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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 02-04-2020 Business Meeting 1 APPROVED 3/10/2020 MINUTES BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BUSINESS MEETING February 4, 2020 7:00 p.m. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in a Business Meeting on Tuesday, February 4, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough, N.C. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Penny Rich and Commissioners Jamezetta Bedford, Mark Dorosin, Earl McKee, Mark Marcoplos, and Renee Price COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Commissioner Greene COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager Travis Myren, and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below.) Chair Rich called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda Chair Rich noted the following item at the Commissioners' places: - PowerPoint for Item 5-a PUBLIC CHARGE The Chair acknowledged the public charge. Arts Moment Dan Mayer, Orange County Arts Commission Member, introduced Nancy Peacock: Nancy Peacock, served as Piedmont Laureate in 2018, and is the author of the novels Life Without Water (chosen as a New York Times Notable Book), Home Across the Road, and The Life and Times of Persimmon Wilson, winner of Shelf Unbound Best Self Published Novel, and Writer's Digest Best Self-Published Book in Mainstream Fiction, later traditionally published by Atria Press. She is also the author of the memoir and "writing-in-the-real-world" guide A Broom of One's Own: Words on Writing, Housecleaning and Life, which chronicles the many years she spent dusting her own books as she earned a living cleaning houses, and what she learned about writing from that humbling experience. Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild, says of A Broom of One's Own, "Each essay is an engaging, well-written, funny and poignant journey into Nancy Peacock's generous spirit, humble heart and incisive mind." Nancy runs writing groups for women and for 16 years has facilitated a popular, free Prompt Writing Workshop, now held at Flyleaf Books the second Saturday of every month. Nancy Peacock read a piece called, "Cookies". 2. Public Comments a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda Annette Moore introduced Frances Castillo, the new Chair of the Human Relations Commission (HRC), and said they are here to talk about the 30t" anniversary of the Pauli Murray Awards, which will be held on February 23rd from 3:00-5:00 p.m. She said the guest 2 speaker will be Ed Pavlic, Ph.D., a Distinguished Research Professor of English and African American Studies at the University of Georgia, and the evening will also include poetry, dance, and music. Frances Castillo said the winners of the Pauli Murray Awards were: Mae McLendon Adult Awardee Thea Barrett Youth Awardee Annette Moore said the HRC created a task force to work on increasing diversity on boards and commissions. She said the task force has already created a survey, and will be sending it out to all volunteers who are currently serving on the boards and commissions to gather demographic information. Commissioner McKee said he would regretfully be unable to attend the Pauli Murray awards ceremony, as he will be out of state. b. Matters on the Printed Agenda (These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda below.) 3. Announcements, Petitions and Comments by Board Members Commissioner Dorosin asked if the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) could get a one-page information sheet that explains the County's budget process, especially regarding school funding and the monitoring of funds that occurs once the County has approved the budget. He said this would be very helpful to hand out to the public. Commissioner Price said this is Black History Month and Black History is a part of American history. She encouraged everyone to check out the many programs taking place throughout the County. Commissioner Price said the Census Bureau still has part-time jobs available. Commissioner Price recognized David Caldwell for all he has done in Orange County, noting that he just retired. Commissioner McKee said a resident has petitioned the Board to consider reciting the pledge of allegiance at meetings. He said this item should have been a Board discussion and not an information item. He petitioned to bring this back as an agenda item. Commissioner Price said the information sheet on this item states that Chair/Vice Chair agreed that this would be an information item, but she did not agree to such a decision. She said the page in the Commissioners' packets is incorrect. Commissioner Bedford said there will be another job fair in the County in March. Chair Rich asked if staff would provide more information on the job fair. Commissioner Marcoplos said he appreciated and supported Commissioner Dorosin's request on the budget process. Commissioner McKee said he and Commissioner Price attended the GoTriangle Special Tax meeting, and were given information, which he will share with the Board electronically. He said there was a great video on electric buses, which he will also share. Chair Rich thanked Commissioner Dorosin for his request, and said the questions asked at last night's candidate forum were not correct. She said either the schools or the general public do not understand the County's budget process, and it is important to have accurate information. Chair Rich agreed with recognizing David Caldwell. Chair Rich said she met some high school students at last night's meeting from the "Sunrise Movement", who are very concerned about climate change. She invited them to come to a BOCC meeting, and address the Board. 3 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/ Special Presentations a. National Register Approval for Cedar Grove School and the Schley Grange Hall The Board considered the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) recommendation that the historic properties known as the Cedar Grove School and the Schley Grange Hall be approved and forwarded to the State Historic Preservation Office for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and authorizing the Chair to sign. Peter Sandbeck, Cultural Resources Coordinator reviewed this information below, presented a PowerPoint (photos only) of both sites, as well as an oral history. BACKGROUND: The federal process for listing a property in the National Register of Historic Places include a provision giving the BOCC the opportunity to offer a recommendation supporting or opposing the listing of historic properties within its jurisdiction. The HPC fully supports the nomination of these properties to the National Register. As required, the HPC held a public hearing and received public comment about these proposed National Register listings at its regular meeting on January 22, 2020. DEAPR contracted with consultants to prepare the National Register Reports to promote recognition for properties of special historical, architectural or cultural significance to Orange County. This is an ongoing HPC program to protect and preserve historic resources. Funding was provided through the County's Lands Legacy Program, which includes as one of its priorities the protection of"lands of historic, cultural, or archaeological significance." The National Register is an honorary designation that carries no local regulatory burden, but does provide a federal and state process for protection in the case of projects receiving federal or state funding, or projects that require some form of federal or state permit or license. The attached excerpts from the National Register Reports provide brief statements on the significance and describe how the properties meet the applicable National Register criteria (Attachments 1 and 2). FINANCIAL IMPACT: The National Register Reports were funded in part from the Lands Legacy Program budget for FY 2018-19. The Cedar Grove School cost was $3,500 (less than usual cost due to DEAPR staff providing much of the research). The Schley Grange Hall cost totaled $2,750 in County funds, plus $2,750 in matching funds provided by the Schley Grange. Commissioner McKee said he enjoyed hearing the history of these two important buildings. He said the Grange was very active and then fell off years ago, but has been revived by some of the originally involved families. Peter Sandbeck said this is so true, and the Grange is really on solid footing these days. Commissioner Price said compliments to all for bringing this about. She said historic preservation is typically about the best of the best, and preserving places that have such a legacy is so important. She said at one time both buildings were going to be deconstructed, but community activism saved them. She said both of these buildings were built and existed during the days of segregation, but they are no longer this way. Chair Rich asked if the County will have any responsibility for these sites if they are placed onto the national registry. Peter Sandbeck said this is an honorary program, not a regulatory one, and the County is expected to follow the advice of its HPC in terms of preserving the character and appearance of the buildings, and trying to maintain them in good condition. He said the County would have no official review control over it, and the expectation exists, but without a "hammer". He said 4 the community has considered having these buildings designated as County landmarks for future protection. Commissioner Dorosin asked if it would be possible to expand or add onto the community center. Peter Sandbeck said this has been discussed, and is always acceptable. He said the HPC and the County would work together on any such project. A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Price for the Board to endorse the National Register Nominations of the Cedar Grove School and Schley Grange Hall and authorize the Chair to sign the Elected Official Comment Letters (Attachment 3) to indicate the Board's recommendation for listing both properties in the National Register. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Chair Rich said Commissioner Greene is absent tonight because she is taking weekly course at the School of Government. 5. Public Hearings7 a. Amendment of the Master Telecommunication Plan Map (MTP) The Board held a public hearing, receive comment, and consider action on a request to modify the Master Telecommunication Plan Map (MTP) in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.10.2 Master Telecommunication Plan of the Orange County Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). Specifically, the BOCC is considering a request to add 7203 Union Grove Church Road to the MTP. Michael Harvey, Current Planning and Zoning Supervisor, presented the item: BACKGROUND: There are portions of the County that are either not served, or are underserved, by telecommunication services. This has become an impediment to essential County communications for several departments (i.e. Emergency Management, Sheriff, Information Technologies, Building Inspections, Health Department, etc.) and has negatively impacted local residents. In an attempt to address these issues, the County created the MTP. The MTP is, ultimately, a marketing tool identifying properties where owners have expressed an interest in allowing the development of telecommunication facilities. Staff encourages providers to develop facilities on these properties in an effort to promote the efficient distribution of telecommunication facilities serving the public at large as well as public safety telecommunication networks. Requests to include/remove properties from the MTP are processed consistent with the provisions of Section 5.10.2 of the LIDO. Such requests must be submitted to the Planning Department by December 1 of each year and are reviewed annually, as warranted, by the BOCC at the first public hearing of the calendar year. The MTP was originally approved by the BOCC on February 28, 2011. Minutes from that meeting can be accessed at: http://server3.co.orange.nc.us:8088/WebLink/0/doc/22420/Page1.aspx. At this time the MTP, a copy of which is contained in Attachment 1, includes 15 parcels identified as follows: 1. The Cedar Grove Fire Department, PIN 9838-85-4442 (P-1); 2. The Cedar Grove County Park, PIN 9858-84-9350 (P-2); 5 3. The Caldwell Fire Department, PIN 9898-57-4171 (P-3); 4. The future County Northeast Park, PIN 9887-52-0801 (P-4); 5. The Walnut Grove County Solid Waste facility, PIN 9867-41-9070 (P-5); 6. The Eno Fire Department, PIN 9896-80-8705 (P-6); 7. Property off of Buckhorn Road, PIN 9834-28-9281 (P-7); 8. The County's soccer field complex off of West Ten Road, PIN 9834-28-9281 (P-8); 9. The County's Blackwood park property off of NC Highway 86, PIN 9872-55-7302 (P-9); 10. The County's Millhouse Road park property, PIN 9871-51-9160 (P-10); 11. An OWASA site, PIN 9830-25-2373 (P-11); 12. The American Stone Quarry site off of NC Highway 54, PIN 9759-54-4146 (P-12); 13. White Cross Volunteer Fire Department, PIN 9738-50-6758 (P-13); 14. 2200 Mangum Court, PIN 9797-32-6626 (P-14); 15. 3820 Cedar Run Court, PIN 9846-65-1414 (P-15). Inclusion of a parcel on the MTP does not exempt telecommunication facilities from complying with applicable development standards as prescribed within Section 5.10 of the UDO. A synopsis of existing allowances/requirements is contained within Attachment 2. As previously indicated, staff has received a request from Mr. Greg Bohlen, the property owner, to include 7203 Union Grove Church Road on the MTP. The property, further identified utilizing Orange County Parcel Identification Number (PIN) 9860-28-9935, is an approximately 10 acre parcel of property zoned Rural Buffer (RB) University Lake Protected Watershed Protection Overlay District. Please refer to Attachment 3 for a copy of the legal advertisement for this hearing and Attachment 4 for a map of the property. This is an area where existing telecommunication services (i.e. cell phone, emergency communications, broadband, etc.) have been found to be deficient. Planning Director's Recommendation: The Director has determined there is a need for additional telecommunication infrastructure/services in this area to address the need for reliable cellular service, increase the effectiveness of the existing emergency communications network and increasing opportunities for broadband services. Further, the Director has found the request consistent with several provisions of the 2030 Comprehensive Plan, notably: • Land Use Overarching Goal: Coordination of the amount, location, pattern and designation of future land uses, with availability of County services and facilities sufficient to meet the needs of Orange County's population and economy consistent with other Comprehensive Plan element goals and objectives. • Services and Community Facilities Goal 7: Efficient and effective public safety including, police, fire, telecommunications, emergency services, and animal services. • Objective PS-T-6: Develop a mechanism for cooperation with telecommunication facilities stakeholders regarding the siting and design of towers. • Objective PS-T-7: Manage the number of future wireless telecommunication facilities by identifying preferred locations capable of accommodating service Countywide. • Objective PS-T-8: Encourage the expansion of affordable, high-speed Internet access, fiber-optic lines, and other high-speed communication networks to rural and underserved areas. • Objective PS-9: Maintain a radio communication system that ensures reliable notification and oversight of emergency assets, such as personnel, vehicles, and 6 response equipment, throughout Orange County and inter-operability of communication among jurisdictions. The Director recommends approval of the request to amend the MTP to include 7203 Union Grove Church Road as Site P-16. As the adoption/modification of the MTP does not involve the approval of a specific development project, establish regulatory guidelines, make formal recommendations on revising development criteria or establish recommendations on modifying development policies (i.e. small area plans), or provide any form of development approval, the Planning Board is not required to review or make a recommendation on the MTP. Attachment 5 includes the resolution modifying the MTP to include 7203 Union Grove Church Road. Michael Harvey made the following PowerPoint presentation: ITEM 5 (a) - PUBLIC HEARING AMENDMENT of Master Telecommunication Plan Map (MTP) Board of County Commissioners Public Hearing February 4, 2020 Background • There are portions of the County not served and/or underserved by telecommunication services; • This impacts essential communications (i.e. Emergency Management, Sheriff, Information Technologies, Building Inspections, Health Department, etc.) and negatively impacts local residents; • In an attempt to address these issues, the County created the MTP. Background-What does the MTP do? • Serves as a marketing tool identifying properties where owners, including public properties, have expressed an interest in allowing development of telecommunication facilities; • Assists staff in addressing impediments to essential communications with providers; • Represents a proactive step by the County to comprehensively address local communication issues and access to services. MTP • Originally adopted by BOCC in 2011; • Contains 15 properties (includes County owned, volunteer fire departments, utility sites, private property) What does the MTP not do: • Exempt properties from the normal review and approval processes for towers (i.e. admin site plan approval, issuance of special use permit, etc.); • Eliminate the need for permits prior to the start of construction (i.e. Zoning Compliance, Erosion Control, Building, etc.); • Convey or establish a greater use of property than otherwise exists within the UDO. 7 Why are we here: • Staff has received a request to include a parcel of property off Union Grove Church Road (PIN 9860-28-9935) on the MTP; Staff Findings: • There is a need for additional infrastructure in the area to: o Address reliable cellular service, o Increase effectiveness of the existing emergency communications, o Increasing opportunities for broadband services. • Request is consistent with adopted Comprehensive Plan; • Complements existing properties already part of the MTP. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board: 1. Receive the request; 2. Conduct the public hearing and accept comment; 3. Close the public hearing. (Note that, because this is a legislative decision, additional comments at a later date are permitted); 4. Approve Attachment 5 amending the MTP to include adding PIN 9860-28-9935. Commissioner Dorosin clarified that the decision to add this property is just that, and there has been no further process or proceeding with the property. Michael Harvey said the owner of the property would like to bring in his own tower permit immediately, and intends to offer the County a slot on the tower in order to erect telecommunication equipment. He said staff is keen to help the owner move forward, but it would not exempt the owner from getting all applicable permits. Commissioner Dorosin said this one is likely to move forward. Michael Harvey said this is on a fast track as the property owner thinks there is a unique and immediate interest to help the telecommunications needs of the local fire department. Commissioner Dorosin referred to the map, and asked if there are higher priority areas. He said there are currently 16 sites, mostly in the northern and western parts of the County. He said if this marketing tool works, and someone wants to build tower, would staff have a priority order in which to direct tower building. Michael Harvey said yes, and attachment 2 explains that all applicants are required to demonstrate being able to locate on one of the identified 16 sites, assuming BOCC approval. He said the applicant cannot do so, it must justify why. Commissioner Dorosin asked if there is any hierarchy within these 16 sites that could be incentivized. Michael Harvey said no, there is not a hierarchy within these 16 sites, but all development applications go the Development Advisory Committee, which is an internal staff committee that is attended by all County departments, most notably Emergency Services (EMS). He said there have been instances where EMS staff has identified areas with greater need, and has steered work in that direction. Michael Harvey said the map itself shows coverage gaps throughout the area and staff will push these areas of greater need, but lack a willing development partner. Commissioner Dorosin said that is helpful. He said the maps shows coverage gaps but no willing partner, and really there is just no coverage at all due to the lack of towers. 8 Michael Harvey said there are towers throughout the County, but there are still coverage gaps, and a lack of partnerships with private property owners. He said staff does remain hopeful. Commissioner Marcoplos asked if staff has a sense of how long it might take before tower developers start putting up towers. Michael Harvey said each year he is required to hold a meeting with all teleproviders, but none have attended for the last three years because providers are changing their models. He said teleproviders are petitioning the state to allow small cell sites in public rights of way, which would eliminate the need for towers altogether. Commissioner Marcoplos asked if the expectation is this will engender more interest. Michael Harvey said he hopes so, but with the changes forthcoming in this industry in the next 15-20 years, he expects there will be a massive change in how the telecommunication tower industry handles its business and installs infrastructure. He said he hopes companies will still take a look at the Cedar Grove Community Center. Commissioner Dorosin said last week the BOCC heard from Jim Northup, Chief Information Officer, about the broadband project and the issues around that and trees getting in the way. He asked if there is any overlapping collaboration between these two projects. Michael Harvey said everyone tries to coordinate, but his staff has not been as involved in the process as it would have hoped. He said there are several applications being reviewed currently, but these applications contain major issues, which staff is working through. He said the taller the structure, the better the signal will be. Commissioner Dorosin said the changes in the industry are important to keep in mind, but asked if should Board to consider how dire the situation is, and whether it would be worthwhile to incentivize meeting critical needs. He asked if the County has authority to erect a tower, if the need were deemed dire enough. Bonnie Hammersely said yes. Michael Harvey said the County has been to the 5-yard line with this type of action before, but not to the end zone. Commissioner McKee said this been has part of the conversation since 2012-2013. Michael Harvey said his department has a stellar working relationship with Emergency Services, and tries to coordinate whenever possible. He said as interest increases, he hopes that all emergency communication needs can be addressed. Chair Rich asked if Commissioner Dorosin would like to put this topic on a work session. Commissioner Dorosin said yes, and that it may be useful to have information from the Sheriff's Department, EMS, and Jim Northrup about the urgency of getting this infrastructure in place. He said it sounds like the Planning Department is doing all it can to engage private entities, and he wonders if there is anything more the County should be doing. He said this, coupled with the broadband issue, impacts a lot of people. A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Bedford for the Board to open the public hearing. VOTE: UNANIMOUS NO PUBLIC COMMENT A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner McKee to close the public hearing. 9 VOTE: UNANIMOUS (Note that, because this is a legislative decision, additional comments at a later date are permitted). Commissioner Dorosin said Jim Northrup is in the audience, and asked if he had any additional comment. Jim Northrup said not at this time. Bonnie Hammersley said staff can bring back additional information on this. A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Price to approve Attachment 5 amending the MTP to include adding 7203 Union Grove Church Road. VOTE: UNANIMOUS 5. Regular Agenda a. Climate Action Tax Recommendations for FY 2019-20 The Board received a report on climate change mitigation projects that could be funded through the FY 2019-20 Orange County Climate Action Tax, and the initial ranking of projects by the Commission for the Environment; and consider voting to approve funding for the recommended Climate Action Tax projects for FY 2019-20 as outlined in the attached report. Chair Rich said the Board will consider the first two recommendations tonight, with the last two possibly coming back in two weeks. BACKGROUND: As part of the FY 2019-20 budget, the Board of Orange County Commissioners authorized an additional % cent property tax to provide an estimated $469,272 dedicated to accelerating climate change mitigation through the new Climate Change Mitigation Project in the Capital Investment Plan. When the tax was authorized, the BOCC stated that it would decide the final prioritization of projects to be funded, and the Board requested that the Commission for the Environment (CFE) provide feedback on prospective projects in advance of BOCC review. The BOCC has emphasized the need to consider racial equity first, so that those who benefit most directly from the proposed action are the people who most need assistance. With that in mind, the Board directed staff to develop a project scoring formula for the CFE to use while completing its initial project ranking. Staff developed an initial list of climate change mitigation projects and then created the requested scoring formula based on six (6) key criteria: • racial equity • emissions reduced • efficient use of funds • time to complete • ease of understanding/messaging/visibility • likelihood of success After review by the County Manager, four projects focusing on climate actions outside of County operations were presented to the CFE at its meeting on November 11, 2019. The attached report includes the brief description of the projects and the assessment criteria that was given to the CFE, and lays out the CFE's scoring and ranking of the projects. In addition to the four projects created by staff, the CFE put forward a fifth project and scored it as 10 well. Since these potential projects involve investments outside of County operations, all prospective partners such as the school districts and housing coalition organizers have received an initial notification and brief description of the initially scored projects. No detailed project discussions have occurred in advance of BOCC direction. Brennan Bouma, Sustainability Coordinator, made the following PowerPoint presentation: Climate Action Tax Projects FY20 Orange County Sustainability Program "FOR A GREENER ORANGE" Background • Climate Action Tax approved for current budget • $469,272/yr. for additional climate action • Commission for the Environment scored and ranked projects • Requesting approval of recommended projects History of Climate Action • 2005 Greenhouse Gas Emissions inventory • 2009 Geothermal systems begin to be installed • 2010 Electric Vehicle charging network installed • 2017 SolSmart Silver Designation • 2017 Commitment to Paris Climate Accord - 26% reduction in total emissions by 2025. • 2017 Commitment to transition to 100% renewable energy countywide by 2050. • 2018 Triangle Regional Resilience Assessment • 2019 Orange County Climate Council and Climate Action Tax Current Climate Work • Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory update in final edits • Climate Action Planning in initial phase • Orange County Climate Council work underway • Grant-funded fleet electrification work ongoing • Orange County Commuter Options program • Global Covenant of Mayors annual reporting • Climate Action Tax Recommended FY20 Climate Actions • CFE Scoring: 6 part formula prioritizing racial equity o Racial Equity (0 to 3pts) o Emissions reduced (0 to 2 pts) o Efficient use of Funds (0 to 2 pts) o Time to complete (0 to 1 pt) o Ease of understanding/visibility/messaging (0 to 1 pt) o Likelihood of success (0 to 1 pt) Recommended FY20 Climate Actions (chart) Recommended FY20 Climate Actions: 11 Supplemental Weatherization • If <50% of Area Median Income, 12% of all income spent on energy • Leverage ongoing partnerships: OCHPC, OCAHC • Coalition organizers notified of potential project Recommended FY20 Climate Actions LED Campaign: • LEDs can lower energy bills 7-10% and they last 10 times longer • LIEAP and FSA are already serving energy insecure households • Pledge and energy efficiency impact • Partner departments notified of potential project Recommended FY20 Climate Actions Solar for Schools: • 3 proposed grant requirements -Consider leasing to maximize investment -Report energy output and % offset -Install a monitor for education • Schools notified of potential project Recommended FY20 Climate Actions (chart) Commissioner Marcoplos thanked staff for its work. He said he has done a lot of air- sealing in his career, and he imagined that more than 15-20 houses would be completed. He said replacing windows is a lot more expensive than caulking and foaming, and he asked if various options can be investigated to see if more homes can be air sealed through a variety of methods. He said he would like to get more bang for the buck, and help as many people as possible. Brennan Bouma said that is possible. He said the more he learns about this, the more complicated he understands it to be. He said he wanted to propose a conservative estimate, in case more houses have greater needs, such as HVAC systems, windows, etc. He said the pictures in the presentation are lower cost interventions, and if these are the types of improvements that the grant will fund, then more homes will be treated. Commissioner Marcoplos said he assumed air-sealing, weatherization, and insulation would take top priority. He said this would be a significant upgrade to a lot of houses. Commissioner Price referred to the solar array for the schools, and clarified that it is going to be a lease, with smaller amounts each year. She asked if there is a life expectancy for the equipment, and if there will be a party designated to handle repairs. Brennan Bouma said the recommendation is for the schools to consider leasing as one of two primary financing strategies. He said this is a fairly new funding arrangement that was enabled by house bill 589 in 2017. He said there are RFP examples that require the bidding companies to present two options: within the funding amount show how much solar could be achieved via an outright purchase; and how much could be achieved through a leasing arrangement. He said there are provisions for maintenance of the solar arrays that can be baked into the lease, along with the size of the systems, etc. Commissioner Price asked if there are benefits to leasing over purchasing. Brennan Bouma said the benefit of leasing over purchasing is that a much larger solar array can be obtained immediately, and thus the up front climate impact is larger. 12 Commissioner Price said this is a hypothetical, and asked if there is a difference between leasing and purchasing with installments. She asked if staff is suggesting a lease to own process. Brennan Bouma said staff is more likely thinking about lease to own. He said he assisted Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) with leasing solar at 5 different locations, and this is a good model to work from. Commissioner Price said in the Board's packet it says each school district is supposed to work through a grant, and asked if this would be a grant from the County. Brennan Bouma said yes. Commissioner Price agreed with Commissioner Marcoplos' comments about serving more homes. Commissioner Price said she is concerned as to whether weatherization is what people really need. She said the needs may be much larger. Commissioner Price referred to the proposal criteria, which mentions racial equity, but this is really an issue of socioeconomic needs. She said she realizes there are a disproportionate number of people of color with greater socioeconomic needs, but she wants to be clear that Black does not equal poor. She said people of all races are living below the poverty line, and she asked if there will be a way to insure that minority populations take advantage of the program, thus insuring racial equity, because the program is based on income. Brennan Bouma said this is a good question, and he will consider it. Commissioner Price said it is difficult to market this as having racial equity as a first priority, when there is no guarantee of racial equity. She said it is difficult to trust that it will just happen. Commissioner Dorosin said it may be useful to get some information about the demographics that the current County programs are serving. Commissioner Price said one's race and ethnicity should not matter, and people in need should be served. Chair Rich said the direction for racial equity came from the Board of Commissioners and staff should not take responsibility for it. She said some fine-tuning is needed. Commissioner Dorosin said it could be changed to economic equity. Commissioner Bedford said she read the resolution adopted by the BOCC last June, which states, "according to a formula that weighs the social justice and racial equity impacts." She said Commissioner Price's point is very valid, and the Board must consider how the racial equity piece will be covered. Commissioner Dorosin said he appreciated the provision for monitoring of program effectiveness, at least in regards to the solar panels. He said the light bulb portion has a pledge to ask people how many light bulbs they change. He asked if before and after assessments will be made, in regards to utility savings, once the weatherization improvements are made. He said there is an educational component of this program, and having data about savings on hand will be important. Commissioner Dorosin clarified that the plan is to put the school recommendations on hold until there are subsequent meetings with the staff and the schools. Chair Rich said that is correct, and the schools asked for a little extra time to review the information. She said McDougal and East already have small solar panels. Commissioner Dorosin asked if the idea is to have roof top panels on two schools, one in each district. Brennan Bouma said that is the vision, but it could be spelled out in a recommendation if needed. He said he can talk with the schools about these details. 13 Commissioner McKee said he is very much in favor of the weatherization effort and the LED recommended projects. Commissioner McKee said he found the back up information on the schools' projects sorely lacking, and he is glad that these projects are going to be deferred for further conversation, and buy in from school partners. He said he will send his questions to staff and the Board his questions, and there are a lot of details involved in these types of projects. Chair Rich said the Board signed onto a petition with Duke Energy to get solar onto the schools, and asked if this project would be in partnership with that one. Commissioner Marcoplos said this is completely separate. Chair Rich said if that is the case, then feasibly more than two schools could have solar panels. Commissioner Marcoplos said there will be a meeting with Duke Energy in the coming weeks including the Durham County Commissioners, Chatham County Commissioners, former Apex Town Councilman, and himself. He said the goal is to ask Duke Energy to duplicate its efforts in California and Arizona where it installed solar arrays on schools at no cost. Commissioner Marcoplos said the first solar array in North Carolina was built in Raleigh in a park and ride lot, so there are many options. Commissioner McKee said there should be more options than just placing the array on a roof. Commissioner Marcoplos said the Board spoke in recent months about putting solar arrays on some schools, and staff said more power could be generated, for the money, from one system, which made sense to him. He said one option would be to do a large array in one school system, followed by another large array in the other school system a year later. He asked if there is any merit to this idea, as there would be more energy generated for the dollar. Brennan Bouma said it is possible, and he could research this further. He said the $150,000 was chosen as a budgeting item based on a quote received to put solar on the roof of the Central Recreation Center, which was identified in the County's feasibility assessment as a top option, due to a recently replaced roof, good solar access, etc. Brennan Bouma said the Commission for the Environment is concerned with being equitable between the schools districts. Commissioner Marcoplos said he is curious if the amount of energy generated, for the cost invested, was significantly higher. He said he would like to have more information on the weatherization, and stressed the importance of keeping careful records and analyses on these projects. He said strong outreach around these projects will be very important, as there will be skeptics. He said he feels these projects will be successful, and having data will allay skepticism. He thanked staff for all its work. Commissioner Price referred to the LED campaign, and said one one matrix has a cost of $19,000 while the appendix lists it as $12,000. She asked if one number is more accurate. Brennan Bouma said the Commission for the Environment saw a cost of$12,000, and the hope was to reproduce the program in the way the Commission saw it. He said the costs were increased after conversations with project partners about needs being greater. He said the $19,000 is closer to what the actual cost will be. Commissioner Price said in the past there was a discussion of putting solar arrays in front of businesses and homes, but this option was determined to be unsightly, which may be in the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). She asked if staff would look into this, and possibly have this removed from the UDO. She said telephone poles are unsightly, and she does not want restrictions in place that will prevent cleaner and more efficient energy from moving forward. Commissioner Marcoplos said homeowner associations are likely the greatest impediment to these projects. 14 Commissioner Bedford referred to the solar rooftop portion, and asked if Duke Energy is involved in the funding. Brennan Bouma said there is currently a rooftop solar rebate, which is available to residents, businesses, governments and non-profits. He said, in the last two years, there has been money left over in the governments and non-profits section. He said for any one system there is up to $75,000 incentive from Duke Energy, depending on the size of the array. Commissioner Bedford asked if staff will know about this funding rebate prior to starting a project. Brennan Bouma said he needs to learn more about how the timing works, and those bidding on the projects would be very familiar with that process. Commissioner Bedford asked if rebates are guaranteed, or part of a lottery system for the year. Brennan Bouma said he believes it is first come first served, but as he mentioned, there have been unused grant funds in recent years so the odds of being awarded grants funds are likely. Commissioner Bedford said it would be more efficient if County tax dollars could be used in combination with grant funding. Commissioner Bedford said she is very interested in the hydropower feasibility study, and asked if staff would bring back information. She thanked staff for all its work, and looks forward to further conversations. Commissioner Price asked of staff could include information on who this would really impact. Brennan Bouma asked if Commissioner Price is interested in the impacts on power output. Commissioner Price said yes, when everything is in tip-top-shape, what are the benefits. Brennan Bouma said that is one of the questions that would be answered in the feasibility assessment. A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Bedford for the Board to approve funding for the recommended Climate Action Tax projects below for FY 19- 20: Supplemental Weatherization for Low Income Households 1 $150,000 Countywide LED Campaign 2 $19,272 Commissioner Dorosin asked if funds can be reallocated if the schools are not prepared to move forward this year. Chair Rich said yes. Commissioner Marcoplos said he has spoken before about a school in Union County that has screens in the hallways displaying energy use readouts within 4 zones, and the zones compete with each other for efficiency. He said this was an amazing educational opportunity that he would like to discuss with the school districts as well. He said he will send information to the Manager to forward to the schools prior to the upcoming meeting. Commissioner Price said she has a surplus of LED lights from Duke Energy, and asked if anyone else use them. 15 Brennan Bouma said yes, and staff is thinking about how to get families signed up for the free box of 15 LED bulbs from Duke Energy every 3 years, as it would allow the funds to stretch even further. He said it would be great to have an LED donation campaign on earth day. VOTE: UNANIMOUS 7. Reports NONE 8. Consent Agenda • Removal of Any Items from Consent Agenda Commissioner Dorosin pulled item 8-f • Approval of Remaining Consent Agenda A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Bedford to approve the remaining items on the Consent Agenda except f. VOTE: UNANIMOUS • Discussion and Approval of the Items Removed from the Consent Agenda f- Fiscal Year 2019-20 Budget Amendment #5 The Board considered voting to approve budget, grant and school capital project ordinance amendments for fiscal year 2019-20. Commissioner Dorosin referred to attachment 3, and asked if this spreadsheet could be explained. Paul Laughton, Finance and Administrative Services, said the spreadsheet shows repurposing of funds for projects that the Board of Education approved to close out and repurpose for some critical issues, three of which are mechanical systems. Commissioner Dorosin said the funds in the left money column represent extra money from completed projects. Paul Laughton said yes, there was surplus from the finished projects that could be repurposed for other reasons. He said the Board of Education will vote on that and bring a resolution to the BOCC for approval to change the capital project ordinances. Commissioner Dorosin asked if the approximately $610,000 is left over from a completed project, or if the project scope has been changed. Paul Laughton said the scope of the project has been changed, and the CHCCS Board approved moving and repurposing the funds to set up a contingency reserve for the Chapel Hill High School bond project. Commissioner Dorosin said it would be helpful to have more information in these charts: what the project originally was; the current status, more transparency, etc. He said the surplus funds are easy to understand but those projects that change scope needs more information. Commissioner Marcoplos asked if there is background on the process and how communication occurs between County staff and school staff. Paul Laughton said the County and school staffs meet a few times a year to review all currently funded projects. He said there are 6-month, as well as an annual review at the end of each fiscal year to look at the balances of each of the projects, current status, available surplus, 16 etc. He said County staff receives resolutions from the School boards, which allows staff to write the budget amendment as well as the capital project ordinances that correspond to the changes. Commissioner Marcoplos asked if the BOCC can receive reports from those joint staffs' meetings. Paul Laughton said yes. Commissioner Bedford said historically projects were not being closed out, and the County had to write off $5 million, followed by another $3 million. She said the process was tightened up greatly to avoid such issues from recurring. Chair Rich said BOCC candidates are asking questions, since this is an election year, and the public is very curious. She said there is a lack of understanding about how money is moved around, and a bit more information would be really helpful. A motion was made by Commissioner Dorosin, seconded by Commissioner McKee to approve budget, grant and school capital project ordinance amendments for fiscal year 2019-20 for Department on Aging; Sheriff's Office; Animal Services; and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. VOTE: UNANIMOUS a. Minutes The Board approved the minutes from January 21, 2020 as submitted by the Clerk to the Board b. Motor Vehicle Property Tax Releases/Refunds The Board adopted a resolution, which is incorporated by reference, to release motor vehicle property tax values for two taxpayers with a total of two bills that will result in a reduction of revenue in accordance with NCGS. c. Property Tax Releases/Refunds The Board adopted a resolution, which is incorporated by reference, to release property tax values for four taxpayers with a total of four bills that will result in a reduction of revenue in accordance with North Carolina General Statute 105-381. d. Application for Property Tax Exemption/Exclusion The Board considered one untimely application for exemption/exclusion from ad valorem taxation for one bill for the 2019 tax year. e. Advertisement of Tax Liens on Real Property The Board received the report on the amount of unpaid taxes for the current year that are liens on real property as required by North Carolina General Statute (NCGS) 105-369 and consider voting to approve March 18, 2020 as the date set by the Board for the tax lien advertisement and authorize the Chair to sign. f. Fiscal Year 2019-20 Budget Amendment #5 The Board approved budget, grant and school capital project ordinance amendments for fiscal year 2019-20 for Department on Aging; Sheriff's Office; Animal Services; and Chapel Hill- Carrboro City Schools. g. Change in BOCC Meeting Schedule for 2020 The Board approved one change to the Board of Commissioners' meeting calendar for 2020 to move the March 17 work session from Chapel Hill to Hillsborough. h. Request for Road Additions to the State Maintained Secondary Road System for Henderson Woods Lane, Martin Madden Way, and Shakori Trail in Henderson Woods Subdivision The Board made a recommendation to the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), and the North Carolina Board of Transportation (NC BOT), concerning a petition to 17 add Henderson Woods Lane, Martin Madden Way, and Shakori Trail in Henderson Woods Subdivision to the State Maintained Secondary Road System. i. Agreement Ratification of the Cane Creek Fire Protection District Amendment and Approval of Orange County Volunteer Fire Department Updated Agreements The Board voted to ratify the County Manager's signature to approve the 2020 Agreement between Orange County and Orange Grove Fire Department; and approve 2020 Fire Protection and Emergency Services Updated Agreements with Efland Fire Department, Cedar Grove Fire Department, Caldwell Fire Department and New Hope Fire Department and authorized the Chair to sign. 9. County Manager's Report Bonnie Hammersely said the February 11t" work session will be held at Southern Human Services Center, with an update on the schools joint action committee, related to class sizes and pre-K. She said the rest of the meeting will be Appointments discussion. 10. County Attorney's Report NONE 11. *Appointments NONE 12. Information Items • January 21, 2020 BOCC Meeting Follow-up Actions List • Tax Collector's Report— Numerical Analysis • Tax Collector's Report— Measure of Enforced Collections • Tax Assessor's Report— Releases/Refunds under $100 13. Closed Session NONE 14. Adjournment A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Bedford to adjourn the meeting at 8:57 p.m. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Penny Rich, Chair Donna Baker Clerk to the Board