HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda 10-15-19 Item 8-a - Minutes 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: October 15, 2019
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.
October 1, 2019 BOCC Regular Meeting
October 3, 2019 BOCC Joint Work Session with Fire
Chiefs' Council
FINANCIAL IMPACT: NONE
SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: NONE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: NONE
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board approve minutes as
presented or as amended.
1
1 Attachment 1
2
3 DRAFT
4
5 MINUTES
6 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
7 REGULAR MEETING
8 October 1, 2019
9 7:00 p.m.
10
11 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, October 1,
12 2019 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough, N.C.
13
14 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Penny Rich and Commissioners Jamezetta
15 Bedford, Mark Dorosin, Earl McKee, Mark Marcoplos, and Renee Price
16 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Commissioner Sally Greene
17 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts
18 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager
19 Travis Myren, and Deputy Clerk Sherri Ingersoll (All other staff members will be identified
20 appropriately below.)
21
22 Chair Rich called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
23
24 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda
25
26 Commissioner McKee asked if item 8-e and item 8-f could be switched, so that item 8-
27 e will be the last item. He said he would like to recuse himself from this discussion, since
28 Summit Engineering employs him.
29
30 PUBLIC CHARGE
31 Chair Rich acknowledged the public charge.
32
33 Arts Moment
34 Linda Williamson, Arts Commission member, introduced the artist:
35
36 Lyn Fairchild Hawks writes young adult contemporary fiction about gifted, weird, and
37 wise teens. She is the author of How Wendy Redbird Dancing Survived the Dark Ages of
38 Nought; Minerda, a graphic novella collaboration with illustrator Robin Follet; and the short-
39 story collection, The Flat and Weightless Tang-Filled Future. She and her literary agent are
40 currently submitting her latest novel to publishers, a story about an intrepid teen journalist
41 exposing the truth about corruption on her school's sports teams. In her other life, Lyn is an
42 education geek who designs online learning courses for gifted youth at Duke TIP, and a
43 former AIG resource teacher for AL Stanback and CW Stanford Middle Schools. She lives in
44 Chapel Hill with her husband, Americana musician Greg Hawks. Her stepson, Henry, is a
45 graduate of Cedar Ridge High School and DePaul University.
46 Lyn Fairchild Hawks read a scene from her novel How Wendy Redbird Dancing
47 Survived the Dark Ages of Nought. She said this book is characteristic of what many
48 teenagers deal with in today's world. She thanked the Board of County Commissioners for its
49 support of the arts.
50
2
1 2. Public Comments
2 a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda
3
4 Riley Ruske said he petitioned the Board last month to recite the Pledge of Allegiance
5 prior to each meeting, and asked if there is a reason that it has taken so long to have action.
6 Chair Rich said that the Board's process for reviewing petitions is very long and goes
7 through several levels, and the Board anticipates having it on the upcoming regular meeting.
8
9 b. Matters on the Printed Agenda
10 (These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda
11 below.)
12
13 3. Announcements, Petitions and Comments by Board Members
14 Commissioner Dorosin petitioned the Board to set up a committee to look into the
15 possibility of establishing a universal Pre-K program in Orange County. He said this topic has
16 come up at numerous meetings, and but has never been researched; that is, to get a good
17 scope of the underserved children in Orange County, and the costs, facilities, etc. that it
18 would take to have a program. He petitioned to set up a committee that would meet for 6-12
19 months to come up with some ideas.
20 Chair Rich asked if Commissioner Dorosin had particular committee members in mind.
21 Commissioner Dorosin said that would be part of the discussion. He said any groups
22 could be represented, but it should be a small committee with expertise, such as child care
23 agencies, Smart Start, the schools, and other experts who are looking at this concept in other
24 communities or at the State level.
25 Commissioner Price petitioned the Board to support a collaborative effort between the
26 Orange County Health Department and UNC Medical regarding the opioid epidemic. She
27 said this is a follow up to a forum held last year at the library, and Quintana Stewart, Health
28 Department Director, has come up with a one-page description of what they would like to do.
29 Commissioner Price thanked the Health Department for its recent program, Viva Life,
30 which was a suicide prevention walk. She said the number of shoes displayed at the event
31 has gone up, but it is still important to pay attention to this concern and the needs of others in
32 the community.
33 Commissioner Bedford said she and Chair Rich met with Representative Insko and
34 Deputy Secretary Kinsley from the NC Department of Health and Human Services last week
35 to talk about care and constituent concerns with the MCOs. She said it was a successful
36 meeting, and many changes are expected at the State level, and impacts on accountability,
37 financial consistency and other government issues, which is a good start.
38 Commissioner Bedford said the local Community Family Advisory Council (CFAC) will
39 be hosting a South African Dance program on Friday, where she will be giving the opening
40 remarks and Deputy Secretary Kinsley will speak about Medicaid transformation.
41 Commissioner McKee said he has no petitions, but he heartily endorses
42 Commissioner Dorosin's concept of a universal Pre-K program. He said if these children are
43 not caught up to speed in their first years of public education, it will be a lifelong problem.
44 Commissioner Marcoplos said the first meeting of the Orange County Climate Council
45 occurred last week. He said over 20 people attended, and it was a great first meeting. He
46 said the first area of focus will be to share what each agency in local governments already do
47 for sustainability and climate action, and how all can best collaborate. He said there are a lot
48 of members with varying areas of expertise in the group.
49 Commissioner Marcoplos said an information sheet was provided about the solar
50 charging stations, and highlighted that there will be a solar charging station that will provide
51 energy for three on-demand vans in the County's transportation system. He said it will be a
3
1 couple of months to get this off the ground, and when it does, the County needs to highlight
2 this project.
3 Chair Rich said the Climate Council has gotten some news coverage, which is great.
4 Chair Rich expressed thanks, on behalf of the BOCC, to Commissioner Bedford for all
5 she is doing with health care. She said the County has worked with Cardinal for a long time,
6 and many of us have been frustrated with the arrangement, and Commissioner Bedford has
7 spent a lot of time involved in this.
8 Chair Rich said the first pilot work session with Mebane and Carrboro happened
9 recently, and were successful. She said minutes will be turned around in about two weeks,
10 and will be distributed by the Manager, published online, and posted as a future information
11 item so all can keep abreast of the discussions. She said the meeting with Mebane was
12 great, and the Town wants to be involved in the Climate Committee, and space should be
13 made at the table.
14 Chair Rich said the Carrboro meeting touched on many of the same issues that have
15 been previously discussed. She said there was also a Managers, Mayors and Chairs (MMC)
16 meeting last week and the Greene Tract was brought up. She said there was follow up on
17 creating a governance document to move forward, but this is very, very preliminary.
18 Chair Rich said there is an upcoming meeting with Chapel Hill, and asked if the Board
19 would help her determine what the Board is seeking from Chapel Hill. She said there is a
20 desire to understand the partnership on the Greene Tract, and, while this is moving forward, it
21 is concerning that all are not on the same page.
22 Commissioner Dorosin asked if there is already a governance structure in place for
23 the three jurisdictions, and if this is being revisited.
24 Chair Rich said there was never anything put in place that specifically states how to
25 proceed if there is a disagreement between the 3 jurisdictions. She said Carrboro and
26 Orange County want to move forward and address needs like affordable housing, but it does
27 not seem that Chapel Hill is on the same page.
28 Commissioner Dorosin asked if the parcels were ever combined, or does the County
29 still own a portion with the Towns owning other portions.
30 Commissioner Price asked if Chapel Hill does not want to do affordable housing.
31 Chair Rich said it is not clear at this point, as there is nothing proposed with which to
32 agree or disagree.
33 Commissioner Price said she does not understand the problem.
34 Commissioner Dorosin said the BOCC and Carrboro agreed to the resolution, but
35 Chapel Hill did not agree to the resolution on how to move forward.
36 Travis Myren said the Carrboro and the BOCC passed a resolution and map, which
37 were identical, but Chapel Hill removed the designations from the map, and left them
38 unspecified in the planning process. He said it has not been possible to move forward with
39 reconfiguring the Headwaters Preserve.
40 Commissioner Dorosin said it sounds like the 60 acres have not yet been
41 reconfigured.
42 Travis Myren said he thinks the Town of Chapel Hill would agree to the
43 reconfiguration, but it may not be in everyone's interest to do so without having specified
44 purposes for the land.
45 Commissioner Marcoplos said one place to start is knowing what was agreed upon
46 during the last collaboration, and contrast that with what was passed on July 15, as this was a
47 confusing meeting. He would like to know what Chapel Hill passed, and how that contrasts
48 with what had been agreed upon up to that point, as no one really understands that.
49 Chair Rich said that was a two and a half year process, into which she joined at the
50 end. She said Commissioner Dorosin worked on Resolution A with Mayors Lavelle and
4
1 Hemminger, which was brought forward at the Assembly of Governments and agreed upon by
2 all parties.
3 Commissioner Marcoplos said the public should see Resolution A, as well as the item
4 that was passed by the Town of Chapel Hill.
5 Commissioner Dorosin asked if the County's 60 acres are also in Chapel Hill planning
6 jurisdiction, and if the County can act independently.
7 Travis Myren said he believes it is, and would check.
8 Chair Rich said a new Community One group is now meeting, and Orange County and
9 Carrboro were not invited to contribute. She said the purpose of this group is unclear, and
10 there are no staff or elected officials involved. She said she would like to know what the
11 partnership means between everyone. She said if discussions are being held about the land,
12 all landowners should be involved.
13 Commissioner Marcoplos said there is an affordable housing crisis, and the County
14 owns land, and has a great opportunity and a responsibility to help with the crisis, as well as
15 demonstrate collaborative success with other entities.
16 Chair Rich said the meeting is next week, and asked if all Commissioners would
17 forward comments or questions to her.
18
19 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/Special Presentations
20 None
21
22 5. Public Hearings
23
24 a. NCDOT Public Transportation Division/Public Transportation — 5311 Community
25 Transportation Program Grant Application for FY2021
26 The Board conducted a public hearing on the North Carolina Community
27 Transportation Program (CTP) grant application by Orange County Transportation Services
28 (OCTS) for FY2021.
29
30 BACKGROUND: Each year, the NCDOT Public Transportation Division accepts requests for
31 operations and administrative needs for county-operated community transportation programs.
32 OCTS is eligible to make application for both operations and administrative funding. NCDOT
33 has allotted $179,189 for fund detailed breakdown is outlined in the table below:
34
5311 Grant Application: FY21
Total $ 179,189
Federal $ 143,351
State $ 8,959
Local $ 26,878
35
36 Theo Letman, Transit Director, said this item relates to the annual Community
37 Transportation Program (CTP) grant application. He said this application is usually connected
38 with the ROAP grant, but since the State budget has not been passed yet, the NC DOT has
39 not provided ROAP information. He said this item is just for the CTP administrative grant
40 funds. He said staff proposes to utilize currently available general funds to cover the
41 required local match, but also has district taxes available.
42 Commissioner Dorosin said the documentation says funds will be used for
43 administration, and asked if this could be clarified.
44 Theo Letman said this typically covers a percentage of administrative staff salaries.
45 Commissioner Dorosin asked if this covers maintenance or transit driver salaries.
46 Theo Letman said no, it cannot cover operational costs, just administrative salaries.
5
1
2 A motion was made by Commissioner Bedford, seconded by Commissioner
3 Marcoplos to open the Public Hearing.
4
5 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
6
7 Public Comments:
8 None
9
10 A motion was made by Commissioner Bedford, seconded by Commissioner
11 Marcoplos to close the Public Hearing.
12
13 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
14
15 A motion was made by Commissioner Bedford, seconded by Commissioner
16 Marcoplos for the Board to approve the FY2021 Community Transportation Program Grant
17 application; adopt a resolution for FY2021 in the total amount of$179,189 with a local match
18 of$26,878 to be provided when necessary; authorize the Chair to sign the Community
19 Transportation Program Resolution, the Local Share Certification for Funding form, and the
20 Anticipated DBE/DEW Vendor Awards form; and authorize the Chair and County Attorney to
21 review and sign the annual 2020 Certifications and Assurances documents when available.
22
23 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
24
25 Chair Rich pointed out that the social responsibility and environmental impact for this
26 program supports BOCC goals. She thanked staff for its work on this, as well as the solar
27 charging panels.
28
29 6. Regular Agenda
30
31 a. Adoption of the Final Financing Resolution Authorizing the Issuance of
32 $37,000,000 in Installment Purchase Financing for Various Capital Investment
33 Plan Projects Including Refinancing Existing County Debt of$16,359,886
34 The Board considered adopting the final financing resolution authorizing the issuance
35 of approximately $37,000,000 in installment financing to finance capital investment projects
36 and equipment which includes refinancing $16,359,886 of existing County debt. The financing
37 includes amounts to pay transaction costs.
38
39 BACKGROUND: At the September 3 and 17, 2019 regular Board meetings, the Board of
40 County Commissioners conducted public hearings and received preliminary information on
41 capital projects and equipment financing and refinancing existing debt obligations. The Board
42 made a preliminary determination to finance these capital projects and equipment, and
43 financing costs by the use of an installment financing, as authorized under Section 160A-20 of
44 the North Carolina General Statutes.
45
46 The statutes require that the County adopt a financing resolution supporting the application to
47 the Local Government Commission (LGC) for approval of the financing. County staff has been
48 in contact with the LGC staff, and expects no issues in receiving full LGC approval.
49
50 If the Board adopts the final financial resolution authorizing final approval for the financing,
51 staff expects the LGC to approve the financing plan at its October 1, 2019 meeting as well.
6
1 Under the current schedule, staff expects to set the final interest rates and other terms of the
2 financing on October 16, 2019 and to close on the financing in November.
3
4 Gary Donaldson, Chief Financial Officer, presented this item:
5
ORANGE COUNTY
NC]fil-H CAROLINA
FY 2019-20 Fall Financing
Se ries 2p190 New Money a nd Rerunding
Lim iWd OOlip it Bonds
TOctober 1.2019
6
Board and LGC Authorizations
Board Apporal for FY 2018-191nslalimell Purchase
Finandng es wthorcmd undit Sedim 180A-20 of North
Carolina Ganeral Slatulns
Y Fal Financing Issuances comprised of:
-5'8.8 Millen Hew Money Fmrwafor ClP
•5'6 am�nldr w RAndnp.kaiii
TOW 535 3 MNlwn(Ferundnp mmyuurR'.Lgec4 to marAee
camrtw n a m Arc+.,p va ral
7
Revised List of Financed Projects
cm,a.. er.....ca.
uwsan
8
Refinancing Savings Summary
9 cr�lcc�a�n
Key Debt Model Metrics
10
11
7
Financing Team and Pricing Schedule
2
3 Commissioner Dorosin asked if the key debt model metrics slide shows red numbers,
4 because the County is over the 16% threshold.
5 Gary Donaldson said yes, and the County is required to have long-term models and
6 plans to address this, which gives the LGC comfort that there is a plan to address it.
7 Commissioner Dorosin asked if staff could confirm that the Community Loan Fund
8 would not make grants for capital campaigns. He asked if this reflects those organizations
9 that are taking advantage of this.
10 Bonnie Hammersley said yes, there are three organizations using these funds. She
11 said the County borrows the money for them, and then the organizations get the funds from
12 the County. She said these three organizations are included in these numbers.
13 Commissioner Dorosin said it would be good to have an information item on those
14 agencies, the payback expectation, how the Board handled this, and to publicize the
15 information.
16
17 Public Comment
18 Riley Ruske said the updated information was not available prior to this meeting. He
19 said in the June budget meetings, projects were delayed or deferred because County
20 Management could not execute them on schedule. He asked if the additional $18 million
21 should be reduced to cover only those projects that are to be completed on schedule, thus
22 avoiding costly burdens on taxpayers. He said when the 2019-20 budget was prepared,
23 presumably the interest rate on the new bonds was similar to the then existing rates, meaning
24 the interest payments would be $500,000 less than what was budgeted. He said that,
25 combined with the savings of the refinancing the old bonds, the total savings appears to be
26 around $1 million. He said since this is funded primarily by property taxes, he would request
27 that this money be repaid back to the taxpayers in the form of rebate checks or reduced
28 property tax bills.
29
30 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Price for
31 the Board to approve the final financing resolution authorizing the steps to proceed with the
32 financing of the stated capital projects and equipment and refinancing of existing debt
33 obligations.
34
35 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
36
37
38 b. Approval of Board of Commissioners Meeting Schedule for Calendar Year 2020
39 The Board considered selecting between two draft meeting schedules, or a variation
40 there of, for the Board of County Commissioners meetings for calendar year 2020.
41
42 BACKGROUND: In accordance with 143.318.12 of the North Carolina General Statutes, a
43 schedule of regular meetings shall be filed with the Clerk to the Board of County
8
1 Commissioners. The schedule must show the date, time and place of each meeting. All
2 meetings will begin at 7:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
3
4 Discussion and selection of the 2020 calendar will provide the opportunity for the Board to
5 review the meeting schedule for the entire year as well as the proposed budget public hearing
6 schedule and other related issues.
7
8 In regard to the budget process, it should be noted that after the Manager presents the
9 Recommended Budget on May 5, all proposed amendments from Board members and staff
10 will be compiled, posted and updated on a continual basis on the County's website. This effort
11 will inform the public on the proposed amendments and provide interested individuals and
12 organizations sufficient time to prepare for making comments at the public hearings and/or
13 share any comments with the Board via electronic or other means.
14
15 Two calendar options are offered for consideration. The first calendar (Option #1) was
16 presented at the BOCC work session on September 10, 2019. Based on Board member
17 comments during the work session, an alternate calendar (Option #2) is also presented.
18
19 Original Option #1
20 During the budget process this past spring, Board members requested that the budget
21 amendment process be addressed, specifically to allow for public comments on any
22 amendments proposed after the Manager presented the Recommended Budget. Staff has
23 addressed this opportunity in the proposed meeting calendar for 2020 by scheduling the two
24 public hearings differently than in the past.
25
26 The first budget public hearing is proposed to occur on May 12, 2020 at the Whitted Center in
27 Hillsborough - after the Manager's Recommended Budget presentation on May 5. The second
28 budget public hearing is proposed to occur at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel
29 Hill three weeks later on June 4, 2020. As proposed, convening the second public hearing on
30 June 4 would occur after the Board has conducted three budget work sessions and Board
31 members have had the opportunity to propose potential amendments to the Recommended
32 Budget. The June 4 second public hearing would provide the opportunity for public comment
33 on any proposed amendments and any other parts of the budget. The Board's fourth and final
34 budget work session is proposed for June 9, 2019 when the Board would make decisions on
35 proposed amendments and the entire budget, and also adopt its Resolution of Intent to Adopt
36 the Budget. The Board would officially approve the budget at the proposed June 16, 2020
37 Regular Meeting.
38
39 Option #2
40 For Option #2, the proposed April 23, 2020 Work Session has been moved to March 31.
41 Budget Work Sessions in May and June are also shifted forward to reduce the number of May
42 meetings and thereby extend the budget work sessions and last regular meeting to later in
43 June. The second/last budget public hearing is proposed to occur on June 9, 2020, after the
44 Board has conducted three budget work sessions and Board members have had the
45 opportunity to propose potential amendments to the Recommended Budget. It should be
46 noted that shifting the third budget work session to June 4 and the second public hearing to
47 June 9 would provide only three business days between meetings for the public to prepare
48 comments on any proposed amendments. The Board's fourth and final budget work session
49 would occur on June 16, 2019 when the Board would make decisions on proposed
50 amendments and the entire budget, and also adopt its Resolution of Intent to Adopt the
9
1 Budget. The Board would officially approve the budget at the proposed June 23, 2020
2 Regular Meeting.
3
4 David Hunt, Deputy Clerk, said he summarized the first six months of the two options
5 based on the comments from the last meeting, and the attempt was to spread out the
6 meetings. He said the revised schedule moves a meeting from April to March, and they tried
7 to shift others to avoid having more than two meetings a week. He said no meetings were
8 added or removed, just shifted.
9 Chair Rich asked if the net effect is that it just forces the Board to go a week later.
10 She said the April 23rd meeting has been moved to March, and the meetings in June go a bit
11 longer, finishing on the 23ra
12 David Hunt said by moving the April meeting to March, it spreads the budget meetings
13 over 16 weeks, with one meeting each week. He said Option 1 offers 11 weeks in a row with
14 at least one meeting per week, and some other weeks with a higher concentration of
15 meetings.
16 Commissioner Price said she likes moving the April meeting to March, but would like
17 to keep the May and June meetings as they are, and suggested a hybrid schedule of Options
18 1 and 2.
19 Commissioner Marcoplos said he likes Option 1, and sees nothing gained by delaying
20 it for a week.
21 Commissioner McKee said he prefers Option 1; the number of meetings is still the
22 same, and the Board needs to be judicious with its time.
23 Commissioner Bedford said it does not really matter to her, but likes Commissioner
24 Price's hybrid of moving the April meeting to March.
25 Commissioner Dorosin said that looking at the list of considerations, having one
26 meeting per week for 16 weeks does not matter. He said the penultimate bullet is of greatest
27 concern to him. He said Option 2 provides a longer timeframe for the budget, allowing for
28 more discussion and deliberation. He said the Board hears from the public that the process
29 has seemed rushed, and there was not enough information. He said this is a real
30 consideration, and school ending should not matter with the budget. He agreed that having a
31 longer timeframe is better, and he asked if amendments will be done differently this time.
32 Bonnie Hammersley said both options include a public hearing after the amendments
33 are in.
34 David Hunt said that the public hearing used to be held in the same week, or a week
35 apart, but this schedule moved the final public hearing date closer to the end of the budget
36 process to allow the public an opportunity to comment.
37 Commissioner Dorosin asked if the conflict with the Manager's Conference is a
38 problem.
39 Bonnie Hammersley said no, and it is her personal preference to not attend the
40 conference, due to the timing with the budget approval. She said she always attends the
41 winter conference.
42 Chair Rich said she thinks the public does get enough time after the amendments are
43 brought forward, and she leans towards staying with Option 1, but the hybrid is fine. She said
44 she does not want to go later in June just to give more time for discussion. She said the
45 Board needs to vote on this tonight.
46 Commissioner Marcoplos said that changing up the way the Board holds the meetings
47 solves the problem of participation, and adding another week does not improve that.
48
49 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Marcoplos
50 for the Board to approve the proposed meeting schedule for the Board of County
51 Commissioners for calendar year 2020 as outlined in Option #1.
10
1
2 VOTE: Ayes, 5 (Chair Rich, Commissioner Price, Commissioner Bedford,
3 Commissioner McKee, Commissioner Marcoplos); Nays, 1 (Commissioner Dorosin)
4
5 7. Reports
6 None
7
8 8. Consent Agenda
9
10 Removal of Any Items from Consent Agenda
11
12 Commissioner McKee requested that the Board move item 8-e, and asked to recuse
13 himself from the discussion since he is involved in the company department that is involved in
14 the testing.
15 Chair Rich asked if this was appropriate.
16 John Roberts said yes, the Board can agree to excuse by a vote.
17
18 A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Bedford to
19 move item 8-e, and recuse Commissioner McKee from the discussion.
20
21 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
22
23 Chair Rich requested to move item 8-f from the consent agreement to make a
24 comment.
25
26 Approval of Remaining Consent Agenda
27
28 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Bedford to
29 approve the remaining items on the consent agenda.
30
31 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
32
33 a. Minutes
34 The Board approved the minutes from September 3 Regular Meeting, September 10 Special
35 Meeting, September 10 Work Session, and September 17, 2019 as submitted by the Clerk to
36 the Board.
37 b. Motor Vehicle Property Tax Releases/Refunds
38 The Board adopted a resolution, which is incorporated by reference, to release motor vehicle
39 property tax values for ten taxpayers with a total of ten bills that will result in a reduction of
40 revenue, in accordance with NCGS.
41 c. Property Tax Releases/Refunds
42 The Board adopted a resolution, which is incorporated by reference, to release property tax
43 values for sixteen taxpayers with a total of thirty-eight bills that will result in a reduction of
44 revenue in accordance with North Carolina General Statute 105-381.
45 d. Applications for Property Tax Exemption/Exclusion
46 The Board adopted a resolution, which is incorporated by reference, to approve seven
47 untimely applications for exemption/exclusion from ad valorem taxation for nine bills for the
48 2019 tax year.
49 Performance Agreement Between the Town of Chapel Hill and Visitors Bureau
50
11
1 Chair Rich said she wants to acknowledge Chapel Hill's support via occupancy tax,
2 and it has been very supportive. She said the Visitors Bureau runs completely on occupancy
3 taxes, not property tax dollars. She thanked Chapel Hill for its continued efforts in supporting
4 the Visitors Bureau.
5
6 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee to approve item 8-f, the Performance
7 Agreement between the Town of Chapel Hill and the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors
8 Bureau; seconded by Commissioner Price.
9
10 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
11
12 e. Approval of a Design Contract for Construction Materials Testing and Special
13 Inspections Services for the Northern Campus Construction Project
14
15 A motion was made by Commissioner Bedford, seconded by Commissioner Price to
16 approve the professional services contract with Summit Design and Engineering Services,
17 PLLC, totaling $245,238 to perform materials testing and special inspection services for the
18 Northern Campus construction project, upon final review by the County Attorney, and
19 authorized the Chair to sign it.
20
21 VOTE: UNANIMOUS (Commissioner McKee recused)
22
23 9. County Manager's Report
24 Bonnie Hammersley introduced the new Housing Director, Emila Sutton, who has
25 been on staff for a week.
26 Emila Sutton said she happy to be here and pleased with the innovative advances
27 Orange County has made towards housing issues. She briefly reviewed her work history.
28
29 10. County Attorney's Report
30 John Roberts said the Supreme Court case involving Orange County has been
31 continued at the Plaintiff's request, but the Court will add two additional cases to the docket.
32 He said the Clerk of Court can arrange for tickets if the Board would like to attend the event.
33 John Roberts said that the Legislature has not had a lot of activity lately; they continue
34 to convene but not much is happening.
35 John Roberts said the firearms issue has been discussed with the Planning
36 Department, and it may not be available for further discussion until February.
37 John Roberts said a few Ordinance amendments are forthcoming, which include the
38 clearing up of a discrepancy about pocket knives in County buildings, but this is not related to
39 the other firearms discussions.
40 Commissioner McKee said that Chatham County takes these weapons when you
41 enter a County building.
42 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if pocket knives are allowed in the Orange County
43 Courthouse.
44 John Roberts said yes, but it must not exceed the length restrictions, and there is a
45 discrepancy in the length description of weapons in the code, which he will fix and bring it
46 back to the BOCC for consideration.
47
48 11. Appointments
49 None
50
51 12. Information Items
12
1 The Board received the following information items:
2
3 • September 17, 2019 BOCC Meeting Follow-up Actions List
4 • Tax Collector's Report— Numerical Analysis
5 • Tax Collector's Report— Measure of Enforced Collections
6 • Tax Assessor's Report— Releases/Refunds under$100
7 • Memorandum - Petition Regarding Assessment of"Southeast Rural Buffer Triangle"
8 • Memorandum - Response to Petition Regarding Development of Affordable Housing
9 within Orange County
10 Request for Information on the Orange County Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
11 Memorandum - Orange County Local Roots Festival 2020 (formerly Orange County
12 LocalFest)
13
14 13. Closed Session
15 None
16
17 14. Adjournment
18
19 A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Bedford to
20 adjourn the meeting at 8:05 p.m.
21
22 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
23
24 Penny Rich, Chair
25
26
27 Sherri Ingersoll
28 Deputy Clerk
1
1 Attachment 2
2
3 DRAFT
4
5 MINUTES
6 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
7 JOINT MEETING WITH THE ORANGE COUNTY FIRE CHIEF'S COUNCIL
8 October 3, 2019
9 7:00 p.m.
10
11 The Orange County Board of Commissioners held a joint meeting with the Orange County Fire
12 Chiefs' Council on Thursday, October 3, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Building in
13 Hillsborough, N.C.
14
15 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Penny Rich and Commissioners Jamezetta
16 Bedford, Mark Dorosin, Mark Marcoplos, and Renee Price
17 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Sally Greene, Earl McKee
18 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts
19 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager
20 Travis Myren, and Deputy Clerk Sherri Ingersoll (All other staff members will be identified
21 appropriately below.)
22 FIRE CHIEFS PRESENT:
23 Caldwell - Brad Allison, Fire Chief; Buddy Hartley, President, Board of Directors
24 Cedar Grove - Jeff Borland, Fire Chief
25 Efland - Pete Hallenbeck, Efland Deputy Fire Chief
26 Eno — Ralph McDonald, Assistant Chief; Wayne Paschall, Board of Directors
27 New Hope - Charles Bowden, Fire Chief; Cliff Carroll, President, Board of Directors
28 North Chatham - John Strowd, Fire Chief; Chuck Quinlan, President, Board of Directors
29 Orange Grove - Steve McCauley, Fire Chief; Bill Waddell, President, Board of Directors
30 Orange Rural - Jeff Cabe, Fire Chief
31 SORS - Matthew Mauzy, Chief, South Orange Rescue Squad (SORS)
32 Town of Carrboro — Brad Harvey, Interim Chief, Town of Carrboro
33 Town of Chapel Hill - Matt Sullivan, Fire Chief, Town of Chapel Hill
34 White Cross —Tony Blake, President, Board of Directors
35 Jason Shepherd, Orange County Fire Marshal
36 Dinah Jeffries, Orange County Emergency Services Director
37
38 Chair Rich called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
39
40 Welcome and Introductions
41 Chair Rich said she and Chief Sullivan met a few weeks ago, and had a good meeting
42 about agenda items.
43 The group introduced themselves.
44
45 Agenda:
46 The Orange County Fire Chiefs made brief remarks that included information regarding the
47 following topics:
48 • Overview of the Fire Service in Orange County
49 • Examples of Mutual Aid Between Departments
50 • Training Facility on Millhouse Road
2
1 o Durham Tech Assistance
2 • Radio System
3 • Workforce Development
4
5 Matt Sullivan, Chapel Hill Fire Chief, said he has been serving as President of Fire
6 Chiefs' Council for the past year. He said the Council meets six times a year, and get things
7 done. He recognized Commissioner Dorosin, Commissioner Price and Commissioner McKee
8 for serving now, or in the past, on the Council. He said tonight he will provide an update of the
9 last 8 months, since the Chiefs last met with the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) in
10 February. He said the Council discussed if this gathering is important, and it was unanimously
11 agreed upon that it is important to discuss issues.
12 Matt Sullivan said Tracy Lambert died last week, after a long fight with cancer. He said
13 this was a major loss, and she was a joy to work with. He said her husband also has cancer,
14 and their family is in the Council's prayers. He said this weekend Chief Cabe will travel to
15 Maryland; also it has been a year since Jeff Holden passed away. He said the fire departments
16 have a great relationship with Orange County Emergency Services (OCES) and Dinah Jeffries,
17 Emergency Services Director, and appreciate and enjoy the collaboration.
18
19 Matt Sullivan made the following PowerPoint presentation:
20
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21
Who We Are
•10 Fire Departments
•South Orange Rescue Squad
•Orange County Emergency Services
585 Firefighters
133 Emergency Services
105 EMS/Rescue/Technical Volunteers
22
3
Tonight's Discussion
"What it takes to provide Fire Protection in 0range Couryw
•Collaboration and Teamwork
•Our Key Priorities:
•Training
•Communication/Radios
•Workforce Development and Preservation
•Training Center update
1
Examples of Collaboration
•Quarterly Mutual Aid Training
•Live Burn Training/Pre-Demolition Training
•County Wide Water Hauls
•Town of Chapel Hill July 4 and Major Events
•Tanker Task Force
•Storm Response(and beyond OC)
•Four Department Structure Fire Dispatch
2
3 Matt Sullivan said that mutual aid training decreases costs in the insurance area, and
4 helps all of the systems. He said Chief Cabe has led the charge for providing this quarterly
5 training.
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6
7 • Live Burn trainings
8 • The need for water hauls was determined after the OWASA water shut down. He said a
9 system has been developed when any area needs water, the dispatcher can release
10 anyone to provide substantial amount of water to keep the hospital and other agencies
11 operating. He said this collaboration came out of a crisis, and collaborative work is very
12 strong, and extends to major events throughout the state.
4
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2
3 Matt Sullivan said this slide shows Tankers at UNC Hospital and Orange High School,
4 showing a response to two emergency events simultaneously.
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6 Steakhouse live burn
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Fourthof July and other majorevents
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Emergency
Communications
6
1 Matt Sullivan said this is an issue requiring continued focus. He said it is a desperate
2 need, and all appreciate the work Orange County Emergency Services has put into this. He
3 resumed the PowerPoint situation:
Workforce Development and Preservation
•High School Fire Academies
a..
•Training Facility s
•
•Health and Safety
Critical Incident Stress M anagem ent
•Cancer Prevention -
4
5 Matt Sullivan said the fire academies are very strong. He said Chapel Hill High School
6 just had its first graduating class, and 16 people are currently enrolled. He said there is a
7 waiting list at Orange High School to get into the program. He said the academies are a great
8 opportunity to get local kids to participate. He said Durham Tech has also expressed an
9 interest in running an Orange County fire academy, and this is a better alternative than the
10 changeover in paid positions between areas.
11 Chair Rich asked if the academy graduates find jobs after graduation.
12 Matt Sullivan said when they graduate high school, they are two classes short of full fire
13 certification, if they have taken all of the high school classes. He said a hazmat course and the
14 live burn require a student to be 18, which is a challenge for high schoolers. He said the
15 graduates can apply for, and work toward a job. He said none have applied for a position yet,
16 but their participation in the in the academy will be a plus and the program is still new.
17 Matt Sullivan said cancer prevention is difficult, and is a major concern. He said the
18 Council is taking a very active role with this issue, and with mental health, and is looking into a
19 peer support team after a critical event. He resumed the PowerPoint presentation:
Training Center Update
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20
21
22 Matt Sullivan said there is good news, but not the best news. He said Chief Nassar has
23 been the key in this process, and found a grant for$350,000, and there is now 10 acres of
24 Town of Chapel Hill property on Millhouse Road. He said funding is coming from various
25 governments; Durham Tech, the Sherriff's Department and other agencies have helped. He
26 said the training site was just tested today. He said this training facility belongs to the Orange
27 County Chiefs, not the County or Durham Tech, which results in the Chiefs having a personal
28 interest in making it last a long time. He said other agencies have not been able to sustain
29 these types of props, but the Council is working hard toward making this one last.
7
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1
2 Matt Sullivan said the tower structure was installed last week, and includes two areas
3 that can be burned. He said the small structure is a flash over simulator, which creates
4 conditions for flashovers, which is a leading killer of firefighters. He resumed the PowerPoint
5 presentation:
6
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7 I
8 Matt Sullivan said this is a picture from today's burn training. He said one other piece
9 that is important is a stormwater retention basin to keep the water clean. He said a pond was
10 created to simulate rafting conditions, which also works to get water out to protect the resource.
11 He said there is still interest in getting water onsite. He said this site is great for those in the
12 southern part of the County, but it is not as helpful to those in the northern part, as it is a long
13 haul. He said this is step one, and all of the departments will continue to look at the total need
14 for this type of training throughout the County. He said another prop, or a more centrally located
15 training facility, is needed. He said he is encouraged that Durham Tech stepped up and
16 assisted with some money.
8
1 Jeff Cabe, Orange Rural Fire Chief, reiterated that this would not have happened without
2 White Cross taking the lead, putting a lot of money into it, and made great efforts to get funding,
3 and provide support with food and drinks at the training.
4 Commissioner Dorosin asked if there are ongoing operating costs that will need to be
5 covered.
6 Jeff Cabe said each department pays $2,000 a year in maintenance fees, and that will
7 keep gravel and future props going, and hopefully add on to it. He said hopefully these funds
8 will not have to be used to replace props. He said there are other potential opportunities in the
9 area including a natural gas line to consider going forward.
10 Matt Sullivan thanked the BOCC for its time and ongoing support to keep things
11 moving forward.
12 Commissioner Marcoplos said he is glad the Chiefs value these meetings with the
13 BOCC. He asked if more information could be given about the rise in cancer risks with
14 firefighting, and if needs or solutions have been identified to help.
15 Jeff Cabe said cancer amongst firefighters has been a problem for some time, but has
16 come to the forefront recently. He said it is a serious issue, and is killing firefighters. He said
17 it has hindered people for retention, and from coming into the business. He said all are
18 working very hard to do an extensive decon process, to clean up the fire gear fully and
19 quickly, and a lot of it is training and awareness. He said for some in this room tonight, it is
20 too late, and the risk is understood for the professional firefighters. He said protecting
21 volunteers is a bigger problem, and there is a great effort to reduce the risk of exposure in
22 firefighting gear. He said buying additional equipment, such as structural gear, helps in some
23 situations, but it gets smoke contained in certain types of fires. He said the solution is
24 extensive decon, and having portable showers at the sites and treating situations like hazmat,
25 but Orange County does not have enough resources to do this.
26 Tony Blake, President, Board of Directors for White Cross said it would be good to be
27 able to provide a baseline medical check each year for the volunteers, which is being looked
28 into. He said it would also be good to provide health insurance for the volunteers, but there is
29 an IRS ruling that prohibits governments to provide health insurance to nonprofits without being
30 a government agency. He said the BOCC may be able to help on the legislative side to create
31 some solutions.
32 Pete Hallenback, Efland Fire Chief said his department has had 4 firefighters develop
33 cancer in their early 40's and 50's, all of which were typical cancers developed by firefighters.
34 He said this problem is very real.
35 Commissioner Price referred to the equipment for cleaning suits, and asked if Durham
36 or Wake County has it, and if collaboration is possible.
37 Jeff Cabe said the machine is like a commercial washer. He said there are a few
38 machines in the County, but this involves multiple layers of cloth, and there is no way to get it
39 all out. He said the machines cost $8,000 - $10,000 each, and contracting the cleaning out is
40 very expensive, and the equipment is gone for several weeks. He said the best option would
41 be to get rid of equipment after one use, but that is not a financially viable plan.
42 Commissioner Dorosin asked if recruitment could be discussed, and if understaffing is
43 a problem.
44 Matt Sullivan said recruitment is actually two different questions: the escalating harm
45 risk and salary. He said the Council is working with the Human Resources department to see
46 what can be done. He said starting salaries are not as high as Wake County and Cary, so
47 competition is high, but there is a local training opportunities program, which helps.
48 Ralph McDonald, Eno Assistant Chief, said the other issue is with the rural areas. He
49 said volunteers who are getting out of school are going out of the County, or with their
50 working schedules, they fail to show up. He said the new kids are looking at it as a career;
9
1 and people do not come to the volunteer departments. He said there are so many other
2 things to do, and the interest is not there to volunteer.
3 Jeff Cabe said volunteers get a pager, which is 24/7 and holidays. He said the world
4 runs on schedules, and people do not want to come at all hours of the day and night. He said
5 those in Carrboro and Chapel Hill get a state pension, and volunteers do not often have the
6 energy after working full time to do the work that is needed. He said it is typically the paid
7 firefighters that show up. He said everyone is vastly understaffed.
8 Pete Hallenback, Efland Fire Chief, said there are also demographic and societal
9 changes. He said when he started, employers let people take off time from work to respond.
10 He said fewer people are working in Efland, and with longer commutes and increased call
11 volume, employers are not willing to be flexible. He said there must be people to respond
12 during the day, but people do not want to work somewhere full-time without a pension. He
13 said he is worried about the cancer issue, as parents are going to start strongly deterring their
14 children from being firefighters.
15 Matt Mauzy, SORS Chief, said he can recruit people at UNC to who are considering
16 the line of work as a future career, but they are constantly cycling through. He said
17 scheduling is a problem, and collaboratively working with other departments can create a
18 problem, creating short staff to meet needs. He said long-term rescue positions are very
19 difficult to fill, due to other work schedules and employers not letting people be off work to
20 assist. He said some of the best people recruits have come from high school, which has
21 been positive.
22 Commissioner Dorosin asked if there are any solutions, and is it better to have paid
23 part-time staff versus permanent staff.
24 Tony Blake, White Cross Board of Directors' President, said things are moving in this
25 direction, and he has volunteers and part-time staff.
26 Brad Harvey, Interim Chief Town of Carrboro, said the idea of offering insurance to
27 volunteers would be great. He said the he lowered the hiring age to 19, because people were
28 getting lost in the gap between ages 19-21. He said getting people when they are in high
29 school is key.
30 Tony Blake said he is not asking the Board to pay for the insurance, but having a
31 health baseline is critical.
32 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if the hiring age policy came from somewhere
33 specific.
34 Brad Harvey, Town of Carrboro, said it was an internal policy, and he had to lower it to
35 19, and decided to take a chance to line people up early before they are lost.
36 Matt Sullivan said 18 is the minimum age, and maturity can be a problem. He said a
37 great deal of training and mentoring is needed, but it has been positive so far.
38 Ralph McDonald said this has been a problem with rural areas, and if paid firefighters
39 are employed 24/7, then volunteers are lost. He said volunteers lose interest if they cannot
40 ride on the truck for a call.
41 Charles Bowden, New Hope Fire Chief, said it has changed guidelines for how far
42 away from the station people can live. He said the average house size is now is 3,000 square
43 feet, which is a growing risk. He said part of the fix is allowing people to stay at the fire
44 station, but, if there is no truck, people do not show up.
45 Brad Allison, Caldwell Fire Chief, said Caldwell is blessed to have a lot of volunteers,
46 but the volunteers do not want paid staff at the station. He said it is a different environment
47 now, but he excited about the high school academies.
48 Chair Rich asked if there is a point at which this becomes critical, and if it will affect
49 the safety of the residents if there are not enough people to fight the fire.
50 Brad Allison, Caldwell Fire Chief said there must be adequate certified personnel on
51 the roster to even keep the doors open. He said Orange County is in good shape, but it is
10
1 important to keep these folks, and not allow them to be fearful of the risks. He said it was not
2 a concern when he was young and got involved.
3 Pete Hallenback said the junior program is one of the most frustrating and rewarding.
4 He said it is hard to know exactly when the situation will become critical, but it is important for
5 the Council to watch this carefully.
6 Jeff Cabe said it is difficult to run everything, and his departments offer a wide variety
7 of response. He said it is really hard to get very qualified people to do all of the jobs. He said
8 there are some paid people, but the volunteers drop off. He said the minimums do not tell the
9 full story of the problem, and greater depth is needed on the bench. He said it takes
10 everyone in this room to make it happen, and to keep the community safe.
11 Commissioner Dorosin asked Chief Sullivan if this is one of his last meetings.
12 Matt Sullivan said this is his last meeting of this type, as he is retiring.
13 Commissioner Dorosin expressed gratitude to Chief Sullivan for all he has done for all
14 the community.
15 Chair Rich also thanked Chief Sullivan, noting he has had a long successful career,
16 and she is grateful for having worked with him.
17
18 The meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
19
20 Penny Rich, Chair
21
22 Sherri Ingersoll
23 Deputy Clerk
24