HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 03-21-2017 - 8-a - Minutes ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: March 21, 2017
Action Agenda
Item No. 8-a
SUBJECT: MINUTES
DEPARTMENT: Board of County
Commissioners
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Draft Minutes (Under Separate Cover) Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board
(919) 245-2130
PURPOSE: To correct and/or approve the minutes as submitted by the Clerk to the Board as
listed below.
BACKGROUND: In accordance with 153A-42 of the General Statutes, the Governing Board
has the legal duty to approve all minutes that are entered into the official journal of the Board's
proceedings.
February 21, 2017 BOCC Regular Meeting
February 23, 2017 BOCC Joint Meeting with Town of Hillsborough
FINANCIAL IMPACT: None
SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: None
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board approve minutes as
presented or as amended.
1
1 Attachment 1
2
3 DRAFT MINUTES
4 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
5 REGULAR MEETING
6 February 21, 2017
7 7:00 p.m.
8
9 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, February 21,
10 2017 at 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, N.C.
11
12 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Dorosin and Commissioners Mia Burroughs,
13 Barry Jacobs, Earl McKee, Mark Marcoplos, Renee Price and Penny Rich
14 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT:
15 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts
16 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager
17 Travis Myren and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (All other staff members will be identified
18 appropriately below)
19
20 Chair Dorosin called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
21
22 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda
23
24 Chair Dorosin said that Commissioner McKee would be late tonight.
25
26 A motion was made by Commissioner Burroughs, seconded by Commissioner Rich to
27 add a closed session to the agenda for the purpose below:
28
29 § 143-318.11(a)(3) To consult with an attorney employed or retained by the public body in order
30 to preserve the attorney-client privilege between the attorney and the public body.
31
32 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
33
34 Chair Dorosin noted the following items at the Commissioners' places:
35
36 - white sheet: listing of grant recipients for item 4-a
37 - white sheet: PowerPoint for item 4-b
38 - pink sheet: PowerPoint for item 4-c
39 - yellow sheet: 2017 Informal Appeal Form for item 4-c
40 - white sheet: PowerPoint for item 4-d
41 - bright blue sheet: replacement sheets for item 7-a, pages 24-26 of attachment 5
42 - white sheet: oversized spreadsheet for item 7-b
43 - lavender sheet: Board of Health by-laws, additional information for item 12-a
44
45 PUBLIC CHARGE
46
47 Chair Dorosin dispensed with the reading of the Public Charge
48
49 2. Public Comments
50
51 a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda
2
1
2 Wayne Hadler said he is the attorney for the Grove Park project, which was approved by
3 the Town of Chapel Hill as a modification of a Special Use Permit (SUP) in December 2015. He
4 said the owner, A.P. Segar and Project Engineer, Philip Post,join him this evening. He
5 reviewed the information contained in the following email:
6
7 Date: February 9, 2017
8 To: Chairman Dorosin and the Orange County Board of Commissioners (via email)
9 From: A.P. Segar, Townhouse Apartments
10 RE: Grove Park: Request for Adjustment to Resolution Regarding Grandfathering of
11 Projects for School Impact Fee Collection Purposes
12 Please consider this request for a minor amendment to the adopted resolution regarding
13 grandfathering of projects for school impact fee collection purposes. I intend to present this
14 petition in person at the February 21, 2017 meeting.
15
16 My family owns the existing Town House Apartments, a college-student apartment complex,
17 which has been preparing for a major renovation/expansion over the last 10 years. We are now
18 one month away from submitting a Zoning Compliance Permit application to Chapel Hill. Our
19 unique circumstances were not taken into account when you considered grandfathering of
20 projects at your December meeting.
21
22 Our situation is unique:
23 • We have a 50+ year track record of not producing any school-age children, as our
24 product caters to college students.
25 • We have been diligently working on our expansion project, obtaining a Special Use
26 Permit and Special Use Permit Modification in 2009 and 2015.
27 • Our Zoning Compliance Permit application will be submitted in February, but we have
28 completed many of the typical final plan requirements. These include: receiving
29 administrative approval of Minor Changes as we prepare our final plan application,
30 receiving approval of our detailed building elevations and lighting plan from the Chapel
31 Hill Community Design Commission, and receiving our Certificates of Adequacy of
32 Public Schools (CAPS)from CHCCS.
33 • We cannot absorb an unanticipated $1.2 million increase in the school impact fee.
34 • If this project does not move forward, a property tax loss exceeding $625,000/year will
35 result.
36 • We are providing an affordable housing offering to Chapel Hill with an estimated value
37 of$4 million over a 25-year period.
38
39 To keep this project alive, we propose a minor adjustment to the resolution adopted last month
40 regarding grandfathering of projects for school impact fee collection purposes. The proposed
41 language is provided below as well as a more detailed history of how vested we are in this
42 development expansion.
43
44 Thank you for your consideration. We believe the tax base generated by the expansion of our
45 apartment complex and the associated affordable housing offering warrants consideration of
46 this minor adjustment to the grandfathering provisions.
47
48 Proposed Additional Language for Grandfathering Resolution
49 BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED THAT projects of 90-units in size or greater for which Detailed
50 Building Elevations and Lighting Plan have been approved by the Town's Design
3
1 Commission and Certificates of Adequacy of Public Schools (CAPS) have been issued
2 prior to January 1, 2017, and for which a building permit application has been submitted
3 prior to January 31, 2019 may choose to pay either the public school impact fee that
4 was in effect for 2016 for the housing type(s) proposed in the application or the fee
5 required by the public school impact fee schedule in section 30-33 of Chapter 30, Article
6 II of the Orange County Code of Ordinances, provided the fee is paid prior to December
7 31, 2020 and a Certificate of Compliance is issued on or before December 31, 2020.
8
9 Detailed Background of Town House Apartments/Grove Park Development
10 1961 Construction began on the 111 dwelling units at Town House Apartments
11 • February, 2009 Chapel Hill Council approved rezoning and Special Use Permit for 346
12 units
13 • October, 2015 Chapel Hill Council approved a Special Use Permit Modification
14 • April, 2015 Certificates of Adequacy of Public Schools (CAPS) issued by CHCCS
15 (Certificate #0071)
16 • June, 2016 Chapel Hill approval of minor changes to the 2015 Special Use Permit
17 • November, 2016 Chapel Hill approval of minor changes to the 2015 Special Use Permit
18 Dec. 15, 2016 Chapel Hill Community Design Commission approval of ZCP Detailed
19 Building Elevations and Lighting Plan
20 • February, 2017 Formal Zoning Compliance Permit submittal anticipated
21
22 Since 1962, we have provided rental apartment units to college students at this Hillsborough
23 Street location in Chapel Hill. We received approval from the Chapel Hill Town Council for a
24 new residential project in 2009, which was then finely tuned with Town Council approval of a
25 Special Use Permit Modification in 2015. We have been working diligently on our Zoning
26 Compliance Permit (ZCP)/Final Plan submittal package since 2015. As we prepared detailed
27 final plans, we have worked closely with the Chapel Hill staff and have received two
28 administrative approvals for minor changes to the 2015 Special Use Permit. These changes
29 were determined to be necessary as we fine-tuned our ZCP submittal for the town. We also had
30 our detailed building elevations and lighting plan approved in December by the Town's
31 Community Design Commission. This is a step in the process that typically occurs during
32 Zoning Compliance Permit review by the town. We intend to submit our formal Zoning
33 Compliance Permit application in February.
34
35 A great deal of time and expense has gone into our proposal. We were not aware of significant
36 school impact fee changes. We estimate that the additional $1.2 million required of us based on
37 the increased school impact fees will damage our project and result in our inability to move
38 forward. Please refer to the attachment identifying the cost associated with the increase in the
39 school impact fee.
40
41 Failure of our project to move forward will result in an estimated property tax base loss of at
42 least $625,000 + each year to the county.
43
44 We reflect a unique situation: Long time college-student rental housing that has received a
45 Special Use Permit and Special Use Permit Modification, 2 Minor Changes, detailed Building
46 Elevation and Lighting Plan Approvals, and Certificates of Adequacy of Public Schools, just
47 weeks away from submitting our Zoning Compliance Permit application.
48 We respectfully request consideration of a minor adjustment to the resolution regarding
49 grandfathering of projects for school impact fee collection purposes. If it would be helpful to
50 discuss any of this information, please contact me at apsegar @townhouseunc.com or 919-942-
4
1 2163. I appreciate your consideration of this request.
2 Attachment
3 cc (via email): Wayne Hadler, Esquire
4 John Roberts, Esquire
5 Philip Post, PE, PLE
6 Bonnie Hammersley, Orange County Manager
7 Craig Benedict, Orange County Planning Director
8 Perdita Holtz, Orange County Planner III
9
10 Commissioner Jacobs arrived at 7:07 p.m.
11
12 A.P. Segar echoed Mr. Hadler's comments. She said the family has been
13 pursuing a viable redevelopment for close to a decade.
14 Philip Post said he has been the engineer for this project since 2011. He asked if
15 staff would look into their project, as he finds it deserving of the same relief that was given
16 to the Northwoods-Raven project. He said the project was value engineered in the fall of
17 2016, with several costs being removed. He said the increase in the impact fees would
18 be highly detrimental. He said it was his fault that the project did not come before the
19 Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) prior to Christmas 2016.
20 Latandra Strong spoke on behalf of Hate Free Schools Coalition. Her children are
21 in the Orange County Schools (OCS), and in the fall of 2015 she informed the Board of
22 Education (BOE) about the confederate flag being shown on students' clothing. She said
23 the BOE, school administrators and attorneys informed her that the students were within
24 their rights to wear the flag. She said she and others had gone to the BOE and staff
25 several times, and at the last BOE meeting they were locked out of the building when they
26 wanted to speak in front of the BOE. She said there are serious racial concerns that must
27 be addressed.
28 Emily Elstad said she is a member of this coalition as well, and her child attends
29 OCS. She said prior to March 2016, there was language in the OCS dress code policy,
30 which prohibited racially divisive symbols on school property. She said the OCS BOE
31 removed this clause from the dress code policy in March 2016. She said she wanted to
32 share her experience at the February 13, 2017 BOE meeting, and felt her rights were
33 violated. She said the BOE was in violation of the open meetings law.
34 Chair Dorosin said to refer to staff for additional information on these items.
35
36 b. Matters on the Printed Agenda
37 (These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda
38 below.)
39
40 3. Announcements and Petitions by Board Members
41 Commissioner Marcoplos had no announcements or petitions.
42 Commissioner Jacobs requested that the Board of County Commissioners get key cards
43 for the back hallway at Southern Human Services Center.
44 Commissioner Rich had no announcements or petitions.
45 Commissioner Price said Rich Wooten at Cardinal Innovations has asked if OPC
46 members would consider merging with Alamance and Caswell counties. She said his service
47 areas do cover all these counties.
48 Commissioner Burroughs had no petitions or announcements.
49 Chair Dorosin said any texts that the Commissioners receive during meetings are public
50 records, and everything done in meetings should be open and transparent, keeping all
51 conversations out front and engaged.
5
1
2 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/ Special Presentations
3
4 a. Orange County Arts Commission Fall 2016 Grant Recipients
5 The Board presented checks to local artists and arts organizations receiving Fall 2016
6 Orange County Arts Grants.
7 Katie Murray, Orange County Arts Commission Director, presented this item.
8 Katie Murray reviewed the background information below.
9
10 BACKGROUND: The Orange County Arts Commission awards grants for art programs to local
11 artists, schools and nonprofit organizations from funds received from the state and Orange
12 County government for this purpose. These funds are distributed for arts projects in all arts
13 disciplines. Each grant recipient must match the granted amount at least dollar-for-dollar in
14 order to receive funding.
15
16 FINANCIAL IMPACT: A total of$25,440 was awarded to seven nonprofit organizations,
17 fourteen schools and two artists during the 2016 Fall Grant Cycle. The North Carolina Arts
18 Council provided $1,600 of the funds awarded, and funding totaling $23,840 was from Orange
19 County. The Commission received 33 applications, six of which were first-time applicants. Of
20 the 23 grants awarded, five were awarded to first-time recipients.
21
22 Chair Dorosin read the names of the grant recipients, and Commissioner Price handed
23 out the checks.
24
25 ORANGE COUNTY ARTS COMMISSION
26 Fall 2016 Grant Recipients and Representatives
Organizations & Schools
Carrboro Elementary School Lynn Weller
Cedar Grove Neighborhood Association Sue Florence
Cedar Ridge High School Dr. Lisa Napp
Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation Lynn Lehmann
Chapel Hill High School Arts Academy Michael Irwin
Chinese School at Chapel Hill Sean Cai (pronounced "sigh")
Ephesus Elementary School PTA Darlene Reap-Klosty
FRANK Gallery Gordon Jameson
Hillsborough Presbyterian Church Lisa Flynn and Karen Wysocki
McDougle Elementary School PTA Vicky DeCamp
New Hope Elementary for New Hope Elementary, Efland-
Cheeks Elementary, and Central Elementary Dr. Lisa Napp
North Carolina Symphony Society, Inc. Pam Bash
6
Northside Elementary School Alder Keene
One Song Productions Micha Segal-Miller
Pathways Elementary Patricia Harris
Phillips Middle School PTSA Elizabeth Welsby
Mary Scroggs Elementary School PTA Lynn Dancy
Seawell Elementary School PTA Jill Austin
Women's Voices Chorus, Inc. Laura Delauney (pronounced De-LAW-nee)
Artists
Carter Hubbard
Francesca Talenti
1
2
3 b. OWASA Annual Update Presentation
4 The Board received a presentation and information from the Orange Water and Sewer
5 Authority (OWASA) on recent activities.
6 Ed Kerwin, OWASA Executive Director, made the following PowerPoint:
7
8 OWASA Brief for the Orange County Board of County Commissioners and Public Water
9 Emergency
10 February 2-5, 2017
11
12 Key Take-aways
13 • OWASA apologizes for the hardship
14 • Public health and safety was our highest priority, we confirmed that water was safe
15 • Community partners and customers provided invaluable assistance—Thank you!
16 • Communications can be improved significantly; recognized by partners, too
17
18 February 2017 Water Emergency (graph)
19
20 Key Near-term Next Steps
21 • Review emergency communication practices and systems (OWASA and partners)
22
23 Key Near-term Next Steps
24 • Review emergency communication practices and systems (OWASA and partners)
25 • Develop corrective action plan to ensure reliable fluoride system —to be reviewed by
26 Board of Directors prior to resuming fluoride addition
27 • Develop action plan on additional near- and long-term measures to improve system
28 resiliency
29 • Continue transparency and proactive community engagement
30
31 OWASA Meetings
7
1 • Friday, February 17, 2017, 7:00 p.m. —Special Work Session of the Board of Directors,
2 OWASA Community Room, discussed the consultants' reports on the February 2nd
3 fluoride overfeed and February 3rd water main break
4 • Thursday, February 23, 2017, 7:00 p.m. — Regular Meeting of the Board of Directors,
5 Chapel Hill Town Hall — Council Chamber, continue discussion from the February 17th
6 Special Work Session, including public comment
7
8 Contact OWASA:
9 • www.owasa.org
10 • Email OWASA at info @owasa.org
11 • Call us at 919-968-4421
12 • Write us at 400 Jones Ferry Road, Carrboro, NC 27510
13 • Email OWASA Board & Leadership at: board_and_leadership @owasa.org
14 How to help:
15 Contact the Inter-Faith Council (IFC) for Social Service
16 • www.ifcweb.org
17 donatenow.networkforgood.org/flood
18 • Call at 919-929-6380
19 • Mail or deliver cash or check to:
20 Inter-Faith Council for Social Service
21 RE: Water Emergency Relief Fund
22 110 W. Main Street
23 Carrboro, NC 27510
24 Primary Durham Interconnect Pump Station Main Break
25 Orange County Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
26 Chatham County Interconnect
27 Boil Water Notices being prepared
28
29 Commissioner Rich thought the communication through this crisis was great, and she
30 thanked everyone. She encouraged all to sign up for OC Alerts.
31 Commissioner Price said the public has asked her if there was any relationship between
32 the fluoride overflow and the water main break.
33 Ed Kerwin said it is hard to say with absolute certainty. He said the water main was
34 installed in 1972, five years prior to the inception of OWASA, and was installed on top of the
35 storm drains, and had limited fill over the top of it. He said it was a recipe for an early failure.
36 Chair Dorosin said the pipe was doomed for failure, and asked if there was a reason that
37 the pipe was not in the queue for replacement.
38
39 Commissioner McKee arrived at 7:46 p.m.
40
41 Ed Kerwin said the information about the pipe was not known until after it broke.
42 Chair Dorosin asked if OWASA is making any financial donations to the IFC.
43 Ed Kerwin said no, as OWASA is not allowed to do that with its customers' monies.
44 Bob Epting, OWASA Attorney, said OWASA is authorized to expend its customer's
45 funds on contributions to the water and sewer system, and it cannot donate to charities. He
46 said OWASA does provide insurance coverage for its activities, which is available through the
47 League of Municipalities Insurance Fund. He said this insurance covers things that arise out of
48 the negligence of OWASA employees. He said people with claims are being directed to that
49 insurance coverage. He said there is no coverage for interrupted service, as interruptions are
50 legally considered a natural part of the operation of a system. He said a no-fault restitution fund
8
1 would be a good way to address these types of issues, but it would take a legislative act to
2 achieve this.
3 Chair Dorosin asked if there is a prohibition on OWASA giving charitable donations, or is
4 it that there is not an express authorization.
5 Bob Epting said there is no express or implicit authorization.
6 Chair Dorosin asked if there is an expressed prohibition.
7 Bob Epting said no, but there is no way to imply authorization.
8 Terri Buckner and Barbara Foushee, OWASA Board members, presented the annual
9 report.
10
11 New water rate for Multi-Family Master-Metered customers
12 On December 8th, we approved a change in the water rates for Multi-Family Master-Metered
13 (MFMM) customers, such as apartment complexes. Starting in May 2017, these customers will
14 pay a year-round water rate of$5.67 per 1,000 gallons instead of the current seasonal water
15 rates, which are higher from May through September and lower in the other seven months.
16
17 In the past, MFMM residents expressed concern about unexpected increases in private
18 water/sewer bills with the change to our peak seasonal rate in May, even when a resident's
19 water use has not increased. About 7,700 households living in approximately 200 apartment
20 complexes in Chapel Hill and Carrboro receive private water and sewer bills from property
21 owners.
22
23 Under rules of the NC Utilities Commission, the owners can pass through water/sewer costs to
24 residents through private sub-metering and billing arrangements. The year-round rate will
25 eliminate bill fluctuations due to changes in seasonal rates, so private bills should result in fewer
26 questions and less confusion.
27
28 Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)
29 We are moving forward with evaluating and identifying a vendor and system for Advanced
30 Metering Infrastructure (AMI) in our community. AMI is a system that allows for remote meter
31 reading via radio transmissions, which in turn allows for more frequent meter readings and
32 faster leak detection. After conducting a feasibility study and engaging the community, the
33 OWASA Board determined that such a system would be beneficial to the utility and community
34 and would not require a rate increase. The Board decided to move forward with requesting
35 proposals.
36
37 In December 2016, staff received and began evaluating proposals. Early in 2017, we will select
38 a team to provide and install an AMI system. We estimate that installing the new system for all
39 22,000 meters in our system will take about two years after the vendor begins. We will continue
40 to inform and engage our customers as we move forward with the installation or consider any
41 proposed policy changes related to AMI.
42
43 Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) on OWASA land near the Cane Creek Reservoir
44 On August 25th, we approved conditions for allowing the MST on OWASA land near the Cane
45 Creek Reservoir. The conditions address water quality protection, risks related to hiking and
46 ensuring that there will be no costs to OWASA due to the trail. The specific route of the trail on
47 OWASA land is subject to our future approval.
48
49 They informed stakeholders about our decision and we encourage residents to participate in the
50 County's process for considering the MST. Letter to the governing boards on August 26th.
51
9
1 Diversity and Inclusion Program
2 On November 3rd, they held a special meeting to receive information and insights from five
3 professionals in Diversity and Inclusion. Staff is revising the draft program submitted to the
4 Board in June and they will have further discussion in February 2017.
5
6 Terri Buckner asked the Board of County Commissioners if it would rethink its allocation
7 of appointments to the OWASA board; changing it to four representatives from Chapel Hill;
8 three from Carrboro; and two from Orange County.
9 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if the daily savings for the reuse project could be
10 identified.
11 Ed Kerwin said between 400-500,000 gallons per day. He said the University of North
12 Carolina (UNC) has been a particularly strong partner.
13 Commissioner Jacobs asked if there is an update on the bio solid land application, if the
14 same amount of acreage is being used, and if the same strategy will be used going forward.
15 Ed Kerwin said the acreage is about 1,100 to 1,200, which is the same acreage, much of
16 which is private land. He said about 18 months ago, the OWASA Board considered a number
17 of alternatives, but decided to continue land application of highly treated liquid bio solids. He
18 said the goal is that 75% of the bio solids produced at the Mason Farm Waste-Water Treatment
19 Plant would be recycled on local farmland in surrounding counties; with the remaining 25%
20 composted at a private facility in Chatham County.
21 Commissioner Rich asked Terri Buckner if she could explain the Care to Share Program,
22 and provide an update on how many people use it
23 Terri Buckner said this program is their round up program, where customers can round
24 their bill up to the nearest dollar, and the excess funds go to the IFC. She said the program is
25 not doing great and has reached a stalemate.
26 Chair Dorosin asked if the steps to changing the composition of the Board could be
27 outlined.
28 Bob Epting said the composition was set by the three entities, and would require an
29 approved amendment of the purchase and sale agreements by the three entities: Chapel Hill,
30 Carrboro and Orange County.
31 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if the problem with the composition could be identified.
32 Terri Buckner said this is a touchy subject. She said right now Chapel Hill has appointed
33 five engineers to the Board, while most of the other board members are not engineers and she
34 said there needs to be a more balanced perspective. She said it is a question of whether the
35 perspective should be social, economic, or technical. She said the five engineers are dedicated
36 and have valid input, but she would like to see more balance.
37
38 c. 2017 Orange County Revaluation Results
39 The Board received an overview of the statistical results of the 2017 countywide
40 revaluation.
41 Dwane Brinson, Tax Administrator, reviewed the following background and PowerPoint
42 presentation:
43
44 BACKGROUND: North Carolina counties must conduct a revaluation at least once every eight
45 years. Orange County's last revaluation took effect January 1, 2009. The effective appraisal
46 date of the 2017 revaluation is January 1, 2017.
47
48 Orange County has approximately 55,500 real property parcels. During the revaluation
49 process, each of those parcels has been modified to reflect a current estimate of market value.
50 Tax office staff began working on the 2017 revaluation in 2014.
51
10
1 In January 2016, the tax office proactively sent each real property owner a snapshot of the
2 property's public record and a request to review the information for discrepancies, and return it
3 to the Tax Office with any discrepancies noted. This allowed for appraisal staff to verify and
4 ensure the records were accurate in preparation for the revaluation.
5
6 Prior to the 2017 revaluation, Orange County had only two defined neighborhoods set up in the
7 appraisal database. A neighborhood is basically defined as a group of similar properties. A
8 common example of a neighborhood would be a subdivision. As part of the process, staff
9 defined more neighborhoods, thereby allowing better organization and pricing models for the
10 current and future revaluations. The County database now has 975 identified neighborhoods.
11
12 A significant by-product of the revaluation is the improvement of the building use information in
13 the tax database. In the past, requests for information such as the percentage of residential
14 versus commercial in the tax base required Information Technologies programming and
15 assistance. Throughout the 2017 revaluation, staff proactively invested the time to identify and
16 code each of the 55,500 parcels with its corresponding building use such as single-family
17 residential, restaurant, or student housing. Reporting for 2017 and forward will be much easier
18 and more accurate because of these efforts.
19
20 The effective appraisal date for the 2017 revaluation is January 1, 2017. Notices are on
21 schedule to be mailed the last week of February. Informal appeals will begin immediately after
22 taxpayers begin receiving notices of value. The Board of Equalization and Review will convene
23 May 1st and begin hearing formal appeals.
24
25 2017 Revaluation Results
26 February 2017
27
28 What is a Revaluation?
29 0 Process of updating real property tax assessments for market value and present-use
30 value as of a single appraisal date
31 0 Primary goal is to equalize tax base
32 0 Effective appraisal date for Orange County's revaluation is January 1, 2017
33
34 What is Included in a Revaluation
35 0 All residential and commercial land through Orange County, including exempt property,
36 and permanent structures on the land.
37 0 What is not included?
38 • Business personal property
39 • Motor vehicles, boats, airplanes
40 • Public utility property
41
42 Commercial Appraisals
43 0 Local commercial real estate appraisal firm provided market research, sales
44 0 A different commercial appraisal firm interpreted this market research and provided
45 recommended values for all commercial parcels
46 0 Orange County senior appraisal staff reviewed recommended values
47
48 Real Property Change by Area (graph)
49
50 Commercial Change by Classification (graph)
51
11
1 Industry Standards (graph)
2
3 Sales by Classification (graph)
4
5 Scatterplot of 2016 Sales (graph)
6 0 1,579 of 2,106 sales fall within .95 — 1.05 (75%)
7
8 Commissioner Jacobs asked if the difference between vacant and undeveloped land
9 could be given.
10 Dwane Brinson said there is no difference, but the location of the land is considered, as
11 well as size value.
12 Commissioner Jacobs said he recalls that a number, vastly lower than the assessed
13 value, is what is taxed. He asked if the current percentage could be given.
14 Dwane Brinson said it depends on the soil on the property. He said the forestry
15 classification is the lowest present use value. He said they are taxed on a fraction of market
16 value, and there is about $700,000 million in present use value being tax deferred.
17 Commissioner Jacobs asked if a breakdown of soil types, or use value uses tax rates
18 could be provided.
19 Dwane Brinson said yes.
20 Commissioner Price asked if properties in extraterritorial jurisdictions (ETJs) are handled
21 in the analysis.
22 Dwane Brinson said such properties would not be included in the towns, but in the
23 countywide assessments.
24
25 Remaining Project Schedule
26 0 Values are complete—staff quality control through Friday, February 24
27 • Commercial new construction, 2nd mailing
28 0 New values available on website February 28, 2017
29 0 Notices to be mailed March 3, 2017
30 0 Deadline for informal appeals April 30, 2017
31 0 Board of E&R to convene May 1, 2017
32
33 Revaluation Notice Mailing
34 0 Revaluation notice — sample provided previously
35 0 Informal appeal form
36 0 Informal appeal form instructions — located on reverse of revaluation notice
37 0 Insert on property tax assistance programs
38 • Homestead Exemption, Disabled Veteran Exclusion, Circuit Breaker Deferment
39 and Present-Use Value programs
40 Appeals Process
41 0 Review property characteristics at bit.ly/ocnctaxsearch
42 • Check square footage, bath count, etc.
43 o Please allow reasonable margin of difference: 5% per NC Residential
44 Square Footage Guidelines
45 0 Review online sales bank at bit.ly/ocncsalesbank
46 • Final sales bank available as of this afternoon
47 o Please allow reasonable margin of difference: 5%
48 0 Fill out and return appeal form located at bit.ly/ocnctaxappeal
49
50 For More Information
51 0 Contact the Orange County Tax Office:
12
1 • 919-245-2100
2 • reval @orancpecountync.pov
3 • Live chat by visiting: www.orangecountync.gov/departments/tax/
4
5 Commissioner McKee referred to the slide on real property change by area, and asked if
6 the commercial increase that is from an increase in the value of the base, or an increase of the
7 base itself, is new.
8 Dwane Brinson said that is due to any change in tax base. He said there has been little
9 new commercial construction in the unincorporated areas, but the countywide figure includes
10 the towns. He said there were also some changes between 2016 and 2017. He said
11 Hillsborough is a great example of this, and the changes there are due to new developments
12 within Hillsborough. He said annexation and rezoning come into play as well.
13 Commissioner McKee said there seems to be a slight shift towards a commercial base.
14 He said given the fact that larger changes are being seen, he assumes individual owners will
15 see larger increases too.
16 Dwane Brinson said this will be property specific, but some will see increases.
17 Commissioner Burroughs said some individuals will see reductions.
18 Dwane Brinson agreed.
19 Chair Dorosin referred to the slide on commercial change by classification, and clarified
20 that it is showing there are 61% more apartments or properties classified as apartments.
21 Dwane Brinson said this means that the valuation of all apartments in Orange County
22 has increased by 61%, regardless of method.
23 Chair Dorosin said that should be clarified on the website.
24
25
26 d. FY2016-17 Mental Health Gap Analysis Results and Prioritized Recommendations
27 The Board received a report summarizing the results of the Health Department's FY
28 2016 Mental Health Gap Analysis and stakeholder-identified priorities.
29
30 BACKGROUND: The 2016-2018 Board of Health Strategic Plan requests advocacy for and the
31 pursuit of policies, practices, and partnerships that improve substance abuse and mental health
32 services in Orange County, especially to vulnerable populations such as the homeless and
33 those connected with the criminal justice system. Beginning in the fall of 2016, the Health
34 Department engaged a Master of Public Administration intern from UNC to undertake an
35 analysis of the barriers to mental health care in Orange County for residents 0-25 years old.
36 Intern Sabrina Willard reviewed UNC Emergency Department data, interviewed 10 key
37 stakeholders, surveyed 150 service providers and community advocates to determine the major
38 barriers to care.
39
40 Using this information the Health Department then held focus groups with stakeholders (mental
41 health providers, educators, law enforcement, etc.) to prioritize the top barriers and propose
42 action plans for prioritizing needs and meeting them. This presentation will include a summary
43 of the focus group findings and potential next steps.
44
45 Dr. Colleen Bridger, Health Department Director, made the following PowerPoint
46 presentation:
47
48 Assessment of Oranqe County Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
49
50 Phase 1: Gap Analysis
51 Auqust to December 2016
13
1
2 Background
3 Initiated by the Orange County Health Department to determine the barriers professionals face
4 as they seek to refer county residents aged 0-25 to mental health and substance abuse
5 treatment services.
6 ➢ Youth hospitalization records from 2009-2015 indicate:
7 o Increase in mental health visits due to psychoactive substance abuse. From
8 27% to 31%
9 o Increase in 0-25 mental health visits as a proportion of all mental health visits.
10 From 18% to 24%
11 Research Methodology
12 ✓ 10 informational interviews with prominent figures in the mental health community
13 ✓ 150 individuals surveyed based in the fields of healthcare, social services, criminal
14 justice, behavioral therapy, K-12 education, and others
15
16 Barriers to Accessing Treatment
17 The most common barriers for Orange County residents aged 0-25 who need mental health
18 and/or substance abuse treatment services were:
19 ➢ Affordability: Many low-income residents either do not have insurance or find their
20 coverage inadequately covers these services
21 o High deductibles, few sliding scale/pro bono options, low maximum number of
22 appointments
23 ➢ Accessibility: Based on a variety of factors, all of which result in barriers to access
24 o Citizenship status, language/cultural, location, type of condition, where/how to
25 find care, transportation
26
27 Phase 2: Focus groups
28 January 2017
29
30 Purpose & Format
31 Health department hosted 39 survey participants at a session to strategize three overarching
32 priorities for improving the mental health system in FY 2017-18.
33
34 Feedback
35 The majority of focus group participants were in favor of increasing the capacity for three
36 overarching priorities:
37 1. Restore funding for mental health services for birth to age 5
th
38 2. Provide greater in-school mental health services in K-12 grade (e.g. external, licensed
39 providers who can bill for insurance and Medicaid in the schools)
40 3. Improve community's ability to access services (e.g., know: who to call, what number to
41 call, when to call)
42
43 Next Steps
44 ➢ Mental Health Program Coordinator to work on priorities 1&2 (to be requested with the
45 FY 17-18 Budget process)
46 ➢ National Grant with UNC to address priority#3
47 ➢ Look for ways to use MH MOE funds to address priorities
48
49 Commissioner McKee said he wanted to mention the Maintenance of Effort (MOE)
50 money, and the coordination with Cardinal Innovations. He said in some areas the allocation of
14
1 the County of Maintenance of Effort directly, instead of through Cardinal, has improved some
2 access for certain groups. He said he appreciated this effort.
3 Commissioner Rich asked if these are some of the funds that had been redirected
4 through Cardinal Innovations.
5 Colleen Bridger said money that was MOE funding is now going to the Health
6 Department's budget and being subcontracted with El Futuro, which allows El Futuro to serve
7 undocumented residents. She said this would not have been as easy to achieve if the money
8 had gone through Cardinal Innovations.
9 Bonnie Hammersley said there are other funds going directly to the Department of Social
10 Services that has been redirected with Cardinal. She said staff worked closely with Cardinal
11 during last year's budget process, and funds were identified that could be redirected into
12 County. She said this will be reviewed again for 2017-2018, in an effort to create a hybrid
13 system, similar to that in Mecklenburg County.
14 Commissioner McKee said there have been issues surrounding documentation and
15 Cardinal Innovations. He said he is glad that people are being served, and the Federal
16 government can deal with questions of documentation.
17 Commissioner Burroughs said she is looking forward to the budget process. She
18 thanked Dr. Bridger for her service to the community, and wished her luck in San Antonio.
19 Chair Dorosin echoed Commissioner Burroughs comments.
20
21 5. Public Hearings
22 NONE
23
24 6. Consent Agenda
25
26 • Removal of Any Items from Consent Agenda
27
28 Items f and h by Commissioner Price
29
30 • Approval of Remaining Consent Agenda
31 A motion was made by Commissioner Rich, seconded by Commissioner Burroughs to
32 approve the Consent Agenda.
33
34 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
35
36 • Discussion and Approval of the Items Removed from the Consent Agenda
37
38 f. Contract Award for Engineering and Environmental Services with Draper Aden
39 Associates, Inc.
40 The Board will consider approving a new agreement for general engineering and
41 environmental services between the Orange County Solid Waste Management Department and
42 Draper Aden Associates, Inc. (DAA) of Coats, North Carolina for consulting services for a five
43 (5) year period and authorize the County Manager to sign.
44
45 Commissioner Price said there is a section in the contract that reiterates the living wage,
46 and she would like to include a paragraph emphasizing Equal Opportunity as well. She said
47 these contracts may already be done, but moving forward she would like to see this included.
48 John Roberts said this could be done.
49
50 A motion was made by Commissioner Burroughs, seconded by Commissioner Price to
51 approve a new agreement for general engineering and environmental services between the
15
1 Orange County Solid Waste Management Department and Draper Aden Associates, Inc. (DAA)
2 of Coats, North Carolina for consulting services for a five (5) year period and authorized the
3 County Manager to sign.
4
5 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
6
7 h. Health Department Fee Schedule Changes
8 The Board considered adopting and revising multiple Dental Health and Environmental
9 Health fees approved by the Board of Health at its January 25, 2017 meeting.
10 Commissioner Price referred to the fee increase, and asked if the patient will pay more.
11 Colleen Bridger said patients are charged on a sliding fee scale, and those who slide
12 above the minimum payment will pay a higher fee based on the percent of that fee. She said
13 this is one reason why the health department did not use the customary charges that are seen
14 in the area.
15 Commissioner Price asked if a fee was charged previously.
16 Colleen Bridger said these are new services.
17 Commissioner Price asked if there will be a PSA about well water, due to the increase.
18 Colleen Bridger said there can be an announcement. She said this fee was added as
19 NPR ran a story about naturally occurring hexavalent chromium, and a handful of residents
20 asked for their well water to be tested.
21 Commissioner Price said she has no problem with the fee, but wants to know if the
22 public at large are being made aware that it is possible for the well water to be tested.
23 Colleen Bridger said such an announcement can absolutely be made.
24
25 A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Burroughs to
26 adopt and revise multiple Dental Health and Environmental Health fees approved by the Board
27 of Health at its January 25, 2017 meeting.
28
29 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
30
31 a. Minutes
32 The Board approved the minutes from January 27, 2017 as submitted by the Clerk to the Board.
33 b. Refund of Overpayment of Tax/Revenue Stamps
34 The Board considered a refund for overpayment of Tax/Revenue Stamps totaling $1,640.
35 c. Resolution Acknowledging February 28, 2017 as Spay Neuter Day USA in Orange
36 County, North Carolina
37 The Board approved a resolution, which is incorporated by reference, to officially acknowledge
38 February 28, 2017 as "Spay Neuter Day USA" in Orange County and authorized the Chair to
39 sign.
40 d. Fiscal Year 2016-17 Budget Amendment#6
41 The Board approved budget and grant ordinance amendments for fiscal year 2016-17 for the
42 County Manager's Office; Economic Development; Department on Aging; and Animal Services
43 Department.
44 e. Application for North Carolina Education Lottery Proceeds for Orange County
45 Schools (OCS) and Contingent Approval of Budget Amendment#6-A Related to OCS
46 Capital Project Ordinances
47 The Board approved an application to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
48 (NCDPI) to release proceeds from the NC Education Lottery account related to FY 2016-17 debt
49 service payments for Orange County Schools (OCS), and approved Budget Amendment#6-A
50 (amended School Capital Project Ordinances), contingent on the NCDPI's approval of the
51 application.
16
1 f. Contract Award for Engineering and Environmental Services with Draper Aden
2 Associates, Inc.
3 The Board approved a new agreement for general engineering and environmental services
4 between the Orange County Solid Waste Management Department and Draper Aden
5 Associates, Inc. (DAA) of Coats, North Carolina for consulting services for a five (5) year period
6 and authorized the County Manager to sign.
7 g. Contract Award for Engineering and Environmental Services with SCS Engineers
8 The Board approved a new agreement for general engineering and environmental services
9 between the Orange County Solid Waste Management Department and SCS Engineers (SCS)
10 of Midlothian, Virginia for consulting services for a five (5) year period and authorized the
11 County Manager to sign.
12 h. Health Department Fee Schedule Changes
13 The Board adopted and revised multiple Dental Health and Environmental Health fees approved
14 by the Board of Health at its January 25, 2017 meeting.
15 i. Authorization for NC Recreational Trails Program Grant Submittal - Hollow Rock
16 Nature Park
17 The Board approved the submittal of an application to the North Carolina Division of Parks and
18 Recreation Recreational Trails Program (RTP)for a $100,000 grant to develop an ADA
19 accessible 1/3-mile loop trail consistent with the adopted Hollow Rock Nature Park master plan,
20 with other amenities such as a wildlife viewing overlook, interpretive signage and restrooms
21 being funded by previously-appropriated funds from Durham and Orange counties. The grant
22 requires a 25% match or$25,000 (which would be shared by the two counties) and requires
23 governing board approval to submit of the application by the February 24, 2017 deadline.
24
25 7. Regular Agenda
26
27 a. Zoning Atlas Amendment: Modification of the Existing Zoning Boundaries for
28 Non-Residentially Zoned Parcels — Efland Real Property LLC Properties in Cheeks
29 Township
30 The Board will consider continuing a review of, and take action on, Planning Director
31 initiated amendments to the Zoning Atlas for four parcels owned by Efland Real Property LLC
32 within the Cheeks Township. Based on concerns expressed at the November 21, 2016
33 Quarterly Public Hearing, action was deferred on these parcels. Consistent with direction from
34 the BOCC, staff met with residents of the Ashwick subdivision to discuss the rezoning of the
35 four parcels in greater detail including staff's basis for recommending the properties be rezoned
36 General Commercial (GC-4).
37
38 Based on concerns expressed at the November 21, 2016 Quarterly Public Hearing, action was
39 deferred on these parcels. Consistent with direction from the BOCC, staff met with residents of
40 the Ashwick subdivision to discuss the rezoning of the four parcels in greater detail including
41 staff's basis for recommending the properties be rezoned General Commercial (GC-4).
42
43 BACKGROUND: As the Board may recall from the November 21, 2016 Quarterly Public
44 Hearing, staff presented an item seeking to modify/alter the zoning of 15 properties within the
45 Bingham, Cheeks, and Cedar Grove Townships. The item was in response to a BOCC petition
46 asking staff to review the zoning of several non-residentially zoned properties and identify
47 constraints, associated with existing general use zoning boundaries, potentially limiting
48 development opportunities.
49
50 For more background information please refer to Attachment 1. A map denoting the specific
51 properties reviewed in the Cheeks Township at the public hearing is contained within
17
1 Attachment 2. Excerpts of the approved minutes from the November 21, 2016 Quarterly Public
2 Hearing are contained within Attachment 4.
3
4 During the hearing, concerns were expressed by several property owners who live adjacent
5 to/near four parcels of property owned by Efland Real Property LLC that staff had
6 recommended be rezoned General Commercial (GC-4).
7 The Board voted to approve the rezoning on 11 of the subject properties, deferring action on the
8 aforementioned Efland Real Property, LLC properties until a future meeting, and directed staff to
9 meet with adjacent property owners to discuss the project in greater detail.
10
11 Staff met with local residents on December 14, 2016 and January 11, 2017 to review the
12 proposal, discuss development opportunities and constraints on the four properties, review
13 staff's recommendation on the rezoning of the parcels, and provide detail on the County's
14 planning vision for the area in general. Staff believes the majority of the residents who attended
15 the meetings, most primarily residing within the Ashwick neighborhood, were made comfortable
16 with staff's recommendation.
17
18 Staff is still recommending the parcels in question be rezoned to General Commercial (GC-4)
19 consistent with staff comments at the Quarterly Public Hearing. A summary of staff's
20 recommendation, including maps of the four parcels, is contained within Attachment 3. Planning
21 Director's Recommendation: The Planning Director recommends approval of the Statement of
22 Consistency, indicating the amendments are reasonable and in the public interest, contained in
23 Attachment 5 and proposed zoning atlas amendment package contained in Attachment 6 for the
24 four parcels of property owned by Efland Real Property, LLC.
25
26 As a reminder, at its November 2, 2016 meeting, the Planning Board voted unanimously to
27 recommend approval of the proposed rezoning as detailed herein and reported at the
28 Quarterly Public Hearing.
29
30 Michael Harvey, Planner III, said for the BOCC to rely on the replacement pages at their
31 places. He reviewed the background information, and showed slides of the four parcels of land.
32
33 PUBLIC COMMENT:
34 Kim Griffin said he is a realtor. He said there are four tracts here, and in order to market
35 the adjacent property for residential there should be some amenities in the neighborhood
36 nearby. He said the Planning Board's recommendation would be the right thing to do, and he is
37 supportive of it.
38 Kim Gush said she is a resident of the Ashwick Community, and she appreciated the
39 planning staff coming out to explain all of this to the residents. She said something about this
40 proposal is still a concern for her: 75% of these properties are currently residential, with the
41 exception of these four tracts that will cause the surrounding areas to be zoned commercial.
42 She said this change will affect their property values and quality of life.
43 Rob Gray echoed Kim Gush's comments, and noted there are concerns in the Ashwick
44 Community about the commercial re-zonings of these four tracts of land. He said the Planning
45 Department did a great job of explaining the issues, but the residents still see no benefit of
46 changing these parcels over to general commercial.
47 Commissioner McKee asked if the proposed zoning is no more intense than the two
48 parcels that are currently EC-5 and general commercial on the larger one.
49 Michael Harvey said the larger parcel is split zoned existing industrial. He said the first
50 consideration was to expand existing industrial to cover the whole property, but this was
51 deemed to not be the best use of the property, given the surrounding land uses. He said
18
1 general commercial zoning designation was considered much more appropriate, which means
2 there will potentially be a myriad of different land uses. He reminded the BOCC that this land is
3 in the commercial industrial node, as defined in the comprehensive plan; and that it has always
4 been intended for non-residential development.
5 Commissioner McKee said this rezoning does not overshadow what is already there.
6 Michael Harvey said he believed that what is being proposed is the better option than to
7 leave it as existing industrial. He said any development will go through the SUP process.
8 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if the SUP process could be described if an automotive
9 shop wanted to build on this site.
10 Michael Harvey said an automotive repair shop, in the general commercial zone, is
11 permitted by right in the table of permitted uses. He said a professional site plan would be
12 submitted for review by the Planning Department. He said there would be no review and
13 comment from an adjacent property owner, but the site plan would have to comply with all code
14 and building requirements. He said a proposal requiring a SUP permit would go through a
15 public hearing and neighborhood meeting.
16 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if the neighbors had been given this information.
17 Michael Harvey said many of these items were discussed in a broad overview at the
18 meeting he attended.
19 Commissioner Rich asked if businesses will connect to one another, once this property
20 is developed, via parking lots, roads, etc.
21 Michael Harvey said it is hard to say, but with any subdivision of commercial property,
22 any and all streets would have to be designed to the public street standard. He said it is most
23 likely that there would be one to two land uses all sharing public parking, and abiding by the
24 same landscaping standards.
25 Commissioner McKee asked if these multiple entities would have to meet Department of
26 Transportation (DOT) standards.
27 Michael Harvey said yes, as well as impervious surface limits, storm water standards,
28 land use buffers, parking, lighting, etc.
29
30 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Price to:
31 a. Adopt the proposed amendments by approving the Statement of Consistency
32 (replacement Attachment 5) and Ordinance amending the Zoning Atlas (Attachment 6).
33
34 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
35
36 b. Review and Amend the Orange County Housing Affordability Policy
37 The Board reviewed suggested changes from the Affordable Housing Providers and
38 considered the recommended amendments to the Orange County Housing Affordability Policy.
39
40 Bonnie Hammersley reviewed the background information below:
41
42 BACKGROUND: At the November 15, 2016 BOCC meeting, the Board requested that staff
43 review the County's housing affordability policy and make a recommendation to amend the
44 policy based on recent activity and input from the Affordable Housing providers. The County
45 Attorney drafted an exceptions section in the policy to provide flexibility in the affordability term
46 and the restrictive covenants as well as the addition of execution of agreement. The draft
47 exceptions section supports the BOCC action on October 4, 2016 to approve the Downtown
48 Housing Improvement Corporation, Inc.'s (DHIC) request to reduce Orange County's 99 year
49 affordability period for the Greenfield Place Project to 40 years as well as the November 15,
50 2016 action to approve the Community Home Trust (CHT) request for cancellation of a
51 declaration of restrictive covenants.
19
1
2 The draft policy was shared with the Affordable Housing providers for their input. Staff reviewed
3 the providers' input and included some of the suggestions in the amended policy.
4
5 Bonnie Hammersley reviewed a chart containing the amended policy and changes.
6 Chair Dorosin clarified details about the hand out chart, and from where the comments
7 came.
8 Bonnie Hammersley said providers received the original policy with the County
9 Attorney's amendment, but no other changes.
10 Chair Dorosin said it may be best to go down each part of the chart and ask questions.
11 Commissioner Rich asked if clarification could be provided about the difference between
12 the Community Home Trust (CHT) and the Community Land Trust (CLT).
13 Bonnie Hammersley said the CLT was a model that was used in 2000, and only applied
14 to the CHT. She said the CHT designation will be used throughout the document.
15 Commissioner Rich asked if this change will be made throughout the document, to make
16 all CLT into CHT.
17 Bonnie Hammersley said yes.
18 Commissioner Price referred to the definition of affordable housing, and said it does not
19 convey the intent behind what she felt the County was viewing as affordable. She said the
20 definition is based on a home being 30% of one's income, rather than one's income being at a
21 level of need, or within HUD definitions.
22 John Roberts said this is for the Board's discussion, and the only part he changed was
23 the Exceptions area. He said staff and local housing providers put in the other changes, and all
24 are up for review by the Board.
25 Chair Dorosin said combining both definitions of affordable housing would better achieve
26 the Board's intent.
27 Commissioner Price agreed.
28 Commissioner Jacobs referred to the 90-day sale, and asked if that number came from
29 particular reasoning, and how that number compares to the average time it takes for a home to
30 sell in Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
31 Chair Dorosin said this is the section that refers to waiving the first time homebuyer
32 restriction, if the home in question has been available for more than 90 days.
33 Annette Moore, Interim Housing Director, said the CHT has been asking for this for the
34 last four years. She said 90 days is the average time.
35 Robert Dowling, CHT Director, said this request was made and granted several years
36 ago, and after 90 days a home can be sold to non first-time homebuyers.
37 Commissioner Jacobs asked if there is a reason behind the 90 days number, and how
38 long the average home is on the market in Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
39 Robert Dowling said he does not know the average in those towns, but the average for
40 CHT is 60 days. He said homes that are on the market longer than 60 days are harder to sell,
41 and in the interest of the seller, the 90-day time frame was requested and granted.
42 Commissioner Dorosin said the request is to institutionalize a process that has already
43 been occurring for some time.
44 Bonnie Hammersley said many things in this document are already part of the process,
45 but have never been formalized.
46 Commissioner Price said there are two variables: a First Time homebuyer and a
47 Qualified Buyer. She said one can be considered a first time homebuyer if one has not owned a
48 home in three years, and the same waiver would apply if a first time homebuyer were not found
49 for a home that has been on the market for 90 days.
50 Annette Moore said the buyer would have to be income eligible whether they were a first
51 time buyer or not, even if the home has been on the market more than 90 days.
20
1 Chair Dorosin pointed out that there is a clarification of this point in column 3 or 4.
2 Annette Moore said to add, "and the home may be then sold to a qualified buyer" at the
3 end of the sentence.
4 Chair Dorosin asked if there is general consensus with staff recommendations in the two
5 definition columns, with the addition of the sentence stated by Annette Moore.
6 The Board indicated general consensus.
7 Chair Dorosin asked if there were any questions on the Land Trust Model, and there
8 were none. All recommendations are acceptable.
9 Chair Dorosin asked if there were any questions about the Period of Affordability.
10 Commissioner Rich said this is already in place.
11 Chair Dorosin turned to the second page, and reviewed the recommended changes.
12 The Board indicated general consensus to accept.
13 John Roberts said unqualified should state non-qualified, in order to be consistent with
14 the rest of the document.
15 Chair Dorosin said the big issue is the exceptions to the 99-year affordability, located on
16 page 3. He said the County is maintaining the 99-year affordability as the base policy, but the
17 County is creating some provisions for waiving that, or adjusting it to 40 years, if certain
18 circumstances are met, or if it is deemed appropriate by the BOCC.
19 John Roberts said the reason for this change was due to several deviations from policy,
20 and he said there was concern about not having guidelines or standards, and that is why these
21 have been proposed.
22 Commissioner Price referred to Exception C, and asked if this is particularly for CHT, or
23 does it apply to any provider of affordable housing.
24 John Roberts said it is for any provider that complies.
25 Chair Dorosin said this is a good step forward, and he would be in favor of reducing the
26 base of 99-years lower.
27 Commissioner McKee agreed with Chair Dorosin.
28 Annette Moore said the reason 99 years was chosen was due to wanting to keep the
29 houses in the affordable housing program, and no other reason than that. She said there are
30 banks that lend with the 99 years provision.
31 Robert Dowling said the CLT was created in 2000, and a ground lease of 99 years was
32 adopted. He said the County Attorney at the time crafted the affordability policy with a 99-year
33 affordability term to mimic the ground lease. He said the only entities that do home ownership
34 in Orange County are CHT and Habitat, and Habitat does its own financing. He said CHT has
35 struggled with financing since the financial crisis, but the banks are not concerned with the 99
36 years affordability term, but rather the ground lease. He said the banks do not want to have a
37 leasehold interest in property. He said the CLT model is a pain to administer, but it is the only
38 way to insure perpetual affordability.
39 Commissioner McKee said he thought the 99-year ground lease and the 99-year
40 affordability ran separately, and asked if the 99-year affordability were changed, would the
41 ground lease change as well.
42 Annette Moore said all properties have a 99-year ground lease, which has affordability
43 provisions in the restrictive covenants.
44 Commissioner McKee asked if the affordability could be reduced on the house, but not
45 the ground lease.
46 Robert Dowling said the County's deed restriction is 99-years, and the ground lease is
47 also 99 years.
48 Commissioner McKee repeated his question.
49 Annette Moore said these are two separate programs. She said the first is the ground
50 lease program, which is for different properties than the deed restrictions being discussed. She
51 said the ground lease properties in the CHT have a 99-year restriction on the ground. She said
21
1 the properties referred to in the 99-year deed restriction, have both a restriction on the home
2 and the land.
3 Commissioner McKee asked if, in the example being discussed, the restrictions would
4 be reduced on the house and the land.
5 Annette Moore said yes.
6 Commissioner McKee said he thought these were two separate entities on both
7 examples.
8 Commissioner Price said the concept of 99 years had been around for decades, and she
9 would have difficulty in changing this, outside of exceptions. She said she could live with certain
10 conditions, but did not want to get rid of the 99 years.
11 Commissioner Jacobs said if the 99 years does not affect people's ability to borrow, and
12 it keeps the land, then it should be left alone.
13 Chair Dorosin agreed.
14 Commissioner Jacobs said he had a question about the blue comment on the 2nd page.
15 Chair Dorosin said these were comments made by outside providers and were for
16 review.
17 Annette Moore said the County is required by the Department of Housing and Urban
18 Development (HUD) to have an equity-sharing portion in the affordable housing strategy.
19
20 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs to
21 approve with proposed changes:
22 1. Change the target population numbers to percentages for consistency with the
23 Affordable Housing ranking criteria
24 2. Added language to reflect the current practices
25 3. Edited Land Trust Model to reflect the Community Home Trust
26 4. Added Exceptions Section
27 5. Added Execution of Agreement
28
29 Commissioner McKee commended Annette Moore as Interim Housing Director.
30
31 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
32
33 c. Durham Chapel Hill Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization Comprehensive
34 Transportation Plan —Comments and Endorsement
35 The Board received and reviewed the Orange Unified Transportation Board (OUTBoard)
36 comments on the Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) document and the associated draft
37 bicycle, pedestrian, transit, and highway maps for the Durham Chapel Hill Carrboro Metropolitan
38 Planning Organization (DCHC MPO), provide any additional comments, and consider
39 endorsement.
40 Max Bushell, Transportation Planner, reviewed the following background information.
41
42 BACKGROUND: The Orange County Board of County Commissioners received a report on the
43 CTP at the February 7, 2017 meeting. This report provided detail about the purpose of the CTP,
44 its relationship to other transportation plans, and the products of the CTP.
45
46 CTP Definition
47 The CTP is a document prepared at the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) level and
48 identifies roadway, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure improvements for future
49 implementation. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) requires MPOs to
50 produce a CTP; these plans are often the product of a joint planning effort between MPO
22
1 planning staff, NCDOT Transportation Planning Branch staff, and local planners. The CTP is, by
2 definition, not fiscally constrained and is the longest range transportation plan.
3
4 Key Projects
5 The NCDOT Transportation Planning Branch, in coordination with the DCHC MPO, prepared
6 two summary documents indicating key projects in the DCHC MPO area. The first (Attachment
7 1) provides information on the key projects around Hillsborough and in northern Orange
8 County, while the second (Attachment 2) provides information on the key projects in and
9 around Chapel Hill, Carrboro, southern Orange County, and northern Chatham County.
10 The complete CTP document and associated maps can be found at this link,
11 http://bit.ly/2bv3RQV, while interactive online maps can be found at this
12 link, http://www.dchcmpo.org/programs/ctp/default.asp.
13
14 February 15 Orange Unified Transportation Board (OUTBoard) Comments
15 At the February 15 meeting of the OUTBoard, the OUTBoard convened without a quorum.
16 However, individual members provided specific comments on CTP alignments. These
17 comments are summarized in Attachment 3. OUTBoard members also provided the following
18 general comments on the CTP, which are detailed below.
19 • Consider adding a project to address congestion on South Churton Street through
20 Downtown Hillsborough.
21 • Consider alternative methods for reducing traffic congestion as opposed to roadway
22 widening, such as congestion charging schemes, dynamic tolling, reserved bus and
23 carpool lanes, and additional bicycle and walking facilities.
24 • Consider adding paved shoulders to all rural roads to facilitate the safe use by bicyclists
25 and pedestrians.
26 The OUTBoard endorsed the CTP in principle at its January 18, 2017 meeting.
27
28 Next Steps
29 During the month of February, each jurisdiction in the DCHC MPO area will have the opportunity
30 to comment on the CTP. Once these outreach processes are complete, the DCHC MPO
31 Technical Committee (DCHC MPO TC)will review the comments and make changes to create a
32 final draft CTP. The DCHC MPO Board will hear a presentation on the proposed changes to the
33 CTP on March 8 and will assess these changes. On March 22, the DCHC MPO TC will forward
34 the final CTP to the MPO Board, which will formally consider the final CTP on April 12.
35
36 Commissioner Jacobs asked if Old 86 and New 86 could be differentiated.
37 Commissioner Jacobs asked if it is Chapel Hill's or the Department of Transportation's
38 (DOT) preference to widen South Columbia Street to six lanes. He said he thinks Chapel Hill is
39 against this change, and he would want to check with the Town before endorsing something
40 that DOT has been trying to force for years.
41 Commissioner Jacobs referred to the widening of the bypass in Hillsborough, and said
42 the Town of Hillsborough does not want to mark it as a bypass. He said it could be labeled a
43 southern bypass. He suggested creating a map that follows this route, and the problem with
44 getting through west Hillsborough is rail crossings. He said it is unclear which crossings would
45 be left open, and which would be closed.
46 Commissioner Jacobs referred to page 11, and said it looks like a bit of a string that
47 needs to be clipped off.
48 Commissioner Rich said endorsing the widening of Columbia Street seems odd knowing
49 that Chapel Hill has always pushed back against it.
50 Commissioner Jacobs said he is unsure about the Town's feelings towards Columbia
51 Street, but does know feelings about 1-40 have changed.
23
1 Chair Dorosin said to make a courtesy pass to Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough
2 for some expedited feedback.
3 Max Bushell said the MPO has made this presentation to the Towns, minus the
4 OUTBoard comments.
5 Chair Dorosin said to forward the OUTBoard comments to the Towns.
6 Commissioner McKee said given that the Board is being asked to endorse this draft
7 CTP, and given the communication that came from FTC relative to part of the transportation
8 plan, he said when a motion is made that the first item on page 5 in re: Orange-Durham light rail
9 transit should be withheld, until the Board receives a presentation on that plan.
10 Commissioner Price said to take out the widening of Columbia Street as well.
11 Max Bushell said the Board can make this comment, and he would include it at the
12 MPO.
13 Commissioner Jacobs said he can bring up the widening of Columbia Street at the MPO,
14 where the Mayor of Chapel Hill will be sitting across from him.
15 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if the BRT is wrapped up in the light rail plan (LRT).
16 Commissioner McKee said it is part of the plan, but the questions he saw in today's
17 communication did not involve BRT, only light rail.
18 Commissioner Jacobs said items 1 and 2 can be held until there is a plan, and, in
19 reference to the BRT, he said the Board might want to endorse the plan without the cost.
20 Commissioner McKee said he has no problem holding BRT and LRT for later
21 endorsement.
22 Commissioner Jacobs said he could relay that information at MPO if that is the Board's
23 pleasure. He said it would be his pleasure, but is not sure how the rest of the Board feels.
24 Chair Dorosin clarified that the Board needs to vote on this, in one form or another, this
25 evening, and this will be the last vote. He said there may not be an opportunity to re-endorse
26 something that is removed today.
27 Max Bushell said the Board could endorse with the caveat that these two projects need
28 to be addressed in some other way.
29 Chair Dorosin asked if the Board must act this evening, or can it wait to a later date.
30 Max Bushell said that it is an option. He said the public comment period will close, and
31 the process will continue to move on.
32 Chair Dorosin asked if the comments from the OUTBoard will be incorporated.
33 Max Bushell said all comments will be passed along to the MPO. He reminded the
34 Board that this plan is very far reaching in nature, and many of the projects will never come to
35 fruition; but any potential projects must be included in this plan.
36 Chair Dorosin said given how amorphous this plan is, he has no reservations about
37 leaving light rail and BRT in at this time.
38 Commissioner Jacobs asked if the closing date for public comment could be identified.
39 Max Bushell said it is on February 24th
40 Commissioner Rich agreed with Chair Dorosin.
41 Commissioner Marcoplos also agreed with Chair Dorosin.
42 Commissioner McKee disagreed, and feels this is a statement of endorsement for
43 something for which the Board has not seen the final product. He said the best path is to take
44 out the LRT at least, and hold it for a future endorsement. He said to do otherwise will endorse
45 the LRT project without knowing what the project, and all its details, is.
46 Commissioner Burroughs said the Board can address financial issues separately, and
47 this plan is very broad in its nature.
48 Max Bushell said a commuter rail line from Hillsborough to Carrboro has been included,
49 and he said this plan is very conceptual and it keeps the door open for a large variety of
50 projects.
24
1 Commissioner Marcoplos said withholding items is asking for in depth detail on those
2 two items that is not being asked for on other items. He said to treat this as an aspirational and
3 conceptual plan.
4 Commissioner McKee said there is not a single project in this packet that has caused
5 such concern and confusion as the light rail and BRT. He said it is time for the Board to take
6 control of its own conversation.
7 Commissioner Price asked if the CTP will come back to the Board of County
8 Commissioners.
9 Max Bushell said this would not happen for a long time, maybe ten years.
10 Commissioner Price said there are some projects listed in this plan that have been
11 considered for a long time, but have had no action.
12
13 A motion was made by Commissioner Rich, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs to move
14 the CTP highway recommendations as seen in Attachment 1, with the understanding that:
15 Commissioner Jacobs will talk with the Mayor of Chapel Hill about Columbia Street; a map of
16 the potential bypass will be included; and the available rail crossings in West Hillsborough will
17 be identified.
18
19 VOTE: Ayes, 6; Nays, 1 (Commissioner McKee)
20
21 8. Reports
22 NONE
23
24 11. Appointments - moved up due to the attendance of the Health Director
25
26 a. Board of Health —Appointment
27 The Board further discussed the appointment to the Board of Health (BOH), which was
28 formally made at the Commissioners' February 7, 2017 Regular Meeting.
29 Chair Dorosin noted the Board has a copy of the Board of Health by-laws, which indicate
30 a former Department of Health employee cannot serve on the BOH.
31 Commissioner McKee asked if the original intent of the by-laws could be identified.
32 Colleen Bridger said this part of the by-laws has been on the books for decades, and it is
33 a recommended best practice by the State. She said the intent is to avoid a situation where a
34 disgruntled former Health Department employee could be appointed to the Board of Health and
35 become a supervisor of a former co-worker.
36 Commissioner McKee asked if there is any indication that this is the case with the
37 currently appointed person.
38 Colleen Bridger said no.
39 Commissioner Price said her understanding is that this policy was made by the BOH,
40 and it has not been adopted or sanctioned by the Board of County Commissioners, and is not a
41 County rule.
42 Colleen Bridger said the BOH does not trump the Board of County Commissioners'
43 authority, and the BOH is respectfully requesting the BOCC to honor the by-laws, which are
44 required by the State.
45
46 A motion was made by Commissioner Burroughs, seconded by Commissioner Rich to
47 appoint Johanna Birkmayer (added: to a partial term (Position #8) "At-Large
48 Citizen/Commissioner Appointment" position for expiring 06/30/2018.)
49
50 Commissioner Price said the BOCC has already made an appointment, and asked if this
51 appointment can simply be overridden with a motion.
25
1 John Roberts said he would look into this question during the ongoing discussion.
2 Commissioner Burroughs said the BOCC can do whatever it wants, but when there is a
3 Board, such as the Board of Health (BOH), whose members put in hours interviewing
4 candidates in depth, she cautions the BOCC not to override these recommendations, as it
5 undermines board members' service on all boards. She strongly endorsed the candidate in her
6 motion above.
7 John Roberts said once someone is appointed to the BOH, the only way to remove that
8 person is to provide written notice with an explanation of why they are being asked to resign,
9 and give that person the opportunity to be heard.
10 Commissioner McKee made a friendly amendment that the Board leave the current
11 policy in place, but make a one-time exception, thus keeping Dr. Barber's appointment in place.
12 Commissioner Burroughs said she would have liked to have had the information shared
13 by John Roberts prior to this item being returned to the agenda.
14 Chair Dorosin said at this point, there are two options: to either go with Commissioner
15 McKee's amendment, or pursue the procedure that is outlined in the rules for making
16 adjustments.
17 Chair Dorosin said it would have been good to have had the by-laws before the
18 appointment last week. He said it is not appropriate to consider Commissioner Burroughs'
19 motion.
20 John Roberts said a motion can be withdrawn at any time, prior to a vote being taken.
21 Colleen Bridger said another option would be to explain the situation to the original
22 appointee, and give her the option to resign.
23 Commissioner Price said it is unlikely that Dr. Barber knew about the by-laws.
24 Colleen Bridger said the original appointee was told that she was ineligible to be
25 appointed via email on three different occasions. She said it was her understanding that once
26 someone applies, the application remains in the packet that comes to the BOCC, as the BOCC
27 has the final say; and this is done regardless of eligibility.
28 Commissioner Price said the BOCC has overridden board recommendations in the past,
29 and she finds it odd to ask someone to resign. She said to leave the appointee in place.
30 Chair Dorosin said that is an option. He asked if Commissioner Burroughs would like to
31 withdraw her motion.
32 Commissioner Burroughs said she is furious and this is irritating.
33 Commissioner Burroughs said she will not withdraw the motion.
34 Commissioner Jacobs suggested the Chair write a letter to the appointee indicating the
35 by-laws had come to light, as well as the fact that the applicant had been notified of the by-laws;
36 but, based on standard practice, her name was still in the pool, and respectfully ask the
37 appointee to resign.
38 Commissioner Burroughs said she would do a substitute motion with the suggestion just
39 made by Commissioner Jacobs.
40 Commissioner Rich seconded this motion.
41 Commissioner Rich clarified that the letter written by the Chair will cover the
42 requirements laid out by John Roberts.
43 John Roberts said the letter must state the grounds for the request for removal. He
44 clarified that the letter will ask the appointee to resign based on the BOH by-laws.
45 Commissioner Jacobs said yes, with the understanding that appointee knew about the
46 by-laws in advance.
47 Chair Dorosin said the proposed letter would not be what John Roberts outlined
48 originally, which was that the appointee would be removed involuntarily, but rather it is asking
49 for her resignation.
50 John Roberts said yes, and there are six reasons why an appointee can be removed,
51 and this particular scenario does not fall under one of those six reasons; it is separate.
26
1
2 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
3
4 Commissioner Price asked what would happen if the appointee refuses to resign.
5 Chair Dorosin said the issue would come back before the BOCC.
6 Commissioner McKee suggested that this letter be written in a neutral tone.
7
8 9. County Manager's Report
9 • Joint meeting with Town of Hillsborough on February 23rd
10
11 Commissioner Jacobs asked if Bonnie Hammersley has a copy of the letter from Orange
12 County Schools to Hillsborough.
13 Bonnie Hammersley said yes, and would distribute it at the meeting on Thursday.
14
15 10. County Attorney's Report
16 None
17
18 12. Board Comments
19
20 13. Information Items
21
22 • February 7, 2017 BOCC Meeting Follow-up Actions List
23 • Economic Impact & Marketing Strategy for Mountains-to-Sea Trail
24 • Memorandum - Durham Chapel Hill Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization
25 (DCHC MPO) Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP)
26 • Memorandum - Update on Expanded Orange County Accessibility Self-Assessment
27 • Memorandum - FY2016-17 Second Quarter General Fund and Enterprise Funds
28 Financial Report
29 • BOCC Chair Letter Regarding Petitions from February 7, 2017 Regular Meeting
30
31 14. Closed Session —Addition to the agenda
32
33 A motion was made by Commissioner Burroughs, seconded by Commissioner Rich to
34 go into closed session at 10:42 p.m. for the purpose below:
35
36 § 143-318.11(a)(3) To consult with an attorney employed or retained by the public body in order
37 to preserve the attorney-client privilege between the attorney and the public body
38
39 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
40
41 RECONVENE INTO REGULAR SESSION:
42
43 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Burroughs
44 to reconvene into regular session at 11:05 p.m.
45
46 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
47
48 15. Adjournment
49 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Burroughs to
50 adjourn the meeting at 11:05 p.m.
27
1
2 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
3
4
5 Mark Dorosin, Chair
6
7 Donna Baker
8 Clerk to the Board
9
1
1 Attachment 2
2
3 DRAFT MINUTES
4 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
5 HILLSBOROUGH BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
6 JOINT MEETING
7 February 23, 2017
8 7:00 p.m.
9
10 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Joint Meeting with the Town of
11 Hillsborough Commissioners on Thursday, February 23, 2017 at 7:00 p.m., in the Whitted
12 Building, in Hillsborough, North Carolina.
13
14 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Dorosin and Commissioners Barry Jacobs,
15 Mark Marcoplos, Earl McKee, Renee Price, and Penny Rich
16 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Commissioner Burroughs
17 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts
18 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy Manager Travis
19 Myren, and Clerk to the Board Donna S. Baker (All other staff members will be identified
20 appropriately below)
21 HILLSBOROUGH COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Mayor Tom Stevens and Commissioners
22 Kathleen Ferguson, Mark Bell, Brian Lowen, Evelyn Lloyd, and Jenn Weaver
23 HILLSBOROUGH COMMISSIONERS ABSENT:
24 HILLSBOROUGH STAFF PRESENT: Margaret Hauth, Planning Director
25 HILLSBOROUGH TOWN STAFF ABSENT: Town Manager, Eric Peterson
26
27 Chair Dorosin called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m.
28
29 Welcome and Opening Remarks
30 Chair Dorosin said the goal of this evening is to have a dialogue between the two
31 boards, asking questions, and raising ideas.
32 Mayor Stevens said there is a long track record of meetings, and of strong mutual
33 interests, between the County and the Town of Hillsborough. He thanked the Board of County
34 Commissioners for the use of the Whitted facility by the Town, and other community groups.
35 He said Hillsborough has a small staff that accomplishes a lot, and he commended the staff's
36 efforts.
37 Chair Dorosin said Commissioner Burroughs would be unable to attend tonight.
38
39 Commissioner McKee arrived at 7:06 p.m.
40
41
42
43 1. Residential Growth/Affordable Housing
44 a) Overview of approved/pending Hillsborough residential growth**
45 b) Affordable housing in conjunction with approved or pending residential growth**
46 c) Potential Orange County Bond/Additional Affordable Housing Opportunities
47 (e.g., Orange County owned parcels*, Housing Choice Vouchers, land banking, Habitat
48 for Humanity, safe housing and minimum standards)
2
1 d) Infrastructure/Utility Issues and Limits;
2 (e.g. water/sewer capacity*, service boundary agreement, annexation of existing
3 neighborhoods*)
4
5 Waterstone deeded 2.25 acres in the townhome neighborhood to The Community Home Trust
6 for development as affordable townhomes. The Trust has since deeded the property to Habitat
7 for Humanity. The town expects to receive a Special Use Permit modification for its April Public
8 hearing to review the development plans for Habitat to construct 24 senior targeted affordable
9 units on this parcel. Waterstone is also committed to provide $5,000 per affordable unit to the
10 property owner at the time of building permit issuance for each affordable unit.
11 Collins Ridge has committed to the gift of 3 acres to CASA for that organization to develop 60-
12 88 affordable rental units. The property must be transferred no later than 30 days after
13 receiving the first building permit.
14
15 Mayor Stevens said he wanted to do a high level overview of the past, as well as looking
16 forward. He said the Town created a strategic plan over 10 years ago, as to how it wanted to
17 see Hillsborough develop, which included the development of housing between downtown and
18 1-40. He noted the biggest constraint for development is water, followed by the traffic.
19 Mayor Stevens said when Hillsborough did a 2030 plan and revised its Unified
20 Development Ordinances (UDOs), he was impressed by his Town Board's thoughtfulness in
21 planning for development. He said there has been a lot of development that has been
22 approved, but just as much that has not been approved.
23 Mayor Stevens referred to Forest Ridge, and said people raised concerns, to which the
24 Board listened. He said the Town has worked collaboratively with the community and
25 developers.
26 Mayor Stevens said looking forward he knows people are very concerned about
27 explosive growth, and his perspective is that Hillsborough is growing, but at a more reduced
28 rate than people assume. He said there is a lot of growth in the near term, as compared to
29 down the line. He said the Town looks for connectivity, diversity of housing stock, etc.
30 Chair Dorosin asked if details of the water constraint could be provided.
31 Eric Peterson said water analysis studies have been conducted since the late nineties.
32 He said, as of today, the amount of water being used is at 27% of the maximum yield. He said
33 it is at a 36% capacity of a safe yield, coming out of the Eno River at normal times. He said the
34 goal is not to be too conservative or too liberal. He said stage 5 restrictions are used during
35 analyses, and based on a stage 5 situation; the usage is at 44% of average day capacity. He
36 said phase 2 of the reservoir construction will start this summer. He said there is a land use
37 plan connected to the budget, and water usage is conservative. He said the current capacity
38 could be eaten up if the philosophy towards Town development were to change.
39 Commissioner Rich asked if the daily gallon usage could be identified.
40 Eric Peterson said the gallons usage per day is 1.3 mgd. He said the water plan is
41 currently 3 mgd capacity, and will be upgraded in a few years to 4.5 mgd.
42 Eric Peterson said the Town's wastewater treatment plant is the cleanest in the country
43 in terms of nitrogen discharge. He said this was a $20 million plan upgrade. He said water is
44 an easier hurdle to overcome than sewer.
45 Commissioner Jacobs said when Hillsborough and Orange County did the joint plan, a
46 traffic consultant was hired who tried not to direct traffic through Churton Street. He said while
47 compared to other municipalities Hillsborough's growth was small, but the Town's growth from
48 6,000 to 12,000 is still 100%. He said his concern is that development will impact not only
49 South Churton Street, but also the secondary impacts such as Orange Grove Road, Mayo St.
50 and Eno Mt. Road. He urged the Town to phase in the larger developments, in order to merge
3
1 in the traffic and streets via a more phased in approach. He said people are concerned about
2 the Collins Ridge development, and its effect on traffic, and people wanted a secondary
3 entrance in the beginning.
4 Commissioner Jacobs said he wanted to know the Town's reaction to the Orange
5 County Schools' (OCS's) concerns about the Collins Ridge development. He said the Board of
6 County Commissioners (BOCC) raised this issue at the joint meeting in 2016, and the Manager
7 was asked to contact planning directors to have a meeting about this. He said he believed that
8 OCS was in the dark about the planning for this influx of students.
9 Margaret Hauth said there has been no change between the Master Plan and the
10 Special Use Permit (SUP), in terms of the road network for Collins Ridge. She said the Town
11 approved the master plan, requiring the second road to be opened prior to the Town issuing the
12 451st certificate of occupancy. She said this condition remains intact, and the SUPs match this.
13 She said the plans for Collins Ridge have been shared with the OCS Board of Education
14 (BOE), and said she shared OCS's letter of concerns with the developers, and she believed
15 that the issue had been resolved.
16 Commissioner Jacobs asked if there was a letter to that effect.
17 Margaret Hauth said an email was sent today from the Applicant to the BOE, on which
18 she was copied. She is awaiting a response from the BOE.
19 Mayor Stevens said there is a balance in finding the kind of development that is sought,
20 and how it will contribute to the community. He said the Town would like to see things move a
21 bit more slowly.
22 Mayor Stevens said the Town would like to weigh what they are working with, and not
23 just be arbitrary. He said the Town wants to avoid simply saying no, or putting a moratorium on
24 development.
25 Mayor Stevens said part of the point of the long term plans and conditions is to allow for
26 multi-modal transportation. He said the Town wants to insure there is room for bus stops,
27 school buses, bikes, pedestrians etc.
28 Commissioner Price referred to Churton Street, and asked if there are plans, in
29 coordination with Collins Ridge, to redo Churton Street.
30 Margaret Hauth said at the two intersections on Churton Street, both the master plan
31 and SUP address the traffic improvements. She said the developers will also be making the
32 improvements at the 1-85 interchange. She said the widening of the 1-85 interchange has to
33 come prior to Churton Street being widened.
34 Commissioner Price asked if, whether 1-85 is done or not, can Churton Street take all
35 the bearing.
36 Margaret Hauth said the developers do not control the frontage areas, and if there were
37 need for an additional right of way dedication, the developers would not be able to give it.
38 Mayor Stevens said the connection from Orange Grove to highway 70 is part of the
39 plan.
40 Margaret Hauth said the Orange Grove extension project is on target to be funded to
41 extend the road east to US 70-A.
42 Mayor Stevens said the Town is eager to see the connection from Mayo Street to Eno
43 Mountain Road, as it will alleviate traffic. He said traffic will always be a problem in
44 Hillsborough.
45 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if it is known when Orange Grove Road will be
46 connected to 70
47 Margaret Hauth said 2021.
48 Commissioner Weaver said her Board always starts with asking how will this benefit the
49 community, and the traffic issue will be an issue to deal with going forward with any project.
4
1 She said equity is important, and Hillsborough is the only municipality without a major
2 affordable housing component.
3 Commissioner Ferguson said while affordability is not a current issue, it is very near.
4 Commissioner Rich said there will be about 3,000 units in the Collins Ridge
5 development, and asked if it is known how many students this will mean.
6 Margaret Hauth said she does not know, but all projects go through the Schools Adequate
7 Public Facilities Ordinance (SAPFO) and get CAPS (Certificate of Adequate Public Schools)
8 prior to getting permits.
9 Commissioner Rich asked if there is a way that the Board of County Commissioners
10 should plan for the 3-5 years outlook for additional buses, per pupil funding, etc.
11 Margaret Hauth said the memo from the OCS indicates 266 students per 1,000 units.
12 She said this it is not an accurate number, as student generation rates are different based on
13 number of bedrooms etc. She said she does not track those numbers, only the number of
14 dwellings and then gets back the CAPS.
15 Commissioner Rich asked if anyone tracks this projected student number, because it
16 looks like a new school is being triggered.
17 Bonnie Hammersley said students are tracked through the Schools Adequate Public
18 Facilities Ordinance (SAPFO), and as the 5-year financial forecast is considered more detail will
19 need to be added. She said growth and services are not affected on a one-to-one basis, nor is
20 it a simple equation to calculate.
21 Commissioner Ferguson said when this master plan was approved two years ago, OCS
22 sent a letter about SAPFO. She asked if it was shared with the Board of County
23 Commissioners.
24 Chair Dorosin said he did not recall such a letter.
25 Craig Benedict, Orange County Planning Director, said when a project is proposed the
26 school board looks at existing capacity, and whether there is enough. He said two years ago
27 there was capacity, especially at the elementary level. He said the quirk in the adequate public
28 facilities system is that all elementary schools are added up together. He said the school that
29 would service Collins Ridge is near over-capacity, but the adequate public facilities system
30 would not rate it as such. He said the letter referred to a possible redistricting, which would
31 have to be evaluated. He said the most recent letter from the BOE indicated that it is unclear
32 where students will be placed, but did not mention capacity concerns.
33 Margaret Hauth said the letter expressed a desire for the development to proceed,
34 without a designation as to which schools the students would attend.
35 Chair Dorosin asked if, when the CAPS get issued and development is assessed, is
36 there a formula that says these types of units generate this number of students; and of those
37 one can presume a certain percentage are elementary, another percentage middle school, and
38 another percentage high school.
39 Margaret Hauth said there is a student generation rate for each level of school
40 (elementary, middle and high), for each dwelling unit type. She said there is a matrix of 12
41 numbers that are applied to the development as appropriate, and thus determine the total
42 number of students.
43 Chair Dorosin said unit x has a generation rate for each educational level, and asked if
44 the CAPS counts all three levels.
45 Craig Benedict said a single-family unit usually generates 0.6 children on average, and
46 of that, 0.3 is usually elementary age, and 0.15 and 0.15 are middle and high school age. He
47 said if any one of those capacities is not adequate, then the bell rings and the project must be
48 delayed until capacity is made available. He said there are two parts of the system: the CAPS
49 (Certificate of Adequate Public Schools), and the other is the projection methodology. He said
50 as new developments come on line, and children end up in the schools, the projection is
5
1 reevaluated in order to identify a school 3, 5, or 7 years out. He said the hope is to see
2 capacity issues coming. He said it has been close in the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools
3 (CHCCS), and there has had to be a time out in development. He said OCS has had capacity
4 at the elementary level, and it has been a bit tighter at the high school level. He said this is
5 reviewed and updated every year.
6 Margaret Hauth said the boards should get an updated report soon, and under the
7 thresholds now there will be no need for new schools.
8 Commissioner Jacobs referred to Churton Street, and said he recollected that the
9 reason that this street was delayed was because it costs close to $50 million.
10 Margaret Hauth said she recalled a number closer to $27 million. She said the reason
11 for the delay is because the Department of Transportation (DOT) did not assign any priority
12 points to this project, and this was in an effort to spread the projects around throughout the
13 division. She said Hillsborough has a number of funded projects.
14 Commissioner Jacobs said there was a similar conversation at the Burlington-Graham
15 MPO about breaking up large projects in small pieces in order to get funding more easily.
16 He asked if the Churton Street project could be done in phases.
17 Margaret Hauth said the funding of the interchange is exactly that, but there could be
18 further discussion with DOT.
19 Chair Dorosin said all of the issues on the agenda overlap, and the conversation is not
20 bound by the agenda outline.
21 Chair Dorosin asked if a brief update on the County bond project could be given, as well
22 the properties in Orange County identified as sites for affordable housing.
23 Travis Myren said the request for proposals for bond funds and ten parcels of County
24 owned property were released on Monday. He said four of those parcels are in the northern
25 part of Hillsborough. He said proposals are expected back at the end of March, at which point
26 there will be a scoring process, and the proposals will be given to the BOCC in June, with
27 projects being awarded by the end of July.
28 Commissioner Ferguson asked if the parcels released for affordable housing will be
29 perpetually affordable.
30 Travis Myren said the parcels will carry the standard 99-year affordability.
31 Commissioner Weaver asked if the location of the parcels in Hillsborough could be
32 identified.
33 Travis Myren said in the northwestern corner of Hillsborough.
34 Margaret Hauth said the parcels are zoned single family, but some are larger than the
35 minimum lot size, or could be subject to rezoning in order to accommodate additional units.
36 She said questions are already coming in about these parcels.
37 Commissioner Ferguson referred to the Odie Street parcel, and asked if this will be part
38 of the overall Habitat for Humanity redevelopment.
39 Margaret Hauth said it is not part of what Habitat had under contract, but Habitat is
40 interested in buying additional lots.
41 Commissioner Rich said Forest Ridge has payment in lieu, which she supports; but is
42 concerned that payment in lieu (PIL) does not support affordable housing, as it does not build
43 units. She would not want to see payment in lieu done too often.
44 Chair Dorosin asked if $240,000 will be received as PIL.
45 Margaret Hauth said yes.
46 Mayor Stevens said when Waterstone was approved, there was a plan to have
47 affordable housing, but that site went to something else. He said Forest Ridge is the next big
48 development, which received PIL. He said with Collins Ridge there is a CASA project for
49 rentals.
6
1 Commissioner Rich referred to the economic development section about senior housing
2 on 271 acres off of 1-40, and asked if any of this will be affordable housing.
3 Margaret Hauth said as of now, she did not see that in the plan.
4 Commissioner Rich asked if there is a way to request that this type of housing be
5 included in the plan.
6 Margaret Hauth said it is an application under Orange County Planning review, so one
7 would need to request more information as this application is brought forward. She said the
8 application has only just been submitted, so it may not be ripe for BOCC discussion yet.
9 Chair Dorosin said he was encouraged to see all of the affordable housing coming into
10 the developments in Hillsborough.
11 Mayor Stevens said Town board is very concerned with substandard housing in
12 Hillsborough.
13 Commissioner Ferguson asked if there is a way to work with the County's apparatus in
14 helping residents moving out of housing that contains mold or animal feces. She asked if this
15 would involve the Health Department, the Non-profit sector, etc. She said habitable homes are
16 needed in many areas, and the renters cannot speak up for fear of eviction.
17 Commissioner Jacobs said Orange County has an urgent home repair program, but the
18 property owners would have to be involved. He said Habitat for Humanity has a similar
19 program.
20 Commissioner Ferguson said painting over black mold is not an appropriate solution,
21 and there has to be a solution for these types of problems.
22 Commissioner Price said some people own their homes, and few know how to access
23 help.
24 Margaret Hauth said most of the programs in the Town requires that the property owner
25 to be income eligible, which is not often the case.
26 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if there is a way to determine the number of homes that
27 are in disrepair.
28 Margaret Hauth said there is no systematic method for this, as people do not want to be
29 evicted. She said knowing about all these homes would warrant a reaction, and it may be too
30 large a problem to fix.
31 Commissioner Marcoplos said he delivered meals on wheels for years, and he could
32 have recorded these types of homes. He said most were seniors.
33 Commissioner Price said if renters report issues, they are at at risk of losing their
34 housing.
35 Chair Dorosin said a better job must be done with the voucher program, which could
36 perhaps incentivize the homeowners to improve the rental homes.
37 Chair Dorosin said there are apps that can be used to report homes.
38 Chair Dorosin said Orange County has put money aside in their Capital Investment Plan
39 (CIP) to look at manufactured housing.
40
41 2. Economic Development
42 a) Downtown Improvements and Redevelopment
43 (update of downtown improvements**, downtown redevelopment opportunities*, former
44 Colonial Inn update*
45 b) Economic Development District (EDD) Development and Infrastructure*
46 (update on sewer extension**; commercial development recruitment*)
47
48 Mayor Stevens said the Town is committed to a commercial base, and is concerned
49 about keeping what already exists, while increasing it. He listed different areas around Town.
50
7
1 All needed NCDOT approvals are finally in-hand for the downtown access project. The Town
2 has a contractor and is finalizing the contract details so that work can begin when weather
3 allows. The east side work adjacent to the courthouse will be done first, and then work will
4 move to Tryon Street and move south. Staff expect to hold a public information meeting very
5 soon to keep the merchants involved. There is also an email list for merchants and other to
6 receive regular updates. Work will continue through the summer. Once the sidewalk work is
7 completed, NCDOT will have to schedule resurfacing of Churton Street. Once that is scheduled
8 and complete, the stamped crosswalk improvements will be the final step. Stephanie Trueblood
9 is the primary contact for this project and all communications with merchants and the public will
10 route through her.
11
12 Orange County, in conjunction with Town of Hillsborough Planning, has amended land uses
13 and zoning within the Hillsborough Area Economic Development District. This area is under
14 County planning jurisdiction but subject to the coordinated planning agreement. An interlocal
15 utility agreement that will set forth utility extension provisions if installed or paid by the county is
16 under review by joint staffs.
17
18 This agreement is intended to focus and facilitate future economic development by preinstalling
19 infrastructure under 1-40 which often is a critical decision point for site selection. Monies have
20 been budgeted for primarily sewer extensions but a partnership with the Town of Hillsborough
21 for a water main loop outside of the EDD could augment pressures in the larger zone. Orange
22 County will be advertising a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for engineering design services
23 for this Capital Investment Plan (CIP) project in the coming weeks including Town of
24 Hillsborough participation.
25
26 A 271 acre development proposal was submitted for the southeast and southwest quadrant of I-
27 40 using a conditional zoning district. The majority of the project is planned for light
28 industrial/research and commercial/retail/service with a component of senior housing. This is
29 under sufficiency review by staff and will be shared with the Town of Hillsborough consistent
30 with the joint courtesy review agreement.
31
32 Commissioner McKee said he is glad the County and the Town are working together on
33 the water and sewer around the Hillsborough Economic Development District (EDD).
34 Commissioner Jacobs asked if Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
35 (SWOT) analysis of the EDDs included the Cornelius Road Area.
36 Steve Brantley, Orange County Economic Development Director, said they have put out
37 to bid for consultants, and will get a review of these properties around the 1-40 exchange during
38 the spring and the summer. He said it would be simple to add some additional properties for
39 review.
40 Commissioner Lowen asked if this area can be added, and if it would be a targeted
41 district.
42 Steve Brantley said the targeted regions were put in the RFP, and did not include the
43 Cornelius area; but once a consultant is hired it would be possible to add this area and others.
44 He said the goal is to focus on the properties that have the potential to attract non-residential
45 development.
46 Commissioner Lowen said Cornelius Street is the highway 70 bypass through
47 Hillsborough. He said it is an entranceway into Hillsborough, and commercial or light industrial
48 development here would be great.
49 Steve Brantley said there is a good relationship and communication between the Town's
50 staff and Chamber.
8
1 Mayor Stevens said in the last year, the Town hired a designated economic
2 development and tourism employee, named Shannon Campbell. He said she is working with
3 Steve Brantley and the other towns.
4 Commissioner Price asked if there is an update on the Old Maxway area.
5 Margaret Hauth reviewed some highlights from West Hillsborough:
6 • they have been referring interest to the new owners of this strip mall (Northside)
7 • there is no activity on the Gateway restaurant project, although the property has
8 been acquired
9 • the parcel next to Walgreens is for sale
10 • Bellevue construction is going well
11 • Cotton Mill
12 • Redeye acquired a southern season warehouse, and had it rezoned to
13 accommodate more mixed uses
14 • Mystery Pub expansion just reopened
15 • interest in Village Diner site
16
17 Commissioner Jacobs asked if there is an update about the curb on parking across form
18 the commercial area in West Hillsborough
19 Margaret Hauth said after downtown is finished, they hope to put out to bid some
20 sidewalk projects. She said most approvals from DOT are in place, and the funding is in place
21 for this area.
22 Commissioner McKee asked if any thought has been given to how much water capacity
23 can be given the commercial sites, since these would be higher users.
24 Mayor Stevens said water would conceptually be allocated as needed, but it would
25 exclude some high level users commercially.
26 Commissioner McKee said it would be helpful to have an idea of how many gallons a
27 day could be tolerated, so that the economic development department can recruit appropriate
28 businesses.
29 Eric Peterson said he could share this information with staff.
30 Commissioner Price referred to the Sheetz business that is coming in, and asked if
31 there will be more development in the same area. She said this company is a truck stop, and
32 asked if the old bridge in that location is cause for concern.
33 Craig Benedict said that is in the Orange County planning jurisdiction, and the only
34 reason a Sheetz or a restaurant will be located there is because that was what was on site
35 originally. He said the bridge is a limiting factor, and capacity is limited to what was there
36 before. He said the intersection needs to be widened, which would open up capacity because
37 there is over 30 acres there.
38
39 c) Other Economic Development Updates
40 (US 70/Cornelius Corridor, West Hillsborough, 85/NC 10 area**)
41
42 Staff has been working with the Sheetz gas station for close to 2 1/2 years to get a new gas
43 station permitted on an approximately 1 acre portion of the old Paliouras truck stop property
44 across from Home Depot. Site plan and building plans have been approved for some time. The
45 Town provided courtesy review comments on the site plan and approved the use of existing
46 utility infrastructure (i.e. water and sewer) in support of the proposed gas station. NC
47 Department of Transportation has also been involved in reviewing/approving the site plan.
48 Delays on the commencement of construction of Sheetz are related to the property owner's lack
49 of progress on completing required grading/infrastructure installation (i.e. stormwater systems)
50 including allowing permits, most notably erosion control and grading permits, to lapse. Staff has
9
1 remained in contact with Sheetz officials to offer assistance as needed and Orange County
2 Erosion Control has worked with the property owner to keep the project moving forward. It is
3 hoped construction on the Sheetz facility will begin soon. There are rumors of a restaurant
4 being located adjacent to Sheetz but no formal site plan has been submitted denoting same. A
5 food truck has taken up operation(s) on the Paliouras property consistent with the County's
6 recently adopted food truck ordinance.
7
8
9 d) Tourism and Arts (in coordination with Orange County Visitors Bureau/Hillsborough
10 Visitors Center/Tourism Board/Arts Commission/etc.)
11
12 Commissioner Rich said Orange County sent a letter to the legislature about the number
13 of losses Orange County has suffered due to HB2, and requested its repeal.
14 Chair Dorosin asked if there is an update on the Colonial Inn.
15 Mayor Stevens said it is in the process of imminent domain, and mediation is likely in the
16 next 30 days.
17 Commissioner Rich asked if the building will hold up during this wait time.
18 Mayor Stevens said professionals are telling the Town that the building can be restored.
19 He said the Town is going through a process of due diligence, and the top goals is to make
20 sure this landmark can be preserved for posterity. He said the secondary goal is to see it be
21 put to use, hopefully in a way that engages the public.
22 Commissioner Jacobs said he asked that the Cornelius area be included in the SWOT
23 analysis, but he was the only one making this request. He said if any other County
24 Commissioners are interested in this as well, to please tell the Manager to include this in the
25 SWOT analysis.
26 Chair Dorosin said this could be treated as a petition at the next BOCC meeting.
27 Mayor Stevens said the Town is constrained budget wise, but is planning to move the
28 fire and police stations, and create a campus area where Town offices can be located. He said
29 this will free up some properties in the downtown area. He said this is in the early stages. He
30 said there has been a great deal of change downtown, and this is likely to continue over the
31 next 10 years. He said the enduring and endearing elements of downtown should always
32 remain.
33 Commissioner Price asked if the Town owns a portion of the Bacon store corner.
34 Mayor Stevens said the Town bought the old Singer building, the doctor and dentist
35 office, the furniture store and the house. He said the commercial area on the corner is still in
36 private hands, but these purchases give the Town an opportunity for fire trucks to be able to go
37 down Cornelius Street, and come out on a driveway on Churton Street without having back in.
38 Commissioner Price asked if there are plans for economic development in this area.
39 Mayor Stevens said it is in private hands except for what the Town is going to develop
40 for fire/police/office space. He said there is no small area plan. He said the Town may be
41 interested in developing the area with sidewalks and other types of connectivity.
42 Commissioner Weaver said the Cornelius area is proximate to the County's parcels for
43 affordable housing.
44 Commissioner Ferguson asked if there is an update on the Mountains to Sea Trail
45 (MTS).
46 David Stancil, Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation (DEAPR)
47 Director, said the final community meeting will be held on March 6th, and a preferred route has
48 been determined, as well as three alternate routes. He said this will be discussed at the March
49 6th meeting. He said the focus is on the stretch south from Occaneechee Mountain towards
50 Saxapahaw and the Alamance County line. He said the recommendation is to focus initially on
10
1 the stretch from Occaneechee Mountain back to the 7 Mile Creek Preserve. He said the goal is
2 to extend the existing trail from where it stops with the River Walk to the 7 Mile Creek Preserve.
3 He said this meeting will be held at the Whitted Building at 7:00 p.m.
4 Mayor Stevens recognized Orange County for their contribution to River Park with the
5 signage, etc.
6 Commissioner Jacobs said there is a public information open house about hydrilla on
7 March 1st, at the Cedar Grove Community Center.
8 Commissioner Marcoplos said when he travels on the cut through from Orange Grove
9 Road to Weaver Street, there is a narrow railroad underpass which is limiting. He said if this
10 were changed, more traffic could use this route instead of Churton Street.
11 Margaret Hauth said the right of way through the underpass is owned by the Carolina
12 Railroad Company. She said some work was done recently to reinforce that trestle. She said
13 one of their engineers will be in town tomorrow to look at the two trestles located there.
14 Commissioner Weaver said the residents on that road want the traffic to go slowly.
15 Commissioner Jacobs asked if there is a status update on the Hillsborough Youth
16 Athletic Association (HYAA) ball fields.
17 Margaret Hauth said HYAA is welcome to use the fields until the train station is built.
18 Commissioner McKee asked if the Town has any interest in helping to develop new
19 fields.
20 Mayor Stevens said the Town can offer process help, but not monetary help. He said
21 the Town purchased that land in order to land bank it for a potential rail station, but also so the
22 Town could have some control over this land going forward.
23 Commissioner McKee asked if there is room on that property to shift the fields over, or
24 to ask the Collins Ridge developer to donate some property.
25 Margaret Hauth said there is room on the Town's 20 acres to relocate the fields, but the
26 topography may not be accommodating, and it may interfere with the goal for economic
27 development in the area.
28 David Stancil said DEAPR met with Hillsborough Youth Athletic Association leadership,
29 and property options are being considered. He said a partnership with the Town would be
30 welcomed.
31
32 3) Transit/Transportation
33 a) Managing transportation/traffic impacts of new growth (Transportation Improvement
34 Plan
35 Churton Street/Orange Grove Road update**; Rail Station update**; circulator route
36 update**; Go Triangle bus routes*; interstate improvements and `by-pass' strategies*,
37 Mayo-Eno Mountain project*; other traffic mitigation projects*)
38
39 NCDOT has Kimley Horn under contract to design this project. Some preliminary meetings
40 were held last year. The alignment of the road has not yet been determines. The best crossing
41 type and location for the railroad is being evaluated. Once that is determined, the remainder of
42 the project will be more certain. The project reschedule is unchanged in the draft Transportation
43 Improvement Plan (TIP) with Right of Way scheduled in 2020 and construction in 2023.
44
45 The rail station remains a committed funded project. There are some studies and computer
46 modelling requested by Norfolk Southern and the NC railroad whenever a new passenger
47 station is proposed to determine the potential impacts on freight. The timing and necessity of
48 these studies has not yet been settled among all the parties.
49
11
1 The NCDOT Rail staff have suggested that the two new incoming administrations at the state
2 and federal level get settled in the first quarter of 2017 before any further forward motion on this
3 project occurs. It is expected there will be a meeting with Rail Division staff in March to receive
4 an update.
5
6 b) Ped/Bike issues and strategies (Hillsborough connectivity plan**; sidewalks across
7 jurisdictions*; bikeshare program; Mountains to Sea Trail connections*)
8
9 The town's connectivity plan addresses bicycle, pedestrian, and transit improvements in town,
10 along with other amenities in the public right of way. The document is a component of our
11 comprehensive plan and is regularly updated. The bulk of this year's updates reflect the recent
12 investments by the towns and others to improve walkability and connectivity in town. The
13 recommended improvements focus on high traffic areas where safety is a concern for mixed
14 modal travel. The town's development code refers to this plan in requiring developers to
15 construct sidewalks.
16
17 The updated plan is approximately 100 pages long. The document begins on page 34 of this
18 linked plan set (the first 33 pages are pans for Collins Ridge)
19 https://www.hillsboroughnc.gov/media/plans/planning-board-plans-1-19-2017.pdf
20
21 Commissioner McKee said part of the expanded GoTriangle plan efforts have included
22 the Orange-Durham/Mebane-Durham route and 35,000 additional bus use hours. He said he
23 has seen recently that 25,000 hours of that plan had already been implemented or committed.
24 He asked Craig Benedict if that number is valid. He said he is concerned that many total hours
25 have already been used or committed, because it leaves little for the County. He said he does
26 not know from where funding would come.
27 Craig Benedict said the Orange County Bus Rail Investment Plan (BRIP), which was
28 adopted in 2012, had a series of allocations for different modes of transit: the Amtrak station;
29 bus rapid transit (BRT) in the MLK corridor; light rail (LRT) between Chapel Hill and Durham;
30 and 35,000 hours of bus service to be divided between Chapel Hill Transit, GoTriangle and
31 Orange Public Transportation (OPT). He said of the 34,000 hours, some was to support
32 existing service while roughly 28,000 hours were to support new service. He said GoTriangle
33 has been the first to implement all of their allotted hours. He said Chapel Hill is in the process
34 of implementing their hours, as are OPT with their roughly 6,000 hours. He said the question
35 has pertinence now because those were the hours to be used until 2035. He said the BRIP is
36 being updated currently, and GoTriangle is asking the County if it needs additional bus hours up
37 to 2045. He said all staffs are meeting to discuss potential new needs. He said the new
38 Orange County Transportation Administrator is involved in all these discussions. He said the
39 County is trying to have complementary service to the GoTriangle ODX route, which runs from
40 Mebane to Hillsborough to Durham. He said if there is interest in additional service to support
41 central Orange, he encouraged people to speak to their Commissioners. He said there will be
42 some sort of intergovernmental transit meeting in the next month or so.
43 Commissioner McKee said he has raised this at this meeting as some are advocating
44 for a reverse circulator route. He asked if this would qualify as new service under this plan.
45 Craig Benedict said yes, and this is not currently in the plan, but now is the opportunity
46 to ask for additional service. He said this would be supported in part by the transit tax and the
47 tag fees. He said other monies could be leveraged through state and federal funds.
48 Commissioner Weaver said she thought the reverse circulator was already in the works.
12
1 Commissioner McKee said it has been advocated for, but has yet to occur. He said
2 trying to allocate sufficient service out of the allotted hours is next to impossible, and additional
3 service would have to be paid for.
4 Craig Benedict said the original plan did not include this route, but the 2012 plan is
5 being updated. He said the local match dollars for the public transportation would be part of the
6 transit tax. He said this is the time to add things to the plan, including mid-day service and rural
7 routes.
8 Commissioner McKee said he is against LRT due to the impact on local services. He
9 said Hillsborough needs another reverse route, and this is not possible unless the plan is
10 radically changed.
11 Commissioner Price said she agrees with Commissioner McKee, and with the increase
12 in population and business, public transportation will be even more important.
13 Commissioner Price asked if there is a status update on the railroad crossings in West
14 Hillsborough.
15 Margaret Hauth said the redevelopment of the Dimmocks Mill Road trestle was
16 submitted in the SPOT 4.0 prioritization, and it did not score well. She said it will be
17 resubmitted. She said if the trestle is not reworked; none of the crossings will close.
18 Commissioner Weaver asked if a sign could be posted at Waterstone to indicate the
19 Southern Bypass Route, in an effort to re-route traffic from Churton Street.
20 Craig Benedict said that would be a DOT matter, and it can be brought up at the next
21 quarterly meeting with them.
22 Chair Dorosin asked if the bike share flier at their places could be explained.
23 Max Bushell, Orange County Transportation, said a bike share program is being
24 proposed. He said Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and the University of North Carolina (UNC) are also
25 considering it. He said it would be a 2-year pilot program involving 10-15 "smart" bikes, with all
26 the technology on the bike. He said there would be three stations in downtown Hillsborough,
27 and one in West Hillsborough. He said users could check out and return the bikes in some
28 predetermined time limit. He said this would involve sponsorship opportunities for local
29 businesses. He said nothing will proceed without the support of the County and the Town. He
30 said Carrboro cannot come up with the funds, but UNC plans to proceed, and it would be wise
31 to use the same vendor to allow for integration across the County.
32 Commissioner Price asked if the estimated rental cost is known.
33 Max Bushell said if the County sponsored it, there could potentially be no cost. He said
34 the cost structure can be changed.
35 Max Bushell explained the concept of a smart bike versus a smart docking station to the
36 Boards. He said these bikes would be lighter than the typical bike share bike.
37 Commissioner Rich said the bikes should not be free due to maintenance costs, etc.,
38 and at least a minimal fee could be charged. She said she loves bike shares, and thinks this is
39 a great idea.
40
41 4. Intergovernmental Relations & Collaboration
42 a) Other opportunities/issues between Orange County and Hillsborough
43 (Fiber Cable Infrastructure*)
44 b) Engagement with other towns
45 c) Engagement with Orange County Schools
46
47 Mayor Stevens said many of these items have already been covered, with the exception
48 of the fiber cable infrastructure.
49 Mayor Stevens said Hillsborough has received a report and is interested in pooling
50 resources and sharing any costs where possible.
13
1 Chair Dorosin said this is an area where there can be collaboration with the schools.
2 Commissioner Jacobs said the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) is looking
3 to improve the line with Hillsborough so that it can be more readily available than the Durham
4 line.
5 Eric Peterson said he and Ed Kerwin, OWASA Director, have had some conversations
6 about the 7-mile water line between the two, and he said some improvements are being made
7 to cut it down to 3 or 4 miles. He said the delay is from the bacteria tests, and there is the
8 same challenge with Durham. He said ways to cut that reaction time down are being
9 researched. He said Hillsborough is very isolated, and that is why water and sewer are
10 expensive. He said water gets stagnant, and to flush it all the time would be wasteful, but there
11 are some ideas on how to cut that down.
12 Commissioner McKee said a few years ago there was a discussion of Jordan Lake
13 allocation, and asked if the process, through which Hillsborough would have to go to
14 accomplish this, could be identified.
15 Eric Peterson said if Jordan Lake water were to be used, it would be fed through
16 OWASA or Durham's system through interconnections. He said there is also an
17 interconnection with Orange-Alamance, which may be much faster in case of an emergency.
18 Commissioner McKee said he was more interested in water for economic development,
19 not emergencies.
20 Mayor Stevens said Hillsborough uses the water from Lake Orange for the Town's
21 drinking water, and this is a valued relationship.
22 Commissioner McKee said that use is driving the conversation on the hydrilla, which is
23 an increasing problem.
24 Commissioner Price said Compton's Pond has hydrilla too. She said the State will not
25 give funding for moving water.
26 Commissioner McKee said that pond was treated last year.
27 Commissioner Jacobs said prior to the recession, the Town generously provided
28 $5,000.00 annually towards the Orange County Library, but has not done so since. He asked if
29 the Town would consider doing this again.
30 Eric Peterson said it is not in the Town's budget, and that would be a board decision.
31 Commissioner Jacobs asked if Eric Peterson would talk to the County Manager, if the
32 Town decides it does want to contribute again.
33 Mayor Stevens said the Town can discuss this topic at its upcoming retreat.
34 Bonnie Hammersley said a tax equity study is being conducted in the jurisdictions and
35 the County. She said one of the areas is the library and the services provided. She said she
36 and Eric Peterson have not talked about this, as the study was not yet completed.
37
38 The meeting adjourned at 9:09 p.m.
39
40
41 Mark Dorosin, Chair
42
43 Donna Baker
44 Clerk to the Board
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