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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 09-05-2000-8hORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: September 5, 2000 Action Agenda Item No. $_~j SUBJECT: County Appropriation for_Southern Community Park Design DEPARTMENT: County Manager/Budget PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): Capital Project Ordinance 6/20/00 Chapel Hill Town Manager Letter 6/21 /00 Chapel Hill Mayor Letter INFORMATION CONTACT: Rod Visser, ext 2300 Donna Dean, ext 2151 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To consider an additional appropriation to assist the Town of Chapel Hill in funding the engagement of design consultants for the development of a Southem Community Park concept plan; and to adopt a capital project ordinance apprapriatiog funds for the Southem Community Park project. BACKGROUND: The November 1997 park bonds approved by Orange County voters included $1 million earmarked to assist the Town of Chapel Hill in developing the Southern Community Park that will be constructed near US15-501 South and Scroggs Elementary Schaol in the Southem Village. At their June 6, 2000 meeting, the Board of Commissioners approved the appropriation of $50,000 in County park bond funds to assist the Town of Chapel Hill in paying for the development of a concept plan for the Southem Community Park The County has since received a clarifying letter from Mayor Waldorf that the Town would like to rely on $100,000 of County bond money for the concept plan development and preparation of working drawings. Funds are expected to be needed by the Town sometime in fall 2000, after a design consultant has been solicited and hired by the Town. The Town Manager has provided a written update that is attached for the Board's infom~ation regarding work accomplished and planned at both the Southem Community Park and the Homestead Community Park near Airport Road. In 1998, the Board had also approved the appropriation of $105,000 in park bonds for the installation of lighting, bleachers, and irrigation at the Scroggs Elementary playing field, use of which is shared by the Town of Chapel Hill and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. Those project elements have already been accomplished during the construction of Scroggs Elementary, and the Town of Chapel Hill has requested reimbursement. Approval of the attached capital project ordinance would authorize the County Finance Director to disburse those reimbursement funds and money for the concept plan and drawings, as needed by the Town. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The requested bond funds of $205,000 are available for appropriation, as earmarked in the County's approved 2000-2010 CIP. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the additional appropriation of $50,000 in Southern Community Park design funds, and adopt the capital project ordinance authorizing the expenditure of $205,000 in County park bonds for the Southern Community Park project. Town of Chapel Hill Park Projects Capital Project Ordinance Project Number 61-606 Be it ordained by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners that pursuant to Section 13.2 of Chapter 159 of the General Statutes of North Carolina, the following capital project is hereby adopted. Section 1. The project authorizes the County to contr7bute funds to the Town of Chapel Hill to off set costs of constructing or upgrading parks. Funding is supported by proceeds from the 1997 Bond Referendum. Section 2. The officers of the County are hereby directed to proceed with the project within the budget contained herein. Section 3. The following revenue is anticipated to complete this project: Through FY 1999- 00 FY 2000-01 Through FY 2000- 01 Sales Tax $0 $0 $0 1997 Bond Funds $0 $350,000 $350 000 Private Placement $0 $0 $0 Fees. $0 $0 $0 Other $0 $0 $0 Total Fundin $0 $350,000 $350,000 Section 4. The following amount is appropriated for this project: Through FY 1999- 00 FY 200D-01 Through FY 2000- 01 Land/Buildin $0 $0 $0 Desi n $0 $0 $0 Construction $0 $0 $0 Other Homestead Communi Park $0 $145,000 $145,000 Southern Communi Park $0 $205 000 $205,000 Total Costs $0 $350,000 $350,000 Section 5. This ordinance shall remain in effect from September 5, 2000 until June 30, 2001. Adopted this 5"' day of September, 2000. 'c~s~~` 4 /ti r ~\ ~ Tm Gr ~~ J~+`~ - - -- $~,'Y CA~~v~ i TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL June 20, 2000 John Link, County Manager Orange County PO Box 8181 Hillsborough, NC 2728 Lear Jor~r: I am writing to update you on the progress we have made on the park projects in Chapel Hill which are partially funded by Orange County 1997 parks and recreation bonds, and to raise an issue about cash flow. As you may remember, the Board of County Commissioner asked the Town Council to prepare a schedule showing when the Town would need the portions of the County bond proceeds that had been allocated to the Chapel Hill's Northern Community Park, now known as Homestead Park, and Southern Community Park. The Town Council approved the following schedule on August 24, 1998, and we forwarded it on to you then: YEAR AMOUNT SCHEDULE OF TOWN NEEDS FOR FUNDS 1998 $145,000 Construction of concession/restroom building and utility extension at Homestead Park 1999 $205,000 School soccer field at Southern Village ($105,000) and Southern Community Park conceptual plan/construction drawings ($100,000) 2001 $795,000 Construction of Phase I of Southern Cornrnuni Park 2002 $855,000 Construction at Homestead Park (excluding concession/restroom buildin and utili extension) Concession bathroom building: The concession/restroom structure funded through the County's bond funds was opened in the fall of 1999 in conjunction with the skateboard facility. We have been pleased with the numbers of Orange County citizens, both municipal residents and those of unincorporated areas, who have been using these facilities. Scro s Element School Soccer Field: The field is substantially complete and has been in use by school classes and after school programs, Chapel .Hill Parks and Recreation programs, and other community groups since last fall. We understand that the Board of Education is very close to final acceptance of the field, at which time the Town will need to pay the Board for the irrigation system, field lighting, benches and other small amenities. 306 N. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516 (919) 9G$-2700 Southern Community Park: The Council appreciates the recent Board action to appropriate up to $50,000 to the Town for development of a Southern Community Park concept plan. We look forward to both County and Town of Carrboro involvement in the project. It is our hope to begin the conceptual plan process in the fall of 2000. Then, when the plan is completed and additional funding is available, we would produce the construction drawings and build the first phase of the park. Construction at Homestead Park: The Homestead Park Aquatic/Community Center Conceptual Plan Committee has been meeting for approximately 6 months. Commissioner Margaret Brown is serving as the County representative on that group. We expect the Committee will present an interim report to the Council in August. With the exception of the aquatics/community center, Homestead Park's scheduled build-out is nearly complete, with the batting cage facility currently under construction and anticipated to be finished by the end of the summer. As you can see, the Town of Chapel Hill has been making major expenditures to provide recreational facilities to the residents of the Chapel Hill, Carrboro and the unincorporated areas of Orange County. Of our 1996 $5,000,000 parks and recreation bond issue, we have -spent $425,000 in finishing the Northside Gymnasium and $3,259,000 on Homestead Park. (The park includes 2 softball baseball fields, 2 rectangular athletic fields, a skateboard park, a batting cage facility, playground, picnic shelter, and walking trails.) The remaining $1,316,000 will be sold in early 2002 to partially fund the aquatics/community center to be located in Homestead Park. While the Town is most appreciative of the County's allocation of funds to recreation facilities in the southern part of the County, we must point out that allocation alone does not help us with cash flow. We have already spent $145,000 on the Homestead Park concession/restroom building; we expect to spend $105,000 for the soccer field at Scroggs Elementary School by the end of the summer. County children and adults have already been enjoying both of these facilities for many months now. Therefore, we write to ask for reimbursement for all that we have spent or will soon spend on both the Southern Community Park and Homestead Park: $145,000 Homestead Park, concession/restroom building expended 105,000 Scroggs Elementary School field to be expended by fa112000 50,000 Southern Community Park concept plan to be expended fall/winter 2000 If I can add anything to this letter, please call. Thank you. Sin ely, W. Calvin Horton Town Manager