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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 09-15-2015 APPROVED 10/20/2015 MINUTES BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING September 15, 2015 7:00 p.m. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, September 15, 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, Mark Dorosin, Barry Jacobs, Bernadette Pelissier, Renee Price and Penny Rich COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager Travis Myren and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) Chair McKee called meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. Compliance with the "Americans with Disabilities Act" - Interpreter services and/or special sound equipment are available on request. Call the County Clerk's Office at (919) 245-2130. If you are disabled and need assistance with reasonable accommodations, contact the ADA Coordinator in the County Manager's Office at (919) 245-2300 or TDD# 644-3045. 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda Chair McKee said this evening was an opportunity for the public to speak on Matters Not on the Printed Agenda, in reference to the Bond. He said this is not a public hearing. Chair McKee noted the following items at the Commissioners' places: - Purple sheet - Revised Proclamation for item 4-b: Constitution and Citizenship Day and Constitution Week 2015 -Yellow sheet -Additional Volunteer application to the Orange Water And Sewer Association (OWASA) Board for Item 11-e A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Pelissier to change the order of items, and move Item 4 to before Item 2 due, to the amount of public comment expected tonight. VOTE: UNANIMOUS A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs to suspend the one-hour time limit on public comment for "matters not on the printed agenda." VOTE: UNANIMOUS PUBLIC CHARGE Chair McKee dispensed with the reading of the Public Charge. 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/ Special Presentations a. Orange County Arts Grant Recipients The Board considered acknowledging the local artists and arts organizations, receiving the Spring 2015 Orange County Arts Grants awards, with the presentation of checks by the Board Vice-Chair. Martha Shannon said the Orange County Arts Commission awards grants for art programs to local artists, schools and nonprofit organizations from funds received from the State and Orange County government for this purpose. She said these funds are distributed for arts projects in all arts disciplines. She said each grant recipient must match the granted amount at least dollar for dollar in order to receive funding. She said the $30,878 in State Grassroots Program funds awarded to the Arts Commission in FY2015-16, for Arts Commission purposes, and for granting to outside nonprofit agencies sponsoring arts projects, represents a pass through of State funds. She said as always, grants to individual artists are paid from County funds allocated by the BOCC for local arts grants during FY2015-16. She said in this cycle, $300 in County funds was awarded to an individual artist. She said any additional State Grassroots Program funds awarded to the Arts Commission in FY2015-16 will be used to help support local arts programming and Arts Commission programs. Commissioner Jacobs asked if any of the recipients were first time recipients. Martha Shannon said there were three first time recipients in the spring recipient cycle. Chair McKee called the recipients, and Commissioner Pelissier distributed the checks: Spring, 2015 Arts Grant Recipients: Attendees: ArtsCenter - Julie Tomkovick Carrboro Elementary School - NOT PRESENT Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation - Lynn Lehmann Chapel Hill Philharmonica - John Konanc Communities in Schools of Orange County - Max Puhala Deep Dish Theater Company - Howard Aldrich Estes Hills Elementary School - Meredith Lassiter Expedition School - Tim Wells Franklin Street Arts Collective (dba FRANK Gallery) - Barbara Tyroler Grady A. Brown Elementary School PTA - Lauren Hamm Hillsborough Arts Council - Gail Cooley Hillsborough Presbyterian Church - Lisa Flinn McDougle Elementary School PTA - Siobhan Colgan Music Maker Relief Foundation - Corinne Everett Belch North Carolina Arts in Action - Marlon Torres One Song Productions - Jax Preyer, Julia Stamey Max Puhala - Max Puhala Rogers Eubanks Neighborhood Association (RENA) - David Caldwell, Robert Campbell, Rosie Caldwell SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals - Kirsten Beattie Commissioner Rich arrived at 7:10 p.m. b. Proclamation — Constitution and Citizenship Day and Constitution Week The Board considered approving the proclamation for the Constitution and Citizenship Day and Constitution Week in Orange County and authorizing the Chair to sign the proclamation. Chair McKee said Commissioner Price had proposed a substitute resolution. A motion was made by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Price to substitute the proposed proclamation (on purple sheet) with suggested changes. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Commissioner Price read the revised proclamation with suggested changes: ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS PROCLAMATION CONSTITUTION AND CITIZENSHIP DAY AND CONSTITUTION WEEK 2015 WHEREAS, on September 17, 1787, delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution of the United States in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with the intent of forming a more perfect Union with a foundation in liberty, justice, equality, dignity, and fairness; and WHEREAS, the Hillsborough, North Carolina Convention in 1788 delayed ratification by North Carolina, pending the addition of the Constitution's Bill of Rights; and WHEREAS, the Later Amendments to the Constitution provide protections and liberties for women, formerly enslaved persons, people of color and those historically disenfranchised; and WHEREAS, the rights guaranteed in the Later Amendments have been demanded through the Constitutional right to protest and contest those policies that inhibited the equitable treatment of all persons; and WHEREAS, the success of the United States of America, the State of North Carolina and Orange County is attributable to a diverse heritage and the contributions made by all its citizens, naturalized and native-born; and WHEREAS, the United States Congress has designated the 17th day of September of each year as "Constitution Day" and "Citizenship Day" in commemoration of the formation and signing on September 17, 1787 of the Constitution of the United States and in recognition of all who, by coming of age or by naturalization, have attained the full status of citizenship; and WHEREAS, by joint resolution of August 2, 1956, Congress requested the that President of the United States proclaim the week beginning September 17 of each year as "Constitution Week"; and WHEREAS, every citizen of the United States, whether native-born or foreign-born, should observe Constitution and Citizenship Day and Constitution Week each year by giving special thought and consideration to his and her rights and responsibilities under our Constitution; NOW, THEREFORE, the Board of County Commissioners of Orange County, North Carolina, does hereby proclaim September 17, 2015 as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and September 17 through September 23, 2015 as Constitution Week in Orange County, and encourages all residents and citizens to participate in the joint quest to form a more perfect union. This the 15th day of September 2015. A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs for the Board to approve and authorize the Chair to sign the proclamation. VOTE: UNANIMOUS c. Proclamation of September 2015 as National Preparedness Month The Board considered approving the proclamation declaring September 2015 as National Preparedness Month and authorizing the Chair to sign the proclamation. Kirby Saunders, Emergency Management Services Director, asked them to consider the proclamation below, read by Commissioner Pelissier: ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH 2015 PROCLAMATION WHEREAS, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has designated September as National Preparedness Month across America; and WHEREAS, National Preparedness Month is an opportunity to raise awareness on the importance of emergency preparedness and to encourage all people to better prepare their homes and communities for all hazards; and WHEREAS, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Ready Campaign, Citizen Corps, and other federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, private, and volunteer agencies are working to increase public activities in preparing for emergencies and to educate individuals on how to take action; and WHEREAS, emergency preparedness is the responsibility of every person in Orange County, and all people are urged to make preparedness a priority and work together, as a team, to ensure that individuals, families, and communities are prepared for disasters and emergencies of any type; and WHEREAS, all people in Orange County are encouraged to participate in citizen preparedness activities and asked to visit the websites of the Ready campaign at Ready.gov or Listo.gov (in Spanish) and become more prepared for emergencies and disasters; NOW, THEREFORE, we, the Orange County Board of Commissioners, do hereby proclaim September 2015 as National Preparedness Month, and encourage all people and businesses in Orange County to develop their own emergency preparedness plan, and work together toward creating a more prepared community. This, the 15th Day of September, 2015. A motion was made by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Price for the Board to approve and authorize the Chair to sign the attached proclamation declaring September 2015 as National Preparedness Month. VOTE: UNANIMOUS d. Recognizing Orange County as a "Storm Ready" Community The Board considered accepting the Storm Ready community designation from the National Weather Service. Nicholas Petro, National Weather Service (NWS), gave an overview of the Storm Ready program, and said to be recognized as Storm Ready, communities must meet guidelines established by the NWS in partnership with federal, state, and local emergency management professionals. More specifically, to be recognized as Storm Ready, communities must: • Incorporate severe weather threats into their hazard mitigation and emergency response plans. • Establish a 24-hour Warning Point and Emergency Operations Center. • Establish multiple ways to receive severe weather warnings and forecasts and to alert the public. • Create a system that monitors weather conditions locally. • Promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars, severe weather spotter training and by conducting emergency exercises. He said the NWS has designated Orange County as a Storm Ready County, and this is a result of their dedication in Orange County. He said this would help prepare the Orange County Community. Commissioner Rich thanked Josh Hollingsworth and Kirby Saunders for their hard work, and for using Social Media to promote and educate. e. Orange County Resolution of Support for Small Solar The Board considered approving the resolution of support for small-scale residential solar installations in Orange County, and authorizing the Chair to sign the resolution. Chair McKee said past Commissioner John Hartwell brought this proclamation forth. John Hartwell said this is a rare and needed opportunity to better the community. He said when he went to get his permit for Orange County for this solar array; he was not very well received. He said this is not how it should be. He said with the adoption of this resolution, Orange County residents will be empowered, and the staff will be receptive to other residents wanting permits. John Hartwell read the resolution: ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Resolution of Support for Small Solar WHEREAS, the widespread adoption of solar technology would reduce the necessity to build additional nuclear or fossil-fuel generating plants with their attendant problems; and WHEREAS, the County has endorsed the development of a pilot solar photovoltaic system within its own County facilities; and WHEREAS, the County's 2030 Comprehensive Plan establishes several goals and objectives encouraging the development of alternative energy sources in accordance with applicable land use regulations; and WHEREAS, the price of small residential solar voltaic arrays has recently fallen and kits containing all of the necessary electrical components have become readily available, and WHEREAS, recent local efforts to promote the development of small residential solar have been successful, including the Solarize Orange project which has resulted in new solar installations on over 150 homes and small businesses across Orange County in 2014 and 2015; and WHEREAS, the average residential solar array installed in Orange County over the past 2 years is approximately 5 kilowatts, and solar installations up to 20 kilowatts are allowed as an accessory use for a residential property; and WHEREAS, Orange County has previously adopted comprehensive land use regulations in order to distinguish the permit submittal and review process for small residential solar projects and large, commercial, solar utility operations in an effort to further promote the development of small residential solar facilities; and WHEREAS, the County wishes to empower the residents of Orange County to take advantage of these recent advances in this promising renewable energy technology; NOW, THEREFORE, we, the Orange County Board of Commissioners, declare our support for this technology and direct the County Manager and staff to encourage and facilitate its adoption by individual residents. This 15th day of September, 2015. A motion was made by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Price for the Board to approve and authorize the Chair to sign the attached resolution of support for small solar installations in Orange County. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Chair McKee said he forgot to invite Matt Hughes to speak when item 4-b was being discussed. He asked if Matt Hughes would like to speak. Matt Hughes, Human Relations Commission Board Member, thanked the Board for adopting this resolution. 2. Public Comments a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda Robert Seymour said he is pleased to give comments regarding some of the needs in Orange County, in hopes that money may be available. He said he is representing seniors in Orange County. He praised the County for the two existing senior centers, but said they are now full, and the seniors are still coming into Orange County. He added that seniors are living longer. He said the Seymour Center needs more parking, which is a good thing. He said the more ethnic groups are being reached than ever before. He said seniors today represent a different kind of group. He said he hoped the Board would not see seniors as a liability, but as a resource in Orange County. He asked the Board to fund the senior needs through the bond. Mary Kraft read the following: We urge you to reconsider how the bond referendum is earmarked. The message we have for you today is that the demands of the senior population are clearly growing faster than that of the schools, and if we ignore this emerging reality, and fail to make the capital investments now, we will be placing everyone in the County at risk. A relatively short time ago you caused to be established something called Project EngAGE, to anticipate and prepare for the gray tsunami: the accelerating growth in the number of people above the age of 60, which already exceeds the number of children in our county schools, and by some accounts is anticipated to explode by more than 80% in the next ten years. So you engaged a volunteer corps of senior advocates identifying and quantifying what this means for the county and the services the county provides. Over the last year, a group of 28, some of whom are behind me, have gained first hand knowledge and direct experience with the special difficulties and opportunities this demographic presents: 30% of people over 65 fall every year. 25% of this population lives in poverty As we age our metabolism slows; our taste buds dull; and we lose interest in shopping for groceries, cooking and even eating; our stamina, balance and strength diminish; our vision and hearing lose the acuity we once had. The reality is that we no longer experience large numbers of accidental deaths, we are outliving disease; to be replaced by a very gradual decline in function; during which time we will see an ever increasing demand in public services. EMS will become a major provider of in home support. Public transit will become an on demand, customized, through the door service. Senior Centers will need to be reconfigured to accommodate increasing numbers of participants and satellite locations are already needed for the north-east, north-west, and south-west portions of the County. The stress this increase places on an already challenged system from DSS to the Department on Aging, the Sheriff's Office & EMS is already felt and will require novel solutions. Again, the message we have for you today is that the demands of the senior population are clearly growing faster than that of the schools, and if we ignore this emerging reality and fail to make the capital investments now, we will be placing everyone in the county at risk. We urge you to reconsider how the bond referendum is earmarked. Beverly Blythe provided a hand out, incorporated here by reference. Ree Ree Wei, high school student, said she supported adding affordable housing on the bond referendum. She said she has personally benefitted from affordable housing. She said if it had not been available, her family would not have a home that affords her a safe place to live, and a quiet place to study. She said good schools must be combined with good housing for children to achieve success. Brian Curran, former Chapel Hill Police Chief, asked the Board to include an affordable housing component in the bond referendum. He said the lion's share should go to the schools, but to consider a portion for affordable housing. He said safe housing and a good education go hand in hand. He said bond funds have been used for affordable housing in the past, building close to 100 homes. He said federal funding for affordable housing is shrinking rapidly. He thanked the Board for their ongoing commitment to affordable housing. Alex Castro, Advisory Board on Aging, said school needs are clear, but the County has other needs as well. He asked for support for seniors, affordable housing, and parks in the bond referendum. Katherine Leith said she is here in support for seniors, and affordable housing in the proposed bond referendum. Jen Ferris said she is President of the Board of Directors for the Community Home Trust, and she also lives in affordable housing. She is here to ask the Board to support affordable housing in the bond, specifically $10 million. Kelli Thomas said she is a member of the Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity, and she asked for the Board's support for affordable housing in the bond. She is a former teacher and fully supports funds going to the public schools, but added that good schools cannot be effective if the students do not have safe, clean and affordable housing. Mary Jean Seyda said she is part of the Orange County Affordable Housing Coalition and is here to ask the Board of County Commissioners to support affordable housing in the proposed bond. She asked Orange County to join Carrboro and Chapel Hill in their efforts to dedicate funding to affordable housing. She said funding would allow agencies to plan and move forward with housing, as well as take advantage of real estate opportunities as they arise. Tish Galu said she is here to support affordable housing in the proposed bond referendum for the health and well being of Orange County residents. She said it is estimated that $10 million will be needed to implement a plan for affordable housing in Orange County. She asked the Board to delay making a decision about the bond and use those few months to work out a real plan for affordable housing. Daniel Bullock provided written comments, incorporated here by reference. Gary Bird said he is a member of several school improvement teams in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS). He said his concern is the older infrastructure in many of the schools, and he encouraged the Board to use the bond funding for renovations of these older schools to insure the safety of the students and teachers. Barbara Redmond said she is a homeowner at Phoenix Place (affordable housing), and these homes would never have been built without bond money from the 2001 bond. She asked them to support affordable housing in the 2016 bond. Mark Marcoplos said he is on the Housing Authority Board. He said it should first be acknowledged that the process for this bond should include transparency, but it has not. He said many members of the public here tonight did not get a chance to hear the Board's April discussion about the bond. He asked the Board to reconsider and add affordable housing as part of the bond. He asked the Board to walk the talk with real funding and a real plan. He urged the Board to make this social investment. Margaret Samuels, a social worker, said she has worked with families in the community in many areas, with one of them being education and early education. She thanked the Board for its ongoing commitment to education. She said the Board is the last line of defense for the school systems. She asked the Board to support the schools with the bond referendum. Dan Levine said he is a lifelong Orange County resident, and he urged the Board to add affordable housing to the bond referendum. Rani Dasi said she is asking the Board to expand the bond offer to cover school capital needs, as well as affordable housing needs. Ellie Kinnaird said she is a member of the Affordable Housing Advisory Board and is here to ask them to support affordable housing in the bond referendum. She said Orange County is not exempt from poverty, and children that live in poverty do not do well in schools. She asked the Board to allocate $10 million in the bond for affordable housing. Jonzella Bailey Pridham asked the Board to fund safe, affordable housing in the bond. She said the community is full of people with great potential, and willingness to work but lack somewhere safe to live. Sharon Barrett said she is the Vice President for Advocacy for the CHCCS Parent Teacher Association, and she hoped that the Board would expand the bond to include other issues. She said CHCCS parents are tired of organizing to petition the Board annually for more school funding. She asked the Board to do the right thing and fund the schools. Andrew Davidson said he is the Vice Chair of the CHCCS School Board, and this bond debate has caused an impression of adversarial relationships between the schools and other entities. He said the schools need at least $125 million for capital improvements. He said this massive funding need cannot be accomplished any way other than a bond. Art Sprinczeles said he is Assistant Chair for the Orange County Affordable Housing Advisory Board and asked the Board to support affordable housing in the 2016 bond. Catherine Cummer thanked the Board for its ongoing support of local schools, and said she is here to ask for the Board's support for the schools' capital needs. She said schools do not have to be state of the art, but they must be safe. Jen Bishop said she is here on behalf of the Frank Porter Graham Bilingue School Improvement Team, and she supported the school capital needs funding in the bond. Nikki Santos said she moved to Chapel Hill due to a domestic violence situation. She said she lived at Homestart Women's Shelter for years, and finding affordable housing in Chapel Hill has been very difficult. She said housing and schools and even seniors make a community, and all items need to be funded. Michael Reinke said he is the new Director for InterFaith Council for Social Service, and he wholeheartedly supported the inclusion of affordable housing in the bond referendum. He stressed the interrelatedness between safe and consistent housing, and school success. Delores Bailey is the Executive Director of Empowerment, Inc in Chapel Hill and part of the affordable housing coalition. She said schools cannot be pit against affordable housing, as the two go hand in hand. She said Empowerment is constantly turning away people who are in need of affordable housing, because there are not enough homes in the inventory. She said Orange County does have homeless people, both adults and children. She said she has seen the disparity of those who cannot afford to live in Orange County. She asked the Board to consider adding more money to the bond for the extra needs of affordable housing and seniors. 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 would like to follow up with staff on her petition about naming a room at the Central Orange Senior Center (COSC) for Jerry Passmore. Bonnie Hammersley said she would be attending the meeting at the COSC on this issue, and would provide a follow up. Commissioner Dorosin had no petitions. Commissioner Pelissier had no petitions. Commissioner Jacobs said this has been an inadequate and disappointing process for the bond and asked staff to come back to the Board this fall with an affordable housing plan. He said this plan should cover all elements and resources of the issue, involve all stakeholders, and provide short and long term visions for a strategy to address affordable housing. He said if the majority of the Board is amenable to changing their vote, there is time to amend the funding goals of the bond. Commissioner Jacobs petitioned staff to work with Durham Tech to look at the program just adopted by Richmond and Scotland counties, which pays the tuition for high school students with a 3.0 grade point average. He said there are monies in the '/4 cents sales tax, and he said the option would give an opportunity for students to get an education that may otherwise not be available. Commissioner Burroughs had no petitions. Commissioner Rich petitioned staff if a process could be outline to switch the bond to fund $10 million for affordable housing and $5 million seniors; and to give the schools $110 million, making up the rest to the schools in the Capital Investment Plan (CIP) up to $125 million. She said if affordable housing is put on a bond, it is dedicated money. She said she would like information on how this would take place, and the costs to the taxpayers in real numbers. 5. Public Hearings NONE 6. Consent Agenda • Removal of Any Items from Consent Agenda Item a by Commissioner Jacobs. • Approval of Remaining Consent Agenda A motion was made by Commissioner Pelissier, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs for the Board to approve the remaining items on the Consent Agenda. VOTE: UNANIMOUS • Discussion and Approval of the Items Removed from the Consent Agenda e. Resolution to Endorse the Triangle Area Rural Planning Organization Project List Developed for Consideration in NCDOT Prioritization 4.0 The Board considered adopting the resolution endorsing transportation projects within the Triangle Area Rural Planning Organization (TARPO) planning area to submit for State scoring and consideration of inclusion in the 2018-2027 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). Commissioner Jacobs said he told staff he would pull this item. He said he, Commissioner Pelissier and Commissioner Price met with Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) staff and Carrboro elected officials to talk about proposed changes on N.C. 54 west of Carrboro. He said it is not clear what is at issue and what the Board will be voting on. He asked if Bret Martin, Orange County Transportation Planner, would brief the Board of the specifics. Bret Martin said the actions before the Board are new projects from TARPO and does not affect the N.C. 54 project. He said the action tonight is for new projects, and there are only three in Orange County. He said the submission of the carry over projects would be scored by the State and for possible inclusion with the State. Commissioner Jacobs sent the following email: Greg, Three questions about the TARPO item: 1. What's the "Western Connector" referred to so vaguely at the top of the list of new highway projects on p.5? 2. There's a meeting on Tuesday morning to discuss the widening of NC54 west of Carrboro, as mentioned via asterisk under Carry-Over Projects on p. 7. This item may need to be pulled to reflect the results of that meeting, as Carrboro is strongly opposed to the staff and TARPO recommendation. 3. Please define a "modernization project," as for new highway projects 6-8 in Orange County or 8-10 in the list of combined projects. Thanks. Please see below follow-up information from Bret Martin: 1) The Western Connector is a proposed project in Moore County in or near Pinehurst. All projects involving Orange County on the list are underlined and italicized to distinguish them from projects in other jurisdictions within the TARPO planning area. 2) If pulled from the consent agenda, staff will be prepared to address any questions or facilitate any discussion for the item that may need to occur as a follow-up to the meeting scheduled earlier in the day. The Town of Carrboro is only opposed to the project being submitted as a widening but is in favor of the project being submitted for consideration of operational improvements and intersection improvements. The TARPO Prioritization Subcommittee recommendation is to submit all of these variations to NCDOT for scoring. While the original list of TARPO projects that the BOCC endorsed contained only alternative operational improvements for the corridor rather than widening, within the TARPO Prioritization Subcommittee, NCDOT Division 7 recommended that the widening project stay as a carry-over project to be scored independently of the other project variations. In the event that NCDOT Division 7 and any local jurisdiction do not agree on how and if projects within the existing SPOT database are submitted, it is NCDOT's policy that the project will remain in the database "as is" and be carried forward for scoring and consideration of inclusion in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). However, because the project crosses into the DCHC MPO planning area and the project is not currently in the financially constrained DCHC MPO Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), it cannot be included in the STIP even if it scores well enough to be included unless the MPO Board takes an action to include it. Accordingly, there are further potential barriers in place for the Town of Carrboro to take an action of opposition to the widening of the facility. It is Orange County transportation planning staff's recommendation to keep the idea of widening the facility as a long-term vision or alternative because current and projected data tell us that it will be needed. However, these data will need to be updated and revisited over time to research the potential effects that other transportation actions may have on traffic volumes for this facility and to determine if a $57 million widening project can still be justified. Transportation planning staff agrees that a less impactful short-term solution involving operational improvements would address much of the existing deficiencies along the corridor that could function, as an appropriate interim step toward potential widening if data continue to support that adding travel lane capacity should occur. 3) Modernization projects are those intended to bring sections of roadway up to modern safety and operational standards or to increase the design speed of a facility. The Old Greensboro Road and Orange Grove Road/Buckhorn Road projects simply just involve the addition of four-foot paved shoulders. The Efland-Cedar Grove Road project would involve improving the facility from a 20-foot cross section (currently accommodating narrow 10-foot travel lanes) to a 24-foot cross section to accommodate 12-foot travel lanes. The project would also involve geometric alignment improvements to straighten the roadway where needed, the addition of turn lanes, and the incorporation of bicycle facilities. Chair McKee said Commissioner Price is the Board's TARPO representative and asked if she had any additional comment. Commissioner Price said Bret is correct, and nothing the Board votes on tonight will affect the N.C. 54 project. Commissioner Jacobs said the discussion today involved more scoping of the project, in light of more up to date information. He said this is just the first phase of looking at what may happen. Commissioner Pelissier said there might be another meeting to further discuss the 54 corridor. Chair McKee asked Commissioner Price and staff to keep the Board up to speed on the N.C. 54 project. A motion was made by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Rich to approve adopting the resolution, which is incorporated by reference, endorsing transportation projects within the Triangle Area Rural Planning Organization (TARPO) planning area to submit for State scoring and consideration of inclusion in the 2018-2027 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). VOTE: UNANIMOUS a. Minutes — NONE b. Health Department Fee Schedule Changes The Board approved the multiple revised Personal Health and Environmental Health fees approved by the Board of Health at its August 26, 2015 meeting. c. Rural Recycling Trucks Procurement The Board approved a Sole Source exemption purchase from Southern Truck Service, Inc. of Charlotte, North Carolina to procure two (2) rural curbside recycling trucks at the cost of $299,183 each ($598,366) and authorized the Finance Director to proceed with debt financing for one of the new trucks in the amount of$299,183. d. Approval of Budget Amendment#1-B for the Purchase of Fifteen (15) Mobile Field Computing Units The Board approved Budget Amendment#1-B for the purchase of fifteen (15) Mobile Field Computing Units for the Sheriff's Department. f. North Buckhorn Sewer— Transfer of Ownership to City of Mebane The Board: 1. Authorized the Manager to sign the Successor in Interest agreement on behalf of the County; 2. Approved the transfer of ownership of the utility infrastructure and easements to the City of Mebane and authorized the Chair to sign the Dedication Form; and 3. Authorized staff to pursue any further action necessary to complete the transfer of ownership to the City of Mebane, per the 2012 Mebane-Orange County Utility Service Agreement. g. Lease Modification — Department of Social Services Expansion into Former Dollar Tree Space within Hillsborough Commons The Board modified the Hillsborough Commons Lease servicing the Orange County Department of Social Services to: 1) extend the terms of the initial Lease Agreement to the expanded 10,116 square feet (the former Dollar Tree space); 2) re-instate the Option to Purchase all or a portion of the entire Hillsborough Commons Shopping Center property; and 3) authorized the Chair to sign the appropriate documents upon final review of the County Attorney. 7. Regular Agenda a. Adoption of Criteria Governing the Design-Build Method of Construction Project Delivery for County Projects The Board considered adopting the criteria for selecting the design-build method of construction project delivery according to NCGS 143-128.1.A and approving the resolution upon the review of the County Attorney. Jeff Thompson, Orange County Asset Management Services Director, presented the following PowerPoint slides: Orange County Design Build Construction Delivery Method Summary • Board approval for Design-Build method • Design Build: Contract with one firm (Architect & Contractor) • Recently delegated to local governments in May, 2013 • Employed by established criteria, elected on a project by project basis • Requested for Sportsplex Field House project Criteria Summary • The project is well defined... • The project timeline is an important factor... • The County has experienced staff and adequate resources to assure that a high quality project ... • There a maximum budget that must be adhered to... • It will be necessary to have partial occupancy... • The project requires good-faith efforts to comply with HUB requirements • More desirable for facility goals and type of facility desired... Business Case for Sportsplex • Ideal delivery method for large, pre-engineered metal structures such as the field house (cost savings) • Proximity to ongoing operations at Sportsplex • Speed of delivery • Fewer costly disruptions to existing operations • Allows mezzanine space and locker room elements to be contemplated in Field House more efficiently and potentially less costly. Commissioner Jacobs asked if the "Construction Manager at Risk" option was no longer being considered. Jeff Thompson said that is still an option, which may be used at the jail, but with this proposal that both firms are under one contract. Commissioner Price asked if this goes through, would staff will be able to conduct this process to smaller businesses in the community. Jeff Thompson said yes. A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Pelissier for the Board to adopt the criteria for selecting the design-build method of construction project delivery according to NCGS 143-128.1.A and approve the resolution upon the review of the County Attorney. VOTE: UNANIMOUS 8. Reports a. Southern Branch Library Siting Criteria, Process Update The Board considered allowing the Manager to initiate discussions with the Carrboro Town Manager on property acquisition options for the 203 S. Greensboro Street property. Bonnie Hammersley said due to complications with the Butler property in early 2015, staff reevaluated the list of possible sites. She said all sites have been reviewed and one site does meet all the criteria. She said staff is recommending that this property be considered and allow the County Manager to negotiate discussions with the Town Manager since it is a Carrboro owned town property. She said she has been meeting in parallel discussions with the Carrboro Arts and Innovation Center (CAIC). Jeff Thompson gave an illustration of the properties. Commissioner Rich said the 203 Greensboro Street property and the parking lot are well utilized and asked if Carrboro is willing to give that site up. Jeff Thompson said yes. Commissioner Rich asked if the plan is to build a freestanding building. Jeff Thompson said yes. Commissioner Rich asked if there is a plan to keep people from parking in the new library parking lot. Jeff Thompson said that could be addressed in discussions. Commissioner Rich said she would like to have this information early on. Bonnie Hammersley said she has had discussions with the Town Manager, and she said there is a belief that the Town and County can partner together to increase the parking for both the library and the community. Commissioner Rich said she wanted to be cautious moving forward regarding the parking issue. Commissioner Dorosin said after the Board meeting in June, there were other sites mentioned, much to the dismay of Carrboro. He asked if there was an update from the Manager as to how the situation was resolved. Bonnie Hammersley said in June that there was concern from Carrboro that the County's priorities were leaning toward the CAIC. She said since then there were conversations among staff and elected leaders to make amends, and she said the County is keeping Carrboro as informed as possible. She said it was first thought that two sites would be proposed, but after great review it was determined that only one site was a viable option. She said the Town was informed about this process as it went along. Chair McKee said some of the concern stemmed from the addition of sites that the Town was not expecting, and once this was clarified to the Town, these concerns were alleviated. He said the Town would be clearly communicated with moving forward. Commissioner Price clarified that the Town put forth this site as a possible option and said she liked this property. Commissioner Jacobs asked Bonnie Hammersley if the property would be given free of charge. Bonnie Hammersley responded that those discussions would be taking place with the Town Manager. Commissioner Rich asked if the plan is to build a freestanding library, or if there is a possibility for a multi-story, multi-purpose building. She said the property is a prime location and using it to its fullest extent seems wise. Commissioner Pelissier said she has had conversations with some elected officials from the Town who seem pleased with this new process. She said the Town is willing to allow a 5-deck height for 50 percent of the building, which is a great option. Commissioner Burroughs clarified that moving forward would allow for a freestanding library and a possible collaboration with other entities. Bonnie Hammersley said this site is set up for this type of flexibility, but the Board would ultimately need to decide this issue. Chair McKee said he met with all the Mayors this past week, and he has asked to meet with Mayor Lavelle about upcoming items for their joint meeting in October. He said this might be a good topic for discussion. 9. County Manager's Report NONE 10. County Attorney's Report John Roberts said the State has reached agreement on the State budget, and he will try and get a summary of the document to the Board. 11. Appointments a. Animal Services Advisory Board —Appointments The Board considered making appointments to the Animal Services Advisory Board. A motion was made by Commissioner Pelissier, seconded by Commissioner Rich to appoint the following to the Animal Services Advisory Board: • Appointment to a second full term (position #3) for Michelle Walker as the "Town of Carrboro" representative, expiring 06/30/2018. • Appointment to a second full term (position #4) for Aviva Scully as the "Town of Chapel Hill" representative, expiring 06/30/2018. • Appointment to a first full term (position #5) for Arthur Sprinczeles as the "Town of Hillsborough" representative, expiring 06/30/2018. • Appointment to a second full term (position #6) for Warren Porter as the "Non- Municipality" representative, expiring 06/30/2018. VOTE: UNANIMOUS b. Board of Health —Appointments The Board considered making appointments to the Board of Health. A motion was made by Commissioner Pelissier, seconded by Commissioner Rich to appoint the following to the Board of Health: • Appointment to a first full term (Position #6) for Barbara Chavious as the "At-Large Citizen" representative, expiring 06/30/2018. • Appointment to a first full term (Position #7) for Timothy Smith as the "At-Large Professional Engineer" representative, expiring 06/30/2018. VOTE: UNANIMOUS c. Human Relations Commission (HRC)—Appointments The Board considered making appointments to the Human Relations Commission (HRC). A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Pelissier to appoint the following to the HRC: • Appointment to a first full term (Position #2) "At-Large" representative Andy Cagle expiring 09/30/2018. • Appointment to a first full term (Position #3) "At-Large" representative Vanessa Soleil expiring 09/30/2018. • Appointment to a first full term (Position #14) "At-Large" representative Scott Goldsmith expiring 09/30/2018. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Commissioner Rich asked about the vacant position #16 that HRC staff is trying to fill with a representative from the Hispanic Community, to round out the diversity on this board. She said the position has been vacant for a while, and if a representative cannot be found, she would like the Board to proceed with filling this position at a later date. d. Orange County Board of Adjustment—Appointments The Board considered making appointments to the Orange County Board of Adjustment. A motion was made by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Pelissier to appoint the following to the Orange County Board of Adjustment: • Appointment of Susan Halkiotis to a first full term (Position #1) "At-Large" representative expiring 06/30/2018. • Appointment of Barry Katz to a first full term (Position #2) "At-Large" representative expiring 06/30/2017. • Appointment of Samantha Cabe, who was an alternate, and the Board has moved her to a permanent position to a partial term (Position #3) "At-Large" representative expiring 06/30/2016. • Appointment of Brendan Madigan to a first full term (Position #4) "At-Large Alternate" representative expiring 06/30/2016. • Appointment to a first full term (Position #6) "Alternate" position for Matt Hughes, expiring 06/30/2018. VOTE: UNANIMOUS A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs to appoint: • Appointment to a second full term (Position #5) "At-Large" position for Karen Barrows expiring 06/30/2018. VOTE: UNANIMOUS e. Orange Water& Sewer Authority Board —Appointment The Board considered making an appointment to the Orange Water & Sewer Authority Board. A motion was made by Commissioner Pelissier, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs to appoint Ray Dubois to the OWASA Board. VOTE: Ayes, 3 (Commissioner Jacobs, Commissioner Pelissier, and Commissioner Rich); Nayes, 4 (Chair McKee, Commissioner Price, Commissioner Dorosin, and Commissioner Burroughs) MOTION FAILED A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Dorosin to appoint the following to the OWASA Board: • Appointment of Barbara Middleton Foushee to a first full term (Position #1) BOCC Appointed representative expiring 06/30/2018. VOTE: Ayes, 4 (Chair McKee, Commissioner Price, Commissioner, Dorosin, Commissioner Burroughs); Nayes, 3 (Commissioner Jacobs, Commissioner Pelissier, Commissioner Rich) MOTION PASSES 12. Board Comments Commissioner Rich said she had no comments. Commissioner Burroughs said she asked the Health Department Director about the cost of contraceptives. She said in Colorado all contraceptives are free. She said she asked if something like this would be possible in Orange County, and the idea is being researched. Commissioner Jacobs said he had no comments. Commissioner Pelissier reminded residents that there is a public hearing on the proposed light rail on Tuesday, September 29 at the Friday Center at 4:00 p.m. Commissioner Pelissier said there is a potential funding issue from the State, but a conclusion has not yet been reached. She said Go Triangle received a $1.7 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to do planning around light rail. She said it is the second highest grant amount ever awarded. She said this shows Federal support for the Light Rail project. Commissioner Dorosin said he had no comments. Commissioner Price said she attended the Neighborhood Night Out at the Hargraves Community Center as well as the Virtual Enterprises. She said both were great community events. Commissioner Jacobs said he attended the Business Expo at the Friday Center. He said it was a joint venture of both chambers and Orange County Economic Development. He said it was very well received. Commissioner Jacobs said the legislature commanded a certain number of layoffs in the Department of Transportation, most of whom were women. Chair McKee said a news outlet has requested comments from the Board regarding the potential State funding issues with the light rail. He forwarded the request to the County Manager. Commissioner Rich suggested having a coordinated statement on the issue of light rail from Orange County, Chapel Hill and Durham. Bonnie Hammersley said the response that she gave to the news outlet was that the County was working with its partners and was not ready for comment at this time. She said she is reaching out to stakeholders. Commissioner Pelissier said this is in direct violation of the State Transportation Improvement law that was passed by the General Assembly. She said the project is not dead in the water, even if the State is not involved as expected. She said the plan does not call for State funds in the immediate future. Chair McKee said three Board member volunteers are needed to serve on the retreat planning committee. Commissioner Rich, Commissioner Pelissier and Commissioner Burroughs volunteered. 13. Information Items • September 1, 2015 BOCC Meeting Follow-up Actions List • Memo Regarding Rural Recycling Service Area Expansion • BOCC Chair Letter Regarding Petitions from September 1, 2015 Board Meeting 14. Closed Session NONE 15. Adjournment A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Burroughs to adjourn the meeting at 10:05 p.m. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Earl McKee, Chair Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board