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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 03-19-2015 APPROVED 4/21/2015 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Work Session March 19, 2015 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a work session on Tuesday, March 19, 2015 at the Whitted Building in Hillsborough, N.C. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair McKee and Commissioners Mia Burroughs, Mark Dorosin, Bernadette Pelissier, Renee Price and Penny Rich COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Barry Jacobs COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Assistant County Manager Cheryl Young and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (All other staff inembers will be identified appropriately below) Chair McKee called the meeting to order at 7:06 p.m. He said that Commissioner Jacobs was not feeling well and would not be attending tonight. 1. BOCC External Advisory Board Appointees Attended: ■ Northern Transition Area Advisory Commission Amy Jeroloman is the Orange County representative to the Carrboro Northern Transition Area Advisory Commission (NTACC). She reviewed the following information: 3/19/2015 - The Northern Transition Area Advisory Committee (NTAAC), whose primary purpose is to review and make recommendations about development and planning concerns in the area of Orange County under the jurisdiction of Carrboro, respectfully submits the following concerns and recommendations to the Orange County Board of Commissioners: 1. Delay in appointinq New Oranqe County Reps to the NTAAC: There is a two-step process for the Orange County Rep positions to be approved. Anahid Vrana is a new applicant pending review by the Commissioners. Chair review was submitted to Carrboro Town Clerk on 1-4-2015. The committee still has another County representative vacancy. It is difficult to get applicants. People living in the northern transition area regulated by Carrboro do not understand the NTAAC's role. 2. What exactly is the County Commissioner's review process with the Town of Carrboro Board ofAldermen? An example was given of the gas pumping station that was constructed last year near the Buddhist Temple off old Hwy 86. There was considerable confusion about whose jurisdiction this came under since the Town of Carrboro declined to have a hearing but Orange County did have a hearing. The homeowners who live closest to the station were told at the hearing that their concerns would not be addressed since this area is regulated by Carrboro, and it was a County hearing. This project didn't come before the NTAAC, and the first notification received was the letter for the County hearing. The notice was delivered only a few days before the hearing and then the hearing was rescheduled to another date. Amy Jeroloman requested that as the Orange County representative, she should at least receive email notification for future projects within the NTAAC. The following items were submitted to the Commissioners on 4/10/2014. We would like an update on each. Our concerns and recommendations are a/so included. 3. Twin Creek Park Site & Road Access to Old NC 86: The NTAAC understands that the Commissioners are proposing a park entrance to Old NC 86 via an existing farm road which straddles the property line between the Ballentine subdivision and the Twin Creek Park Site. (The County's internal working title for this road has been "Twin Creeks Parkway"). This `farm road' is in a dangerous location given the hill just south which limits the sight distance for traffic traveling north on Old NC 86. This hill was brought to the attention of the DOT by the residents of Deer Ridge Drive on or about 2003. It was also brought to the attention of the Commissioners in 2005 and 2006. Only after a 5 year campaign was the funding made available to lower the hill. Nevertheless it still remains a hazard since the DOT could not fully correct the issue. (It is our understanding that there are water pipes under Old 86 which interfere with any additional road corrections.) Keeping the park access in this location will create public safety issues. NTAAC therefore recommends that the park access be moved further north away from this site limiting hill. As you may know, Old NC 86 is the original road to the colonial capital of Hillsborough, North Carolina. This wagon trail has now become a major secondary road where the majority of motorists travel 10 to 20 miles over the 45 mile an hour speed limit. Though the neighborhoods have grown and changed unfortunately this section of Old NC 86 has not. It remains a narrow winding road with blind hills and no shoulders where motorists drive aggressively and routinely exceed the speed limit. In addition deer frequently cross this section of the road. There are no bike lanes and the shoulders are too narrow for pedestrians to use. Motorists traveling north will not see any vehicles, deer, bicyclists, and/or pedestrians entering or exiting the park until they are almost upon them. Recent traffic studies show that there have been accidents long this section of Old NC 86 due to high speeds and deer. Over the years, numerous efforts have been made by NTAAC, with resolutions of support from the Commissioners and the Carrboro Board of Aldermen, to petition DOT to reduce the speed limit on this section of Old 86. These requests have been based on logical principles and anecdotal evidence of the high and reckless speeds from cars, motorcycles, large trucks including dump trucks and town buses. Thus far the DOT has chosen not to act on these requests. Years ago Deer Ridge Drive Residents were requested by the postal service to move their mailboxes off Old NC 86 due to the hazard of stopping with limited room to pull over. Other Homeowners along Old NC 86 are also receiving this request. In addition there isn't a shoulder for curb side recycling containers to be placed. This section of the road is especially dangerous to pedestrians and bicyclists alike. The few hundred feet of the road surrounding the proposed park outlet is also very narrow, has deep ditches on both sides of the road, and absolutely no shoulder. (See photo.) As the Ballentine development completes new homes, there is a continuous increase in the number of vehicles accessing Old NC 86. The proposed park outlet is configured across from the Buddhist Temple. There are also at least two other driveways/private roads outlets in this same location. (See photo.) The additional traffic turning into and out of a park entrance/exit will be dangerous. Given the above, the NTAAC recommends that traffic from Old NC 86 be limited a one way right hand turn into the park. An alternative exit route through the park via Eubanks Road would help to mitigate the growing traffic congestion along Old NC 86. There could be a safety bollard to create a way for only emergency vehicles to make a right turn out. 4. North-South Connector Road via Lake Hoqan Farms Extension: Given the above stated issues with Old NC 86, the NTAAC would like to emphasize the importance completing the North-South connector road (Lake Hogan Farms Road Extension northward to Eubanks Road) to the future well-being of the Northern Transition Area. The NTAAC has identified this road extension, which will directly link Eubanks and Homestead Roads and provide an alternate route to Old NC 86, as a project that will do much to improve traffic circulation and safety in the Northern Transition Area. Please consider making the connector one of the Commissioners' highest priorities since this would alleviate (but not in any way "fix") the already existing dangerous traffic pattern on Old NC 86. 5. Eubanks Road Relocation and Pavement: Members of the NTAAC and our neighbors are concerned about the condition of the asphalt on the extension/relocation of Eubanks Road. There are many gaps and holes in the new road as if the contractor ran out of materials. Are the Commissioners aware of this situation and what can be done to hold the contractors accountable for repaving this section of the road? What timeframe can be expected to make the road `whole'? This issue has been a concern for over a year. Amy Jeroloman asked about updates regarding the Twin Creeks Road. Chair McKee said Planning or DEAPR would respond to this request. Chair McKee said that the Board can also bring forth her concerns to the Department of Transportation (DOT) at their quarterly meetings. Commissioner Price said the Orange County Board of Commissioners had not received any advanced notice regarding the utility work either. She said some Commissioners had a meeting with PSNC representatives to request efforts to be better neighbors, and PNC said they would try to be more transparent with information. Amy Jeroloman said the development has caused a number of problems for area homes, particularly flooding issues and noise ordinance issues. She said it has been difficult to determine who represents citizens when there are issues like this. Chair McKee said the flooding and noise are valid concerns, and the fact that the pipeline went into an existing right of way took out the possibility of input from anyone. ■ Mebane Planninq Board Thomas Fenske is the Orange County representative on the Mebane Planning Board. He said that he does not have a lot of issues, except the northeast development on Leatherman Road, which was a trivial zoning change. He said the adjacent landowner contacted him, and this development was on the extra territorial jurisdiction (ETJ) line. The landowner was just beyond it, and he was concerned about setbacks. He said this was in Mebane, not in Orange County, and he did vote against it. He said in the end, the City of Mebane was able to mediate a resolution with the citizen. He said he tries to be attentive to any issues that involve Orange County. Chair McKee thanked him, and he noted that this is why it is important to have outside appointees to these boards, because the various entities have different regulations. Thomas Fenske thanked the Orange County Planning Department for having orientation sessions for him and others. ■ Hillsborouqh Board of Adiustment Carl Edward Sain is the Orange County representative on the Hillsborough Board of Adjustment, and he had no comments. ■ Chapel Hill Library Board of Trustees James Stroud is the Orange County representative on the Chapel Hill Library Board of Trustees. He said everything is going well. He said it seems that the only concern he has heard from the Trustees is about continued financial support from Orange County. Chair McKee said there is no lack of support for the Chapel Hill Library even as the Board discusses a southern branch library. Commissioner porosin asked Mr. Stroud if he has heard any discussion of the need for a more collaborative relationship with regard to the southwest branch. James Stroud said no. He said the main concern is how that branch will operate and whether the Chapel Hill Library will keep their funding. ■ Chapel Hill Planninq Commission Deborah Fulghieri is the Orange County ETJ representative on the Chapel Hill Planning Commission, which used to be the Planning Board. She said there are fewer seats on the new re-aligned board than before, and Chapel Hill voted to eliminate the joint planning area (JPA) County seat. She asked the Board of County Commissioners to keep this seat and the ETJ seat. She said Rogers Road has been voted into the ETJ area and will have different concerns than the southern ETJ. She said the southern ETJ contains the Obey Creek development, which was recently presented to the planning commission. She said the developer plans to put off annexation from the ETJ into the town of Chapel Hill until July 1St of 2016. She said if the general assembly votes to eliminate ETJs, this development will fall into the County jurisdiction. She said the planner in charge of Obey Creek said that as of March 13th they had sent the proposed development agreement to Orange County. She said a new zoning designation is being formed, called development agreement 1, which is a placeholder. She is trying to vote against this as she thinks it sets a bad precedent. Deborah Fulghieri said 4100-4500 new residences are approved for building in Chapel Hill, plus another 151 single family homes. She said this has bearing on the school districts and County services. Chair McKee said it is very difficult to predict what the legislature may or may not do. Commissioner porosin clarified that the area of the ETJ has increased, but not the seats on the board. He said the JPA seat is vacant, and he asked if it is going to be eliminated. Deborah Fulghieri said she does not know if it is going to be eliminated. She said the planning commission voted to eliminate one of the two seats, either an ETJ or JPA seat. Commissioner porosin said he thinks the number of required seats based on the population of your relative ETJ is governed by the legislature. He said it may be necessary to give the ETJ an extra seat, regardless of whether the JPA seat is kept or not. John Roberts said this is a mathematical calculation based on population. Commissioner Rich said the Board stated earlier that they were going to request an extra ETJ position with the addition of Rogers Road into this area by Chapel Hill. She said the Board does not want these residents to feel like they do not have representation. Chair McKee said the Manager has made a note of this. Donna Baker noted that Susan Poulton, from the Carrboro Planning Board, had contacted the Commissioners to notify them that she would be unable to attend due to a Carrboro Planning Board meeting. Did not attend: Chapel Hill Parks, Greenways and Recreation Commission - Mary Musacchia Hillsborough Planning - John Bemis Hillsborough Board of Adjustment - David Remington Carrboro Northern Transition Area Advisory Committee — Noah Moore Carrboro Planning Board — David Clinton and Susan Poulton Chapel Hill Board of Adjustment— Dr. Timothy Peppers, Sr. and Jennifer Amster Chapel Hill Parks, Greenways and Recreation Commission — Mary Musacchia Hillsborough Board of Adjustment— Dustin Williams Hillsborough Planning Board — Erin Eckert and Janie Morris 2. County Commissioners: Boards and Commissions —Annual Work Plans/Reports • ABC Board —This board will be making a presentation to the BOCC on April 7tn • Adult Care Community Advisory Board - Max Mason, Chair Commissioner Pelissier referred to the list of concerns included in the annual report, which listed the "Apparent limited experience and preparation of facility and home staff in handling mental health issues of residents." She said a lot of people do not understand mental health needs, and she asked if any of the mental health agencies have been approached to provide training and assistance in this area. Max Mason said this has not been done, but it can be looked into. He said there is quite a mix of residents in these facilities, many with mental health concerns. Commissioner McKee said the Board can provide him with contact information for these agencies. Commissioner Rich asked Max Mason if he can identify the largest concern of this group. Max Mason said from his perspective the biggest issue is insuring there is adequate funding of these facilities. He said inadequate funding is reflected in the services residents receive. He said there is a wide gap in the level of services that are offered within facilities. Commissioner Rich asked if the Medicaid expansion will help. Max Mason said he is not sure. Department on Aging representatives in the audience indicated yes. • Advisory Board on Aging - Heather Altman, Chair Heather Altman said the advisory board's report did not include all of the compelling and un-compelling statistics. She noted that N.C. is in the midst of a significant demographic change as the state's 2.4 million baby boomers enter retirement age. She said for the first time in the history of Orange County there are more older adults than there are children in the school system. She said it is important to pay attention to these compelling statistics, as well as the compelling stories of residents. Heather Altman said they have exceptional staff in the Department on Aging, and she commended Janice Tyler and Mary Frasier for the energy they bring to the Advisory Board on Aging. She said the board is committed to tackling all of the issues outlined in the Master Aging Plan. Heather Altman invited the Commissioners to an event at the Seymour Center on Wednesday, March 25th, regarding tiny houses and different housing alternatives. She said she presents all of this as an opportunity for Orange County to be innovators in service delivery, work force preparedness and economic development. Commissioner Pelissier said not everyone realizes the amount of public engagement there has been with the Master Aging Plan and the Department of Aging. She expressed appreciation for all of the work that has been done. Commissioner Pelissier asked if the mobility manager is focused only on helping individuals, or if he/she helps identify the transportation needs of the aging population. Heather Altman said the goal is generally to help individuals navigate the opportunities. Janice Tyler said the mobility manager does work closely with OPT and the Planning Department. Commissioner Price asked how much collaboration is done with Adult Care. Heather Altman said there is quite a bit of collaboration with the Nursing Home Advisory Committee and the Adult Care Home in exchanging information and planning educational programs. Chair McKee expressed his appreciation for all that this board does. • Affordable Housing Advisory Board -Arthur Sprinczeles —Vice Chair Arthur Sprinczeles thanked the Board members for all of their support at the recent Rotary Pancake sale. He said the advisory board meets once a month and advises the Orange County Board of County Commissioners regarding affordable housing issues and increasing community awareness. He said the board also monitors the implementation of affordable housing and bond programs. He said more affordable housing is needed in Orange County for young and older adults. He listed the following tasks of the Board: - Completed the FY 2014 performance report - Monitor the Affordable Housing Bond Program - Review non-departmental funding applications for six housing related non-profit organizations - Conduct the annual on-ground affordable housing bus tour - Review the Community Home Trust requests for charter and interlocal agreements Arthur Sprinczeles said the advisory board was very involved in the development of housing element of the comprehensive plan. He said the Board plans to continue to pursue the opportunity to work collectively with the planning board to assess progress. Chair McKee said the Board is concerned about affordable housing in Orange County. He said this is one of the most pressing issues the County is facing. Commissioner Price asked if there is a way to find out if Hillsborough plans to do inclusionary housing in Waterstone. Commissioner Rich said there are 21 lots there, and the last discussion was about whether all of these would be developed or whether some would be sold back for payment in lieu. She said there is also a concern about the amount of money that Hillsborough puts into the Community Home Trust. She said these discussions are on the table, but there has been no conclusion. • Agricultural Preservation Board - Howard McAdams, Past Chair/Peter Sandbeck, DEAPR Staff Howard McAdams said elections were held last night, and he is now the past Chair. He said if there are agricultural issues that come before Board of County Commissioners or other advisory boards, the Agricultural Preservation Board would like the opportunity to vet those issues prior to decisions being made. He said his wife was a Cooperative Extension employee who retired in 2009, and since then, that position has been vacant more than it has been filled. He said if there is anything urgent for the farmers in Orange County, it would be important for that position to be filled. He said this position is jointly funded, with 60 percent of funding from the County, and 40 percent from the state. Commissioner Rich said she is excited about the voluntary agricultural districts. She said the Board has done a great job of promoting this. Howard McAdams said Gail Hughes has done a fantastic job. Commissioner Pelissier thanked this board for their work on vetting the agricultural support enterprises. She feels that there have been great steps taken to support agriculture, and she hopes more can be done. Commissioner Price referred to page 36 and the concerns about the animal services board and the unified ordinance. She said it is important for the Board of County Commissioners to follow up on this issue. • Animal Services Advisory Board - Michelle Walker, Chair and Bob Marotto Michelle Walker said the Animal Services Advisory Board (ASAB) is full, and there was 100 percent attendance at last night's meeting. She said the towns are currently reviewing the Unified Animal Control Ordinance, and she expects votes in April. She said there has been mention of coordination with the Agricultural Preservation Board, and members from the two boards have met in the past year. She said there is a free-roaming cat task force that has met during the past year to discuss strategic management of pet overpopulation, and they have created an excellent report that was included as an information item at the Commissioners' last meeting. Commissioner Price asked if the ASAB has submitted a draft of the Animal Control Ordinance to the Agricultural Preservation Board as it relates to livestock. Michelle said she remembered that the information was shared, and the language was agreed upon by both boards. Bob Marotto said that is the same language that was presented last year at a work session for the Board of County Commissioners. Chair McKee encourage continued collaboration with the Agricultural Preservation Board. • Arts Commission -Ashley Nissler, Vice Chair/Martha Shannon, Support Staff Ashley Nissler thanked the Commissioners for their support in making it possible to provide art grants in Orange County. She said this year the Arts Commission will mark their 30th anniversary with several special events, and she specifically invited the Board to the commission's birthday celebration on September 3�a Chair McKee thanked the Arts Commission for their work. • Board of Adjustment - Michael Harvey, Support Staff Michael Harvey said he does not have a formal presentation but he would be happy to answer any questions. Commissioner Pelissier said she did not understand the concern expressed by the Board of Adjustment. Michael Harvey said there is a misspelling in the listed concern. He said if the Board is going to look at processes with respect to changing how land uses are reviewed, the Board of Adjustment would like to be part of that discussion. • Board of Health The Board of Health had requested that their work plan be discussed at the Joint Dinner Meeting with the Board of Commissioners on 4/14/15. • Board of Social Services - Tamara Dempsey-Tanner, Vice Chair Tamara Dempsey-Tanner said there were some accomplishments that she wanted to highlight. She said over the past year staff was challenged with many issues, including dealing with the rollout of federal marketplace insurance, new eligibility requirements related to Medicaid, and the implementation of NC FAST. She said the staff has done a remarkable job with all of this. She noted that there have also been some legislative changes regarding childcare subsidies, primarily with regard to census rebasing, which has an impact on their subsidy allocations, and she thanked the Board of County Commissioners for their support. Tamara Dempsey said the priorities for next year will be looking at childcare, and continuing to support those families in Orange County. She said new initiatives will include youth employment and veteran services, as retail spaces are developed • Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau -Visitor's Bureau Director Laurie Paolicelli Commissioner Rich said Chair Anthony Carey sent her a note saying he was ill and would not be able to attend. She said Visitor's Bureau Director Laurie Paolicelli would be presenting tonight. Laurie Paolicelli said that, in terms of total revenue, Orange County now ranks 24th out of 100 counties. She said the County has 1,623 hotel rooms and is outperforming the regions and the state in terms of occupancy and rate. Laurie Paolicelli said there is a lot of interest from hoteliers and builders in Orange County, and there is a lot of growth in tourism. She said the only declining metric is the walk-ins at their visitor center. She said when a visitor's center has a connection to an attraction in a town, such as trolley or train station, there is an increase. She said the three fastest growing segments for travel in Orange County are gay weddings, a greater demand from disabled travelers, and the foodie market. She said tourism is a form of economic development and economic retention, as these visitors help keep these new restaurants and hotels open. Commissioner Rich said it is important to understand that there is an increase in tourism related to youth sports such as soccer. She said there are efforts to increase stay over travelers. Commissioner porosin asked if the Visitor's Bureau is responsible for the interstate sign "You will be a fan for life." Laurie Paolicelli said no. She said a former agent at the Visitors Bureau came up with this slogan, but there is no campaign tied to it. Commissioner porosin asked how this can be changed. Laurie Paolicelli said she would look into this. Commissioner porosin said this is more than a university town. Commissioner Price asked if the Visitor's Bureau is considering moving to a new location for more visibility. Laurie Paolicelli said no formal decisions have been made on this, and it has been a discussion item for years. She said she believed if the bureau was in a more visible transit corridor there would be more walk in traffic. Commissioner porosin asked where this location would be in Orange County. Laurie Paolicelli said she would like to be closer to the MLK/I-40 freeway entrance. She said there may need to be a joint effort with the municipalities. She said another option would be to put in visitor kiosks, and a future goal is to have more interactivity. Chair McKee said he actually received a letter today that discussed the origin of the earlier referenced slogan. Chair McKee referenced the work done by the visitor's bureau, and he thanked them for their efforts. • Commission for the Environment - Jan Sassaman, Chair Jan Sassaman said the Commissioner for the Environment had an opportunity to meet with the Board of County Commissioners last fall, and it was a very productive meeting. He thanked the Board of County Commissioners for promptly approving the candidacy of Lynne Gronbeck on March 17th. He said this year the commission has taken it on themselves to informally interview candidates and invite them to their meetings, and this has worked out well. Jan Sassaman referred to the concerns and emerging issues on the last page of the report. He thanked Commissioner porosin for his suggestion of the need to address some of the environmental justice issues, and he said the commission is taking steps to do that. He said there will be several people from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences at the next meeting, and their focus will be on health and environmental justice. He said the goal will be to introduce the terminology and important issues in order to update the State of the Environment report in a directed fashion. He said a schedule has been set to have frequent interest articles in the local newspapers regarding some of the issues brought out in the State of the Environment. He said the first of these issues will be regarding the invasive plant species, hydrilla. Commissioner Rich said she attended one of their board meetings, and it is a very active board. She said all of the members meshed well together and this is an advantage to getting things done. Commissioner Price suggested that it may be beneficial to broaden the scope and membership of the board to include an environmental justice position. Commissioner porosin thanked them for taking this issue on and he said one person who might be a good resource is David Caldwell from the Rogers Road community. • Economic Development Advisory Board - Donald (DR) Bryan, Chair and Steve Brantley DR Bryan said their board came before the Commissioners last month regarding the grant program. He said the recommended changes have been implemented, and this grant application process has gone live. He said the goal is to have quite a few applicants. He said the advisory board has a proposed subcommittee for the small business grant program, and names will be submitted for the Board of County Commissioners' consideration soon. DR Bryan said there is currently $200,000 in the business grant program and $160,000 in the agricultural grant program. Commissioner Rich asked how the public is being informed about the money that is available through this program. Steve Brantley said this information is on their homepage, and he will be working with Carla Banks on a County press release. He has sent an advanced copy to the other entities to place on their websites. He said he will also likely take out paid ads, and his office will be the initial point of contact for completed applications. He said the business investment grant documents would be given to the subcommittees. He said David Stancil will be doing an abstract with names from the Agricultural Preservation Board to serve on two of the five subcommittee positions there. Commissioner Pelissier asked about the streamlining of the review and permitting process and whether the advisory board will be making suggestions to the Commissioners and the planning board. She said she would love to get some suggestions. Chair McKee said he enjoyed meeting with some of the members of the advisory board to tour two of the economic development locations. He expressed appreciation for their efforts to increase the County's commercial base. • Historic Preservation Commission- Todd Dickinson, Chair/Peter Sandbeck Todd Dickinson said the commission is taking advantage of Peter Sandbeck's expertise to move forward with historic preservation in Orange County. He thanked the Board of County Commissioners for the matching grant, and he said they would be back for continued funding on the creation of a historic resources book. He said the Commission has moved closer to keeping an eye on the Hillsborough extra territorial jurisdiction (ETJ), which has not had any historic oversight in the past. He said funding will be needed for some inventory work there. He said they are hoping to get the Board of County Commissioners' approval in the near future to look at the old Orange County Courthouse. • Housing Authority - Jean Bolduc, Chair (This report was given at the February 3�d Board of County Commissioners' Meeting.) Jean Bolduc said the Board is nearly at full capacity, and there is only one seat left open. • Human Relations Commission - Gerald Ponder, Vice Chair ( and James Davis) Gerald Ponder said this is the most diverse and well balanced commission in Orange County. He thanked the Commissioners for their physical presence in attending the commission's many events, and he invited them to the community read on Monday night, at the Orange County Library from 6 to 8 p.m. He requested the Board's support of the commission's focus this year on disabled residents. Chair McKee thanked the commission for their many events. • Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee - Ed Flowers, Board Member and Charlotte Terwilliger (TJCOG) Ed Flowers gave the Board an update on the last two paragraphs of the report. He said the two nursing homes that did not want to come into compliance have now decided to become compliant. He referred to the last paragraph and he said there are no nursing homes with a memory unit. He said Chapel Hill Rehab is going through renovations, and he has been told that one of the top items on their agenda is to have a closeable, lockable unit in that facility. Ed Flowers said the increased insurance rates have made it difficult to be admitted to a facility if you are ambulatory and suffer from dementia. He said it has been the committee's policy to set an objective each year, and it looks like this year it will be dementia. He said all of their nursing homes are participating in a music program, and it has been a great approach to waking people up who have been on psychotic medication for years. Ed Flowers said Chapel Hill Rehab is showing a lot of promise, and they have recently hired a chaplain. • OUTBoard - Paul Guthrie, Chair/Craig Benedict Paul Guthrie thanked the Board of Commissioners for their recent appointments to the OUTBoard, and he said this is a good diverse group. He noted that the report is before the Commissioners. He said everyone is beginning to realize that transit is a big deal, and it will only get bigger. He said NCDOT has allotted construction for the Hillsborough Rail Station for 2018 in their draft plans. He said that station can be the key to a future integrated transportation system. Paul Guthrie said transportation takes long term, hard fought planning, and the Board of County Commissioners has shown that they want to take that step. He said there has been tremendous support from the staff of the Planning Department. Commissioner Burroughs recognized Paul Guthrie's longstanding service to Orange County. • Parks and Recreation Council - David Stancil, DEAPR Director David Stancil said he is standing in for Chair Neal Bench, and he said he is happy to answer any questions. There were no questions from the Board. Chair McKee asked him to relay the Commissioners' appreciation back to the Council for their volunteer work. • Planning Board - Pete Hallenbeck, Chair/Craig Benedict Pete Hallenbeck said the Commissioners receive the planning board's minutes, and they meet together four times a year. He reviewed a quick summary of the year. He said the solar farm project was interesting and has caused them to reexamine the whole notification process. Pete Hallenbeck said there were a lot of changes this year as a result of the state mandates. He said the board was very involved with the home occupation issue. He said they received a lot of information from other groups, and he would like to do more with other advisory groups. He said the board enjoys working with the planning staff, especially Michael Harvey. Commissioner Pelissier referred to the emerging issues, and she asked about the reference to more areas being pre-zoned. Pete Hallenbeck said he thinks that will come up this year, especially with the Efland Mebane small area plan. He said the stage is set to change some of the zoning. He said there is a world of difference between telling an interested buyer that a site is already pre-zoned versus telling them that they can buy it and change the zoning. Craig Benedict said the zoning districts are a little more regimented, and the goal is to make sure that mixed use developments are allowed. He said there will be suggestions for new zoning district names and uses, and there will be pre-zoning in appropriate areas for targeting industries. Chair McKee said all of their boards and commissions require a lot from their volunteers, but few of these involve the complexities and regulations encountered by this planning board. Commissioner porosin said this work session highlighted the need to be conscious of where and when it makes sense to integrate the work of these boards. He said there is a lot of overlap and he wonders how effectively efforts are being coordinated. He said it might be worthwhile to put something specific in the reports regarding how the boards collaborate. Commissioner Price said she would like to have the Board of County Commissioners encourage these boards to work together. She would like to open this door and make the collaboration easier. Commissioner Pelissier noted that, although there is an appearance of silos, many of the boards have worked together through the year. She also suggested the Commissioners should send a thank you letter to each of the boards, and she said this can include direct encouragement toward collaboration. Chair McKee said in his tenure he has seen more collaboration between boards. Chair McKee said he liked Commissioner porosin's suggestion about how to set things up next year in terms of process and interaction. Commissioner Rich asked if the Board has ever considered having a volunteer board thank you night. Chair McKee said that has not been done, but it is something to consider, although it would be a lot of people. 3. Oranqe County Bus and Rail Investment Plan Annual Report and Update John Talmadge, Director of Regional Services said the revenue receipts are consistent with the early planning figures. He said the sales tax is a volatile revenue source, but it looks positive and consistent with the early assumptions. He noted that the vehicle registration fees included in the report are not a full year's numbers. He said the FY 2015 number is expected to be considerable higher. He said that in addition to providing new services and working on capital projects, reserves are also being built, and this is why the full amount of revenues are not being spent in each year. He reviewed the following information on service implementation: The following services will be implemented in the upcoming fiscal year (July 2014 through June 2015): • Chapel Hill Transit will add additional morning service along the A, D and J routes; additional mid-day service on the NS route and additional Saturday service on the D and FG routes. • Orange County will provide expanded service in rural portions of the county; additional senior center shuttle options; two fixed routes connecting Mebane, Efland and Hillsborough; more service on the Hillsborough to Chapel Hill midday shuttle; and continuation of the Hillsborough Circulator service in the spring of 2015. • New express service by Triangle Transit between Hillsborough, Duke University, and downtown Durham with an extension to Mebane and Efland. • Later Saturday evening and Sunday service on Triangle Transit routes between Durham, Chapel Hill and RTP, connecting with Route 100 to RDU Airport and Raleigh. • Over the next five years, Chapel Hill Transit, Orange Public Transportation and Triangle Transit will implement new or expanded bus services. Residents will also see new bus shelters, Park-and- Ride lots, and sidewalk connections to bus stops. • Chapel Hill North-South Bus Project - Chapel Hill Transit is conducting the North South Corridor Study along the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard — South Columbia — US 15- 501 South Corridor. The study is funded by a federal grant which is not part of the OCBRIP plan. The OCBRIP plan does include funding set aside for capital improvements, if this project moves to construction in the future. • During 2014, a Public Involvement Plan, Purpose and Need Statement and Tier 1 Analysis were completed. No Build, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Low and BRT High transit modes passed Tier 1 Analysis and moved into the Detailed Definition of Alternatives phase. CHT held three public meetings in March 2014 and will continue to share the study with the public and collect feedback. • Hillsborough Amtrak Station - Work on the station awaits a rail corridor capacity analysis to be performed by the North Carolina Railroad Company, Norfolk Southern and Triangle Transit. Planning work will begin after the analysis is complete. • Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit Project - In February, the Federal Transit Administration approved Triangle Transit's request to enter Project Development on the proposed 17-mile Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit Project. Environmental work is underway with a Draft Environmental Impact Statement to be published and available for public comment in spring 2015. The proposed light rail line will run from Chapel Hill to Durham and cost an estimated $1.34 billion (in 2012 dollars). The Orange portion of the voter-approved one-half cent sales tax will help fund the local share of the rail project. John Talmadge said work is being done with the various capital expenditures, which have not been prescribed in the plan. He said there is an ongoing process to identify projects, scope and responsibilities. He said this is rolling out a bit slower than anticipated. Commissioner Pelissier said, given some of the expanded bus services, she would like to see the next annual report include information on how ridership has increased. Chair McKee said he was appreciative of the quick response in getting the newly implemented transit routes online. He said he expects the use to be light on the front end, but he thinks ridership will continue to build. He said he is supportive of mass transit, especially the expanded bus service. A motion was made by Commissioner Burroughs, seconded by Commissioner Rich to adjourn the meeting at 9:19pm. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Earl McKee, Chair Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board