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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes-12-04-2023-Business Meeting 1 APPROVED 2/6/24 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BUSINESS MEETING December 4, 2023 7:00 p.m. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Business Meeting on Monday, December 4, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough, NC. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jamezetta Bedford, Vice-Chair Sally Greene and Commissioners Amy Fowler, Earl McKee, Jean Hamilton, Phyllis Portie-Ascott, and Anna Richards COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: None. COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: Deputy County Manager Travis Myren, and Clerk to the Board Laura Jensen. (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) Chair Bedford called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. All commissioners were present. Board Organization a. Election of Board of Commissioners' Chair and Vice-Chair Vote for Chair of the Board of Commissioners: 7 votes cast for Jamezetta Bedford (Commissioner Bedford, Commissioner Fowler, Commissioner Greene, Commissioner Hamilton, Commissioner McKee, Commissioner Portie- Ascott, Commissioner Richards) Jamezetta Bedford was re-elected Chair of the Board of Commissioners. Vote for Vice-Chair of the Board of Commissioners: 7 votes cast for Sally Greene (Commissioner Bedford, Commissioner Fowler, Commissioner Greene, Commissioner Hamilton, Commissioner McKee, Commissioner Portie- Ascott, Commissioner Richards) Sally Greene was elected Vice-Chair of the Board of Commissioners. b. Designation of Voting Delegate for all NCACC and NACo Meetings for Calendar Year December 1, 2023-2024 Chair Bedford gave a description of NCACC duties for the voting delegate. Commissioner McKee nominated Commissioner Portie-Ascott to serve as the voting delegate for NCACC. Commissioner Hamilton seconded the nomination. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Chair Bedford gave a description of NACo duties for the voting delegate. Vice-Chair Greene nominated Commissioner Richards to serve as the voting delegate for NACo. Chair Bedford seconded the nomination. VOTE: UNANIMOUS 2 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda Chair Bedford dispensed with reading the public charge. 2. Public Comments (Limited to One Hour) a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda George Gurley said he has a concern about a law that may be a state law or a local law. He said the law is whether or not someone can be held on a 72-hour hold based on a letter of someone from a church. BJ Warshaw read from the following prepared statement: "I'd like to speak tonight about the Chapel Hill Town Council's November 15th vote to amend WASMPBA. They voted 8-1 to extend water and sewer services in the southern area of Chapel Hill to unlock dense development opportunities. I ask that, before voting to amend WASMPBA, the Board of Commissioners conducts environmental impact studies and comprehensive planning to ensure sensible development. The water and sewer boundaries, alongside our Joint Planning Agreements and the Rural Buffer, have stood the test of time to prevent sprawl and preserve our watersheds. Living in the ETJ is disenfranchising. We cannot vote for Mayor or Town Council. You are my best direct representation. Some history: When the Chamber last petitioned the Town in 2018, it was to designate the Southern Area a "focus area" during the Future Land Use Map preparation. That proposal was met with widespread opposition from residents, after which the Southern Area was not included in the FLUM. Fast forward to this past summer. The Chamber petitioned for something more drastic: amending WASMPBA. There was no response from the Town until September, when they scheduled two public information sessions (one online, one in-person) with barely two weeks' notice. I received no mailer, and I couldn't even attend, as I was out of town visiting family. Neighbors in Heritage Hills couldn't attend the in-person session, because, ironically, they were meeting that night with NCDOT about their flooding issues. Many others never even heard about the sessions. The Town's YouTube recording of the online session promised another "public hearing" on the issue. Instead, the Council was presented with the amendment to WASMPBA, and they voted in favor. To myself and many of my neighbors, their minds seemed to already have been made up. Explicitly, at that 11/15 meeting, Councilmembers rejected the need for a small area plan. They want us to trust that the permitting process, down the road, will be sufficient to guide responsible development. Forgive me for being skeptical. Especially when they also admit they have little to no means to directly regulate home pricing or rents. Especially when the OWASA memo studied such a broad number of potential new units —from 1170 to 2202 —one to two Southern Villages. Especially when Councilmembers went from talking about duplexes all the way to discussing quad- and six- plexes, or the possible need for adjoining commercial development. Especially when watershed limitations and setbacks didn't even make it into the meeting materials. My neighbors and I simply have no clear understanding around why WASMPBA must be amended first. It's painted as a public health emergency. But the couple of people dealing with unsafe wells are already working with the Orange County Health Department to tap into the existing OWASA lines — without amending the WASMPBA. It's also been painted as a means towards affordable and missing middle housing. But there's no transparency around who or how development funds will manifest, nor how costs and home prices will be kept in check. So, I humbly ask again that you hold off on bringing amendments to WASMPBA up for vote, at least until: • The County completes its comprehensive planning process • The Town of Chapel Hill finishes its LUMO rewrite, so we know the precise zoning changes planned for the Southern Area 3 • We have reached a clear and transparent understanding of how our watersheds will be protected Thank you." Terri Buckner provided 3 maps to the Board for reference and read from the following prepared statement: "Water supply watersheds are those watersheds that drain directly into a community drinking water source. According to Chapel Hill's Mayor and Planning staff, Chapel Hill's watershed drains to Jordan Lake and has no impact on University Lake. I've attached three maps to this email. Chapel Hill's water supply watershed is outlined in green on Map 1. It drains to Jordan Lake and is classified as WS-IV. Map 2 is the state map of the eastern section of the University Lake watershed in Carrboro which is a WS-11 (more sensitive). On Map 2, the eastern boundary of the watershed (in pink) weaves in and out around Smith Level Road and then extends further east across 15-501 at the southern tip. Several weeks ago, I notified Chapel Hill staff of the discrepancy between their map (Map 1) and the state map (Map 2). Late last week they notified me that I was correct and shared the modified map (Map 3). The Chapel Hill LUMO is written using the WS-IV standards provided by the state in March 2023. However, according to the state, if any portion of a water supply watershed is classified as WS- 11, then the entire area must be treated as WS-11. That's a difference of 70% built upon vs 30% built upon for zoning. The town staff have not yet weighed in on that claim. However, if it is true, it means that moving the urban services boundary southward will not provide the level of density the Town Council is expecting and creates a serious conflict between the desire for development in this area and the desire to protect our drinking water supply. To me, getting that clarification is something that needs to be investigated before any change to WASMPBA. As a result of this new information, I request that you direct your staff to work with the state and the town of Chapel Hill to determine if the entire area south of Southern Village needs to be reclassified as WS-11 for zoning purposes. Building dense development up to the edges of the WS-11 zone puts our drinking water at risk. It's easy to put a line on the map but harder to ensure that water follows those lines. For that reason, I believe we need some kind of transition area created along the borders of the WS-11 lands. My second request is that you direct County staff to work with town staff to set up a transition zone between the WS-11 and WS-IV lands to protect the more sensitive WS-11 environment when development does occur around 15-501. That protection is necessary to ensure "proper management" of our water resources and to control the costs of drinking water treatment." Andrew Lindstrom from Collins Creek Drive, spoke about the proposed Orange Grove Waste Facility. He thanked the Board members, OWASA members, and the American Legion Post for coming out to see the site for the proposed waste facility and hosting a public information session. He said no one wants the facility at this location and said it will create a lot of problems with traffic, will disrupt everything the community cherishes, and will cause issues for children at the bus stop. He asked the Board to rescind this proposal. Joyce McGuire said her land joins the OWASA biohazard field. She thanked the board members for coming out to see the proposed site. She said there are traffic hazards on the road now and the waste facility would exacerbate it. She said this would cause problems at the bus stop. She said it would devastate their community. Livy Ludington said she is concerned and disappointed about Chapel Hill's recent vote to amend WASMPBA. She said she feels like the decision was rushed and there was pressure by the Chamber of Commerce. She said they did not follow the planning process. She said she is worried about the environmental impact of extending the urban service boundary without having all of the information. She said there are traffic issue, but she is more concerned about the 4 environmental impact on the Jordan Lake and University Lake Watershed. She said she has been working with the Triangle Connectivity Collaborative, formerly the Eno-Uni Collective, and they are working to plan for biodiversity and making sure the wildlife is thought of in planning. She said there are excellent maps and a strategic plan that has been prepared by state experts that she would like the Board to review. She asked that it become part of the Comprehensive Plan and asked to be on the BOCC agenda one night. She asked the Board to carefully consider all information. Claudia Fernandez said she lives in Heritage Hills and three homes in the neighborhood have recently flooded and they are very close to her home. She said she is very concerned about the building plans by the Town of Chapel Hill. She said that the flooding did not happen before all of the building around them. She said she has joined the Southern Neighborhood Alliance, and they are trying to be heard. She said she votes for the BOCC and has no vote in other elections. She said the Town of Chapel Hill is discussing a plan that is bigger than Southern Village and this will reduce the permeable surface and her home is downstream of this. She said she echoes the concerns others expressed tonight. She said there is broad concern in the neighborhood. She said that she echoes those concerns and Dogwood Acres is also part of the concerned citizens. She said they do not want to be washed away. Joshua Setzer said he lives in Collins Creek. He said that on 10/6 there was a letter from the Orange County Solid Waste Department about potential drilling at a future date and no date had been identified. He said that on Friday, three trucks appeared, and no notifications went out and the website was not updated as the letter indicated, and they assume the drilling happened without notification. He said that getting information about the project and how it affects the community has been difficult and he wants there to be follow through with what is said will happen and what actually happens. He said that a memorandum would be helpful so that everyone could be on the same page with this project. He asked the Board to consider this as a future agenda item. Allyson Shaffer said she lives in Collins Creek. She said that the proposed site has caused a lot of concerns about well water, unforeseen issues related to climate change, and traffic. She asked the Board to find an alternative site that is not residential. b. Matters on the Printed Agenda (These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda below.) 3. Announcements, Petitions and Comments by Board Members Chair Bedford advanced to item 4 on the agenda. 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/Special Presentations a. Presentation from the Orange County Consumer and Family Advisory Committee The Board received a presentation from Carol Conway, Co-Chair of the Orange County Consumer and Family Advisory Council. BACKGROUND: State legislation mandates that Alliance Health and each of North Carolina's other behavioral health managed care organizations support and collaborate with an advisory group of individuals and their family members. These groups are called Consumer and Family Advisory Committees (CFAC's). Each county in Alliance Health's service area has its own CFAC. Orange County's CFAC meets on the fourth Tuesday of every month. State law charges each CFAC with the following responsibilities: 5 • Review, comment on, and monitor the implementation of the contract deliverables between area authorities and NCDHHS, • Identify service gaps and underserved populations, • Make recommendations regarding the service array and monitor the development of additional services, • Review and comment on the area authority budget, • Develop a collaborative and working relationship with the area authority's member advisory committees to obtain input related to service delivery and system change issues, and • Submit to the State Consumer and Family Advisory Committee findings and recommendations regarding ways to improve the delivery of mental health, intellectual and developmental disabilities, substance use disorder, and traumatic brain injury services, including statewide issues. The attached Annual Report for FY 2023 describes the Orange County CFAC's goals and accomplishments. Carol Conway defined IDD (intellectual and/or developmental disabilities); AFL (alternative family living); ICF (Intermediate care facility), and; SSI (Supplemental security income). She said that her request to the Board today is for their support of the creation of deeply affordable housing for adults with IDD. She said that she is the mother of a 36-year-old with a very rare genetic disorder. She said that she also runs a group that has 300 families in a similar situation. She said there is no standard data collection mechanism for the IDD community, but there are estimates. She said no one collects the data. She said that 1% of those born in the US have a developmental disability. She said that 75% of adults with intellectual disabilities still live in a family home because there is nowhere for them to go. She said there are few services for people with IDD after high school. She said that there are 17,000 on a waitlist across the state for the Innovations Waiver. She said there are 225 in Orange County and the legislature gave the whole state 350 and Orange County might see 1-2 spots. She said while waiting, there is an eligibility for a program, but it is not enough hours to be helpful for caretakers. She said there is a lack of DSPs---people are going without services because no one is willing to work for$11.50 an hour in these conditions with no benefits. She said the Legislature gave the DSPs a slight wage bump, but it is not meeting the target of$18 an hour but that will not solve the problem. She said transportation for Orange County is pretty good but statewide it is a problem. She said that IDD is lumped in with all other disabilities and gets lost in the affordable housing conversation. She said that current options do not work and summarized why. She said typical affordable housing providers target people earning above 60% AMI, not those with less than 30% AMI. She said group homes are okay, but they have to have the innovation waiver to live in the group home to provide the support. She said ICFs are designed for the severely affected ID population but there is a huge waitlist, and they are being criticized for being too old school. She said that adults with ID need permanent stable housing. She said that AFLs are like foster care, but that was designed to be temporary care. She provided the following recommendations: give extra points for people with disabilities, especially IDD. She asked that schools educate families about the innovation waiver and be added to the waitlist as early as possible in the child's life. She asked them to advocate with other state and local leaders about IDD. She asked the Board to grant some publicly owned land to mixed-use housing for IDD and others with housing needs. She asked that schools create vocational tracks to train more direct care workers. She said that the state supports this. She said that the immigrants need to be welcomed. She said that they are in a population crash and that once her generation is gone, there will be much fewer people and that immigrants will likely be those that work in the fields that are needed. She said that Forsyth County spent 6 $150,000 for a study and that there was nothing new discovered through the study. She said the BOCC does not need to spend any money on that. Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked for clarification on the waitlist. Carol Conway said the waitlist for the Innovations Waiver includes 285 in the county. She said that provides services. She said there is no date on housing needs. Commissioner Fowler said she has a son with autism. She said that all of this is inconceivable, and she appreciates her continuing to advocate. She said they will keep pushing the legislature. She said last year she was on the Alliance Board, and they opened up more seats and there are now similar services for TBI. She said that they are not using all the slots they have and are getting more slots at the state level than there is known need. She said she is serving on IDAL (HOPE), and they are working on a pilot for housing in this area that could be spread to the rest of the state. She said that is slow going. She said that the percentage of points serving for disabilities and there needs to be more and how much more points they should get. She said that she learned it is best to ask for 20%. Commissioner Hamilton said she is the current representative on Alliance Health. She asked her to reach out to her because she is still learning about all of the services. Chair Bedford said Carol Conway runs PACID and an email list. She said if anyone wants to be added to learn more about the needs, to let her know and she will make sure they get added to the list. She recently led a local forum with leaders and parents with children with needs regarding housing. She said that the BOCC advocates every year with their legislative delegation. She said that the county has $5 million available for affordable housing and nonprofits to work with. She said that there is another $5 million in the years going forward for Affordable Housing. She said that at 14, that is when the transition starts to occur for services. She said that the children need to be placed on the waitlist for the Innovations Waiver as soon as possible. She said anyone can get on the Innovations Waiver Iistsery on Alliance's website. She said that her child is in the type of facility that there was contention amongst the state leaders on if they should shut down or not. She said that Alliance has been very responsive to community needs. Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked what type of housing she hopes will be created. Carol Conway said she is advocating for ICF's, group homes, and affordable housing. Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked what is meant by affordable housing. She asked if that is an apartment living program. Carol Conway said yes. Chair Bedford said she will give information to Commissioner Portie-Ascott for the listserv. The Board returned to Announcements, Petitions, and Comments by Board Members on the agenda. Commissioner Richards said since the last meeting, she attended the Orange Partnership for Young Children,the Orange Partnership for Alcohol and Drug-Free Youth, the Justice Advisory Council, and several other meetings with local partners. She said that when she came onto the Board, her priorities were focused on youth and justice. She said that she is proud of the accomplishments of the Board since she came on. She said when they go through this time of year she starts looking back, and they have made great progress as a Board. She said they have many accomplishments and said today was the first day of filing. She announced that she will not run for re-election, but she has another year on the Board. She said she would like to focus on the implementation of the strategic plan, opioid funding with a focus on youth prevention, and she can be a free person in her advocacy in 2024 and will do so. She thanked all of Orange County staff for their help and working with her during her time on the Board. Commissioner Fowler said she does plan to file for re-election. She said she attended the ABC Board meeting and they have hired a grant management company to streamline the grant application process for non-profits and the application will be online in January 2024. She said she had a SWAG meeting where they heard an update on the zero-waste plan and the SWAG elected members' consensus was to recommend scenario 3 with a caveat that the BOCC mitigates the cost for low-income. She said they will come to the BOCC at a later meeting. She said that Robert Williams gave an update on the waste facility and said there are other sites being investigated before recommendations are brought to the Board. She said that she met with a liaison from BCBS, and they talked about the need for a behavioral health diversion facility. She said that the Youth Behavioral Health Center is open now and accepting youth patients. She said the retreat planning committee met and they plan to discuss the strategic plan, the schools facilities plan, a budget preview, a tax implementation, and planning. She said that the Clerk to the Board will send a survey out for any other items Commissioners may want to discuss. She said that related to the public comments, she petitioned staff to investigate and bring forward information on watershed 2 vs. watershed 4. Commissioner McKee said there will be another informational meeting on broadband and the community meetings will continue as broadband phasing continues over the next year. He said it needs to be completed by December 2024 and they are moving forward rapidly. He said that he is glad he gets to work with Commissioner Richards for another year and they will miss her when she is gone. He quoted former North Carolina Secretary of State Thad Eure and said the only upside of Commissioner Richards not being on the Board would be that returns to being "the oldest rat in the barn." Chair Bedford said she attended the Board of Health subcommittee meeting on equity. She said there are disproportionate health outcomes for people of color and Latino members of the community. She said they are working with Alliance on that. She said that the following day at 1:30 pm, there will be an unveiling of a portrait of Pauli Murray at the Sportsplex and everyone is invited. She said the Human Rights Commission sponsored the portrait. Vice-Chair Greene said she will also be at the community meeting about broadband. She said she is a member of a subcommittee with DCHC-MPO that is paired with the CA-MPO and they continue to have in depth discussions about rail planning in the region. She said that it is unlikely it will occur in their lifetime. She said that the MPOs are working well together along with GoTriangle. She said that UNC is working to transition from coal sourced energy and will be decommissioning the rail line when that occurs. She said they will come to the Board with more information when that happens. She said she watched the Town Council's discussion about WASMPBA and there is a rule that no more stormwater leaves the property after development than it did beforehand. She said that Planning Director Cy Stober said a state law has overridden Chapel Hill's development rule. She petitioned planning staff to investigate this and confer with Chapel Hill staff and report back on what they understand the stormwater rules to be. Commissioner Portie-Ascott thanked Commissioner Richards for her service and her work for the youth in Orange County. She said she attended the JCPC meeting and was surprised by data presented there and how Orange County compared to other counties across the state. She said some areas of concern for her were that Orange County youth are more likely than their peers to: have prior felony referrals, less likely to attend school, more likely to have five or more unexcused absences, to have an association with gangs, to have previous alcohol and drug use starting at under 12, more likely to have mental health problems and less likely to be treatment, more likely to be unengaged in structured activities. She said the committee noted that the largest barrier to the youth receiving treatment is transportation. She said that she is grateful to the school staff for being welcoming and accommodating during her recent tours. She said it was helpful for her to see some of the capital needs in person. Commissioner Hamilton said Commissioner Richards has been an invaluable member of the Board and she has helped bring them to where they are. She said she attended the Central Pines Executive Committee Meeting and works to understand regional initiatives and is also part of the retreat planning committee. She said that she will be running for re-election. Commissioner Portie-Ascott said she also filed for re-election. 8 5. Public Hearings None. 6. Regular Agenda a. Orange County Public Schools Capital Needs Assessment Update The Board received a final presentation of the Public Schools Capital Needs Assessment as performed by Woolpert, Inc. BACKGROUND: At the Board of Commissioners' March 21, 2023 Business meeting, the Board approved a contract with Woolpert, Inc. totaling $984,561 to provide a: • Comprehensive Facility Condition Assessment (FCA) • Optimization Plan of Existing Space Utilization; and • Examination of Prioritization Models, Benchmarking Best Practices and Scenarios for both school districts that recognize the distinct structure of the County allocating funds to the two school districts. The products of this study will help the County and School professionals better plan, manage and fund new construction and maintenance of the thirty-one(31)school campuses and administrative offices for the two (2) school districts. At the September 26, 2023 Joint Meeting of the Board of County Commissioners, Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools Board of Education, and the Orange County Schools Board of Education, representatives of Woolpert, Inc. provided an update on their efforts that included a summary of the comprehensive facility condition assessment, an optimization plan of existing space utilization and several funding scenarios options. The three governing bodies provided feedback, comments and direction to the firm upon the completion of the presentation. Woolpert, Inc. will be providing a final presentation, with recommendations, on the Public Schools Capital Needs Assessment, as the effort nears completion (Attachment 1). A timeline of follow up items necessary to implement the plan is provided at Attachment 2. Steve Arndt, Asset Management Services Director, introduced Jessica Goodell, Rob Olson, and David Sturtz and they gave the following PowerPoint presentation: Slide #1 ORANGE COUNTY 2023 NORTH CAROLINA LONG-RANGE OPTIMIZATION �OPTIONS&RECOMMENDATIONS PLAN 0C A Board ofCommissioners 9 Slide #2 AGENDA • Project Overview • Assessment Findings • Funding Scenarios • Options • Recommendation • Project7imeline Slide #3 t-ROJECT OVERVIEW FACILITY PORIFOLIO 10-111, FACILITIES LIED CYCLE Y y. OPTIMIZATIAn PLAN � ° K OFFICIENCY CHIS Slide #4 ASSESSMENT AR 10 Slide#5 CONDITION ASSESSMENT FINDINGS Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Orange County Schools TnIal 5-Year Need-$297.2 Million Total 15-Year Need-$201.4 Million 1 i F' Overal I SAPFO Ult lization DistN ctwi d' 'I Overa I I SAP FO Uti I izatio n Distri ctwi i i 11 from 1'.to>120% are undersized under5ized �t Chair Bedford asked the difference between replacement value and the ten-year need. Jessica Goodell said that the replacement value is the theoretical cost to replace facilities on the cost by square foot. She said that does not include site acquisitions or utilities. She said the ten-year need is where the consultants went into the schools and charted the things that might need to be replaced or things that might fail within the next ten years that would need to be replaced. Commissioner Richards asked if the replacement value includes optimal sizing of classrooms or the existing. Jessica Goodell said it is based on the existing square footage. Commissioner Richards asked if the utilization at the ten-year projection considers population and need plus the cost. Jessica Goodell said that utilization is the number that is currently in the facility divided by how many should be in the facility. Commissioner Richards asked if it assumes the population stays flat. David Sturtz said no. He said that the utilization numbers are based on the last official enrollment number and the preliminary projections they were provided were reviewed. He said they have been able to see the long-term trend is enrollment decline in CHCCS and flat enrollment in OCS. Commissioner Richards said that the only thing that gives her a little pause on that is that her understanding is that there are a lot of students in OCS going to charter schools and that has accelerated in recent years. David Sturtz said projections were not in the scope to perform, but they do them relatively often. He said that without doing the study he anticipates steady numbers simply based on his observations and experience, but it was not part of the scope. 11 Slide#6 FACILITY CONDITION INDEX(FCI) FCI RATING SCALE • Ratio to compare dissimilar facilities BEST It,0% • Indicator of facility health GOW 110-20% • Higher the FCI the greaterthe need AVERAG'_ Z1-30% • FCI is only one factor in decision making Jim AVLawERAGE31-506 d'$ RVERRGE i Jim _ y POOR 51-65% 3oa sew sa zoa Soe i� i3a I3t �� i� REPLACEMENT Great CANCIOATE than 65%. sa ma XM ms mzs XF M aus AM am maz zax �ReHlwq lked—RI Jessica Goodell said that currently the schools are in good shape but in the next ten years the FCI more than doubles. She said if this gets out of hand now, they will be in a world of hurt in the next ten or so years. Slide #7 PRACTICESBEST " ONGOING ► ' rr 12 Slide#8 NATIONALIr CAPITAL OUTLAY OFPLIBLICSCHOOL oran"county 0010MI aenual nueset•f34.9M Ornage Cauniy natienalannuaLbtdW-$34.4M i]O.PN .7seor.v. rx..p slam.: � 4 �; 4 r {• 4T 0 Oran:County n.rional annu.Lbudgat=$1T.4M Deiw Caurtty ndtiadaleneuaLlwAget•$17AM n1": u wu bC w,r•rm.«� �� , dlax.•�.a.,y of Jessica Goodell said that there are no national best practices, but the investment percentages shown are a good practice and estimate based on current replacement value. Slide #9 ONGOING CAPITAL RENEWALS • System replacements based on expected useful life • Failing to address will increase deferred _ maintenance backlog m �- elUN o 111�n Sall MIN tt1w,s+�,srw-na11L. a>~ � awl sualil Sul p111 ILICN ..$40.0M $343M - $35,0M PROM S25,OM . v. — -�y�nar• $24.DM w....nesm o.n n ixr.0 {15.aM •ate•+ 4�paw i6.2M I�iaa 9 i5AM min wer.iw.}a rr M�>w LAir,irmm Priority 296 pRV ,,.o.r....,,. Ranewals '- ILSrI1LL 31it1Y S12N1 UJA :rn 575IY Elri ION 1117Y am SON SSSY MIN S2119 STAY MIN WN 13 Chair Bedford asked the consultants to explain what minimum and PRV means. David Sturtz said the PRV is the present replacement value. He said that it is similar to figuring out when a maintenance or repair cost is more than a certain percentage of the replacement cost, it might be time to consider replacement rather than repair. He said that they identiifed that$27.5 million should be budgeted per year. He said they recommend this is updated every 5 years. Commissioner McKee asked if $27.5 million is above and beyond what is being spent now. David Sturtz said no, that is the total and would include what is being spent now and it is a sum of the identified defencieis. He said this is only for ongoing capital renewals and does not include new builds. He said it is for repairs only. Commissioner McKee said he realizes this is just to keep them afloat. He said that if they increase the funds to spend what is recommended, they will need to have a .5 or .6 cent tax increase per year. David Sturtz said that the Commissioners have a big challenge in front of them. Commissioner Fowler said the budget includes $53.7 million for Chapel Hill High School and it was just rebuilt. David Sturtz said they will get into detail on the individual recommendations slide. He said you can always expect the high schools to be more expensive. He said the larger schools, even if newer, need major work on systems in the 20-25 year mark. Chair Bedford said $72 million was just invested into Chapel Hill High School. Commissioner McKee said that it was at least $50 million of rebuild and replace so they will be curious at what needs to be done at the projected cost. David Sturtz said he imagines, without looking at the details, is the legacy part of the building having HVAC, roof, and mechanicals and those usually reflect the large numbers. He said the truth is, you probably wont spend every dime in year 15 in a projection like this. He said it assumes the life is 20 years on HVAC, and at that 20 year mark, it projects as due. He said this assumes zero deferred maintenance on the needs. He said if it can be deferred, then great. Slide #10 14 Slide#11 OPTIONS DEVELOPMENT - • Utilization FC 1 Portables • Site constraints • Educational Adequacy �. • Survey • What investments are best for students and best value in the long-term? Rob Olson said that he comes from a 20-year background in education, and he always approaches from a "what is best for the kids" standpoint. Slide`#12 ` r k F I♦ Li L OPTIONS RETURN ON INVESTMENT CpSTPERYEAR X TIMELINE — TOTAL INVESTMENT COMFORT&SAFE ACE dr�eryssses Noe es No c�es No new or _$44 million � MS219miflion GV l[] to-<im3room to student wwoted rivari of facility needs spaces capacity schools RiRBLE&SAFE (V Q8 SAFE •• PLUS 1p-YEAR �rLL s No changes No changes No new or FKILITYNEEDS tndassroom to student renovated 10VNFS faMitynr!(1i sPxe$ Capacity whcois COMFORTABLE 0 *� [ &SAFE ' _SS4million * —$5411rnillion PLusumpmED Z Upgraded 4 1 1a earning tools, 1n LEARNINGTUULS Rennoatlons nnspacechanges R"44ment New sdwols school AFURERRIE &SAFE I I0 0 $S 12 upgraded 7 Z —19rnllkin •�� PLUS HEW Rrnovatlons learning cools Repip"t"nt New 1SYM C4NSrRxTIUN and Fight-sim sdtooh scnaots dasmom spaces (He w ors rep Nc rnq ropo r7ry fNmMrOulh]fr€w74v`1 Chair Bedford asked what is meant by learning tools. 15 Rob Olson said it could be whiteboards, furniture, fixtures, equipment or other school equipment. He said that he has heard it described as if you turn a building upside down, everything that would fall out would be a learning tool. Chair Bedford said she was under the impression that their schools have top of the line learning tools. David Sturtz said they do. He said they scored on average, a 9 of 10 in terms of everything they would want to see in a classroom. He said the deficiencies are space and the significant undersized classrooms, especially in the elementary schools. Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if the space issues at elementary schools is because more kids are coming in with more needs. Rob Olson said that is some of the space needs and making things accessible so that kids can get around. He said that classrooms need different spaces than other rooms. He mentioned that kindergarten rooms usually have bathrooms in them. Chair Bedford said it is not children with special needs, it is just that older schools did not have offices for learning specialists, ED teachers, occupational therapy, etc. She said they just did not exist when the schools were built. She said that is why so much more space is needed now. Rob Olson said they hope to see learning change in the way that it has but they want to provide the space that is necessary without having to have instruction in hallways. Slide #13 W "44 RECOMMENDATION i • a P 16 Slide#14 RECOMMENDATION (OPTION D) • Enhanced teaching and learning environments • advances educational outcomes and opportunities • Improved school utilization • provides flexible spaces for multiple learning styles • Updated classroom spaces and learning tools meet modern education standards • Right-sized portfolio creates operational efficiencies • Investing in community attracts and retains residents Commissioner Richards asked if any assumptions were made for preschool accommodations. David Sturtz said they did not make any strategic change for preschools. He said that would mean that the early childhood center is planned in capital needs. He said if they plan to spread and push-in, it will increase the utilization of elementary schools 5%-10%. He said that some specific schools are overutilized and some are underutilized. Rob Olson said that until the state is at a funding standpoint for preschool children, the Board would want to account for the cost of providing preschool. Chair Bedford said new school construction indicates that there will be two new preschool classrooms in each school. David Sturtz said it is accounted for in the budget of renovated and replaced schools. He said that the budget is projected by taking the latest construction and the gross square footage is multiplied by the estimated construction cost. Commissioner McKee said some Orange County schools are at capacity and some are above. He said that would call for some redistricting, but asked if they recommend building the school first before redistricting. David Sturtz said the context of his comment was about the longevity of redistricting. He said when you build a new elementary school, boundaries have to be adjusted because it adds a new zone. He said so rather than redistricting twice, if they are able to do construction first, then it would just be once. He said some schools have extra capacity, but it is not evenly geographically spread so it would make transportation changes necessary and likely impossible. Commissioner McKee asked if it would be a new school or replacing a school. David Sturtz said they are recommending one new school for the western part of the county. Commissioner McKee said that unless the student population increases significantly, then they are serving the same number of students in three schools and one is still undercapacity, and maybe two. David Sturtz said if he could recommend building a new school within the next three years and plan the boundaries of that school before it comes online, then it should be a solution that should not have to be revisited. Chair Bedford asked if there would be a school taken offline. 17 David Sturtz said that a new school is needed on the western side and within the life of this plan, perhaps a school is taken offline. He said it would be likely be further east. He said at that point, you would close and then redistrict again. Commissioner McKee said that there is a meeting going on elsewhere now that is contentious, and it is about redistricting. David Sturtz said it is never fun, but if you can do it once, that is recommended. He said to walk Hillsborough Elementary after a rain and see the major capital needs that are needed. Commissioner McKee said this Board has to focus on how they will fund these needs and not force the lower income residents out because of tax raises. David Sturtz said they do not like to give reports that sit on a shelf. He said what they have presented is a very expensive plan. He said that he does not see big enough strategic changes that would get them out of paying for these large expenses. He said that they have proposed thinking about affording it over time and revisiting every five years. He said if it could be executed in fifteen years, which would be fantastic but if it is longer, then it needs to be planned for success. He said the piling up of deferred maintenance reaches a billion dollars, but it shows a whopping capital need, and it is growing regardless of the effort from the Board. He said that it is an uphill battle in North Carolina because of the amount of state funding compared to the level of need. He said that does not erase the need; it just makes it harder. Slide #15 RECOMMENDATION PHASE 1 (1-5YEARS) • Align facility capacity with enrollment • Consolidates one ES at CHCCS CHIaPELHIL-caAReoRo CID SMLS 4 P • Construct New ES west OCS K'" �-.h 1+171hpel s1oaX Msn xr.Slggl L71.1X FmsHllt ES sorxdM.x i3�1 ii1rlM Fnnh Nduf-hm Es caealldYe %MW $nSAhl ci .Ngx xlg`PhnnlyNm& $37-7x Ga.,&XS Replacwnx A 50.1 5FLSX SrNI MS IdoGacy SI6.3■ ■CIAC{S ■Of 5 TdW 51EL1 S 7t5M sX9sIA ORANGE CUONTY SCEDLS 537.Jhi CanhvL Ei{PanIY RThrrIW Poplaumc.x ilnol LIi3X 4'5iu 5114M xs.Es xb.swol 4a9-Sr SI.TM 1MIN6a r(h E4 :M"Ww &L3W i1.3M n,,,,�ys geplcnnrs+ISdnol MAW MEOW Efllid"MTE RJR PFARITT NEWSCHOIL NEPLACEMENG 11 wpeM 513A HEM oxt l4M1x+d4lk+derrer ReplYoemesl Edwol %9AX 4� oa oa David Sturtz said that McDougle would become just an elementary school and be a hub for all of the dual language programs in the elementary and middle schools. He said then the new middle school is reconfigured, and all of this can be done without temporary classrooms. He said that Chapel Hill High School has expensive needs and they settled on the high priority needs. 18 Slide #16 RECOMMENDATION PHASE 2 (5- 10 YEARS) • Improve educational adequacy • Address condition needs CHGPEL HILL-CUPRAU CITY SCIIUOLS Ph :-oen 7mde , Reaowhon 4ATw Chape HMAsh High Rt Kem'Mcres S1A9M F—= l lon$153.9M S R...I n w'WR5 Rcnnwlion 52nw s RplatNnpM$[heN ST].Sw IICHCCS ■oC5 un,w WAM OR WCOUNTYSCHOOLS $71SM E1Wnd CPtNsES A&4—r 5MW $24.2M Gf]dyB—ES H,ghrr qH..& sAaw 510.9M Rnn 0E �I OhrNcenyw.gp $&Tw s'. hf,,ai R W.kE$ IwiphRwhy w..0. yd_Tw { dpe HR Ii4.h Prc 1r 14M1 541M ADEVO HORPAIORITY RENUYhTION REPLAU NEAT w...e—Deommew I SAnw REEUS SWUL o4-uKS Replmem dUhA 81now Tmspw.nw`bepanmewe Hghft—"l $uw Commissioner Fowler asked if the mobile units would be replaced or if they would still be there. David Sturtz said the mobile units can come offline as the population declines. He said that getting rid of them is more challenging than one might think because once they have a space of their own, it is hard to go back into the school. Commissioner Fowler asked if would be consolidated. David Sturtz said that option was looked at, but at this stage there is no clear and present direction. He said that in this case, consolidation may not be the appropriate term because it is two separate configurations that could be a consolidation or a conjoining. He said that Estes Hills is done after construction, and they did not prescribe what should be done with it. He said that in this phase, it just goes away. 19 Slide#17 RECOMMENDATION PHASE 3 (10- 15 YEARS) • Improve educational adequacy • Address condition needs CHAPEL HILL-CARHBORO CRY SCHOOLS N,D.0,E5 N5 RllxrsPbm 3Q]N GlellePo4 LS RlnvxPtnn %x3m NCFMWE ES RllxrsPbm 514]N Sooygs ES F31ronbon i17.7N Saffl6 �IxrxaEon 52 w $130.7M #T4�5M 0AAAGE COUNTY SMI-S ■cW:c5 ■{7CS YFNCpIn}{fayr HpJi�EIMq'IEI�?I BEY kL 3hnWd ui k.naxEG111 15i.W 4MIkFNII MS IEMIBAFM SA,7F1 iEW iLu.aE SO.TM NIGH FfWKF 1' HEWPATION NEEDS Wg;a+s� " Slide #18 FAOo i one 7W FYI ip2 YW9 20M YB75 71196 Y877 ENS Mg CInM.a ES lypa[.mm15LW4 SINW ew u5 i WtllxenmlSLbY STLPN Fw.xi].Ef Gma.n.n fLil1 .a:.n..cnl.Pm ss uma.ew sLr - MIaxUXi 4pxwn.RE[M.I fiLW 9nXh LIP 4)epPq 11iwI [mhLfiilPstlMfhln..ni #p.oen].RE[M.I f34w �� ItiwiP x...itbp PI0.W fw 1h Cd omup.q f]fl aa.¢.Is wol..�...nlx.Mq aLw n..rslwrss mm..+.r tlxaP �bRVMP4s+Cwn1 wq..vm.nlf.Mq f0.f. TOGS � 9iS� �ll� n (1ln m.e LTM cn.swnuns � �h ti.b fluff unMeEs •a.a $livl �ch.P.l Hill na w..o gs..fl ;,y vdly.xs u.gwmnil seneq $IVY ]/d• o�rq ewn is nigh vivrynwA $aal h"'I•es i.ra n.w� K Itir.e IfLES n�hvin ryn.de 761Y Gdn l6dyns xNhvie hn..m lift M.I.nuna dynennii z.-iu ryn..m 7tlYF d..4.of u.gwmnil served fLfsfl -- MmP..].xaErPnun niyhni.rtyq..m su,r TOW Sam wim sale 4w S11Z.111 S1Si2l 1535 M[OnutlnFSHf Wv.NfoE 5f i111 LlmxsoX ES Wo.ftlo� }3AY1 MMSArFS lw.�do-• 7111N �..I wceuEf kew.fdw 7LLFY y SwnNIFS ffw.ftlo� _ 7i7.1N NW[oneCmle. Xyn P�ler'ty I]ue. M]Y 11 � t 45.SW bxfhui ffw.ftlr SSAMI G[ NXIEIIS xPn].stlo. 11&Sf TOW sail snsr sra111 well s�sul small slarl David Sturtz said this is not a readable slide, but it shows how the plan was constructed and laid out. He said that the high priority needs he has been talking about are shown on this slide. 20 Slide #19 Slide #20 CONTEXT FOR THE RECOMMENDATIONS • State of North Carolina contributes significantly less than the national average to local district capital needs* • National average for state contributions to local district capital outlay = 22% • NC averages 10% • NC contribution to Orange County school capital outlay averaged 5%from 2015-present • NC districts average half the long-term debt per student, • Likely compounded by the lack of state investment, • Long-term debt is the standards means for major capital investment • NC has the third lowest investment in M&O per square feet of schools in the nation • This context increases the local burden on NC counties to fund school facilities yet does not change realities of the need 'Rlardo,Mary.2021 State ofOurSchoofs•?u yicniP-12Pub?jo Scfxnl Facilrties2021.Washrna[on,O.C.!213[Cen[uly Sd olFund. David Sturtz said that he met with finance staff before the meeting. He said he wanted to be prepared because this is an incredibly difficult task. He said the state contributes only 5% to Orange County and that the national average is 50%. He said that NC has the third lowest investment in maintenance and operation per square foot in the nation. He said that increases the local burden, but it does not change the reality of the need. 21 Slide#21 BENEFITS • Strategic investment Removing high investment facilities through consdfdations • Replacing schools addresses condition and adequacy of older/outdated facilities • Improve portfolio age FINALRE[aaMAIENUATION-C(I$i$PEA SiRAiECI'04ER 15 YEARS 3269.3M • Address capacity + CHCCS consolidating Elementary Schools ■CFECCS ■OCS 5215.3-- $191 SM Grange adding Elementary School at west side • Improve educational adequacy LSN • Replace small outdated spaces s7E a+ • Gain operational efficiencies W&W SassEn S16.3M 5164M SS�9Ea • Consolidation elementary schools CHCCS s�.�M 3,.3M • Opportunity to expand dual language program I u<r ceSOEIOAtE NIIi PMMM harsma IENWITIEA OEPKaw AEEI6 SMOIL UY o o o .+r •i David Sturtz said that they would not be doing their job if they denied the reality of the need. He said that the strategic investments that are recommended are spread over 15 years. Slide#22 QUESTIONS IL A1 • • ■ ■ Chair Bedford asked what the assumptions were about inflation. David Sturtz said normal inflation planning is 3% a year over the next seven years and then they plan to the midpoint. He said phase one was planned at 3% and then the midpoint was set afterwards. 22 Commissioner Fowler said 6% a year was planned for Chapel Hill High School and actual inflation was around 30%. She asked how is 3% adequate. David Sturtz said 3% is a low number but it is what average was prior to COVID. He said that inflation can be adjusted and acknowledged that 3% is low, but it includes hard and soft costs. He said if higher inflation needs to be modeled, it can be. Commissioner McKee said he appreciates what the consulting team has done. He said he is not interested in taxing residents out of the county. He said the Board will have to find some middle ground. He said that he lived through 20-25 years of increases and that he remembers what that did to homeowners. He said they are sitting in an old school building, and it was made to be very nice and useful. David Sturtz said that middle ground is practically the top priority in both districts. He said if phase one needs to be 10, 15, 20 years, that it needs to be top priority. Commissioner McKee said that they are in a catch 22. David Sturtz said they have worked with others on revenue streams. He said that frankly, they need help from the state coming in. He said that he understands they are in a conundrum. He said major renovations, major construction, and bumping up the maintenance and operations spending as much as they can. Travis Myren said on December 12th the Board will run scenarios through debt models and provide the tax equivalent analysis. He said they will show how that impacts debt to general fund policy. Commissioner Richards said at that point there will be a not to exceed number and then they can go back and reprioritize to see what fits. Chair Bedford said in early April the County Manager's CIP budget will be considered. Commissioner McKee said the last time the Board talked about bonds there was a $125 million limit. He said it was difficult because they had to decide if they focus it all on schools or how it would be used. He said it ended up the need was so great for the schools, they majority focused on using it at all for the schools. Chair Bedford said it would be nice to see the schedule again to see revenue from economic development. Travis Myren said revenue assumptions are built into the debt model and they will go through all of those assumptions. Commissioner Hamilton thanked the Woolpert team for the presentation. She said a plan is needed to try to start digging the county out of a hole. She said that she wants to get the full number so the community can understand how much it really costs. She said that the Board still needs to advocate to the state for more investment in school capital needs. She said this report helps them make decisions while having all of the information. She said that investing in children saves money in the future on other items. She said this starts them on the road to meet the needs of children. Chair Bedford asked if Phases 1 and 2 were part of option D. David Sturtz said the difference between option C and D is timing. He said that once there is a hard number to plan to, they can funnel down option D within that time. Chair Bedford said she wants to see the state of the facilities conditions report. She said she would also like to see the background report. She said that would help her understand the recommendations better. She asked if they looked at taking Glenwood offline and place housing for teachers there. David Sturtz said no. Chair Bedford asked if they would be willing to sit with a group of commissioners to go over needs at each school. David Sturtz said they could do a remote meeting. 23 PUBLIC COMMENTS: Rani Dasi from the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools Board of Education said one of the things that has been missing is information and now they have that. She asked the Commissioners to move quickly because the longer they wait, the more expensive it becomes. She said they need to think creatively about funding sources. She said that when they rebuilt Chapel Hill High, there were three buildings that were not touched at all so when you get 15 years out, that brings needs from the new part and the older parts of the building. 7. Reports None. 8. Consent Agenda • Removal of Any Items from Consent Agenda • Approval of Remaining Consent Agenda • Discussion and Approval of the Items Removed from the Consent Agenda A motion was made by Commissioner Hamilton, seconded by Commissioner Fowler, to approve the consent agenda. VOTE: UNANIMOUS a. Minutes The Board approved the draft minutes from the October 10, 2023, October 17, 2023, and November 2, 2023 BOCC Meetings as presented. b. Motor Vehicle Property Tax Releases/Refunds The Board adopted a resolution to release motor vehicle property tax values for five (5)taxpayers with a total of five (5) bills that will result in a reduction of revenue. c. Property Tax Releases/Refunds The Board adopted a resolution to release property tax values for seven (7)taxpayers with a total of twelve (12) bills that will result in a reduction of revenue. d. Late Applications for Property Tax Exemption/Exclusion The Board approved fourteen (14) untimely applications for exemption/exclusion from ad valorem taxation for fourteen (14) bills for the 2023 tax year. e. Orange County Waterstone EMS Station Memorandum of Understanding The Board approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)for the Orange County Emergency Medical Station and Orange Rural Fire Department co-location Waterstone facility located at 350 College Park Road, Hillsborough and authorized the County Manager to execute the MOU, subject to final review by the County Attorney, and any subsequent amendments on behalf of the Board. f. End Point Protection — Managed Detection Response CrowdStrike Contract Renewal The Board approved the three-year contract renewal with Carahsoft Technology Corporation (Carahsoft) and Crowdstrike in the amount of $357,829.88 over three years and authorized the Manager to execute all necessary contracts as well as any future amendments. g. Schools Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (SAPFO) —Approval of Membership and Capacity Numbers The Board approved and authorized the Chair to sign the November 15, 2023 Membership and Capacity numbers provided at Attachment 1, as submitted by each school district. h. Approval of a Professional Services Contract with BGE, Inc. for the Lake Orange Perimeter Survey 24 The Board approved and authorized the Chair to execute the final professional services agreement with BGE, Inc. (Attachment 1) on behalf of the Board, contingent upon final review of the professional services agreement by the County Attorney; and authorized the County Manager to execute any subsequent professional services agreement amendments with BGE, Inc., on behalf of the Board, up to the approved and available CIP budget amount and subject to final review by the County Attorney. i. Changes in BOCC Meetinq Schedule for 2024 The Board amended its meeting calendar for 2024 to hold the Assembly of Governments meeting at the Southern Human Services Center at 7:00 pm on January 23, 2024, and the Legislative Breakfast at the Whitted Human Services Center at 8:30 am on March 21, 2024. j. Boards and Commissions —Appointments The Board approved Boards and Commissions appointments as reviewed and discussed during the November 9, 2023 Work Session. 9. County Manager's Report Travis Myren reviewed the information items in the packet and highlighted the memorandum from Solid Waste. 10. County Attorney's Report John Roberts had no report for the Board. 11. *Appointments None. 12. Information Items • November 14, 2023 BOCC Meeting Follow-up Actions List • Tax Collector's Report— Numerical Analysis • Tax Collector's Report— Measure of Enforced Collections • Tax Assessor's Report— Releases/Refunds under$100 • Memorandum — Equity and Inclusion Update • Memorandum — Update on Waste and Recycling Center Consolidation 13. Closed Session None. Adjournment A motion was made by Commissioner Fowler, seconded by Vice-Chair Greene, to adjourn the meeting at 9:46 p.m. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Jamezetta Bedford, Chair Recorded by Tara May, Deputy Clerk to the Board Submitted for approval by Laura Jensen, Clerk to the Board