there are efforts to increase stay over
45 travelers.
46 Commissioner Dorosin asked if the Visitor's Bureau is responsible for the interstate sign
47 "You will be a fan for life."
48 Laurie Paolicelli said no. She said a former agent at the Visitors Bureau came up with
49 this slogan, but there is no campaign tied to it.
50 Commissioner Dorosin asked how this can be changed.
9
1 Laurie Paolicelli said she would look into this.
2 Commissioner Dorosin said this is more than a university town.
3 Commissioner Price asked if the Visitor's Bureau is considering moving to a new
4 location for more visibility.
5 Laurie Paolicelli said no formal decisions have been made on this, and it has been a
6 discussion item for years. She said she believed if the bureau was in a more visible transit
7 corridor there would be more walk in traffic.
8 Commissioner Dorosin asked where this location would be in Orange County.
9 Laurie Paolicelli said she would like to be closer to the MLK/1-40 freeway entrance. She
10 said there may need to be a joint effort with the municipalities. She said another option would
11 be to put in visitor kiosks, and a future goal is to have more interactivity.
12 Chair McKee said he actually received a letter today that discussed the origin of the
13 earlier referenced slogan.
14 Chair McKee referenced the work done by the visitor's bureau, and he thanked them for
15 their efforts.
16
17 • Commission for the Environment - Jan Sassaman, Chair
18 Jan Sassaman said the Commissioner for the Environment had an opportunity to meet
19 with the Board of County Commissioners last fall, and it was a very productive meeting.
20 He thanked the Board of County Commissioners for promptly approving the candidacy of Lynne
21 Gronbeck on March 17th. He said this year the commission has taken it on themselves to
22 informally interview candidates and invite them to their meetings, and this has worked out well.
23 Jan Sassaman referred to the concerns and emerging issues on the last page of the
24 report. He thanked Commissioner Dorosin for his suggestion of the need to address some of
25 the environmental justice issues, and he said the commission is taking steps to do that.
26 He said there will be several people from the National Institute of Environmental Health
27 Sciences at the next meeting, and their focus will be on health and environmental justice. He
28 said the goal will be to introduce the terminology and important issues in order to update the
29 State of the Environment report in a directed fashion.
30 He said a schedule has been set to have frequent interest articles in the local
31 newspapers regarding some of the issues brought out in the State of the Environment. He said
32 the first of these issues will be regarding the invasive plant species, hydrilla.
33 Commissioner Rich said she attended one of their board meetings, and it is a very
34 active board. She said all of the members meshed well together and this is an advantage to
35 getting things done.
36 Commissioner Price suggested that it may be beneficial to broaden the scope and
37 membership of the board to include an environmental justice position.
38 Commissioner Dorosin thanked them for taking this issue on and he said one person
39 who might be a good resource is David Caldwell from the Rogers Road community.
40
41 • Economic Development Advisory Board - Donald (DR) Bryan, Chair and Steve
42 Brantley
43 DR Bryan said their board came before the Commissioners last month regarding the
44 grant program. He said the recommended changes have been implemented, and this grant
45 application process has gone live. He said the goal is to have quite a few applicants. He said
46 the advisory board has a proposed subcommittee for the small business grant program, and
47 names will be submitted for the Board of County Commissioners' consideration soon.
48 DR Bryan said there is currently $200,000 in the business grant program and $160,000
49 in the agricultural grant program.
10
1 Commissioner Rich asked how the public is being informed about the money that is
2 available through this program.
3 Steve Brantley said this information is on their homepage, and he will be working with
4 Carla Banks on a County press release. He has sent an advanced copy to the other entities to
5 place on their websites. He said he will also likely take out paid ads, and his office will be the
6 initial point of contact for completed applications.
7 He said the business investment grant documents would be given to the
8 subcommittees. He said David Stancil will be doing an abstract with names from the
9 Agricultural Preservation Board to serve on two of the five subcommittee positions there.
10 Commissioner Pelissier asked about the streamlining of the review and permitting
11 process and whether the advisory board will be making suggestions to the Commissioners and
12 the planning board. She said she would love to get some suggestions.
13 Chair McKee said he enjoyed meeting with some of the members of the advisory board
14 to tour two of the economic development locations. He expressed appreciation for their efforts
15 to increase the County's commercial base.
16
17 • Historic Preservation Commission- Todd Dickinson, Chair/Peter Sandbeck
18 Todd Dickinson said the commission is taking advantage of Peter Sandbeck's expertise
19 to move forward with historic preservation in Orange County. He thanked the Board of County
20 Commissioners for the matching grant, and he said they would be back for continued funding
21 on the creation of a historic resources book.
22 He said the Commission has moved closer to keeping an eye on the Hillsborough extra
23 territorial jurisdiction (ETJ), which has not had any historic oversight in the past. He said funding
24 will be needed for some inventory work there.
25 He said they are hoping to get the Board of County Commissioners' approval in the near
26 future to look at the old Orange County Courthouse.
27
28 • Housing Authority - Jean Bolduc, Chair
29 (This report was given at the February 3rd Board of County Commissioners' Meeting.)
30 Jean Bolduc said the Board is nearly at full capacity, and there is only one seat left
31 open.
32 • Human Relations Commission - Gerald Ponder, Vice Chair ( and James Davis)
33 Gerald Ponder said this is the most diverse and well balanced commission in Orange
34 County.
35 He thanked the Commissioners for their physical presence in attending the
36 commission's many events, and he invited them to the community read on Monday night, at
37 the Orange County Library from 6 to 8 p.m.
38 He requested the Board's support of the commission's focus this year on disabled
39 residents.
40 Chair McKee thanked the commission for their many events.
41
42 • Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee - Ed Flowers, Board Member and
43 Charlotte Terwilliger (TJCOG)
44
45 Ed Flowers gave the Board an update on the last two paragraphs of the report. He said
46 the two nursing homes that did not want to come into compliance have now decided to become
47 compliant.
48 He referred to the last paragraph and he said there are no nursing homes with a
49 memory unit. He said Chapel Hill Rehab is going through renovations, and he has been told
50 that one of the top items on their agenda is to have a closeable, lockable unit in that facility.
11
1 Ed Flowers said the increased insurance rates have made it difficult to be admitted to a
2 facility if you are ambulatory and suffer from dementia. He said it has been the committee's
3 policy to set an objective each year, and it looks like this year it will be dementia.
4 He said all of their nursing homes are participating in a music program, and it has been
5 a great approach to waking people up who have been on psychotic medication for years.
6 Ed Flowers said Chapel Hill Rehab is showing a lot of promise, and they have recently
7 hired a chaplain.
8
9 • OUTBoard - Paul Guthrie, Chair/Craig Benedict
10 Paul Guthrie thanked the Board of Commissioners for their recent appointments to the
11 OUTBoard, and he said this is a good diverse group.
12 He noted that the report is before the Commissioners. He said everyone is beginning to
13 realize that transit is a big deal, and it will only get bigger. He said NCDOT has allotted
14 construction for the Hillsborough Rail Station for 2018 in their draft plans. He said that station
15 can be the key to a future integrated transportation system.
16 Paul Guthrie said transportation takes long term, hard fought planning, and the Board of
17 County Commissioners has shown that they want to take that step.
18 He said there has been tremendous support from the staff of the Planning Department.
19 Commissioner Burroughs recognized Paul Guthrie's longstanding service to Orange
20 County.
21
22 • Parks and Recreation Council - David Stancil, DEAPR Director
23 David Stancil said he is standing in for Chair Neal Bench, and he said he is happy to
24 answer any questions.
25 There were no questions from the Board.
26 Chair McKee asked him to relay the Commissioners' appreciation back to the Council
27 for their volunteer work.
28
29 • Planning Board - Pete Hallenbeck, Chair/Craig Benedict
30 Pete Hallenbeck said the Commissioners receive the planning board's minutes, and
31 they meet together four times a year.
32 He reviewed a quick summary of the year. He said the solar farm project was
33 interesting and has caused them to reexamine the whole notification process.
34 Pete Hallenbeck said there were a lot of changes this year as a result of the state
35 mandates.
36 He said the board was very involved with the home occupation issue.
37 He said they received a lot of information from other groups, and he would like to do
38 more with other advisory groups.
39 He said the board enjoys working with the planning staff, especially Michael Harvey.
40 Commissioner Pelissier referred to the emerging issues, and she asked about the
41 reference to more areas being pre-zoned.
42 Pete Hallenbeck said he thinks that will come up this year, especially with the Efland
43 Mebane small area plan. He said the stage is set to change some of the zoning. He said there is
44 a world of difference between telling an interested buyer that a site is already pre-zoned versus
45 telling them that they can buy it and change the zoning.
46 Craig Benedict said the zoning districts are a little more regimented, and the goal is to
47 make sure that mixed use developments are allowed. He said there will be suggestions for new
48 zoning district names and uses, and there will be pre-zoning in appropriate areas for targeting
49 industries.
12
1 Chair McKee said all of their boards and commissions require a lot from their volunteers,
2 but few of these involve the complexities and regulations encountered by this planning board.
3
4 Commissioner Dorosin said this work session highlighted the need to be conscious of
5 where and when it makes sense to integrate the work of these boards. He said there is a lot of
6 overlap and he wonders how effectively efforts are being coordinated. He said it might be
7 worthwhile to put something specific in the reports regarding how the boards collaborate.
8 Commissioner Price said she would like to have the Board of County Commissioners
9 encourage these boards to work together. She would like to open this door and make the
10 collaboration easier.
11 Commissioner Pelissier noted that, although there is an appearance of silos, many of
12 the boards have worked together through the year. She also suggested the Commissioners
13 should send a thank you letter to each of the boards, and she said this can include direct
14 encouragement toward collaboration.
15 Chair McKee said in his tenure he has seen more collaboration between boards.
16 Chair McKee said he liked Commissioner Dorosin's suggestion about how to set things
17 up next year in terms of process and interaction.
18 Commissioner Rich asked if the Board has ever considered having a volunteer board
19 thank you night.
20 Chair McKee said that has not been done, but it is something to consider, although it
21 would be a lot of people.
22
23 3. Orange County Bus and Rail Investment Plan Annual Report and Update
24 John Talmadge, Director of Regional Services said the revenue receipts are consistent
25 with the early planning figures. He said the sales tax is a volatile revenue source, but it looks
26 positive and consistent with the early assumptions. He noted that the vehicle registration fees
27 included in the report are not a full year's numbers. He said the FY 2015 number is expected to
28 be considerable higher.
29 He said that in addition to providing new services and working on capital projects,
30 reserves are also being built, and this is why the full amount of revenues are not being spent in
31 each year.
32 He reviewed the following information on service implementation:
33 The following services will be implemented in the upcoming fiscal year (July 2014 through June
34 2015):
35 • Chapel Hill Transit will add additional morning service along the A, D and J routes;
36 additional mid-day service on the NS route and additional Saturday service on the D and
37 FG routes.
38 • Orange County will provide expanded service in rural portions of the county; additional
39 senior center shuttle options; two fixed routes connecting Mebane, Efland and
40 Hillsborough; more service on the Hillsborough to Chapel Hill midday shuttle; and
41 continuation of the Hillsborough Circulator service in the spring of 2015.
42 • New express service by Triangle Transit between Hillsborough, Duke University, and
43 downtown Durham with an extension to Mebane and Efland.
44 • Later Saturday evening and Sunday service on Triangle Transit routes between
45 Durham, Chapel Hill and RTP, connecting with Route 100 to RDU Airport and Raleigh.
46 • Over the next five years, Chapel Hill Transit, Orange Public Transportation and Triangle
47 Transit will implement new or expanded bus services. Residents will also see new bus
48 shelters, Park-and- Ride lots, and sidewalk connections to bus stops.
49 • Chapel Hill North-South Bus Project - Chapel Hill Transit is conducting the North South
50 Corridor Study along the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard —South Columbia— US 15-
13
1 501 South Corridor. The study is funded by a federal grant which is not part of the
2 OCBRIP plan. The OCBRIP plan does include funding set aside for capital
3 improvements, if this project moves to construction in the future.
4 • During 2014, a Public Involvement Plan, Purpose and Need Statement and Tier 1
5 Analysis were completed. No Build, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Low and BRT High
6 transit modes passed Tier 1 Analysis and moved into the Detailed Definition of
7 Alternatives phase. CHT held three public meetings in March 2014 and will continue to
8 share the study with the public and collect feedback.
9 • Hillsborough Amtrak Station - Work on the station awaits a rail corridor capacity analysis
10 to be performed by the North Carolina Railroad Company, Norfolk Southern and
11 Triangle Transit. Planning work will begin after the analysis is complete.
12 • Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit Project - In February, the Federal Transit
13 Administration approved Triangle Transit's request to enter Project Development on the
14 proposed 17-mile Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit Project. Environmental work is
15 underway with a Draft Environmental Impact Statement to be published and available for
16 public comment in spring 2015. The proposed light rail line will run from Chapel Hill to
17 Durham and cost an estimated $1.34 billion (in 2012 dollars). The Orange portion of the
18 voter-approved one-half cent sales tax will help fund the local share of the rail project.
19
20 John Talmadge said work is being done with the various capital expenditures, which
21 have not been prescribed in the plan. He said there is an ongoing process to identify projects,
22 scope and responsibilities. He said this is rolling out a bit slower than anticipated.
23 Commissioner Pelissier said, given some of the expanded bus services, she would like
24 to see the next annual report include information on how ridership has increased.
25 Chair McKee said he was appreciative of the quick response in getting the newly
26 implemented transit routes online. He said he expects the use to be light on the front end, but
27 he thinks ridership will continue to build. He said he is supportive of mass transit, especially the
28 expanded bus service.
29
30 A motion was made by Commissioner Burroughs, seconded by Commissioner Rich to
31 adjourn the meeting at 9:19pm.
32
33 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
34
35 Earl McKee, Chair
36
37 Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board
38
39