Orange County NC Website
ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: December 2, 1996 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item # 1 y~- ~ <br />SUBJECT: STAFF ASSISTANCE FOR CITIZEN-INITIATED ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS <br />DEPARTMENT: PLANNING PUBLIC HEARING Yes _x_No <br />BUDGET AMENDMENT NEEDED Yes x No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Mary Willis <br />Extension 2583 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />I~lsborough - 732-8181 <br />Durham ~ - 688-7331 <br />Mebane - 227-2031 <br />- 967-9251 <br />To consider establishing olic 'th respect to the amount of staff assistance to be <br />provided to citizens initiating ordinance amendments. <br />sACKGROUND: At its meeting on September 17, 1996, the Boazd of Commissioners discussed citizen- <br />initiated ordinance amendments. In question was the amount of Planning Staff time <br />which should be spent assisting applicants in developing proposals, which may not be <br />supported by the staff or governing boazds. The Boazd of Commissioners directed the <br />County Manager to review the issue and to report back to the Boazd with policy <br />recommendations. <br />Historically, the Planning Staff has worked closely with citizens in developing <br />amendment proposals. Most proposals have implications beyond the specific needs of <br />the citizen proposing the amendment. Citizens often do not have the expertise to <br />convert their ideas to a more broadly-applicable ordinance form. <br />Depending on the complexity of issues involved, a considerable amount of time can be <br />spent by the Planning Staff to develop a proposal for the applicant. Since the idea <br />would have been generated by the applicant rather than the County, the content or <br />purpose of the proposal may not be supported by the Staff, Planning Board or Boazd of <br />Commissioners. <br />In order to make the most efficient use of staff resources, the Boazd of <br />Commissioners may wish to consider reviewing the general purpose of citizen- <br />initiated amendment requests prior to the drafting of any text by the Planning Staff. <br />~ Chapel Hill <br />