Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 01-25-2003-ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS RETREAT ABSTRACT Meeting Date: January 25, 2003 Action Agenda Item No. SUBJECT: Board of Commissioners Annual Planning Retreat DEPARTMENT: Commissioners/County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: As outlined in retreat notebooks Margaret Brown or Donna Baker, ext 2130 (under separate cover) John Link or Rod Visser, ext 2300 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To discuss various topics outlined on the accompanying agenda for the Commissioners' annual planning retreat and to develop priorities and guidance to staff regarding the Commissioners' work plan for Orange County government for the next year. BACKGROUND: The discussion topics for the Board's annual retreat were developed pursuant to discussion between the Chair, Manager, and staff and incorporates feedback received from individual Commissioners in response to solicitation from the Chair of topics of interest to the Board. A brief contextual outline of each major topic is provided below: Update on NCACC Legislative Goals The Chair will share pertinent information she received while representing the Board at the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) Legislative Conference at Research Triangle Park on January 16-17, 2003. Fiscal Review/Outlook for FY 2002-2003 and FY 2003-2004 As is typically done at annual BOCC retreats, staff will make a brief presentation and respond to BOCC questions regarding the County's overall financial picture, current revenue trends, and anticipated "budget drivers" for FY 2003-04. Setting BOCC Priorities for 2003/Brainstorming A substantial block of time at the Board's retreat has been set aside for Commissioners to identify, discuss, and to the extent possible prioritize, topics that they believe should be incorporated into the Orange County government work plan for the upcoming year. A number of reference documents have been provided as background information in the Board's retreat notebooks to stimulate thought about potential priority objectives. These documents include: 2 Looming Issues (Tab #2) Commissioner Goals (a duplicate version as transmitted in February 2002 retreat agenda materials) (Separate Notebook) Departmental Input Forms (Tab #2) 2002 Retreat Brainstorming Information (Tab#2) As part of the retreat planning process, Commissioners responded to a solicitation from the Chair to identify topics for possible discussion at the retreat. The Commissioner Identified Discussion Topics provided to staff prior to distribution of the retreat notebooks include the following: School Membership Projections The interlocal Memorandum of Understanding recently approved by the BOCC regarding implementation of a Schools Adequate Public Facilities system lays out a process by which the Schools Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance partners will prepare annual updates of student population projections. Those updates are developed by staff from the County, Towns, and school systems in December and January each year based on actual student membership numbers as of the immediately preceding November 15. The staff work group (PSTAC) is close to finalizing this year's updated projections, which should be completed by early February. These projections will provide a foundation for all school capital planning for the next ten years, principally through the County's Capital Investment Plan. Homeland Security A Commissioner observation was made that in keeping with the environmental assessment being done for County facilities regarding water use, we should start thinking more about energy self-sufficiency. This would help in an instance like the December 2002 ice storm. Instead of relying on expensive, energy-inefficient generators or going without power, County buildings could be retrofitted for solar capabilities. This could be proposed as a homeland security measure -- assurance of vital services regardless of a threat to the national electrical grid -- and funded as such. Ten-Year CIP County and school staffs have begun developing requests and proposals for capital projects to be addressed through earmarked capital funds anticipated to be received during each of the next ten years. The Manager's Recommended 2003-2013 CIP is tentatively slated for presentation to the BOCC in late March or early April, with preliminary Board discussion of the CIP scheduled for the April 21 budget work session. Orange Grove Road Access Management In March, 2002, the BOCC and the Town of Hillsborough established the Orange Grove Road Transportation Task Force as part of its continuing cooperative planning effort. Existing and proposed development activity as well as existing public facilities (such as schools) in this corridor prompted a review of transportation issues and a discussion regarding the range of transportation planning initiatives that can lead to a well-planned, safer, multimodal transportation system. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is a partner in the effort. The Task Force found that the crux of many solutions was based in access management, so their work was to improve awareness of how access management can lead to safer, better functioning highways, roads, and streets in the Hillsborough area. The Task Force also considered, as a byproduct, the effects that access management projects have on local business vitality. Northern Human Services Center 3 The Northern Human Services Center Task Force presented a Future Use Plan to the BOCC in June 2001. The Task Force identified needs and developed a long-range plan for the center and adjacent property owned by the County. The top three facility improvements - estimated to cost approximately $600,000 - were 1) relocation/expansion of the existing wastewater treatment system; 2) the replacement of windows, exterior doors, locks (including investigation of solar possibilities); and 3) securing a new well, water distribution system, and holding tanks (again with consideration of a solar design). Land has been acquired for Cedar Grove Park, and a pre-concept plan has been reviewed but not adopted by the Board. Funding in the amount of $1,200,000 was included in the 2001 bond for this park. The projected concept plan timetable is March - October 2003 with a target date for BOCC consideration of November 2003. Commissioners Brown and Halkiotis have been named as BOCC representatives to the Concept Plan Committee, but no other appointments have been made. In October 2003, the BOCC was made aware that community representatives in the Cedar Grove area were concerned about the lack of progress being made to improve the general conditions of the building for meeting purposes or to see expansion in the number of playing fields available for general use, outside of official County programs. These representatives were organizing their own attempt at establishing a community center with athletic facilities to serve the area on property across the street. Since that time meetings have been held and an agreement reached to continue to work together towards the design of one Cedar Grove Park and careful assessment of planned improvements to the center. Rural Buffer The Board may wish to discuss a Commissioner suggestion about inviting Randall Arendt to meet with the Board to discuss rural buffer planning issues. Low-Income Elderly This segment would provide for discussion about measures and services the County provides to its low-income elderly residents. Examples of current activities administered by the County include: tax return preparation assistance; homestead exemption; adult day care; senior telephone network; recreation/socialization and supportive services through senior centers; abuse and neglect protection; and home repair. Intergovernmental Parks Work Group Update (Coordination with Healthy Carolinians) As part of the Joint Master Recreation and Parks Work Group report in 1999, the idea of a parks brochure with map that could be provided to County citizens was suggested. Since then, the Intergovernmental Parks Work Group has briefly discussed creating a parks brochure and map that shows facilities, type of amenities, and location. During 2002, it was learned that the Healthy Carolinians Task Force was also looking to produce a map with information about recreational facilities. In the last few months, staffs from ERCD, Recreation and Parks, Planning and the Health Department have met to discuss this, and a parks map/brochure draft is being created to meet the needs of both groups. The target date for a draft map/brochure is late February. Developing Strategies for Opening Parks In November 2002, ERCD staff was asked to explore the possibility of an interim access plan for the Blackwood Farm property. This plan could be broadened to evaluate the feasibility of opening some portions of planned park sites to public access on an expedited schedule. Issues related to liability, public safety, traffic and access, any recreational programming, and other human impacts would be addressed as part of the report. Groundwater Issues In 2001, the Water Resources Committee transmitted its final report and completed several years of study of the County's ground water resources. Much of the work was conducted in conjunction with the U.S. Geological Survey, and three USGS reports were prepared regarding the County's ground water. These reports and the findings therein form the basis for the Water Resources Committee's recommendations of March 2001. The Commission for the Environment, charged with using these recommendations to recommend action strategies, has created a Water Resources Committee of its own to study these reports. The Board of Commissioners briefly discussed these reports in a work session in late 2001. The Planning Department would implement those acceptable action strategies through zoning and subdivision amendments. Potential Work Session Topics For a number of years, staff has maintained a running list of topics that the Board has indicated need consideration in a work session setting. That document has assisted the Board and staff in scheduling those topics for the work sessions established annually on the Board's approved meeting calendar. An updated version of the document is provided for reference purposes at Tab 4. Additionally, the Board may wish to provide direction to staff regarding programming of various topics discussed during this morning's priority-setting discussion into the docket for upcoming BOCC work sessions. Input from Advisory Boards/Commissions - Advisory Board Presentations As has been the case in retreat preparations in recent years, the Clerk has coordinated with all County advisory boards and commissions to afford them the opportunity to provide feedback to the BOCC regarding their group's accomplishments and objectives. Submissions from responding boards and commissions are included for reference at Tab 5. Additionally, time has tentatively been set aside (at their request) for members of the Arts Commission, Board of Adjustment, and Advisory Board of Aging to hold a brief dialogue with the BOCC on matters of potentially mutual interest. Capital Issues Senior Center Development Two major capital undertakings programmed in the County's current CIP are the siting, construction, and development of two senior centers over the next few years. Bond and alternative financing in the amount of $3 million each has already been programmed for a replacement to the Chapel Hill Senior Center at the Galleria and for a permanent senior facility to serve residents of central and northern Orange County. A staff memo and general project- planning timetable are provided as background at Tab 6. Bond Projects Staff will be available to respond to any Board questions about the schedule approved by the Board for the issuance of November 2001 bonds and alternative financing. Staff have prepared a summary of the specific projects and amounts scheduled for issuance between now and the end of FY 2003-04 (Tab 6). This is an extract from the document previously reviewed and confirmed by the BOCC in September 2002. The School Capital Issues Update item, which was scheduled for discussion at the Board's January 21, 2003 regular meeting but was not addressed due to time constraints, may also be a topic of interest and BOCC members should bring their copies of that item to the retreat for reference purposes. Comprehensive Plan & Unified Development Ordinance (including Environmental Factors) A major undertaking this year is continued work on a complete update to several of the elements of the County's Comprehensive Plan, with the initial focus on the land use plan. Improved coordination among development regulations, the Land Use Element, and linkages to other plan elements through a Unified Development Ordinance would compile all land use- related regulations in one document in a manner consistent with all of the elements of the Plan. The Planning Director will make a brief presentation to confirm staffs understanding of direction received thus far from the Board and to highlight major milestones in the timetable (Tab #7) staff has developed for completing the Land Use Element and Unified Development Ordinance. The Board may wish to explore opportunities for accelerated action on certain components of the Land Use Element. The Board may also wish to provide direction to staff on the potential for using the Land Use Element as the mechanism for tying together different elements of the plan, such as natural areas and other environmental factors, economic development districts, and other related elements which may be pending completion. Board Matters This section provides an opportunity for the Board to address a variety of procedural and work assignment matters for the upcoming year organized around the following headings: Board Procedures Work Group Updates BOCC Appointments Procedures Specific Appointments of BOCC Members to Advisory Boards Information on these topics is located at Tab #8. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact related directly to the Board's discussion at this retreat. However, Board guidance to be provided at the retreat will fundamentally shape the operating and capital budgets for FY 2003-04 and influence the development of budgets in subsequent years as well. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board discuss the topics identified on the agenda and others that Commissioners may raise at the retreat, and provide appropriate direction to staff.