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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 09-30-2003-aASSEMBLY OF GOVERNMENTS AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: September 30, 2003 SUBJECT: Assembly of Governments Discussion Items DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): As noted in "Background" section INFORMATION CONTACT: Rod Visser or Greg Wilder, ext 2300 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To discuss topics of mutual interest among the governing boards of Orange County and the Towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Hillsborough. BACKGROUND: 1. Potential Impacts Resulting from a Possible Merger of the Orange County Schools and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools In accordance with a Board of Commissioner goal for calendar year 2003, County staff prepared a report with analysis of potential financial, organizational, and legal implications that might arise from the possible merger of the County's two school systems. County staff will provide a brief synopsis of the major findings, as first presented at the September 15 work session of the Orange County Commissioners. The entire staff report is voluminous, and therefore is not provided in hard copy as an attachment to this abstract. However, the report in its entirety may be reviewed online at the Orange County website (www.co.orange.nc.us). Public hearings on the topic of potential school merger have been established by the BOCC for October 16 and 23, 2003. No Attachments 2. "Smart Growth" Principles Related to School Design and Construction During Summer 2003, the Board of Commissioners and Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education approved an interlocal agreement between the County and CHCCS that established the anticipated budget and other considerations related to the project to design and build a third high school in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro system. The BOCC determined that they would provide $27.8 million in capital funding for this project. The BOCC also indicated that they would 2 provide an additional $2.2 million for the project if CHCCS provided the BOCC with a satisfactory proposal `for a design of CHCCS high school #3 that promotes smart-growth, which design addresses `reduced parking, ~reducedJ land disturbance, and other deleterious aspects of current plans' An ad hoc group (comprised of County/Schools/Town/DOT elected officials and staff, smart growth experts, and interested citizens) has met on several occasions during the past month to discuss specific smart growth design criteria that could be applicable to new school construction in general, and specifically, the CHCCS third high school project. County Commissioners and staff involved in this effort will provide a brief update on progress to date. No Attachments 3. Air Quality Update As anticipated at the April 2003 Assembly of Governments meeting, issues and activities related to air quality have progressed on two fronts. First, the State has now formally recommended to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that the Triangle region (among others) be designated as an "ozone non-attainment area." The official designation would be made by EPA in April 2004. Implications of this designation include more restrictive requirements for new large industrial sources, requirements that transportation plans demonstrate no worsening of air quality, and a potential withholding of Federal transportation funds for new road projects. The degree of local measures that will be needed or requested to address non-attainment is not yet known, as the State Air Quality Division continues to assess possible Statewide and region-wide measures toward a State Implementation Plan (SIP). Secondly, prior to this ozone recommendation, Orange County, Chapel Hill and Carrboro had joined the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) and the Cities/Counties for Climate Protection (CCP) program. As noted in the April 2003 Assembly of Governments agenda item, each local government in this program agrees to conduct a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions inventory and action plan. At that time, the County and Town boards indicated a positive response to the concept of joining forces on this project for comprehensiveness and efficiency. In June, the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) approved funding for portions of this project, and staff has developed a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) and proposed Scope of Work (attached). This was submitted to several known consultants in August, but the request yielded only one submittal. Staff proposes to re-submit another RFQ to gauge additional interest, and report back later this fall. The schedule in the RFQ will also need to be adjusted to reflect this timetable. The amount of grant funding for the project from the MPO may be more limited than initially thought, as the federal funding sources which allocate these monies will fund only project objectives that have a direct transportation function. As such, it is possible that a higher percentage of the cost of this initiative (projected to be $30-45,000 total) would have to come from local matching dollars. A draft Memorandum of Agreement is being prepared by staff to address the roles and responsibilities (financial and otherwise), for elected boards review later this fall (in conjunction with proposals received for the GHG Inventory and Action Plan). No action is being requested on any of these items at this time. Staffs from the three jurisdictions will provide a brief update on these activities, as well as other reports and initiatives from around the region. Attachment 3a -Joint Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Orange County Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Reduction Plan Request for Qualifications Attachment 3b - Joinf Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Orange County Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Reduction Plan Scope of Work Attachment 3c -Map: North Carolina's Recommendation on 8-hr Ozone Nonattainment Boundaries 4. Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) Report on Orange County Animal Shelter The Board of Commissioners, in an August 28, 2003 joint work session with the Animal Protection Society Board of Directors and the Board of Health, received the final report from HSUS regarding Animal Shelter Operations. The BOCC also received an interim report from staff on various transition scenarios should the Board elect to assume County operation of the Shelter. Both reports may be reviewed in their entirety at the County website (www.co.orange.nc.us). A public hearing was held on September 25tH to receive citizen comments on the HSUS Report. The Board is scheduled to continue its discussion of a structured approach to addressing the issues and strategies contained in both reports at its meeting on October 21St County staff will provide a brief synopsis of the major findings, as first presented at the August 28tH work session. No Attachments 5. Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) Organizational Review The Capitol Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) has completed an Organizational Review of CAMPO to investigate alternative organizational structures to meet the future transportation planning needs of the Raleigh area. Commissioner Jacobs has requested discussion of organizational review as it affects Orange County jurisdictions that are members of the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC). The attached executive summary suggests three optional organizational structures: Option 1. Formal Regional Coordination and Modified CAMPO Organizational Structure: Changes in internal and external organizational structure of CAMPO, maintains the independence of the CAMPO process from that of DCHC; Option 2. Formal Regional Coordination, Modified CAMPO Organizational Structure, and Consolidated Regional MPO Staff Function: Same changes as in first option and also combines staffing function with that of DCHC, maintains policy independence of the CAMPO process; Option 3. Consolidated Regional MPO: DCHC and CAMPO member jurisdictions would join neighboring non-MPO jurisdictions to form a single MPO. The CAMPO study relates to General Statutes of North Carolina Chapter 136-200.4 (part of Session Law 2000-80 signed by the governor July 5, 2000) that requires metropolitan planning organizations with at least twenty-five percent (25%) of their area of jurisdiction located within the boundaries of anon-attainment area to consult on appropriate emissions reduction strategies and to adopt a single, unified plan for achieving conformity. The penalty for failure to adopt a single conformity plan is the Department of Transportation will not allocate to the MPO(s) any State-funded road construction funds, State matching funds for road construction or transit capital projects, or Federal congestion mitigation and air quality improvement program funds. The DCHC Transportation Advisory Committee, at its meeting on September 10, reviewed the executive study and determined that the Committee needed more time to address the issues presented in the report prior to accepting an invitation by the Regional Transportation Alliance to host a joint DCHC CAMPO TAC meeting to discuss options for organizational restructuring. The DCHC TAC will discuss the issues at its next meeting on October 8, 2003. A related item on that agenda will be a draft report of the Unified Conformity Strategies Plan Working Group formed to address questions regarding clarification of NCGS 136-200.4 and its implications for MPOs. Attachment 5 -Organizational Review of the Capital Area MPO (CAMPO) 6. Substandard Rental Housing Task Force The Carrboro Board of Aldermen indicated via the accompanying resolution that they wish to discuss this topic at this Assembly of Governments meeting. Attachment 6 - 9/16/03 Carrboro Board of Aldermen Resolution 7. Informational Items At the request of various elected officials, background materials on the following topics are provided simply for informational purposes. Staffs can follow upon any questions that may be generated from review of these documents. a. Timelines for Town/County Partner Capital Projects The County and Towns are involved in a number of joint capital projects involving several funding sources, especially proceeds from 2001 general obligation bonds approved by Orange County voters. Planning for a number of these undertakings, such as the Homestead Aquatic Center and the Southern Community Park, is well underway. An accompanying memo from County Budget Director Donna Dean recaps the funding for the various projects. Attachment 7a - 9/24/03 Orange County Budget Director Memo b. Solid Waste Issues County staff are in the process of scheduling a County Commissioner work session this fall that will provide an opportunity for the BOCC to discuss a variety of important topics related to the 10 year solid waste management plan, related facilities and services, and along-term financing strategy. In light of actual and anticipated decreases in tipping fee revenue in recent and future years, it is important to ensure that adequate funding is available to continue existing landfill and recycling services, meet debt obligations, and satisfy environmental and legal requirements for both current operations and post-landfill closure. The accompanying memo from Solid Waste Director Gayle Wilson highlights some of the successes and challenges for the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund, and some of the decisions related to potential future facilities (e.g. transfer station, materials recovery or other processing facilities) and alternative financing (e.g. fees) that will be needed in both the short- and long-term. Attachment 7b - 9/24/03 Orange County Solid Waste Management Director Memo FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no direct financial impact associated with discussion of these topics. There are no action items requiring formal Board decisions. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Boards discuss the topics listed and provide appropriate direction to the respective staffs.