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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 01-29-2019 Assembly of Governments 1 APPROVED 2/19/2019 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS CHAPEL HILL TOWN COUNCIL HILLSBOROUGH BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS CARRBORO BOARD OF ALDERMEN January 29, 2019 ASSEMBLY OF GOVERNMENTS (AOG) The Orange County Board of Commissioners met with the Towns of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough for an Assembly of Governments meeting on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Building in Hillsborough, N.C. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Penny Rich and Commissioners Jamezetta Bedford, Mark Dorosin, Sally Greene, Mark Marcoplos, Earl McKee, and Renee Price COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: None COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager Travis Myren and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) CHAPEL HILL TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS/STAFF PRESENT: Mayor Pam Hemminger, Alan Buansi, Nancy Oates, Donna Bell, Rachel Schaevitz, Michael Parker, Hongbin Gu, and Town Manager Maurice Jones CHAPEL HILL TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: Karen Stegman, Jessica Anderson CARRBORO BOARD OF ALDERMEN MEMBERS PRESENT/STAFF: Mayor Lydia Lavelle, Aldermen Damien Seils and Sammy Slade and Town Manager David Andrews CARRBORO BOARD OF ALDERMEN MEMBERS ABSENT: Randee Haven O'Donnell, Jacquelyn Gist, Bethany Chaney, Barbara Foushee, TOWN OF HILLSBOROUGH COMMISSIONERS/STAFF: Mayor Tom Stevens, Town Commissioners Mark Bell, Kathleen Ferguson, Jenn Weaver, and Town Manager Eric Peterson TOWN OF HILLSBOROUGH COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Matt Hughes and Evelyn Lloyd Welcome, Call to Order and Opening Comments (BOCC Chair and Mayors) Chair Rich called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. Chair Rich said item #5 has been pulled per Mayor Hemminger. Chair Rich said at the Board of County Commissioners retreat they talked about "one Orange County" to encourage more collaboration between the Towns and the County. Chair Rich said Commissioner McKee and Mayor Lavelle will be late. Mayor Hemminger said that Hongbin Gu and Rachel Schaevitz will also be late 1. Affordable Housing Update Mayor Hemminger introduced this item. a) Update on Chapel Hill Affordable Housing Bond and Associated Plans Town staff has developed an Affordable Housing Work Plan for FY 18 through FY 20. The Work Plan identifies the key projects underway and indicates when action has been taken or when the Council is scheduled to discuss the topics. 2 More information about the Town's FY19 progress toward meeting the Council's Affordable Housing Goals please see the Town's Affordable Housing Quarterly Report, and visit the Town's Affordable Housing webpage, and the Affordable Housing Dashboard, for more information about the Town's affordable housing activities. Updates from the Town on affordable housing activities are as follows: Loryn Clark, Chapel Hill Executive Director Housing and Community presented this item: 1) Affordable Housing Bond On November 6, 2018, Chapel Hill voters approved a $10 million Affordable Housing Bond Referendum. It is expected the funds will produce 400 new affordable housing units and preserve 300 existing housing units over the next five years. In their agenda packet there is an Allocation Strategy and Funding Process Overview for the Town of Chapel Hill's Affordable Housing Bond. Staff continues to work with the Town's Housing Advisory Board to refine the Strategy and will present recommendations to the Council in the Spring. Staff anticipates issuing the first Request for Proposals for bond funds in late 2019 or early 2020. 2) Employee Housing Incentive Program In November, 2018, the Chapel Hill Town Council approved an Employee Housing Incentive program. Staff conducted extensive outreach with Town employees and determined that many employees identified housing costs as the top barrier to living in Town. The program would provide financial assistance to employees interested in renting or purchasing a home in Chapel Hill. The approved pilot program provides assistance as follows: • Rental Incentive: provides a one-time payment for security deposit and utility connection fees: ■ $1,250 for a two-bedroom (or less) home; ■ $1,650 for a three-bedroom home ■ $1,850 for a 4 or more bedroom home o Eligibility requirements ■ Permanent employees with households earning less than 80% of AMI ■ Must live in Chapel Hill Town limits ■ Have a lease term of at least 12 months • Homeownership Incentive: provides one-time down payment or closing cost assistance o Assistance ■ Maximum assistance: $7,500 ■ Conditions for repayment for employees that leave Town within 5 years ■ 20% forgiven every year up to 5 years o Eligibility requirements ■ Permanent employees with a household income at 115% AMI and below ■ Seek housing in Chapel Hill ■ Home must be primary residence 3 The Town will also offer financial counseling and training opportunities to all employees as part of this program. The Town plans to begin implementation this program in the winter of 2019. 3) The Town was notified by HUD that its application for a Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) conversion for two of its public housing communities was approved. The plan is to renovate and redevelop the Trinity Court and Craig-Gomains public housing neighborhoods. The Town continues to engage with residents and the community about the RAD program to jointly develop plans for the future of the communities. 4) The Town, in partnership with residents, community partners, and staff, has developed a Public Housing Master Plan to help create a sustainable strategy relative to the maintenance, development, and redevelopment potential of public housing communities. Consistent with this purpose is the mission to provide programs and services to help public housing families improve basic life skills and increase their economic independence. Town staff will present this plan to the Chapel Hill Town Council on January 30, 2019. 5) The Town is pursuing affordable mixed-income development on several Town owned sites. The Town has completed the visioning and Concept Plan process for 2200 Homestead Road. Town staff is in the process of identifying potential development partners and advancing through the next steps of the development review process. The Town Council also prioritized three additional Town-owned parcels in the Spring of 2018, and is in the process of conducting analysis to determine feasible options for development on these sites. 6) The Town continues to implement a Manufactured Home Communities Strategy to proactively engage residents and owners of the Town's manufactured home communities. 7) The Town supported the development of 99 new affordable housing units in Chapel Hill and the preservation of 23 existing affordable homes in fiscal year 2018. The development of 99 homes surpassed the Town's annual goal of 80 new homes and brought the total number of subsidized affordable housing units to over 1,000. The Town also deployed $1.7 million in Town funding (in FY 2018) to support affordable housing projects in the community. 8) The Town provided support for the development of several tiny homes in in the community, including the Church of the Advocate project on Homestead Road, a tiny house duplex in Northside, and Grisham cottages relocated to Town-owned parcels in the Northside neighborhood. These projects will provide affordable rental housing to very low-income households in the community. Commissioner Greene referred to the plan to acquire properties for affordable housing, and asked if this is moving forward. Loryn Clark, Chapel Hill Executive Director Housing and Community, said not at this moment, due to the current plan of working with already owned properties. She said this would be a future opportunity. Commissioner Greene referred to the possibility of"developing a payment in lieu for rental housing", and asked if this was successfully achieved. Loryn Clark said this policy has not been reviewed or approved by the Council yet, but the housing advisory board is very interested in pursuing this, and staff will be working on this during this fiscal year. 4 Commissioner Greene asked if there is an update regarding exploring "affordable housing incentive options." Loryn Clark said other than the employee incentive program, there are none. She said this is also a future project. Commissioner Greene referred to properties on the south side of Elliot Road that had been held back in hopes to encourage the developer community with affordable housing, and she recalled that this was not too successful. She asked if any other ideas have come about, especially in regards to voluntary density bonuses. Loryn Clark said staff is coming back to the Council with some recommendations on how to pursue incentive options in the Blue Hill District. Commissioner Price asked if the current housing needs could be identified, as well as the projections for the next 5-10 years. Loryn Clark said she does not have a specific number for the need, but there is a tremendous need, anecdotally. She said staff is trying to set some targets for creation of housing over the next 5 years: 400 new units, and preserve 200-300 units. Commissioner Price asked if there is any data to show how much the needle moved. Loryn Clark said some market studies have been completed over the years, but she does not have those numbers off the top of her head. Commissioner Price referred to the rental incentives for employees, and asked what would happen if the landlord raises the rent. She said this is a one-time thing, and wonders how it is sustainable. Loryn Clark said staff has presented this as a pilot program, and will review it. She said it is a one-time payment that is offered to an employee for rental assistance. Commissioner Price asked if this is an issue because Town employees' wages are not meeting the median income. She asked if wages needed to be increased. Pam Hemminger said it is more an issue of the cost of housing in this community. Rachel Schaevitz arrived at 7:14 p.m. Commissioner Greene said they are in the same federal group as Durham, and the average income base includes Durham, which brings the average down. Commissioner Greene referred to the "update payments-in-lieu for home ownership units," and said she recalled the need to review/update the inclusionary signing ordinance. She asked if this ordinance is going to be looked at. Loryn Clark said the Housing Advisory Board plans to review the payment-in-lieu and the ordinance. Council Member Oates said the rental piece given to the employees is an incentive, not a subsidy. She said it is to encourage employees to live in Chapel Hill, as opposed to elsewhere. Mayor Hemminger said it is a pilot program, and the Town will learn from the experience. Commissioner Price said it can be called an incentive, but she is trying to think long term, and how employees can stay in one place. She said homeowner's association dues can also be a problem. b) Manufactured Home Relocation Update/Concerns Sherrill Hampton, Orange County Housing Director, reviewed the following information: 2017 and 2018 saw a number of programs and services implemented by the County as it relates to mitigating the closure of manufactured home parks, which are sources of naturally occurring affordable housing. They include the following: 0 Accepted and approved the four (4) recommendations from the multi-sector 5 Work Group (November 2017). Attachment lb-1. • Implemented a Rapid Response Protocol for handling any imminent closures. The Rapid Response Team includes representatives from various County departments and both school districts. Began to utilize the protocols in February 2018 as the Homestead Mobile Home Park instituted closure proceedings. • Allocated funding for and implemented a Displacement Mitigation Assistance Program (D-MAP). Contracted with EmPOWERment, Inc. to provide relocation coordination services. To date, three (3) families at Homestead Mobile Home Park was successfully relocated. See Pictures —Attachment 1 b-2 (old units and new unit). The other two (2) families declined assistance. In addition and collaborating with Habitat, one (1) family at Tar Heel Mobile Home Park is receiving a new replacement unit that is currently underway; set-up of the new unit should be completed on or before February 28, 2019. Note that due diligence was undertaken to ensure that this unit would not be impacted given the proposed redevelopment of Tar Heel Mobile Home Park. • Hosted a meeting with manufactured home park owners. Over fifty (50) park owners participated. Announced the upcoming "Revolving Loan Program" for park owners. The new loan program will be launched by the end of the 2019 first quarter. Collaborative Activities Under This Category The jurisdictions keep each other updated during the monthly joint senior staff meetings on affordable housing matters, especially about any potential manufactured home park closures. Discussion on the formulation of a Coordinated Manufactured Home Park Displacement Strategy began in April 2018 and is ongoing. The strategy and any revisions will be brought to the Affordable Housing Local Government Collaborative for review. Most recently, the jurisdictional staff has begun discussions regarding the redevelopment of the Tar Heel Mobile Home Park. County Housing and Community Development Concerns/Needs • Access to infrastructure in order to undertake development of any new manufactured home parks. • Review of the current land use and zoning requirements, as well as the development ordinance as it relates to manufactured home parks in order to facilitate the expansion or creation of new parks. Other Noteworthy County Affordable Housing Accomplishments • Allocation of$100,000 by the BOCC to initiate a local voucher program resulting in the availability of approximately fifteen (15) new vouchers. The BOCC approved guidelines for the new program on December 18, 2018. The program is anticipated to launch in February or March 2019. • Revision of the guidelines and launch of the Risk Mitigation and Housing Displacement Fund. The program was originally funded and launched in 2017 in an effort to maintain landlords in various voucher and other subsidized programs, assist with housing stabilization and mitigate displacement of low and very low income residents, as well as prevent homelessness, revisions to the program guidelines were implemented. Attachment 1 b-3. 6 The Fund provides assistance in three (3) activity areas: o Risk Mitigation (for landlords only) o Housing Stabilization (provision of assistance for security deposits, utility connections and rental payments) o Displacement Mitigation Due to an Urgent Community Need • Held in both 2017 and 2018, successful engagement meetings with landlords participating in the Housing Choice Voucher Program. Thirty (30) landlords participated in 2017 and fifty (50) participated in 2018. For a complete listing of Orange County's housing and community development programs and services, see Attachment 1 b-4. c) Other Current Collaboration Activities Besides monthly joint meetings between the applicable senior staff, other collaborative activities during the past year include the following: • Ongoing municipal and county assistance for voucher holders, i.e. security deposits and utility connections. While each of the municipalities provides the assistance either through DSS, the Community Empowerment Fund or directly to applicable vendors, the rental assistance is jurisdiction-specific. Orange County revised its program to include referrals from the Partnership to End Homelessness's coordinated entry program and most recently the Orange County Criminal Justice Resource Department. These additions would help ensure that "gaps" in services are being mitigated. • The role of the former HOME Review Committee was expanded in 2017, approved by the various Orange County jurisdictions and the Committee is now known as the Orange County Local Government Affordable Housing Collaborative. See Attachment 1 c. • The Collaborative meets quarterly and is comprised of elected officials and applicable senior staff from each of the jurisdictions. It still reviews and makes recommendations regarding the HOME Program and has also begun to take a more strategic approach to reviewing broader affordable housing issues in the County. A listing of the issues will be discussed in the Section • The flooding of Camelot Village—The County and municipalities shared information and kept each other informed as to the provision of assistance for residents who were displaced due to flooding from Hurricane Florence. The various municipalities coordinated with Orange County EMS, Department of Social Services, Housing and Community Development and others, as applicable. Staff will provide any other information at the meeting, and the governing boards can discuss issues and provide feedback to staff related to this item as necessary. Attachment 1 c— Orange County Local Government Affordable Housing Collaborative Resolution d) Future Collaboration Framework As mentioned earlier in the document, the Orange County Affordable Housing Local Government Collaborative is the body undertaking a more strategic approach in regard to intergovernmental partnerships as it relates to the alleviation of affordable housing issues. The Collaborative seeks to identify common areas of interest where the jurisdictions can leverage their knowledge, skills, lessons learned and outcomes. Along with the other mandates of the 7 authorizing Resolution, the Collaborative's Work Plan, beginning in 2019-2020 and ongoing is two-fold: • Develop a better understanding of the various affordable housing plans and strategies across the jurisdictions and the progress towards these goals to date. Where do the plans intersect or have common goals and how they do or do not support each other? (Excerpted from an instructional email sent by Alderman Bethany Chaney on behalf of the Collaborative.) • Explore the topical areas that have come up across all of the jurisdictions to 1) understand what is happening now and the opportunities that may exist to jointly plan or test strategies and create consistency across ordinances where practical and/or 2) engage in collaborative planning for certain "hot spots" countywide. (Excerpted from an instructional email sent by Alderman Bethany Chaney on behalf of the Collaborative.) The topical areas are as follows: o Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) o Tiny homes o Manufactured homes and "at risk" manufactured home parks o Affordable housing development on the Greene Tract o The "heat map" of vulnerable and/or high priority areas for creating affordability o Housing for teachers and/or other targeted populations o Nonprofit providers, their strategic plans for affordable housing development and helping to inform those plans as a means of implementing a coordinated approach to alleviating the affordable housing issues in Orange County. The jurisdictional staff will provide information for Collaborative members based on the Work Plan at each of the upcoming meetings. Staff will provide any other information at the meeting, and the governing boards can discuss issues and provide feedback to staff related to this item as necessary Update from Carrboro Rebecca Buzzard, Town of Carrboro, identified a two-page sheet of current projects and future projects. She said the Town of Carrboro Board passed a half-cent tax last fiscal year, and it hopes to increase this to 1.5 cents in the next 2 years, which will be dedicated to the affordable housing special revenue fund. She said the Town is working on a new application process to go before the Board of Aldermen next week. She said this will be a more standardized and equitable process. She said Shelton Station is pre-leasing, and has ten affordable units at 60% AMI and less, and 80% AMI and less. She said the land closed on the CASA development, on which the Town partnered with Chapel Hill and the County. She said the AHAC is a relatively new committee, and Carrboro looks forward to mirroring much of what peers are doing with graphics, and painting a clearer picture of all that Carrboro is doing. Commissioner Dorosin said all entities need to look for opportunities for collaboration, and given the shared vision for affordable housing, where are the collaborative opportunities. He said things are happening in individual towns, but how can the entities talk and work together. He would like to see where collaboration will make the biggest impacts...funding, communications, resources, etc. He said everyone is walking in the same direction, but not necessarily pulling the ropes together. Mayor Hemminger said there is great collaboration with on-going monthly meetings between senior staff and the housing collaborative. Chair Rich said at the BOCC retreat, Commissioner Greene mentioned the need for more policy focus, and they are missing the policy guidance. 8 Commissioner Greene said the idea of expanding the home consortium with a broader charge came out of one of the AOG meetings years ago. She said former Commissioner Bernadette Pelissier suggested tasking the Managers to come up with a structure that is somewhat similar to the Partnership to End Homelessness (PTEH). Commissioner Greene said that her suggestion was to add the non-profit partners at these meetings, but it occurred to her later that this may prove a conflict as non-profits are applying for funds. She said Roger Stancil, former Chapel Hill Town Manager, had the idea for the HOME framework, but she is not sure if this format is exactly what the original request intended. Commissioner Greene said there needs to be more of a policy priority list and some concrete ideas to come out of these discussions. She said it is not like the PTEH as the elected bodies are not really involved, but with affordable housing all entities need to agree on some priorities to give this group a more robust charge. Alderman Seils said there is also opportunity to recognize how much affordable housing policy is limited by the state legislative level. He said he would like to explore the possibilities of partnering with jurisdictions outside of Orange County, who share similar values and goals regarding affordable housing, as well as advocating together at the state level. Commissioner Price said she would like some numbers identifying the needs around the County, in the towns and otherwise. She said it is important to know the need, where people are going, and where they are able to live. She said the factual information is needed to undergird the policies. Commissioner Marcoplos said the biggest collaborative impact can be made on affordable housing by focusing on the Greene Tract. Hillsborough Town Commissioner Ferguson said they have not leveraged well the Triangle J Council of Governments (TJCOG). She said TJCOG serves as Chatham County's affordable housing expert. She said they are expanding and have the legislative ability to serve as a housing authority. She said TJCOG has a stated goal both as a legislative action as well as policy and data acquisition perspective of getting the data to which Commissioner Price referred. She said affordable housing is a regional issue, and it is wise to utilize some of these other resources. She said other counties are taking advantage and the technical staff has experience within Orange County specifically. Hillsborough Town Commissioner Weaver said having more policy clarity is needed, and at some point there may be a legislature that will give more tools, and if a clear voice on can be put forward on this, all can be prepared when more tools are made available. Councilmember Buansi said Orange County and Chapel Hill staffs have been meeting periodically regarding relocation strategies for the residents of mobile home owners. He said this is a good example of collaboration, and an update may be beneficial at some point. Commissioner Dorosin said there is good collaboration at the staff level, but not so much at the policy level. He said affordable housing is an across the lines issue and is one of the highest deficiencies that exists in Orange County. He said there should be a strategy that recognizes this deficiency, and if work is being done in one part of the County, all entities should be highlighting, promoting, and supporting it. He said a collective vision and message is important. Commissioner Greene said data and numbers can be found, and should not be a stumbling block to going forward. Alderman Slade said the Community Home Trust is the partner for all jurisdictions for affordable home ownership, and it is important not to brush aside agencies working on affordable rentals in the area. He said this is where it may be important to include the various housing providers in the discussions when creating policies, to ensure all are being supported, but also getting a handle on who is giving the best bang for the buck. 9 2. Comprehensive Transit Plan Alderman Seils introduced this item, and Travis Myren served as facilitator. a) Summary of Bus Hours Expansion Activities Mayor Lavelle arrived at 7:44 p.m. Theo Letman, Orange County Transit Director, reviewed information in the agenda packets. Attachment 2a-1 is Section 2 of the Orange County Transit Plan. Section 2 outlines the additional bus hours and services that have been provided through the dedicated transit sales tax (Article 43). The full Transit Plan can be accessed at gotriangle.org/orangetransit. b) Reverse Hillsborough Circulator Implementation Schedule THEO LETMAN Not sure where this fit in Attachment 2b-1 — Hillsborough Circulator Map Attachment 2b-2— Circulator B Map Attachment 2b-3— Circulator A Map Theo Letman said one new strategy is the idea of"mobility on demand" to aid those who live in rural areas lacking fixed route public transportation. He reviewed existing fixed routes, and the areas they serve, noting the lower level of ridership on some routes. He said the Hillsborough Circulator is one of the most popular routes. He said a "reverse circulator" is being considered. He said the current circulator makes a long route around Hillsborough, and can be inconvenient for passengers. He said a north-south route is being considered as well as different circulator, with two intersecting loops that create higher frequency. He said hours may also be extended at the beginning and the end of the day to cover more peak hours. Theo Letman said the Mobility On Demand is an uber type of travel. He said staff got survey results from constituents, and this need was one of the top priorities. c) Ridership and Routes Data/Stats from Chapel Hill Transit, Orange County Public Transit and GoTriangle (i.e. buses passing UNC Hospital each hour; how many commuters from Orange County/Chapel Hill to Durham and back each day, etc.) Brian Litchfield, Town of Chapel Hill Transit Director, said the most of the information in the agenda packet pertains to investments through the Orange County Transit Plan, which has been utilized since 2013 to improve services in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and to UNC. He said an additional 10,500+ hours of service have been invested, as a result of funding from the Orange County transit plan, which leaves about 1000 hours to still be invested as part of the short-range transit plan that is currently under way. He said this transit funding has also been used to purchase 8 buses, 5 of which went into service last year, and 3 are currently on order, expected to arrive in Chapel Hill in August 2019. Brian Litchfield said funding will also be used to upgrade 13 bus stops, ranging from ADA improvements to replacing entire shelters and adding sidewalks. He said the Orange County transit plan is also funding the north-south Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, which is moving into preliminary design and environmental work. He said staff continues to work on the local funding associated with that project, but it is moving forward. He said work is being done with partners to develop a short-range transit plan, a component of which will be testing the micro-transit or ride hailing services within Chapel Hill and Carrboro as well. He said the goal is to use in-house services. Alderman Slade asked if the Town is getting an electric bus. 10 Brian Litchfield said hopefully two electric buses. Alderman Slade asked if there is a plan moving forward regarding buses. Brian Litchfield said a federal grant was received to fund two electric buses, and the invitation to bid should go out within the next week, bringing the buses into service 12-18 months thereafter. He said the idea is to bring two of these buses into the fleet, try them out in different scenarios, and see how they work out. He said if the experience is positive, the goal will be to expand the fleet. He said they have already learned a lot of lessons from the hybrid buses in the fleet. Commissioner McKee arrived at 7:53 p.m. Alderman Slade suggested looking into the feasibility of charging these buses with in- house solar power. Brian Litchfield said staff has written a few grants to fund feasibility studies to move this idea forward. He said this has been unsuccessful so far, but staff is looking for other ways to pursue this possibility. Theo Letman reviewed Attachment 2c— Summary of OCPT Data. d) Current Transit Connections (i.e. how people move from town to town, county to county) Theo Letman said the fixed routes are not as popular, and ridership is not as strong, so services may shift to other routes. He said one idea is service from northern Orange County to Durham. He said the mid-day connection between Chapel Hill and Hillsborough is not as strong either. Attachment 2d-1 — Transportation Needs Extend Throughout County Attachment 2d-2— Transit Strategies Attachment 2d-3— Regional System Map Mayor Stevens said at some point he would like a lot more information about the circulator, especially the idea of a reverse circulator. He said it is important, on many levels, for residents to be able to get around with greater efficiency. Theo Letman said the inter-locking loop concept may provide more frequency and meet more needs. Commissioner Ferguson said she is happy to see the Durham and Hillsborough connector, and asked if there is a reason for the hours being 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., as this misses commuter hours. Theo Letman said transit in this area is a regional concept, rather than just one service. He said if Orange County does not provide service during a peak area then someone else may. Commissioner Ferguson said she worked in Research Triangle Park (RTP), and it takes 3 hours one way to get there via public transportation, which is unacceptable. She said they are missing the boat on this. e) Potential Improvements to Better Move People in the Future Attachment 2e— Potential Transit Vision Improvements f) Hillsborough Train Station and Light Rail (FRT) Transit Update Background: The Durham-Orange Light Rail project continues to pursue a full funding grant agreement from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Due to the limitations imposed on State funding, 11 engineering changes, and other FTA requirements, both the cost share agreement between Durham and Orange counties and the Orange County Transit Plan will need to be amended. The Board of Orange County Commissioners is scheduled to learn initially discuss the proposed changes on February 5, 2019 and may consider those changes on February 19, 2019. Travis Myren said the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) was supposed to hear from GoTriangle at its February 5th meeting but due to the federal government shutdown, that date was pushed back to February 19th, and should include updated costs. He said he expects action to be required in early March. Commissioner Dorosin asked if a timeline for the LRT could be clarified. Travis Myren said the most pressing is the state legislation that imposed an April 30th deadline on funds to be committed. He said if these local funds are not committed, then state funding would be in jeopardy. Margaret Hauth, Hillsborough Planning Director and Assistant Town Manager, said the funding agreement for the Hillsborough Train Station is very nearly in place with the two partners: NC Department of Transportation (DOT) and GoTriangle. She said the funding has been approved for a number of years, but that actual document that outlines who gives how much money, and when, has yet to be completed. She said there the train station must be delivered in 5 years, and discussions are starting to move this forward. She said the staff recommendation is to consider publishing an RFP or RFQ for a public/private partnership to make about 5 acres of Town-owned land available for development, including the train station. She said there would be hard parameters about what could be developed. She said the Town Board has not formally agreed to this, but all recognize that 5 years will pass very quickly. Commissioner Dorosin asked if 5 acres is the maximum amount of land available there. Margaret Hauth said the Town owns 20 acres, and she said the conceptual plan leads staff to believe that the station and some non-residential development would fit on something between 5-7 acres. She said it is assumed that the station and development would increase the value of the remaining acreage, and there is no rush to put all of the land on the market at the same time. Mayor Stevens said the station itself would not take 5 acres, but rather it would be a commercial area around the station. Margaret Hauth said the plan and budget for this station are tied very closely to the Kannapolis station model, due to the similarities between the size and needs. Commissioner Marcoplos said it would be great to have a sidewalk from downtown Hillsborough to the train station. He said he has been thinking of sidewalk needs in general, and it would be wise for the County to discuss this need with the Town, and whose responsibility it is to plan, build, maintain, etc. sidewalks. He said this is an issue that is ripe for collaboration. Margaret Hauth said this topic is on the agenda for the upcoming meeting in February between Hillsborough and Orange County. Town Commissioner Weaver said at the Town board meeting last night, the board discussed a variety of uses for the initial 5 acres, and leveraging the fact that Hillsborough owns the land. She said part of this may include some sort of affordable housing effort. Alderman Slade referred to the update on the light rail and the short timeframe between receiving an update on the Federal Transit Authority (FTA) funding and the deadline with the State. He asked if there is any sense of how funding is going. Chair Rich said the FTA was guiding GoTriangle along, and discussing funding contingencies. She said these conversations stopped abruptly due to the federal shutdown, but there are some draft assumptions to consider. She said the FTA is back online, and conversations are beginning again, but all the numbers are very preliminary, and is important to have more concrete numbers for discussions. 12 Alderman Seils said when the FTA shut down, it delayed GoTriangle's ability to finalize the financial plan amendments that they are bringing to the partners for approval. Alderman Slade asked if there is some adjustment needed, or is it out of their hands. Alderman Seils said there will be amendments to the financial plan, but it has all been pushed back due to the shutdown. Commissioner Marcoplos said there is a finite number of things that needed to happen and 90% of the issues raised have been worked through, with the remaining issue being the Duke agreement. He said Mr. Goodman resigned from the fund raising board, but he just recently donated money for the Blackwell Station. Commissioner Marcoplos said a lot of companies want naming rights to the stations, which will make up some of the required funding. He said once the Duke agreement is finalized, these companies can come out of the bushes and commit money. He said there is time to meet the schedule. Council Member Parker said the real deadlines are April 30tn when all non-federal and non-state funding has to be identified and committed, and November 30tn when all non-state funding has to be committed. Commissioner Dorosin asked if the state deadline includes the private funding. Council Member Parker said yes, all non-federal, non-state funding has to be identified and committed by April 30tn 3. Intergovernmental Cooperation Opportunities Steve Brantley, Orange County Economic Development Director, reviewed the following information: a) Shared Funding on Projects b) Improving Project Collaboration Opportunities (Courtesy Review Potential Enhancements, Conversation Opportunities between Jurisdictions on Projects (Examples: 203 Project Carrboro, Gateway in Chapel Hill and Hillsborough Train Station) Steve Brantley made the following PowerPoint presentation: Shared Funding on Protects Article 46 Update prepared by Orange County Economic Development for the Orange County Assembly of Governments January 29, 2019 Article 46: Historic Overview • A supplemental "1/4 cent retail sales tax" was passed by Orange County voters in a Nov. 2011 referendum. • Orange County Board of Commissioners adopted a Resolution in Dec. 2011 to outline the core uses of the new "Article 46" funds. • The County received the initial Article 46 funds from the N.C. Department of Revenue beginning in the Spring of 2012. • Annual revenues (estimated at $2.5 million total in 2011) are split 50/50 between Education (Orange County Schools & Chapel Hill/Carrboro City Schools) & Economic Development, with each group to receive approx. $1.25 million. • By 2018, the County's total Article 46 revenues were projected to be approx. $3.6 million for the new fiscal year, due to a steady 5% - 7% annual growth rate in the local economy's retail sales collections. 13 • Within the Economic Development portion of Article 46 funds ($1,825,976.00 estimated for the FY 2018-2019 budget), approx. 50% - 60% of annual proceeds have historically funded long-term debt obligations for the cost to install water& sewer lines in the County's various Economic Development districts. To date, 2 major utility projects to install needed infrastructure in the Efland, Buckhorn Road & Mebane areas have been completed. • The County's successful recruitment of the Morinaga factory was made possible by the completion of this initial utility work. Current business prospect activity is expanding and focusing on new sites that have more recently gained utility line infrastructure. • Of the remaining 50% of Economic Development's available Article 46 funds each year, a variety of successful programs are underway to support the growth, expansion & retention of existing small businesses, promote new business recruitment, entrepreneurial incubator support, and local agriculture & food processing. • These programs, to include the award winning LAUNCH incubator, the County's small business loan and grant programs, the agriculture/food processing grant program, and related collaborative business networking events held with the Towns, directly benefit the local economies of Carrboro, Hillsborough & Chapel Hill by supporting their many small businesses. • Special events & new programs that enhance the County's & Towns' economy and livability are also funded by the remaining half of Article 46 funds, to include the annual Orange County Agriculture Summit, the new LocalFest event, a reintroduction of the annual Orange County Economic Summit, and, innovative support for the "Orange Connect" scholarship program for Orange County's students attending the Hillsborough campus of Durham Technical Community College. • In conclusion, the intent of the various economic development programs funded by Article 46 is to benefit all Orange County residents by supporting a thriving local economy. Article 46 Sales Tax: Orange County's Resources for Economic Development Funding for FY 20187-19 (chart) Article 46 Sales Tax: Budgeted Allocations for Economic Development Protects in Orange County in FY 2018-19 (pie chart) Article 46 Sales Tax: Budgeted Allocations for Economic Development Projects in Orange County in FY 2018-19 (chart) Article 46 Sales Tax: Total Economic Development Expenditures (2012 to present) Article 46 Sales Tax Projections (graph) Orange County's Use of Article 46 Funding to Collaborate with Towns on Joint Economic Development Projects: Town of Chapel Hill • LAUNCH incubator: 50/50 cost sharing to co-fund the facility's lease payments (2012 to present.) County & Town of Chapel Hill each pay $73,500.00 per year. • Marketing campaign via WCHL1360 AM radio to promote Town & County-wide tourism (2013). • Co-funding of the "Urbana" consultant's property tax & urban density study for the Town, supported in partnership with the Chapel Hill/Carrboro Chamber of Commerce (2014). 14 • LAUNCH incubator: 50/50 cost sharing to co-host 2 business networking events (2014 & 2015). • Business networking & speaker series conference events held at Carolina Inn, supported in partnership with the Town and assisted by Chapel Hill Magazine (2016 & 2017). • Joint recruitment & incentive commitment by the County & Town for Wegmans Food Markets' new 99,000 sq. ft. retail store (2016); the upcoming 5-year payment of the County's & Town's joint financial incentives to Wegmans, to be split 50/50, will not begin until approx. 2022. • Cumulative value of Article 46 funds used by the County since 2012 to approve small business grants & small business loans provided to Chapel Hill-based firms, including LAUNCH incubator tenants. ($737,189.00) Orange County's Use of Article 46 Funding to Collaborate with Towns on Joint Economic Development Projects: Town of Hillsborouqh • Cumulative value of Article 46 funds used since 2012 to approve small business grants & small business loans, and agriculture grants for Hillsborough-based firms, including food processing tenants at the Piedmont Food Processing Center. ($1,029,704.00) • County has plans in 2019—2020 to extend sewer to serve commercial & light industrial sites within the Hillsborough Economic Development District, located at the southwest quadrant of Interstate 40 and Old N.C. 86. City of Mebane • Orange County pays a $50,000 annual "Utility Service Agreement") to Mebane to guarantee a reserve capacity of 250,000 gal/day of sewer to serve the Economic Development District sites in the Efland, Buckhorn Road & Mebane region in western Orange County. • County has previously completed one sewer line project (connecting to the factory Morinaga) to serve commercial & light industrial sites within the Buckhorn Economic Development District in western Orange County, and has recently completed Phase II of the Efland-Buckhorn-Mebane sewer line extension project. Orange County's Use of Article 46 Funding to Collaborate with Towns on Joint Economic Development Projects: Town of Carrboro • Cumulative value of Article 46 funds used since 2012 to approve small business grants & small business loans for Carrboro-based firms ($104,860.00). • Co-funding by the County & Town in 2012 to provide the 25% required co-pay for a "Community Development Block Grant" (CDBG) awarded by the N.C. Department of Commerce to repair a failing privately-owned sewer line located along Roberson Street. • Previous proposal by the Town regarding a desire to have municipal water brought to several business tracts located along N.C. 54 West, in order to create fire protection sprinkler service for those sites, and request the County's financial participation from Article 46. (2012, 2013 & 2014). • Previous proposal by the Town to have municipal water and sewer brought to a 20-acre Town-owned site located along Old N.C. 86 for the purpose of creating a business park. (2016 & 2017). • Current proposal by the Town to seek Article 46 or other funding from the County to provide for additional parking (to include construction of a desired parking deck or a parking lot) to serve the planned 203 S. Greensboro Street library & town offices project. 15 • Current proposal by the Town to seek Article 46 or other County funding to help pay for new wayfinding signage in downtown Carrboro (up to $400,000 total cost). Orange County's Use of Article 46 Funding to Collaborate with Towns on Joint Economic Development Projects Small Business — retention & expansion of existing firms • Manage the County's marketing of small business Loan and Grant programs & disburse all funds—all 3 Towns. • Co-host various joint County & Chapel Hill business networking events for existing small businesses (includes LAUNCH incubator cohorts). • Co-fund the LAUNCH incubator in Chapel Hill to support the growth of emerging high- tech entrepreneurial firms. • Encourage joint County & Town visitation program with existing small businesses. • Hosted the joint County & Town participation in the U.S. Small Business Administration's recent Disaster Recovery workshop for firms impacted by Hurricane Florence. Examples of Economic Development Collaboration Between the County & Towns Orange County Small Business Grant Program (total since 2014) • 125 grants provided to existing small businesses in our 3 Towns. • $653,681.00 in total grants awarded. Orange County Agriculture Grant Program (total since 2009) • 55 grants provided to existing ag &food processing businesses in our 3 Towns. • $402,249.98 in total agriculture grants awarded. Orange County Small Business Loan Fund (total since 2009) • 22 loans provided to existing small businesses in our 3 Towns. • $974,848.00 in total loans awarded. Orange County Arts Commission (for FY 2018-19) • 38 grants were funded to 28 artists, 21 organizations & 10 schools in our 3 Towns. • $61,394.00 in Orange County & NC Arts Council funds were awarded • 29% increase in applications received over the previous year Examples of Economic Development Collaboration Between the County & Towns New Business Recruitment— increasing jobs & investment • County's & Towns' economic development staff routinely attend joint marketing and business development events, & invite participation. • Conduct joint marketing of County's & Town's identified real estate sites and buildings to business prospects. • Trust to share activity of leads, prospect visits & updates on overall prospect activity. • Joint presentations have been made to the State of NC's main business lead generator: Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) • Ongoing partnership have been successful between the County and Towns with business development prospects, to include the successful recruitment with Chapel Hill to attract Wegmans, and with Hillsborough for the expansion of Yep Roc Records/REDEYE. Examples of Economic Development Collaboration Between the County &Towns Workforce Development—examples of school collaborations • Orange County Economic Development staff meet with and advise the Career and Technical Education (CTE) curriculum planners with the Orange County Schools & 16 Chapel Hill/Carrboro City Schools, and with staff from Durham Technical Community College — Hillsborough campus New Ideas for 2019 — building relationships among agencies • Explore closer liaison with County-wide marketing & programs & advertising • Increase the frequency of joint County & Towns' business prospect recruiting • Increase our mutual internal dialog and resources to support workforce development. Examples of Economic Development Collaboration Between the County & Towns Tourism Promotion — County's efforts on behalf of our Towns • Visitors Bureau advertises and promotes the Towns' local festivals in the County's visitor guides and materials, and via online social media programs and newsletters. • Visitors Bureau supports local major events that bring tourists to area, including Chapel Hill's TerraVITA event and the Ackland Art Museum, The Carrboro ArtsCenter, Hillsborough's Hog Day, the northern Orange County equestrian Polo Tournament, and the Hillsborough Chamber of Commerce's annual events. • Visitors Bureau staff works with OUR STATE magazine to run feature stories on tourism happenings in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough. • Visitors Bureau sales staff works with the Towns' local hotels on leads, and to refer business each week to those hotels with group meeting space. • Visitors Center staff make daily referrals to walk-in visitors who visit each day regarding local hotels, restaurants, shopping and tourism attractions. • Produces the Orange County Visitors Guide book featuring information on all 3 towns, and distributes at RDU Airport and "Visit NC" interstate Welcome Centers. • Prepares regular public relations support of the County's major tourism events occurring in all 3 towns, and advertises through PR Newswire. • Hosts frequent travel media press visitors and gives tours of the area. • Produces the "This is Tourism"segment on WCHL1360 radio to amplify local event happenings in all 3 towns. • Orange County stakeholders, which includes representatives from all 3 towns and UNC, sit on tourism's advisory board which meets monthly and reviews tourism programming and upcoming initiatives. Examples of Tourism Economic Development Collaboration Between the County & Towns The Orange County Arts Council actively supports artists in our Towns: • In partnership with the Hillsborough Arts Council, the Orange County Arts Council hosted the 2nd annual "Paint it Orange: Plein Air Paint-out & Wet Paint Sale", as a fundraiser for OCAC and HAC drawing artists from four states. • Served as part of leadership team in the coordination of the inaugural Orange County LocalFest, which attracted approximately 1,500 visitors. • Working in partnership with Orange County Department of Parks and Recreation to determine needs of new stage and event infrastructure in River Park, enabling the venue to host more large-scale events. • Sponsored the annual River Park Concert, which drew approximately 4,000 to Downtown Hillsborough. • Serving on Varsity Task Force to determine future of possibly performing arts venue in downtown Chapel Hill. Alderman Slade referred to the 20-25 year debt service, and asked if this is from today, or from when payments start. 17 Bonnie Hammersley said they started collecting in 2012, but debt service does not start until the money is borrowed. She said all the money has not been borrowed, and it is currently just under$1 million in debt service, and this is being done by 20 year limited obligation bonds (LOBs). She said it will be satisfied in about 25 years. Alderman Slade said he is curious to know when some of this money will be free to use for better economic development. He asked if there is going to be an opportunity to see how the investment into the infrastructure in the Buckhorn and Eno areas has been realized, prior to investing in other Economic Development Districts (EDDs). Bonnie Hammersley said that was discussed at the Board of County Commissioners retreat last week, and staff will be looking into how to best go forward with the EDDs. Alderman Slade encouraged the Board of County Commissioners to review the investment in the current EDD before pouring money into other EDDs. Alderman Slade said there is an opportunity to synergize with the emergency that is represented by climate change, and studies show supporting locally owned businesses gives back to the local community in so many ways. Alderman Slade said Carrboro is not seeing any revenue from the % cent sales tax, and he said would appreciate recognition of this fact, and also looks forward to collaboration with the County in getting more support on Carrboro economic development, and finding ways where people can work without having to depend on cars and public transportation. He said this opportunity may present itself in transition area 2. Mayor Lavelle referred to the article 46 sales tax monies and economic development in Carrboro, and said Carrboro is a small town with geographically limited economic development opportunities. She said Carrboro's economic engine is downtown, and the Town wants the Board of County Commissioners to think through this when considering ways to partner together. Alderman Seils echoed Mayor Lavelle's statement and said downtown Carrboro is an EDD for Orange County. He said the Town is hopeful for more ways to collaborate with the County to recognize that fact. Mayor Hemminger said the LAUNCH funding is good for the entire county and more companies are staying within their borders. Commissioner Dorosin said this was the theme at the BOCC retreat: collaboration on affordable housing, transit, and economic development. He said there are these obvious places for collaboration with Carrboro, and he would like to see talk turn into action. He said they need to prioritize the most important thing that Carrboro and Orange County can work on together. He said sometimes plans are brought to the Board too late, and discussions need to occur earlier. Commissioner Greene referred to Alderman Slade's comments, and said Orange County has an agricultural economic development officer with lots of ideas to boost the local food economies. She said these ideas should not get lost, and are valued by the BOCC. Mayor Lavelle agreed that economic development for one can provide economic development for all, but said Carrboro has a focus on local businesses and retaining local businesses. She said this is highly valued. Alderman Slade said there is a large question of where is the biggest bang for the buck. He asked if the County has ever done a leakage analysis to identify the sectors of the economy that would multiply financial investment. He said less than one percent of local food is consumed locally, and it is all leaving the area. He said he would like to capture a higher percentage of the millions of dollars represented by the food consumed. He said it is a bigger issue than just taxes. He would like to see a study commissioned to ensure that the money that is being spent is being spent effectively. He said growth in Hillsborough will rub off on Carrboro, but he fears development that supports a Japanese candy factory does not return as much 18 money to the local economy as a local business would. He said the dollars are leaving the community. Town Commissioner Ferguson said she wants to support their local businesses, but they also have people that want to work for big, global business and it is a question of how to support both things, as it should not be an either/or. Commissioner McKee said the small amount of funding that Carrboro received, from the small business investment grants and business loans, stands out to him. He said he is curious as to whether the Carrboro Economic Development (ED) Director is getting the word out to businesses about these funding opportunities. He asked if there is any way for the County to help alleviate this disconnect. Mayor Lavelle said their ED Director has been in contact with the County over the years. She said Carrboro has an internal fund that has been successful for many years, and this may be where people are going instead of County funds. She said staff will continue to follow up on this opportunity. Commissioner McKee said he is open to any suggestions from the towns for these funds, and let them be brought forth to the Board of County Commissioners to review and discuss. Steve Brantley said the Japanese candy company connected to the first water and sewer extension paid for by article 46 funds, and this company employs 130 people on three shifts, and are the single largest corporate tax payer in the entire Mebane industrial district of Orange County, and they stand to double or triple in employment and investment. He said the second sewer system that the County has built in the Efland region represents acreage that is under option with a letter of intent by a single company that would move there and pay more than $15/hour per job. He said it takes a long time to get water and sewer connected, but progress is being made. He said there needs to be a balance in commitment to both large industrial recruiting and small business growth in the Towns. Chair Rich said the bottom line is to look at all options and continue conversations across all entities. 4. Update from Climate Change Ad Hoc Committee Commissioner Marcoplos said there is a handout at their places. He said so many of them have been affected by climate change, and after the hurricanes, he reached out to an elected official from every government to jump-start a collaborative effort. He reviewed the handout. He said the members of the ad hoc committee are: Rachel Shaevitz, Alderman Slade, Jenn Weaver, Sammie Slade, and Mark Marcoplos. Hillsborough Town Commissioner Weaver said the packet contains a resolution with which Commissioner Ferguson was involved. She said the Town of Hillsborough does not have staff member to address some of these issues, but they are nimble due to being small. She said there are ways to collaborate: share information; all jurisdictions should review land use policies; have a unified voice, committing to system level changes, and fostering a local government collaboration and not competition. She said this is a regional problem. Alderman Slade said climate change is an existential threat, and a collaborative group is needed to address it, and for each government to make an investment during budget time. He said he would like to see a dedicated staff person, which could be a shared position, like exists between Durham County and Durham City. He said he hopes the New Green Deal will get support in 2020, and he said would like to start working on ways to collaborate on local, state and federal levels, counting on 2020 elections to flip the White House and the Senate. He said he is in favor of supporting local residents to come up with ways to have an impact on the neighborhood level and have a community action plan. Mayor Hemminger said climate change was also a top priority at the recent Town Council retreat. She recommended a monthly collaborative meeting including an elected official 19 and a staff person from each entity. She said there is a benefit to collaborating nationally, and referenced the monthly climate mayors' phone call that sites best practices and new ideas. She said the Town facilities represent a small percentage of the community, and it is vital to get residents involved in making change. She said UNC is doing some amazing things, and would be a good partner to have at the table, as well as the K-12 schools. Commissioner Marcoplos asked if there is a way to set this group up. Mayor Hemminger said each entity can appoint somebody. Commissioner Marcoplos asked if this group can be created within a month. Mayor Hemminger said Mayors can make a recommendation, and Councils can discuss/approve at next meeting. She said she is happy to share all information that she learns from the climate mayors' phone call. Chair Rich said she would like for the members of the ad hoc group to continue on, and suggested inviting someone from Mebane to join as well. Mayor Lavelle spoke for Commissioner Price who had lost her voice: she said citizen input should be a part of this committee. Chair Rich said there were over 100 people at an event on Sunday, and the conversation was amazing. She said this input will not be ignored. 5. Water and Sewer Management, Planning and Boundary Agreement (WASMPBA) — Discussion Regarding Potential Line Change for Two Properties on Millhouse Road DEFERRED 6. Census Update Mayor Hemminger said she is on the state census committee, and the federal government is not going to be funding as much as it did in the past and the Governor stepped in and said he wants to make sure that North Carolina counts, as direct dollars are given out depending on how many people are counted. She said not as many enumerators will be hired to go out and follow up with people who fail to return the census form, and the governor has asked local entities to come up with a plan to bring people to complete the census online. She said the entire census will be done online on one day only: April 1st, 2020. She said libraries and senior centers are great partners. She said if people mail in forms that is wonderful, but there will be no census staff following up on paper forms. She said plans need to be created to communicate all this information, as well as ways to make access to online forms and people to help on site. Mayor Hemminger said a staff committee is needed to make sure that all people are counted. She said data will be provided on areas that typically underreport, but there needs to be a strategy to make use of this data. She said volunteer enumerators are one possibility, but would be labor intensive. She is particularly concerned about rural residents without electronic access, as well as the entire online system crashing on April 1. She said the local and state populations have changed drastically in the last 10 years, and it is vital to get all the state and federal dollars that are available. She said these numbers are used for so many things, and accuracy is paramount. Commissioner Dorosin said the County had a committee in 2000 that was more of an public education campaign, which the County funded, and there were a lot of volunteers. He asked if it was possible to have enumerators to follow up. Mayor Hemminger said the Governor is trying to figure out the best strategies, and there is a census committee for the State. She said the online component is an unknown. She said initially paper forms were not even going to be sent, but now they are. Commissioner Dorosin asked if enumerators can be hired at the County level to follow up. 20 Mayor Hemminger said there will be some, but not nearly as many as before. She said the Governor is focused on this, and local planning is crucial. Councilman Bell said there has been a lot of talk about policy this evening, and the need for collaboration. She said it would be really good to come up with a policy to determine the worth of an accurate count and whether funds should be dedicated to ensure greater accuracy. She said she is hearing a desire to get an accurate count, and she would encourage individual entities to discuss this further in order to create joint memorandums of agreement. She said this issue affects every part of the County. Chair Rich said everyone can follow up on this. Town of Hillsborough elected officials and staff left at 9:07 p.m. 7. Greene Tract— Decision Points and Decision Timelines for Each Jurisdiction Craig Benedict, Orange County Planning Director, reviewed the following information: The Greene Tract is a 164 acre parcel of which 104 acres is jointly owned by Orange County, the Town of Chapel Hill, and the Town of Carrboro and 60 acres owned by Orange County (Headwaters Preserve). In 2002, local governments approved a resolution conceptualizing uses of the 104 acre joint owned area. In 2017, local governments agreed to have the Managers, Mayors, and Chair (MMC) consider preservation and development options for the Greene Tract. In addition, the MMCs recommended staff examine the reconfiguration of the joint-owned and county-owned tracts. The purpose of this request was to determine the feasibility in adopting a revised resolution supporting the reconfiguration of these tracts. The 60 acres which are county-owned would be established as prime preservation areas. At the January 30, 2018 Assembly of Governments meeting, the proposed modified headwaters preserve area and alternatives were presented to elected officials. At the February 20 Board of County Commissioners meeting, the Board stated support for modification to the Headwaters Preserve area. The Chapel Hill Town Council considered this item on June 6, 2018 and stated support for the reconfiguration of the Headwaters Preserve area. The Carrboro Board of Aldermen considered this item on June 12 and stated support for the reconfiguration of the Headwaters Preserve area. Elected officials from the Towns stated concerns with determining density and affordable housing goals at that time. As a result, the resolution and conceptual plan does not include any reference to density or affordable housing thresholds for the Greene Tract, but primarily the location and acreage of uses including a general description of use categories. Following Board confirmation, the staff work group drafted the resolution contained in Attachment 7a to modify the 104 acres jointly owned by Orange County, the Town of Chapel Hill, and the Town of Carrboro and 60 acres owned by Orange County (Headwaters Preserve). In addition, staff drafted the conceptual plan which includes future land uses, proposed land use definitions, and ownership status/transfers based on comments received from MMCs, elected officials, and staff throughout the process. Local government staff has completed a variety of draft density scenarios and calculations, which are available for review at such time in the future when development goals are established. Attachment 7b includes additional background information on this item. With adoption by all three governing boards, the resulting resolution would supersede the 2002 Resolution, approved by the Orange County Board of Commissioners on December 21 10, 2002, which outlined the County and Towns' intentions for developing the Greene Tract. The December 10, 2002 BOCC abstract which includes the approved resolution can be found at the following link: http://server3.co.orange.nc.us:8088/WebLink8/DocView.aspx?id=8376&dbid=0 The purpose of this item is to receive and discuss the proposed Greene Tract Resolution and Conceptual Plan. In addition, a project schedule to determine density and affordable housing goals could be also considered. Staff will provide any other information at the meeting, and the governing boards can discuss issues related to this item as necessary. Attachment 7a— Greene Tract Resolution and Conceptual Plan Attachment 7b—June 19, 2018 Information Item Attachment 7c— Greene Tract Flow Chart Craig Benedict made the following PowerPoint presentation: Greene Tract Update Assembly of Governments Meeting January 29, 2019 Background ■ Project area ■ Approximately 164 total acres ■ 104 acres jointly owned by Orange County, Town of Chapel Hill, and Town of Carrboro ■ 60 acres owned by Orange County ■ Previous Planning Efforts ■ 2002 Orange County, Chapel Hill, and Carrboro Greene Tract Resolution ■ Rogers Road Task Force Report ■ Mapping Our Community's Future Report ■ Managers, Mayors and Chair's Objectives from May 17, 2017 ■ Ongoing joint staffs collaboration Greene Tract (Jurisdictional Context) (map) Greene Tract (Flow Chart) 9:12:27 PM Greene Tract Ownership Status/Possible Transfers Map Greene Tract Conceptual Plan (Proposed Future Land Use) (map) Greene Tract Resolution and Conceptual Plan (map) ■ Elements of the Resolution ■ Modify Headwaters Preserve and Joint Owned areas ■ Approve Conceptual Plan and land use definitions ■ Designate acreage and land uses (Less than 15% future deviation) ■ Does not include any reference to density or affordable housing thresholds ■ Allow staff to proceed with recombination 22 ■ Ownership transfers - Joint ownership to County and County ownership to Joint ownership ■ Recommend additional actions ■ Pursue a conservation easement protecting the reconfigured "Headwaters Preserve" (60 acres) ■ Pursue a conservation easement protecting the Joint Owned Preserve (22 acres) ■ Solicit input from the public, stakeholders, and elected officials regarding land use and affordable housing needs ■ With adoption by all three governing boards, the resulting resolution would supersede the 2002 Resolution Greene Tract Flow Chart Questions and Comments Alderman Seils said the Alderman had a conversation last spring about various scenarios, and asked if all of these are still viable. Craig Benedict said the scenarios are still out there, and the desire from the Managers, Mayors and Chairs was to pursue the highest development potential to start with. He said in the coming months, staff will work with the various boards to determine development goals. He said this land can be developed in pods of affordable housing, or as mixed income development, which seemed preferable. He said the question of density would need to be considered as well. He said the trend seems to be leaning towards do more rather than less; more total units and possibly more affordable housing. Alderman Seils said he hoped all towns and staff has been able to review these scenarios. Craig Benedict said yes, and they are still available to be viewed. Alderman Seils said this is a high priority for everyone at the table tonight. He said he hopes staff will hold the elected officials to the timeline, so this topic can move from conversation to action. Council Member Parker said he found that deadlines are good tools for getting things done, and he encouraged everyone to embody this resolution. He said he would like to see a work plan attached to the resolution for accountability, and it is incumbent on them to be accountable to their constituents. Mayor Lavelle said it seems that everyone is in complete support of this resolution, and it should be put on an agenda immediately in order to move forward. Commissioner Dorosin said this conversation seems to be exactly where it was a year ago. He said staff, managers, and chairs worked out all these details, and then progress stopped last spring. He said all entities have already agreed to the reconfiguration, and the BOCC voted on the density alternatives. He said he favors putting some hard dates on these deadlines as this is now a policy issue. He said affordable housing is their highest priority and this can be their test case on collaboration. He said thus far they are all failing, and he agreed with Mayor Lavelle to put it on their agendas as soon as possible. Councilmember Oates said this is an isolated site, requiring personal transportation, and it is important to do focus groups before deciding what will be built there. She said it is well meaning to want to serve as many people as possible, but it is critical to hear the input from those who actually want to live there. Councilmember Bin echoed Councilmember Oates' comments, and said planning goes hand in hand with environmental issues, both of which are very important. She said there are 23 many other factors to consider with this project in determining sustainable development. She said this project has waited 20 years, and it is important to do it right. Councilmember Bell said she supports this process, and appreciates caution, but said it is time to do something now. She said a desire for perfection should not get in the way of work actually being done, and there has been no affordable housing built that has gone unfilled. Commissioner Marcoplos said it has been 27 years since this tract was released from being a landfill, and he would like to see everyone commit to the flowchart. Commissioner Greene said they own the land, and that is the most valuable thing to a developer. She said it may not be an ideal location, but it is a good location and they need to do something. Chair Rich agreed with Councilmember Bell. She said they own the land, there is a lot of data showing what can be built, and it is time to move on this. She said she would like a commitment from everyone tonight to move on to the next steps. She said it is not fair to make the staff keep redoing the data. She referred to Commissioner Dorosin's comments from the BOCC retreat that this project is something that all involved could be very proud of, and if this can happen, there is no limit what can be accomplished. She said she will reach out to the Mayors to follow up. The meeting was adjourned at 9:38 p.m. Penny Rich, Chair Donna Baker Clerk to the Board