HomeMy WebLinkAboutOUTBoard minutes 0921161
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Approved 11/16/16
MINUTES
ORANGE COUNTY OUTBOARD
SEPTEMBER 21, 2016
REGULAR MEETING
MEMBERS PRESENT: Heidi Perry (Chair), At -Large Representative; Amy Cole, At -Large Representative; Art Menius,
At -Large Representative; Jeff Charles, At -Large Representative; David Laudicina, Cheeks Township Representative;
Brantley Wells, Hillsborough Township Representative; Erle Smith, Chapel Hill Township Representative
MEMBERS ABSENT: John Rubin, At -Large Representative; Gary Saunders, At -Large Representative; Ed Vaugh,
Cedar Grove Township Representative; Alex Castro (Vice- Chair), Bingham Township Representative; Ted Triebel,
Little River Township Representative
STAFF PRESENT: Abigaile Pittman, Transportation /Land Use Planner; Max Bushell, Transportation Planner; Meredith
Pucci, Administrative Assistant
OTHERS PRESENT FOR TRANSIT ADVISORY SERVICES: Nancy Baker, Walkable Hillsborough Coalition; Pascale
Mittendorf, Walkable Hillsborough Coalition; Holly Reid, Walkable Hillsborough Coalition;
AGENDA ITEM 1: CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
Heidi Perry called the meeting to order.
AGENDA ITEM 2: APPROVAL OF MINUTES
AUGUST 17, 2016 REGULAR MEETING
Heidi Perry pointed out a revision to be made on page 5 line 116 to clarify it was the OUTBoard.
MOTION by Art Menius to approve the August 17, 2016 OUTBoard Minutes with corrections. Seconded by Jeff
Charles.
VOTE: UNANIMOUS
AGENDA ITEM 3: CONSIDERATION OF ADDITIONS TO AGENDA
Heidi Perry asked if they could add picking a date for the discussion of OPT marketing to the November 16
OUTBoard agenda.
AGENDA ITEM 4: REGULAR OUTBOARD AGENDA (ACTION ITEMS)- NONE
AGENDA ITEM 5: INFORMATIONAL ITEMS
AGENDA ITEM 5A. SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PLAN — (ABIGAILE PITTMAN)
Abigaile Pittman Presented
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52 Abigaile Pittman informed the OUTBoard that she had been in communication with Margaret Hauth who advised her
53 that they were enforcing their Connectivity Plan which is not entirely consistent with the Safe Routes to School Plan.
54 There was a unanimous concern that the sidewalks planned in the Safe Routes to School Plan are still not being
55 implemented. Jeff Charles suggested getting somebody in a political position behind it to get the political will they
56 need for it to get done. There was also the suggestion of petitioning for it. Max Bushell explained that since Orange
57 County doesn't build or maintain sidewalks they would need to enter into a maintenance agreement with the Town of
58 Hillsborough. Abigaile Pittman added that a right -of -way easement would also be needed from NCDOT.
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61 AGENDA ITEM 5A. PRESENTATION ON SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PLAN BY WALKABLE HILLSBOROUGH - (AMY COLE)
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63 Amy Cole Presented
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65 Abigaile Pittman spoke of the buses cutting the corner on Grady Brown Road and how they had rutted the ground so
66 badly that students walking to school had to go around the rutting by way of walking in the street, which is dangerous.
67 At staff's request, NCDOT had come to repair it but that this would just going to keep happening. After further
68 discussion Max Bushell had advised that those interested could also attend the DCHC MPO Board meeting and state
69 their case there as well.
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71 Heidi Perry made suggestions on possible courses of action. She suggested contacting the school principal and the
72 PTA president to try and get support from the parents. Amy Cole told her the principal is waiting to get approval on
73 whether or not she can do that. So Heidi suggested handing out information on the Bike /Walk to School Day program
74 to avoid having to get approval or go through to school. She also suggested getting video of the paths the children
75 are taking, of the corner where the bus is cutting the corner, and all the other risks and dangers. This can then be
76 shown to the BOCC and the media. Another suggestion she made was to invite the elected officials of Hillsborough
77 and the BOCC to actually do the Bike /Walk to School Day with the children so that they can have a much better
78 understanding of the situation. And lastly, she suggested having the children attend the meetings. There was further
79 discussion of how effective it would be to have the children attend and having at least a couple speak.
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81 Max Bushell informed the Board that he's contacted the NCDOT Traffic Safety Unit to obtain a strip analysis report,
82 which will provide an overview of all crashes from Churton Street to Ode Turner Road along Orange Grove Road.
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84 Abigaile Pittman explained to the Board that because they are staff, they cannot work on something unless they've
85 been directed to do so. Jeff Charles responded to this, saying that they need to get into the politics of it and ask the
86 BOCC to have staff work on the SRTS project.
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89 MOTION by Art Menius to request the BOCC to direct a planning staff to study the Safe Routes to School. Seconded
90 by Erie Smith.
91 VOTE: MOTION WITHDREW BY ART MENIUS
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93 After a discussion on the motion Art Menius withdrew his motion.
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95 Heidi Perry suggested making a presentation to the BOCC and presenting a petition. Jeff Charles asked Abigaile
96 Pittman if concerned residents could petition the BOCC in an open session. Abigaile Pittman answered that any
97 resident can address the Board subject to a three minute time limit. She explained the different aspects of making
98 the presentation and the order in which it would be done.
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100 Members of the Walkable Hillsborough Coalition petitioned the OUTBoard to make the Safe Routes to School Plan
101 a high priority and to present this request to the BOCC. Jeff Charles agreed with the petition from Walkable
102 Hillsborough.
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104 MOTION by Jeff Charles to accept the petition from Walkable Hillsborough Coalition. Seconded by Art Menius.
105 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
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107 MOTION by Jeff Charles that the OUTBoard's request be placed on a future County Commissioners agenda to talk
108 about the petition just received. Seconded by Art Menius.
109 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
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111 AGENDA ITEM 5C: OUTBOARD ANNUAL REPORT AND WORK PLAN 2016 -2017 - (ABIGAILE PITTMAN)
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113 Abigaile Pittman presented.
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115 Max Bushell pointed out that the SPOT process will be coming to a close this round but will reopen in June 2017 and
116 asked the Board members to keep in mind any transportation deficiencies they notice or any projects they'd like to
117 suggest.
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119 Jeff Charles voiced his concern of not having bike or walkability up to Whitfield and its residents not having access to
120 Chapel Hill and wants to prioritize that issue. Max Bushell explained that it's an issue of who pays for the sidewalk
121 and of liability and maintenance and that's the next step.
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123 Abigaile Pittman asked the Board for suggestions for emerging issues including Bicycle Safety Task Force, Safe
124 Routes to School, and other issues they want to work on. Amy Cole requested to have pedestrian access on the
125 bridge that's going to be rebuilt on new 86 by the Walmart.
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127 Amy Cole inquired about the Strategic Transportation Investments legislation methodology for funding projects and
128 asked if it could change again when there's a change in legislation. Max Bushell answered that that was very
129 possible.
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131 Max Bushell presented the Board with the information that some areas have changed the weights for specific factors
132 in the methodology for prioritizing and funding their projects. There was discussion about this strategy being
133 successful in funding more projects in Wilmington, but changing the methodology for factor weights was ultimately
134 unsuccessful in changing the distribution of funding in the Northeastern part of the state in Division 1. Max Bushell
135 recommended that the Board remove item 7, which states "Promote development of new regional /division
136 prioritization criteria for highway modernization projects," as this will be very difficult to implement.
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138 MOTION by Jeff Charles to remove item 7 from the concerns or emerging issues list: Promote development of new
139 regional /division prioritization criteria for highway modernization projects. Seconded by Erle Smith.
140 VOTE: 6 -1 (HEIDI PERRY OPPOSED)
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143 5.D. NCDOT DIVISION 7 TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS LOCATED IN THE DURHAM - CHAPEL HILL - CARRBORO
144 METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (DCHC MPO) PLANNING AREA. (MAX BUSHELL)
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146 Jeff Charles asked when the bridge between Borland and Rocky Ridge was supposed to be replaced. Max Bushell
147 stated that he will look into it and get back to him.
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149 5.E. REVISION TO OUTBOARD RULES AND PROCEDURES (6:30 PM MEETING TIME) FINALIZED BY BOARD OF COUNTY
150 COMMISSIONERS ON SEPTEMBER 6 (ABIGAILE PITTMAN)
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152 Abigaile Pittman updated the Board on some membership changes: She announced that this is Amy Cole's last
153 OUTBoard meeting. Allison West has been appointed to her position. Donna Musson will also be filling the Eno
154 Township slot but she's actually from Cedar Grove Township. The rules allow an appointment to be made from
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outside a particular township if the position been vacant for six months or more. Also, David Laudicina was appointed
to a second term.
AGENDA ITEM 6: BOARD COMMENTS
David Laudicina mentioned that at the BOCC meeting the previous evening, they talked about GOTriangle evaluating
whether to extend the light rail Alston Avenue to NCCU and that Earl was considering re- evaluating his support for
the Light Rail Transit project.
AGENDA ITEM 7: ADJOURNMENT
OUTBoard meeting was adjourned by consensus.
Heidi Perry, Chair