Loading...
The URL can be used to link to this page
Your browser does not support the video tag.
Home
My WebLink
About
Minutes 11-06-2025-Business Meeting
1 APPROVED 1219/25 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BUSINESS MEETING November 6, 2025 7:00 p.m. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Business Meeting on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough, NC. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT. Chair Jamezetta Bedford, Vice-Chair Jean Hamilton, and Commissioners Marilyn Carter, Amy Fowler, Sally Greene, Earl McKee, and Phyllis Portie- Ascott COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT. John Roberts COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: 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. Chair Bedford read the public charge and described the process for making public comment. 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda Commissioner Fowler made a motion to add a discussion on Emergency Funding Assistance for Community Food Providers as item 4-b, and to add a closed session to the agenda under item 13 for the purpose of"consulting with an attorney employed or retained by the public body in order to preserve the attorney-client privilege between the attorney and the public body," pursuant to NCGS 143-318(a)(3). The motion was seconded by Commissioner Carter. VOTE: UNANIMOUS 2. Public Comments (Limited to One Hour) a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda Denise Duffy thanked the board for their financial support, which made the 2025 UPROAR Festival of Public Art possible. She shared that the festival, held from August 21 to 23, 2025, across Hillsborough, Carrboro, and Chapel Hill, remains unique in North Carolina. It is designed to boost small businesses during a typically slow season, spotlight Orange County with vibrant arts experiences, and offer a free, accessible event for all visitors. Despite the challenge of measuring attendance due to the festival's free-flowing nature across three towns, data indicated clear growth over its inaugural year. She detailed the increased involvement and impact of the festival, including a 373% increase in the number of votes cast for artworks, a 52% increase in visitors to the Uproar Welcome Centers, a 121% increase in Saturday trolley riders, and nearly 5,000 people listened to the audio descriptions of each artwork. She also highlighted media coverage and the festival's positive impact on local businesses, with 69% reporting increased foot traffic, 62% noting an increase in sales, and 54% gaining new customers. She emphasized that the festival is a positive addition to the community, with 100% of local businesses affirming its value, and 92% of artists recommending participation to peers. Finally, she shared that over half 2 of all festival spending benefited Orange County businesses, revitalizing nearly $100,000 back into the local economy. Erik Valera, Vice-Chair of the Orange County Arts Alliance, highlighted the UPROAR festival's role in connecting the community amid public political division, economic strain, and global uncertainty, claiming it offered necessary connection and joy, especially after recovering from Tropical Storm Chantal, which impacted the Eno Arts Mill and halted fundraising efforts. Despite these challenges, with aid from the county, towns, and community, the festival was a success, supporting businesses, uplifting artists, and bringing statewide recognition to Orange County. b. Matters on the Printed Agenda (These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda below.) 3. Announcements, Petitions, and Comments by Board Members Commissioner McKee attended the NAACP banquet a few weeks ago. He said the keynote speaker read a poem that reminded him of what every board member, but also every community member, is obligated to do. He read the poem "The Cold Within" by James Patrick Kinney. He said that when situations are happening like there are now at the federal level (40 days into the government shutdown, people going without, and travel falling apart) it makes him think that the folks sitting in Washington should have to do the same things the Cardinals do when they elect a new pope. He suggested that Washington officials should stay in the Capitol until they reach a solution, as they would reach an agreement a lot quicker. Commissioner Greene reported on the brief GoTriangle meeting on October 22nd that discussed potentially holding a future board meeting on a bus. She was a panelist at the Neighbor- to-Neighbor panel on October 28th about the impact of House Bill 1, titled "Who's Picking Your Pocket?" She shared that Commissioner Portie-Ascott moderated the panel. The panel conversation pivoted to what can be done about the SNAP shutdown, and in keeping with Commissioner McKee's reading, she acknowledged that a lot of responsibility has fallen to the Board and community to keep neighbors healthy and safe, and well-fed. After the panel, she and other Commissioners attended State School Superintendent Mo Green's presentation of his strategic plan at Chapel Hill High School. Vice-Chair Hamilton expressed regret for missing the Piedmont Food Open House on October 23rd due to illness. She said she also attended Mo Green's regional tour, who shared an ambitious strategic plan to improve and create educational excellence for our North Carolina public schools. She emphasized the critical nature of SNAP benefits, noting they are one of the most efficient ways of investing in the well-being and productivity of residents and should not be looked at as charity. She stressed that children who are hungry cannot perform well in school, and adults who are hungry are unlikely to be productive at work or home. She also acknowledged that SNAP benefits support farmers and businesses in the food industry. She called on federal leaders to find a way to fund SNAP benefits and thanked those supporting neighbors in need, providing the Orange County Department of Social Services contact number (919-245-2800) for immediate food assistance. Chair Bedford announced upcoming Veterans Day events on Tuesday, November 11th, including a breakfast at 8:30 AM at the Passmore Center in Hillsborough and a ceremony at 11:00 AM at the Veterans Memorial. She noted that veterans constitute a large percentage of SNAP benefit recipients and mentioned Project Green Light, which involves the display of green lights 3 on government buildings to honor veterans. She also thanked all candidates and voters who participated in Tuesday's election. Commissioner Fowler attended the Board of Health meeting on October 22nd, where members heard about social isolation and loneliness in Orange County, with the highest rates among 18-24-year-olds and African Americans. At the Triangle West TPO meeting on October 28th, she heard opposition to the Roxboro Rail Trail from a property owner near the proposed trail. Action items included the 2055 Metropolitan Transportation Plan, functional classification request and Urban area boundary update, and a public hearing on the 2027 UPWB and a presentation of the strategic rail infrastructure study. She attended the Central Pines Regional Council meeting on October 31 st that focused on regionalism and creating a public policy agenda related to regionalism. She announced the Tax Assessment Work Group had its inaugural meeting on October 31 st, and the next meeting will be on November 14th at Solid Waste at 1:00 PM. She shared that the Orange CARE Coalition/Family Success Alliance meeting this morning included a presentation from Alexa Hartenstein from Orange Partnership for Young Children, which provides a toolkit that teaches parents of young children who are not yet in childcare how to provide five important principles that are beneficial for their education and future success. She also highlighted the upcoming Toys for Tots campaign through the Department of Social Services, as well as a comprehensive food pantry resource list compiled by Jonathon Smith with Cooperative Extension. The list is available through the NC Cooperative Extension website. Commissioner Carter said she joined Commissioner Portie-Ascott today in a meeting with Congresswoman Foushee and former Congresswoman Eva Clayton at the Seymour Center. She said she is looking forward to Saturday's emergency food distribution at McDougle Middle School, where she will help pack food. She praised those who volunteered at election polls and shared her positive impressions from visiting Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, particularly their career and technical education programs. She was impressed seeing high school students in auto shops, culinary kitchens, and studying CRISPR and DNA manipulation in biology class. She said she also joined Commissioner Fowler and Commissioner Portie-Ascott at the Tax Assessment Work Group meeting and visited Councilville with a resident to understand neighborhood challenges. She said she looks forward to participating in the Veterans Memorial event as the daughter of a veteran. Commissioner Portie-Ascott detailed her visit to Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, focusing on the pre-K and CTE programs. She noted all pre-K slots were filled with 90 children on the waitlist due to limited space rather than staffing issues. She shared that transportation remains challenging since pre-K students cannot ride buses with older siblings. She was impressed with the firefighter and auto mechanics programs that are offered during her tour at Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. At Mo Green's regional forum, she appreciated the focus on preparing every student for life after graduation, not just four-year universities. The Shelton Leadership Forum's presentation on the dignity approach to leadership resonated with her work on property tax revaluations and conversations had with the Orange County Tax Justice Coalition. She said at the heart of those discussions are people's sense of fairness, and a desire to be treated with respect, and it reminded her how Important it is to approach those moments with empathy, to listen, to make space for people to be heard, and to recognize how our decisions can affect someone's sense of dignity. It was a good reminder for her that leadership isn't just about policy; it is about people and how we make them feel through the process. At today's Seymour Center event with Congresswoman Foushee, a senior tearfully shared about valuing fellowship at the center while depending on the meal program despite working daily, reinforcing that dignity is about having access to the basics that allow people to live with stability and self-respect. She 4 said it reminded her again that leadership is about more than policy; it's about our decisions that affect people's daily lives and their sense of worth. Chair Bedford provided emergency food distribution times: Saturday at McDougle Middle School from 12:00-4:00 PM and Saturday from 8:00-10:00 AM at 113 Mayo Street (DSS) in Hillsborough, noting both are while supplies last. 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/ Special Presentations a. Orange County Arts Commission 2025-26 Annual Grant Recipients The Board acknowledged local artists and organizations receiving 2025-26 Orange County Arts Grants. BACKGROUND: Orange County Annual Grants Cycle The Orange County Arts Commission (OCAC) administers two (2) primary grant programs each year. The Grassroots Arts Program utilizes state funding to provide support for nonprofit organizations and schools conducting arts programming. The Artist Project Grant utilizes county funding for artist-led community projects. Statistics regarding this year's grant cycle are noted in the chart below. FUNDING SOURCES NC Arts Council Funding: Grassroots Arts Program $ 49,525 Orange County Funding: Artist Support Grants $ 28,800 Orange County Funding: Outside Agencies $ 29,711 TOTAL AVAILABLE FUNDING $108,036 Total dollar amount requests $139,112.50 Total grants awarded 31, or 91% of eligible applications Total applications received 37, 34 eligible Total first-time applicants 9, or 24% of applicants The OCAC grant review and awards process: 1. The grant application process is open for one month. Two virtual training sessions occurred, and the OCAC director was available for one-on-one meetings. 2. After the due date, OCAC staff conducted an initial compliance and eligibility review. Applications found noncompliant or outside of the grant requirements are considered disqualified. Eligible organizations were given a compliance score (1-10) based on prior year adherence to grant requirements such as logo usage and reporting. New applicants automatically receive a "10" Compliance Score. 3. Qualified applications are forwarded to members of each review panel for initial review and scoring. Grant panels in the visual, performing, and literary arts are composed of OCAC Board Members with relevant experience and guest artists from the community. Guest panelists are compensated for their time. 4. Non-governmental Grassroots Arts Program (GAP) applicants were also evaluated by a Financial Review Panel who examined submitted financial documents to determine financial solvency and stability. 5 5. Each panel met virtually to evaluate the assigned applications. Feedback, first strengths and then challenges, was offered by panelists and recorded by OCAC staff. After discussion, each panelist submitted a score through the online platform for each of the categories below.After all scores were submitted, the Arts Commission Director recorded the final score per applicant. 6. The scoring rubric for this year's grant program was as follows: GRASSROOTS ARTS PROGRAM - ORGANIZATIONS Artistic Merit—30% Community Impact—25% Program Management— 15% Financial Review— 10% NC Arts Council Priority of Funding — 10% Compliance score — 10% GRASSROOTS ARTS PROGRAM - SCHOOLS Artistic Merit—40% Integration in curriculum/enrichment—40% Free and Reduced Lunch Percentage —20% ARTIST PROJECT GRANTS (APG) Artistic Merit—40% Community Impact—30% Program Management—20% Compliance score — 10% 7. Funding decisions were made at the August 2025 Advisory Board meeting. For the GAP program, the Advisory Board prioritized high scoring program requests, programs hiring multicultural artists, and schools. For APG, the Advisory Board approved full funding for applicants with scores above 80 and 75% of funding request for applicants will scores 74- 79. 8. All applicants were notified of the panel's decisions.All declined GAP applicants received panel feedback (approved GAP and APG applicants could receive feedback upon request). Katie Murray,Arts Commission Director, made the following presentation: Slide #1 C ARTS GRANTS POPULATIONS SERVED 879141PEOPLE 5ERVED � • • LOCAL JUSTICE-INVOLVEDYOUTH $1 I AMOUNT AWARDED INVESTEDSCHOOLS DIVERSE FILMMAKERS PEOPLE WITH DIABILITIES ELDERLY $11M 10 EST.ECONOMIC IMPACT OFCOLLEGE AUDIENCES SERVEDREFUGEES&IMMIGRANTS SPENT HOUSING/FOOD IN LOCAL . . • 6 Katie Murray presented the Orange County Arts Commission's grant recipients, asking all recipients and board members to come forward for a group photo. The Arts Commission administers two primary grant programs using $108,036 in total funding: $49,525 from the State Arts Council, $28,800 from occupancy tax, and $29,711 from the county's outside agencies program. They awarded 31 grants including six first-time recipients. She emphasized that the arts deliver a "fivefold bottom line," positively impacting economy, education, community, health, and culture. The 31 grantees will serve 87,141 people and generate $1.7 million in local economic impact. For every $1 invested through grants, grantees leverage an additional $16 in audience spending at local businesses. The grantees serve vulnerable populations ranging from low- income and justice-involved youth to refugees, elderly, and LGBTQ community members. She thanked the commissioners for their ongoing support and the grantees for enhancing lives and communities. Slide #2 :) IRTS GRANTS GRASSROOTS PROGRAM: COSMICTHE AR7SCENTER RAYS FOUNDATION ■r PTA BOOMERANGYOUTH ESTES HILLS PTA MUSICAL EMPOWERMENT CALICO • -VIEW YOUTH IN ACTIONORANGE COMMUNITYPLAYERS CHCCS FOUNDATION FRANK GALLERY PRISM DESIGN LAB CHELSEATHEATER HILLSBOROUGH ARTS COUNCIL .. ARTIST PROJECT GRANT PROGRAM: $28,800 WOMEN'S VOICES CHORUS JULIA F.GREEN NERYS ■• b. Community Food Providers - Emergency Funding Assistance The Board authorized the use of$54,000 from the Social Justice Reserve to provide emergency financial assistance to Community Food Providers. BACKGROUND: Because of the federal government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) directed the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) to pause all November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits starting November 1, 2025. This program helps low-income residents purchase food for their families. In Orange County, approximately 4,700 households received SNAP (Food and Nutrition Services or FNS in North Carolina) benefits in the month of September, serving a total of 8,700 individuals. On November 3rd, the federal government announced that SNAP benefits would be issued in November, and on the 4t" sent guidance to states that recipients would only receive half their normal allotment. NCDHHS will update its information systems to accommodate the new issuance tables at the reduced amounts prior to being able to issue November 2025 benefits to families. Some Orange County SNAP recipients have already experienced a disruption in benefits, and all SNAP recipients will be faced with managing a fifty percent reduction in benefits until the program is fully funded. Given these significant challenges, and the ongoing uncertainty about benefit restoration, the County Manager is proposing to issue emergency financial support to Community Food Providers. Under the proposal, the County would provide $15,000 each to Interfaith Council (IFC) in Chapel Hill and Orange Congregations in Mission (OCIM) in Hillsborough to purchase additional food for their pantries, allowing them to serve more residents. IFC may also use some of the funding to support its meal program, but all funding will be used for food resources. In order to eliminate barriers to access, OCIM has agreed to waive its referral requirement for new clients until SNAP benefits are reinstated in full. The remaining $24,000 will be divided equally between Porch Chapel Hill and Porch Hillsborough for two special food distributions. Both food distributions will be held on Saturday, November 8th. ➢ The distribution in Chapel Hill/Carrboro will be held from noon to 4:00 PM at the McDougle Middle School located at 900 Old Fayetteville Road, Chapel Hill. ➢ The distribution in Hillsborough will start at 10:00 AM and continue throughout the day while supplies last. It will be held in the parking lot of the Orange County Social Services building located at 113 Mayo Street, Hillsborough. Each distribution will be open to the public and done in partnership with Orange County. Residents will be served on a first-come, first-served, drive-through basis. People who arrive without a vehicle will also be served. The goal of each distribution is to serve 500 families. The County will also help support outreach efforts and is organizing transportation assistance. The County will continue to closely monitor the status of federal funding for SNAP and other federally funded programs. County staff will also continue close communication with community providers to continue assessing the need in the community. At this time, no information is available on how long this reduction will persist or how future disruptions may impact residents. ➢ Orange County residents can support neighbors by donating to local food pantries, volunteering at community meal programs, and sharing verified updates from County sources. For information about how to support local food pantries, residents can visit https:Horange.ces.ncsu.edu/foodsecu rite/how-to-host-a-food-drive/. ➢ Residents in need of immediate food support can contact Orange County Social Services: (919) 245-2800; or by email at dssinfo(@orangecountync.gov. A full list of food resources is available at: https://orange.ces.ncsu.edu/foodsecurity/find-food-in- orange-county/. Travis Myren, County Manager, made the following presentation: 8 Slide#1 ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CARC LINA Emergency Funding Assistance for Community Food Providers Board of Commissioners Business Meeting November 6, 2025 Slide #2 Purpose • To consider authorizing the use of$54,000 from the Social Justice Reserve to provide emergency financial assistance to Community Food Providers ORANGE COUNTY 2 NORTH CAROLINA 9 Slide #3 Background • Federal Government Shutdown — Food and Nutrition (FNS)benefits continued through October 31 — North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services(NCDHHS)was instructed to pause November benefits — November 411—US Department of Agriculture informs states that contingency funds would provide some funding for November benefits — As of November 5-maximum allotments reduced by 50% — As of November 6—maximum allotments reduced by 35% — Revised benefit amounts should be issued by the State starting the week of November 10 • Orange County Residents Impacted — 4,700 households received FNS in September — 8,700 individuals served ORANGE COUNTY 3 NORTH CAROLINA Travis Myren explained that benefits would be loaded on EBT cards all at once instead of staggered throughout the month. Slide #4 FNS Benefit Table Red Updated toaxi uction in Maximum Benefit Household Maximum Gross Maximum Benefit Maximum November oil, Size Monthly Income Amount(Unreduced) Benefit Amount" E�EM-W_l M11 it-IF' 1 $2,610 $298 $193 7$W,300 2 $3,526 $546 $354 3 $4,442 $785 $510 $53,300 4 $5,360 $994 $646 $64,300 5 $6,276 $1,183 $768 $75,300 6 $7,194 $1,421 $923 $86,300 7 $8,112 $1,571 $1,021 $97,300 8 $9,030 $1,789 $1,162 11 $108,300 —Consistent with federal regulations governing a reduction in benefits, thirty percent(30%)of a household's SNAP/FNS net monthly income is deducted from the November maximum amount based on household size to determine new allotment. ""Federal government is not required to restore full benefits if government reopens in November or in any subsequent month where an across-the-board reduction is applied. Travis Myren clarified that the reduction won't be a straight 35% due to federal regulations involving SNAP income calculations. 10 Slide#5 Table 3:How to Calculate SNAP Net Income ' NietlncomCakulinden OONlpld $2,050 gross income Subtract 20%earned income deduction... $1500 earned income x 20%=S300. $2,050-$300=$1,750 Subtract standard deduction... $1,750-$223 standard deduction fora 4-person household=S1,527 Subtract dependent care deduction... $1527-S362 dependent care=$1,165 Subtract child support deduction... $o Subtract medical costs over S35 for elderly and disabled... So Excess shelter deduction... See below Determine half of adjusted income... S1,165 adjusted income'2=$582.50 Determine if shelter costs are more than half of adjusted income... 5700 total shelter expenses-$582.50(half of income)=$117.50 excess shelter cost Subtract excess amount,but not more than the limit,from adjusted $1,165-$117.50=$1,047.50 net monthly income income... Since$1,047.50 is less than the$2,680 allowed for a 4-person Apply the net ncome test... household,this household has met the income test. Note,This example is based on a 4-person household living in the 48 contiguous states or the District of Columbio. https://www.fns.usda-gov/snap/recipienVelioibility ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA Slide #6 Emergency Funding Assistance • $54,000 allocation from Social Justice Reserve • $15,000 each for Orange Congregations in Mission (OCIM) and Interfaith Council (IFC) — Purchase additional food to fortify pantries — IFC may also use funds to provide additional meals at Community Kitchen — OCIM to loosen referral requirements to meet immediate needs • $12,000 each for Porch—Chapel Hill/Carrboro and Porch - Hillsborough — Special food distributions on Saturday.November 8 — McDougle Middle School,Chapel Hill: 12 noon—4:00 PM — Orange County DSS parking lot, Hillsborough: 10:00am until supplies exhausted — First come,first served — Drive through or walk up • Remaining Social Justice Reserve balance: $76,000 6 ORANGE COOUNA Y 11 Slide #7 Special Food Distributions &qRCH KI g 1 t light hunger Impacted by SNAP Delays? EMERGENCY FOOD Orange County Residents Only DISTRIBUTION Pop-Up Drive-Thru Distribution 'OPEN TO ANYONE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO HAS NEED-' Saturday, November 8th SATURDAY NOV. 8 1 2-4PM(OR UNTIL FOOD RUNS OUT) ioam white supplies Last MCDOUGLE MIDDLE SCHOOL (ENTER OFF OLD FAYETTEVILLE RD.) Parking Lot of Orange County DSS IN COLlABORATfON WITH; 113 Mayo St, Hillsborough - fOOC :bank TelL6EA'. NOf,ll . C REA- 00 Food is given out on a first-come first-served ORANGE OM COUNTY DF.nhHIMP.Vi DF basis.Max of two households per car. .1- OR� COUNTY Slide #8 Ways to Help • Donate to local food pantries, volunteer at community meal programs, and share updates from County sources. https://orange.ces.ncsu.edu/foodsecurity/how-to-host-a-food-drivel. • Residents in need of immediate food support can contact Orange County Social Services: (919) 245-2800; or by email at dssinfo(@orangecountync.gov. • A full list of food resources is available at: https://orange.ces.ncsu.edu/foodsecurity/find-food-in- orange-county/. ORANGE COUNTY 8 NORTH CAROLINA 12 Slide #9 Manager Recommendation • Authorize the use of$54,000 from the Social Justice Reserve to provide emergency financial assistance to Community Food Providers as described in the abstract. 499_—� ORANGE COUNTY B NORTH CAROLINA Slide #10 Questions? ORANGE COUNTY NOR I'li C'AR01 INA Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked about the benefit loading schedule. Travis Myren explained that different households typically receive benefits on different dates, but would now receive them simultaneously A motion was made by Vice-Chair Hamilton, seconded by Commissioner Fowler, to authorize the use of $54,000 from the Social Justice Reserve to provide emergency financial assistance to Community Food Providers to be distributed as follows: • $15,000 each to Interfaith Council (IFC) in Chapel Hill and Orange Congregations in Mission (OCIM) in Hillsborough $12,000 each to Porch Chapel Hill and Porch Hillsborough for two special food distributions VOTE: UNANIMOUS 13 5. Public Hearings a. Application for Zoning Atlas Amendment—1039-UT NC 86 N, Hillsborough, Hillsborough Township The Board conducted a public hearing and considered action on a Zoning Atlas Amendment to rezone +/-78.11 acres (PIN: 9865-87-8090) located at 1039-UT NC 86 North, Hillsborough, within the Hillsborough Township of Orange County. BACKGROUND: A Conditional Zoning Atlas Amendment application (Attachment 1) was received from Forestar Group, Inc., on behalf of Amy Powell, et al., proposing to rezone approximately 78.11 acres of property at 1039-UT NC 86 North, Hillsborough, to allow for development of a 49-lot Conservation Cluster subdivision for single-family dwellings. The Staff Report in Attachment 2 contains additional information, maps, and analysis with regard to the application's consistency with County adopted plans. Approval of a site-specific plan is part of the conditional district rezoning process, and the site plan and any agreed-upon conditions are binding to the development permitted for the zoning district. All application materials can be found on the Orange County Permit Portal. Basic Review Process: A conditional district rezoning application requires submission of a site plan and other documents, in accordance with Section 2.9.1(C) of the Orange County Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). Sections 2.8 and 2.9 of the Orange County UDO require the following review: • FIRST ACTION —Applicant holds a Neighborhood Information Meeting (NIM). STAFF COMMENT: The NIM was held on May 29, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. at Eno River Academy, 1100 NC 57, Hillsborough, NC 27278. • SECOND ACTION —The Planning Board reviews the application at a regular meeting and makes a recommendation to the BOCC. STAFF COMMENT: The Planning Board reviewed this application at its regular meetings on September 3 and October 1, 2025. At the board's October 1, 2025 meeting, the board voted 9-0 to recommend approval with conditions. • THIRD ACTION—The BOCC receives the Planning Board and staff recommendations at an advertised public hearing and makes a decision on the application. STAFF COMMENT. The public hearing is scheduled for November 6, 2025. Proposed Site Plan and Conditions Per Section 2.9.1(F)(3) of the UDO, mutually agreed upon conditions can be imposed as part of this process if they address: a. The compatibility of the proposed development with surrounding property, b. Proposed support facilities (i.e. roadways, and access points, screening and buffer areas, the timing of development, etc.), and/or c. All other matters the County may find reasonable and appropriate, or the petitioner may propose. A formal site plan is required as part of a conditional rezoning application and has been submitted with the full application materials from the Forestar Group, Inc. (Attachment 1). Forestar Group, Inc., have initiated a Zoning Atlas Amendment in order allow for development of a 49-lot subdivision for single-family dwellings. Additional background information related to this request is contained in the Staff Report (Attachment 2). 14 The applicant has submitted conditions for consideration by the BOCC, as included in the Ordinance in Attachment 9. One of the submitted conditions commits the applicant to request water service from the Town of Hillsborough, should the rezoning request be approved by the BOCC. Town of Hillsborough Administration has reviewed this condition and provided a memo of support for that condition, which is available for review in Attachment 5. Public Notification: In accordance with Section 2.8.7 of the UDO, notices of the Public Hearing were mailed via first class mail to property owners within 1,000 feet of the subject parcel. These notices were mailed on October 22, 2025, 15 days before the meeting. Staff also posted the subject parcel with a sign on October 22, 2025, 15 days before the meeting. See Attachment 3 for the notification materials. Planning Board Recommendation: The Planning Board reviewed the Zoning Atlas Amendment at its September 3, 2025, regular meeting. At this meeting the Board voted 4-4 on a motion to recommend approval of the Statement of Consistency (Attachment 7) and the proposed Zoning Atlas Amendment (Attachment 9), as presented. Due to the split vote, the motion was not approved, and the Planning Board continued its consideration of the application to its October 1, 2025 meeting at which the Board voted 9-0 to recommend approval with conditions. An excerpt of the Planning Board's September 3, 2025 approved meeting minutes and an excerpt of the October 1, 2025 draft meeting minutes are included at Attachment 6. The Planning Board's signed Statement of Consistency is also provided at Attachment 6. Planning Director's Recommendation The Planning Director recommends that the Board of County Commissioners: 1) Consider the matter for action; 2) Acknowledge that legally sufficient public notice was given for the application and this meeting, in accordance with State and Orange County laws; 3) Review the staff report(Attachment 2),featuring analyses of compliance with the UDO, impact to the surrounding area, safety and efficiency of land use, and consistency with the county's adopted plans; 4) Allow for the applicant's presentation of materials; 5) Conduct the public hearing, receive public comments, and consider the Planning Board recommendation; 6) Close the public hearing; and 7) Vote to Approve the Statement of Consistency (Attachment 7) and Zoning Atlas Amendment Ordinance (Attachment 9). OR Vote to Deny the Zoning Atlas Amendments, including a statement as to why the application is not reasonable and/or not in the public interest, as detailed in the Statement of Inconsistency (Attachment 8). Taylor Perschau, Current Planning and Zoning Manager, made the following presentation: 15 Slide#1 ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA Board of County Commissioners Meeting November 6, 2025 7:00 p.m. Taylor Perschau said she will make the staff portion of the presentation and turn the presentation over to the applicant for their portion. Slide #2 ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA Item 5b: Zoning Atlas Amendment (Conditional District) AR Zoning to R-CD Zoning Location: 1039-UT NC 86 North PIN: 9865-87-8090 Applicant: Forestar Group, LLC Case#: MA25-0003 16 Slide#3 Conditional District Overview Conventional District Zoning Conditional District Zoning Standards must be uniformly Request is use-specific with applied throughout the County individualized development conditions and standards No site-specific,individualized Site-specific development plan conditions may be imposed is part of review and approval process �1 ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA Taylor Perschau said this proposal is for conditional district zoning. Slide#4 Conditional District Overview 7.2.3 Major Subdivisions (A) A major subdivision is any subdivision that is not an Exempt or Minor subdivision,as classified in subsections 7.2.1 and 7.2.2. Major subdivisions are further classified as follows: (1) Standard Major Subdivision All subdivisions not classified as an Exempt Subdivision;Minor Subdivision;or Major Subdivision,Conditional District(R-CD or NR-CD. (2) Major Subdivision,Conditional District(R-CD or NR-CD) A tract of land that is proposed for a subdivision into 21 or more lots. �1 ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA Taylor Perschau explained that there is an administrative review of a standard major subdivision that comes before the Board, but it is not typically a zoning matter. She said the reason this major subdivision is coming to the Board as a zoning matter is because it is proposed to have 21 or more lots. 17 Slide #5 Conditional District Overview �21 LOtS -pERYfrtESUSE A=SUSJECTTO USE STAXRLROS S-SPECUIL USE 21+ Lots 0�0©©©©©©©000000■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■moo 47 ■■■■■■■■■■■00■■■■■■■■0■0■■■0■0■00■00 DevelopmentA I Unified • Section •P Tableof Permitted NORTH ENLARGED FROM Section 5.2:Table of Peornitted Uses TABLE OF PERMITTED U5E5 44. Family Care Fadlity 47. Heat and Personal Care a a Facility 48. Recreational Vehicle '=PERMITTED USE G=SUBJECTi0U5ESTANBARDS S=SPECIALUSE CONVENTIONAL ZONING DISTRICTS ECONOMIC DEVELGPMENTDISTRICTS CONUITIOHAL DISTANtTS UGETYPE RB AR R1 R2 R3 R4 RS R8 R13 LC1 NC2 CC3 GC4 ECS UI A5 EI 11 @ 13 plp EDB•EDB•EDE-EDE•EDH•EDH•EDH-EDH•EDH-ASE•MPD• HP• REDA•R CD NR• RM 1 2 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 CD CD CD CD-0 CD ®Rooming House 50. T� ,T ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ „ ,Residential i A 18 Slide#6 Major Subdivision Review Process ConceptPlan •General!ot layout and road design established Plan for utilities and services Development �1 ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA Taylor Perschau said the Board will be looking at a concept plan this evening. Slide#7 Major Subdivision Review Process Pre 1iminaary Vial Final Plat General lot •Exact lot •All required layout and boundaries improvements road design and roadway are completed established engineering or bonded Plan for completed •All permitting utilities and •Permitting and needs services design for identified in utilities earlier review completed phases are complete and submitted to County Development MWWWWM ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA Taylor Perschau explained that every type of major subdivision, whether standard or conditional district rezoning, goes through the three-step process detailed on the slide.A concept plan is a general layout and general road design, and it does come up with a plan for utilities and services, but it does not engineer those utilities and services. She explained that if the rezoning 19 is approved tonight, the Board would see this plan again at the Preliminary Plat phase. Planning staff, Environmental Health staff, Building Inspections, NCDOT, and others make up the Development Advisory Committee, which is reviewing the plan at each step of the process. Slide #8 Zoning Atlas Amendment - MA25-0003 (HWY 86 N) 1039 - UT NC 86 N Overview: Address1039-UT HWY 86 N Vicinity Map for Rezoning Application PIN 9 8 65 8 7809 0 9865-87-8090 �.�. Township Hillsborough S `, 1 , Lower EnoWatershed _ r I 1 Unprotected i n tNr ;�z`ti Jf .. Forestar Group,LLC J ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA Taylor Perschau said the fact that the property is in the lower Eno unprotected watershed bears significance because in an unprotected watershed, there's no residential density maximum, nor is there an inherent impervious surface maximum. However, she said there are land disturbance thresholds for erosion control and stormwater that do need to be managed and attended to. 20 Slide #9 Zoning Atlas Amendment- MA25-0003(HWY 86 N) 1039 - UT NC 86 N Overview n ♦ • '• CUrren`ZQ n In� R¢Ioriq Application(o RCD for PEN 9&6 j8.t ■ Agricultural Residential(AR) ) Requested Zoning • Residential Conditional District(R- CD) ■ Use:Major Subdivision,Single-Family Dwellings u Surrounding Zoning ■ Agricultural Residential(AR) Wo • Town of Hillsborough • Existing Commercial(EC-5) • Low and Medium Intensity Residential (R3) �--- Taylor Perschau explained the property is currently zoned Agricultural Residential and the applicant is requesting Residential Conditional District because the application proposes 49 lots, which exceeds the 20-lot threshold as explained earlier. Slide #10 Zoning Atlas Amendment- MA25-0003(HWY 86 N) 1 0 3 9 - U T NC 86 N • • e• A led Futurel.d 90 depicted Future Land Use Map Designation Rural Industrial Activity Node • Land designated in the Comprehensive Plan that is focused on designated road intersections which serves as a nodal crossroads forthe surrounding rural community and is an appropriate location for small- scale industrial uses which do not require urban type services. • No proposed amendment VKANUL l-VUIV FY NORTH CAROLINA Taylor Perschau indicated that with every zoning request, Planning staff are asked to compare the proposed zoning district with what the Future Land Use Map designates the area for. In this case, it is designated as a Rural Industrial Activity Node, and there is no proposed amendment to the Future Land Use Map designation, only the zoning district. 21 Slide #11 Zoning Atlas Amendment- MA25-0003(HWY 86 N) 1039 - LIT NC 86 N Overview (continued): Central Orange Coordinated Area Land Use Plan Designation Mixed Neighborhood Residential The dominant land use in any proposed development is expected to be residential _.. based on square footage of proposed structures.Developments may contain a single or variety of dwelling types and densities or may integrate a variety of supportive commercial,public and semi- public uses and open or public space. Small developments that provide only supportive non-residential land uses in an Will arrangement serving more than A 50 dwelling units in a walkable manner ' may also be considered. JKAINht t VUlV I Y NORTH CAROLINA Taylor Perschau said the property is also mapped within the Central Orange Coordinated Area (COCA) land use plan, which is a partnership between the Town of Hillsborough and Orange County. The COCA designates the property as mixed neighborhood residential. Slide #12 Zoning Atlas Amendment- MA25-0003(HWY 86 N) 1 0 3 9 -U T NC 86 N Overview • -• Conditional District Application Reauirements • Site Specific Plan • Environmental Assessment • Biological Inventory • Additional Information as Identified by Reviewing Agencies Orange County Divisions:Addressing and Land Records;Building Inspections; Department of Environment,Agriculture,Parks and Recreation;Environmental Health;Erosion Control;Fire and Life Safety External Review Agencies:NC Department of Transportation,State Environmental Review Clearinghouse ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA Ilk 22 Slide #13 - Site-Specific Plan -- ewe r r i - IAA_ •_ __ ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA Taylor Perschau said the site plan is a large parent tract with 49 lots. 23 le Al ID Al .war BA 2 3 ENLARGED FROM SLIDE #13 24 1 Slide #14 Current Summary of Conditions Per NCGS 160D-703, imposed conditions and site-specific standards are limited to those that address conformance of the development and use of the site to local government ordinances and adopted plans orthe impacts reasonably expected to be generated by the development or use of the site. Per Section 2.9.1 (F) (3) of the UDO, mutually agreed upon conditions can be imposed as part of this process if they address: a. The compatibility of the proposed development with surrounding property, b. Proposed support facilities(i.e. roadways,and access points,screening and bufferareas,the timing of development, etc.), and/or c. All other mattersthe County may find reasonable and appropriate orthe petitioner may propose. ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLIN;+. 2 3 Taylor Perschau said conditions need to be site-specific and limited to those that address 4 the conformance of the development and the land use itself. 5 6 Slide #15 Current Summary of Conditions Per Section 2.9.1 (F) (3)of the UDO,the following conditions are being proposed: 1. The subject property shall be developed generally in accordance with the proposed site plan submitted as a part of this application("Site Plan"). 2. The minimum lot size is 20,000 square feet.This deviates from the minimum in UDO Section 3.8.Suitable septic shall be provided on each parcel. 3. The property shall contain experiential gardens as shown on Site Plan as the Woodland Garden,the Picking Garden and the Pollinator Garden(the"Gardens").The Gardens shall be dedicated to and maintained by the Homeowner's Association. 4. Where supplementation of perimeter plantings is required,native plant materials appropriate for the growing environment in that area shall be utilized. ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA 7 25 1 Slide #16 Current Summary of Conditions 5. An ADA-compliant,open-air mail kiosk will incorporate a weather covering with recessed lighting. 6. Trails shall provide access to the Designated Community Gathering Space and each Garden as shown on the Site Plan. The length of the trails located on the subject property shall combined total at least 9,000 linear feet. Trail surfaces shall be aggregate or natural surface(not paved with concrete or asphalt)to minimize impacts to the existing environment and limit impervious surfaces. Boardwalks shall be utilized where the proposed trail crosses the wetlands as shown on the Site Plan, if permitted by Federal and State agencies. The trail and associated amenities described in this section shall be maintained by the Homeowner's Association. The precise location and alignment of the trails will be determined at final plat. 7. The property owner shall offer limited access to the planned trails and open space to the Eno River Academy for use by students,faculty and staff including the cross- country team pursuant to an agreement drafted by the landowner with an effective date after construction is complete. 8. The Designated Community Gathering Space as shown on the site plan to be maintained by the Homeowner's Association. ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA 2 3 4 Slide #17 Current Summary of Conditions 9. Individual septic systems meeting Orange County Health Department requirements will be provided on each lot.Septic systems shall be designed to serve up to a four (4)bedroom home. 10.No home shall contain more than four(4)bedrooms. 11.Lighting in common areas of the Community shall comply with the requirements of UDO Section 6.11.6,which promote Dark Sky Preservation. 12.Site access(es)shall be provided in accordance with North Carolina Department of Transportation(NCDOT)permits,including the provision of any required turn lanes and/or restrictions to the access(es). 13.The property owner shall petition the Town of Hillsborough for access to public water to serve the subject property and,if approved,utilize public water in the subdivision, if necessary easements are reasonably obtainable. 14.The property owner shall write a letter to the North Carolina Department of Transportation requesting a speed limit reduction. 1 ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA 5 6 Taylor Perschau highlighted condition #13. She said Orange County staff received a 7 memo from the Town of Hillsborough staff noting that they support this condition being brought 26 1 before the Town board, but the Town board has yet to have the opportunity to review it themselves. 2 She said it is on the Hillsborough Board of Commissioners' November 10th agenda. 3 4 Slide #18 Current Summary of Conditions �ti�.5g0ROG z Date: 10/23/2025 Subject: Town of Hillsborough Support for Zoning Condition 7 S . NTH CA�oti, This memorandum affirms the Town of Hillsborough's support for a zoning condition proposed for the project known to Orange County as"Zoning Atlas Amendment Rezoning Application Conditional District MA25-0003".The condition,listed as#13 in the"Narrative of Zoning Conditions Offered",states the following: "The property owner shall petition the Town of Hillsborough for access to public water to serve the subject property and,if approved,utilize public water in the subdivision,if necessary easements are reasonably obtainable." The proposed project is outside of the prescribed new Urban Service Boundary as recommended in the Town's Comprehensive Sustainability Plan,however the Town of Hillsborough Board of Commissioners(the"Board")has not yet taken formal action to amend the boundary.Town staff supports the property owner/project applicant petitioning for public water service directly to the Board.This memo does not represent an offer to provide public water service to the property.The Town Board will have to determine if the provision of public water service is in the best interest of the Town and its goals. ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA 5 6 The aforementioned memo is provided on this slide. 7 8 Slide #19 Review Process Planning Staff • Determine application completeness and analyze proposed Zoning Atlas Amendment with Comprehensive Plan Neighborhood Information Meeting (NIM) • Coordinated by applicant • Held on April 29,2025 Planning Board • Hear from the applicant,staff,and the public • Review and discuss analysis and staff recommendation • Recommend approval or denial to Board of County Commissioners Board o •unty Commissioners • Schedule and hold public hearing to receive application • Hear from the applicant,staff,and the public • Review and discuss analysis and recommendations from staff and Planning Board • Close public hearing 9 27 1 Commissioner McKee asked why the Board is considering this before Hillsborough's water 2 decision. 3 Taylor Perschau said the Board is reviewing the application for the rezoning purpose. She 4 said the applicant has presented a plan that would allow for a community well, and they have 5 presented a condition that would require them to petition the Town. She said there is an application 6 that could move either with a community well or with the Town deciding to provide water. 7 Cy Stober explained that the applicant petitioned the Town of Hillsborough for water 8 service in the spring of last year, but was denied. He said that as a result, they applied to the 9 County for rezoning that included a proposal for a community well. He said during the review of 10 the project earlier this year, Town staff commented that they may consider providing water should 11 the zoning be approved. He said the Town Board of Commissioners has not decided, but it has 12 come to their attention, and they want to decide on whether or not to provide water. He said the 13 Board of County Commissioners is considering a land use matter only, and the Town's decision 14 about water would not change the land use matter that is before the Board. He said the proposed 15 subdivision would either have water from the Town or a community well, if approved. 16 Commissioner McKee said the source of water may impact his decision. 17 Cy Stober said Planning staff accepted the application with the assumption that the town 18 would not provide water because that is the vote that the town had taken to date, but will not 19 consider this request specifically. 20 Commissioner Fowler asked if the conditional zoning is not approved, and the applicant 21 then applies for a conventional subdivision, would that application come back to the Board? 22 Cy Stober said it would come to the Board as a preliminary plat, but not in this layout. He 23 said a conventional subdivision done by right would be limited to 20 lots. 24 Commissioner Fowler asked if the property could be subdivided into smaller parcels to fit 25 more than 20 lots over the two parcels. 26 Cy Stober said the Unified Development Ordinance includes a provision that limits the 27 ability to further subdivide parent parcels going back to 2003. He added that even if they wanted 28 to do 49 two-acre lots, it would still be a conditional zoning application because it's over 20 lots. 29 He explained again that it is the lot count, not the density of homes or the lot size. 30 Commissioner McKee asked if the Town's decision on water would also bring about a 31 discussion on annexation. 32 Cy Stober said Town's annexation policy hinges upon sewer provision, not water provision. 33 He said it is certainly a common annexation policy to require annexation with utility extension, but 34 it would not be required by the policy the Town of Hillsborough currently has. 35 36 28 1 Slide #20 Applicant Presentation ORANGE COUNTY NORTH C;AROLINA 2 3 Beth Trahos, attorney at Fox Rothschild, began presenting on behalf of the Forestar 4 Group. She introduced the members of the team who have worked on this proposal including, 5 Laura Haywood and Donna Crowder with Forestar Group, Don Sever and Danielle Cabral with 6 Bowman Civil Engineers, Josh Ranke, traffic engineer, with Bolton and Manke, David Barcal, Civil 7 Engineer, with McConnell and Associates, and Ward Marotti, Environment Consultant, with 8 Spangler Environmental. 9 10 Slide #21 Zoning Atlas Amendment Highway 86 Subdivision Fox Rothschild 11 12 13 14 29 1 Slide#22 Proposed Zoning R- CD Rothschild 3 Beth Trahos commended Orange County staff for their assistance throughout this process. 4 She described the 49 single-family h0nneS On 80 8Cr8S 8dU8D8nt to HiUSbOn]ugh, noting the 5 diverse surrounding land uS8S. including Eno River Academy, Pathways Elementary, Mars Hill 8 Baptist Churoh, and various businesses. There are also several individual lots and snnoU 7 residential neighborhoods, many of which are already on 7lovvn of Hillsborough water. She 8 acknowledged that in addition to the concept plan, the proposal includes 14 conditions developed 9 with input from staff, neighbors, and the Planning Board. The input from various stakeholders has 10 meant there have been substantive changes tOthe pnOpOS@| throughout this prOD8SS. She said 11 one of the changes was a condition allowing limited trail access for Eno River Academy students, 12 faculty, and the cross-country team. She emphasized her team has been responsive to concerns 13 throughout the process in addressing concerns that were heard. 14 15 30 1 Slide #23 I-1.g AMas and MM°bM.X UoO Amantlmenk wbmm°i Rezoning Process Approached Town of Hillsborough to discuss annexation • Hillsborough indicated they would not annex the property due to "a;m;,","b M:ap insufficient sewer supply Hillsborough provides water utility to County residents but further .°tl",nimm•°n. denied our request to serve project as a County customer HegXbuX°°tl M°e"np • Approached County to discuss development options •,,°°mem rew Traditional lot by lot subdivision discussed • Cluster subdivision recommended by Orange County Planning staff swn Xecemmemwisam Developed Cluster Concept Plan ui..am..enmm: hbbX leq•I Xtl IubYfXlegblM 31°Il-d PbXxamnrentl°Ibn We are here. robocc w o. n Mayor Subdivision Review Follows Rothschild 2 3 4 Slide #24 Comprehensive Plan Compliance • Orange County/ Hillsborough COCA Plan designates this site as appropriate for Mixed Residential Neighborhood • 49 homes for families clustered together on 79.76 acres • 1 home per 1.62 acres • 42.25 acres of 53.9%of the parcel is open space • Preserves significant natural area • Conservation Cluster Flexible Development Subdivision protect environmental features • No significant environmental impact is expected Rothschild 5 6 7 8 9 10 31 1 Slide#25 Considerations Discussed During Planning Board Review OWell Service Septic Service eDensity -- Traffic 1 Rothschild 2 3 Regarding water, Beth Trahos said a community well is proposed, but a condition to 4 petition the Town of Hillsborough for public water was also included. She said if approved by the 5 Town and the easements are reasonable, the subdivision would use public water. She clarified 6 that the Town is considering extending water only, without sewer or annexation, keeping the 7 property in Orange County's jurisdiction. 8 9 32 1 Slide #26 0 Community Well System What We Proposed What We heard How We Responded Guiding Policy/Agency Community well proposed to Concern that existing -Spangler Environmental monitored two Orange County issued well Town of Hillsborough serve lots well(s)may run dry adjacent wells during well draw down of Permit on 10.01.2024 indicates that they may due to new well the Community well;no Impact to be willing to allow this Community Well draw nearby wells was observed NC DEQ-Division of Water community to connect down test run twice on Resources-Public water to public water lines 11.19.2024 -This risk exists today-farms are Supply • 07.29 2025 permitted by right(big water users) New condition added Rules Governing Public to require property • Required Capacity is 0.56 -As our study result document,the Water Systems-15A North owner to again petition GPM per unit x 49 units= Community well will not impact adjacent Carolina Administrative Code Hillshorough for Public 27.44 GPM wells 18C water and utilize it if What options do approved,provided Provided Minimum property owners have -Relatively few nearby properties utilize necessary easements Capacity is 50 GPM- if their well IS wells given public water lines in the area can be obtained. almost double the requirement negatively impacted? -Request Hillsborough to allow Town of Hillsborough connection to public water-existing lines requires Town Board • well Capacity is 84 GPM are in close proximity to the site approval for water connection. Fox Rothschild 2 3 Beth Trahos said her team has done significant analysis of the site for a community well 4 and has found that this well is sufficient to serve the proposed community without a likely negative 5 impact on neighbors. She added that most of the surrounding properties are not using private 6 wells; they're using Town of Hillsborough water, so less groundwater is being used in this area 7 than perhaps some other areas of the county. 8 9 10 11 12 33 1 Slide#27 10 Septic Systems What We Proposed What We heard How We Responded Guiding Policy I Agency Indfvidual Septic Concems lots were too -Engineer evaluated Orange County Public In the event that Systems on each lot small to allow for representative lots Health Department—Rules any lot cannot septic systems throughout for Onsite Wastewater sustain adequate • Reconnaissance community to Treatment and Dispersal septic soil, Soil and Site confirm septic Systems developer bears Evaluation systems fit risk of losing a Prepared by developable lots). Earthly Elements -Provided detailed 15A NCAC 18E- Soil Consulting on drawings showing Waste Water Treatment 03.19.2024 to how lots would be and Dispersal Systems confirm soil laid out su itabiI Ity for septic Fox -� Rothschild 2 3 Commissioner Fowler said that there have been a lot of concerns from residents about 4 the septic systems and runoff contaminating the creeks. She asked the applicant to speak to 5 those concerns. 6 David Barcal said he conducted a preliminary soils analysis for the site, and the majority 7 is labeled conventional soil (24-30 inches deep of usable soil), providing good filtration and 8 downward flow as opposed to upwards or outwards or lateral flow. He said no lots are platted 9 within riparian setbacks or wetlands. For marginal soils requiring drip systems, they would provide 10 pre-treatment with UV disinfection and media filters for better water quality. 11 Commissioner Fowler asked if all the septic systems could be put on conventional soil. 12 David Barcal said at least at a desktop level, they can fit a four-bedroom system for each 13 lot, all on conventional soils. 14 Commissioner Carter said she recalls from the packet that 10 acres of the property fall 15 under the marginal soil category. She asked if that is included in the lot sighting shown in the 16 proposal. 17 David Barcal said it could be 10 acres total, but there are only a few sites that have 18 marginal soil within the property lines of a lot. He said they would design the septic system in the 19 conventional soils and, if needed, would use the drip system for the repair field. He explained that 20 this would make repair field cycling possible. 21 Vice-Chair Hamilton asked for more information on the repair field. 34 1 David Barcal said each lot requires an initial system, plus a 100% sized repair field per 2 state and county rules. For example, a four-bedroom home would require the installation of a four- 3 bedroom system for the initial septic, and space would have to be dedicated to an equal-sized 4 system for the repair field, which could not be disturbed by sheds, structures, pools, etc. 5 Vice-Chair Hamilton said it looks like most of the yards are reserved for septic in the plan. 6 David Barcal said that it is true for lots of this size. He said residents will not be able to 7 have pools or manipulate the yards very much. 8 Beth Trahos said with cluster designs, there are smaller lots, but there is more dedicated 9 open space maintained by the Homeowners' Association, which provides an opportunity for 10 recreation. 11 Vice-Chair Hamilton asked how septic systems in conventional soils perform when there 12 is a lot of rain or flooding. 13 David Barcal said typically when the soil scientists conduct analyses for systems of this 14 size, they're just looking at the texture of the soil. He said they will drill borings, and will go down 15 until they either hit a confining layer or a restrictive layer, or a soil wetness layer. That is what 16 helps them determine the class of the soil, and each one of those classes is based on the North 17 Carolina rules. The soil falls into either group one, group two, group three, or group four, and the 18 group classifies what your loading rate can be, which is how many gallons the soil can accept per 19 day per square foot. He said in this case, the soil scientist has drilled holes throughout the site to 20 develop a map to figure out where those soils fall. He said it isn't possible to design for extreme 21 weather scenarios per se, but a system designed right that was investigated right, should function 22 in the dry seasons and the wet seasons. 23 Commissioner McKee asked for more information about going back to the original septic 24 system after failure. From personal experience, he said it is not always possible to go between 25 the original drain field and the repair field. 26 David Barcal said there are some variables, but it would be unlikely to be able to go back 27 to the original drain field after a short amount of time because there has been no recovery time. 28 He said recovery time typically means the lifespan of a traditional septic field. 29 Commissioner McKee said he asked that because 37 borings were suitable conventional 30 and 45 were less than conventional. He said he understands that most of the lots fall in the 31 conventional soil area, but there is still lots of less ideal soil. 32 David Barcal said the reason you might see a lot of borings with low profiles is that the soil 33 scientist is trying to identify the perimeter areas of where that soil transitions and is trying to map 34 exactly where the boundaries of that conventional soil are. 35 Commissioner McKee said he is concerned about homeowners who may not have enough 36 conventional soil on their lot. He said these are very compressed lots/ 37 David Barcal said the actual septic area wouldn't change regardless of the lot size, and 38 the probability of it failing wouldn't be dictated by the lot size either. 39 Commissioner McKee said he was not talking about the probability of failure due to the lot 40 size, but rather that there are fewer options to relocate a third option with a smaller lot size in case 41 the original septic field and the repair field both fail. 42 David Barcal said the options to relocate are based on where the suitable soil is, and some 43 of these smaller lots have more conventional soil than larger lots he's worked on. 44 Commissioner McKee reiterated that a 20,000 square foot lot reduces the options. 45 David Barcal acknowledged Commissioner McKee's point and added that the initial and 46 repair fields are identified prior to pursuing a permit to ensure there is a 100% repair option. 47 48 35 1 Slide #28 Density What We Proposed What We heard How We Responded Guiding Policy/Agency Conservation Cluster Density is too high Existing Zoning(AR) 1 "...allowable density(i.e., Flexible Development home per acre the number of individual Subdivision-49 lots on dwellings that can be 79.76 acres Proposed Density is developed on a parcel of less than that allowed property)." UDO Section .61 homes home per by AR 3.3.3 acre including open space Adjacent to Lots are too small Hillsborough; Lots COCA Land Use Plan within 1/2 mile-23.6% designates the site as 20,000 square foot less than 20,000 sf; appropriate for Mixed clustered lots with open 35.596 between Residential Neighborhood space of 42.25 acres 20,000 and 40,000 sf; Use 40.9%greater than 40,000 sf Fox AM*Rothschild 2 3 Beth Trahos said, at the Planning Board meeting, there was a lot of discussion about 4 density and the conservation cluster flexible development subdivision that is being proposed. 5 These are 20,000 square foot lots clustered with open space of 42.25 acres, which is more than 6 half of the site, 53.9% of the site. The density is one home per 1.6 acres of the site, which is less 7 than could be permitted under the existing zoning, which envisions one home per acre on a lot- 8 by-lot basis. She added that the open space is preserved along the perimeters of the site and 9 around the environmentally sensitive areas, and includes significant tree preservation, which is 10 49.27 acres of the site. 11 36 1 Slide #29 Density Type of Development Pmible Stream Possible Wetlands Impacts Impacts Conservation Cluster 42.25 acres One stream crossing No impacts planned Flexible Development by access road planned Subdivision Traditional Subdivision Concept Not required At least one stream 1/10 of an acre per lot Individuals can impact 1110 crossing by road acre without a permit pursuant USACOE ll 18 Fox -� Rothschild 2 3 Beth Trahos said there was also discussion about the impact on potential environmental 4 features as a result of the proposed design of the project. She argued that with a cluster 5 development where the environmental features are not on the individual lots but are located on 6 one big tract of land that the homeowners' association owns, there would be less impact on the 7 wetlands. 8 9 37 1 Slide #30 Traffic What We Proposed What We heard Now We Responded Guiding Policy/Agency 2 access points Hwy 86 is busy,people Our traffic engineer Orange County UDO-no TIA Added conditions to speed in the area and it may and Orange County, required zoning case to be difficult to see on both,working closely confirm the property coming cars with NCDOT to ensure owner will comply safe roadways North Carolina Department of with NCDOT Transportation(NCDOT)—no requirements and to equest NCDOT study No access can be TIA required speed limit on installed until NCDOT Highway 86 issues a driveway permit(s) Driveway Permits,which include final NCDOT We have surveyed sight requirements,are issued after distances to provide to Subdivision Plan Review and NCDOT for evaluation before Final Plat as a part of the driveway permit Fvx�, Rothschild 2 3 Beth Trahos reviewed the concerns the team heard about traffic on Highway 86 and how 4 they responded to those concerns in the proposed plan and conditions. The following three slides 5 depict some concepts of what the gardens and trails might look like in this community. 6 7 Experiential Gardens Fox f Rothschild Trails .. Natural Surface Trails I I Foxes Rothschild 39 1 Slide#33 71 Boardwalks r • Rothschild 2 3 4 Slide #34 Proposed Zoning Conditions • The subject property shall be developed in accordance with the proposed site plan submitted as part of this application("Site Plan"). • The minimum lot size is 20,000 square feet.This deviates from the minimum in UDO Section 3.8.Suitable septic shall be provided on each parcel. • The property shall contain experiential gardens as shown on Site Plan as the Woodland Garden, the Picking Garden and the Pollinator Garden(the"Gardens"). The Gardens shall be dedicated to and maintained by the Homeowner's Association. • Where supplementation of perimeter plantings is required,native plant materials appropriate for the growing environment in that area shall be utilized. • An ADA-compliant, open-air mail kiosk will incorporate a weather covering with recessed lighting. Fox, Rothschild 5 6 7 40 1 Slide #35 Proposed Zoning Conditions (Continued) • Trails shall provide access to the Designated Community Gathering Space and each Garden as shown on the Site Plan. The length of the trails located on the subject property shall combined total at least 9,000 linear feet. Trail surfaces shall be aggregate or natural surface(not paved with concrete or asphalt)to minimize impacts to the existing environment and limit impervious surfaces. Boardwalks shall be utilized where the proposed trail crosses the wetlands as shown on the Site Plan, if permitted by Federal and State agencies. The trail and associated amenities described in this section shall be maintained by the Homeowner's Association. The precise location and alignment of the trails will be determined at final plat. • The property owner shall offer limited access to the planned trails and open space to the Eno River Academy for use by students,faculty and staff including the cross- country team pursuant to an agreement drafted by the landowner with an effective date after construction is complete. Foy,-,4!- Rothschild 2 3 4 Slide #36 Proposed Zoning Conditions (Continued) • The Designated Community Gathering Space as shown on the site plan to be maintained by the Homeowner's Association. • Individual septic systems meeting Orange County Health Department requirements will be provided on each lot. Septic systems shall be designed to serve up to a four(4)bedroom home. • No home shall contain more than four(4)bedrooms. • Lighting in common areas of the Community shall comply with the requirements UDO Section 6.11.6,which promotes Dark Sky Preservation. • Site access(es)shall be provided in accordance with North Carolina Department of Transportation(NCDOT)permits,including the provision of any required turn lanes and/or restrictions to the access(es). Foy, ► Rothschild 5 6 7 41 1 Slide#37 Proposed Zoning Conditions (Continued) • The property owner shall petition the Town of Hillsborough for access to public water to serve the subject property and,if approved,utilize public water in the subdivision,if necessary easements are reasonably obtainable. • The property owner shall write a letter to the North Carolina Department of Transportation requesting a speed limit reduction. Rothschild 2 3 4 Slide #38 Public Benefits • 49 needed homes for families in close proximity to the many amenities of Historic Hillsborough • Walking trails totaling at least 9,000 linear feet (1.7 miles) accessing unique experiential gardens and gathering spaces for the community • Offer Eno River Academy Cross-Country team for limited trail use after construction • Commitment to native plant materials appropriate for the growing area for perimeter plantings • Protecting more than half of the site (42.25 acres) as open space along the perimeter of the property Fox`op► Rothschild 5 6 Commissioner Carter asked how much of the open space is subject to riparian buffer 7 setbacks. 8 Don Sever, Civil Engineer, said there are a total of 1.9 wetland acres on the project and a 9 total of 17 acres of riparian buffers. 42 1 Commissioner Carter asked if there is additional land beyond the riparian buffers that 2 needs to be dedicated for setbacks. 3 Don Sever said there is a perimeter buffer shown on the plan that totals five acres, so in 4 total, there are 22 acres. 5 Taylor Perschau said for the residential conditional district, there aren't minimum buffers 6 and setbacks. The 17 acres are the primary open space, and that is always going to be regulated. 7 She said anything over that 17 is elective or could be asked for by the Board. 8 Commissioner Carter asked if the wetland is also regulated open space. 9 Taylor Perschau said yes. 10 Commissioner McKee asked a question about the information on Slide #29. He asked if 11 there are any lots that impact wetlands. 12 Ward Marotti said there are no wetland or stream impacts associated with the proposed 13 project. He said the information about the individual lots referred to the nationwide permit 14 programs for residential development. He said a regional condition in this district, the Wilmington 15 District, is the notification requirement of 1/101" of an acre or more. He said that is applicable to 16 almost all nationwide permits, and means if an applicant has an impact that equals less than 1/10t" 17 of an acre, it is still subject to the Clean Water Act, but notification is not required to the Wilmington 18 District, and there also is not a mitigation requirement. Similarly, he said the nationwide permit 19 program has a limit of half an acre of total permanent impacts, above which an individual permit 20 is required. He said one of the main differences is that with the nationwide permit process, many 21 of the federal agencies that would be involved have had their concerns addressed through the 22 process, so it expedites permits for small impacts. 23 24 Slide #39 y a 25 26 Beth Trahos said her team's belief is that this project does a good job of respecting the 27 rural heritage of this area while acknowledging Hillsborough and Orange County's growth in this 28 immediate vicinity and the need for more housing. She hoped the Board would agree with the 29 Planning Board's recommendation and approve this proposal. 30 Commissioner Fowler said she saw a conventional layout in the packet with 42 40,000 31 square ft. lots. She asked what that map was depicting. 32 Beth Trahos said there was an initial conversation with county staff about a traditional lot- 33 by-lot layout, and the advice from staff was that a cluster subdivision was the preferred option. 34 Commissioner Fowler asked if the applicant would pursue the other layout if the rezoning 35 request is not approved. 43 1 Beth Trahos reiterated that anything over 20 lots requires them to move through a rezoning 2 process. 3 Taylor Perschau said the applicant could not do a 49-lot subdivision, but could come back 4 with a proposal with fewer than 20 lots. She said they could also request a conditional zoning 5 again, but it would have to be a different site plan and a different design. 6 Commissioner Portie-Ascott said the Board has received emails with concerns about 7 contamination of Strouds Creek. She asked for some instances that could result in contamination. 8 Beth Trahos said in her opinion, contamination is unlikely given the required federal, state, 9 and local regulations. 10 Ward Marotti said he doesn't see the wells as an issue for contamination. 11 David Barcal agreed. 12 Commissioner Carter said she walked an adjacent property yesterday and saw Strouds 13 Creek and the property in question tonight. She said the water levels there after Chantal were 14 quite high. She acknowledged that it isn't possible to design for every possibility, but asked what 15 in the design prevents contamination from septic systems in the event of flooding. 16 David Barcal said to main protection is that none of the lots are permitted within the riparian 17 buffer, so there is already a boundary set just from the lot lines, and there are setbacks from the 18 lot lines as well. He said regulations force septic to be built outside of vulnerable areas. He said 19 the 12 inches of additional usable soil required at the bottom of the septic trench can't be soil that 20 has shown a history of standing water, so that is another protection. 21 Ward Marotti said the reason to have the buffers in the first place is so that there's 22 additional inflow and infiltration opportunities prior to those surface flows reaching the existing 23 surface waters. 24 Commissioner Fowler asked what the plan is for areas where the road crosses the riparian 25 areas. 26 Don Sever said there is only one crossing that would require a small culvert. 27 28 A motion was made by Commissioner Fowler, seconded by Commissioner McKee, to 29 open the public hearing. 30 31 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 32 33 PUBLIC COMMENTS: 34 Chris Pacheco, father and coach at Eno River Academy, opposed the rezoning, citing 35 concerns about runoff, sediment, and drip field failures potentially polluting Strouds Creek and the 36 Eno River basin water supply. He emphasized the school's outdoor learning in the creek and 37 safety concerns on Highway 86. 38 Wayne Honeycutt, listing broker for the Brown family, who has owned the property since 39 the 1950s, supported the rezoning. He noted the family's history as good neighbors, providing 40 land to Duke Power and easements to Hillsborough. He shared that the property has been under 41 contract four times with various proposals, and the family supports this plan's green space and 42 lower density. He emphasized the property must be sold as no heirs remain in North Carolina. 43 Cathy Owens said she sent three emails to the Board, including some concerning statistics 44 about the traffic on Highway 86. She asked the Board to deny the rezoning request. 45 Henry Chan, Eno River Academy parent, thanked commissioners for their service and 46 opposed development that would cut down a lot of the green spaces adjacent to the school. He 47 cited the cross-country team's reliance on the land for training and meets, noting their conference 48 championship success. He expressed concerns about increased injuries from rerouted courses 49 and quoted the commissioners' earlier statement that "leadership is not about policies, but about 50 people." 44 1 Lindsay Sealy, Executive Director at Eno River Academy, cited three concerns: 2 environmental impact noting Strouds Creek rose dangerously close to their playground during 3 Tropical Storm Chantal; transportation safety with 524 projected daily trips adding to the corridor 4 where 150 accidents and 5 fatalities occurred recently; and community trust, questioning the"very 5 limited access" to trails that would be controlled by the future HOA despite this being key to 6 planning board approval. 7 Aly Pacheco asked the Board not to approve this rezoning request. She said the trail on 8 the property is important for the Eno River Academy cross-country team's training. She said she 9 is a new driver and is also worried about the increased traffic around her school. 10 Rebecca Gallegly, nurse and Strouds Creek HOA member, noted the community well at 11 the property's northwest corner sits partially in unprotected wetlands at Strouds Creek 12 headwaters. She calculated 19,600 gallons daily draw for 49 homes, questioning groundwater 13 impacts. She emphasized 13 lots directly back to Strouds Creek with 20 more backing to 14 wetlands, warning of "inevitable contamination" from septic fields, stormwater runoff, and 15 fertilizers. Without rezoning, the developer could build 20 homes on one-plus acre lots, reducing 16 impacts by half. 17 Scott Robinson said he has two children at ERA, but is also a neighbor downstream from 18 this property. He said he is concerned about the potential for contamination, especially given 19 recent flooding from Tropical Storm Chantal. He was also worried about traffic, mentioned 20 endangered Carolina Madtom catfish in the creek, and urged preserving Hillsborough's small- 21 town character. 22 Ali Oho, a student at Eno River Academy and a member of the cross-country team, asked 23 the Board to deny the rezoning request. She spoke about the diverse wildlife on the property and 24 is concerned that they will be impacted by the proposed development. 25 Stephanie Waller cited Forestar and parent company DR Horton's legal issues, including 26 $400,000 civil penalties for Clean Water Act violations and sediment pollution. She criticized 27 Forestar's lack of transparency and contingency planning, placing responsibility on others (town 28 for water, DOT for traffic). She questioned their reputation and asked for accountability measures 29 if approved. 30 David Nagel, 11-year Eno River Academy parent and board chair, argued the proposal 31 contradicts current and 2050 land use plans designating the area as agricultural residential. He 32 questioned how dense development provides quality of life, noting Forestar's business model 33 creates value through entitlements. He said the property's value would quadruple from $1.2 34 million to $5 million through rezoning alone. 35 Elizabeth Millan asked the Board to deny the rezoning request. She said her concerns are 36 impacts to public safety and bad traffic congestion. She studied NCDOT's five-year history 37 showing nearly 150 accidents and several fatalities. 38 Jeanine Gangloff said she is concerned about impacts to traffic. She described her 39 children navigating 55 mph traffic with logging trucks and casino traffic from Danville, noting two 40 entrances on either side of a hill. She said fire, EMS, and police should be here to give expertise 41 because they will be the ones who are responding to accidents. She asked the Board to deny the 42 rezoning request. 43 Christine Preddy asked the Board to deny the request. She said it is too much 44 development too fast and will impact Eno River Academy downstream. She said she didn't realize 45 there were 5 fatalities in 5 years in this area., and is in favor of keeping the property open and 46 green for the students at ERA. 47 Otto Bermeo, a parent with 12 years of experience at Eno River Academy, voiced his 48 concerns during the public hearing. He emphasized the importance of reconciling the positive 45 1 experiences his children and their peers have had in school programs with the potential impact of 2 removing valuable teaching resources if the proposed development proceeds. Boro highlighted 3 that the school's outdoor environment is an essential part of the educational experience, enabling 4 students to learn from nature and the surrounding land. He, like many others, appealed to the 5 commissioners to evaluate the broader impact on education and the community before deciding 6 on the rezoning proposal. 7 Laura Streitfeld asked the Board to deny the request to rezone. She calculated a 23,520- 8 gallon daily water draw for the proposed development, pointing out that groundwater in similar 9 areas in Orange County regenerates at less than 400 gallons per day per acre. She emphasized 10 the implications of concentrating a high water draw like this on a relatively small area, especially 11 in terms of potential environmental impacts. She also highlighted that such a concentrated 12 extraction could detrimentally affect both the groundwater supply for residents and the natural 13 habitat, including the creek and wetlands nearby. This level of extraction could stress the local 14 groundwater resources, leading to issues for both the community and local ecosystems. 15 Winifred Johnson, who resides on Highway 86, shared her distress over the potential 16 impacts on well water and the traffic situation. She described her personal experiences living near 17 three hills along Highway 86, where the planned entrances for the development would create 18 hazardous "go-kart" conditions. 19 Annalisa Hartlaub asked the Board to deny the request. She expressed concerns over the 20 potential impact of the proposed development, particularly focusing on the risk of neighbors losing 21 water access due to the demands of the community well. She asked who these properties would 22 serve in the community and said the applicant's presentation didn't assure her that there would 23 be no sewer contamination. 24 Eva Nagel said this development will impact her school and the cross-country team. She 25 emphasized the issue of pollution potentially affecting Strouds Creek, which Eno River Academy 26 uses frequently for educational purposes. Her concerns extended to traffic safety along Highway 27 86 and 57. She fears the increased traffic from the development would exacerbate existing 28 hazardous conditions, further endangering community members and school families who 29 navigate these roads daily. She said the negatives outweigh the positives of this proposal. 30 Joe Phelps, lifelong Orange County resident and former Hillsborough mayor, didn't oppose 31 the Browns developing their land, but questioned the number of lots and the logistics of fitting 32 wells and septic systems on the 20,000 square foot lots. He said he is skeptical of Hillsborough's 33 water availability, given limitations and potential large developments south of town. He said he is 34 familiar with the Town's water limitations, and unless there is a guarantee, wouldn't count on 35 approval. 36 37 A motion was made by Commissioner Fowler, seconded by Commissioner McKee, to 38 close the public hearing. 39 40 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 41 42 Commissioner Greene said she sent a staff memo to the rest of the Board today that the 43 Hillsborough Board of Commissioners will be receiving at their meeting on Monday. She shared 44 information from her recent conversations with Hillsborough Mayor Bell and Assistant Town 45 Manager Matt Efird. She said the land in question is within the current Urban Services boundary, 46 but Hillsborough intends to pull it back, which would require a revision to the COCA. She read 47 from Hillsborough's 2023 comprehensive plan, which clarifies Hillsborough's focus on prioritizing 48 water and sewer for annexation and focusing remaining capacity in-town rather than extending 46 1 them into the county. She also read from the staff memo she sent around, which emphasized the 2 town did comment through the Hillsborough Orange Courtesy Orange County courtesy plan 3 review process that it may be able to provide water-only service to this development without 4 annexation, but this comment was informational in nature and was not an offer to serve. The 5 memo also highlighted concerns about service delivery issues, high infrastructure maintenance 6 costs, traffic at problem intersections, and residents being misled about town limits and available 7 services. Commissioner Greene said knowing whether Hillsborough will provide water is material 8 to her decision and said she would like to consider this matter after the Town's meeting where 9 they will receive this memo. 10 Given the late hour and need for the closed session and consent agenda approval, Chair 11 Bedford proposed continuing the item. 12 13 A motion was made by Chair Bedford, seconded by Vice-Chair Hamilton, to continue this 14 item and bring it back for consideration at the next business meeting on November 18 at 7 pm at 15 Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill." 16 17 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 18 19 Chair Bedford clarified that no public comment would be allowed at the continued hearing. 20 21 b. Unified Development Ordinance Text Amendments — Impervious Surfaces, Watershed 22 Protection Overlay Districts, and Stream Buffers 23 A motion was made by Chair Bedford, seconded by Commissioner McKee, to continue 24 this item and bring it back for consideration at the next business meeting on November 18 at 7:00 25 PM at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill. 26 27 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 28 29 30 6. Regular Agenda 31 None. 32 33 34 7. Reports 35 None. 36 37 38 8. Consent Agenda 39 40 • Removal of Any Items from Consent Agenda 41 . Approval of Remaining Consent Agenda 42 . Discussion and Approval of the Items Removed from the Consent Agenda 43 44 A motion was made by Commissioner Fowler, seconded by Vice-Chair Hamilton, to 45 approve the consent agenda. 46 47 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 48 49 a. Minutes for October 7, 2025 Business Meeting and October 14, 2025 Joint Meeting with 50 Chiefs Association and Work Session 47 1 The Board approved the draft minutes for the October 7, 2025 Business Meeting and October 14, 2 2025 Joint Meeting with Chiefs Association and Work Session, as corrected. 3 b. Motor Vehicle Property Tax Releases/Refunds 4 The Board adopted a resolution to release motor vehicle property tax values for nine (9)taxpayers 5 with a total of nine (9) bills that will result in a reduction of revenue. 6 c. Property Tax Releases/Refunds 7 The Board adopted a resolution to release property tax values for ten (10) taxpayers with a total 8 of thirteen (13) bills that will result in a reduction of revenue. 9 d. Late Applications for Property Tax Exemption/Exclusion 10 The Board approved nineteen (19) untimely applications for exemption/exclusion from ad valorem 11 taxation for nineteen (19) bills for the 2025 tax year. 12 e. Resolution Updating Compensation for Board of Equalization and Review Members 13 The Board received results from a state-wide survey of compensation provided to Board of 14 Equalization and Review (BOER) members, reviewed options for updating compensation for 15 Orange County's BOER members, and approved a resolution authorizing updated compensation 16 levels for BOER members. 17 f. Purchase of Equipment and Vehicles for Solid Waste Management 18 The Board approved and authorized Orange County Solid Waste to purchase: 19 1) Three (3) pieces of equipment: 20 Cat 910 Compact Wheel Loader 21 Cat 317GC Hydraulic Excavator 22 Cat 926 Small Wheel Loader; and 23 2) Two (2) vehicles 24 2026 Ford F250 4X4 Pickup; and 25 2026 Ford F250 Super cab XL Pickup. 26 g. Family Caregivers Month and Caregiver Day of Care Proclamation 27 The Board approved a proclamation recognizing November 2025 as Family Caregivers Month in 28 Orange County and designated November 8, 2025 as Orange County's Caregiver Day of Care. 29 h. Proclamation Recognizing and Honoring Leo Allison 30 The Board approved a proclamation recognizing and honoring Leo Allison as an "Orange County 31 Community Treasure". 32 L Proclamation Recognizing and Honoring Jean Andrews Earnhardt 33 The Board approved a proclamation recognizing and honoring Jean Andrews Earnhardt as an 34 "Orange County Community Treasure". 35 36 37 9. County Manager's Report 38 Travis Myren had no report for the Board. 39 40 41 10. County Attorney's Report 42 John Roberts had no report for the Board. 43 44 45 48 1 11. *Appointments 2 a. Orange County Broadband Task Force —Appointments Discussion 3 The Board discussed and approved appointments to the Orange County Broadband Task Force. 4 BACKGROUND: At the October 7, 2025 Business Meeting, the Board of County Commissioners 5 (BOCC) amended the charge of the Orange County Broadband Task Force (the Task Force), 6 appointed two (2) Commissioners, and re-appointed two (2) Orange County Resident - At-Large 7 members. The BOCC also directed the Clerk to advertise the remaining three (3) Orange County 8 Resident -At-Large positions, with an application deadline of October 26, 2025. 9 10 The updated charge of the Task Force is: 11 1. To discuss broadband solutions that will improve the quality of high-speed internet 12 services to Orange County residents, and 13 2. To recommend a plan to the Board of Orange County Commissioners to expand reliable 14 high-speed internet services to all County residents and businesses. 15 3. To update and track broadband coverage needs as State and Federal program awards 16 are made. 17 4. To consult with County staff on how to best communicate information related to broadband 18 coverage to all residents. 19 20 All positions have been filled except three (3)of the Orange County Resident—At-Large positions. 21 22 The full composition of the Task Force includes: 23 24 • County Manager 31 • Durham Technical Community 25 • Orange County Chief Information 32 College Representative 26 Officer 33 • Two (2) Commissioners 27 • Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools 34 • Five (5) Orange County Residents -- 28 Superintendent Designee 35 At-Large 29 • Orange County Schools 30 Superintendent Designee 36 37 The following positions are presented for Board consideration: 38 NAME POSITION TYPE OF EXPIRATION DESCRIPTION APPOINTMENT DATE TERM BOCC At-Large First Full Term 09/30/2028 Appointee BOCC At-Large First Full Term 09/30/2028 Appointee BOCC At-Large First Full Term 09/30/2028 Appointee 39 40 Tara May introduced the item. She reemphasized an email she sent earlier this week, 41 explaining that the content of one applicant's application was erroneously imported into another 42 applicant's application, resulting in them having the same answers. She reminded the Board that 43 she sent them the correct application for Patrick Murphy and a copy is also at their seats. 44 45 Vice-Chair Hamilton nominated Andrew Leeb for appointment. 46 49 1 VOTE FOR ANDREW LEEB: UNANIMOUS 2 3 Commissioner Greene nominated Eric Kurtz for appointment. 4 5 VOTE FOR ERIC KURTZ: UNANIMOUS 6 7 Commissioner Portie-Ascott nominated Matthew Clements for appointment. 8 9 VOTE FOR MATTHEW CLEMENTS: Ayes, 4 (Commissioner Portie-Ascott, Commissioner 10 Carter, Commissioner Fowler, Commissioner McKee); Nays, 3 (Chair Bedford, Vice-Chair 11 Hamilton, Commissioner Greene) 12 13 Chair Bedford nominated Roy Schonberg for appointment. 14 15 VOTE FOR ROY SCHONBERG:Ayes, 3 (Chair Bedford,Vice-Chair Hamilton, Commissioner 16 Greene); Nays, 4 (Commissioner Portie-Ascott, Commissioner Carter, Commissioner 17 Fowler, Commissioner McKee) 18 19 After additional discussion, Commissioner Carter made a motion to reconsider the vote 20 for Matthew Clements. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Fowler. 21 22 VOTE TO RECONSIDER MATTHEW CLEMENTS: Ayes, 1 (Commissioner McKee); Nays, 6 23 (Chair Bedford, Vice-Chair Hamilton, Commissioner Carter, Commissioner Fowler, 24 Commissioner Greene, Commissioner Portie-Ascott) 25 26 Vice-Chair Hamilton nominated Patrick Murphy for appointment. 27 28 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 29 30 31 12. Information Items 32 • October 21, 2025 BOCC Meeting Follow-up Actions List 33 • Tax Collector's Report— Numerical Analysis 34 • Tax Collector's Report— Measure of Enforced Collections 35 • Tax Collector's Report— Foreclosure Chart 36 • Tax Assessor's Report— Releases/Refunds under $100 37 • Memorandum —Appeals and Neighborhood Reviews Update Reports 38 • Memorandum — Uproar Festival of Public Art 2025 39 40 41 13. Closed Session 42 43 A motion was made by Vice-Chair Hamilton, seconded by Chair Bedford, to enter into 44 closed session at 10:02 PM to "consult with an attorney employed or retained by the public body 45 in order to preserve the attorney-client privilege between the attorney and the public body," 46 pursuant to NCGS 143-318(a)(3). 47 48 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 49 50 1 RECONVENE INTO REGULAR SESSION 2 A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Fowler, to 3 reconvene into regular session at 10:22 p.m. 4 5 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 6 7 Adjournment 8 9 A motion was made by Commissioner Fowler, seconded by Commissioner Greene, to 10 adjourn the meeting at 10:22 p.m. 11 12 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 13 14 Jamezetta Bedford, Chair 15 16 17 Recorded by Tara May, Deputy Clerk to the Board 18 19 Submitted for approval by Laura Jensen, Clerk to the Board