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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda 12-04-23; 8-a - Minutes 1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: December 4, 2023 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: October 10, 2023 Joint Meeting with Fire Departments and Work Session Attachment 2: October 17, 2023 Business Meeting Attachment 3: November 2, 2023 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 DRAFT MINUTES 2 ORANGE COUNTY 3 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 4 JOINT MEETING WITH CHIEFS' ASSOCIATION AND WORK SESSION 5 October 10, 2023 6 7:00 p.m. 7 8 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Joint Meeting with the Chiefs' 9 Association and Work Session on Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted 10 Human Services Center in Hillsborough, NC. 11 12 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jamezetta Bedford, Vice-Chair Earl McKee, 13 and Commissioners Sally Greene, Amy Fowler, Jean Hamilton, Phyllis Portie-Ascott, and 14 Anna Richards 15 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: None. 16 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts 17 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager 18 Travis Myren, and Clerk to the Board Laura Jensen. (All other staff members will be identified 19 appropriately below) 20 ORANGE COUNTY CHIEFS' ASSOCIATION MEMBERS PRESENT: Chief Keith Hayes, Chief 21 Kevin Brooks, Chief Phillip Nasseri, Chief Matthew Mauzy, Chief Brad Allison, Chief Ricky 22 Baker, Chief Charles Bowden, Chief Jeff Borland, Chief Jeff Cabe, Chief Will Potter, and Fred 23 Stipe, Board Chair of South Orange Rescue Squad 24 25 Chair Bedford called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. All commissioners were present, 26 except for Vice-Chair McKee and Commissioner Greene who were meeting with residents 27 regarding broadband access in Northern Orange County. 28 29 Charles Bowden, President of the Fire Chiefs Association, introduced Mike Causey, 30 Commissioner for the NC Department of Insurance. 31 32 1. Recognition of Firefighters for Length of Service 33 Mike Causey recognized the following individuals for their length of service as firefighters 34 in Orange County: 35 36 40+ YEARS LENGTH OF SERVICE RECOGNITION 37 38 Andy Gates — Caldwell —46 years of service 39 James Emory— Caldwell —46 years of service 40 CT Pope — Cedar Grove —46 years of service 41 Tim Crabtree — Eno —47 years of service 42 Keith Hayes — Eno —41 years of service 43 Ricky Baker— Orange Grove —44 years of service 44 Tom Griggs — Orange Grove —47 years of service 45 Richard Sykes — Orange Grove —47 years of service 46 Wallace Wilson — Orange Rural — 50 years of service 47 David Ballard — Orange Rural —47 years of service 48 Mac Cabe — Orange Rural —41 years of service 49 Mike Tapp — New Hope — 53 years of service 50 Cliff Carrol — New Hope —40 years of service 51 William R. Blankenship — New Hope —45 years of service 2 1 Charles Quinlan — New Hope —42 years of service 2 3 Kirby Saunders, Emergency Services Director, recognized the following individuals for 4 their length of service as firefighters in Orange County: 5 6 POSTHUMOUS RECOGNITION 7 8 Tommy Holmes— Orange Grove —46 years of service 9 10 RETIREMENT RECOGNITION 11 12 Ben Nichols — Orange Grove—43 years of service 13 David Riggs— Carrboro—29 years of service 14 15 LENGTH OF SERVICE RECOGNITION 16 17 Stacey Graves — Chapel Hill —20 years of service 18 Jeff Borland — Cedar Grove - 35 years of service 19 Sammy Borland — Cedar Grove - 35 years of service 20 LD Summers— Cedar Grove - 35 years of service 21 CJ Pearson — Cedar Grove - 20 years of service 22 Larry Mann — Carrboro— 25 years of service 23 Edwin Renegar— Carrboro — 20 years of service 24 Michael Law— Carrboro— 20 years of service 25 Chip Aiken — Eno—25 years of service 26 Betty Williamson — Eno — 30 years of service 27 Keith Hayes— Eno—40 years of service 28 Bill Waddell — Orange Grove — 30 years of service 29 Dusty Wall — New Hope —25 years of service 30 Shawn Ellis— New Hope—20 years of service 31 Kenny Stewart—White Cross —32 years of service 32 Jeff Mooney—White Cross — 30 years of service 33 34 2. Service Highlights and Updates 35 36 President Charles Bowden made the following presentation: 37 38 Slide #1 Service Highlights and Departmental Updates 39 3 1 Slide #2 Fire Department calls for Service CY2022 Calls For Service by Type 14,122 Cans for Service or E� FIRE 41% EMS 59% 4 2 3 4 Slide #3 Rural Department calls for Service 2022 Calls for Service 604 574 446 399 387 EMS 287 263 ■FIRE 174 96 Eno ERend Ontri p Gwove New Hope Caldwell CeAerpnve Wdla Cwoes Nowiw Chaltmm ,54wrce,CAA 5 6 7 4 1 Slide #4 Municipal l Dept. Calls for Service 2422 Municipal Department Calls for Service 6262 2R9 ■EMS ■FIRE 2345 1819 1 N E ChWel HIII Oran"Rurd CarrAwra Bourg.'CAD 11 2 3 4 Slide #5 South Orange fescue • Chief Mathew Mauzy • Responds County Wide for Rope Rescue as well as Statewide for Missing Person Land Search and Swiftwater/Flood Rescue Volunteer Staffing • One Station Equipment Three Motorized Boats & Four Paddle Craft One Patient Transport,UTV Three BLS Ambulances — Two Technical Rescue Trucks Ohne Incident Rehab Unit • Averaging 1,250 scalls per year it 5 6 7 5 1 Slide #6 Fire District: Efland 3 • Chief Kevin Brooks • Combination Staffing Model • Three Stations Equipment — Four engines — Three tankers — One brush truck — Two First Response Vehicles • Averaging 550 calls per year 13 2 3 Chief Bowden said that Efland is in the process of remodeling Station #1 and that 4 they've purchased a few trucks in the past couple of years. 5 6 Slide #7 Fire Districts Grange Rural IS05 • Chief Jeff Cabe • Combination Staffing Model Three Stations • Equipment Four Engines Two First Responder vehicles Three Tankers One UTV One Aerial Platform One Boat One Heavy Rescue • Averaging 1,950 calls per year 14 7 8 Chief Cabe noted that they had four stations now and their call volume is over 2,200. 6 1 Slide #8 Fire District: New Hope 1§04 • Chief Charles Bowden • Combination Staffing Model Two Stations • Equipment Three Engines One UTV Two Tankers One Squad Truck One Brush Truck • Averaging 600 calls per year 2 3 Chief Bowden said New Hope has seen a large increase in the number of calls in the 4 last year. 5 6 Slide #9 Fire District: Orange Grove � 5 • Chief Ricky Baker • Combination Staffing Madel • Three Stations Equipment Three Engines One Rescue/Engine Truck Three Tankers Two First Responder Vehicles One Brush Truck One Boat • Averaging 400 calls per year ,7 7 8 Chief Baker said their call volume continues to climb a little every year. He said they are 9 also planning for renovations to make accommodations for personnel. 10 7 1 Slide #10 Fire District: Ceder Greve 6 • Chief Jeff Borland • Combination Staffing Model Two Stations Equipment Two Engines one Squad Truck Two Tankers Two Brush Trucks • Averaging 250 calls per year 2 3 Chief Borland said their call volume has also increased. He said that they've dropped 4 their ISO rating to a 5. 5 6 Slide #11 Fire District: Caldwell I 4 • Chief Brad Allison • All Volunteer • Two Stations • Equipment Two Engines Two First Responder Vehicles Two Tankers Chief's Vehicle One Rescue Pumper One Brush Truck • Averaging 450 calls per year ,9 7 8 Chief Allison said their call volume has increased and that they've lowered their ISO 9 rating. He said they also opened station #2 and added a new engine to the fleet. 10 Chair Bedford asked for an explanation of what ISO ratings are. 8 1 Mike Causey said ISO stands for Insurance Services Organization, and it is a national 2 rating organization. He said his office inspects 1,215 fire departments in North Carolina. He 3 said North Carolina leads the nation in lowering ISO ratings. He said that the higher the ISO 4 rating, the more expensive a homeowner's insurance will be. 5 Elizabeth Farnan, Fire Marshal, said that every fire department in Orange County has 6 recently lowered their ISO rating. 7 Mike Causey said it is a rating that affects people's pocketbooks. He said to lower your 8 ISO rating requires teamwork from the fire department to meet all of the qualifications. He said 9 it depends on water supply, 911 services, the type of equipment the department has, the 10 training for the firefighters. 11 Chief Bowden said every department in Orange County has an ISO rating of 5 or below. 12 Chief Jeff Cabe said in 2015, the Chiefs Association made a goal of lowering the ratings. 13 He said prior to that, every department except Chapel Hill and Carrboro were a 9. 14 15 Slide #12 Fire District: White Cress IS04 f Chief Phillip Nasseri • Combination Staffing Madel • Two 'Stations • Equipment Three Engines Two First Responder vehicles Two Tankers One Heaver Rescue One Brush Truck Three Boats Averaging 350 calls per year 16 17 Chief Nasseri said call volumes continue to grow. He expressed appreciation to all of 18 those involved in getting ISO ratings down. 19 20 9 1 Slide #13 Fire District: Carrboro 02 • Interim Chief Will Potter (Carrboro Fire & Rescue) • Fully Paid Staffing • Two Stations Equipment Three Engines One Aerial Platform One Tanker 1 1 4Q ...,,, One Battalion Chief One Brush Truck • Averaging 1,800 calls per year 21 2 3 Chief Potter said call volumes continue to increase. He also said that he was recently 4 made the permanent chief of the Carrboro fire department. 5 6 Slide #14 Fire District; Chapel Hill IS02 • Chief Vence Harris (Chapel Hill Fire & Rescue) • Fully Paid Staffing • Five Stations Equipment Four Engines Two Battalion Chiefs One Aerial Platform One Heavy Rescue One Aerial Ladder Two Boats, One UTV • Averaging 6,000 calls per year 22 7 8 Chief Bowden said that Jay Mebane is the new chief in Chapel Hill. 9 10 10 1 Slide #15 Fire District: Mebane 2 • Chief Bob Louis (Mebane Fire & Rescue) • {Combination Staffing Three Mations • Equipment Four Engines One Tanker One Aerial Platform One Heavy Rescue Two Brush Trucks One UTV • Averaging 3,000 calls per year (600 in grange County) 2 3 4 Slide #16 Fire district: North Chatham 6 • Chief John Strowd (North Chatham Fire & Fescue) • Combination Staffing • Seven Stations • Equipment Eight Engines Seven Tankers Two Aerial Platforms Two Heavy Rescues One Brush Truck Eight Boats. One UTV • Averaging 2,000 calls per year (100 in Orange County) 24 5 6 Chuck Quinlan, President of the Board of Directors for North Chatham, said they are 7 looking to hire more staff due to increased call volumes. He said they are also doing 8 renovations for two stations. 9 10 11 I Slide #17 11SOCurrent Updates • Efland FD— 3 • Orange Grove FD -5 • White Cross FD—4 • Caldwell FD-4 (as of Sept 27,2022) 2 3 Chief Bowden said that Cedar Grove went from a 6 to a 5 ISO rating. 4 5 3. ARPA Funded Radio Replacements and Radio System Improvement Project 6 Chief Nasseri said that with ARPA funding, they replaced $2.4 million worth of radio 7 equipment. He said that the contract was awarded in December, and that they are expecting 8 the equipment soon. 9 10 4. Special Operations Team —Technical Large Animal Rescue 11 Chief Nasseri said that their Special Operations Team strives to respond to any crisis. 12 He said they initially started with trench rescue, and now have moved into large animal rescue. 13 He said they recently hosted a class in the White Cross area teaching first responders about 14 this specialization. 15 Technical Large Animal Fescue 4 16 12 1 Chief Bowden said that the departments work together on larger emergencies. 2 Chief Nasseri said that due to the increase in square footage of buildings in Orange 3 County and weather-related emergencies, the departments are having to collaborate more on 4 responding to situations. 5 6 The Board took a brief break while the fire chiefs departed the meeting before beginning 7 the work session. 8 9 5. Discussion on the County's Participation in Mayors, Managers, Chair (MMC) Meetings 10 The Board discussed the County's participation in multijurisdictional Mayors, Managers, Chair 11 (MMC) meetings. 12 13 BACKGROUND: In most years, the County and the Towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and 14 Hillsborough hold a joint meeting called the Assembly of Governments meeting. In 2016, one of 15 the agenda topics was an update on the Greene Tract. As part of an effort to advance progress 16 on the development of the Greene Tract, the group discussed the creation of a Task Force to 17 provide recommendations on the development of the property for affordable housing, a school 18 site, and other potential uses. A history of the Greene Tract and related agreements and past 19 planning activity is available here. 20 21 Discussion during the 2016 Assembly of Governments meeting included the possible creation of 22 a public task force to recommend potential uses for the Greene Tract. Another suggestion 23 involved the creation of a task force made up of the Mayors from Carrboro and Chapel Hill, the 24 Chair of the Board of Commissioners, and the Managers from each participating jurisdiction. A 25 final suggestion was that the managers for each jurisdiction create a proposal for governing 26 board review. Ultimately, discussion on the topic ended with the suggestion that a starting point 27 would be a meeting of the Mayors, Managers, and Chair (Attachment A). There was no action 28 taken at the Assembly of Governments meeting to create a task force, and none of the 29 participating jurisdictions took formal action at a later date to create a task force. In fact, the 30 Mayors and Chair may have met informally prior to 2016 to discuss policy matters of mutual 31 interest or to set agendas for joint meetings. 32 33 The only agenda item that the Board of Commissioners adopted that referenced the Mayors, 34 Managers, and Chair assemblage was the 2021 Greene Tract Interlocal Agreement. This 35 Agreement assigned the Mayors, Managers, and Chair to "...be the representatives of the 36 Parties for the purpose of negotiating the ultimate uses of the Property and working directly with 37 staff to bring such negotiated results to the governing board for final approval and 38 determination." 39 40 The scope of topics discussed during MMC meetings has broadened over time to include topics 41 like human services related agreements among the jurisdictions and responsibilities for housing 42 related services. The meeting notes from the preceding twelve months of MMC meetings are 43 provided as Attachment B. 44 45 General concerns have been raised about the general role of the MMC and transparency to the 46 elected governing boards and the public. This discussion is intended to address concerns 47 Board members have about the MMC group and to provide direction on whether the County 48 continues to participate, and if so, on what basis or under what types of limitations. 49 50 13 1 Travis Myren introduced the item and made the following the presentation: 2 3 Slide #1 ,Agenda Item 5 ORANGE COUNTY 1*4C3RTH CAR©LINA Participation in Mayors, Managers, Chair (MMC) Meetings Board of Commissioners Work Session October 10, 2023 4 5 6 Slide #2 Purpose [discuss the County's ,participation in multijurisdictional Mayors, Managers, chair meetings. GRANGE COUNTY 2 NC3R:F !C=ARC71-[NA 7 8 9 14 1 Slide #3 Background • The Mayors of Chapel Hill,Carrboro, and Hillsborough likely met informally with the Chair of the Board prior to 2016 to set joint meeting agendas and other items of mutual interest - No facilitator, meeting votes,etc. • 2016 Assembly of Governments meeting—Update on the Greene Tract - MscussOn of Task Force to make recommendations on affordable housing,school site,other potential uses - 5everal suggestions on composition - Meeting of Mayors, Managers,and Chair suggested as starting point - No formal action taken to authorize or appoint representatives • 2017 MMC Greene Tract Meetings begin - Meeting notes produced toy staff • 2019 MMC Greene Tract Meetings continue with facilitator — Agenda,Meeting Faellltation,Meeting Nates •, � ORANGE COUNTY 3 NORTH C/RL7LiNA 2 3 4 Slide #4 Background 2021 Greene Tract Interlocal Agreement - Assigned the Mayers, Managers. and Chair to "...be the representatives of the Parties for the purpose of negotiating the ultimate uses of the Property and working directly with staff to bring such negotiated results to the governing board for fatal approval and determination.' • 2022 and 2023 MMC Meetings - Continue to discuss Greene Tract development Roles and responsibilities for affordable housing creation and supportive services Partnership to End Homelessness Memorandum of Understanding - Interfaith Council request for InteHocal Agreement for predictable funding GRANGE COUNTY $ 1NORTH CARC3"r1JA 5 6 7 8 15 1 Slide #5 Continued County Participation Status quo — Chair participates and shares meeting notes — Informal gatherings Board Authorized by Topic — Chair seeks Board authorization to participate by topic — Informal gatherings Board Authorized by Topic and Scope — Chair seeks Board authorizatlon on specific topics and scope of the discussion — Informal gatherings Discontinue Participation — Informal gatherings only ORANGE COUNTY 5 NOR'r-H C/kRC7LiNA 2 3 Travis Myren discussed options for the Board to consider if participation is continued. 4 5 Slide #6 Recommendation Discuss the County's continued participation in MMC meetings. ORANGE COUNTY CI®RI-1-1 CARC3"NA 6 7 Commissioner Fowler asked Chair Bedford for her thoughts on how official the group is 8 and how it is helpful. She said that it seems that it could be subverting the purpose of 9 governance if only a handful of people are making decisions. 16 1 Chair Bedford said she initially began going as part of the Orange County Partnership to 2 End Homelessness. She said that it took a bit, but she figured out what it was she did not care 3 for. She said they did not get information ahead of meetings and she did not want to make 4 decisions without preparation. She said that she also decided that she would not be bringing 5 back a recommendation to her Board from these meetings. She said it put her in the position of 6 speaking for the Board without actually checking with her colleagues first. She said the minutes 7 are a must have but it also presents an opportunity for a chair or mayor to work outside of their 8 boards. She said Commissioner Greene asked if the meetings should be recorded. She said 9 that at that point, she did not think it should be recorded. She said the other question is if it 10 should be a public meeting. 11 Commissioner Portie-Ascott if there was an informal meeting group before the MMC. 12 Bonnie Hammersley said there was not a group meeting regularly before the MMC. She 13 said at most it was managers and mayors meeting to set agendas for joint meetings. She said 14 in 2016 at the Assembly of Government, they were talking about the Greene Tract, and it was 15 always once a year. She said that it was created to facilitate additional conversations about the 16 Greene Tract. She said before 2016, there had been a task force, but nothing had happened for 17 a long time, and it led to a lot of frustration. She said that the benefit of the MMC is that there 18 has been more progress in the last 7 years than there was before. She said one of the 19 concerns she had was when it started to grow bigger than the Greene Tract. She said that they 20 brought the Partnership to End Homelessness and she did not feel there was a reason to bring 21 those items before the MMC because they already get brought to the full boards. She said that 22 the mayors have more authority than a chair does, since mayors are elected by the people. 23 Commissioner Portie-Ascott said it seems like it would be a great idea to have a group 24 like the MMC to discuss those common issues. She said maybe some tweaking could be done 25 to provide more direction. 26 Commissioner Hamilton said she had a concern about the MMC making decisions. She 27 said with the Greene Tract, there was a clear directive. She said with the other topics, there 28 was no clear direction. She said a smaller group making decisions holds up information 29 sharing. She said she thought the meetings should be open to anyone. She said the role of 30 setting joint agendas makes sense. She said that she did not see the group serving the Board 31 well. 32 Chair Bedford said the full set of Greene Tract minutes are not on the website, but they 33 put summaries up. She said they did not do that for other discussion items. 34 Commissioner Hamilton said the problem is that topics should not be discussed without 35 a mandate from the boards. 36 Chair Bedford said that is exactly what this portion of the meeting is to talk about and 37 figure out. 38 Commissioner Hamilton said she thinks no. 39 Commissioner Fowler said that she agrees with the need for a limited scope because 40 there are already intergovernmental bodies to discuss those topics. 41 Commissioner Richards said she thinks there are things that happen in Orange County 42 where getting the leadership together to talk about them is a good thing. She said that access to 43 the meetings is a concern. She said that said in one of the minutes it seemed like the MMC was 44 going to appoint itself as a task force to do something and that the scope should be limited. She 45 said it did not actually happen, but it seemed like it was limiting input and participation. She said 46 the Assembly of Governments does not seem like the time to make decisions since the time is 47 brief. She asked if staff should be meeting instead and then bringing information to the Board. 48 Bonnie Hammersley said she meets with the managers and OWASA director monthly. 49 She said when she hears things that might be coming, she shares it with the Chair. She said 50 this is natural protocol. She said Commissioner Greene had asked her if the MMC meetings 51 might be recorded because she has an interest in discussions about homelessness and was 17 1 hearing things from Mayor Seils from Carrboro, so she wanted to know what was happening. 2 She said that it was brought up to the MMC group and it was a very quick no on the recording. 3 She said that she thought it was interesting because the facilitator was recording the meetings 4 just to keep track of notes and they told her she could no longer do that. She said that led to her 5 needing to hire an assistant to come with her so she could keep track of the notes and 6 discussion. She said that they were concerned they would be limited in what they could say if it 7 was being recorded. 8 Chair Bedford said she was one that had concerns about recording the meetings 9 because of liabilities. She said she says what she is going to say but other people might not. 10 John Roberts said that the MMC does not meet all of the statutory criteria for the open 11 meetings laws to apply. He said the more formal the body becomes and the more responsibility 12 they take on, then there becomes a stronger argument that it is a public body, and all three 13 jurisdictions could get a slap on the wrist if it is not open to the public. 14 Commissioner Hamilton said the fact that it is not being recorded and there are 15 reservations about recording it, makes her wonder what the group is doing. She said if they are 16 doing the work of the public, it should be open. 17 Chair Bedford said that if the MMC meetings are limited to discussion about the Greene 18 Tract then it should be open to the public. She said that just because it is open to the public 19 does not mean that public comment must be accepted. 20 John Roberts said that the first criteria for a meeting being subject to the open meetings 21 law is that it has to be elected or appointed. He said that since this group was not created by 22 anyone, it does not meet the criteria. 23 Commissioner Hamilton asked if the interlocal agreement was the creation of this body. 24 John Roberts said he does not think so because it only assigns certain items to be 25 discussed and all agreements do that. 26 Commissioner Portie-Ascott said that transparency is important. She said she is not in 27 favor of the meetings continuing unless they are open to the public and recorded. 28 Chair Bedford said that the MMC was specifically cited in the interlocal agreement for 29 the Greene Tract, and it was voted on by all boards. 30 John Roberts said that he does not think that creates a public body. He said that assigns 31 the negotiation of certain aspects of that agreement but did not mandate meetings or set 32 meeting schedules. He said that it is not a task force in his reading. 33 Chair Bedford said she read a blog post from the School of Government about functions 34 that governmental groups might partake in that would make them susceptible to the public 35 meeting statutes. She said that if the group is deliberating, or hearing presentations, it gets to a 36 point where they should be careful. She asked what administrative means in this case. 37 John Roberts said it would be assigning people to do certain tasks and that the county 38 does not have an administrative board. 39 Chair Bedford said a member of the public was concerned about the advisory piece. 40 John Roberts said the MMC certainly provides advice to their Boards. He said while 41 there is no case law, he said there was a blog post from the School of Government about this 42 exact type of scenario. He said the author's opinion is that it is not an advisory board. He said 43 however, that when members are assigned responsibilities, the argument becomes stronger 44 that they are a public body. He said the safest course is to make these meetings open to the 45 public. 46 Chair Bedford said she has learned that they are not making decisions with information 47 the first time it has been presented. 48 49 Commissioner Greene arrived at 8:23 p.m. 50 51 Commissioner Richards asked if the MMC should even be making decisions. 18 1 Chair Bedford said they were not technically making a final decision, but they were 2 deciding what would be brought back to the respective boards for their final decision making. 3 Commissioner Fowler summarized the meeting discussion up to this point so that 4 Commissioner Greene could be brought to speed. 5 Commissioner Greene said she doesn't think the group should exist at all. She said that 6 if it does exist at all, it should only be for the Greene Tract only. She said that the MMC had a 7 conversation about the Partnership to End Homelessness when there are already four elected 8 officials on that Board. She said that the conversation should have been brought to that group. 9 She said she liked the fact that many years ago, the Assembly of Governments used to meet 10 quarterly. She said she might be open to the MMC continuing if it is only for the Greene Tract 11 and if it is open to the public and recorded. 12 Commissioner Richards said she asked earlier about the need for the opportunity to talk 13 about items in meetings of all of the elected boards. She said she wondered if meeting more 14 than once per year would be more helpful. She said that she was unaware that the Assembly of 15 Governments used to meet quarterly. 16 Commissioner Greene said that the idea of a housing collaborative was brought up 17 during an Assembly of Governments meeting. 18 Chair Bedford said the Sold Waste Advisory Group is also a group of elected officials 19 that meet. 20 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked why it changed from 4 times a year to 1 time a year. 21 Bonnie Hammersley said when she came it was only twice a year. She said that she 22 thinks it changed because there were some personalities that were affecting it and sometimes 23 people were not showing up. She said that it depends on who is in leadership and if they want 24 to do that or not. 25 26 Vice-Chair McKee arrived at 8:30 p.m. 27 28 Chair Bedford said she heard consensus that the MMC should only meet regarding the 29 Greene Tract. She said that initially she was opposed to recording the meeting, but she has 30 changed her mind. She said that it is a risk of going around the board and the public does not 31 have full access. She asked if there was any downside to making the meetings open. 32 Commissioner Hamilton said no. 33 Chair Bedford said she did not think so either because the public is entitled to know and 34 that members of the MMC have different opinions. 35 Commissioner Greene said that if the rationale for the MMC was because the Assembly 36 of Governments were too unwieldy then it makes sense that it would be a public meeting 37 because it is a stand-in for the Assembly of Governments. 38 Commissioner Hamilton said if it was related to a closed session topic then it would not 39 be open to the public but if not, there is no reason not to have it open. 40 Commissioner Fowler asked if it would be public so people could hear but that no 41 decisions would be made. 42 Chair Bedford said yes and that no decisions would be made. 43 Commissioner Greene asked if it would be recorded. 44 Chair Bedford said it could be, but it does not have to be. She said if it is a public 45 meeting then they have to have minutes but not a recording. 46 Commissioner Greene said if it is going to be public then it is easy enough to put a 47 recording machine in there. She said if she cannot be there, she would like to hear everything 48 that was said. 49 Chair Bedford said that if there is a recording then they could get that to the Clerk 50 separately from the facilitators for creating minutes. 19 1 Laura Jensen said the transcriptionist could be asked if they would be open to doing that 2 and if so, a contract amendment would be required. 3 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked what happens if the other members of the MMC do 4 not want to make the meetings public. 5 Chair Bedford said that then the county would not participate. She said they will try to 6 work together but what elected official is going to say they do not want the public to be involved. 7 She said that public comment would not be invited but it would be open. 8 Commissioner Fowler asked if the facilitator could do the minutes and use the recording 9 to do that. 10 Chair Bedford said those minutes were not like the minutes they prefer and that they 11 were very general. 12 Commissioner Greene said they were facilitator minutes and not minutes for the public 13 record. 14 Vice-Chair McKee said he did not think the county would want to do anything that wasn't 15 completely transparent, and that the Greene Tract was enough for the MMC to handle without 16 other topics. 17 Bonnie Hammersley said that anything that involves the Greene Tract has to have 18 agreement from all three parties. 19 Chair Bedford said the benefit of the MMC is that work has happened. She said they 20 have helped progress the Greene Tract along. She said there is a benefit to having elected 21 officials together to talk about various topics. 22 23 6. Greene Tract Community Engagement Proposal 24 The Board received a historical perspective on engagement activities related to the 25 development of the Greene Tract and discussed a new community engagement proposal to 26 inform the site design process. 27 28 BACKGROUND: The Greene Tract is located east of the Rogers Road community within the 29 Town of Chapel Hill's extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ). Of the 164-acre parcel, 104 acres is 30 jointly owned by Orange County/Chapel Hill/Carrboro, and 60 acres is owned by Orange County 31 (Headwaters Preserve). Over the last 20+ years, the three jurisdictions have invested significant 32 resources to identify and support the goals for the Greene Tract as a resource for the Rogers 33 Road community and the residents of the two towns and Orange County, all of which can be 34 found on the County's dedicated Greene Tract project page and dynamic StoryMap, but featuring 35 the following: 36 37 - In 2006, the Town of Chapel Hill initiated and led a Rogers Road Small Area Plan Task 38 Force with the Greene Tract partners, resulting in a final report in March 2009; 39 - In 2012, the Historic Rogers Road Neighborhood Task Force led its own small area 40 planning efforts, resulting in a final report in September 2013; 41 - In July 2015, the Jackson Center co-led the Mapping Our Community's Future Report 42 with the Historic Rogers Road Community, which was completed in May 2016; 43 - In June 2016, Orange County purchased 60 acres for preservation from the Solid Waste 44 Enterprise Fund ("Headwaters Preserve"); 45 - At the 2016 Assembly of Governments (AOG) Meeting, a suggestion was raised to ask 46 the elected officials of the three jurisdictions to participate in discussions on the Greene 47 Tract; 20 1 - In 2017, staff examined a potential reconfiguration of the jointly-owned tract and the 2 County-owned tract for the purposes of environmental preservation, potential affordable 3 housing development, and a possible school site; 4 - Between 2018 and 2019, the three jurisdictions considered multiple iterations of a joint 5 resolution for the development of the Greene Tract and accompanying Conceptual Plan; 6 - Between 2019 and 2020, the three jurisdictions discussed and approved the Greene 7 Tract Resolution for a Path Forward and Interlocal Agreement, identifying land use 8 acreages for the Greene Tract, initiating staff to seek professional services to conduct an 9 environmental assessment, and initiating the drafting of an Interlocal Agreement 10 between the three jurisdictions to provide a decision-making process for the three 11 jurisdictions moving forward; 12 - In April 2020, Orange County contracted with SynTerra to complete the Greene Tract 13 Environmental Assessment, to be delivered in July; 14 - In 2021, the Interlocal Agreement (ILA) between Orange County and the Towns of 15 Carrboro and Chapel Hill Regarding the Current and Future Use of the Jointly Owned 16 Greene Tract was executed by all three parties. Among other commitments, it directed 17 staff from all three jurisdictions to work in good faith to "develop a work plan that 18 includes, among other things, a decision point timeline regarding development" of the 19 Greene Tract; and 20 - In November 2021, the three local governments adopted a resolution approving a 21 conceptual plan, which identified land uses and acreages to be used as schematic for 22 future planning purposes, including the development of a Master Plan. The 45 acres with 23 frontage on Purefoy Drive and Lizzie Lane were identified for "Development" and the 16 24 acres with frontage on Merin Road were identified as "Public School and Recreational 25 Site". 26 27 In January 2023, a staff work group operating at the direction of this ILA identified the need to 28 separate the master planning needs for the Greene Tract into professional design services and 29 community engagement services, allowing trained professionals to focus on the respective 30 deliverables and allowing the planning staffs to coordinate their efforts. This will allow the 31 community engagement efforts to focus on a shared vision and mission for the design 32 professionals to utilize in their delivery of a master plan that recommends development 33 footprints, designs, and intensities for this acreage, also as directed by the 2021 Greene Tract 34 ILA. The staff is currently reviewing Statements of Qualifications for the design services, and 35 anticipate an award of contract forthcoming. 36 37 Request For Proposals (RFP) Process of Evaluation 38 In June 2023, Orange County issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to identify a qualified 39 consultant to provide Community Engagement Services for the Greene Tract Master Plan on 40 behalf of Orange County and the two Towns. 41 42 Four qualified proposals were received and evaluated by the proposal review committee 43 composed of Orange County, Town of Chapel Hill, and Town of Carrboro Planning staff. The 44 committee evaluation was based on the following criteria: 45 46 47 21 Criteria Maximum Point Value 1. Consultant experience as it relates to the scope of services 15 of the RFP and project deliverables 2. Technical approach to the project, proposed tasks, and 20 timeline to complete work 3. Project Organization 15 4. Consultant's capability and capacity to perform project 10 5. Community Engagement Strategy 20 6. Total cost of proposed services 20 Total 100 1 2 Based on the proposal evaluation process, the review committee unanimously recommends 3 Gensler for contract award. Gensler is a nationally-recognized land planning and community 4 engagement consulting firm with a Raleigh office dedicated to the North Carolina Piedmont that 5 supports 45 staff. Gensler features the Gensler Research Institute, which explores equitable 6 design solutions to create diverse spaces for clients and communities. Gensler is being 7 supported by VHB on this project, utilizing VHB's prior experiences in working with both towns 8 and the county on varied planning projects, most recently a Traffic Impact Analysis for St. Paul's 9 Village, located at the intersection of Rogers Road and Purefoy Drive. 10 11 Summary of Project Scope and Approach 12 The Gensler and VHB proposal is intended to assist Orange County, the Town of Carrboro, and 13 the Town of Chapel Hill with community engagement services to coordinate and manage the 14 community engagement strategy for the development of the Greene Tract Master Plan. 15 Community engagement efforts will be a central component to the master planning process and 16 will encompass innovative and inclusive community engagement initiatives, focusing on 17 underserved communities and communities of color. 18 19 All services on behalf of the Greene Tract must be consistent with the "mutual promises and 20 obligations" for "Public Participation and Decision-Making" established by the 2021 Greene 21 Tract ILA, including commitments to Public Engagement, Affordable and Mixed Income Housing 22 and other uses, a School Site with Public Recreation, Connectivity, and a Development 23 Agreement. 24 25 The project features a 16-month timeline, with 12 months dedicated to direct public 26 engagement. Over this timeline, Gensler and VHB will use a four-phased approach to provide 27 these services to the Greene Tract partners: 28 29 o Phase A: Planning & Strategy, featuring an Engagement Strategy and 30 Communications Roadmap, and a Planning Report that includes Site Visit 31 findings, a Community Asset Map, and initial interview findings; 22 1 o Phase B: Engagement Implementation, featuring more in-depth interviews, 2 listening sessions, a public survey, design workshops, community event tabling, 3 and community walk and talks; 4 o Phase C: Synthesis & Initial Design Recommendations, featuring an Insights 5 Summary and Guiding Principles and an Oral Histories Temporary Installation; 6 and 7 o Phase D: Design Alignment & Ongoing Outreach (in coordination with the design 8 services consultant) featuring final design workshops, an open house, and a 9 Final Recommendations Report and Master Plan Report 10 11 2021 Greene Tract ILA Community Engagement Commitments 12 The 2021 Greene Tract ILA has a section on Community Engagement that makes the following 13 commitments: 14 • The public engagement contemplated in this Agreement shall occur jointly. The Parties 15 shall not engage in individual staff or individual governing board public engagement. 16 • The Parties' staffs shall consult with affordable housing stakeholders to seek input 17 regarding preferred sites, special needs, connectivity, and any other information relevant 18 to the ultimate selection of the site(s) for affordable and mixed income housing. 19 • The Parties' staffs shall consult with school administration to seek input regarding 20 preferred sites, special needs, and any other information regarding the ultimate selection 21 and/or size of the site. 22 23 Project Steering: The proposal includes a project steering committee but does not prescribe the 24 composition of the Steering Committee. The parties would need to agree on the composition of 25 the Steering Committee. The role of the Committee is to review draft work products and provide 26 feedback; provide guidance to the consultant team on the community engagement strategy; and 27 serve as a liaison between this consultant and the consultant selected for the Master Plan 28 Design services. The Committee will meet with the consultant monthly through most of the 29 planning process. 30 31 Project Presentation: The consultant will be required to make in-person presentations on the 32 Community Engagement Summary Report to the Greene Tract and Rogers Road community, 33 the Managers, Mayor, and Chair (MMC) committee, and the Orange County Board of 34 Commissioners, Carrboro Town Council, and Chapel Hill Town Council. The elected bodies will 35 receive and review the report, in conjunction with the final design of the master plan, and may 36 take action to receive or adopt the report and plan. 37 38 Based on the cost of the initial proposal, staff asked the consultant to develop an lower cost 39 option that does not include some of the direct engagement services identified in the initial 40 scope of work, including eight (8) Listening Sessions, six (6) Community Walk and Talk 41 sessions, Tabling and Participation at four (4) Locally-Held Community Events, and an Oral 42 History Installation. These services are collectively valued at $39,900. Additionally, an optional 43 $50,000 is proposed in the scope of work as stiped funds to support direct volunteer 44 involvement by community members in the project, including participation in outreach events 45 and on any committees required by the process. If all of those elements are eliminated, the 46 savings totals $89,900. 47 48 23 1 Travis Myren, Deputy County Manager, made the following presentation: 2 3 Slide #1 ,Agenda Item 6 ORANGE COUNTY NC7RTH CAROLINA Greene Tract Community Engagement Proposal Board of Commissioners Work Session October 10, 2023 4 5 6 Slide #2 Purpose Provide a .history of agreements and planning activities related to the development of the Greene Tract and discuss a new community engagement proposal intended to inform the site design process. GRANGE COUNTY z NC3FUFH C-ARC3L-[N . 7 8 9 24 1 Slide #3 Background Approved Agreements 2020-Greene Tract Resolution for a Path Forward • obligated parties to Environmental Assessment(completed in 2020) • 0bllgated parties to an InterlocalAgreementfor decision making completed In 202 1) • Identified land use acreages for affordable housing,school site,and joint preserve 2021—Interlocal Agreement on the Current and Future Use of the Jointly Owned Greene Tract on Community Engagement • The public engagement contemplated in this Agreement shall occur jointly. • The Parties'staffs shall consult with affordable housing stakeholders to seek input regarding preferred sites,special needs,connectivity, and any other information relevant to the ultimate selection of the site(s)for affordable and mixed income housing. • The Parties'staffs shall consult with school administration to seek input regarding preferred sites,special needs,and any other information regarding the ultimate selection andfor size of the site. ORANGE COUNTY s NORTH C/RL7LiNA 2 3 4 Slide #4 Proposed Future Land Use Map^ Background November 2021 - Resolution Approving aConceptual Plan • Map indicates location of "acres of Jalnt deo4opnwnt — 32 acres of joint Greene Tract Preserve — 15 acres for School use � •�•�^•^� tom! — Wacres ofCountyowned Headwaters Preserve i i 0*4me-4 ttt�WSt70�am�uvri.�r EY 4MwG['B ye: SI ..,...e. b �.Frrn..w,r: .0 robe, •11�+•7•c�.R.I mu _. ®M 5 6 Travis Myren said the map was developed in 2021 and this shows the development 7 spaces along with where the school and joint preserve would be located. 8 25 1 Slide #5 Background • Prior Planning Activities 2406—Rogers Road Small Area Plan—Town of Chapel Hill and Greene Tract partners — 2012—Rogers Road Small Area Plan—Rogers Road Task Force — 2015—Mapping Our Community's Future—Rogers Road Community facilitated by Jackson Center Focused on development in the Rogers Road Neighborhood • '._this effbit would help guidcfutury conversations about land use picrining and development approvals,espedufly in the Greene Tract...' Did not Include affordable housingor school stakeholders ORANGE COUNTY .a NC3ECI-H CJV2C7L1NA 2 3 Travis Myren said this could be used but it did not include school or affordable housing 4 stakeholders as required in the 2021 direction. 5 6 Slide #6 Backg f 011_11�d Recommendations Development Do's and Don'ts Retain families who have lived here for'Lal' .- • wl V—.3a+rm- Jwc etl --rtq�phe mations ..:i ho[ro,Fk m1' ProIIG 1—ti—d W cn-- I.esg m ac 14whrrr..va.l .ahW H-4Ve1'IPa:c,—h-,.6V­uWnr Iwr E,Tlm ,x, �d• .n he ip icc >",! •AH'mrsUdtlrdrinedasxaarmxt hoj IaRr far l?us[cmmnMy,WtlmtrllTar,3el arcwsv lrc #f"16iConnect us with each and _ larger le'Br I � � � zvahs.andsunm�lve�te•emonl.F•>r�n t. +hcommunity De.xi—M Iho -M. m!IIinNSn +elaE P !�■■■ YIri65 LraF irrr}.V'i CS�pi.p2 Imm.OUIsidF.t tl•! —( ,d w,,us..�y rN Pn•H,u A I— ug.ty n mmNLVE Wtl atld C..r-vi[h UaF£cl —M s.Nr eYlep of h.—I shr axv[s • #' • . ne,4hbM-d_ Gmenn6 space mah oNv.x pl tof axess miM r4ek for.Ifo�hk loMrr ^4Respecty of neighborhood ORANGE COUNTY NC3R-I-ri C1t RC3L_1M 4 7 8 9 10 26 1 Slide #7 •eintriAly taunYditted t.'fit' Thr PhPmnaraph Pta[P•hatr,r d—l—t tP mh.nghr rvenvetd ehe —em--"icer et miet mare.omen dnrrn..hneapraphe ra nv IJutr Owl. - Genarxrty COn}fdarYd tO'Fir" mamly It— of the srele end tetter ent.Waeron or naeural r�rro-a�.�E � thaetarcala was the most vmAar,partly betiw.e .esti imrwtelrt nllly iWprat smile-stay s mr ilti. d_Pompe hmminY. Resider%Iked elx scalr,eldraidud ureas for eemon.seew yard.and staopa Stimathrtghr it ltmkod oda Ir>metb uta p++�hoteaine.tlkeVgh,anti thpk4ht a tt.re ret wPPld he lettar deigned Wiled resJranser omalf.f.......pante thought the elemp+'e devetepmenv ab—..inti Pit enta the ea.tmla mmm.nlw n chid OKoraah had a md.tbWre of naWnSeS TMQA serine.tris was aur mat m tter rdht.seek of ecxicpment rattmer mean the—tt deelan.as menr wfmd liked It mo PJV rcomment£d sd an the den and stge. �o in.e.m.a_h.W_ror mw._4u.uo."w,ehnra.a or.. Mau wM did nat downemed OA the spaitsniapM look Ahl,.tote":PLOY' and..yard Wre r "u rd that did rapt seam to rt in wctwas Aka the oats lea4aw ane to ma right racel...d,.na.narrour ono,•a%ain,mo.ly lft—.TI the with Rogprs Knad n+ral foci, .cele TRr narnple3 on thr top we. raneiderrd I--barb...end the mr on the bo,woe rmneldered[Pse urban erd madeutlenal e Absolute'N41' - - It tlKeS Roe this we that were muli,mory mrsna or assisted living tetaeues were WE mmidered a Ph,mostly bet:.Pe of the stale,the instetuti.nal iooK aid the reerird that it didn't k as well wah the r.rel feel and ONE- --dtoendeelt lwint menst sehiotd here want t.see la:�—trd in the C&Yi...unity- '+" Iiv 2 3 4 Slide #8 2023 Community Engagement Proposal • Gensler Consultants proposal recommended by muitijurisdictional staff team — Supported by VHB with experience working with Orange County]urlsdictions on other planning efforts Conducted Traffic Impact Analysis for5t.Paut 5VMage, located m the same general area Negotiations underway with separate design consultant ORANGE COUNTY # NC)WrH CARC3"r1JA 5 6 Commissioner Hamilton asked for information on who VHB is and what they do. 7 Cy Stober, Planning and Inspections Director, said that VHB is an acronym for Vanasse 8 Hangen Brustlin, Inc and they are very active in the Raleigh area particularly in transportation 9 planning. He said it might sound familiar because they did the transportation study for Hwy 54 10 corridor and the traffic impact analysis for a development for St. Pauls just outside Chapel Hill. 27 1 He said they do varying consulting services and have experience within Orange County in all 2 jurisdictions. He said most of the work they have done in our area have been localized efforts 3 and not the very large interstate corridors that they are also known for. 4 5 Slide #9 Project Proposal Elements • Project Management and Coordination — Coordinate with staff team(monthly updates) — Create detalled work plan and schedule Review existing plans,studies,assessments,and agenda items Conduct site vislt • Project Implementation Data gathering and review • Materials relevant to the community Staff and planning partner alignment • Meet with planning partners(S intervlews)to understand challenges,opportunities,and needs • Planning partners as defined by the RFP include,but are not limited to,environmental,recreation,engineering, planning,transportation,housing,Diversity,Equity,and Inclusion(DEI),and solid waste,and the Orange County Affordable Housing Coalition, ORANGE COUNTY 9 NC?RrH C:AR{3LINA 6 7 8 Slide #10 Project Proposal Elements • Project Implementation —continued Community Advisory Group(Greene Tract Community Stakeholders/Compass Group) • Group of 52.16 diverse community members • Provide feedback on how to best connect and collect input from community • Help consultant understand public concerns and aspirations • share information back to the group on other community engagement exercises — Compensation Strategy $54,000 suggested budget • Enable participation by underrepresented groups • Identify number of hours of per month required to fully partielpate Community Champions — Community 5takeholdergompass group ORANGE COUNTY 10 NIDR r-H C-4,Rf3"NA 9 10 28 1 Travis Myren said that the proposal does not include the composition of the group at this 2 point so if they move forward with that element of the plan then they would need to have a 3 discussion about the composition of the group and how it is chosen. He said that there is a 4 compensation strategy that they have not used before, but it could be discussed. 5 6 Slide #11 Project Proposal Elements • Project Implementation —continued — Stakeholder Interviews and Meeting Attendance • Elected officials • Community members • Afford able housing provi ders • Civic leaders — Community Listening Sessions • Upto8community/residentorganlzationmeetings • Help consultant understand the challenges and aspirations of the local resident and business community — PublicSurvey • Online and printed surrey Instruments • Customized questions • Feedback an various urban design and planning issues GRANGE COUNTY 11 NC7R-I-H C%_P_C31_iNA 7 8 9 Slide #12 Project Proposal Elements • Project Implementation —continued Design workshop One—Vision Launch Public stakeholders-2.3 hours for up to 75 participants • inform and educate the public on project and status • Hold interactive exercises to explore key areas of opportunity and challenge • Identify shared interests — Community walk and Talk • Six walk and talk sessions with staff,community champions,and community advisory/compass group • Walking tours for informal interaction — Community E=vent Participation • Attend up too community events • Staff atable to share information and collect feedback ORANGECOUNTY 17 NC31UrH c=ARC3uN_. 10 29 1 Slide #13 Project Proposal Elements • Project Implementation-continued - Design Workshop Two--Vision Alignment • Public stakeholders-up to 75 participants • Consulting team will provide initial focus areas,guiding principles,potential design priorities • Help consultant develop design criteria and evaluation measures to inform design approach - Insights Summary and Guiding Principles • Summary of engagement activities • Recommend guiding principles,design priorities - Design Workshop Three-Community Co-Creation Public stakeholders-upto75participants • Review previous workshop work Conduct an interactive review and collect feedback an two planning options ORANGE COUNTY 13 NC>RTH CAROLINA 2 3 4 Slide #14 Project Proposal Elements • Project Implementation -continued - ural Histories Temporary Installation Capture community perspectives during prior engagement activities • Post near Greene Tract and Invlteaddltional feedback - Design Workshop Four-Design Alignment • Public stakehoders-up to7.5 participants • Share speculative scenarios,validated through end user perspectives • Define direction for the preferred scenario - Final Open House • Final recommendations and report ORANGE COUNTY JJ NC7Ii1-1-1 CLA.R€3LiNA 5 6 7 8 30 1 Slide #15 Scope Differences Scope 1-$360,000 Scope 2 -$270,000 — Data gathering and review Data gathering and review — Staff and pl anning pa rtner aIIgnment Staff and planning partner alignment — Community Advisory Group F Community Advisory Group Cnmpensatlon Strategy --m "Sation""""g Stakeholder interviews and Meeting Attendance ' Stakeholder interviews and Meeting Attendance Listen Ing kssions 614eF91198 SeSSIORS Public Survey Y Public Survey — Design Workshop One—Vision Launch Design WorkshopOne—Vislon Launch Community Walk and Talk Go M Ffi u F9 01a1iand""" Community Event Participationation Design Works hop Two—Vis[on Align ment Y Design Works hop Two—Vis Ion Alignment InslghtsSurnmary and Guiding Princlples Y InslghtsSummaryand Guiding Prinelples Design Workshop Three—Community Co-Creation Design Workshop Three—Community Co-Creation Oral Hl stories Temporary Installation Oral Histeries T�rnporaef installation Design Workshop Four—Design Alignment ' Design Workshop Four—Design Alignment Final Open House Final Open House ORANGE COUNTY ja NORTH C/kRL7LiNA 2 3 4 Slide #16 Timeline SAMPLE ENGAGEMENT ROADMAP ., r � rKnEe x q 1xo1vM F � rdur,rne� � uaunr+t � m[.+tlM a � N�IAn T � rnOwF�Y nuRcr uu.nu.. neuwsY r:nY.n urvtturvem nu�r ns.�on FiercM FytFF1 B+wQa rprFrYypl r' 1,GFmmiNryMlrQ, rxruw.re7A�„4a Fr[,N15liANN-0enf y tl {{ y 11 r......,ilry Fnmd YYIYtld iTsnaY 5 6 Travis Myren said that the engagement process would be eight to ten months. 7 8 31 1 Slide #17 Cost Breakdown and Town Action • Cost Allocation@ $360,000 - Orange County(43%)-$154,804 - Town of Chapel Hill(43%)-$154,800 - Town of CarrIboro(14%)•$50404 • Cost Allocation @ $270,000 Orange County(43%)-$116,143 Town of Chapel HIII(43%)-$116,143 Town of Carrboro(14%)-$37,814 • Town Action Chapel Hill Town Council adopted a resofutlon':-provlding thelrsupport to the Orange County Commissloners enrering into a contract with the community engagementconsultant."Staff presentation referenced the$350,0005cope. Carrboro Town Council adopted a resolution'"-providing their support to the Grange County Commissioners entering into a contract for commun ity engagemen t consulfan t services to be provided in relation to develoomen t of a Master Plan for the Greene Tract." ORANGE COUNTY 17 NOR'I-H C/kRL7LiNA 2 3 Travis Myren said that the cost would be shared with the towns based upon the Greene 4 Tract allocations. 5 6 Slide #18 Recommendation Discuss community engagement proposal from Gensler Consultants ORANGE COUNTY la IVCaRTH CARC3"rhJA 7 8 9 32 1 Slide #19 Greene Tract Community Stakeholders Community Advisory Group/Greene Tract Community Stakeholders (GTCS) Group We see the GTCS as a foundational pillar of our outreach work.The Team will work with the established GTCS as a sounding board throughout the project,providing feedback to the engagement team on how best to connect collect input,and establish and maintain trust in the community.0ur goal is to work with the public through this advisory group to ensure that public concerns and aspirations are consistently understood and considered in a proactive .and authentic manner.The GTCS will not only be used to share feedback and findings from the community engagement exercises,but to workshop the best communication and engagement approaches to gather feedback from a diverse array of community members and partners,The group should ideally be between 12-16 participants and expect to meet close to monthly(10) with the Team over the course of the project.The team will host both in person and virtual formats over the course of the efforts, ORANGE COUNTY 19 NOR'I-H CARL7LiNA 2 3 Commissioner Richards asked if all three parties agreed to the Mapping Our Community 4 Future report. 5 Travis Myren said it was shared but there was not a vote taken to approve or accept it. 6 Commissioner Richards said she is concerned about it not being referenced. She said it 7 seems that they are starting all over in terms of what the community wants. She said they are 8 now expanding this to a group of people that creates a power imbalance. She said that she is 9 concerned about who those people are. She said they have been studying this for a long time 10 and they have done the Mapping Our Communities Future and the people that live there told 11 them their wishes. She asked if the new group would make a recommendation. 12 Travis Myren said it is not envisioned that the stakeholder group would create 13 recommendations. 14 Cy Stober said no and that the purpose of the community engagement consultant is to 15 represent the community input to the design team. He said they would make sure that the 16 intensity and density of development reflect the wishes of the community. He said the process is 17 that the steering committee would direct the process. 18 Commissioner Richards said that the community has already said what they want in the 19 Mapping Our Community Future study. She said that in the community engagement for the 20 strategic plan there was low participation in community meetings. She asked what the specific 21 plan is to get real engagement. She said one of the meetings was at Rogers Road and she 22 would like to know what they will do to increase participation. She said that Chapel Hill 23 referenced the $360,000 cost of the plan and asked if the Council supported the amount. 24 Commissioner Fowler said she wanted to understand what we are asking the consultant 25 to produce. 26 Cy Stober said Mapping Our Community Future is 8 or 9 years old. He said that the 27 intention is for the intentions of the RENA community, especially now that the county owns the 28 Headwaters Preserve, is reflected here. He said that the Mapping Our Community Future is not 29 helpful as a planning tool. He said that the community engagement consultant would assist the 30 design team to focus solely on design and land development. He said the community 33 1 engagement consultant would be making sure that they do not go back on the decisions that 2 have been made up to this point. 3 Commissioner Fowler asked if the design team would present the design to the group. 4 Cy Stober said the engagement consultant would have the dual responsibility of 5 representing the public entities they have contracted with but also representing the Rogers 6 Road input and values are reflected in in the design. 7 Commissioner Greene said everyone in the Town of Chapel Hill meeting said they 8 wanted to lower the cost. She said that the presentation at Chapel Hill was 14 months. 9 Travis Myren asked Cy Stober if the discrepancy in time included the design work. 10 Cy Stober said it does and the four months of presentations to the three bodies. He said 11 if there is a need to present to the Planning Board, this also ensures there is enough lead time 12 to do that. 13 Commissioner Greene said to summarize what she heard in Chapel Hill, they said they 14 wanted to make sure they were not starting over, and they wanted to ensure that they were 15 talking about what type of housing to put there. She said they discussed how the process would 16 work in tandem with the design process. She said that Chapel Hill was fine with it, except they 17 said lower the cost and shorten the time frame. She said she is hopeful that if the scope is 18 reduced, that it might shorten the time frame. 19 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked how they would use the feedback they have received 20 from the community and how that has been ranked. 21 Cy Stober said the intention is to use the work and plans that have been done to create 22 a plan of where attributes would be located. He said the community consultant would ensure 23 that all the work already done is represented and when they finetune the detail, that the streets 24 and land use reflect those wishes. He said it is really working to get a detailed master plan. 25 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if the housing would serve the four priority 26 populations, or if it would serve any population that needs housing. 27 Commissioner Greene said the details of the mix of the housing was still on the table. 28 Bonnie Hammersley said the mix would be decided by the three partners. She said that 29 managing expectations is important. She said she is concerned that the $360,000 option would 30 override the work that has already been done and they do not know who those partners would 31 be. She said that it might also slow the process down. She said that the three owners need to 32 start making decisions about the road. She said they do not need to ask the community about 33 Purefoy and a four-lane highway, but the owners can start making decisions. 34 Vice-Chair McKee said he is not really sure what they are trying to do with the 35 community engagement consultant. He said he is always concerned about unintended 36 consequences. He asked if the decision is the county's and the county's only. He said that it is 37 concerning that the towns support their entering into the contract. 38 Bonnie Hammersley said that the county would be administering the contract, and the 39 other jurisdictions would pay the county. 40 Vice-Chair McKee said the wording is a little bit off. He said he agrees with everything 41 the manager just said. He said he felt like it was opening it back up for another 12 years of 42 discussion. He said he didn't understand what they were buying for$270,000. 43 Cy Stober said that the presence would be dedicated staff to the project and the 44 community to provide dialogue with the community and receive input. He said the intention of 45 staff is to ensure that the project is successful and to do that expeditiously. He said staff feels 46 that having a third party would provide a resource of communication, for feedback and updates, 47 and would have someone dedicated to that purpose. He said as planners, it is important that 48 they have an ethical interest in representing the needs of the Rogers Road community. He said 49 the Greene Tract is not new to him and it is exciting to be part of that. 34 1 Vice-Chair McKee said he doesn't question staff's commitment and dedication to the 2 project. He asked what will happen if the input they get with this extensive amount of 3 community dialogue does not align with what is already in place. 4 Commissioner Richards said if the intention is to build upon the work that is already 5 done and to provide a more detailed project then it should be stated clearly. She said she would 6 like to see it specified that they are building on Mapping Our Community Future and prior work 7 that was previously agreed to. 8 Commissioner Fowler said that this is just for community engagement, and there is a 9 separate contract for design services. 10 Cy Stober said that is correct. 11 Commissioner Fowler asked who decides who the community advisory group members 12 are. 13 Travis Myren said it would be up to the partners to determine the composition of the 14 group. 15 Commissioner Fowler said that it would come back to the Board. 16 Chair Bedford said that would add six more months. 17 Travis Myren said it would add time, but it would have to come back to the Board. 18 Commissioner Fowler said she was leaning towards the lower cost option and is also 19 interested in figuring out the configuration of the community members. 20 Chair Bedford said the group could be removed and they could do it in a traditional way. 21 Commissioner Hamilton said there was a need for community outreach and input now, 22 since the needs of the community can change. She said she had concerns about the 23 community advisory group, if that group would give the feedback that they are looking for. She 24 said that in the agreement they discussed placing a school and recreational facilities, which is 25 no longer best practice for school safety. 26 Cy Stober said that the ingress and egress points are a major point of consideration and 27 with the floodplain presence, and trying to be efficient on cost it is a big challenge with the 28 school site design. He said that there are fire safety issues as well. 29 Commissioner Hamilton said having a lot of public activity close to schools is not 30 something they want to do in these times. She said since it is the Board that will be making the 31 decision on this, they need to be kept in the loop. 32 Commissioner Richards asked if they are saying that the design process might have a 33 different location for the school than where it is now. 34 Cy Stober said no. He said there are logistical challenges with access for the location, 35 but they are in negotiations with a firm that has experience in school design. 36 Commissioner Richards asked if they are looking for a specific design that addresses 37 the challenges. 38 Cy Stober said they need the school system's input, but they would design the access 39 roads and further detail. 40 Commissioner Greene said the schools have said they would not need the schools at 41 this time. 42 Chair Bedford said it might be 100 years before a school is needed in this area because 43 they are addressing the schools now. 44 Commissioner Greene said that Chapel Hill said they are not starting over with this 45 community engagement proposal. She said the affordable housing community did not provide 46 input to the Mapping our Community and it is important to know what their vision is. She said 47 she thinks there are a number of things to keep them safe from Vice-Chair McKee's fears. She 48 said she does not think the compass group is needed and she would support an occasional 49 Assembly of Governments meeting to discuss the issue. 50 Chair Bedford said a stakeholder group is a power imbalance. She would like to hear 51 from the public but that she is looking for input, not a mission statement and change. She said 35 1 that they would expect that the elected bodies would be taking recommendations from the group 2 when they already have the information from the community. She said they need affordable 3 housing input. She said she agrees to go with a smaller amount of money and to go faster. She 4 said that she wants engagement but feels that everyone should be invited. She said the 5 consultant should spend more time with the elected officials. 6 Commissioner Portie-Ascott wanted to know if the Board would see a completed service 7 agreement before it is finalized. 8 Travis Myren said yes. 9 Chair Bedford said this is the time to give input. 10 Cy Stober asked for clarification because they are using their professional services 11 contract. He said that it relies on timelines. He said that the intention would be that the scope of 12 services are attached to the contract. 13 Travis Myren said that is the information that she is looking for. 14 Vice-Chair McKee said that the community he was most interested in hearing from were 15 the people living within a one-mile radius of the project, particularly to the west and north. He 16 asked for a meeting with the owners to discuss what they envision this to be because he is 17 unsure and very leery of this. 18 Chair Bedford asked if they could add joint meetings with the consultant and that the 19 government owners would be there and the public would be invited. 20 Commissioner Richards said she thought that the consultant would need to go back to 21 the drawing board on the proposal. 22 Travis Myren said staff would go back to the consultant and ask them to take the 23 elements out to get to $270,000 and the focus groups. He said that would be another cost 24 reduction. He said they can add a scope element that at the end of the community engagement 25 process, the consultant will work with the boards to develop consensus based on the feedback. 26 He said that would come at a cost but maybe it would be a wash. He said that it would likely not 27 be back at the next meeting, but they would get it back as soon as they can. 28 Commissioner Hamilton said there is a public survey involved. She asked if that would 29 be helpful. 30 Travis Myren said that they could ask for a quote from the consultants without the 31 survey. 32 Bonnie Hammersley said she thought there was survey fatigue in Orange County. 33 Vice-Chair McKee asked for an explanation of the vision launch, vision alignment, and 34 design alignment. 35 Cy Stober said he thought workshops 1 and 2 could be combined into one workshop for 36 launch and alignment. He said that they are not reigniting the Rogers Road community and they 37 already have the feedback. He said that the vision launch could be removed because it has 38 already been done. He said if they are consolidated and the prior studies used, then this could 39 be done in one workshop by the consultant. 40 Commissioner Greene said she thought there was interest in a small retail area there. 41 She said that the Chapel Hill economic development officer had done a market study and said 42 that there is not enough density to create a demand for a small corner store. She asked when 43 that would come in. 44 Cy Stober said that is a great question. He said that there is a need for a new analysis. 45 He said if this is going to be largely staff managed, and the housing partners consulted, he is 46 happy to ask the Town of Chapel Hill to revisit the study. 47 Commissioner Richards said that things have been built there and that might change the 48 outcome of a new study. 49 50 36 1 7. Affordable Housing Advisory Board —Appointment Discussion 2 The Board discussed an appointment to the Affordable Housing Advisory Board. 3 4 BACKGROUND: The Affordable Housing Advisory Board prioritizes affordable housing needs 5 and assesses project proposals. The Board also publicizes the County's housing objectives, 6 monitors the progress of local housing programs, explores new funding opportunities, and works 7 to increase the community's awareness of, understanding of, commitment to, and involvement 8 in producing attractive affordable housing. As a general practice, this Board has decided not to 9 make recommendations for vacancies. 10 11 The Board of County Commissioners appoints all fifteen (15)At-Large members. 12 13 The following position is presented for Board consideration: 14 NAME SPECIAL TYPE OF EXPIRATION REPRESENTATIVE APPOINTMENT DATE TERM BOCC At-Large First Full Term 09/30/2026 Appointee 15 16 If the position listed above is filled, no vacancies remain. 17 18 Tara May introduced the item. 19 Commissioner Portie-Ascott suggested Andrew Myers. She said he brings geographical 20 diversity and she liked that he was a general contractor. 21 The Board agreed by consensus to appoint Andrew Myers. 22 23 8. Animal Services Advisory Board —Appointment Discussion 24 The Board discussed an appointment to the Animal Services Advisory Board. 25 26 BACKGROUND: The charge of the Animal Services Advisory Board is to advise the Board of 27 County Commissioners on matters of concern regarding animal issues and animal services in 28 Orange County, and to work with the Animal Services Director on various policy concerns and 29 issues regarding County animal services. 30 31 The Board of County Commissioners appoints all thirteen (13) members with representation 32 from various related fields and municipalities. 33 34 The following individual is recommended for Board consideration: 35 NAME POSITION TYPE OF EXPIRATION DESCRIPTION APPOINTMENT DATE TERM Cathy Munnier Animal First Full Term 06/30/2026 Welfare/Advocacy (Re-appointment) 36 37 37 1 If the individual listed above is appointed, the following vacancy remains: 2 POSITION EXPIRATION VACANCY INFORMATION DESIGNATION DATE At-Large 06/30/2025 Vacant since 09/21/2022 3 4 Tara May introduced the item. 5 The Board agreed by consensus on the recommended applicant. 6 7 9. Chapel Hill Library Advisory Board —Appointment Discussion 8 The Board discussed an appointment to the Chapel Hill Library Advisory Board. 9 10 BACKGROUND: The Chapel Hill Public Library Advisory Board is responsible for 11 recommending long-term plans, policies, and programs of library service throughout the 12 community. It advises the Chapel Hill Mayor and Council on library matters, develops plans for 13 library facilities, and recommends operating policies of the library. 14 15 The Board of County Commissioners appoints one member to this board. 16 17 The following position is presented for Board consideration: 18 NAME POSITION TYPE OF EXPIRATION DESCRIPTION APPOINTMENT DATE TERM BOCC Orange County Partial Term 06/30/2025 Appointee Resident 19 20 If the position listed above is filled, no vacancies remain. 21 22 Tara May introduced the item. 23 Commissioner Greene suggested Samantha Kaplan. 24 The Board agreed by consensus to appoint Samantha Kaplan to the Chapel Hill Public 25 Library Advisory Board. 26 27 10. Orange County Parks and Recreation Council —Appointment Discussion 28 The Board discussed an appointment to the Orange County Parks and Recreation Council. 29 30 BACKGROUND: The Orange County Parks and Recreation Council consults with and advises 31 the Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation, and the Board of County 32 Commissioners on matters affecting parks planning, development and operation; recreation 33 facilities, policies and programs; and public trails and open space. 34 35 The Board of County Commissioners appoints all 12 members with representatives from each 36 of the county's townships plus its municipalities, as well as two (2) non-voting youth delegates. 37 38 38 1 The following individual is recommended for Board consideration: 2 NAME POSITION DESCRIPTION TYPE OF EXPIRATION APPOINTMENT DATE TERM Lilly Kohout Youth Member First Full Term 12/31/2025 (non-voting) 3 4 If the individual listed above is appointed, the following vacancies remain: 5 POSITION EXPIRATION VACANCY INFORMATION DESIGNATION DATE At-Large 03/31/2025 Vacant since 09/14/2023 Little River 03/31/2026 Vacant since 08/18/2023 Township 6 7 Tara May introduced the item. She said that the Parks and Recreation Council is 8 working on recommendations for the remaining vacancies. 9 The Board agreed by consensus on the recommended applicant. 10 11 11. Orange Unified Transportation Board —Appointments Discussion 12 The Board considered appointments to the Orange Unified Transportation Board. 13 14 BACKGROUND: The Orange Unified Transportation Board (OUTBoard) advises the Orange 15 County Board of County Commissioners on the overall planning and programming of 16 transportation improvements in the County. 17 18 The Board of County Commissioners appoints all twelve (12) members, with representation 19 from each of the County's townships to the extent possible. The OUTBoard does not make 20 recommendations. 21 22 The following individuals are presented for Board consideration: 23 NAME POSITION TYPE OF EXPIRATION DESCRIPTION APPOINTMENT DATE TERM Natalie Ziemba Hillsborough First Full Term 09/30/2026 Township (re-appointment) Art Menius Little River Township First Full Term 09/30/2026 (re-appointment Joshua Mao At-Large Second Full Term 09/30/2026 24 25 If the individuals listed above are appointed, no vacancies remain. 26 27 Tara May introduced the item. 28 The Board agreed by consensus on the recommended applicants. 29 30 39 1 Adjournment 2 3 A motion was made by Commissioner Richards and seconded by Commissioner Fowler 4 to adjourn the meeting at 9:45 p.m. 5 6 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 7 8 9 Jamezetta Bedford, Chair 10 11 12 Laura Jensen 13 Clerk to the Board 14 15 Submitted for approval by Laura Jensen, Clerk to the Board Attachment 2 1 1 DRAFT MINUTES 2 ORANGE COUNTY 3 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 4 BUSINESS MEETING 5 October 17, 2023 6 7:00 p.m. 7 8 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Business Meeting on Tuesday, October 9 17, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough, NC. 10 11 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jamezetta Bedford, Vice-Chair McKee and 12 Commissioners Amy Fowler, Jean Hamilton, Phyllis Portie-Ascott, and Anna Richards (arrived 13 at 7:23 pm) 14 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Commissioner Sally Greene 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 Bedford called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. All commissioners were present, 21 except Commissioner Richards and Commissioner Greene. 22 23 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda 24 25 Chair Bedford dispensed with reading the public charge. 26 27 2. Public Comments (Limited to One Hour) 28 a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda 29 30 At the time this agenda item came up, there was no one signed up to speak. Following 31 Item 3, the Board agreed to allow two public commenters for matters not on the printed agenda. 32 33 Susan Walson said she will speak about the proposed Orange Grove Rd. convenience 34 center. She provided a packet of information, which the Clerk passed out to the Board. She said 35 Solid Waste Management published information in response to questions that were raised at the 36 neighborhood information meetings, and one of the documents was titled Appendix A. She said 37 county staff has indicated that Appendix A shows market values for properties around existing 38 convenience centers, however, she believes Appendix A actually shows the tax values from the 39 properties' record cards. She said that market values and tax values are not equivalent, so this 40 document does not accurately show what being near a convenience center does for property 41 values. She said she pulled comps for residences in the Collins Creek neighborhood, which is 42 adjacent to the property. She said the properties staff chose to highlight in Appendix A are not 43 similar to the properties immediately surrounding the proposed site. 44 Marilee McTigue said she is a 30-year resident of Bingham Township and is speaking on 45 the proposed convenience center. She read from the following prepared statement: 46 "Given all the information the community has shared with the BOCC, county 47 manager, and Solid Waste Department, it's time for the county to stop wasting time and 48 money on an option that is clearly not right for this community. We ask that the BOCC 49 immediately direct the County Manager and Solid Waste staff to remove this option from 50 further consideration and would very much appreciate your comments at the end of this 51 meeting tonight. 2 1 2 If it's determined by the BOCC that consolidation of the Bradshaw Quarry and Ferguson 3 Road Convenience Centers is justified with business criteria and it's critical to the success 4 of the Solid Waste mission, then we ask that the BOCC provide concrete direction to the 5 County Manager and Solid Waste staff as to selection criteria for the future site. The 6 community asks that you provide the following direction: 7 1. That the Solid Waste Staff work in a collaborative and transparent manner with 8 the Bingham Community to develop and assess criteria for a potential site. 9 2. That only Commercial or Industrial sites will be considered in order to be 10 consistent with the siting of the Eubanks, Walnut Grove and High Rock sites. 11 Sites in residential areas will be removed from consideration. 12 3. If no site is found that is acceptable to Solid Waste and the Bingham Township 13 Community, we ask that you direct the County Manager and Solid Waste Staff 14 to find a way to upgrade the current Ferguson Road and Bradshaw Quarry sites 15 which, by the way, already meet the community's needs in their existing form. 1 16 understand this option was undertaken at High Rock when no acceptable 17 replacement site was found and the upgrade plans were adjusted to fit into the 18 existing High Rock site. 19 20 Thank you for your consideration in this matter and I look forward to hearing your 21 comments at the conclusion of the BOCC regular agenda later this evening." 22 23 b. Matters on the Printed Agenda 24 (These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda below.) 25 26 3. Announcements, Petitions and Comments by Board Members 27 Commissioner Fowler said she attended the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board meeting 28 today and learned they received a clean financial audit. She said they have given out$1.1 million 29 in distributions this past year to law enforcement, substance abuse prevention and education 30 organizations, and the county. On Thursday she said she will attend the Orange Cooperative 31 Extension Breakfast and Report to the People. 32 Vice-Chair McKee read a statement expressing his concern for residents of Israel and 33 Gaza following Hamas's terrorist attacks on Israel. He stated that he wanted to ask the Board to 34 pass a Resolution in support of Israel but felt it would be words on paper without any real impact. 35 Instead, he petitioned staff to reach out to community organizations, both governmental and 36 private, to bring the Board information on how to actively participate in the rescue and repatriation 37 of United States passport holders back to this country. 38 Chair Bedford petitioned staff to find out what the water standards are for watersheds and 39 any state limits on building. She said she attended the Board of Health meeting a few weeks ago, 40 as well as an equity subcommittee meeting. She said the subcommittee reminded her of a Health 41 in All Policies framework, which she wants to share with fellow commissioners. She said there is 42 also consideration of potential work on a policy recommendation to restrict tobacco, vape, hemp 43 shops within a certain distance of schools and parks. She said she, Commissioner Portie-Ascott, 44 Commissioner Hamilton, and Commissioner Richards attended the Peach Apartments 45 groundbreaking this morning. She said there will be 10 apartments off Merritt Mill Rd. in Chapel 46 Hill built by EmPOWERment using some of the 2016 bond funds. She said the apartments will 47 have no mortgage and will be affordable at 30% and 60% AMI. 48 Commissioner Portie-Ascott said she toured the proposed site for the solid waste 49 convenience center on Orange Grove Rd. with Commissioner Richards. She said they were 50 invited to tour by the residents in that community and listened to the concerns they have about 51 the convenience center at this location. She said she also attended the Triangle Area Rural 3 1 Planning Organization (TARPO) meeting, and that board decided to meet every other month in 2 2024. She said the NC-54 Corridor Project the Board saw at a recent meeting was adopted at the 3 TARPO meeting. She said she also learned at that meeting there will be 39 electric vehicle 4 charging stations in the four-county area and 10 of those will be privately owned. 5 Commissioner Hamilton thanked Vice-Chair McKee for his comments on the events 6 happening in the Middle East. She said through her work as a therapist, she knows that many are 7 affected by what is going on there. She said she wishes everyone peace because violence won't 8 help us develop as humans and as societies. She reminded everyone about the 9-8-8 Crisis Line 9 for those feeling distressed. She said she attended an Alliance Health Board meeting and 10 reported that Medicaid expansion is going to take place December 1, 2023. She said entities are 11 working hard to be able to serve all those who will become eligible. She said the state has some 12 funding for mental health services for those without insurance and that funding stream has not 13 been cut. She said the state budget is looking to increase Medicaid reimbursement and payments 14 to direct care workers to help support those providing mental health services. She said the 15 Strategic Communications Committee met on October 6t" and they are working to improve 16 communication with county residents. On the same day, she also attended the Employee 17 Appreciation Celebration and expressed her thanks to Orange County staff. She said she met 18 with the executive director of the Central Pines Regional Council and learned more about that 19 organization. Finally, she said she enjoyed attending the Peach Apartments groundbreaking, and 20 said it is a great example of what can be done when government, non-profit organizations, and 21 the private sector work together. 22 23 The Board agreed to revisit Item 2-a to allow two members of the public to comment on 24 matters not on the printed agenda. 25 26 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/ Special Presentations 27 28 a. Orange County Arts Commission 2023-24 Annual Grant Recipients 29 The Board acknowledged local artists and organization receiving 2023-24 Orange County Arts 30 Grants 31 32 BACKGROUND: 33 34 Orange County Annual Grants C r�cle 35 The Orange County Arts Commission (OCAC)administers two primary grant programs each year. 36 The Grassroots Arts Program (GAP) utilizes state funding to provide support for nonprofit 37 organizations and schools conducting arts programming. The Artist Project Grant (APG) utilizes 38 County funding for artist-led community projects. 39 40 For the second year, $45,000 (typically dispersed through the Outside Agencies Program) was 41 allocated to the OCAC's annual Grassroots Arts Program to ensure arts agencies were applying 42 for funding through a program specific to the arts following the best practices set forth by the North 43 Carolina Arts Council. Of that $45,000, $15,289 was directly allocated to Kidzu and is managed 44 by the Visitors Bureau, changing this year's available allocation to $29,711. 45 46 For the first time this year, the OCAC elected to keep the allowed 50%of Grassroots Arts Program 47 funding to partially support a new full-time Programs Coordinator, lowering the amount of GAP 48 funds available for sub-granting by half. 49 50 Statistics regarding this year's grant cycle are noted in the chart below. 51 4 TOTAL NC Arts Council Funding: Grassroots Arts Program $25,508 NC Arts Council Funding: ARPA $35,001 Orange County Funding: Artist Support Grants $28,800 Orange County Funding: Outside Agencies $29,711 TOTAL AVAILABLE FUNDING $119,020 Total dollar amount requests $158,497 Total grants awarded 38, or 81% of applications Total applications received 47, 45 eligible Total first-time applicants 12, or 30% of applicants 1 2 The OCAC grant review and awards process is as follows: 3 4 1. The grant application process is open for two months. Two virtual training sessions 5 occurred and the OCAC director was available for one-on-one meetings. 6 2. After the due date, OCAC staff conducts an initial compliance and eligibility review. 7 Applications found noncompliant or outside of the grant requirements are considered 8 disqualified. Eligible organizations are given a compliance score based on prior year 9 adherence to grant requirements such as logo usage and reporting. 10 3. Qualified applications are forwarded to members of each review panel for initial review 11 and scoring. This year's grant panels included the following: 12 a. Visual Arts: Composed of OCAC Board Members with visual arts expertise, as well 13 as one visual arts professional from the community. 14 b. Performing Arts: Composed of OCAC Board Members with performing arts 15 expertise, as well as one performing arts professional from the community. 16 c. Literary Arts: Composed of OCAC Board Members with literary arts expertise. 17 4. Non-governmental Grassroots Arts Program (GAP) applicants are also evaluated by a 18 Financial Review Panel who examine submitted financial documents to determine 19 financial solvency and stability. 20 5. Each panel met virtually to evaluate assigned applications. Feedback, first strengths and 21 then challenges, was offered by panelists and recorded by OCAC staff. After discussion, 22 each panelist submitted a score through the online platform for each of the categories 23 below. After all scores were submitted, the Director recorded the final score per applicant. 24 6. The scoring rubric for this year's grant program was as follows: 25 GRASSROOTS ARTS PROGRAM - ORGANIZATIONS 26 Artistic Merit— 30% 27 Community Impact—25% 28 Program Management— 15% 29 Financial Review— 10% 30 NC Arts Council Priority of Funding — 10% 31 Compliance score (prior grantees only) — 10% 32 GRASSROOTS ARTS PROGRAM - SCHOOLS 33 Artistic Merit—40% 34 Integration in curriculum/enrichment—40% 35 Free and Reduced Lunch Percentage — 20% 36 ARTIST PROJECT GRANTS 37 Artistic Merit—40% 38 Community Impact— 30% 39 Program Management—20% 5 1 Compliance score (prior grantees only) — 10% 2 7. Funding decisions were made at the September 2023 OCAC meeting. For the GAP 3 program, the board prioritized high scoring program requests, programs hiring 4 multicultural artists, and schools. For APG, the board approved funding applicants with 5 scores above 60 at their full request amount. 6 8. All applicants were notified of the panel's decisions. All declined GAP applicants received 7 panel feedback; and approved GAP and APG applicants could receive feedback upon 8 request. 9 10 Katie Murray, Arts Commission Director, reviewed the background information for the item 11 and introduced grant recipients. Following recognition, a picture was taken of the Board and grant 12 recipients. 13 14 Commissioner Richards arrived at 7:23 pm. 15 16 5. Public Hearings 17 a. Joint Public Hearing with the Historic Preservation Commission Regarding the 18 Proposed Designation of the Davis Cotton Gin and Press as an Orange County Historic 19 Landmark 20 21 BACKGROUND: In 1991, the BOCC adopted the "Ordinance Creating the Historic Preservation 22 Commission (HPC) of Orange County," also referred to as the "Historic Preservation Ordinance." 23 In 1997, the BOCC adopted the Historic Landmark Program, a voluntary program allowing the 24 HPC to designate properties of local historic and/or architectural significance, as authorized by 25 NC General Statute 160D-9-40- 160D-9-51. One of the HPC's duties is to recommend properties 26 to the BOCC for historic landmark designation. Properties must meet a high standard of historic 27 and/or architectural significance to be designated as a landmark. The higher standard is 28 appropriate since landmark property owners are eligible for a fifty (50) percent property tax 29 deferral as provided by State law, as long as the property retains its historic character. The intent 30 of this tax treatment is to provide a modest benefit for owners who face high costs to maintain, 31 paint and repair historic buildings, usually by employing local tradespeople. 32 33 The historic landmark designation process involves several steps culminating with the adoption 34 of an ordinance by the BOCC for each individual landmark. The HPC adopted a motion at its 35 November 2, 2022 meeting stating that the Davis Cotton Gin and Press possesses special 36 historical and/or architectural significance and is worthy of landmark designation. The November 37 2, 2022 meeting minutes are provided as Attachment 2. (This is the fourth of the four landmark 38 applications approved by the HPC on November 2, 2022. The other three properties were 39 approved by the BOCC in June 2023.) 40 41 The application material for this property (Attachment 1) was then submitted to the State Historic 42 Preservation Office (SHPO) for review and comment as required by State law. The SHPO 43 provided a positive review (Attachment 3). The next step is for the HPC and BOCC to hold a joint 44 public hearing as required by the County's Historic Preservation Ordinance. 45 46 Following this joint public hearing, the BOCC and the HPC will take into consideration public 47 comments, if any. It is projected that the HPC will then present a final draft landmark ordinance 48 to the Board of Commissioners for consideration and adoption, likely at a November 2023 49 Business meeting. 50 6 1 Peter Sandbeck, Cultural Resources Coordinator with the Department of Environment, 2 Agriculture, Parks and Recreation reviewed the background information for the item, and made 3 the following presentation: 4 5 Slide #1 Davis Cotton Gin and Barn, Orange County r�X�yfHrf�r.. T_ S -(3C, 7278 v ��n w x } y L � Ja nary 27.2023 This map contains P-11 p+4pa-1)fprrha n� Wa ypf nal pnrparty-V-Granpa fop ty.and wiad npm raoprdad load.pots.and wirer ppbbc acprds and data.. Us ffs of this map am htlaby noo"that Me afprlminapMd public primary ie ofm4tiM 1a 1ro 0"Id be oonsu lte8 fot wrifr pn Of the infOnnsU*n opntaelad on thd map. PIN: 99&2611999 The—ty and its mapping Nmpa—a—ma no legal responsibility for the iidpnnation on d,s map. OWNER 1: ROSE GLENN WESTON SIZE: 19.51 A BUILDING COUNT 2 1:4,800 OWNER 2: ROSE PAYTON ALEXIS DEED REF: 6657!2086 LAND VALUE: n 0.04 rias AODR€SS 1. 421 C D FARMS RD RATEC©DE: 10 BLDG VALUE: 0 11.06 0.1 n2 lull 6 7 Peter Sandbeck said it is rare, but not unheard of, to designate an object as a landmark. 8 He said cotton was not a big crop in Orange County, but residents in the southern part of the 9 county did start growing it after the Civil War and it proved to be a good cash crop. He said this 10 was a community cotton gin used by many farmers. 11 12 •- Davis Farm Catton Gin and Press: proposed parcel of approx. 1.5 acres for landmark designation w North p boundary for landmark design at ion purpo5es of approx.1.5 acres 2. } �r� , 1• r �- - ••- 1 - 0 •- .•- 0 0 - - •. 8 1 Slide #4 F I I I PC d 2 3 Peter Sandbeck said wagons were parked under the door and cotton was unloaded and 4 hauled into the upper story. 5 6 Slide #5 9 1 Slide #6 o "I 2 3 Peter Sandbeck said the red arrow points to the cotton press where the cotton was pushed 4 down and pressed. 5 6 Slide #7 F r Y � x 444■■■ I fr1f � I._P 2 i , r 7 _ 8 Peter Sandbeck said the door with the red error could be moved to remove the pressed 9 cotton bales. He said the blue arrows point to push poles which people used to push the cotton 10 into the press. He said this was a manual press as opposed to steam powered or horse powered 11 as some were. 10 1 Slide #8 q, AL x II 4I V 2 3 4 Slide #9 5 6 Peter Sandbeck said once this box was full of cotton, the screw would be turned and 7 pressed down. 8 9 Slide #10 Slide 12 1 Slide #12 2 3 Peter Sandbeck then played a video depicting a similar functioning cotton gin to 4 demonstrate how the Davis Cotton Gin once operated. 5 6 The following Historic Preservation Commission members were present for the public 7 hearing: Chair Art Menius, Vice-Chair Paul Noe, Steve Peck, Anne Whisnant, and Todd 8 Dickinson. 9 10 A motion was made by Vice-Chair McKee, seconded by Commissioner Fowler, to open 11 the public hearing. 12 13 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 14 15 No one was signed up to speak during the public hearing. 16 17 A motion was made by Commissioner Fowler, seconded by Vice-Chair McKee, to close 18 the public hearing. 19 20 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 21 22 Chair Bedford said she looks forward to this coming back for approval in November. 23 Commissioner Richards thanked the property owners for preserving the cotton gin and 24 making it available for landmark designation. She said it is great that they have this connection to 25 history and the desire for preservation. 26 Commissioner Hamilton asked if the cotton gin could become operational as part of the 27 barn renovation. 28 Peter Sandbeck said he hopes to get someone who restores antique equipment like this 29 to assist with that task. He said it is a work in progress. 13 1 Vice-Chair McKee said he appreciates that the property owners recognized the cotton gin 2 for what it was and were willing to work to save it. He said he is sure it is restorable. 3 Commissioner Fowler said this was very interesting to learn about and thanked Peter 4 Sandbeck for his thorough work. 5 6 b. Public Hearing on Close Out of CDBG-CV Grant for EmergencV Housing Assistance 7 The Board held a public hearing on closing out Orange County's Federal Community 8 Development Block Grant— Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) funds. 9 10 BACKGROUND: On August 25, 2020, Governor Roy Cooper announced the availability of$28 11 million from federal Community Development Block Grant— Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) funding to 12 be disbursed by the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR)to support rental 13 and utility payments and prevent evictions for those with a demonstrated need. 14 15 Orange County applied for the CDBG-CV funds to be used with the County's existing Emergency 16 Housing Assistance (EHA) fund, which provides financial assistance to help Orange County 17 residents with low incomes secure and maintain stable housing. Assistance was available to 18 households in Orange County that earn no more than 60% of the area median income and had 19 an urgent need for housing assistance. The total amount awarded to Orange County was 20 $900,000. 21 22 In accordance with closing out the grant, Orange County must hold a public hearing to obtain 23 residents' comments about the program's impact and how it was administered. In addition to this 24 public hearing, residents had from September 15 through October 15, 2023 to submit comments 25 to the Housing Department's Community Stability Manager, Libbie Hough, via email, in writing, or 26 by phone. 27 28 (In January 2023, the program instituted a cap of $6,000/calendar year and moved to assisting 29 households in Orange County that earn no more than 30% of the area median income, except in 30 the cases of eviction, utility disconnections, and exiting homelessness. Since July 2023, income 31 has not used to qualify for assistance; however, the household must document notice of eviction, 32 imminent utility disconnection, or that they are exiting homelessness. These changes were made 33 as funding for the program depleted CDBG-CV funds and transitioned to American Rescue Plan 34 Act (ARPA) funds.) 35 36 Municipal updates 37 38 - County EHA staff served as the program administrators for CDBG-CV awards given to the Town 39 of Carrboro and the Town of Hillsborough. This meant that clients applied for assistance from the 40 County, and the County invoiced the Towns for those expenses. County CDBG-CV funds covered 41 the Town of Chapel Hill as the town is a CDBG direct service recipient and could not draw down 42 further assistance. 43 44 - The Town of Carrboro has expended all funds ($900,000) and is currently in its close out 45 process. The Town of Hillsborough will have expended its funds by this fall ($600,000) and begin 46 its close-out process thereafter. 47 48 Unique households served: Many households applied multiple times throughout the life of the 49 grant. 50 14 Locality CDBG-CV ARPA HOPE Lifetime Total Households Orange County 228 400 75 703 Carrboro 198 562 120 880 Chapel Hill 173 1,119 160 1,452 Hillsborough 215* 84 69 368 Funding Stream 814 2979* 424 Total Households Totals 3,403* *Numbers will increase by end of 2023 1 2 Minutes from this hearing will be approved by the BOCC at an upcoming meeting. The approved 3 minutes along with any comments provided to the Housing Department(Libbie Hough) during the 4 required 30-day window will be submitted along with all close-out documentation to the North 5 Carolina Department of Commerce in November. 6 7 Libbie Hough, Community Stability Manager for the Orange County Housing Department, 8 reviewed the background information for the item. 9 10 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if any of these funds were used for housing rehab. 11 Libbie Hough said HOME funds are available through the Community Development 12 division of the Housing Department for people needing housing rehab and repair. She said some 13 CDBG funds can also be used for this purpose, but the CDBG-CV funds had another focus. 14 15 A motion was made by Commissioner Portie-Ascott, seconded by Commissioner 16 Hamilton, to open the public hearing. 17 18 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 19 20 No one was signed up to speak during the public hearing. 21 22 A motion was made by Commissioner Fowler, seconded by Commissioner Portie-Ascott, 23 to close the public hearing. 24 25 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 26 27 6. Regular Agenda 28 a. Consideration of Increased Allocation for Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools Board of 29 Education Members 30 The Board approved a resolution approving a request for an increased monthly allocation for 31 members of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) Board of Education. 32 33 BACKGROUND: On September 7, 2023, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of 34 Education approved a resolution requesting an increase to be considered by the Board of County 35 Commissioners. The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education requests an increase 36 in Board members' stipends—from the current stipend of$334 per month (or$4,008 per year) to 37 $1,118 per month for five Board members, the Board Vice Chair receiving $1,263, and Board 38 Chair receiving $1,409 per month. This is an increase of$784 per month or$9,408 per year for a 15 1 single Board member, and a combined increase of $71,088 per year for all Board members 2 together, including the higher rates for the two Board leadership positions. 3 4 It is proposed that this become effective January 1, 2024, after the November 2023 Board of 5 Education election, including the new Board's selection of Chair and Vice Chair for 2024. As it 6 reflects an expense allowance, North Carolina General Statute (NCGS) 115C-38 requires Board 7 of County Commissioners' approval, consistent with the procedures described in NCGS 153A- 8 92, before it can go into effect. 9 10 Under North Carolina General Statute 115C-38, and per the authority set in North Carolina 11 General Statute 153A-92, the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) sets the compensation of 12 board of education members annually during the budget approval process: 13 14 "The tax-levying authority for a local school administrative unit may, under the procedures of 15 G.S. 153A-92, fix the compensation and expense allowances paid members of the board of 16 education of that local school administrative unit. Funds for the per diem, subsistence, and 17 mileage for all meetings of county and city boards of education shall be provided from the 18 current expense fund budget of the particular county or city. The compensation and expense 19 allowances of members of boards of education shall continue at the same levels as paid on 20 July 1, 1975, until changed by or pursuant to local act or pursuant to this section." 21 22 Based on this, the Manager recommends the Board of Commissioners consider the new monthly 23 stipend rates of $1,118 per month for CHCCS Board members, $1,263 for the CHCCS Board 24 Vice Chair and $1,409 for the CHCCS Board Chair. The annualized cost of this action would be 25 $71,088. Funding for the remainder of FY 2023-24 could be provided through an increase in the 26 County's current expense funding towards Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools by appropriating 27 fund balance. 28 29 Bonnie Hammersley reviewed the background information for the item. She explained that 30 if new money is allocated to CHCCS for this increase, the General Fund Appropriation Policy for 31 Local School Districts requires that Orange County Schools (OCS) also recieve a funding 32 increase, resulting in a total allocation between both districts of $60,822 from the county's fund 33 balance. She noted that the Orange County Schools Board of Education does not currently want 34 to increase their board stipend rates. She said the last time there was an increase was February 35 of 2022 when CHCCS requested a 2.5% wage increase for Board of Education members. She 36 said the school district used its existing funds for this increase, so this did not result in a required 37 funding increase to OCS, whose Board of Education also did not want to increase the board 38 stipend rates at that time. 39 Chair Bedford clarified that the $60,822 would double the next budget cycle since this 40 calculation is only for half of a fiscal year. 41 Bonnie Hammersley said that is correct. 42 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if CHCCS currently has the funds 43 Bonnie Hammersley said the school board would have to provide the answer to that 44 question. 45 Commissioner Fowler asked what the compensation is for school boards in surrounding 46 counties. 47 Bonnie Hammersley said she doesn't have that information. 48 Commissioner McKee said if this request is approved and additional funding is allocated 49 to OCS, the Board does not have any input on how that money is used. 50 Bonnie Hammersley said the Boards of Education determine how any money provided is 51 spent. 16 1 PUBLIC COMMENTS: 2 Riza Jenkins, CHCCS Board of Education member, spoke about her own personal 3 experience in support of the request to increase compensation for Board of Education members. 4 She said the reality is that the work of the school board takes effort and time, as the 5 commissioners are well aware from their service as well. She said it may seem that she does well 6 for herself now, but that was not the case a few short years ago or thirteen years ago when her 7 family first moved here. She said she declined to run for school board for years due to the time 8 commitment she couldn't manage while also raising three children. She said the child care it would 9 have required was a cost her family couldn't support, and getting to meetings on time and staying 10 late just wasn't possible. She said even now that her children are older, she still has to take time 11 off of work, ask friends or pay for transporation for her children, just to attend meetings. She said 12 sometimes her son walks home after an evening practice, her daughters wait for thirty minutes or 13 more outside of their dance class, and sometimes her kids are just unable to do some of the 14 activities they want because they do not always have someone to take them and pick them up. 15 She said the current stipend offsets some financial barriers, but it isn't enough compensation for 16 the 800-1,000 hours spent per year doing the work of the school board. She said school board 17 members must also take on the cost of ensuring their own personal safety. She said when she 18 first attended an information session on becoming a school board member, the members at the 19 time were two-parent households, high wage earner households, or retired or semi-retired 20 individuals. She said she appreciates the contributions of all school board members past and 21 present, but representation from the communities whose needs they are trying to meet matters. 22 She said as the only solo parent on the board and a woman of color, she knows that 23 representation matters and while she has the privilege of a college and advanced degrees to help 24 her overcome many of her own personal struggles, many of the voices that should be at the table 25 may or do not. She said she wants to see more diversity on the board of education and increasing 26 the stipend isn't the only way, but it will help decrease the barriers for some community members. 27 28 Following public comments, Vice-Chair McKee said he would like to discuss this topic at 29 a joint meeting with the CHCCS Board of Education and then have the request come to the Board 30 as part of the budget. He said he would also rather have any increase apply to both Boards of 31 Education. 32 Chair Bedford said there are two decision points if the Board chooses to act tonight. The 33 first is to determine an amount for the increase and the second is to determine whether or not to 34 use new funds. 35 Commissioner Richards asked if the alternative to new funding is for the Board of 36 Education use money already allocated for the increase, and in that case there would not be a 37 requirement to give funds to OCS. She said she is concerned about the timing because once 38 money is given, the next year this amount is in the continuation budget for CHCCS. She said this 39 creates a false baseline since it's mid-year. 40 Commissioner Fowler said she tried to find school board rates online. She said the time 41 commitment may be less than as a Commissioner, but school board members probably receive 42 even more emails and sometimes meet even later. She said she is willing to increase the stipend, 43 and suggested increasing to $10,000 a year for board members, $11,250 for the Vice-Chair and 44 $12,500 for the Chair. She said she is open to providing new funds, or having the school board 45 find the money in their current fund balance. 46 Commissioner Portie-Ascott said she thinks that representation does matter and 47 acknowledges that it is a lot of work to serve the community and wants people to be fairly 48 compensated. She said she is in support of the school board using their fund balance for the 49 increase now and to revisit this request as part of the budget cycle. 50 Commissioner Hamilton said, having served on the CHCCS school board, she 51 understands the work required and supports a raise. She said she is concerned about the timing 17 1 of this request. She said it is a significant increase and thinks pay information should be gathered 2 from comparable districts around the state, and an estimation of the cost in order to establish a 3 basis for the increase. She said she wants to be clear about why the request has happened when 4 asked rather than an arbitrary amount. She said she feels this needs to be part of the school 5 system's budget request and cannot support this at this time. 6 Chair Bedford said she fully supports an increase in compensation for Board of Education 7 members, but agreed with others that this should be part of the CHCCS budget request and that 8 additional information is needed to establish the amount of the increase. She suggested the 9 school board set aside money for reimbursement for transporation, child care, and other costs 10 relevant to service as needed. She said this could be an interim and even possibly a long-term 11 option. She said she thinks it would be wise and transparent to wait for the budget season, but 12 would also give the school board permission now to use their own funds. 13 Vice-Chair McKee said he's uncomfortable not knowing the amounts other school boards 14 are compensated across the state and not having had a deeper discussion. He reiterated that he 15 would like to wait for the budget season. 16 Commissioner Richards said utilizing fund balance is already an issue, so she is 17 uncomfortable with telling CHCCS to take it out of their fund balance. She said there needs to be 18 a work session at some point around fund balance. She said she believes representation is 19 important also, and some assessment needs to be done to determine the appropriate level of 20 compensation. She said she also supports the request being part of the budget process and 21 getting more information. 22 23 A motion was made by Vice-Chair McKee, seconded by Commissioner Fowler, to deny 24 the request to increase the allocation for CHCCS Board of Educaton members at this time, and 25 bring it back as part of the budget process with comparables and other assessments. 26 Commissioner Fowler made a friendly amendment to clarify that the comparables should 27 be local. 28 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if the Board of Education can do Chair Bedford's 29 suggestion without the Board taking any action. 30 Chair Bedford said they can do that at any time, and asked John Roberts to verify. 31 John Roberts said that's correct. 32 Commissioner Richards said Chair Bedford's suggestion could also provide an indication 33 of the current need. 34 Commissioner Fowler said she is in favor of Chair Bedford's idea but thinks there are other 35 costs that this type of set-aside may not cover. She said she believes the current stipend should 36 be at least doubled but agrees that having local numbers for comparison would be helpful to make 37 the increase the most accurate. 38 39 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 40 41 7. Reports 42 None. 43 44 8. Consent Agenda 45 46 • Removal of Any Items from Consent Agenda 47 • Approval of Remaining Consent Agenda 48 • Discussion and Approval of the Items Removed from the Consent Agenda 49 50 A motion was made by Vice-Chair McKee, seconded by Commissioner Hamilton, to 51 approve the consent agenda. 18 1 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 2 3 a. Minutes 4 The Board approved the minutes of the September 12, 2023 Work Session, as presented. 5 b. Resolution Authorizing Sale of Property for the Sheriff's Office 6 The Board approved a resolution authorizing the sale of surplus ammunition for the Person 7 County Sheriff's Office. 8 c. Fiscal Year 2023-24 Budget Amendment#2 9 The Board approved budget, grant, and capital project ordinance amendments for Fiscal Year 10 2023-24. 11 d. Approval of the Proposed Memorandum of Understanding between Orange and 12 Durham Counties for the Storage and Implementation of the Mobile Poultry Processing 13 Unit 14 The Board authorized the County Manager to designate Cooperative Extension managerial staff 15 to enter a start date, sign, and monitor the attached Memorandum of Understanding between 16 Durham and Orange counties, and to further execute any amendments or extensions of the 17 Memorandum of Understanding. 18 e. Change in BOCC Meeting Schedule for 2023 19 The Board amended its meeting calendar for 2023 to hold a work session on November 10, 2023 20 at the Bonnie B. Davis Environmental and Agricultural Center, 1020 US 70 West in Hillsborough 21 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. 22 f. Boards and Commissions —Appointments 23 The Board approved appointments to boards and commissions as reviewed and discussed during 24 the October 10, 2023 Work Session. 25 26 9. County Manager's Report 27 Bonnie Hammersley reminded the Board that there is no meeting next week and the next 28 meeting is November 2nd 29 30 10. County Attorney's Report 31 John Roberts said the legislature has not adjourned and is currently focused on 32 redistricting. He said there is no real check on what they can do, and a decision will happen soon 33 since there isn't much opposition. He said there is a new provision in the state budget, which is a 34 revamping of the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations. He said this 35 commission is given extensive authority to investigate local governments and public entities. He 36 said he will gather additional information on this issue and provide an update to the Board. 37 Commissioner Fowler asked if it's true that the legislature doesn't have to comply with 38 FOIA requests now. 39 John Roberts said the Legislative Records Custodian now has the discretion to withhold 40 many documents and records from the public view. 41 Vice-Chair McKee asked how that was legal. 42 John Roberts said the Freedom of Information Act applies to federal agencies, not state 43 governments. He said the legislature and Governor adopt and pass the State Public Records Act. 44 45 11. *Appointments 46 None. 47 48 12. Information Items 49 50 October 3, 2023 BOCC Meeting Follow-up Actions List 51 19 1 13. Closed Session 2 None. 3 4 Adjournment 5 6 Before adjournment, Chair Bedford reminded Commissioners about the Cooperative 7 Extension Breakfast on Thursday morning. She also reported that she and Commissioner 8 Hamilton are taking a tour of the proposed site for the Orange Grove Rd. waste and recycling 9 center on Friday. 10 11 A motion was made by Commissioner Fowler, seconded by Commissioner Hamilton, to 12 adjourn the meeting at 8:24 p.m. 13 14 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 15 16 17 Jamezetta Bedford, Chair 18 19 20 Recorded by Tara May, Deputy Clerk to the Board 21 22 Submitted for approval by Laura Jensen, Clerk to the Board Attachment 3 1 1 DRAFT MINUTES 2 ORANGE COUNTY 3 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 4 BUSINESS MEETING 5 November 2, 2023 6 7:00 p.m. 7 8 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Business Meeting on Thursday, 9 November 2, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough, NC. 10 11 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jamezetta Bedford, Vice-Chair Earl McKee 12 (arrived at 7:14 p.m.), and Commissioners Amy Fowler (arrived at 7:04 p.m.), Sally Greene, 13 Jean Hamilton, and Phyllis Portie-Ascott 14 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Commissioner Anna Richards 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 Bedford called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. All commissioners were present, 21 except Vice-Chair McKee, Commissioner Richards, and Commissioner Fowler. Chair Bedford 22 said Commissioner Richards will be absent, but Vice-Chair McKee and Commissioner Fowler are 23 in route. 24 25 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda 26 Chair Bedford read the public charge: 27 28 The Board of Commissioners pledges its respect to all present. The Board asks 29 those attending this meeting to conduct themselves in a respectful, courteous 30 manner toward each other, county staff and the commissioners. At any time should 31 a member of the Board or the public fail to observe this charge, the Chair will take 32 steps to restore order and decorum. Should it become impossible to restore order 33 and continue the meeting, the Chair will recess the meeting until such time that a 34 genuine commitment to this public charge is observed. The BOCC asks that all 35 electronic devices such as cell phones, pagers, and computers should please be 36 turned off or set to silent/vibrate. Please be kind to everyone. 37 38 2. Public Comments (Limited to One Hour) 39 a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda 40 Sarah Wagner said she lives near the proposed solid waste convenience center on 41 Orange Grove Road, and that she and her neighbors have serious concerns about the proposal. 42 She listed some of their concerns: the environment, the traffic, the extra lights, the safety of 43 residents and employees of the center, the nearby school bus stop, the proximity of the center to 44 residents. She expressed appreciation to the Board for listening to their concerns and visiting the 45 community. She said that, as far as they know, the proposal is still on the table, and that she and 46 her neighbors will continue to protest the proposal. She asked the commissioners to not approve 47 the plan. 48 49 b. Matters on the Printed Agenda 50 (These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda below.) 51 Commissioner Fowler arrived at 7:04 p.m. 2 1 3. Announcements, Petitions and Comments by Board Members 2 Commissioner Hamilton reminded everyone that there is a municipal election and review 3 the dates and times for voting. She said she attended the October 251h Central Pines Regional 4 Council meeting, and the council received a $1 million planning grant through the Climate 5 Pollution Reduction Grant Program. She said the council will work with counties and municipalities 6 in the region to get proposals together and apply for up to $4.6 billion in funding. She said it's 7 great to work with this organization who have the expertise to assist with federal grants and bring 8 that funding to our communities. She said she attended the Alliance Health Board meeting this 9 afternoon. She explained that Alliance Health is the County's LME/MCO, which is a mental health 10 organization that provides mental health services to residents with Medicaid and those without 11 insurance. She said the state wants to reduce the number of LME/MCOs and the plans for that 12 will be coming out soon. 13 Chair Bedford petitioned staff to consider whether neighborhood information meetings for 14 special use permits, conditional districts, and governmental uses can be sent to renters as well 15 as property owners in the impacted communities. She also petitioned staff to review the criteria 16 for solid waste sites in different planning areas as part of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. She 17 said she and Commissioner Portie-Ascott went to a kickoff for the Comprehensive Plan last week 18 and said she looks forward to that process. She said she went to Raleigh today to an open house 19 for a behavioral health urgent care and a clubhouse program for folks with mental illness, which 20 was around the corner. She said they did not have a diversion facility there, but it was still 21 interesting to see. She also said there will be an Orange County Veteran's Remembrance 22 Ceremony on Friday, November 10th at 11:00 am at the Veteran's Memorial on Homestead Rd. 23 in Chapel Hill. 24 Commissioner Portie-Ascott said she attended the Medline Industries ribbon-cutting with 25 Vice-Chair McKee and Commissioner Fowler and they took a tour of the facility. She said she 26 attended a community meeting at Mt. Zion AME Church and shared information with them on how 27 to participate in upcoming engagements sessions on the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. She 28 said she attended a class conducted at the UNC School of Government, and the instructor 29 explained the plan to decrease LME/MCOs in detail. She thanked Laura Jensen for coordinating 30 a tour for her to see AL Stanback and Partnership Academy. She said the tours helped her 31 visualize some of the things that were discussed by the Schools Capital Needs consultants in 32 their presentation to the Board. 33 Commissioner Greene said she participated in the Walk to School and dance party at 34 Ephesus Elementary on October 5th and was also given a tour. She said she got to see some of 35 the building needs but also got to see all of the great work happening in the classroom. She said 36 November is National Novel Writing Month and the Orange County Library will be hosting a Write- 37 In on Saturday from 9:00 am-6:00 pm. She said there will be a country ham, sausage, and egg 38 breakfast at Schley Grange on November 41n 39 Commissioner Fowler said she attended the Cooperative Extension Breakfast on October 40 1911 and there was great programming on 4-H and support for gardening, farming, and nutrition. 41 She said it was amazing to see the technology being used at Medline Industries when she 42 attended the ribbon cutting. On October 25th she said she attended the Inter-Governmental Parks 43 Work Group and reported that there will be an updated Interactive Parks and Trails map including 44 new additions and repaired links. She said she attended the Chamber Women's Networking 45 Friendsgiving at the Fearrington. She said there was a presentation on the importance of culture 46 to leading an organization. She said she also looks forward to the Veteran's Breakfast at the 47 Passmore Center on November 10th as well as the breakfast at Schley Grange. 48 49 Vice-Chair McKee arrived at 7:14 p.m. 50 51 Vice-Chair McKee said there will be a table for Lumos at the Schley Grange breakfast. 3 1 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/ Special Presentations 2 3 a. Resolution Endorsing Consensus Principles II for Revised Falls Lake Rules 4 The Board received a presentation and considered endorsing a resolution of support for the Upper 5 Neuse River Basin Association (UNRBA)Consensus Principles II for the revised Falls Lake Rules 6 (also referred to as the revised Falls Lake Nutrient Management Strategy). 7 8 BACKGROUND: Orange County was a founding member of the UNRBA, which was created in 9 the 1990's to coordinate mandatory watershed protection efforts among the jurisdictions of the 10 Falls Lake watershed. Falls Lake (henceforth, "the Lake"), located in Durham, Granville and Wake 11 counties, serves as the primary water supply source for Raleigh and many Wake County 12 municipalities. Most of central, eastern and northeastern Orange County is located within the 13 Upper Neuse River Basin and the Falls Lake watershed (See Attachment 2). 14 15 The Falls Lake Rules were adopted in 2011 to address nutrient loading (primarily nitrogen and 16 phosphorus) in the Lake. Accordingly, the UNRBA began to work as a coordinating entity among 17 the jurisdictions to address this effort. Issues related to the science behind these standards 18 became apparent, and a goal identified to re-examine the Rules arose, working from an original 19 set of consensus principles approved in February 2010 as a guide. 20 21 Implementation of the Rules, which would occur in two stages, has been estimated to cost the 22 combined watershed jurisdictions over$1.5 billion in total to address under the original approach. 23 In addition, detailed evaluation of the Rules by water resources consultants determined that the 24 proposed reductions as originally adopted are not technically feasible and that a new method is 25 needed. (Prior estimates of Orange County's likely costs to address the Rules, if the County acted 26 on its own, have ranged as high as $46 million over a 10-year period.) 27 28 As a result, the UNRBA jurisdictions collectively worked to encourage a re-examination of the 29 Rules, with an alternative method of addressing nutrient reductions for the Lake. Rather than 30 trying to implement jurisdictional load reductions on their own—at great cost and with questionable 31 results — the UNRBA and its member local governments have spent the last few years working 32 with consultants and in coordination with the NC Division of Water Resources to find a preferable 33 and "doable" alternative approach to meeting the nutrient reduction goals. 34 35 To this end, the UNRBA developed an alternative option for achieving compliance with Stage 1 36 existing development nutrient load reductions that were required by the Rules. This alternative 37 approach promoted a commitment to additional actions directed at reducing nutrient loading 38 impacts from existing development, using both existing and new and innovative measures to 39 improve the water conditions in the Lake. Titled the "Interim Alternative Implementation 40 Approach" or IATA, this program is considered interim because it only applies during the period 41 between the time the alternative approach was initiated and when the Rules are readopted. 42 43 The IAIA is based on voluntary participation of UNRBA members in the program and allows 44 participating jurisdictions to achieve compliance with the Stage I requirements. Choosing not to 45 participate in the IAIA would result in a jurisdiction having to comply on its own by developing a 46 Stage I local program consistent with the adopted Rules and the Model Program as written. Phase 47 1 compliance without the IAIA would require installation of nutrient-removing measures in direct 48 relation to Orange County's prior nutrient loading. In other words, the County would need to install 49 enough nutrient-reduction ponds or similar Stormwater Control Measures (SCMs)to compensate 50 for the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus added to Falls Lake from Orange County between 4 1 2006 and 2012. By contrast, participating in the IAIA allows Orange County in the interim period 2 to achieve full Stage I existing development compliance. 3 4 The IAIA program began on July 1, 2021 and after two years of productive, nutrient reducing IAIA 5 projects across member jurisdictions, the UNRBA is now confident that an investment-based,joint 6 compliance approach to the Rules is the path to success. Orange County has already completed 7 several stormwater retrofits, invested in land conservation in the Neuse River Basin, and 8 increased efforts in hydrilla control in just two fiscal years. This new direction has enabled the 9 UNRBA to revise its original consensus principles from 2010 and present the attached document 10 — the UNRBA Consensus Principles 11 (Attachment 3). These Principles are based on scientific 11 conclusions resulting from a 10-year evaluation of Falls Lake and its watershed by the UNRBA, 12 NC Collaboratory, and other organizations. The Principles are described in more detail in a 13 companion document titled UNRBA Concepts and Principles for Reexamination (Attachment 4). 14 15 County staff from DEAPR and Planning and Inspections have been involved in the development 16 of this program from the outset and recommend support of this strategy as a more productive, 17 cost-effective, collaborative and technically efficient way to address the nutrient loading issues 18 that will be needed for Falls Lake. 19 20 Commissioner Sally Greene serves as the Orange County Board of Commissioners' member on 21 the UNRBA Board of Directors, with Commissioner Jamezetta Bedford as Alternate #1 and 22 Orange County Water Resources Coordinator Wesley Poole as Alternate #2. At the November 23 15, 2023 UNRBA Board of Directors meeting, each delegate will be asked to vote to indicate 24 support for the Upper Neuse River Basin Association (UNRBA) Consensus Principles 11 for the 25 revised Falls Lake Rules. 26 27 Wesley Poole, Water Resources Coordinator, introduced Forrest Westall, UNRBA 28 Executive Director. Forrest Westall made the following presentation: 29 30 Slide #1 The UNR6A's Recommendations for a Revised Falls Lake Nutrient Management Strategy 31 32 Forrest Westall thanked the Board and Orange County staff for their collaboration. 33 5 1 Slide #2 Upper Neuse River Basin (UNRRA) • Members • Six counties • Seven municipalities • One water utility Sail and water conservation �•,pa•� districts • Active External Stakeholders • Agriculture • Environmental groups • Land conservation NKLIN organizations • NC DEWDWR • NC DOT • NC DA&CS 2 3 4 Slide #3 Falls Lake Designated Uses and Benefits • Provides drinking water for over 500,000 customers • Minimizes downstream flooding • Protects water quality downstream • Provides habitat • Provides regional recreational facility 5 6 Forrest Westall said in the 1970's it was believed that the lake would be unusable. He said 7 thankfully, that was incorrect, and the lake is now meeting its uses. 8 9 Slide #4 Current Falls Lake Regulatory Framework (passed in 2010 Regulates several different sectors from where ^a' nutrient pollution originates Each sector owns part of the problem Each sector mustfind and fund their own reductions in stages Everything is quantified in pounds of nitrogen and phosphorus li T Reduction targets are set for two stages The second stage of the rules sets unrealistic targets(technically/logistically/financially) There is an upcoming opportunity to redefine what will be required in the second stage and re-design the framework. 10 6 1 Forrest Westall said it was estimated to cost $1.5 billion to meet the requirements. 2 3 Slide #5 Stage 1 is Being Fully Implemented New development - Rules in place since 2012 to limit nutrient loading from developed sites Agriculture •Stage I reductions have been met Wastewater treatment plants(WWTRs) . Exceeded Stage I reduction requirements Existing development -Alternative investment-based compliance approach allows for full implementation 4 5 Forrest Westall said agriculture in the watershed is shrinking, which has caused some 6 reduction in nutrients, but has also resulted in increased development. 7 8 Slide #6 Stage II Rules Require Reexamination for Existing Lands •Stage 11 requires agriculture make further reductions to nutrient loading to Falls Lake Agriculture •Agriculture in this watershed is mostly small family farms •Department of Agriculture and researchers at NCSU indicate limited additional opportunities to reduce loading •Stage 11 rules for existing development are notfeasible and Existing development meetingthem would not significantly reduce nutrient loadingtc Falls Lake 9 10 11 Slide #7 UNRBA Approach to the Re-examination of Stage II W Science-based Ilaborative approach to water approach to water resource management resource management •Followedthe requirements in the Rules •worked with other researchers and and obtained DWR approvals organizations to expand our knowledge •Collected four years of monitoring data base in the watershed and the lake •Meeting with internal and external •Developed watershed model to stakeholders to discuss understand sources of loading recommendations •Developingthree lake water quality models to illustrate impacts on water quality 12 7 1 Slide #8 Key Findings from the UNRBA Studies 75 percent of the watershed is natural, unmanaged land(like forests) Ro r � a Nutrient loads to Falls Lake have been reduced significantly since 2006(baseline year of rules) Soils store and cycle nutrients for decades Rainfall is key driver of nutrient loads a The designated uses of Falls Lake are being met (recreation,drinking water supply,aquatic life) a Water quality and algae levels in the lake are stable U��a 2 3 Forrest Westall said changes are happening, but it will take a long time to see if the 4 changes have an impact. 5 6 Slide #9 Implications for a Revised Nutrient Management Strategy • Additional large-scale nutrient load reductions are not achievable • Long-term nutrient management is most effectivefi approach • Protecting forests and Other natural areas is key to long-term management of Falls Lake Collaborative action is needed to protect this 0. resource and maintain uses • A Watershed Organization is recommended to z -_ coordinate activities and partnerships Land conservation site;photo courtesy of PerwnCounty 7 8 9 Slide #10 Stakeholder Input Essential for Developing Recommendations Agriculture representatives = Environmental Groups Local Governments State agencies Final draft UNRBA rcconimendations including 1 summary of the 10-yr monitoring and modeling effort are available at . https://unrba.org/reexamination A list of consensus principles considered for endorsement by local governments and utilities this fall will guide development of revised rules for Falls Lake 10 8 1 Slide #11 Principles for a Revised Strategy Use the best science available Set realist c •. , projects th Inclu fine • ' Watershed Allow + for options Promote ci • Focus on watershed health 2 3 Slide #12 Consensus Principles II 1. Falls Lake needs to be protected Consensus Principles 11 was 2. Revised rules should be passed expeditiously approved • B' Board in September 2023. 3. Focus on watershed health 4.Incorporate adaptive management The next step is approvalby localboards t and 5. Investment-based,joint compliance commissions a r formal 6.Avoid requirements for natural areas submittal by ' the Division 7.Promote land conservation _ • Environmental 8.Establish a watershed organization Management Commission. 4 5 Slide #13 Consensus Principles II 9_Continue implementing new development rules with refinements 10.Include requirements for new or expanded wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs) 11.Optimize treatment performance anti evaluate emerging technologies for existing WWTPs 12.Allow investment credits for addressing poorly performing onsite wastewater treatment systems 13.Avoid separate management plans for other impoundments in the watershed 14.Expand list of eligible activities and potential partners 15.Promote opportunities for equitable stakeholder participation 16.Evaluate chlarophylla water quality standard and assessment methodology 6 9 1 Slide#14 Alignment with Orange County's Guiding Principles • Aligned concepts Preserve rural land use pattern, Encourages partnering with agriculture and large land natural resources,and community owners to help implement projects and activities including character conservation of forests and other natural areas Facilitate sustainable growth and Continues implementation of new development rule with development;promote economic refinements when needed;encourages public prosperity transportation Efficient and fiscally responsible Focuses on watershed health;uses an investment-based, provision of public facilities and joint compliance framework;allows local governments to services;promote air and water implement projects considering multiple benefits tothe quality protection community Encourage energy efficiency and Includes projects and activities that address climate improve transportation system resiliency,encourages public transportation and green energy sources Guidingionncipies are based on the orange County2030 Comprehensive PIan 2 3 Slide #15 Next Steps for Submittals to the NC Division of Water Resources and the Environmental Management Commission • UNRBA Recommendations and Consensus Principles II Local government approvals in October and November 2023 Final submittal in December 2023 • UNRBA modeling reports submitted for review by DWR in December 2023 • UNRBA begin coordinating with DWR on the Rules readoption process • Regulatory Forum in Spring 2024 regarding the Rules readoption process • Ongoing negotiation/coordination with DWR and stakeholders on rule language • DWR anticipates rules readoption by 2027 4 5 Slide #16 Additional Information • Comprehensive website-htt //www.unrba.orgZ • General information website-htto://uonerneuse.org/ • Reference documents • UNRBA Infograohic • UNRBA Fast Facts • Overview of the Work of the UNRBA • Comprehensive UNRBA Mori Data Report • NC Collaboratory Falls Lake Study website- hllos://nutrients.web.urc.edu/resources/ • UNRBA Recommendations for a Revised Nutrient Management Strategy: httos://unrba.org/reexam i nation Forrest R.Westall,Sr. Executive Director Email:torrest.westaftunrbam 6 10 1 Vice-Chair McKee thanked Forrest Westall for his comments on agriculture meeting its 2 obligations. He said the agriculture community was very concerned when the regulations first 3 came about. He said going forward, we must acknowledge that sometimes the numbers don't 4 quite make sense. He said the idea in the agriculture community now is that it is working and 5 there is less concern about unintended consequences. 6 Commissioner Greene thanked Forrest Westall for the presentation. She said it was her 7 good fortune to see the culmination of this work and appreciated how long it took and the creativity 8 required. She said the NC Collaborative helped a lot as well. She said the approach is congruent 9 with Orange County's plans and is nice to see how the interests dovetail. 10 Commissioner Fowler said it was interesting to see that despite not meeting chlorophyll 11 goals, the lake was still meeting the needs for recreation and water quality in general. She said 12 she agrees it aligns with LIDO and the county's goals in general. 13 Commissioner Greene said she remembers hearing once that Durham County would have 14 to erase all of downtown Durham in order to meet the regulations as previously mentioned. 15 Forrest Westall said modeling shows even if everyone left the watershed and trees grew 16 over, it still would not meet the requirements. He said they were really dealing with something that 17 was impossible to achieve. 18 Chair Bedford said she appreciates the big picture/systems approach. She said this wants 19 this to be shared with the legislative delegates at the Legislative Breakfast. She said this sounds 20 like a great start. 21 Commissioner Hamilton thanked Forrest Westall for the report. She said it is timely to hear 22 this tonight along with the Climate Action Plan and as they are in the Comprehensive Planning 23 process. 24 25 A motion was made by Commissioner Greene, seconded by Vice-Chair McKee, to 26 approve and authorize the Chair to sign the attached Resolution endorsing the UNRBA 27 Consensus Principles II for Revised Falls Lake Rules and authorize the County's representative 28 at UNRBA to indicate Orange County's support at the upcoming UNRBA Board of Directors 29 meeting on November 15, 2023. 30 31 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 32 33 Vice-Chair McKee said the recreation opportunities available in the watershed should 34 really be emphasized. 35 36 5. Public Hearings 37 None. 38 39 6. Regular Agenda 40 a. Orange County Climate Action Plan and Greenhouse Gas Inventory— Final Report 41 The Board received the final Climate Action Plan (CAP) containing the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) 42 inventory report from Bluestrike Environmental Consulting and approve the Climate Action Plan. 43 44 BACKGROUND: The next few years are critical in limiting global temperature to a 1.5° C 45 increase and mitigating the most severe impacts of climate change. To do so, global emissions 46 need to be halved by 2030, and net zero emissions must be achieved by 2050. Investments now 47 will reduce long-term operation costs, reduce recovery costs from climate-related disasters, and 48 promote growth in local jobs and the economy. The climate action plan addresses the specific 49 strategies that will help the County meet the climate change mitigation goals set by the Board in 50 recent years including: 11 1 • To proportionally uphold the Paris Climate Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas 2 emissions between 26-28 percent by 2025 from 2005 levels. 3 • Transition to a 100% renewable energy-based economy by 2050. 4 • Signatory to the Global Covenant of Mayors pledging to reduce greenhouse gas 5 emissions, enhance resilience to climate change, and track progress transparently. 6 7 As part of the County's on-going efforts to accelerate the mitigation of climate change, the County 8 began a climate action planning process in November 2022 utilizing the professional services of 9 Bluestrike Environmental Consulting to synthesize the work the County is already doing, to build 10 upon the collaborative efforts and progress made with regional partners and the Towns, and to 11 develop a suite of strategies, or"roadmap" for the County to follow to achieve its climate goals. 12 13 Key elements of the CAP include an updated GHG inventory. The GHG inventory describes 14 which sectors contribute the most GHG emissions in Orange County and helps gauge progress 15 towards reducing these emissions compared to previous GHG inventories completed in 2005 16 and 2017. The results of the GHG inventory have helped prioritize Climate Action Plan strategies 17 based on which measures will have the most impact on reducing GHG emissions. 18 Other key components of the plan include a robust community/stakeholder engagement process 19 that has helped shape specific climate action strategies. The plan also includes methodology for 20 implementation, evaluation and updating. In addition, Bluestrike has prepared a comprehensive 21 funding plan linked to climate action plan strategies, and designed a climate action plan 22 dashboard that will display progress related to the plan's implementation on the County's website. 23 24 The draft Climate Action Plan was presented to the Board of County Commissioners at the 25 September 5, 2023 Business meeting. Comments were received from Board members and 26 incorporated into the final Climate Action Plan. 27 28 The draft Climate Action Plan was also presented at a community symposium event in early 29 September and a month-long public comment period was established to receive feedback 30 through an on-line forum. Based on community feedback received, adjustments were made to 31 several action items in the draft Climate Action Plan that was presented to the Board on 32 September 5, 2023. Some key updates include: 33 34 • Added the newly announced American Climate Corps program in the CAP as a way to 35 involve more youth directly with CAP actions; 36 • Moved up the study date for curbside composting due to strong community support. This 37 action was seen as a "gateway" action that can drive community interest and 38 understanding in climate action; 39 • Included several new actions prioritizing conservation of green spaces, preventing urban 40 sprawl, and promoting sustainable land use; 41 • Added action to develop a mechanism for the community to donate to the Community 42 Climate Action Grant Program to expand capacity to fund community climate action 43 projects; 44 . Added action to promote safety and purposeful connection of existing and future bike 45 trails and bike lanes that promote sustainable travel and connectivity. 46 47 The Commission for the Environment also reviewed the draft CAP and provided extensive 48 feedback to improve actions, graphs, and made refinements to wording which has been 49 incorporated into the final CAP. 12 1 2 Amy Eckberg, Sustainability Coordinator reviewed the background information for the item 3 and thanked the various stakeholders who played a part in the development of this plan. She 4 introduced Kristen Cushman, project manager and founder and CEO of Bluestrike Consulting. 5 Kristen Cushman gave the following PowerPoint presentation: 6 7 Slide #1 1 J - � s 3 ORANGE COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION NORTH CAROLINA PLAN PRES ENTAn©N sv:Ablue strike 8 9 Kristen Cushman said there is an existing account with ICLEI and as the report is updated, 10 ICLEI will be updated so you can track progress overtime. 11 12 Slide #2 HIGHLIGHTS • GHG inventory • Focus Areas 70 Strategies and 187 Actions • Tap 10 things the County should do • Dashboard Funding/Irnplernentation a Equity 13 14 Kristen Cushman said they used the 2019 GHG Inventory for a baseline because it was 15 prior to COVID and represented the most static inventory to move forward with. 16 17 13 1 Slide #3 COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT a Focus Groups •Agricultural Summit .Business and Vendor Perspectives .Commu nity a nd Envl ron rental Priorltles .Student Voices •One-an-one meetings •County Staff Perspectkvas •Pubtic Comment p.erind-at least 4:0 comments .Community Symposium aa; +Commission for the Environment 2 3 Kristen Cushman said they had a month-long public comment period and they received 4 40 comments. She said the symposium was successful even though it was only 15 people. She 5 said they were able to get a lot of quality feedback and discussion. 6 7 Slide #4 STRATEGY ACTION T 3.1 T 3.1.1 Publicize and promote greenway trails and Cross promote rides and educational programs with Parks and multi-modal transit lanes as an alternative Recreation and Health Department to emphasize the health benefits means of transportation through Parks of active transportation(walking,biking,micro-mobility,etc.) and Recreation educational programs, T 3,1.2 special events,promotions,outreach and Partner with local bike shops and bike clubs to provide programs on marketing efforts bike safety and coordination around community-wide bike ride events TIER-FOUNDATIONAL T 3.1.3 PRIORITY SCORE.3.88 Develop greenways and other trails between towns for recreation and C4-BENEFITS. commuting-promoting connectivity,safety and a sustainable mode 0119010 of travel g 9 Kristen Cushman said one of the key things mentioned was a focus on anti-sprawl. She 10 said that they further defined more language around zoning, sprawl, high-density, and creating 11 rural buffers against climate impacts and how those things would be approached. She said there 14 1 is a solid focus now in the CAP for development. She said they also made connectivity a priority 2 through trails, walking and biking, and a lot of language was added around that. She said they 3 looked at the recreation plan and all other planning documents and the language used in this plan 4 is consistent with other county plans. She said that in response to Commissioner Richards's 5 previous request to move educational strategies up, they assigned a ranking score and that is 6 how the timeline was provided. She said that some of the educational strategies were moved to 7 2024. She said that the Climate Core Program was used to get more boots on the ground to be 8 more involved. She said that another suggestion from the symposium was to allow the public to 9 donate to community climate action grant program. She said these are just some of the changes 10 since the first draft. 11 12 Slide #5 GC 1.1 GC 1.1,1 Prioritize the conservation of green Monitor and report annually an the progress of the"Orange County- spa ces ountyspaces in the County to serve Chapel Hill-Carrbora Joint Planning Agreement and Land use flan"to as rural buffers against climate the Board of County Commissioners impacts,continuing the goal of GC 1.1.2 conserving a significant portion of Develop a long term conservation plan in the Comprehensive Land Use total County land area Plan currently under development)that prioritizes rural buffers and ant- TIER.FOUNDATIONAL sprawl zoning PRIORITY SCORE.:5.50 GC 1.1.3 CO-BENEFITS: Develop rural buffer standards across the County,with carve outs for municipalities and grandfathering in existing structures 0060106 GC 1.1.4 Examine current development within the rural buffer;rewrite the regulations to prevent further suburban developments 13 15 1 Slide #6 Top 10 things theCounty should civ 2 3 Kristen Cushman said that ICLEI was used to model through 2050. 4 5 Slide #7 4 Foundational Governance Strategies TOP 10 THINGS THE COUNTY SHOULD DO Expand County Integrate Identify and Be prepared fundmgto+nrlude austamalod�tyes prioritize actions forcilmatp j c imateexpenditures and a framework within targeted to Vulnerable emergencies additional tull t me tho overall County s populations vdthin ustalnabiiity and.grant planning process the County adml w"atar staff 6 7 Kristen Cushman said the first four things the county should do are around governance. 8 9 }h l Slide#8 6 Foundational Reduction Strategies 205.by 2M 3 Kristen Cushman said these are achievable and according tothe nnodm|. ifthey stay on 4 track and report annually, these will create visible reductions. 5 6 Slide #9 6 Foundational Reduction Strategies 1-5 CAP M�ARIO 7 - -- ---------- 8 Kristen Cushman showed the projected naductionathnough2O50. 4 10 17 1 Slide #10 CLIMATE ACTION TRACKER Living document �1 I b ryti.Yr�.pgl�,en gnurp 'a'arye Came Pr b.r MrnaQ¢mem.Glartlblwx Cpmpese 1pw r.npu, Oemam�@apNryWl, ..'rY.•.enp9w.n eh+eapllgaeM4.!r.w PyryyMy lab awls pW b.m Tra mpwlallpn 'agb;pprlan nlnnne Sildeb0 p Sin xpnnvrv[rc -3e3n �orearamri ltxNC.MroI, *l.i3sissrdu xa na..s n+3sarw auatisrrs mqe xu*rrnvt lxertFana of?s by 1P1R %plxrvxrF@.rlGoo- NedYm aware dx inwm.M[lulrl Nrl Ur+bcFa and ulkMmugn -1.3 CIlel%n9 pr�mmanUdan fo Nooses famWesr l� 'I:1Wn4Q amaQrurl cd-Paek rtled4n %Inpmwrin rdP- we. xe�Yeem Jr. darya CamrlYwaavnon Sidb,friW u caw..mme li.yuie�ercArbY ler+#w w+p.a�nu iwBrM1IR! IaY/ aMire� 1.3 1 Ce—t rmnp�remhe shHt on u_c.rWfcl m.aecr.sce .umrMr 0"""e uedNm �rykwsrar mkr¢riprr�I,ayln:p.r9rasd I.b.,k�hcrw,.r .�! easa rmm`rla p,�.p� '1.ECsry and Ya4nPAet.y.�emnM lv 2a3e xeuLrm ir--_--.•"-- C mx ttasuepYsadYn.F4Fb S1igM1'A u�derxald Nulrx r�ne.tiry roNrab daburr, Can6lese lox 'Wit rrt�ther.pury bme.e M1pm rkmtmmJl. a[d 1�un re133 Uparp�nR4�ep Mobl[yw Snmpery VPiV Junurl wrd uln Wemrtl san Cflmatie ncthpn Trackersample, 2 3 4 Slide #11 0RMG COUNTY Climate Action Plan in Action NORTH CAROLINA Tolel Soler Em*M Produced 110 8 '+� PAenpum M1. hill� 44 installations ,..I'.�irlrv'lt�l Leber � •::_.!..,_:.I';.„ .. Casmartlal— Pv AdiWe Peplsit"ons al Electric Vehicles by LEER C.eellaed NIIIIN. Ciiy h EV Lnarspp 5latspns Csrrbp_ M°b— E-0Si-BWfldi,y wVl eh06rvp9 r Day k Ail - -.� xlneesen,gt, -_snap.l xa rvlbmeNlle wsl,ims we nesrb� ara.iu>�resaRty.,. cm 5 6 Kristen Cushman showed the Board the climate action dashboard on the website. She 7 demonstrated how to use the dashboard. 18 1 Slide #12 FUNDING PLAN COST ASSLIMPT1,0N FUNDINGS Ill 2.4 Centime to release rounds of the "5atarixetheTriangle" I3pereting Trangle proorli Which would 05 FTE for wdik to inStaFf Solar on 2024 $3,540 Sustalnability coordmotion and Capital Sustainability Budgets Partnership remdance.%businesses and nonprofltsin 6+angoCounty IN 2.5 Implement an expedrted permitting procese for ell new 2024 Staff time Planneng NJA f4JA Interns) sailer projects across the County BE 2.6 Convam stakeholders In attend Costs for planning, Orange County a Focus Groupjderign executing, Ag Sum+nit,NC Ltrorptte to di5curt Sustoinu4ility, summanong CapitalClown Tochnoragy capaci Ly,design and 2024 $25,1700 Cooperative and designing a Budget Conner,L1NC- implementation of Extension conceptual plan Budget CK Piedmont agra voltaics and fcw a pilot agro Electric community zular voltaic program Cooperative projects 2 3 Kristen Cushman said the cost assumption column shows how they came up with the 4 costs. She said that way, the implementor can understand how to adjust the costs overtime as 5 things change. 6 7 Slide #13 QUESTIONS? s 9 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked how many cars they predict it will be reduced by in 10 2028. 11 Kristen Cushman said it was 51,000. 19 1 Commissioner Fowler clarified that it was a GHG reduction equivalent to the reduction of 2 cars not the actual removal of that many cars. 3 Chair Bedford asked how to think about, and weigh, economic development with climate 4 action. She said they are doing economic development around the western part of the county, 5 and she is trying to figure out how to do this with environment in mind while the need is also there 6 to diversify the tax base. 7 Kristen Cushman said ICLEI recommends using the Google Environmental Insite 8 Explorer, an online software program by Google that uses satellite imagery to track movement of 9 vehicles within a certain jurisdiction. She said you can upload county fleet information to it. She 10 said it would reflect all of the cars coming through the county and it only captures if the vehicle 11 makes a stop. She said she is unsure exactly how the technology works but it is a guideline 12 everywhere but California. She said that economic development, in terms of building, she 13 suggested a level of emissions per square foot for measurement. She said that she can provide 14 that number and if that is agreed upon, that might help when the board is considering new 15 developments. 16 17 PUBLIC COMMENT: 18 Regina Baratta asked the Board to support and approve the Orange County Climate 19 Action Plan. She said the plan is comprehensive and inclusive. She said that input was sought 20 from stakeholders and residents. She said it will help offer high impact methods on ways to reduce 21 energy use, waste produced, GHG, and it helps increase resiliency against climate disasters. 22 Kristie Mather said she is also on the Commission for the Environment. She said it is 23 critical to take action on GHG reductions. She said that this is a good plan. She said the climate 24 action tracker is a great way to stay accountable and keep on track. She said setting out the 25 governance strategies is significant. She said the plan also considers those communities most 26 impacted by climate, which is critically important. She encouraged the Board to adopt the CAP as 27 presented and prioritize its implementation. 28 29 Chair Bedford said she thinks sprawl needs to be defined. She said while they might 30 support density in towns, she needs to know how to think about it with impacts on rural buffer, 31 affordable housing, and economic development. She said that this would be a future discussion. 32 Kristen Cushman said it goes back to 2008 and that there was a focus on sustainability in 33 the plan. She said the land use consultant and team can use this as a guidance document. 34 Chair Bedford said while they are not directly responsible for schools, they completely 35 fund the capital needs, and she thinks the county can have more control. She said that they have 36 been using the Article 46 sales tax for updates and she suggested that the schools be included 37 in the future and that they work more closely with them. 38 Commissioner Hamilton said she also wanted to underline the issue of schools. She said 39 that she thinks it is important to understand the impact of development decisions around the 40 capital needs of schools. She said that understanding the energy savings around that and if that 41 can be added to the dashboard, it would be very helpful. 42 Kristen Cushman said that can be done. 43 Commissioner Fowler said she is pleased with how it is aligned with all of the other plans. 44 She said that the strategies seem achievable, it assigns specific people to complete tasks, and 45 this seems very approachable and doable. She said the dashboard will also help with 46 engagement. She said that she supports funding the additional staff to make sure this happens. 47 She said the county already has a lot of things in place that are suggested, such as land 48 conservation and the rural buffer. She said that vehicle miles and affordable housing are related, 49 and it aligns with so many of their existing goals. 50 Commissioner Greene said she agrees with Commissioner Fowler's comments. She said 51 that she appreciated that it points out partners throughout levels of government, private, and non- 20 1 profits. She said they had been asked if they would create an ordinance that said they will not 2 approve any new development that has a gas hookup. She said that the gas lobby was ahead 3 and that they would not be able to do that. She said there are partners and hurdles. 4 Kristen Cushman said that was mentioned and maybe phase 1 could be implemented 5 without upsetting lobbyists. 6 Vice-Chair McKee asked what the relationship is between Orange County and ICLEI. 7 Kristen Cushman said it is a software tool that can help, but no rules that the county would 8 be bound by. She said it is a national framework used by the government, but some cities and 9 counties do not use the framework, but they are setting the best practices. She said it is a tracking 10 tool but not a rule setting body. 11 12 A motion as made by Commissioner Hamilton, seconded by Commissioner Fowler, to 13 approve the final Climate Action Plan and GHG Inventory report prepared by Bluestrike 14 Environmental Consulting. 15 16 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 17 18 Chair Bedford asked if there was a timeline for the committee to be implemented. 19 Amy Eckberg said that it would start at the beginning of the year. 20 Commissioner Portie-Ascott said this is a living document and asked how changes will be 21 documented. 22 Amy Eckberg said updates will go to the dashboard and they also will update the plan 23 every 5 years. 24 Chair Bedford asked if this will be shared with the strategic plan consultants. 25 Amy Eckberg said yes and that she is a part of that committee. 26 27 7. Reports 28 a. Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness —2023 Data Update 29 The Board received an overview of the work of the Partnership, including updated system-level 30 data about homelessness in Orange County submitted to the United States Department of 31 Housing and Urban Development (HUD) earlier this year, obstacles, and successes. 32 33 BACKGROUND: The Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness (OCPEH) was created 34 in 2008 to coordinate funding and activities to end homelessness in Orange County. OCPEH is 35 jointly funded by Orange County(39.5%)and the Towns of Carrboro(14.3%), Chapel Hill (39.7%), 36 and Hillsborough (6.5%). 37 38 OCPEH Manager Rachel Waltz will present the updated data and discuss how current data relate 39 to identified gaps in the homeless service system, including rapid re-housing and street outreach 40 programs. 41 42 OCPEH Manager Rachel Waltz reviewed the background information for the item and 43 make the following presentation: 44 45 21 1 Slide #1 11�41r Orange County . Partnership to End Hornelmness 2023 Harv,-ielessness Report November 2, 2023 2 3 Slide #2 J[How many people experiencing ';�.rf 17�S114i'Laa�l[�' Partri—i to - End Homelessness 4 5 Slide #3 Orange County Point-in-Tune (PIT) count: Not budging P01NNNJIME(OU NT DATA zm ZD19-2023 P_Wg s 130 RAW Sm 50 1P1� 1019 'M}I ]911 E011 �ShR�"MAHfI[. " 'al llle[SrleP[u +' End Homelessness 6 22 1 Slide #4 '`fest-CO'4'ID" impacts continue to be felt • No longer funding for POINT INJIME{OUNTDATA expanded non- 20W-2023 congregate shelter • Shelters have been COVID isolating on-site • C]VI D-related Emergency Solutions Grant has been expended and SaHRAD and RRH funded Parulersh.p 10 End Homelessness through other sources 2 3 4 Slide #5 Subpopulations are seeing different outcomes • Slight reductions for families • Significant reductions for Veteran • Chronic homelessness remains high SPECIAL 40 POPULATIONS 35 30 25 0 Chmnlully Hameln4 Famllles 20 Vetrrans E�eElen©ng 15 Hnn ries�zss 10r 5 2014 2024 2021 2422 2023 'i: . Rarrriership to 4V End Namelessness 5 6 Rachel Waltz said the remaining veterans experiencing homeless that she is aware of are 7 moving into housing this week. 8 23 1 Slide #6 PIT counted 126 people on one night, how many in 12 months? 12' 329 People entering H + 266 shelter and 2�� housingprograms • xss6+ e ple xperien-ang homelessness for 211 �. 9 the first time an_ RNople VerRM Gl antlmr■IVmpfe eapelielrnryM7mdee�SfarlhtRnrtlm2 • %total that experienced homelessness for the first time �� �- 72% 63% 75% 79% 79% • Shelter,Transitional Housing, & Permanent Housing Homeless for first time = no entries for 24 months prior 2 3 Commissioner Greene said the percentage of people experiencing homelessness for the 4 first time seems to correlate with COVID and asked if Rachel Waltz believes there is a relationship. 5 Rachel Waltz said she doesn't have a lot of insight into that relationship. She said that was 6 also before coordinated entry was established in the homeless services system in the county, so 7 it could be there were access issues prior to that implementation. 8 Chair Bedford said a lot of people in the service industry could've been in a position where 9 they couldn't make rent during the pandemic. 10 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if there is data on how many of those people were 11 formerly incarcerated. 12 Rachel Waltz said she will follow up with the information after discussing it with the 13 Criminal Justice Resources Department. 14 15 Slide #7 What do we ki Mw-M9RMrr-pFM@ experiencing homelessness? Parrnership is �i End Homelessness 16 24 1 Slide #8 Most people experiencing homelessness in Orange County in adults only households 10% HOUSEHOLDTYPE Adults Only Families Partnership in End Homelessness 2 3 Slide#9 Most people experiencing homelessness in Orange County identify as male 2% 41hGENDER i Ahale Female ■Transgender& Gender Nan-{ontorming — � eA - f Partnership to End Hamel- n-4 5 Slide #10 Most people experiencing homelessness in ©range County are 25 and older 2% AGE 25 and 0lder 17and Younger ■18-24 Partnership m End Homelessness 6 25 1 Rachel Waltz said HUD is now breaking numbers down by decade rather than the age 2 groups described on the slide above, so that data is being gathered now. She said 9% are 65 or 3 older and that is a trend across the country. 4 5 Slide #11 56% of people exp. homelessness are Black/African American — 4.7x general pop RACE 209 1 1 tl 1 I I 1 Zan 11 1 i 1 1' 111 0 20 40 60 Sd 100 ik 2d% ; 'i:.id PgaPla In 4ranga(awlr gylrall 7 1 r Ilia ;i:" , Partnership to P LN64xkr!k[arvH en[n��, ■rk nPwPa; ''� End Homelessness f Mitt..,-11n uMd Po[B[IJrtler '� IIISIkbn.Ildrlk4r.�IldCG NAIQlk 6 7 Slide #12 6% of people exp. homelessness are Latinx compared Neth 9% in overall population ETHNICITY %of People Experiencing Homelessness in Orange County , 1 Nan-Latinx Latinx I♦Not Answered %of People i n Ora nge Co unty Overall 1 Partnership to —' End Namelessness 8 26 1 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked how the racial and ethnic representation of people 2 experiencing homelessness in Orange County compares to surrounding counties. 3 Rachel Waltz said the disparity in Orange County mirrors what is seen across the country. 4 She said Black and African American people make up a larger percentage of the homeless 5 population in Durham and also make up a larger percentage of the county's population than in 6 Orange County. She said the percentage is slightly lower in the Balance of State, which makes 7 up 79 rural counties across North Carolina. She said she has more insight into the Balance of 8 State and Durham because they use the same database as Orange County. 9 Chair Bedford asked Rachel Waltz to speak to how the Partnership knows that people 10 seeking services here are Orange County residents rather than relocating from another county. 11 Rachel Waltz said 80% of people experiencing homelessness in Orange County reported 12 an Orange County zip code as the location of their last stable housing. She said because there 13 isn't same-day emergency shelter in Orange County, many of those people must go to Durham 14 to seek services. 15 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked about the shelters in Orange County. 16 Rachel Waltz described Homestart, a shelter for those who identify as women and 17 families, and the IFC Emergency shelter which serves male-identified people. 18 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if the shelters need to be expanded. 19 Rachel Waltz said the emergency shelter piece is important to help people service, but 20 the rapid re-housing approach is also important to get people back into permanent housing as 21 quickly as possible. 22 23 Slide #13 How are people ex ', homelessness? A - k- �' Palmership[❑ "IIf,- Encs Homelessness 24 25 26 27 27 1 Slide #14 Gaal: People are experiencing homelessness for shorter periods of time 4englhoftime homeless LengthMtimeinshelterar Y transiiiona l ho-using(daysl 231 ?S# 7a5 915815 _ Averageda [WighestEver]363 ,Y*! � x" 141 Median days ■h�rrs, I�'Ir�:iui Shelter, Transitional . Shelter Housing, & Permanent Transitional Housing Housing only • Includes approximate date • Program entry to of homelessness exit 2 3 Slide #15 Gaal: Once permanently housed, people do not experience homelessness awn Retnrned to s131/owllhin 2 years 00 oilM Mt. Tmmn 26% 11%6 43% 6% 14%S 6rA 1600 Sheller Poem Transitional u4, 0% 2591 25% 10% )Q% 1111% Hoamng Poem I'munnit a%n 3% 3% 10% 3% 9`.k C# LxitPd Housing Oct. 2019- Tatar 1r-.t 6%% 3A 14:+i 11% 13% Sept. 2021 to Fletorm ent MMINNNE pag usin� hu�i 4 28 1 Slide #16 VFuccesses and the Road Ahead .—aT. 0-1qu LW'iln[l' �i7 fartriershiP to End Homelessness 2 3 Slide #17 Increasing Access ACCESS AND ASSESSMENT ACCESS TEMPORA" POINTS HOUSING Adding access sites ftwin,Helpline Adding Street Outreach ; 0 Shelter ReferralA staff List Coordinating across Street Outreach J� sectors Al Parmersip to End Homelessness 4 5 Slide #18 Increasing Collaboration Bringing more partners to the table Improved processes for feedback from People With Lived Experience Cross-CoC pilot to improve Housing First programs '10, Orange L......... .Partnership to ' -`End Homelessness 6 29 1 2 Slide #19 Filling the Gaps Big wins with: •Emergency Shelter access •Permanent Supportive Housing expansion 3 4 Commissioner Greene asked Rachel Waltz to describe how the emergency shelter access 5 happened. 6 Rachel Waltz said the Partnership and Town of Chapel Hill Housing Department staff had 7 conversations with Chapel Hill Town Council members about the Good Neighbor Plan and how 8 many parts of the plan conflicted with the best practices of running an emergency shelter and 9 were stigmatizing. She said there was significant leadership from Council Member Anderson and 10 Council Member Stegman working with staff to review and revise the Good Neighbor Plan to best 11 serve people experiencing homelessness. 12 13 Slide #20 Significant Gaps Remain •Housing:Income-based rental units, Rapid Re-housing, Permanent Supportive Housing,Youth housing,Landlord Incentive Program,Housing Locator,Household goods •Services—Temporary Housing: Medical respite,Bridge housing •Services—Connections: Housing Helpline, Crisis/Diversion facility,Integrated service center •Services—Dignity:24-hour bathroom access,Memorial service funding .. Pa­ ,ship m End Homelessness 14 15 Rachel Waltz said there are conversations happening now about bridge housing. She also 16 said that the Town of Chapel Hill recently approved funding for 24-hour bathroom access. 17 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked where the 24-hour bathrooms will be. 18 Rachel Waltz said they will be located at the Wallace Deck, which is a parking deck on 19 Rosemary St. in Chapel Hill. She said when that deck is replaced, there will also be 24-hour 20 facilities there. She said Carrboro Town Commons also has 24-hour bathrooms. 21 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if the bathrooms are stocked with feminine hygiene 22 products. 23 Rachel Waltz said she isn't sure but there have been recent collection drives for those. 30 1 Commissioner Hamilton said she liked the simplicity of the slides. She said she 2 understands that the data provided is what HUD requires, but she would also like a portrait of 3 someone experiencing homelessness in Orange County and circumstances leading to their 4 experience so that the Board can be better informed on areas of need. 5 Rachel Waltz said she can provide some of that information to the Board. 6 7 Slide #21 Please let nye know if I can provide further info •Rachel Waltz •rwaltz@orangecountync.gov •(919) 245-2495 e Pannership ro r J Hnmeiessn 8 9 8. Consent Agenda 10 11 • Removal of Any Items from Consent Agenda 12 • Approval of Remaining Consent Agenda 13 • Discussion and Approval of the Items Removed from the Consent Agenda 14 15 A motion was made by Commissioner Fowler, seconded by Vice-Chair McKee, to approve 16 the consent agenda. 17 18 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 19 20 a. Minutes 21 The Board approved the draft minutes for the September 19, 2023, September 21, 2023, and 22 September 26, 2023 BOCC Meetings as presented. 23 b. Motor Vehicle Property Tax Releases/Refunds 24 The Board adopted a resolution to release motor vehicle property tax values for two (2)taxpayers 25 with a total of two (2) bills that will result in a reduction of revenue. 26 c. Property Tax Releases/Refunds 27 The Board adopted a resolution to release property tax values for eleven (11) taxpayers with a 28 total of eleven (11) bills that will result in a reduction of revenue. 29 d. Late Applications for Property Tax Exemption/Exclusion 30 The Board approved six (6) untimely applications for exemption/exclusion from ad valorem 31 taxation for six (6) bills for the 2023 tax year. 32 e. Procurement of Four (4) Emergency Services Vehicles 33 The Board authorized the County Manager to approve the purchase of the four SUVs and sign 34 any necessary documents to complete the purchase. 35 f. Amendments to the Employment Agreements — County Manager and County Attorney 36 The Board approved contract amendments and authorized the Chair to execute the amendments. 31 1 g. Adult Care Home and Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee(CAC)—Creation, 2 Policies and Procedures, and Initial Appointments 3 The Board approved the creation of the Adult Care Home and Nursing Home Community 4 Advisory Committee, approved the Committee's Policies and Procedures document, approved 5 the initial appointments to the Committee and dissolved the Adult Care Home Community 6 Advisory Committee and Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee, effective immediately. 7 h. Resolution Supporting Operation Green Light for Veterans 8 The Board approved the resolution and authorized the Chair to sign the resolution. 9 10 9. County Manager's Report 1 1 Bonnie Hammersley said there will be a work session next Thursday at Southern Human 12 Services Center in Chapel Hill. She reviewed the agenda for the meeting. She also reminded the 13 Board that the Business Meeting on November 141h will also be at Southern Human Services. 14 15 10. County Attorney's Report 16 John Roberts said he doesn't have a report but would like to answer a question from 17 Commissioner Greene on whether a particular bill was passed. He said the bill was passed and 18 local governments are now prohibited from regulating connections to home or sales or 19 connections to appliances based on the type of energy. 20 21 11. *Appointments 22 None. 23 24 12. Information Items 25 • October 17, 2023 BOCC Meeting Follow-up Actions List 26 • Tax Collector's Report— Numerical Analysis 27 • Tax Collector's Report— Measure of Enforced Collections 28 • Tax Assessor's Report— Releases/Refunds under $100 29 • Memorandum - Orange County Is Partner in $1.5 Million Energy Efficiency and 30 Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Award from the U.S. Department of Energy 31 • Memorandum - Schools Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance Memoranda of 32 Understanding 33 34 13. Closed Session 35 None. 36 37 Adjournment 38 39 A motion was made by Commissioner Fowler, seconded by Commissioner Hamilton, to 40 adjourn the meeting at 9:22 p.m. 41 42 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 43 44 45 Jamezetta Bedford, Chair 46 47 48 Recorded by Tara May, Deputy Clerk to the Board 49 50 Submitted for approval by Laura Jensen, Clerk to the Board