Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 12-11-2007-4zORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: December 11, 2007 Action Agenda Item No. ~- - ~ SUBJECT: Authorization for Additional Funding and Time for Hillsborough Farmer's Market Mediation Activities DEPARTMENT: Cooperative Extension PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No County Manager ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Fletcher Barber, Jr., 245-2051 Laura Blackmon, 245-2300 PURPOSE: To request authorization for additional funds and time in excess of those previously approved by the Board of Commissioners to cover half of the costs for mediation related to the parties interested in the Hillsborough farmer's market of the Public Market House. BACKGROUND: At the September 6, 2007 Board of County Commissioners meeting, the Board asked the Manager and Cooperative Extension staff to draft and present to the Board at the October 9, 2007 meeting an initial set of draft guidelines to direct the. operation of the Public Market House facility as the Hillsborough Farmer's Market. Those materials were presented to the Board at the October 9, 2007 Board meeting. It was also discussed at that meeting that there were two groups within the community interested in maintaining the traditional Hillsborough farmer's market in the new Public Market House. Staff proposed as part of the October 9th discussion that the County offer to assist in prompting mediation of the differences between the various interests and suggested that the County pay 50% of the costs for mediation for up to 10 hours of mediation preparation and actual meeting time. That mediation, potentially through the Dispute Settlement Center, would possibly help address. the differences among the interests and could also enhance the discussions of the draft guidelines and ultimate final document. The goal was to unify all vendors into one entity with a strong Board of Directors capable of entering into an agreement with the County for extended use of the County's facility for the Hillsborough Farmer's Market. The Board authorized staff to extend an offer from the County to assist with mediation of the differences between the various interests, with the County paying 50% of the costs for mediation for up to 10 hours of mediation preparation and actual meeting time and the other participants/groups paying the other 50% of the costs. As part of its action, the Board also requested that all mediation efforts be completed by the end of the 2007 calendar year and that a set of final draft guidelines be brought back to the Board at the first regular Board meeting in 2008 for additional review and approval. Since the October 9t" meeting, Andy Sachs with the Dispute Settlement Center, with some minimal organizational assistance from County staff, has been working to bring the various interests together for discussion. To date, Mr. Sachs has invested eight and a half hours and anticipates another 2-4 hours prior to an upcoming mediatian session. Following that meeting, Mr. Sachs anticipates another 2-6 hours of follow-up work, including the drafting of a Memorandum of Understanding. Mr. Sachs has requested an additional 15 hours of mediation time to complete this effort. Mr. Sachs has also noted a charge of $85 an hour. Based on the information above and Mr. Sachs' request, it is proposed that the Board approve up to an additional 15 hours for the mediation process. The cost for just the additional 15 hours would be $1,275 ($85 per hour). FINANCIAL IMPACT: On October 9t", the Board approved the pursuit of the mediation process with the County paying 50% of the costs for mediation for up to 10 hours of mediation preparation and actual meeting time. An estimated cost of approximately $75 per hour for mediation services potentially through the Dispute Settlement Center had been noted in the October 9t" Board meeting materials. The total potential cost to the County at that time was up to $375. It is proposed that up to an additional 15 hours be added to the mediation timeframe and that the cost per hour would be $85, making the potential total approved time 25 hours at $85 per hour. The costs could total up to $2,125, with the County potentially being responsible for 50% of this cost - $1,062.50. The other participants/groups would also need to commit to the additional hours and paying the additional costs up to $1,062.50. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board authorize up to an additional 15 hours of mediation time through the Dispute Settlement Center for a total of up to 25 hours of total mediation time, with the other participants/groups being asked to commit to the additional 15 hours, for a total of 25 hours total mediation time, and the associated cost.