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36 <br />5/26/99 <br />One of the important results of this report will be the laying of groundwork <br />for future matching funds and grant programs -- many of which require a set <br />of goals, objectives and criteria. As Orange County, Chapel Hill, Carrboro and <br />Hillsborough develop, the nature of future park and recreation provision will <br />likely include cooperative ventures among the local governments and <br />partnerships with organizations such as the school systems,. OWASA, UNC <br />and Duke. Planning for this eventuality should begin now, to ensure that <br />valuable opportunities are not lost. These concepts were in fact, the reason <br />for this effort, as described In the Assembly of Governments and Manager's <br />reports from 1996. <br />In its deliberations, the Master Recreation and Parks Work Group has <br />developed recommendations in nine key areas: <br />A. Create a "Parks and Resource Lands Council" <br />In developing plans for long -term recreation and parks planning, <br />the Work Group has identified a need for a .permanent joint <br />Parks and Resource Lands Council. For example, this council <br />might include one elected official and one citizen from each <br />jurisdiction, along with representatives from the school systems, <br />UNC, OWASA and Duke. The Council could meet quarterly to <br />address follow -up concerns in the areas discussed in this report. <br />The opportunity in this Work Group to bring all of the different <br />local governments to the table has been useful and informative, <br />and the Work Group feels that this momentum could be <br />continued through a long -term mechanism. While the actual <br />duties of the Council would need to be determined, some areas <br />of responsibility might include: <br />Develop and periodically review coordinated standards; <br />• Develop future bond proposals for parks and recreation; <br />• Provide input and a coordinating mechanism for updates of <br />future recreation plans in the different jurisdictions; <br />• Make recommendations on allocation of future bond moneys <br />for parks and recreation; <br />• Develop grant applications and alternative funding sources; <br />• Maintain and update the Inventory of Parks and Recreation <br />Facilities developed as part of this effort; <br />• Create and maintain an inventory of properties dedicated or <br />accepted as part of the development process; <br />• Monitor success of efforts to protect significant natural areas <br />as identified in the Natural Areas Inventory, watershed <br />34 <br />