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- Deleted:PR <br /> Commissioner Gordon recommended that the Planning Board review the <br /> Commissioners' goals and priorities that were recently adopted. She said that there are goals <br /> related specifically to planning and economic development. She commended these goals to the <br /> Planning Board. She said that some Planning staff has retired and these positions will not be <br /> filled for now, so the resources and dollars will have to be stretched. <br /> Regarding specific things, Commissioner Gordon said that transportation is related to <br /> economic development, the environment, and other things that are important to the Board of <br /> County Commissioners. <br /> Chair Foushee added that it might be such that there might be an expectation of this <br /> Board that the Board of County Commissioners will prioritize the goals but it has not at this <br /> point. <br /> Jeffrey Schmitt said that the Planning Board has not seen the Board of Commissioners' <br /> goals yet and asked if they are different from the Comprehensive Plan. Chair Foushee said that <br /> they are aligned with the Comprehensive Plan. <br /> Jeffrey Schmitt said that with the difficulty with the funding this year and next, then <br /> working on economic development and the Comprehensive Plan will go a long way to let the <br /> citizens know what the Board is trying to do to augment the County's revenue stream. <br /> Frank Clifton said that Orange County has been in the forefront of developing many <br /> planning guidelines to avoid development in this County. He said that now the County needs to <br /> develop guidelines that encourage development in Orange County. He said that the permitting <br /> process could be changed to lessen the time it may ordinarily take to get through the process of <br /> development. <br /> Jeffrey Schmitt agreed with Frank Clifton on changing the permitting process. <br /> Discussion ensued about changing regulations. <br /> Earl McKee said that the Board needs to keep in mind that the Planning Board is an <br /> advisory board and they make recommendations and it all falls back onto the Board of County <br /> Commissioners. He said they were shown the work schedule for the Planning staff and they do <br /> not know any way that staff can do the work that is needed to be done with the resources they <br /> have. He said that the Board of County Commissioners needs to prioritize. <br /> Mark Marcoplos said that the most interesting meeting he attended was when they <br /> looked at a small area plan and the rural communities do not want a lot in the rural areas. He <br /> said that everyone wants the regulations to be lax until it comes to their community. <br /> Larry Wright supported what Earl McKee said and he remembered a Board of County <br /> Commissioners meeting and how Craig Benedict tried to tell the Board that they needed to <br /> prioritize, and he remembered Commissioner Gordon trying to make some order out of that. <br /> What ultimately happened is that the Board of County Commissioners loaded the Planning staff <br /> up with more work. He said that staff cannot work 80 hours a week and do a good job. He said <br /> that Commissioner Gordon said today that they need to think about transportation. What brings <br /> back the most money are the small businesses. He said that the County needs to think about <br /> its small area plans and transportation and make them multi-use. <br /> Brian Crawford said that he thinks he hears that they need to figure out how to make the <br /> development process easier for small businesses. He said that this is also about job growth. <br /> Earl McKee said that the County does not need to focus on any one type of business, <br /> but the atmosphere and the regulations should be as reasonable as possible. <br /> Commissioner Gordon spoke about the County building on its assets with respect to <br /> economic development and said that the Board discussed this at the retreat. The County needs <br /> to find a way to attract the businesses that it wants. <br /> Commissioner Yuhasz said that while there may be some difficulties that may arise, <br /> there are structural issues that the Board of County Commissioners can move forward on and <br /> the County Commissioners need to do their part also. He said that in a lot of ways the Planning <br />