Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 04-21-2015 APPROVED 6/2/2015 MINUTES BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING April 21, 2015 7:00 p.m. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center, in Chapel Hill, N.C. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair McKee and Commissioners Mia Burroughs, Barry Jacobs, Bernadette Pelissier, Renee Price and Penny Rich COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Mark Dorosin 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 members will be identified appropriately below) Chair McKee called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. He said Commissioner Dorosin would be unable to attend tonight due to a work conflict. 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda Chair McKee noted the following items at the Commissioners' places: - White sheet - revised attachment 2 for item 6-c-Amendment to the Orange County Code of Ordinances Regarding the Parks and Recreation Council. PUBLIC CHARGE Chair McKee dispensed with the reading of the Public Charge 2. Public Comments a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda b. Matters on the Printed Agenda (These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda below.) 3. Announcements and Petitions by Board Members Commissioner Price said she attended the Unity in Community event and was glad to see that this event was growing. She said, while at this event, she talked to people about the need for extended hours for bus transit. She said she also attended the Junior Livestock Show and Sale. She said it was very impressive to see young people showing the fruits of their labors in the world of agriculture. Commissioner Price said there have been ongoing meetings regarding the possibility of a Veteran's Memorial in Orange County. She said the Chair and Mayor for the Town of Chapel Hill will be getting a letter reflecting the will of the group, which includes Veterans from all parts of the County, regarding a potential site for this memorial. She said the group is interested in donating money to help fund the project. She said this is a great collaboration of staff, Veterans and community members. Chair McKee thanked Commissioner Price and Commissioner Jacobs for their efforts with this memorial. Commissioner Rich said she is a member of the Intergovernmental Parks Work Group. She said the group recently received an update from the Town of Chapel Hill on the artificial turf at Cedar Falls Park. She said the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) spent $670,000 to put artificial turf at this site, and the town added $530,000 for updating the facilities. She said the Town has tracked use of the facilities from when they opened in Fiscal Year 2012-2013 through 2013-2014. She said there were an additional 67,200 through participants using the field through rentals. She said there were also 7500 people who used the field during open public use hours. During 2012-2013, prior to the renovations, the number of people using the field was under 5000. She said the use is astonishing. She added people are staying overnight in the area for tournaments, thus creating additional revenue in room rates. She said the project was a very good investment. She thanked the Commissioners for their support of this project. Commissioner Rich petitioned the Board to create an Intern Mentorship Program that would begin in the summer of 2016. She had talked with the Human Resources Director and the County Manager, both of whom feel positive about the potential of this program. Commissioner Rich again petitioned the Board to make the Commissioners' emails public. She has spoken with the County Manager and the IT department and would like to garner the support of the BOCC for this practice. Chair McKee said the technical aspect of getting the emails made public should be able to be determined by the staff fairly quickly, and the petition can move forward. Chair McKee said the artificial turf fields are a very good example of collaboration between Town and County, benefitting everyone. Commissioner Burroughs petitioned the Board to look at the feasibility of sit/stand desks outside of the Health Department for County employees (the health department has already initiated this process). She commented on the likely short and long term health benefits for employees. She asked for staff to research this and to bring information back to the BOCC. Chair McKee said he too attended the Junior Livestock Show and Sale. He said over 150 animals were shown by the 4-H members. He said despite the weather it was a very successful show. 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/ Special Presentations a. Proclamation Recognizing Chapel Hill High School's Fencing Team Winning the 2015 State Championship The Board considered approving a proclamation recognizing the Chapel Hill High School Fencing Team for winning the 2015 State Championship and authorizing the Chair to sign. Commissioner Rich read the following proclamation: ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS PROCLAMATION OF RECOGNITION FOR CHAPEL HILL HIGH SCHOOL'S FENCING TEAM WINNING THE 2015 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP WHEREAS, on February 21, 2015 the Chapel Hill High School Fencing Team captured the North Carolina Fencing League's State Championship; and, WHEREAS, under the guidance of Coach Doug Guild, Chapel Hill High School's Fencing Team earned its third state title, also winning the trophy in 2012 and 2014; and, WHEREAS, laan Hufford, Ariel Hoerter, Jack Obringer, Brody Rich-Voorhees, Zoe Miller and Darshan Gove contributed to winning the State Championship; and, WHEREAS, through hard work, dedication, teamwork, and commitment, the Tigers brought honor upon themselves, Chapel Hill High School, the Chapel Hill / Carrboro School District and Orange County; NOW, THEREFORE, be it proclaimed that the Orange County Board of Commissioners expresses its sincere appreciation and respect for the Chapel Hill High School Fencing Team, for the Tigers' outstanding achievement, and for their inspiration to youth across North Carolina through their dedication, teamwork, and athletic prowess. THIS, THE 21St DAY OF APRIL, 2015. A motion was made by Commissioner Rich, seconded by Commissioner Price to approve the proclamation and authorize the Chair to sign the proclamation on behalf of the Board. VOTE: UNANIMOUS 5. Public Hearings NONE 6. Consent Agenda • Removal of Any Items from Consent Agenda Commissioner Price removed item 6-d, Strategic Communications Plan (SCP), for discussion. • Approval of Remaining Consent Agenda A motion was made by Commissioner Burroughs, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs to approve the remaining items on the consent agenda. VOTE: UNANIMOUS • Discussion and Approval of the Items Removed from the Consent Agenda Item 6-d — Strategic Communications Plan (SCP) Commissioner Price referred to page nine of the SCP, where a paragraph about Audience Identification is discussed. She said she is struggling with the language of the paragraph and wondered if it the paragraph was necessary. Cheryl Young said when a communication strategy is considered, it is important that a full list of the potential audience be included. She said sometime assumptions are made about who may be interested in information. She said the intention of the paragraph is to offer a listing to insure no one is left out. She said this puts a communication strategy in place that will try and reach everyone. Commissioner Price asked if this listing was a sort of hierarchy. She said in certain situations other government officials would likely desire communications. She said perhaps she is thinking mostly of emergency situations, and there may be separate protocol for those events. Cheryl Young said Emergency Services has a separate plan that is submitted to and approved by the State. She said this document does not impede into that area. Commissioner Price asked about language on page twelve that stated the Board may at times "adopt a voice of persuasion"; and uses a bond referendum as an example. She said she is not certain that the Board, current or future, will always be in consensus or be able to persuade voters one way or another on a given topic. Cheryl Young said the document sets forth that it is the responsibility of a Board member to make certain that they clarify when they are speaking on behalf of themselves and when they are speaking on behalf of the Board. She added that the document further states that, in general, the Chair, or his/her designate, is considered to be the voice of the Board. Commissioner Price said perhaps the example of the bond referendum was not an appropriate one and could be removed. Cheryl Young said the goal of the language was for the Board to encourage people to vote and it was difficult to determine a good example. She said the bond referendum was ultimately chosen as it is an instance when once the Board as a whole decides to move forward, then the collective Board is moving forward and will encourage the public to vote for it. Commissioner Price asked about the Communications Governance Team mentioned on page fourteen and the creation of pilot program to live tweet BOCC meetings. Cheryl Young said the Public Information Officer, Carla Banks, started this pilot program about one month ago. Commissioner Price said she did not know how this pilot program was going to work but now understands clearly. Commissioner Jacobs said the practice of listing the Commissioner that may be involved in a work group or task force on the information contact has been declining. He said he would like to see the practice resumed with regularity. Commissioner Jacobs said he finds the Strategic Communications Plan to be somewhat vague. He said perhaps the Communications Governance Team will help solve the issues. He said he assumes a group will be established to flesh out the recommendations contained within the document. Cheryl Young said there will be an implementation that will go further into the plan, and the plan is for guidance only. Commissioner Jacobs said there is no recommendation for the Board to establish such a group at this time. Cheryl Young said appointments to the Communications Governance Team will be requested from the Board after adoption of the plan. Commissioner Jacobs said during the 2014 ice storm communication to the public was not centralized. He said the County website would be a useful tool during such times to provide updates on what the government is doing as well as information about utilities, etc. He said he understands that Emergency Services updates some of this information, but he is not sure that is their function. Cheryl Young said such communication is directed by Emergency Services and supported by the County Manager's office. She said the SCP calls for the County Manager's Office to identify the duties and responsibilities of the Public Information Officer and the Public Information Office. Commissioner Jacobs asked if the Board should assume all details pertaining to this type of emergency communication will be worked out, and the Board will find out during an emergency if this assumption is true. Bonnie Hammersley said during this past inclement weather in 2015 her office put together an Emergency Communications Team. She said some of the communications were improved, including greater use of the web page. She said her 2015-2016 budget will have a response to the SCP and how it will be implemented. She said the document tonight is a guiding document. Commissioner Jacobs thanked the County Manager and said he would await her budget recommendations and save his comments for that time. Commissioner Price asked for clarification regarding point number ten, under priority A list, on page thirteen (using the numbering at the bottom of the pages). She said the language referring to establishing protocols to determine if information should be shared with all members of the BOCC seemed counterintuitive to the original purpose of the SCP, which was to have everyone on the same page. She also asked for clarification about point number fifteen, under priority B, also on page thirteen regarding the existing ad hoc relationship among professionals. Cheryl Young said in reference to protocols to follow regarding information dissemination amongst Commissioners, every Commissioner may not want to receive every communication that is sent from the County. She added that when there is communication that is outside of the normal communication, there must be a protocol in place to insure that no Commissioner is left out. Cheryl Young said, with regard to number fifteen, there is an ad hoc group that has been meeting for two years and is made up of community members and other governmental entities. She said this point is included in the SCP to formalize and add some structure to this ad hoc group. Commissioner Rich clarified that the document is a guide and needs to be adopted by the Board before they appoint the governance team. She said once the team is created, including one of the Commissioners, then details of issues like those brought up this evening will be addressed in much greater depth. She said that in case of emergency, the County Manager is the go-to person for the BOCC and the Board Chair is the one to call a State of Emergency. She said with that combination, and the ad hoc committee, she hopes that all questions will be answered in a timely manner. A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Rich to approve the Strategic Communications Plan for Orange County. VOTE: UNANIMOUS a. Minutes The Board approved the minutes as submitted by the Clerk to the Board for the following meetings: March 17, 2015 and March 19, 2015. b. Fiscal Year 2014-15 Budget Amendment#8 The Board approved budget and grant project ordinance amendments for fiscal year 2014- 2015 for the Department of Aging. c. Amendment to the Orange County Code of Ordinances Regarding the Parks and Recreation Council The Board will adopted a resolution to amend the Orange County Code of Ordinances related to the Parks and Recreation Council and associated language. e. County Support for My Brother's Keeper The Board will expressed support for the My Brother's Keeper (MBK) initiative in Orange County and authorized County staff to proceed with any necessary steps with the Community Giving Fund and the Triangle Community Foundation to accept and process tax-deductible contributions in support of My Brother's Keeper. VOTE: UNANIMOUS 7. Regular Agenda a. Solid Waste Program Fee Recommendation - Solid Waste Advisory Group The Board received the Solid Waste Advisory Group (SWAG) recommendation on the funding mechanism for solid waste/recycling programs and considered endorsing the fee, to then be communicated to the Towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. Gayle Wilson, County Solid Waste Director, said last June the BOCC created the SWAG, and this intergovernmental group began meeting in August. He said subsequent to the group's creation, additional representatives were added: one from the University of North Carolina (UNC) and one from UNC Healthcare. He said in November 2014 the group's primary focus became the funding mechanism for the County wide recycling program. He said the staff have been meeting and communicating on a regular basis. He said at the November 20th Assembly of Governments (AOG) meeting, a preliminary update was given regarding the progress of the advisory group. He said on March 26th the AOG met and discussed two proposed options for funding the recycling program: • option 1: a two part fee; an urban fee and a rural fee and • option 2: a single County-wide comprehensive fee He said at the SWAG meeting on April 1, 2015, SWAG endorsed option 2, and this option went back to each governmental entity to vote on. He said Chapel Hill and Hillsborough have already met and voted for option 2. He said the Town of Carrboro is meeting tonight. He said SWAG is present tonight for a possible decision from the BOCC. Gayle Wilson said the County Manager is recommending that the Board of County Commissioners endorse the fee recommendation and direct the County Manager to incorporate the fee into the proposed Fiscal 2015-2016 Annual Budget; and direct the County Manager to communicate the BOCC decision to the Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough Town Managers and request that the Towns prepare to incorporate County authorization to assess the Solid Waste Programs Fee into their Fiscal 2015-2016 Budget Ordinances. Commissioner Price asked for the criteria if residents are in need of a subsidy for the fee. Gayle Wilson said there is an income criterion of about $29,000 per year for the homeowner of the property. He added the homeowner must reside in the property for which they seek a subsidy. He said the current 3-r fee subsidy will need to be modified to incorporate the new fee. Commissioner Price requested the lengthening of the hours at the Convenience Centers as the rural residents will not be getting curbside service immediately. Chair McKee asked to limit the current discussion to questions only. He said debate can occur after public comment. PUBLIC COMMENT: Alex Castro, Jr. said he is a rural resident in Bingham Township. He said he is concerned about the proposed expansion of the rural curbside recycling. He said many people do not have a curb or a short paved way to the road. He added that some residents are mobility challenged and hauling a loaded ninety-five gallon recycling bin to the roadside would be a strain and a difficult task. He said everyone has a mail box at the road side but not everyone has a good location to place a ninety-five gallon bin at the road side. He referenced his own property having a forty-five degree slope and being unable to accommodate a bin. He said other residents have long, gravel or dirt driveways that make the large bin difficult to move. He said the current practice of taking manageable sized containers to the Convenience Centers has worked well. He said the residents travel to do all their daily activities, and stopping at the Convenience Center is just another item on their list. He said the potential reduction in services to consolidate services only at Walnut Grove and the Eubanks Center would be a great inconvenience. He said the current Orange County recycling rates of sixty- four percent are the best in the State, and he sees no need to change something that is working. He said he would rather see outlying Convenience Centers supported. He said instead of gold plating the Eubanks Center the County should make better use of the funds by making improvements to the Centers. He said Orange Public Transit is going to expand services to Efland, Cedar Grove and Little River. He said it would be nice to have bus stop signs and rudimentary shelters instead of building a massive upgrade to the Eubanks Center. He said it is important to consider the impact of decisions. He said the needs of the Solid Waste Department are being served and not those of the rural seniors. Chair McKee said the Board normally does not respond to public comments but will do so this time as they have heard comments similar to Mr. Castro's several times. He said he felt it is important to take time to address the concerns. Commissioner Jacobs said the BOCC worked extensively with staff to make sure residents can still use their small recycling bins instead of the larger bins. Gayle Wilson said as they implement the program, in the areas not served by curbside recycling, a survey or two will be conducted to see what type of bin residents would prefer. He said those residents preferring smaller bins that can be placed in a vehicle and driven to the road way may certainly receive them. He said it is not mandatory to recycle, but staff would encourage everyone to do so. Gayle Wilson said for those that qualify for the handicapped program, the staff will continue to come to the home to retrieve the recycling. He said the resident would not have to bring anything to the end of their driveways. Chair McKee said the fee is a combined one for curbside service and the Convenience Centers. He said the recycling fee has been discontinued for the past two years. He said this fee is a reinstatement of the previously discontinued one, and for those who were already on a route the fee is a modest increase. For those who were not on a route, he recognizes the fee is a bit more of an increase. Chair McKee reiterated that the BOCC usually does not respond to public comments, but as there is a vote on this issue this evening, the questions should be answered. Norma White said she is here to speak on the behalf of the rural seniors. She said five out of the seven townships are rural: Little River, Cedar Grove, Cheeks, Eno and Bingham. She said roughly twelve to thirteen percent of the population of these townships is seniors over the age of 65. She said they number about 4000, according to the 2010 census. She said the number of seniors in all of Orange County number about 16,000, so the seniors in rural townships constitute about twenty-five percent of all seniors in the County. She said seniors are aging in place in their townships. She said the numbers will only increase by the next census, five years away. She said seniors are trying to stay put in their homes, and this practice should be supported when possible. She said the given rural condition is gravel driveways from the homes to the main roads. She said moving any rolled item over such a surface is difficult. She said she is glad to hear that, for those who qualify for the handicapped program, staff will come to their homes. However, those over 65 years of age in the rural townships should be able to opt out of the County arrangement for curbside recycling. She said rural seniors dispose of their garbage and recycling differently by use of their cars and the convenience centers. She said she hopes that Orange County will pay attention and help make the lives of the seniors easier to deal with. Bonnie Hauser said she likes the idea of the flat fee but feels that the rural services may suffer as Towns start to add pressure on costs or fees. She said when the global economy crumbled, Orange County quickly cut the hours at Convenience Centers and tried to close Bradshaw Quarry Road, which was a small and inexpensive center. She said this center remained open after public response. She said soon after that debate the County announced a program to overhaul and modernize all Convenience Centers. She said this came as a great surprise to rural residents who had fought strongly to keep a small center like Bradshaw Quarry Road open. She said the new $2 million Walnut Grove Center is impressive, but she wonders if a more modest center would have been sufficient. She said the new center planned for Eubanks will cost more. She said at the same time the County's plan to upgrade rural Convenience Centers has been deferred, with Bradshaw Quarry not on the list for improvements. She said there is community concern that after spending millions on Walnut Grove and Eubanks, that the County will close its rural centers under pressure about costs. She said perhaps the concern is unfounded, but actions speak louder than words. She said one way to alleviate community concerns is re-sequence the project and upgrade High Rock, Ferguson, and Bradshaw Quarry first, costing a lot less. She said if the towns decide to challenge the fees, it will not be at the expense of rural services. She said once the flat fee project is fully adopted, the plan for Eubanks can be revisited with the hope of doing a more modest facility. Bonnie Hauser said if there is County-wide curbside pick up then small haulers should be accommodated. She said local haulers use pick-up trucks to retrieve trash and recycling at homes in one trip. She said it is a wonderful option for seniors and these businesses are already serving the rural areas and their services are flexible, cost effective and a better fit for the rural areas. She added the process would work even better if the small haulers were allowed to use the Walnut Grove facility versus hauling waste to Durham. She asked the BOCC to commit to flexible, cost effective services for all residents. Commissioner Price asked if it is possible to extend the hours and services at the convenience centers. Gayle Wilson said yes. He said the idea can be discussed during the budget talks. Commissioner Rich said she served on the SWAG committee. She said she wanted to note that the Eubanks facility is a priority of the Town leaders as well as UNC. She said it is a well used facility. She said the Town is very supportive of the Eubanks Center upgrade. Commissioner Jacobs said the SWAG was also trying to make a recommendation for adoption in a timely manner so as to fit into all of the budget discussions around the County. He said that Carrboro was the most vociferous of having one fee but is expected to vote in favor of it this evening at their meeting; which is a significant accomplishment. He said most of the elected officials on the SWAG saw the importance of having a unified approach and stressing the commitment to county wide recycling. He said symbolically the one fee was preferred by the elected officials. Commissioner Jacobs said the SWAG is meeting tomorrow and will start discussing the interlocal agreement. He said staff had also been asked to provide a list of goals, and one reiteration of goals had been presented to the SWAG, to which the SWAG had responded. He said the group will discuss another reiteration tomorrow. He said by the end of the fiscal year the SWAG should be able to relate where these priorities are going. He said some priorities may not come into play for years, while others can be addressed immediately. Commissioner Jacobs said he appreciated Chair McKee correcting repeated misinformation by residents. He said there has been no discussion at all about closing any Convenience Centers. He said doing a use survey of the different waste facilities has been discussed to see who gets the benefits of the different services. Commissioner Pelissier said in the last few years there have been a lot of conversations about the rural versus urban recycling and she hopes there will now be conversation on how everyone can do their best with recycling. She said recycling has increased dramatically with new large bins and success is being achieved. Commissioner Rich said when the information about the roll carts went out to the rural segments, the response was enormous. She said roll carts could not be delivered quickly enough. She asked if there are still rural residents waiting for carts. Gayle Wilson said that is correct and he said a survey indicated about 7000 residents wanted the new roll carts. He said 7600 roll carts were purchased in the current budget. He said the existing carts are all distributed, and 300 more carts have been ordered. He said they will be distributed as soon as they arrive. He said many people who thought they did not want the roll carts have changed their minds. Commissioner Rich said no one is telling residents in the Towns and County what to do, but the goal is to give people recycling options and promote recycling. She said the participation goal was 61% and with it being at 64% percent, everyone should be very proud. Chair McKee said residents with trash pick up in urban areas will not use Convenience Centers as much as those living in rural areas. He said he has spoken with Chapel Hill residents about the Convenience Centers, and when these residents need the Convenience Centers, they really need them. He said that having the Convenience Centers open for items that cannot be put out on the curb is a major convenience for them. He said the lower number of carts initially purchased may have been the result of his objections to buying carts when the response was unknown. He said he is glad to see more carts are needed versus having too many and them going to waste. He said the issue of carts versus bins has been addressed. He said the fee will be present whether the service is used or not. He said at his home he has a large cart. He said before using this he went to the Convenience Center. He said currently he and his wife carry the recyclables to the collection point behind Home Depot. Chair McKee said he agreed with Commissioner Price's idea of trying to extend the convenience centers' hours while they wait for the rural roll carts to be distributed. He said he has never heard any conversation about closing the Convenience Centers by this Board or anyone else during his tenure. Commissioner Rich said she does have some concerns about the extension of hours but will wait for the budget discussions. A motion was made by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Rich to: 1) endorse the fee recommendation and direct the County Manager to incorporate the fee into the proposed Fiscal 2015/16 Annual Budget; and 2) direct the County Manager to communicate the BOCC decision to the Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough Town Managers and request that the Towns prepare to incorporate County authorization to assess the Solid Waste Programs Fee into their Fiscal 2015/16 Budget Ordinances. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Chair McKee expressed thanks to the members of the public for their comments. b. Community Home Trust Interlocal Agreement The Board considered entering an Interlocal Agreement with the Towns of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough with regard to oversight and funding of the Community Home Trust. Bonnie Hammersley (she was just repeating the above paragraph, so I deleted that) read the following background information: BACKGROUND: In 1990, the County, along with Carrboro, Hillsborough, and Chapel Hill, created the Orange Community Housing Corporation (OCHC) to create affordable housing opportunities in Orange County. Since its inception, the Towns and the County have annually provided operating support to the organization. In 1998 the Towns and County recommended that OCHC staff the newly created Community Land Trust later renamed the Community Home Trust. The Community Home Trust has requested that the elected boards consider entering into an interlocal agreement to: 1. Clarify the responsibilities of the Towns, Orange County, and the Community Home Trust; and 2. Provide a formula for allocating operating funds for the organization. At the November 2014 Assembly of Governments meeting, the elected officials were briefed on the progress of developing an interlocal agreement regarding the Community Home Trust. Staff reported that each partner would return to their respective boards with a draft of an agreement. The staffs have worked with the Community Home Trust staff to draft the attached agreement. Key components of the agreement include: 1. Reinforcement that the County and the Towns are committed to creating successful affordable housing opportunities Orange County; 2. Acknowledgement and agreement that the Community Home Trust's programs serve households earning up to 115 percent of the area median income; 3. Annual review of the agreement during the annual budget cycle by the elected boards of all of the partners; 4. Continuing to appoint a representative from each jurisdiction to the Community Home Trust board of directors (Section III.B) 5. Identification of responsibilities of the Community Home Trust (Section III.C), and the partner jurisdictions (Section III.D); 6. Agreement on an annual funding formula based on the ratio of Community Home Trust homes to the total number of the organization's homes (Section III.D.3); 7. Agreement to allow Community Home Trust to provide an unrestricted fee simple deed of trust to lenders of Home Trust homes. In short, if a home is foreclosed upon, the Towns and County agree to cancel all affordability restrictions recorded against the property. This would increase the lending options to buyers. (Section III.D.5a.); 8. Agreement that homes subsidized by local funds may be resold to households earning up to 115% of the area median income without repaying the funds (Section III.D.5.b); and 9. Agreement that homes could be sold out of the Community Home Trust inventory upon approval of the Manager (Section III.D.5.c). Since the agreement would be reviewed annually, the staffs from each jurisdiction would continue to work with the Community Home Trust to evaluate the funding formula and the current model for homeownership. If identified, alternative models will be brought forward to the Board for consideration. FINANCIAL IMPACT Based on the proposed formula, the County's annual financial contribution will be 33% of the approved funding needs of the Community Home Trust. RECOMMENDATIONS The Manager recommends that the Board approve the Interlocal Agreement and authorize the Manager to execute the same. Bonnie Hammersley said in November 2014 the median income was increased to 115% and the fee simple deed language "unrestricted" was not included. She said this change has been made and the unrestricted language is now included. PUBLIC COMMENT: Robert Dowling, Executive Director, Community Home Trust (CHT), said the Board is the first governmental body to discuss this item, and they have been talking about this agreement for two years. He said a shared set of expectations is desired and should have been in place years ago. He said the CHT is a creation of local governments. He said the CHT has done a variety of things for local governments, but in the past 12 years the focus has been on inclusionary housing mostly in Chapel Hill. He said the CHT has been successful, and there are 240 homes in their inventory of affordable homes. He said the challenges faced by the CHT are financial. He said 99-year ground leases are being assigned, and the organization needs to be viable and well run. He said there has been no increase in funding in 7 years which is not sustainable. He said the agreement offers a model for funding the organization. Commissioner Rich said she was on the CHT Board before Commissioner Price, and a good portion of their meetings were spent talking about this proposal. She said at the AOG there was an overall positive feel from all the local governments. Commissioner Jacobs said affordable housing is a nationwide problem. He said this has been a long time community effort. A motion was made by Commissioner Rich, seconded by Commissioner Price for the Board to approve the Interlocal Agreement and authorize the Manager to execute the same. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Chair McKee said over the next year there must be a plan to address the issue of affordable housing with the Towns and to work with CHT and other organizations to address this problem. He said the need for affordable housing in Orange County may not be as great as some other areas, but there is still a need. Commissioner Rich said Allan Leigh who had been Chair of the CHT is leaving. She said that Allan had guided them through this agreement, and she sends well wishes to him from the Board. c. Child Care Budget Planning Information The Board discussed funding needs and possible strategies for meeting the need for child care subsidy for Orange County families. Nancy Coston, Social Services Director, said this item was to be discussed in March but was canceled due to inclement weather but she wanted to update them on some possible scenarios. She reviewed the following background information: BACKGROUND: The Orange County Department of Social Services (DSS) has offered subsidized child care to all children placed on the waitlist prior to January 1, 2015, as directed by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) using funds in the Social Services current fiscal year budget, state reallocations and funds made available by the BOCC. A new waiting list was started on January 1, 2015. Staff was asked to come back to the BOCC and present funding proposals for different child care subsidy scenarios for FY 2015-16. Although some scenarios were developed for the March 5, 2015 work session that was canceled due to inclement weather (see attached), additional trend analysis has now been included in the information being presented. The original cost estimate for Fiscal Year 2014- 2015 was based on an expectation of 820 children per month receiving subsidy. Due to some of the changes implemented for part time care and due to the time needed to enroll new children, the expenses for this year will be below the $5,023,956 and 820 children originally anticipated. The new estimate for children served during this fiscal year will be 724 per month and currently 807 are receiving subsidy. Although the original estimate for state child care revenue was $3.4 million, DSS has actually received $4.4 million after several reallocations. With these changes, the agency anticipates approximately $150,000 in county funds remaining in the child care fund on June 30, 2015. All estimates in this abstract also include the cost to continue serving the children impacted by the change in income eligibility and family composition implemented by the North Carolina General Assembly last year (school age children below 133% of the Federal Poverty Level and children living with relatives other than parents). Given that the children who have been served from the waitlist will continue to be served next year, the cost for next year is estimated at $4,342,500 assuming average attrition and taking no new children from the waitlist. Since the state estimate has again been reduced to $3.4 million, the budget approved by the Social Services Board and submitted to the County Manager includes an increase of$639,000 in County dollars to cover the cost of currently enrolled children. This estimate does not allow for clearing the current waitlist or serving children as attrition occurs. These funds, if appropriated, would serve an average of 724 children per month. There are currently 115 children on the waiting list and the agency estimates that 100 children would receive services if the waiting list was cleared through June 30, 2015. The Department has been studying ways to eliminate the current waitlist. Based on conversations with state officials, the Department anticipates receiving an additional $300,000 above the estimated $3.4 million in the DSS proposed 2015-2016 budget. The Department believes that approximately 800 children per month could be served with the funds in the budget recommended by the Social Services Board. If there is some shortage of funds to meet this need, the Department could cover these costs by moving any unexpended funds from other line items during the year. Therefore the Department recommends clearing the current waitlist and continuing without a waitlist through June 30, 2015. Another stated goal of the Board of County Commissioners is to eliminate the waitlist on an ongoing basis. Trend data has been analyzed by the Department and the highest number of children served when there was no waitlist was 928. The trends also show that on average approximately 30 children are added to the waitlist each month and 12 terminate from subsidy each month. Based on this net increase of 18 children being added to the subsidy program each month (and therefore requiring varying amounts of support for the year), the Department estimates eliminating the waitlist would add $702,000 in county costs to the Fiscal Year 2015- 2016 budget. This amount would be in addition to the $928,615 in the proposed budget approved by the DSS Board. If more than $300,000 in reallocated funds are received from the state or if attrition proves higher than projected, these costs might be lower. If funds are not made available to eliminate the waitlist, children would be added to the waitlist beginning July 1, 2015. Only if the average number of children drops below 800 would children from the waitlist be served. Another strategy for addressing this need would be to increase the number of children served incrementally. The estimated annual cost to add 50 children to the monthly average of children served is $300,000 and this is based on each child receiving subsidy for all 12 months. By increasing the average number of children served, the Board could develop an alternative strategy to address the need and thereby reduce the length of time children are on the waitlist. Nancy Coston said there will need to be a discussion during the budget process about whether or not to continue to fund services to 200% the poverty rate for children ages six and up. She said right now children ages six and up should be funded up to 133% the poverty rate but Orange County has been serving up to 200% at cost to the County. She said this is a factor that has been figured into any estimates provided to the BOCC with an assumption that services would continue to be provided up to 200% the poverty rate. She said DSS strives never to terminate services once a child has been removed from the waiting list. She said the State revenue has always been a shooting match for DSS. She said typically the State ends up giving more money than estimated but it is not a guarantee. She said this year Orange County received $1 million more than estimated from the State. She assumes there will be some additional money next year but not necessarily as much. Nancy Coston asked if the Board of County Commissioners has the desired information from her office and does the BOCC need more option scenarios. She said the 50 children being served every month for 12 months will cost $300,000. She said there are about 130 on the childcare wait list since January 1, 2015. She said there are monies in the budget. She said with the flexibility DSS was given this year to move money around, it is believed that they can serve those children next year with their current budget proposal for 2015 to 2016. Chair McKee asked if the County Manager had anything to add and how it may play into her proposal. Bonnie Hammersley said she has worked closely with Nancy Coston on this issue and her recommended budget does reflect what Nancy Coston just shared with the Board, and those children will continue to be covered going into 2015-2016. Commissioner Jacobs said Nancy Coston has always been supportive of doing as much as possible with the waiting list and getting subsidies. He said he especially appreciates the way she is doing the process, giving these residents some assurance they would not be dropped. He said his concern is that this is almost an open ended problem and he appreciated Nancy Coston's caution in giving the incremental options for the Board to consider. Nancy Coston said that is why specifics cannot be assured, because the need is such a constant moving target. She said DSS is sensitive that this is an exponential kind of issue for the children that are added on each month. She said DSS does the exponential math each time. A motion was made by Commissioner Rich, seconded by Commissioner Burroughs to recommend that the Board discuss child care funding options, approve clearing the waitlist through June 30, 2015, and identify any other information needed to develop a long range budget proposal for child care subsidy and provide guidance to the Department regarding the current waitlist. Commissioner Jacobs asked if clearing the waiting list would include the 130 people on it currently. Nancy Coston said yes. She added there would be another 40-50 people by July 1, 2015. Commissioner Jacobs asked, if the Board passes this motion, whether they are committing to almost 200 more people beyond those already being subsidized; at the cost of $6,000 per person. Nancy Coston said yes. Commissioner Pelissier asked if the figure given by DSS in scenario number 3 is based on one hundred and eighty children. Nancy Coston said yes. She said it is assumed that 180 would be joining the ranks by July 1, 2015. Commissioner Pelissier asked when voting, the Board is really voting on scenario number 3 in terms of the actual cost figures. Nancy Coston said yes. Commissioner Jacobs asked for the additional cost of clearing the wait list compared to clearing to where it is now. Nancy Coston said the calculations for next year would cover the numbers in scenario 3; if there is flexibility to move money around. She said if both the County and the State give the funds that DSS expect next year it would enable the wait list to be cleared through June 30, 2015. She said the waiting list would start again July 1,'2015 VOTE: UNANIMOUS d. Additional Discussion on Funding School and County Capital Needs with a Potential November 2016 Bond Referendum The Board discussed potentially addressing County and School capital needs with a November 2016 Bond Referendum and providing direction to staff on next steps. Bonnie Hammersley said the Board of County Commissioners discussed this on March 3, 2015. She said the issue regarding the lack of the school facility priority lists hindered the discussion, thus it is being brought back tonight. She said Orange County Schools (OCS) have indicated that their priority list will not be ready until May. She said attachment 1 to the abstract has decision points outlined as a guide for the BOCC. Chair McKee said some of the reluctance of OCS to provide a priority list may have hinged on their search for a new superintendent. He said a new superintendent is now secured and is to be sworn in on April 27, 2015. He said the OCS priority list should now hopefully move forward quickly. He opened up a general discussion and thanked the manager for the decision points to aid the Board in moving through the discussion. Decision points: HOW SHOULD ORANGE COUNTY FUND SCHOOL AND COUNTY CAPITAL PROJECTS? POTENTIAL NOVEMBER 2016 BOND REFERENDUM Does the Board want to schedule a bond referendum? A motion was made by Commissioner Burroughs, seconded by Commissioner Pelissier to approve scheduling a bond referendum. VOTE: UNANIMOUS If there is a bond referendum, when should the bond referendum occur? May 2016 or November 2016 A motion was made by Commissioner Pelissier, seconded by Commissioner Price to schedule the bond referendum for November 2016. VOTE: UNANIMOUS If there is a bond referendum, should it address one need, or multiple needs? Commissioner Jacobs suggested a scientific voter poll be conducted to ask the residents of Orange County what they would like to see on a bond referendum. He said the Board recognizes that school needs predominate but seems divided on whether these needs should be the sole purpose of the bond issue. He suggested giving the voters an opportunity to think about the issues rather than acting on individual convictions of the Board members. Commissioner Burroughs said she thinks that there is more than enough work to be done in many facilities within both school systems. She said the needs are far greater than what can be accomplished by this bond referendum. She said she appreciates Commissioner Jacobs's suggestion for a poll but it would be difficult to poll the voters to sort out priorities. She said she does not have much faith in that particular tool being helpful. She will continue to advocate for the bond for the schools. She said it is not even close to what the schools will need, but the systems will make these funds work to the best of their ability, using them wisely. Commissioner Price echoed Commissioner Burroughs. She said all the Commissioners have been out in the community and have a good idea of the capital needs. She said the recycling fee will be new, as well as the upcoming property revaluation, and she feels adding multiple items to the bond is too much to ask of the constituents. She supports focusing on schools only for this bond. Commissioner Rich said she has talked to the community and has not met one person who supports having just the schools on the bond. She said Chapel Hill has an upcoming bond with four or five issues. She said each issue is up for a vote, and if people only want to support schools they would only vote for the schools. She said she believes a majority of the money would go to the schools. She added she sees no reason to be shortsighted and that this is the Board's opportunity to fund the schools as well as possibly affordable housing. She is not in favor of having a bond with just one issue on it. Commissioner Pelissier said she previously supported schools and affordable housing on the bond, but she is now in favor of having one issue on the bond and that is for schools. She said the conversation about the possibility of a bond arose out of the needs of schools. She said the schools needs are evident now. She said the Board knows that a bond would raise taxes. She said that doing a poll, and the necessary education of the public, would be too complex. She said if other items are on the bond and they fail, it leads to a lost opportunity to give the schools more funds. She said the Board knows the schools' needs already exceed what the bond can offer and taking away from those funds causes the needs to go unmet. She added there are real needs and not a wish list of fancy things for the schools. Commissioner Pelissier said she too has talked to other elected officials and community members and most said to make the bond simple by focusing only on schools. She said the public can be informed about the needs and why taxes would need to be increased. Commissioner Price said there still needs to be an action plan regarding affordable housing and the details of such a plan are uncertain at this time. Chair McKee said he also originally advocated for both schools and affordable housing being on the bond. He said until a comprehensive plan regarding how to address affordable housing is created with the Towns that the issue should not be put on a bond referendum. He said he now supports having one issue on the bond and that being schools. Commissioner Jacobs said the decision to have only one issue on the bond short changes the residents of Orange County. He said there should be no reason to be afraid to hear the opinions of the voters. He said he found the voters discriminating enough to determine their own priorities and to tell their elected officials these priorities. He said a monochromatic bond is not a good idea. He said the CIP does not bind future Boards. He said a bond is an agreement of what the voters want and the provision of those wants. He said a CIP is changeable, and none of the other things like senior needs, affordable housing needs, park needs, or improvements in sidewalks or bike lane will be guaranteed in this bond if the only item on it is schools. He said he has always supported schools but every year at public budget hearings the Board points out to citizens that it is the responsibility of the Board to care for more than just the schools and the education systems. He said it is his opinion that this decision flies in the face of those comments. Commissioner Rich said the lack of an affordable housing plan should not preclude asking the voters to vote for funding for affordable housing. She said with such a vote at least there will be a funding mechanism in place. She said the Board should pay attention to the Chapel Hill bond as it is a competing issue. She said the Chapel Hill bond may include solid waste, despite their lack of a solid waste plan. She said she is supportive of schools, and just because she wants to put affordable housing on a bond does not mean she does not support schools. Chair McKee said the Board is clearly not unified. He said having one issue on this bond does not preclude a future bond for other needs. He said it his opinion that the current overarching need in Orange County is schools. Commissioner Burroughs said putting schools on the bond as a single issue will help save money down the road. She said such stewardship of funds is a good decision. A motion was made by Commissioner Burroughs, seconded by Commissioner Pelissier that this bond will be for the capital needs of the schools. VOTE: Ayes, 4 (Chair McKee, Commissioner Price, Commissioner Pelissier, Commissioner Burroughs); Nays, 2 (Commissioner Jacobs and Commissioner Rich) MOTION PASSES 4-2 Chair McKee said just because this is a divided vote does not mean this is a divided Board on their commitment to schools or other needs throughout the County. If there is a bond referendum, what process will be followed? And does the number of "needs" on the referendum affect the process? Not applicable Will there be a Bond Referendum Advisory Committee/Capital Needs Advisory Task Force? Does this change if there is only one need addressed via the referendum? Chair McKee said with only one item on the bond that an advisory committee is not warranted. Commissioner Pelissier said though she agreed that a bond committee is not needed, she does believe a public engagement process is necessary. She said there should be joint meetings with both school boards as well as allow for the public to thoroughly review what the Boards are saying and to make public comments on the proposed bond. Commissioner Rich said the $125 million bond will be used very quickly, and she would like to see a long term plan as to how to maintain schools in the future. Commissioner Jacobs asked how would the money be divided between the two school districts and who would make those decisions. Chair McKee said, in his opinion, such decisions would be made either under the direction of the BOCC or by an Advisory Committee, in conjunction with staff. Commissioner Burroughs said there are two elected school boards, and she knows at least one board that has spent a great deal of time determining the priorities. She agreed with Commissioner Pelissier regarding public engagement. She said she is not sure another committee is needed. She said it is duplicative of their elected officials. She does see merit in the creation of a separate group to look at long term maintenance. She said she does believe the education committee is needed to go out and share information. She said the Board of County Commissioners will need to decide how to split the funding. She said making potentially difficult decisions is part of the Board's responsibility. Commissioner Pelissier echoed Commissioner Rich's comments about having a long term plan for the maintenance of not only schools, but all County facilities. She said regarding the division of funds, the BOCC will need to look at both school systems and what they are proposing, and the projections for increased capacity. Commissioner Rich said she does not have a problem with another committee. She said she and Commissioner Pelissier served on a committee for the '/4 cents sales tax. She said the committee was valuable as it was a mixture of community residents and elected officials. Chair McKee asked if the committee to which Commissioner Rich is referring was the Education Committee or a separate committee. Commissioner Rich said it would be a separate committee from the school Committee. Commissioner Pelissier said this committee was not appointed by the BOCC but rather bubbled up within the community, and it worked well. She said a committee is needed but not necessarily appointed by the BOCC. Chair McKee asked how the BOCC wanted to proceed regarding his suggestion that the Capital Needs Advisory committee be taken off the table but that an Education Committee be formed. Commissioner Price said she saw the value in an Education Committee with this bond referendum. Commissioner Jacobs said the conversation is going in many different directions simultaneously. He agreed with Commissioner Burroughs that there has been long term planning by the school systems on maintenance but this was overtaken by circumstances. He said whatever the Board does a public process will be needed. Commissioner Jacobs said he agreed with Commissioner Rich that there needs to be long term plans for capital needs that the County can afford. A motion was made by Commissioner Pelissier, seconded by Commissioner Burroughs to not have an Advisory Task Force but a Bond Education Committee. Commissioner Rich asked if the Commissioners will appoint these members. Commissioner Pelissier said her motion only addressed the existence of an Education Committee without saying if the Board will appoint or to set the committee's size. Commissioner Rich asked if the Board would discuss the committee tonight or at another time. Chair McKee said it could be discussed tonight or at a later date if the Board so wills. VOTE: Ayes, 5; Nays, 1 (Commissioner Jacobs) MOTION PASSES 5-1 Chair McKee said we will now turn the discussion to the composition of the Education Committee. Commissioner Burroughs said she would be comfortable leaving this decision for a little further down the road. Commissioner Price said some of the members should be appointed by the Board of County Commissioners, to insure a core group, and other members could be recruited elsewhere. She said there should be some flexibility on the committee and perhaps some staff or a couple of Board of County Commissioners could work on it. Chair McKee agreed with Commissioner Burroughs to delay this discussion at this time and to have proposed solutions for composition on a future agenda. Commissioner Rich said she would like to see some suggestions for Committee members. She would like some research to go into who would be the best people to help the Board educate the community. Chair McKee asked if Commissioner Rich wanted staff to "flush out" suggestions of the Board or if the Board should make suggestions as to who would sit on this committee. Commissioner Rich said the staff needs to talk to the Towns and the staff of the School Boards. Chair McKee agreed with Commissioner Rich and said the issue will be taken as a consideration item. Commissioner Burroughs said the amount of the bond needs to be discussed. A motion was made by Commissioner Burroughs, seconded by Commissioner Pelissier to set the amount of the bond at $125 million. Commissioner Rich asked for the difference in the tax rate between a $100 million and $125 million bond. Paul Laughton said this would be a little less than a penny on the tax rate. He said to go from $100 million to $125 million would be an additional penny on the tax rate. Commissioner Rich said the $100 million brought about 4 cents on the tax rate. Paul Laughton said yes and that the $125 million will be a little under 5 cents on the tax rate. VOTE: Ayes, 4 (Chair McKee, Commissioner Pelissier, Commissioner Price, Commissioner Burroughs); Nays, 2 (Commissioner Jacobs and Commissioner Rich). MOTION PASSES 4-2 John Roberts said to Commissioner Rich that there is no ten year limit between bonds, but there is a ten year limit on issuing the bonds once the bond order is approved. Paul Laughton said there is a seven year limit to issue the bond amount with a possibility of a three year extension. Commissioner Burroughs asked if the tax increase happens all at once or is spread out over time. Paul Laughton said that the tax increase would not happen in one year but will be spread out over time. Commissioner Rich said at some point Orange County citizens will eventually get bond fatigue. She said there will be bond fatigue after the Chapel Hill Bond. Commissioner Price asked if the financial scenario changes before the bond is on the ballot, whether the Board is committed to $125 million. John Roberts said this decision is just expressing the intent of the Board, and it is not binding. He said as the Board goes through the process they will be making more binding decisions as related to the bond. Chair McKee said there will be time to talk with the School Boards once they have determined their list of priorities. Commissioner Price asked if it is possible to place an additional item in the bond should there be a huge outcry for it. Staff answered yes. 8. Reports NONE 9. County Manager's Report Bonnie Hammersley said there is a transportation event on Friday, April 24th in recognition of National County Month. She invited all the Commissioners to attend. 10. County Attorney's Report John Roberts said the House concluded its bill filing last week. He said the total number of bills filed this year is 1654, which is somewhat low. He said the County Omnibus bill is moving through committee and includes recyclable materials legislation. Chair McKee thanked him for his updates on bills that adversely affect the County. He said there are two bills that affect reallocation of the sales tax distribution. He said on the surface he is enthusiastically supportive of reallocation on per capita rather than point of sale. He said the devil is in the details because one of the bills would not only change the distribution method but would try and tell the County how they could spend this money, which is another taking of County prerogative. 11. Appointments a. Carrboro Northern Transition Area Advisory Committee —Appointment The Board considered making an appointment to the Carrboro Northern Transition Area Advisory Committee. A motion was made by Commissioner Pelissier, seconded by Commissioner Rich to appoint the following to the Carrboro Northern Transition Area Advisory Committee: • Ms. Anahid Vrana to a partial term (Position #2) "Carrboro Northern Transition Area Advisory Committee — BOCC Appointee" expiring 01/31/2017. VOTE: UNANIMOUS b. Human Relations Commission —Appointments and Changes The Board considered making appointments and position changes to the Human Relations Commission. A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Pelissier to appoint the following with proposed changes to the Human Relations Commission: • Change in current representative (Position #11) "Town of Hillsborough" move to (Position #16) "At-Large" representative for Ms. Natalie Turner expiring 06/30/2015. (Ms. Turner moved from Hillsborough, but still lives in Orange County. The Clerk's office was not apprised of this change until after the March 17th BOCC meeting) • Change in representative (Position #16) "At-Large" representative to (Position #11) "Town of Hillsborough" representative for Rev. Rollin Russell expiring 06/30/2015. (Rev. Russell is a resident of the Town of Hillsborough) VOTE: UNANIMOUS c. Orange County Parks and Recreation Council —Appointments The Board considered making appointments to the Orange County Parks and Recreation Council. A motion was made by Commissioner Pelissier, seconded by Commissioner Price to appoint the following to the Orange County Parks and Recreation Council: • Evelyn Daniel to a first full term (Position #1) "Carrboro Town Limits" expiring 03/31/2018. • John Greeson to a partial term (Position #2) "Hillsborough Township" expiring 03/31/2016. • Thomas Rhodes to a partial term (Position #5) "At-Large" expiring 03/31/2016. • Appoint/ Move Dr. Tori Williams-Reid to (Position #10) "Hillsborough Town Limits" from position #2 "Hillsborough Township" (replaced by John Greeson if appointed). This will fulfill her first full term expiring 09/30/2016. VOTE: UNANIMOUS 12. Board Comments Commissioner Burroughs had no comments. Commissioner Jacobs asked if John Roberts could give the Board a link to the bills with his updates. Commissioner Jacobs said some of the thread of their petition process, previously discussed at the retreat, has been lost, and he asked to put it back on a work session to discuss. Commissioner Jacobs said both he and Commissioner Price are working on the Veteran's Memorial. Commissioner Pelissier said she attended the Legislative Breakfast for the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS). She said there was discussion regarding pending legislation, but it was also an opportunity for the CHCCS Board to let the legislative delegation know some of the efforts in which they are involved. She said there is statewide discussion about a pay model for teachers but CHCCS want to move toward a performance based model as opposed to getting increases in pay based on longevity. She said it was a very good discussion. Commissioner Pelissier said Thursday is the Annual WCHL Radio Station forum, and many of the Board of County Commissioners will be participating. Commissioner Rich encouraged residents to call or email the Commissioners individually to get factual information about issues rather than depending on blogs. Commissioner Rich said she too attended the Junior Livestock Show and Sale for the first time and had a good time, as did her son. Commissioner Price said she attended the District Meeting for the North Carolina Association for County Commissioners (NCACC) held in Durham, and it was interesting to hear other commissioners talking about the same issues seen by the BOCC in Orange County. Chair McKee added to Commissioner Rich's blog comment that he does try to forward public emails to staff in an effort to obtain factual information with which to respond. Chair McKee said this past Monday the Board had breakfast in Chapel Hill with about one hundred members of the public. He said there was sort of an elected officials "speed dating", changing tables every so often in order to hear a variety of concerns and questions. He said every table had questions and concerns, but no two tables had the same questions or concerns. He said it was a very interesting time. 13. Information Items • April 7, 2015 BOCC Meeting Follow-up Actions List • Memo Regarding Rural Roll Cart Distribution • Memo Regarding Agricultural Preservation Board Appointments to Agricultural Economic Development Grant Subcommittee • BOCC Chair Letter Regarding Petitions from April 7, 2015 Regular Meeting 14. Closed Session NONE 15. Adjournment A motion was made by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Rich to adjourn the meeting at 9:30 p.m. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Earl McKee, Chair Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board