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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 11-22-1999 - 21 ' .~ ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: November 22, 1999 ..Action Agenda Item No. a SUBJECT: School/Park Reserve Update and Location Opportunities DEPARTMENT: Environment and Resource PUBLIC HEARING: (lf/N) No Conservation ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Annotated Recommendations (revised) David Stancil, 245-2590 Craig Benedict, 245-2592 . Donna Dean, 245-2151 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane. 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To consider the BOCC School/Park Reserve Committee findings, annotated with updated information from staff. BACKGROUND: On May 6, 1999, an ad hoc BOCC committee of Commissioners- Brown and Jacobs met to look at the. School/Park Reserve Fund and its use as a funding source for current proposals then on the table and long-term issues. The group was to present their report to the BOCC for its approval. The report was presented to the Board on June 1, with no action taken at that time. An updated version of this. report is attached. that addresses three primary issues.. First, since the report was created and reviewed, several of the topic areas in the report have been addressed or resolved. The proposed Northern Orange and Smith Middle School site considerations have .changed, and the disposition of future allocations of the fund has been addressed. on an interim basis. Second, .the Schools and Land Use Councils have discussed co-location of school/park facilities and a memorandum of agreement has been developed along these lines. Finally, the Schools and Land Use Councils are also looking at ways to identify future schools sites that can be shown on the Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan. In light of these new activities, the updated version with annotation by staff is provided for the Board's review. In addition, the BOCC may wish to consider pursuing joint school/park sites prior to implementation of the Comprehensive Plan location program which may take longer than the short-term opportunities that are available in today's market. 2 FINANCIAL IMPACT: None at this time, but future allocations of moneys from this fund could impact other CIP projects and County programs. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board investigate short-term opportunities for school/park site acquisition using the applicable criteria from the committee's report, and authorize staff to add potential future school/park sites to the upcoming Comprehensive Plan update. t Recommendations of the School/Parks Reserve Committee May 6,1999 (annotated with staff comments) On May 4, the Board of Commissioners appointed members Margaret Brown and Barry Jacobs as a committee to discuss the proposed school/park combination projects raised at the May 4 meeting and the potential use of the School/Parks Reserve Fund. The Committee met with Finance Director Ken Chavious and Environment and Resource Conservation Director David Stancil on May 6. At this meeting, the committee agreed to develop both short-term recommendations on the .disposition toward the school/park proposals on the table, and long-term recommendations for the future of the reserve fund. These recommendations are: I. Short-Term/Current Projects A. The two projects mentioned on May 4 should both be pursued to meet needs of the community. (the Board decided to not pursue the Northern orange elementary. site because the Orange County Schools did not hold clear title to the land. The Smith Middle School field project in chapel hill-carrboro is on hold pending review by the n.c. department of public instruction on lease arrangements). B. These needs can best be met without tapping into the School/Parks Reserve Fund. C. The following criteria should be used in evaluating funding for these or other short-term school/park requests: 1. As an incentive to assist the Towns in meeting parks needs, County funding of Town park projects (including school/Town park combinations) would be offered on a i:i matching basis. 2. The land in question for a proposed school/park co-location must be owned by a governmental entity before County funds are committed. 3. County funding contributions should not be made for parks design or .planning, unless County funds are used to complete the project. D. The acquisition of the adjacent 12-acres to the Northern Orange Elementary School should be funded from payment-in-lieu receipts to date, as possible, in northern Orange County. This may necessitate the re-drawing of the existing payment-in-lieu districts. (not pursued - p/ease see above,) E. Funding for the expanded Smith Middle School/carrboro Park arrangement should be addressed through use of the remaining moneys from the parks bond for facility development. The County should offer to match. the cost of this proposal with a like amount from the Town of carrboro. The estimated project cost is $450,000, which would translate into $225,000 each from carrboro and Orange County. (on ho/d - p/ease see 1St bu//et above) II. Long-Term /Reserve Fund Recommendations As of )une 30, 1999, the School/Parks Reserve Fund balance is expected to be $2.39 million, with $2.24 million in revenue to the fund and $0.15 million in accrued interest (please see attached). The fund receives one-cent each year in revenue, which translates into an estimated $682,000 in FY 99- 00. (Updated figures show that there is current/y $2,38 mi//ion in this fund, with $2,24 mi//ion in revenue and $0.14 mi//ion in interest. In june, the board changed the future funding a//ocation from one cent to Z/3 cent on the tax base per year, with 2/3 cent going to county capita/ faci/ities needs) A. It is recommended that the School/Parks Reserve not be used for the current needs, and instead be designated for longer-term land acquisition needs, with the following parameters: 1. As proposed in the Master and Recreation and Parks draft report, a new interlocal Parklands and Resources Council should be involved in future plans .for land-banking opportunities for parks and school/park co-location. (the Parks Counci/is current/y deferred pending discussion of the master recreation and parks report) 2. The interest accumulated in the Reserve Fund should be available for possible use to address facility development needs not addressed through bonds or other means. There is currently an estimated $147,000 in interest accrued to this fund. However, County funding .assistance for facility development should be contingent the Board of Commissioners having a say in the development of the site and that value engineering is pursued for the project. 3. The existing $2.24 million in the fund (minus the interest above) should be retained for future land acquisition. Bond funds and other sources should be used for facility development. 4. In the interest of maintaining maximum flexibility for the Board of Commissioners, the school/recreation nexus need not always be readily apparent at the time of acquisition. 5. It is recommended that future one-cent allocations to this fund be split and re-allocated as follows: a. 50% to County capital facility needs (this will amount to approximately $341,000 in FY 99-00) b. 50% retained for land acquisition in the reserve fund (also $341,000 in FY 99-00) (in June, the board changed the future funding a//ocation from one cent to Z/3 cent on the tax base per year, with 2/3 cent going to County capita/ faci/ities needs) B. The Board of Commissioners should establish a "Strategic Issue Team" to meet with the Manager, Finance Director, ERC Director and others as needed, to address future opportunities and problems of school/park proposals when they arise. (a "quickresponse team comprised of the chair and vice-chair has been formed to address this need). .,11/21/1999 22:18 96?3823 ALICE GORDON PAGE 02 MEMORANDUM To: Board of Commissioners and Manager From: Barry Jacobs and Alice .Gordon Subject. Comments on School/Park Reserve Update Agenda Item Date: November 21.,1999. COmmQntS o~ "Recomnlenda~,Qpg of the~l/Parks Res rye C,,,,ct~mitt~e„ We suggest that the Board of Commissioners adopt the recommendations of the coz~.ittee with the following revisions: I. Short=Perm/Current Projects A. The two protects mentioned on May a should be handled as follows to meet the needs of the conunaunity: I.. The Board has decided to not pursue the Northern Grange Elementary site because the Orange County Schools did not hold clear title to the land. 2. The Board has decided that the Smith Middle School field project in Chapel Hill-Canrboro should be pursued .but It is on hold pending review by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction on lease arrangements. B, C -Adopt as shown. D -Delete (The Board decided to not pursue this project; the reason is given ixt A.1 above) E. -Adopt as shown, but add further language. as follows: The Board has decided in concept to pursue a first phase of this project with ST5,~04 provided by the Town of Carrboro and with a $75,040 match from the County. Before this money is appropriated, however, the County should. receive and. approve a written proposal concerning -this project and its associated costs. II. Long Term Reserve Fund Recommendations First Paragraph: Adopt as shown, and add the language given as staff comments. A Adopt the overview sentence and handle the sertions as follows: ,A.1 -Defer the Parks Council item and fold it into the discussion. of the Masten Recreation and Parks Report. A. 2, 3, 4 -Adopt as shown A.5 -The coxnmittee recommended that future one-cent allocations to this fund be split .and re-allocated as follows:. (a) and (b) -Include as shown h: June 1999, the Board changed the future funding allocation from one cent to 1!3 cent on the tax base per year, with 2/3 cent going to county capital facilities needs. 11!21!1999 22:18 96?3823 ALICE GQRDON PAGE @3 Comments an School/dark Resezve Update .~4genda Item page 2 B -Delete (A "quick response team" comprised of the chair and vice chalx has been foamed to address phis .need). 05Slbl $~C 14 ~On l.. The Board should adopt the recommendations of the committee, as revised above. 2. The Board should authorize staff to investigate short terra opPoxtunities for. school/park site acquisition using the applicable criteria from the committee's report, and briat~g back their findings to the Board for approval; azxd alto authorize staff to add potential future school park sites to the upcoming Comprehensive plan update.