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<br />Orange County Commissioners <br />P. O. Box 8181 <br />200 S Cameron Street <br />Hillsborough, NC 27278 <br />AhceM. Gordon, Chair <br />Stephen H. Ha/kiotis, Ytce Chair <br />Margaret W. Brown <br />M°sa Carey, J~ MEMORANDUM <br />Barry Jacobs <br />TO: Speaker Pro Tem Joe Hackney <br />Representative Verla Insko <br />Senator Howard Lee <br />Senator Ellie Kinnaird <br />FROM: Alice Gordon, Chair, Board of County Commissioners <br />SUBJECT: Consolidation of Metropolitan Planning Organizations <br />DATE: May 20, 1999 <br />!°i-` <br />~o <br />e <br />At our meeting of May 18, 1999, the Orange County Board of Commissioners received a report on <br />bills introduced by Representative Luebke and Senator Clodfelter that would reorganize metropolitan <br />planning organizations in North Carolina. We are particularly concerned about the possible merger <br />of the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC-MPO) and the <br />Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) which covers Raleigh and Wake <br />County. We feel there are other ways to encourage regional transportation planning. <br />In that MPO decisions are reached through a system of weighted voting based on population, we are <br />apprehensive that merger with the much larger CAMPO area would severely dilute our voice in <br />transportation planning and funding decisions. The member governments of the DCHC-MPO have <br />worked diligently over the last 10 years to achieve a balanced transportation system composed not <br />only of roads, but transit, bicycle, and pedestrian facilities as well. We are concerned that our focus <br />on multi-modal transportation planning might be overshadowed by a greater emphasis on road and <br />highway construction should MPO merger occur. <br />Consistent with our concerns, you will also be receiving additional correspondence regarding the <br />proposed legislation on merging MPOs. The Town of Chapel Hill has sent a memo dated May 19, <br />1999 from Mayor Rosemary Waldorf and the DCHC-MPO submitted a letter dated May 17, 1999 <br />signed by Durham County Commissioner, Becky Heron, DCHC Transportation Advisory Committee <br />(TAC) Chair. I concur with the sentiments expressed in both of these documents and request that the <br />legislation exclude this area and/or be limited to the Charlotte area. <br />Thank you. <br />cc: Mayor Rosemary Waldorf <br />TAC Chair Becky Heron <br />Board of County Commissioners <br />You Count In Orange County <br />AREA CODE (919) 732-8181: 964501 : 688-7331: 227-2031: FAX (919) 644-3004 <br />Ezz 2130 <br />