HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda 10-19-2021; 8-a - Minutes 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: October 19, 2021
Action Agenda
Item No. 8-a
SUBJECT: Minutes
DEPARTMENT: Board of County Commissioners
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Draft Minutes (Under Separate Cover) Laura Jensen, Clerk to the Board, 919-
245-2130
PURPOSE: To correct and/or approve the draft 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.
Attachment 1: September 14, 2021 Virtual Business Meeting
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with this item.
SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: There is no Orange County Social Justice Goal impact associated
with this item.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: There is no Orange County Environmental Responsibility Goal
impact associated with this item.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board approve minutes as
presented or as amended.
Attachment 1
1
1 MINUTES
2 ORANGE COUNTY
3 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
4 VIRTUAL BUSINESS MEETING
5 September 14, 2021
6 7:00 p.m.
7
8 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Virtual Business Meeting on Tuesday,
9 September 14, 2021 at 7:00 p.m.
10
11 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Renee Price, Vice Chair Jamezetta Bedford,
12 and Commissioners Amy Fowler, Jean Hamilton, Sally Greene, Earl McKee, and Anna
13 Richards
14 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: None.
15 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts
16 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager
17 Travis Myren, and Clerk to the Board Laura Jensen. (All other staff members will be identified
18 appropriately below)
19
20 Chair Price called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m.
21
22 A roll call was called; all members were present.
23
24 Due to current public health concerns, the Board of Commissioners is conducting a Virtual
25 Business Meeting on Thursday, September 2, 2021. Members of the Board of Commissioners
26 participated in the meeting remotely. As in prior meetings, members of the public were able to
27 view and listen to the meeting via live streaming video at
28 http://www.orangecountync.gov/967/Meeting-Videos and on Orange County Gov-TV on
29 channels 1301 or 97.6 (Spectrum Cable).
30
31 In this new virtual process, there are two methods for public comment.
32 • Written submittals by email
33 • Speaking during the virtual meeting
34
35 Detailed public comment instructions for each method are provided at the bottom of this
36 agenda. (Pre-registration is required.)
37
38 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda
39
40 Chair Price said the County Manager requested that Item 6-a be pulled from the agenda,
41 due to some technicalities that need to be addressed by staff.
42 Bonnie Hammersley said there are some fundamental changes to the program that
43 came to light today, and staff would like some additional time to do a full analysis, in order to
44 bring the Board options and understand how to proceed. She asked the Board to review the
45 materials that were already provided in the meeting packet, and to let staff know if they would
46 like to add anything or have additional ideas or questions. She said a full analysis will be
47 completed for the October 5 meeting so the Board can make a well informed decision.
48 Chair Price asked the Board to direct any questions or concerns to the County Manager,
49 so staff can address them by the next meeting. She said staff is working with community
2
1 members in order to have an authentic analysis of what is going on and what will best help the
2 community.
3 Commissioner Greene asked if this delay would affect schedule with the tax office.
4 Bonnie Hammersley said it would only affect the timeline by 5 days. She said if staff is
5 able to bring a comprehensive presentation, from which the Board can make a decision, the
6 program can start being advertised and put into place on October 6.
7
8 A motion was made by Commissioner Bedford, seconded by Commissioner Fowler, to
9 postpone Item 6-a until the October 5, 2021 Business Meeting.
10
11 Roll call ensued
12
13 VOTE: Unanimous
14
15 Chair Price invited the County Manager to introduce a new department director.
16 Bonnie Hammersley introduced Dr. Sandra Strong, the new Animal Services Director.
17 She said she is a certified animal welfare scientist and veterinarian, and is well-qualified for the
18 position. She said Dr. Strong came on board on June 21, and has already been working for
19 quite some time and things are going well. She invited Dr. Strong to speak to the Board.
20 Dr. Sandra Strong, Animal Services Director, said she is a North Carolina native and
21 went to veterinary school at NC State, but did a public health certificate in leadership at UNC,
22 and so appreciates the Orange County community. She said she has done a lot of clinical
23 veterinary work for many years, but started working with animal services with the city of San
24 Antonio. She said she did contract consulting work looking at shelter operations at UC Davis.
25 She said she served as chief veterinarian in Wake County for 8 years, and worked with Bob
26 Morotto, the previous Orange County Animal Services Director. She said she is excited and
27 grateful for the opportunity to work for Orange County and serve the citizens. She said her
28 philosophy is if we can support people, both employees and the community, then the animals
29 will have good welfare because humans and animals are closely tied, and have been for
30 thousands of years. She said she is excited about science coming out about the human-animal
31 bond, noting that oxytocin is released in humans when animals are around and health is
32 improved by these interactions. She said more science is showing that pets can combat
33 depression and loneliness. She said animal services has an opportunity to lead with some of
34 that knowledge. She said there are also some challenges due to local ordinances, and there is
35 always controversy. She said her job is to continue on right path, continue to be innovative and
36 determine how to support people and animals. She said she is willing to meet with all, and
37 welcomed the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) to visit the shelter any time.
38 Chair Price welcomed Dr. Strong and welcomed comments from Commissioners.
39 Commissioner Bedford welcomed Dr. Strong and said she especially enjoys the
40 Facebook posts that the Animal Services Department does. She noted for the public that there
41 are no adoption fees right now.
42 Commissioner Fowler welcomed Dr. Strong and said she looks forward to working with
43 her.
44
45 Chair Price dispensed with reading the public charge.
46
47 Public Charge:
48 The Board of Commissioners pledges its respect to all present. The Board asks those attending
49 this meeting to conduct themselves in a respectful, courteous manner toward each other, county
50 staff and the commissioners. At any time should a member of the Board or the public fail to
51 observe this charge, the Chair will take steps to restore order and decorum. Should it become
3
1 impossible to restore order and continue the meeting, the Chair will recess the meeting until
2 such time that a genuine commitment to this public charge is observed. The BOCC asks that all
3 electronic devices such as cell phones, pagers, and computers should please be turned off or
4 set to silent/vibrate. Please be kind to everyone.
5
6 Arts Moment— No Arts Moment was available for this meeting.
7
8 2. Public Comments
9
10 a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda
11 Makeda Ma'at said she is a long time resident of the Landings at Windmore, and was
12 appointed to the board of managers of the Community Home Trust Landings LLC in November
13 2020. She said there is great concern with the way the Community Home Trust (CHT) works
14 with the residents to manage the Landings, creating an environment of distress, discrimination,
15 disenfranchisement and exclusion. She said the CHT Landings LLC operation agreement is not
16 adhered to, the board of managers is excluded from the website, and residents lost community
17 space to accommodate the site manager. She said there is discord and disrespect with the
18 current operational structure at the landings, with no option for non-biased stakeholders. She
19 said there is an overlapping structure where CHT plans, organizes, and facilitate the tenant
20 advisory committee, and some residents feels this cannot allow for fair representation of the
21 residents due to the manager's bias towards CHT. She said residents are taking sides and fear
22 retaliation from CHT. She said there is a lack of sufficient maintenance and maintenance staff.
23 She said CHT is putting up roadblocks to community engagement, and the residents request
24 the BOCC to review the procedures and policies of CHT, especially related to inclusion, resident
25 engagement, unfair treatment, decision making, etc. She asked if the BOCC would look into the
26 situation.
27
28 b. Matters on the Printed Agenda
29 (These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda
30 below.)
31
32 3. Announcements, Petitions and Comments by Board Members
33 Commissioner Fowler said she enjoyed seeing Schley Grange Hall entered into the
34 National Historic Register on Sunday and learning some of the history of the county.
35 Commissioner Hamilton said she was at Schley Grange as well, and echoed
36 Commissioner Fowler's comments. She said it is important to see evidence of cooperative spirit
37 in the community and hopes it is something that can continue into the future.
38 Commissioner Greene said she was also there, and appreciated Commissioner McKee's
39 remarks at the event. She said the Request for Proposals (RFP) for rural broadband has gone
40 out to the world. She said the title is "Orange County Rural Broadband Initiative for Private
41 Providers to Deploy, Operate, and Maintain a Broadband Internet Network Ensuring That
42 Currently Unserved and Underserved Households in Orange County Are Served by High-
43 Capacity Fiber Broadband". She said surrounding this is the potential project for which the
44 Commissioners set aside $5 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money. She said
45 getting a successful bidder is only the first step toward implementation of this game-changing
46 plan for Orange County. She said the bidders have three (3) months from September 13 and
47 proposals are due December 14. She said this due date was set by feedback from potential
48 bidders at a previously held meeting.
49 Commissioner Bedford said she enjoyed the event at the Grange as well. She said she
50 attended the quarterly meeting with Cooperative Extension this afternoon, and they are thrilled
51 with the Bonnie B. Davis building and are still getting settled in. She said Chair Price will be
4
1 helping on committee for the February 2022 Ag Summit. She said she is glad the BOCC now
2 has a liaison to this group.
3 Commissioner Richards said she missed the event on Sunday, due to plans for her
4 daughter's birthday, but is interested in learning more about the history there. She thanked staff
5 for continuing to support her as she continues to learn about the work of the BOCC. She said
6 she is hoping to have a tour of the county soon to get outside of areas with which she is familiar.
7 Commissioner McKee said, having grown up in the Schley community, he had the honor
8 of speaking at the event on Sunday. He said he shared regrets for the two Commissioners that
9 were not able to attend. He said the Schley community had a series of public works projects
10 that made improvements to areas of the community, and with community support, won a
11 national contest for the Schley Grange Hall. He said it is quite an accomplishment for a small
12 community like that. He said Commissioner Greene mentioned the update on broadband, and
13 the commitment of the BOCC to broadband really showed when it allocated $5 million toward
14 the effort, and attracted a lot of interest amongst bidders.
15 Chair Price said she missed the event on Sunday, but knows it was a wonderful event
16 and the Grange is an amazing building, and is one of the few remaining Granges in North
17 Carolina. She said she had a meeting with the Hillsborough-Orange County Chamber of
18 Commerce about promoting economic development in northern Orange County. She said one
19 of the concerns was the permitting process and realizing that it is onerous and unfriendly to a lot
20 of people. She said this group is intending to get in touch with the Commissioners and the
21 Economic Development Department to come up with a strategy for working together with
22 Hillsborough, and some of the businesses in northern Orange, to push economic development.
23 She said this will involve the unified development ordinance (UDO) as well.
24 Chair Price said tonight's information items include Commissioner McKee's petition
25 about advisory boards that receive funding being required to allow public comment. She said
26 this petition should hopefully be discussed in an upcoming business meeting.
27
28 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/Special Presentations
29
30 a. National 4-H Week Proclamation
31 The Board considered approving a proclamation the week of October 3 through 9, 2021
32 as National 4-H Week in Orange County.
33
34 BACKGROUND:
35 October 3 through 9, 2021, is National 4-H Week. National 4-H Week is promoted by both the
36 National 4-H Council and North Carolina 4-H and is celebrated in states and counties from
37 coast to coast. The overall goals of National 4-H Week are to promote the methods in which 4-H
38 serves families and youth in grades kindergarten through twelfth grade and to promote the 4-H
39 "learn by doing" experiential model to education that sparks youth interest in future careers and
40 learning. Orange County boasts eight community-based clubs from Cedar Grove to Carrboro
41 and continues to grow to meet the needs of Orange County residents.
42
43 Orange County Cooperative Extension, a partnership between Orange County Government,
44 North Carolina State University, and North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University,
45 continues to promote 4-H youth development as the premier vehicle for inspiring youth interest
46 in the areas of science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics, and more. Orange County
47 4-H offers a wide variety of programming across the county, employing the following modes of
48 delivery: day and residential camps, school enrichment, afterschool, and community-based
49 clubs. Considerable research has been published demonstrating the benefits of 4-H youth
50 development to past and present generations of young people. Examples include:
51 0 Harris Poll- 2020 Teen Mental Health Survey
5
1 • This Is 4-H —A Welcoming Environment for Youth of All Beliefs and Backgrounds
2 • Journal of Human Sciences and Extension- From Context to Outcomes: A Thriving
3 Model for 4-H Youth Development Programs
4
5 The Strategic Vision for 4-H, as outlined in the National 4-H Council Strategic Plan 4-H Youth
6 Development A 2025 Vision states, "4-H will reflect the population demographics, vulnerable
7 populations, diverse needs and social conditions of the country. This vision has the elements of
8 inclusion, caring adults, serving at minimum 1 in 5 youth, and the volunteers and staff reflect the
9 diversity of the population."
10
11 Chair Price invited staff and guests to speak on the item.
12 Jonathon Smith, Orange County Extension Agent for 4-H development with the
13 Cooperative Extension, said 4-H was founded in 1902 in Clark County, Ohio, and the first was a
14 tomato club and taught young men how to grow the tomatoes and taught young women how to
15 can and preserve the tomatoes to feed their families throughout the year. He said 4-H stands
16 for Head, Heart, Hands, and Health, and embodies an experiential learning model. He said it
17 started as an agricultural and family science focused organization, and has grown to be the
18 largest k-12 student organization serving students in the areas of agriculture, science,
19 mathematics, robotics, etc. He said Orange County 4-H works with local universities, and is
20 often found in schools, providing research space and instruction to after school programs, and
21 partnering with teachers. He said 4-H provides affordable summer camp experiences that
22 break the mold of traditional education, and strives to make the best better. He said Orange
23 County has 8 active 4-H clubs, and attendance numbers continue to grow every week. He
24 invited some of the student leaders to speak and share about their experiences.
25 Camille Clark, Orange County 4-H President, addressed the Board. She said she is a
26 senior at Josephine Dobbs Clement Early College, and serves as president of 4-H Youth
27 Council. She said 4-H provides opportunities for youth development of skills and practical
28 knowledge. She said 4-H empowers young people to be future leaders with confidence and
29 know how to work with others and ability to endure situations. She said Orange County 4-H has
30 many supporters throughout the community, like the Commissioners, as well as the Tractor
31 Supply Company and Piedmont Electric. She said she has been in 4-H for seven (7) years, and
32 highlighted meaningful experiences for her through this opportunity. She thanked the BOCC for
33 its ongoing support.
34 Austen Stinson-Miller, Orange County 4-H Vice President, addressed the Board. He said
35 he is a student at Jordan High School. He said 4-H is a big family, and there is something for
36 everyone to do no matter if it is based in agriculture, STEM, family and consumer sciences,
37 health or other focus areas. He said 4-H allows for learning through hands on activities and
38 molds leaders. He said he most enjoys the horse related activities and making memories at the
39 4-H horse shows. He thanked the BOCC for its support of 4-H
40 Lauren Hoesli, Orange County 4-H Secretary, addressed the Board. She said she is a
41 junior at Orange High School. She said the community within the 4-H program is the best part.
42 She said she has been in 4-H for nine years and has learned a lot of life lessons through
43 conferences and events like public speaking, teamwork, and leadership qualities. She said
44 anyone from any background can be greatly impacted by 4-H. She thanked the Commissioners
45 for their support.
46 Jonathon Smith said 4-H provides opportunity for all and invited students in the
47 community who are interested in learning and growing as leaders to join. He said the theme for
48 this year is Spark, so they want to spark interest in science and technology and arts among
49 other areas.
50 Commissioner McKee read the proclamation:
51
6
1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
2 NATIONAL 4-H WEEK PROCLAMATION
3
4 WHEREAS, 4-H youth across the nation are leading efforts to solve problems in their
5 communities and make a difference for their futures; and
6
7 WHEREAS, 4-H is the largest youth development organization in North Carolina and the largest
8 in the nation with over six million participants; and
9
10 WHEREAS, 4-H in North Carolina claims 260,000 youth members and 13,000 volunteers, while
11 Orange County's 4-H program numbers more than 190 members and more than 50 volunteers;
12 and
13
14 WHEREAS, 4-H as part of the NC Cooperative Extension System of NC State University and
15 NC A&T State University is a program where youth learn through opportunities that provide
16 them hands-on experiences in 4-H's mission mandates of science, engineering and technology;
17 healthy living; and citizenship; and
18
19 WHEREAS, 4-H has connected youth and their communities with the innovative research and
20 resources from our nation's 112 land-grant universities and colleges for more than 118 years;
21
22 NOW, THEREFORE, we, the Orange County Board of Commissioners, do hereby proclaim
23 October 3-9, 2021 as National 4-H Week in Orange County, and urge the people of this County
24 to take advantage of the opportunity to become more aware of this special program that
25 enhances our young people's interests in their futures as part of Orange County 4-H Youth
26 Development, and to join us in recognizing the unique partnership between our County and our
27 State University System.
28
29 Adopted this the 14th day of September, 2021.
30
31
32 Renee Price, Chair
33 Orange County Board of Commissioners
34
35
36 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Greene, to
37 approve the proclamation designating the week of October 3 through 9, 2021 as National 4-H
38 Week in Orange County, and authorize the Chair to sign.
39
40 Roll call ensued
41
42 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
43
44 Commissioner Greene said she remembers meeting Camille Clark in 2019, and is
45 delighted to see her again and hear of her leadership within 4-H.
46 Commissioner McKee said he was a 4-H member for years, and was very informative
47 and formative. He said there are eight clubs throughout Orange County, and is not exclusively
48 agricultural.
49 Commissioner Fowler thanked everyone for their comments. She said has memories
50 from middle school when she entered the contest on the loss of agricultural land to
51 industrialization in Davie County. She encouraged the students to continue in their efforts.
7
1 Commissioner Richards said she was pleasantly surprised by 4-H after looking at the
2 materials included in the agenda packet and all of the work they do. She congratulated them for
3 the relevance to the current times, and efforts at reaching a diverse group of young people.
4 Chair Price said every 4-H event she goes to is very well done. She said people work
5 well together and the students are impressive.
6
7 b. Proclamation Designating September 2021 as Suicide Prevention Month
8 The Board approved a proclamation designating September 2021 as Suicide Prevention
9 Month in Orange County.
10
11 BACKGROUND:
12 This month recognizes suicide as a serious public health problem that can have long-lasting
13 effects on individuals, families and communities. Everyone also recognizes that suicide is
14 preventable and that everyone can help by learning the warning signs, promoting prevention
15 and resilience and making necessary social changes.
16
17 Quintana Stewart, Public Health Director, addressed the Board. She said this is an issue
18 that needs to be addressed all year long, and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has
19 resources available 24/7 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text HELLO to 741-741. She said these are
20 free resources are available 24/7 and all information is kept confidential.
21 Commissioner Hamilton read the proclamation, and noted that she made some changes
22 from the original draft that was published:
23
24 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
25 PROCLAMATION DESIGNATING SEPTEMBER 2021
26 AS SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH
27
28 WHEREAS, September is National Suicide Prevention Month and is intended to help
29 raise awareness surrounding suicide prevention resources available in the community; and
30
31 WHEREAS, suicidal thoughts can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, race, orientation,
32 income level, religion or background; and
33
34 WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control, suicide is the 10th leading cause of
35 death in the United States, is the 2nd leading cause of death for those 10-34 years of age, and
36 was responsible for more than 47,500 deaths in 2019; and
37
38 WHEREAS, from 2014 through 2018, Orange County lost 70 lives to suicide; and
39
40 WHEREAS, suicide and suicide attempts affect the health and well-being of friends, loved ones,
41 co-workers, and the community; and
42
43 WHEREAS, every member of our community should understand that throughout life's struggles
44 we need reminders that we are not alone and can reach out for help; and
45
46 WHEREAS, Orange County chooses to publicly state and place our full support behind local
47 educators, mental and physical health professionals, athletic coaches, scout leaders, police
48 officers, faith leaders, and parents as partners in supporting our community in being available to
49 one another; and
50
8
1 WHEREAS, all residents are encouraged to take the time to inquire as to the wellbeing of their
2 family, friends, and neighbors, to listen to their concerns, and convey appreciation for their
3 existence;
4
5 NOW THEREFORE, we, the Orange County Board of Commissioners, do hereby proclaim
6 September 2021 as Suicide Prevention Month in Orange County, recognizing suicide as a
7 serious public health problem that can have long-lasting effects on individuals, families and
8 communities, that suicide is preventable, and that everyone can help by learning the warning
9 signs, promoting prevention and resilience, and making necessary social changes.
10
11 This, the 14th Day of September 2021.
12
13
14
15 A motion was made by Commissioner Hamilton, seconded by Commissioner Fowler, to
16 approve the proclamation, as amended, designating September 2021 as Suicided Prevention
17 Month in Orange County, and authorize the Chair to sign.
18
19 Roll call ensued
20
21 VOTE: Unanimous
22
23 Chair Price said in past years, the Health Department has organized events at local
24 parks together to bring awareness and understanding around this issue, but this is not
25 happening this year due to the pandemic.
26 Commissioner Hamilton said someone who is contemplating suicide is in pain and we
27 need to be willing to help them seek help. She said talking about suicide does not cause it, but
28 rather it is the silence that can kill. She encouraged people to get immediate help at 1-800-273-
29 TALK, call 911, or go to the hospital emergency department in a crisis. She said the Orange
30 County website has a page that briefly educates on the signs and what to do. She said Orange
31 County hopes to have its own crisis center.
32 Chair Price said suicide ideation and suicide have increased amongst teenagers and
33 young people during pandemic.
34 Commissioner Fowler thanked Commissioner Hamilton for her serious approach to this
35 topic. She said it is always important to prioritize self-care, but especially during the pandemic
36 and if things start to feel worse reach out to friends and professionals in the community to
37 hopefully prevent those feelings from reaching a crisis point.
38
39 c. Orange County Preparedness Month Proclamation
40 The Board approved a proclamation declaring September 2021 as "Orange County
41 Preparedness Month".
42
43 BACKGROUND:
44 National Preparedness Month is recognized each September to promote family and community
45 disaster planning now and throughout the year. The theme of this year's National Preparedness
46 Month is "Prepare to Protect. Preparing for disasters is protecting everyone you love."
47
48 Following 2020, North Carolina has continued to experience an unusually high volume of
49 disasters, to include the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, winter weather, severe weather
50 (including tornadoes), and infrastructure disruptions. So far this year, Orange County has
51 experienced multiple watches and warnings issued by the National Weather Service for severe
9
1 weather, flooding, and tornadic activity. The 2021 Hurricane Season continues to be above-
2 normal in predictions for both severity and frequency of storms.
3
4 Kirby Saunders, Emergency Services Director, said Governor Cooper switched
5 Preparedness Month to August for North Carolina because hurricanes were continuing to
6 impact the state in September, but September is still National Preparedness Month. He invited
7 the Interim Emergency Management Coordinated, Sarah Pickhardt, to speak.
8 Sarah Pickhardt reviewed the background information for this item. She said North
9 Carolina and Orange County continue to experience a high volume of disasters, including the
10 coronavirus pandemic, winter weather, severe weather, tornados, and infrastructure disruptions.
11 She said the 2021 hurricane season is being watched closely and expected to be more severe
12 than normal. She thanked the Board for its ongoing commitment to preparedness
13 Commissioner Fowler read the proclamation:
14
15 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
16 PROCLAMATION
17 September 2021 - "Orange County Preparedness Month"
18
19 WHEREAS, it is critical for every community, business, family, and individual in Orange County
20 to be prepared for natural and man-made disasters, including tornadoes, flooding, and
21 hurricanes, as well as disease outbreaks like COVID-19; and
22
23 WHEREAS, Orange County has seen a high activity of severe weather— in 2020, the National
24 Weather Service issued 13 Severe Thunderstorm Warnings, 4 Flash Flood Warnings, 4 Flood
25 Warning, and 3 Tornado Warnings; and
26
27 WHEREAS, Orange County experienced an estimated $1.2 million in estimated damages from
28 severe weather in 2020; and
29
30 WHEREAS, in 2018, Hurricane Florence brought significant rainfall in September, and was
31 followed by Tropical Storm Michael in October, with both storms causing widespread power
32 outages and flooding, and Florence resulting in more than $26 million in damages while Michael
33 exceeded $500,000; and
34
35 WHEREAS, on March 13, 2020, the Chair to the Board of County Commissioners declared a
36 State of Emergency to coordinate the County's response and protective actions to address the
37 COVID-19 public health emergency and provide for the health, safety, and welfare of the
38 Orange County community; and
39
40 WHEREAS, community members can take a few simple steps— creating an emergency supply
41 kit, making a family disaster plan, and staying informed —to help make preparedness a personal
42 responsibility and improved health a priority in our community; and
43
44 WHEREAS, the Orange County Emergency Services Emergency Management Division, along
45 with emergency managers throughout the nation, has collaborated to recognize September as
46 National Preparedness Month, and encourage Orange County community members to stay
47 informed and prepared;
48
49 NOW, THEREFORE, we, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners, do hereby
50 declare September 2021 as "Orange County Preparedness Month."
51
10
1
2 This the 14th Day of September, 2021.
3
4
5
6 Renee Price, Chair
7 Orange County Board of Commissioners
8
9
10 A motion was made by Commissioner Fowler, seconded by Commissioner Hamilton, to
11 approve the proclamation designating September 2021 as "Orange County Preparedness
12 Month", and authorize the Chair to sign.
13
14 Roll call ensued
15
16 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
17
18 Chair Price said preparedness is the presidential theme for the North Carolina
19 Association of County Commissioners (NCACC), after Brunswick County got over 30 inches of
20 rain. She asked if staff would forward a copy of the proclamation to the NCACC.
21 Laura Jensen attempted to play a video discussing preparedness, but attendees were
22 unable to hear the video, so it was turned off.
23 Chair Price said the video is available on the NCACC website. She thanked Kirby
24 Saunders and Sarah Pickhardt for the work they do, not just throughout COVID, but always.
25 She said people fail to realize the work and dedication of first responders and what it means to
26 be out there no matter the weather and circumstances, helping people and saving lives.
27 Kirby Saunders said it is an honor to represent the 143 Emergency Services employees,
28 who are the true heroes.
29 Commissioner Fowler said she is thankful for all they do for the county, as well as their
30 counterparts across the state and nation.
31 Chair Price said August might be preparedness month, but really one should be
32 prepared all the time.
33
34 5. Public Hearings
35
36 a. NCDOT Public Transportation Division/Public Transportation — 5307 Urbanized
37 Area Formula Grant Application for FY 2022
38 The Board conducted a public hearing on the North Carolina Urbanized Area Formula
39 grant application by Orange County Transportation Services (OCTS) for FY 2022; approved the
40 grant application which includes the resolution previously adopted by the Board authorizing the
41 applicant to enter into an agreement with the North Carolina Department of Transportation
42 (NCDOT); and authorized the County Attorney to review and complete the necessary 2022
43 certifications and assurances when they are received (2021 versions attached as examples).
44
45 BACKGROUND:
46 Each year, the NCDOT Public Transportation Division accepts requests for operations and
47 administrative needs for county-operated Urbanized Area Formula Grant applications. OCTS is
48 eligible to make an application for both operations and administrative funding. NCDOT has
49 allotted $331,406 in funds detailed breakdown is outlined in the table below:
50
11
5307 Grant Application: FY22
Total $ 331,406
Federal $ 165,703
Local $ 165,703
1
2 Theo Letman, Orange County Transportation Services Director, reviewed the
3 background information for the item. He reviewed the various uses for the grant funding
4 including marketing, office supplies, administrative funds, etc. He said these funds help the
5 county support urban area transportation. He said these funds will increase resident access to
6 healthcare, employment, shopping, etc.
7
8 A motion was made by Commissioner Greene, seconded by Commissioner McKee, to
9 open the public hearing on the proposed grant application.
10
11 Roll call ensued
12
13 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
14
15 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Fowler, to
16 close the public hearing.
17
18 Roll call ensued
19
20 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
21
22 Commissioner Richards asked if the application forms will be the same as FY21-22.
23 Theo Letman said the forms and application are the same every year.
24
25 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Fowler, to
26 approve the Urbanized Area Formula Grant application for FY 2022 in the total amount of
27 $331,406 with a local match total of$165,703 to be provided when necessary; approve and
28 authorize the Chair to sign the Local Share Certification for Funding form and other associated
29 documents; and authorize the County Attorney to review and complete the necessary 2022
30 certifications and assurances when they are received.
31
32 Roll call ensued
33
34 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
35
36 6. Regular Agenda
37
38 a. Longtime Homeowner Assistance (LHA) Program
39 The Board considered approving the implementation of the proposed program design for
40 the Longtime Homeowner Assistance Program.
41
42 BACKGROUND:
43 At its June 15, 2021 Business meeting, the Board of Commissioners allocated $250,000 in
44 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for a new program to assist households affected by
45 revaluation of property tax bills. The program will serve Orange County homeowners earning
12
1 below 80% of the area median income who have lived in their home for at least 10 years and
2 experienced an increase in their property taxes during the 2021 tax revaluation.
3
4 Staff from the Orange County Housing and Community Development Department (OCHCD),
5 Tax Department, and Finance and Administrative Services Department met over the summer to
6 coordinate, design and begin implementing the proposed program. Staff created a draft program
7 application (Attachment 1), a proposed plan for reviewing and approving applications and
8 outlining each department's role in process (Attachment 2), and a proposed communications
9 and outreach strategy to share information about the program with county residents (Attachment
10 3).
11
12 Housing and Community Development Department staff will be primarily responsible for
13 administering the LHA program — collecting applications and supporting documentation from
14 applicants, and verifying program eligibility for each applicant. The Orange County Housing
15 Helpline will play a key role in assisting county residents with completing applications and
16 gathering documentation. The Tax Department will provide some of the eligibility verification
17 details to Housing and Community Development Department staff during application review.
18 Once an application is approved for assistance, Housing and Community Development
19 Department staff will coordinate with the Finance and Administrative Services Department and
20 Tax Department to issue a credit towards the taxpayer's property tax bill. The program has a
21 proposed launch date of October 1, 2021. All applications must be received by 5:OOpm on
22 December 15, 2021 to allow time for processing.
23
24 This item was tabled until the October 5, 2021 Business Meeting.
25
26 b. Eno Economic Development District— Potential Comprehensive Plan Future Land
27 Use Map and Zoning Atlas Amendments
28
29 BACKGROUND:
30 Planning staff has been asked to bring forward for Board of County Commissioners' review and
31 discussion potential Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map and Zoning Atlas amendments
32 in the Eno Economic Development District (EDD) (see maps in Attachment 1 for location and
33 current designations).
34
35
13
1 Historical Information
2 Most lands in the current Eno EDD have been designated for economic development purposes
3 since 1981, when the county adopted a Comprehensive Plan. In 2012, the boundaries of the
4 Eno EDD were expanded in anticipation of water and sewer availability (see maps in
5 Attachment 2 for the 2012 amendments, adopted September 6, 2012). The Eno EDD is
6 currently 958 acres of economic development land use classification, with an adjacent 67 acre
7 housing area (Whispering Pines subdivision) and 31 acres annexed by the City of Durham for
8 economic development purposes (northeast corner of EDD, adjacent to I-85 in Capital
9 Investment Plan (CIP) focus area). The county proceeded with adding a matching zoning
10 district (i.e. `prezoning') to approximately 75% of the land use area. Other areas (25%) remain
11 in a residential zoning category (or base zoning). The Eno EDD is part of a courtesy review
12 agreement with the City of Durham, as part of the Eno EDD Area Small Area Plan.
13
14 Recent Water and Sewer Studies
15 Recent joint engineering studies by Orange County and City of Durham staff and a consultant
16 have retracted the larger area's viability for public sewer due to Durham system constraints in
17 the area and prohibitive cost. However, a smaller economic development focus area of 200
18 acres between 1-85 and US 70 still remains viable for public sewer and an existing water line
19 lies adjacent to the area. (See CIP map in Attachment 3 for location of the 200-acre area).
20 Additionally, there are many existing commercial uses in the general area on well and septic.
21
22 Interlocal Utility Services Agreement with City of Durham
23 County staff is in the process of working with City of Durham staff to update and amend the
24 interlocal agreement for water and sewer services (adopted in 2011, expired in 2018) to address
25 the smaller economic development focus area. After completion of an engineering study in
26 2013 and subsequent additional analysis, it became apparent that the City will not be able to
27 serve the entire Eno EDD area with water and sewer due primarily to pump station capacity
28 limitations within the City's sewage disposal system. The cost to upgrade the existing pump
29 stations is prohibitive. If the City is able to serve the Eno EDD, it would be a much smaller
30 geographic area than initially envisioned, perhaps up to 200 acres. The City is expected to
31 require voluntary annexation of any properties it serves with its water and sewer systems.
32 Willing property owners have `signed on' to express interest in developing their lands consistent
33 with the Economic Development and Commercial-Industrial land use designations that have
34 been in place since 1981.
35
36 Development on Private Wells and Septic Systems / Future Land Use Designations and Zoning
37 While public water and sewer availability allows for more dense/intense development and larger
38 projects, the regulations contained in the county's Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) for
39 the Eno (and Buckhorn) EDD do not require connections to public water and sewer systems if
40 such systems are not available. These EDDs allow non-residential development to occur using
41 wells and septic systems (or other wastewater disposal techniques). If there is desire to
42 potentially allow new non-residential development in the Eno EDD on wells and septic systems,
43 the existing Future Land Use classification (Economic Development) and much of the current
44 zoning could achieve new non-residential development, particularly smaller-scale non-
45 residential development such as individual offices or other uses that do not require large
46 amounts of water and wastewater disposal.
47
48 As is shown on the maps in Attachment 1, some of the lands designated for Economic
49 Development (land use classification) are currently zoned R-1 (Rural Residential) (see the
50 southwestern portion of the EDD area and lands between the railway and Old NC 10). Since
51 zoning is the regulatory tool, the current zoning means that only uses allowed in R-1 would be
14
1 permitted on these properties. R-1 is primarily for residential uses and a few other compatible
2 use types, as shown in the Table of Permitted Uses in Section 5.2 of the LIDO.
3
4 It should also be noted that the EDE-1 zoning district allows a variety of residential uses,
5 including single family residential; new residential uses would be permitted in the EDE-1 zoning
6 district. EDE-2 zoning does not allow residential uses. Future Land Use and zoning
7 amendments may be necessary only if the decision is made that all non-residential development
8 in the Eno EDD should be served by public water and sewer systems or if there are other
9 reasons for pursuing amendments. If amendments are pursued, a determination will need to be
10 made regarding which Future Land Use classification and/or zoning district should be applied to
11 the map(s).
12
13 As a reminder, any new non-residential development in the area is required to adhere to all of
14 the standards and regulations contained in the UDO, including proper buffering from adjacent
15 uses and performance standards related to noise, vibration, outdoor storage, and other impacts
16 (see Section 6.4 of the LIDO).
17
18 Additional maps that may prove useful in understanding the area are included in Attachment 4:
19 • Existing Residential / Non-Residential / Undeveloped parcels
20 • A map of developed and undeveloped lots in Whispering Pines subdivision (which is
21 designated as 10-Year Transition on the Future Land Use map). As a historical note,
22 many/most of the undeveloped lots remained so because suitable septic sites could not
23 be located on the lots.
24
25 Water& Sewer Management, Planning & Boundary Agreement (WASMPBA)
26 The entire Eno EDD plus lands well to the south of the EDD are designated as "Primary Service
27 Area" on the WASMPBA map (Attachment 5). Since mobile home parks in the area may
28 eventually need public water service for both household use and fire suppression, staff
29 suggests that the current WASMPBA boundaries remain as is.
30
31 Potential Amendments
32 The maps in Attachment 6 depict potential amendments to pull back a portion of the EDD
33 expansion that occurred in 2012 and rezone the properties back to R-1 (Rural Residential).
34 Staff is seeking BOCC direction on whether Future Land Use Map and Zoning Atlas
35 amendments should be pursued at this time. The potential amendments are as follows:
36
Future Land Use Map Zoning
112.2 acres from Economic 112.2 acres from EDE-1 to R-1
Development to 10-Year Transition
37
38 The 10-Year Transition land use classification is for "areas changing from rural to urban in form
39 and density. All densities of residential development would be appropriate. Non-residential
40 uses implemented in accordance with small area plans and/or overlay districts may be
41 appropriate." The Land Use and Zoning Matrix in Appendix F of the Comprehensive Plan
42 identifies the following potential zoning districts for 10-Year Transition areas: R-1, R-2, R-3, R-
43 4, R-5, R-8, R-13, MPD-CD, HP-CD, R-CD, NR-CD, and Special Zoning Overlay District.
44
45
15
1 Amendment Process
2 Amendments to the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Atlas (rezoning) must adhere to the
3 processes described in Sections 2.3 (Comprehensive Plan) and 2.8 (Zoning Atlas) of the UDO.
4 For county-initiated amendments, the general process is listed below with a possible timeframe
5 for any potential amendments in bold italics:
6 • Public Information Meeting to Explain the Amendments (This meeting is not required by
7 the LIDO, but historically the county has held such meetings at the beginning of the
8 process to better inform residents and address questions before the subsequent
9 Planning Board meeting.)— October 2021
10 • Post Sign / Mail Notices for Planning Board Meeting — mid November 2021
11 • Development Advisory Committee Meeting (staff group of multiple departments) -
12 November 2021
13 • Staff Recommendation to the Planning Board — end of November 2021
14 • Planning Board Review and Recommendation — December 1, 2021
15 • Publication of Legal Ads / Sign Posting / Mail Notices for BOCC Public Hearing —
16 January 2022
17 • BOCC Public Hearing/Potential Decision —January 2022
18
19 Craig Benedict, Planning and Inspections Director, reviewed the background information
20 and made the following PowerPoint presentation:
21 Slide #1
ORANGE COUNTY
NORTH CAROLINA
Eno Economic Development
District (EDD)
Potential Comprehensive Plan
Future Land Use Map and Zoning
Atlas Amendments
September 14,2021 BOCC Meeting
22
23
24 Slide #2
Tonight's Purpose
To review potential
Comprehensive Plan a f"" ,
Future Land Use Map
and Zoning Atlas
amendments in the
Eno Economic -
Development District -
(EDD)and provide -
direction to staff on
whether to pursue s
amendments and the
timeframe. ORANGE COUNTY
25 re Ra ir_k LNA
16
1
2 Craig Benedict said the slide shows a land use program for a Future Land Use Map. He
3 said the red area is a residential subdivision known as Whispering Pines. He said the land use
4 was changed in 2012 to transition, due to proximity to the highways. He said it is likely to
5 transition into a suburban environment. He resumed the PowerPoint presentation:
6
7 Slide #3
Brief History of Eno EDD
• Most of the area had been designated for
economic development purposes since
1981, when the County adopted a
Comprehensive Plan.
• In 2012, the boundaries of the Eno EDD
were expanded in anticipation of water
and sewer availability(maps of 2012
amendments are included in Attachment 2 of
agenda item).
ORANGE COUNTY
NOR'n I CAROLINA
8
9
10 Slide #4
Brief History of Encs EDD (continued)
• Recent joint engineering studies have
retracted the larger area's viability for
public sewer due to Durham system
constraints in the area and prohibitive
cost.
• A smaller economic development focus
area of 200 acres between 1-85 and US 70
still remains viable for public sewer and an
existing waterline lies adjacent to the
area.
11
12
13
17
1 Slide #5
Location of 0-acre Area
Eno EDO CIP Prcdeot Amp
1
0 —
r�M1ow:4w� �IF�Aws FY�aW tre..i-+.
2
3
4 Craig Benedict said the grey areas to North and South are recent annexations by the
5 City of Durham. He resumed the PowerPoint presentation:
6
7 Slide #6
Interlocal Utility Services
Agreement with City of Durham
• County staff is in the process of working with City of
Durham staff to update and amend the interlocal
agreement for water and sewer services (adopted in 2411
expired in 2018)to address the smaller economic
development focus area.
• The City is expected to require voluntary annexation of
any properties it serves with its water and sewer systems.
• willing property owners have 'signed on' to express
interest in developing their lands consistent with the
Economic Development and Commercial-Industrial land
use designations that have been in place since 1981
ORANGE COUNTY
8
9
18
1 Slide #7
Development Considerations
• The regulations contained in the County's Unified
Development Ordinance (U DO)for the Eno EDC do not
require hookups to public water and sewer systems if such
systems are not available.
• If there is desire to potentially allow new non-residential
development in the Eno EDC on wells and septic systems,
the existing Future Land Use classification (Economic
Development) and much of the current zoning could
achieve new non-residential development particularly
smaller--scale non-residential development such as
individual offices or other uses that do not require large
amounts of water and wastewater disposal.
ORANGE COUNTY
N�ORT][G4.ROL[NA
2
3
4 Slide #8
Potential Amendments
Planning staff has been asked to bring forward for
Board of County Commissioner renew and
discussion potential Comprehensive Plan Future
Land Use Map and Zoning Atlas amendments in the
Eno Economic Development District (EDD)
The potential amendments on the following slides
pull back some of the amendments adopted in
2012.
ORANGE COUNTY
tMRT1[t:AROMNA
5
6
7
19
1 Slide #9
Potential Amendments — Future
Land Use Map
Err,EDD Area-Patentlat Future tared Use Map Amendments
4
s
2
3
4 Slide #10
Potential Amendments — Zoning
Atlas
Eno E4p Mea.PaErntiaf Zoning Amear$nmA%
Ab
�.
fb.. � la o�rovrrds,�.®mgr .a
L-Dem• er o-�.� :. _!. -r•n. '.-�... '..
wwrnx,ibu�i.,ice. .. -n
war-cpm C—x
5
6
7
20
1 Slide #11
Passible Amendment Timeframe
• October 2021. -Public Information Meeting to Explain the
Amendments(this meeting is not required by the UDO but is
historically customary)
• mid November 2021-Past Sign!Mail Notices for Planning
Beard Meeting
• November 2021—Development Advlsory Committee
Meetings) (staff group of multiple departments)
• end of November 2021-Staff Recommendation to the
Planning Board
December 1,2021 —Planning Board Review and
Recommendation
• January 2022-Publication of Legal Ads!Sign Posting 1 Mail
Notices for BOCC Public Hearing
• January 2022-BDCC Public HearingfPotential Decision
2
3
4 Slide #12
Recommendation for Tonight
• deceive the information presented.
• Provide direction to staff on whether to
pursue amendments.
• If amendments are to be pursued, provide
direction on the timeframe.
5
6
7 Chair Price said she brought this item as a petition in June. She said the issue of
8 changing the zoning in this area has been discussed for years, and she had hoped to make
9 changes this month. She said it recently came to her attention because people in Whispering
10 Pines want to know what is going on around them. She said the desire is to buffer the
11 neighborhood in a way that would be complementary. She said various ideas have been
12 discussed, including apartments. She said there has been some reluctance from Durham to
13 provide utilities in this area. She said there are mobile home parks here, which are some of the
14 affordable housing in the county. She said the desire was to focus on economic development in
15 the Buckhorn and Hillsborough EDDs instead. She said she is concerned that staff only
16 included two areas and wonders why it has to go to Planning Board for review again. She said
17 her intent with this petition was to move forward with making some changes and not to consider
18 further exploration, as the Board has already talked about the changes that need to be made.
19 She said she wants the residents in the area to feel comfortable and know they will not be
20 dislocated and relocated in the near future.
21
1 Commissioner Hamilton referred to the 200 acres that are viable for public sewer, and
2 asked if their specific location could be identified. She asked if EDE 1 or EDE 2 are contained
3 within those 200 acres.
4 Craig Benedict said yes. He said these areas have the designation for economic
5 development and public sewer. He said the hope is to bring sewer in closer proximity to a
6 particular mobile home park that is currently pumping their sewage into Durham.
7 Commissioner Hamilton clarified details about the map.
8 Craig Benedict said there is a zoning proposal to reduce certain areas. He said there
9 are some existing commercial uses in the area, and it would be difficult to rezone one's land
10 that already has industrial use and change it back to residential. He said staff can provide a
11 map with the existing land uses. He said areas 1 and 2 would change, which would not create
12 any nonconforming uses.
13 Commissioner Hamilton asked if there is a process for determining the viability of public
14 sewer and water to the area. She asked if there is a cost benefit analysis to weigh sales and
15 property taxes, etc.
16 Craig Benedict said yes, analyses have been done for light industrial construction in this
17 area. He said that information was provided about year ago, when there was discussion on the
18 viability of the entire economic development zone. He said staff can re-provide that information
19 to the Board. He staff has proceeded with 70% design in this area, but it has been on hold for a
20 few years.
21 Commissioner McKee asked Craig Benedict to move his cursor over the area where
22 Gorilla Materials is located (purple area). He reviewed various businesses in the area, and
23 cautioned the Board about changing the zoning in this area as it would disrupt existing
24 businesses.
25 Chair Price asked if the area to the east of Whispering Pines could be identified.
26 Craig Benedict said everything in purple and lavender was put on the map in 1994. He
27 said the county was going to talk to the property owner to see if the lower-intensity economic
28 development zoning would make sense for this owner.
29 Chair Price said the BOCC down zoned some of this area several years ago. She asked
30 if areas 1 and 2 would be rezoned to residential if staff's proposal goes forward.
31 Craig Benedict said it would go from economic development to 10-year transition, which
32 is a residential land use. He said it would be a companion zoning change from EDD-1 to R1,
33 which is low density.
34 Chair Price said she lives in a 10-year transition area that has been that way for 30
35 years. She challenged the staff to come up with different terminology.
36 Craig Benedict said the idea is that the focus should be on the ten years first, rather than
37 sprawling into the 20 years. He said lack of water and sewer has been a stumbling block. He
38 said it took 3 utility services agreements with Hillsborough, Durham, and Mebane to be able to
39 expand in areas that are appropriate. He said when economic development monies became
40 available, there was a certain amount in the Eno, Efland, Mebane areas, etc.
41 Commissioner Hamilton asked if staff could provide examples of high and low intensity.
42 Craig Benedict said higher intensity might allow for onsite storage, while lower intensity
43 keeps all activity within the building, such as offices. He said higher intensity could have more
44 external impacts because some activity would be occurring outside of the building. He said staff
45 can provide a list of the activities expected with both.
46 Commissioner Hamilton asked if the sections of the Comprehensive plan that would be
47 affected if these changes are made could be identified.
48 Craig Benedict said a land use map is part of the land use element to the
49 comprehensive plan. He said staff would change the land use map, which is an addendum to
50 the Comprehensive Plan, from economic development to transition. He said at some point it
51 would be wise to get rid of 10 and 20 year and make it all transition.
22
1 Commissioner Fowler referred to the 10 and 20-year transition areas, and asked if these
2 are so labeled as such to serve as a warning to residents
3 Craig Benedict said the 10 and 20 areas are in the outskirts of Hillsborough and Efland
4 area. He said there is a map that says if utilities are expanded in Efland, they should be
5 expanded into the 10-year transition area first. He said some sewer was put into Elfand in
6 1988, which was not completed until the 2000s. He said this process gave guidance on where
7 to focus capital investments in the Efland area, but it has taken a long time and has become
8 more of a sooner than later area than strict 10 years. He said it has been very difficult to get
9 utilities to rural areas, and the 10 and 20-year transition areas were to provide guidance. He
10 said this is all described in the comprehensive plan, but there is no prohibition for someone who
11 wants to go into the 20 year transition if there is still undeveloped land in 10 year transition. He
12 said the Town of Carrboro also has a 10 and 20-year areas, and one cannot go into the 20 year
13 area until 75% of the 10 year area has been developed. He said the county never went that far
14 in its own plans.
15 Commissioner McKee asked if downzoning a commercial property could be a potential
16 liability for"taking of value".
17 John Roberts said his initial inclination is no, as zoning is up to the local government, but
18 he will do some additional research and report back.
19 Chair Price said the county would talk to the property owner first, and if downzoning is
20 against the property owner's wishes the county would not proceed.
21 Chair Price asked if the timeline is mandated, and why it would need to go to Planning
22 Board for review.
23 Craig Benedict said the only step not mandated by the UDO is step #1.
24 Chair Price asked how much of a meeting staff anticipates, given COVID-19. She asked
25 if this could be expedited in any way, allowing the public to speak at the Planning Board.
26 Craig Benedict said yes. He said staff mails notices for planning board meetings, and he
27 will consult with staff as to whether the schedule can be sped up by not having a public
28 information meeting.
29 Chair Price said she support public engagement, but wonders if anyone will show up to
30 an information session. She said she would like to get this done by the end of the year.
31 Commissioner Bedford thanked staff for the presentation, and said it is critical to stick to
32 usual process and to keep the public meeting in place. She said she understands the desire to
33 expedite the process, but it is important to keep all the steps in place.
34 Commissioner McKee agreed with Commissioner Bedford.
35 Commissioner Greene agreed with Commissioner McKee and Commissioner Bedford.
36 Chair Price said she is happy to stick to the normal process, and was just seeking ways
37 to expedite it due to the years that have passed discussing this topic.
38 Commissioner Richards said it looks like the zoning may be changed to buffer the
39 residential area with R1 for residential use, and designating the zoning for E2, which can be
40 used for residential in another space. She asked if this is correct.
41 Craig Benedict said areas 1 and 2 are being changed back to residential, and the purple
42 area is not being changed at this time. He said staff will approach a property owner about
43 potential changes down the road.
44
45 A motion was made by Commissioner Fowler, seconded by Commissioner McKee, to
46 proceed with the plan as outlined by the Board.
47
48 Roll call ensued
49
50 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
51
23
1 7. Reports
2
3 a. Update on 2021 Appeals Process
4 The Board received a report on the progress of the 2021 Appeals Process.
5
6 BACKGROUND:
7 2021 is a revaluation year, and in March 2021, the Notices of Revaluation were mailed to
8 property owners. Property owners have the right to appeal their value each year, and it is
9 especially important in a revaluation year when values are adjusted to current fair market value
10 per NC General Statute 105-286 to equalize and redistribute the county's tax base.
11
12 Soon after the notices were mailed, community leaders in the area brought inconsistencies in
13 the valuation of properties within neighborhoods, including Chapel Hill's Northside
14 Neighborhood Conservation District and other conservation districts in the Chapel Hill area, to
15 the attention of the Tax Assessor and the Board.
16
17 Community leaders also expressed concerns that the established appeal period did not allow
18 enough time for property owners to appeal, citing the need to provide assistance for property
19 owners not familiar with the process and the constraints of the current pandemic. By resolution
20 approved on June 15, 2021, the Board of Commissioners directed the Tax Assessor to extend
21 the Board of Equalization and Review's adjournment date from June 30 to September 1, 2021.
22 This action extended the formal appeals period until September 1, 2021.
23
24 Many of the properties located in the Northside Neighborhood Conservation District submitted
25 value appeals. After reviewing these properties, and considering information provided by
26 leaders of the Jackson Community Center about the neighborhood conservation districts, the
27 Tax Assessor approached the Board of Equalization and Review (BOER) to exercise its power
28 and duties as noted in NC General Statute 105-322(g)(1)(b,c,d) and request the Tax Office
29 review the remaining properties in the Northside neighborhoods that were not appealed, and
30 make any necessary corrections to these properties and their values to be consistent with the
31 actions taken on properties within the Northside neighborhoods that were appealed. The BOER
32 requested the additional review at its July 28, 2021 meeting.
33 The BOER will adjourn as of September 1, 2021 and continue to hold post-adjournment
34 hearings to complete review of the appeals submitted through the adjournment date, and
35 according to the 30-day appeal period provided in decision notices.
36
37 Current data on appeals (through August 24, 2021):
38 • 2,004 appeals total — 1,682 informal and 322 formal
39 • 1,802 have been completed, including all but 3 of the informal appeals which are
40 commercial properties
41 • 58 appeals have been submitted since the original appeals deadline of June 30
42 • 191 total appeals from Northside area - 183 informal and 8 formal
43
44 As Decision Notices continue to be mailed for the ongoing appeals, the appellants are provided
45 a 30-day window from the date of the decision notice to appeal at the formal level to the BOER,
46 and are not held to the date of adjournment if the 30-day window reaches beyond the
47 September 1 deadline. Post-adjournment hearings are expected to continue through December.
48
49 Nancy Freeman, Tax Administrator, gave the following PowerPoint presentation:
50
51 Slide #1
24
i
Update on 2021 Real Property
Value Appeals Process
Presented September 14,202T
1
2
3 Slide #2
21721 Value Appeals Process Overview
f 2021 is a Revaluation Year for Orange County Tar Office
Real Properties valued based on January 1,2021 current market vaW
Revahuauon Noticesof New Values marled March 24,2021
Informal Appeal Farms malled with Revaluatlon Notices,Included Inalrucaons and
In} ation on how to appeal using new online site
"form
Appeals period anted with the Board of Equalization and Review ConvenhN.May
3,2021
Formal Appeals period began May 3 and ended September 1,2021
As of September 7,there have been 2062 appeals:1681 Informal,381 formal
4 SII
5
6 Slide #3
Informal Appeals Overview& Steps Taken
II During Informal Appeals Period,appeals were distributed to the appraiser assigned to
the corresponding neighborhood.Appraiser reviewed information provided by property
owner,researched property,performed site vial[11 requestedlneeded,determined new
value or no change to value.
• D alls of appeal and any changes recorded In Computer Assisted Mass Appralsal
system,or LAMA system.
Decisions reviewed by Real Property Manager andior DaputyAssessor
• At this time,the Assessor's office has the authorlty to change the value or properties
based on information provided by the property owner and during research by
appralsers.
7
g
9 Slide #4
25
Trneline and Metrics: Informal Appeal Period
i
%Currently 1,681 Informal Appeals.1679 completed
{,184 Informal from Northside,all completed
ti 134 Informal Commercial,with 2 still In process
Value Notices include
,Property Identification
,Assessor's Decision
%Resulting Value
e,Notification of Property Owner's Right to Appeal
4 September 1,or
f,Within 39 days of the Date of the Notice,whichever is longer
1
2
3 Commissioner McKee referred to slide 4, and asked if"all completed" could be defined.
4 Nancy Freeman said it means the 184 appeals have been reviewed, a decision has
5 been made, and notice has been mailed to homeowner letting them know of ability to appeal to
6 BOER.
7 Commissioner McKee clarified that there are further non-legal avenues for residents to
8 pursue prior to court proceedings.
9 Nancy Freeman said yes.
10 Chair Price asked if"Northside" is just Northside, or if it incorporates other
11 neighborhoods.
12 Nancy Freeman said she is referring to the Northside Conservation District, specifically.
13 She said there were a few claims from other neighborhoods, but very few. She resumed the
14 PowerPoint presentation:
15
16 Slide #5
Timeline and Metrics: Informal Appeal Period (continued)
2621 Value Notlees Mailing Dates
I
May 5
May 26
June 25
August 26
O September 7
°r Value Notices dated August 26 have a September 25
appeal deadline
Value Notices dated September 7 have an October 7
appeal deadline
17
18
19
26
1 Slide #6
Formai Appeals Overview
• The Formal Appeals Period is established by the date the Board of Equalization and
Review(BOER)convenes and adjourns.Property owners may submit formal appeal
while the Board Is In session.
•
In 2021 the BOER convened on May 3.which was the last day by statute That the BOER was
asowed to convene.
• The adjoumment was extended from June 30 to September f to allow more time for property
mvreers to appeW their value.
2
3
4 Commissioner McKee asked if the number of value notices that went back out, which
5 are being appealed to the BOER, could be identified.
6 Nancy Freeman said 12, as of this moment, but these may not all be from Northside.
7 She said she can send exact information to the Board.
8
9 Slide #7
Formal Appeals Overview
• The Formal Appeals Period is established by the date the Board of Equalization and
Review(BOER)convenes and adjoums.Property owners may submit a formal appeal
while the Board Is In sesslon.
In 2021 the BOER.convened on May 3,which was the last day by statute that the BOER way
allowed to convene.
The adi9umment was extended from June 30 to Septe!rder t le allow more time for property
owners to appear their value.
10
11
12
27
1 Slide #8
Timeline and Metrics: Formal
Currently 381 Formal Appeals,208 completed
I
I
%,12 Formal from Northslde,9 completed
252 Formal Commercial,175 completed
celon Notices are malleri to the appellants to Inform them oMlctelly Of the Board'S
ectslon.The notice Includes,as requlred by state statutes:
¢PrepertyldenNM1caN7+
Bawd's Declalon and Resuming Who
4 Nomeeetion of Property Owner's R190 to Appeal W tit North Caroeree Property Tex Cameasim
{NCPTCI wilt.30 days of the Date of the Nonce
t•Spoclflc RequlrurwNs offhe Appeal to the NCPTC,nckding the requlrement to mwe beth the
NCPTCand the County of are appeal.
2 —
3
4 Slide #9
Timeline and Metrics; Formal (continued)
r 6ecrslon Notices Malted:
—July 12(60)
-August 10(23)
Upcoming:September 15 lapproxiaratety 90)
- Next Steps:
Conllnue wrtti Board of Equaluallan and Review PosbAdiournmenf Hearings
Currently nine dales scheduled through October 14 for hearings
- More dares w1l be added to the schedule as determined by appeals racelved through
earty October
conerely 7 pnst-dtaimmere app-k
5
6
7 Nancy Freeman said the 90 number is closer to 150 at this time. She resumed the
8 PowerPoint presentation:
9
10 Slide #10
Steps Taken with Northside InformalAppeals
- After revaluaflon notices were mallet,Tax Office was made aware of
inconsistencies in the valuation of properties within neighborhoods 7102,7104,
and 7110,which Includes Chapel HIII's Northside NerghhorhoedConservallon
District and Carrboro's LloydfBroad Neighborhood Preservation District
184 informal appeals,assigned to Real Property Manager and Chief Appraiser
w Reviews and field visits conducted on these properties from mid-May to end of July
Based on the data collected by appraiser and data provided by the community
leaders of Northside and the Jackson Center,the Tax Office realtzed the need to
expand the review to all properties in the three affected neighborhoods,
- On July 28.the Board of Equalization and Review was provided data compiled on
these Informal reviews.Tax Office requested that the Board direct a review of the
remaining properties In these specific nel,ghborhoods that were not appealed.
11
12
28
1 Slide #11
Steps Taken with Northside Informal Appeals
(continued)
I
Board of Equalkzaflon and Review did dliect Tax Office to review remalnIng
properties in the affected areas
+ Reviews and field visits were made of the remaining properties in the affected
neighborhoods,wh Ich incl uded 469 properties.
+ Atter review,using data previously provided and data compiled through sates and
field visits to the properties,values were adjusted on many of the properties.
a Smaller properties that were conforming to the restrictions of the Northside
Neighborhood Cansarvatlon DistrItt on average teoelved a teduotlon In value or at least
20%.
" Larger.legally norfconrormirrg properties were reviewed and some were adiusied to
reflectan inemase In value.
2
3
4 Slide #12
Steps Taken with Northside Informal Appeals
(continued)
+ In order for staff to review all properties and provide the most consistent and
accurate review,most value notices were mailed for the properties informally
appealed In the Northside area on August 26,after all of the affected properties
were reviewed.
Formal appeals may be submitted for these prop@rites through 8eptentGer 25.
+ Final round of 4+alue Notices for the remaining properties in the Northside
neighborhoods reviewed under the direction of the BOER were mailed on
September T
+ Formal appeals may be submitted for these properties through October 7.
5
6
7 Slide #13
Review of East 54 Condominiums
+ On June 8,an appeal of a property located at East 54 Condominiums brought
forth the fact that there was a notable difference in fair market values of the condo
units In the referenced buildings that face the golf course versus the units that face
the parking lot,
Tax Office performed a review of other units in these buildingsto determine more
equitable valuations for these properties..At the August f2 Board of Equalization
and Review meeting the Tax Office requested that the Board direct the Tax Office
make necessary corrections t4 these properties and their values to be consistent
with the action taken an the appeal from June 8.
93 properties were reviewed,with 72 properties decreasing In value,19 increasing
in value and 1 no change. Value notices were mailed September 7.
8
9
10 Nancy Freeman said there was an average reduction of$31,000 and an average
11 increase of$16,000. She resumed the PowerPoint presentation:
29
1 Slide #14
Final Report of Board of Equalization and
Rewiewfor2021
i
The estimated time of completion of the work for the Board of Equalization and
Review(BOER)for 2021 is mid-January.
. This will depend on the number of appeals received through early October,based
on the date of the last mailing of Value Notfces
- A report will be provided to the Board of Commissioners to provide a summary of
the outcome of the appeals at a regular meeting of the Commissioners soon after,
estimated Mid-March 2022.
2
3
4 Slide #15
Final Report of Board of Equalization and
Review for 2021 (continued)
I
The report will Include important metrics on the resulting changes to values that
occurred due to the appeals.
0 Number of dates BOER met to conduct heanngs
Number of Informal appeals rr u tln In a formal appeal
s Total number of formal appeals
r Number of appeals resulting in a decrease in value,increase in value,and no change
- Dedimn Notices Mailings and PIJ1111Gcalwn of Minvles
. Number of formal appeals resulting in an appeal No the North Carolina Property Tax
Commission
5
6
7 Nancy Freeman said these numbers will depend on when the notices are mailed out, as
8 there is a 30 day window to appeal to the Property Tax Commission. She resumed the
9 PowerPoint presentation:
10
11 Slide #16
2021 'Value Appeals Process in Conclusion
• Real property sales I ncreased steadily prior lo the January 1,2021 revaluation date.
This resulted in a substantial increase in valuation county-wide for the 2021
Revaluation.
Beginning in March 2020,the pandemic complicated many aspects of the process of
the revaluation,from stalling field visits to changing the methods needed to
communicate with property mvners about their valises and appealing the values.
F We have continued to provltle service to taxpayers,although the office was closed to
the public far several months.Our new online appeals module helped us provide an
effectiveway for property owners to appeal value without an in-person visit.
- Current number of appeals still below the estimated number for 2ID21 However,our
goals for completing appeals have been quite stretched due to the effectsof the
pandemic,and the fact that staff has been shorthanded.
- Our assessment team,along with tremendous support from our other divisions,eras
cofttlnued to work through these Issues to provide excellent professional customer
service and accurate work to fairly equalze the tax base for Orange County property
owners.
12
13
30
1 Chair Price thanked the Tax Administrator for taking the time to meet with community
2 members. She said the focus was on Northside, but other areas of the county were also seeing
3 disparities. She said she looks forward to further analyses forthcoming.
4 Commissioner Hamilton thanked tax staff for hearing her questions and providing
5 information to her. She said she hopes residents will hear that the Board and staff do care and
6 are willing to look into issues.
7 Commissioner Richards asked if there will be some kind of a "lessons learned" in
8 addition to the statistics at the end of this process, and if there will be an overall assessment of
9 how the county approaches the revaluation process.
10 Nancy Freeman said one of the takeaways is that field reviews are so very important
11 and staff realized it would never complete an only desktop review. She said staff will include
12 some lessons learned in the report to the BOCC.
13 Commissioner Fowler said she appreciates Commissioner Richards' question. She said
14 it seemed like the whole process was inequitable because lower homes were overvalued and
15 vice versa. She asked if the county will need to continue with the appeals process moving
16 forward, or will the county be able to find a different process that's more equitable in general.
17 Nancy Freeman said the county relies on information provided by taxpayers, and
18 communication and relationships between the two is important. She said tax staff is often not
19 given access to go into a home or a building. She said the continuing work with the community
20 is important to secure accurate information and to avoid situations like happened with
21 disparities. She said the Tax Office also needs to do more outreach to the community
22 publicizing that now is the time to get accurate information to tax office.
23 Commissioner Fowler said she appreciates the work of the tax office and hopes that it
24 ended with more equitable values placed. She said there were 185 commercial appeals, and
25 asked if these were all in Northside.
26 Nancy Freeman said there were 135 informal commercial appeals countywide, not
27 specific to Northside.
28 Chair Price said staff had to abide by state statute in this process, which is important to
29 remember. She said in working with community organizations and groups, staff is able to see
30 what is really happening, and if goal is to preserve some of these neighborhoods, the county is
31 going to have to use some other strategies and work with the towns to see what is really
32 happening in neighborhoods.
33 Commissioner Greene said she was in Asheville recently, and Buncombe County is
34 having virtually the same issue. She said this county started a committee to review the issue.
35 She suggested staff contact tax staff in Buncombe for suggestions.
36 Chair Price said Commissioner Greene is correct, and this is happening across the
37 country in many areas and for many years.
38
39 A motion was made by Commissioner Hamilton, seconded by Commissioner Bedford, to
40 take a three minute recess.
41
42 Roll call ensued
43
44 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
45
46 A motion was made by Commissioner Fowler, seconded by Commissioner Bedford, to
47 reconvene the meeting at 9:44 p.m.
48
49 Roll call ensued
50
51 VOTE: UNANIMOUS
31
1
2 b. Mountains to Sea Trail (MST) Update
3 The Board received an update on the activity of staff and other project partners on
4 acquiring and constructing the segment route of the NC Mountains to Sea Trail (MST), a part of
5 the NC State Parks system, within Orange County.
6
7 BACKGROUND:
8 In January 2018, the county adopted a route map for the portion of the NC Mountains to Sea
9 Trail in Orange County. This action was the culmination of several community meetings and
10 planning exercises to identify, refine and address the planned route of this trail through Orange
11 County. The NC Mountains to Sea Trail is a continuous off-road trail linking Clingman's Dome in
12 the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Jockey's Ridge State Park on the state's Outer
13 Banks. The MST is part of the North Carolina State Parks system, with over 680 miles of the
14 roughly 1,000-mile trail route open for use and road connecting sections identified by the
15 Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail (FMST) organization to allow hikers to complete the trail in
16 areas where road routes are needed.
17
18 A statewide MST Master Plan was completed and approved in 2015 with an established corridor
19 for the trail across the state, broken into defining segments. The plan included information about
20 each segment, prioritization and plans for further work, centralized web-based content about
21 trail progress, and a set of tools and guidelines to assist trail planning partners.
22
23 One of the regions in the state where the trail corridor was in need of further identification and
24 refinement was the Eastern Piedmont section, from Greensboro to Durham. Segments of the
25 adopted MST corridor traverse Orange County, entering from southwestern Orange County at
26 the Alamance County line and running northeast through lands owned by the Orange Water and
27 Sewer Authority (OWASA) around Cane Creek Reservoir. The MST corridor then continues
28 northeast to the Orange County Seven Mile Creek Natural Area, before entering Occoneechee
29 Mountain State Natural Area and into Hillsborough along the Town's Riverwalk. The trail then
30 heads eastward into Eno River State Park and toward Durham.
31
32 Because almost all of the MST located east of Hillsborough will be within Eno River State Park
33 and its master plan, the State and the Eno River Association have taken the lead to addressing
34 the trail from Hillsborough Riverwalk east to the Durham County line.
35
36 Orange County's responsibility is to connect the trail from Alamance County to Occoneechee
37 Mountain State Natural Area, and it is this area that has been the area of focus since 2018. As
38 shown in the current and prior Capital Investment Plans (CIP), the first area of emphasis was to
39 extend the trail west from the Hillsborough Riverwalk through Occoneechee Mountain and to the
40 Seven Mile Creek Natural Area. This would extend an existing section of the trail, and significant
41 progress has been made by the county, Town of Hillsborough, Eno River Association and State
42 Parks. This is addressed in the attached Project Summary of Recent Activities in the section
43 "Riverwalk to Seven Mile Creek Natural Area."
44
45 The second area of emphasis as per the adopted plan and the CIP was the subsection from NC
46 54 to Buckhorn Road, encompassing the Cane Creek Reservoir lands of OWASA. Working with
47 several willing and interested landowners, staff has secured sections of trail corridor as well as
48 a future trailhead on NC 54, and is finalizing trail easements with multiple property owners on
49 lands that abut the OWASA Cane Creek lands where the trail would run. Updates on the
50 progress in this area is provided in the attached summary document in the section titled "Cane
32
1 Creek Reservoir Area." (Note: To protect landowner confidentiality, the summary document
2 does not reference specific properties.)
3
4 The third and final area of activity for the Orange County section of the MST would connect
5 Buckhorn Road near Cane Creek to the Seven Mile Creek Natural Area. It is expected that this
6 subsection of the trail may take many years to complete, as was noted in the adopted 2018
7 map, and the Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail have been working on road route
8 connectors to serve hikers until the trail corridor is completed at some date in the future.
9
10 Staff continues to work with willing landowners, and is in regular contact with OWASA staff
11 regarding the progress in that area, and the potential for construction of a segment of the trail in
12 the Cane Creek area is being contemplated at this time.
13
14 As a long-term, multi-year project, staff plans to provide status reports to the Board on a regular
15 basis to update on the activity and progress toward the trail route.
16
17 David Stancil, Director of the Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks, and
18 Recreation (DEAPR), reviewed the background information for the item. He and Christian Hirni,
19 Land Conservation Manager, made the following PowerPoint presentation:
20
21 Slide #1
GRANGE COUNTY
NORTH CAROLINA
Mountains to Sea Trail (MST)
PROJECT UPDATE
September 14th,2021
22
23
24 Slide #2
The M.C. Mountains to Sea Trail
• Part of the State Parks System
• Clingman's Dome to Jockey's Ridge
• Connects State Parks,Open Spaces
• Much of Trail Exists—Eastern Piedmontan
Exception
ORANGE COUNTY
25 R�RTI[GRCnLFNA
26
27 Slide #3
33
em��tea.x�lv
F--
}
Oki
� � I
6e'slplae6ed Sc�rpnrPi� Plannln�SBgrxeante �'^`...,_^�!,°r., ���
Id Uby..ShWr'4{uyali meso a rj-c2"T a.PRSF alp Isles'FeA•ha d WFT
a ..m ms RkpR 0 WftrVf ii'N*b Cn 4 'O YecPFwr.l uPv'.i.L;Z.Hr �191,YL Ut NS
a%-h-9.w F.4. a Cath� 1-r —C—rh WW 6'*Kk Bapal
a P a Mi, a nYr rmr, 41'rR-Crrr *o—F-I
4'*,rpR IDO Wkwh4 Tq+� Q hLdhVM,i#KCC-* L—IQ—tl P-.do..L..,
a Prf hb..w W. 6iNfWn Q&.,ni CKmr w ras¢aP
Im-rrAW 71rL1 qoCwgb. G—C M Cm.rJy Cw.iu�
a Lyy.n wn v..i aC�F.ltl 1GeY.dbr —. _ --- .�. {� TnDII IJPAII
ORANGE COUNTY
NOWn f CAROLINA
1
2
3 David Stancil said the trail goes across the state. He resumed the PowerPoint
4 presentation:
5
6 Slide #4
ir.ef.ara.,a-iii-��.r Tr.dc�iF �.;,'r1!PIF'��7PJ+511f};tist'h°,NJrr�Il�di -
��-;'rte f I i■ w i�
5
f
�..'�.'Ir11• .e'I
oo Ft+e "of the Wunw—n io$"Trail
ORANGE COUNTY
NORTI[CARMISIA
7
8
34
1 David Stancil said the trail runs along the Haw River and into Saxapahaw, and getting
2 through this area into Hillsborough has been the issue because the natural body of water is lost.
3 He said the trail has to go overland, which is harder. He resumed the PowerPoint presentation:
4
5 Slide #5
MST Planning 2004-15
• 2004-2006—Regional meetings held around the
state with stakeholders to do initial mapping of
eorridor
2014—Statewide MST Master Plan begun
(adopted summer 2015)
• November 2015—Presentation to BOCC of MST
Master Plan by State Parks
ORANGECOUNT1
6 .,xn r ur�uNA
7
8 David Stancil said planning for the trail has gone on since late 90s. He resumed the
9 PowerPoint presentation:
10
11 Slide #6
Trail Planning in Orange 2016-17
• January 2016—Staff directed to implement
community meetings and trail planning
Community Meetings--April and September
2016,March 2017
• Facilitator meetings with neighborhoods and
small groups(spring/summer 2016)
• Report to Board of Commissioners September
2017 _
ORANGE COUNTY
12 NV -LINA
CRAGJLINA
13
14 David Stancil said since sections from Hillsborough to the east are part of the Eno River
15 master plan, Orange County was asked to focus efforts on the connection to Saxapahaw. He
16 resumed the PowerPoint presentation:
17
18 Slide #7
Trail Planning in Orange 2016-17
September, 2017—Staff directed to begin work on initial
stretch from Hillsborough to Seven Mile Creek Natural
Area,follow-up with other expressed interested parties
December, 2017—Petition to Board asking staff to work
with expressed willing landowners at Cane Creek,and
adopt the MST trail route
January,2018-Adoption of MST Route map by Board
p LA ri'iEunQaU jY
19
35
1 Slide #8
-Orange tourrtp Wvurvtaina-tv-S-5@ Trail{ fl Rviite-AdWad V23?nta
w ,� -- it ... •��_� ���" i
,•- I 'ii L�i�aFaia�
L
�r o
k X I a
. i
INC �9
� ��� "� `1•- o
ORANGE COUNTY
IS�oRTI e C► L«IA
2
3
4 Slide #9
Orange County's Segment
• Occoneechee Mountain Trails
• Southwest to Seven Mile Creek Preserve
• Cross-country to Cane Creek and Cane
Creek Reservoir lands
• NC 54 toward Alarnance/Saxapahaw**
• Would Occur in Three Phases
ORANGE COUNTY
6
7 David Stancil said parts of the trail may take many years to complete. He resumed the
8 PowerPoint presentation:
9
36
1 Slide #10
County MST Acquisition Focus
• All trail easementslacquisitions are voluntary
• Focus on route adopted December 2018
• Focus an Hillsborough to Alamance segment
• 181 Priority -connection from Riverwalk to State
Parks and County natural area
• Connection with OWASA lands to Alamance
County 1 Saxapahaw
ORANGE COUNTY
2 F40M[CAROLINA
3
4 Slide #11
Acquisitions - Fee Simple 1 Easement
• Work with landowners to find best fit for them
• Landowner confidentiality protected until
negotiations complete/consideration for action
• Requires review and due diligence by County
(legal review, survey, appraisal, title search, etc.)
ORANGE COUNTY
NOR TI I CAROLINA
5
6
7 Slide #12
Trail Segment Progress 2018-21
• January-March 2018-Letters sent to -400
landowners within 1000 feet of adopted route
• May 2018-MOU with Friends of the MST
• October 2018 -Grand opening of Seven Mile
Creek Natural Area, containing section of MST
• Fall-Winter 2018-19 - Follow-up with landowners
for proposed easements and acquisitions
ORANGE COUNTY
8 NOR]]f CkR LINA
9
10
11
37
1 Slide #13
Trail Segment Progress (continued)
• October 2019-Purchase of future trailhead with
connection to OWASA lands near NC
54/Mebane Oaks Road
•
Winter 2019-2020-Modification of route along
Mebane-Oaks Road to OWASA lands
ORANGE COUNTY
2 P:OPTI[LM1RDL[NA
3
4 Slide #14
Trail Segment Progress (continued)
• July 2020-Trail
Easement donation
connecting trailheadto NC 54 intersection
September 2020-
Amendment to State \`^ ,`
conservation _;
easement for MST _ +
section
ORANGE COUNTY
5 M1k]6[T][L�L4NA
6
7
8 Slide #15
Trail Segment Progress (cant.)
• 2020-present: Final draft language for two trail
easement donations adjacent to OWASA lands
• Fall 2020—present: Final language for
conservation easement to include MST from
Seven Mile Creek Natural Area to the east
• Ongoing-Scouting for MST connections to
Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area
ORANGE COUNTY
9 hroan c uxouwA
10
11
L`
a'
" h 4
-
y Y
ORANGEO
39
1 Slide #18
2021-Actions Imminent
• Cane Creek Reservoir-Two Trail Easement
donations and one purchase will close the gap!
• Seven Mile Creek-Trail easement within
conservation easement, connection to east!
•
New traillconservation easement may complete
connection to Occoneechee Mountain!
• Letter to OWASAre potential trail section?
2
ORANGECOnUNTYunn gun�ux
3
4 Slide #19
ORANGE COUNTY
5 rosn i unaEH.
6
7 Slide #20
ft FMST
8 ORANGE�,no,.a,�CO.o�n� Ur
9
10 Kate Dixon, Executive Director of the Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail (MST), said
11 14 miles of trails will be built in the near future: half in Eno River State Park, but a quarter will
12 be in the Hillsborough Area and another quarter in Cane Creek. She said she usually meets
13 with Chris Hirni every two months to go over where things are and share information. She said
14 one way they can be helpful is making connections with residents and neighbors in the county
15 who are really into and interested in the trails, and because of these networks, they have been
16 able to find people willing to donate land for the trails. She said friends of the MST are the main
17 source of information about how to hike the trail. She said most people use the trails that are
18 actual trails, but there are also roads for thru hikers. She said the Friends of the MST keep all
40
1 of this information current. She said the group has 700-1000 volunteers who build and maintain
2 trails across the state. She said these people are highly experienced, and one of the very best
3 lives in Orange County: Bill Boyarsky. She said one last thing to share is about fundraising.
4 She said the Friends of the MST are about to hold a fundraiser at Pluck Farm down at the Cane
5 Creek Reservoir on October 8. She said they will be raising money to help build the trail and
6 there is a lot of excitement about it. She said volunteers came up with event name: Blaze
7 Orange.
8 Chair Price thanked everyone for the update.
9 Commissioner Fowler said it is nice to see the progress being made, and she
10 appreciates the idea to receive ongoing updates.
11 Chair Price said she and Commissioner Bedford have a regular meeting coming up with
12 OWASA. She asked if David Stancil is looking for an answer from the BOCC about OWASA.
13 David Stancil asked if the Board would consider sanctioning the DEAPR to send a letter
14 to OWASA with an update. He said some logistical work is needed, like public safety,
15 emergency access, things of that nature, but would like OWASA's concurrence on finalizing that
16 route and moving forward to construction early next year.
17 Commissioner Bedford said it will be great to have more frequent updates, and
18 appreciated the history of the trail since she is one of the relatively newer commissioners. She
19 said it seems time is more of an issue than money in terms of doing the work in phases.
20 David Stancil said there are still a lot of due diligence pieces that still need to be done,
21 even with donations. He said trail construction is the easy part. He said sometimes privacy
22 fences or transportation solutions are necessary. He said a lot of the process takes place
23 behind the scenes through many conversations that are not visible.
24 Commissioner Bedford said she remembers in 2017 and 2018 when some homeowners
25 came forward after the map was issued.
26 David Stancil said there were 3 landowners at Cane Creek and a couple of landowners
27 between Occoneechee Mountain and Seven Mile Creek.
28 Commissioner Bedford referred to phase 3, and asked what happens if there is no land
29 available to connect the trail.
30 David Stancil said the question comes up a lot and he likes to analogize it with Eno River
31 State Park. He said this park started in the 1970s, and staff is still not seeing pieces of that
32 happen. He said he is not saying it will take 40 years to complete the MST, but some parts,
33 especially where the trail has to go over land through private properties, will require some road
34 route connecting sides for a number of years. He said he hopes that over time people will
35 realize the MTS trail is safe and will become more comfortable with the idea of it, so alternate
36 routes can get constructed.
37 Commissioner Bedford asked him to work with Economic Development office because
38 there is a lot of development upcoming in Buckhorn area and there could be some greenway
39 built along a commercial development. She asked how Orange County connects with
40 Alamance for the purposes of the trail.
41 David Stancil said DEAPR has been in touch with Alamance Parks, which is handling
42 working with the Friends of the MST for the Alamance section. He said the trail will likely exit
43 Orange County off of Morrow Mill Road into Alamance.
44 Commissioner Greene said she is happy to see the progress happening and appreciates
45 what David Stancil said about flexibility and the need to keep holding on and persisting with the
46 project, knowing there might have to be some alternatives before the ideal is reached. She also
47 thanked the Friends of the MST for their work.
48 Chair Price asked if there is any objection with staff proceeding with letter to OWASA.
49 The Board agreed by consensus, and gave staff the go ahead.
50 Commissioner Bedford referred to the Capital Investment Plan, and asked if the purpose
51 of the $181,000 of funding could be identified.
41
1 David Stancil said most is grant funding, and not county dollars. He said most is for the
2 phase two Cane Creek Reservoir land acquisition segment. He said the construction amount in
3 this case is more likely to be bridges, privacy fences, etc., and will not be for building trail.
4 Commissioner Bedford also said since the trail will have to cross Interstate-40, staff
5 should coordinate with Craig Benedict, Planning Director, and transit planners in Chapel Hill.
6 David Stancil said one of the members of the MST Staff Working Group is from the
7 Planning Department so there have been discussions on different ways to cross Interstate 40
8 and 85, and the most viable has been identified.
9 Chair Price thanked all involved, and is excited to see the progress being made.
10
11 8. Consent Agenda
12
13 • Removal of Any Items from Consent Agenda
14 None
15
16 • Approval of Remaining Consent Agenda
17
18 A motion was made by Commissioner Greene, seconded by Commissioner McKee, to
19 approve the consent agenda.
20
21 Roll call ensued.
22
23 VOTE: UNANMIOUS
24
25 a. Minutes
26 None
27 b. North Carolina Governor's Highway Safety Program: Orange County Sheriff's Office
28 Traffic Safety Project and Approval of Budget Amendment#1-A
29 The Board adopted a resolution, which is incorporated by reference, recognizing federal
30 funding for traffic safety projects to the Sheriff's Office; approved Budget Amendment#1-A; and
31 authorized the Chair to sign the resolution.
32 c. Approval of Resolution Amending the Orange County FY 2021-2022 HOME Program
33 Design
34 The Board authorized the Chair to sign a resolution amending a Board resolution adopted
35 May 4, 2021, which authorized the Orange County FY 2021-2022 HOME Program Design.
36 d. Request for Road Additions to the State Maintained Secondary Road System for Farm
37 Gate Drive, Fox Hill Farm Drive, Still Meadow Lane, and Cedar Stone Way in the Fox
38 Hill Farm Central Subdivision
39 The Board made a recommendation to the North Carolina Department of Transportation
40 (NCDOT), and the North Carolina Board of Transportation (NC BOT), concerning a petition to
41 add Farm Gate Drive, Fox Hill Farm Drive, Still Meadow Lane, and Cedar Stone Way in the Fox
42 Hill Farm Central Subdivision to the State Maintained Secondary Road System.
43 e. Easements for Valley Forge Road Construction with Town of Hillsborough
44 The Board approved a temporary construction easement and two drainage utility easements
45 at 401 Valley Forge Road, Hillsborough, NC to the Town of Hillsborough in order to facilitate the
46 installation and maintenance of drainage improvements adjacent to the Valley Forge Road right
47 of way.
48
49 9. County Manager's Report
42
1 Bonnie Hammersley reminded the Board that September 23 is the joint meeting with
2 school boards. She said the agenda comes from the finance department and she anticipates it
3 being available by Thursday.
4
5 10. County Attorney's Report
6 None
7
8 11. *Appointments
9 None
10
11 12. Information Items
12
13 • September 2, 2021 BOCC Meeting Follow-up Actions List
14 . Memo Regarding Administrative Updates to the Eno River Voluntary Water Management
15 Operations Plan (WMOP)
16
17 13. Closed Session
18 None
19
20 14. Adjournment
21
22 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Bedford, to
23 adjourn the meeting at 10:28 p.m.
24
25 Roll call ensued
26
27 VOTE: UNANMIOUS
28
29
30 Renee Price, Chair
31
32
33 Tara May
34 Deputy Clerk to the Board
35
36 Submitted for approval by Laura Jensen, Clerk to the Board.
37
38
39
40