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APPROVED MARCH 9, 1992 <br /> MINUTES <br /> ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> SPECIAL PUBLIC HEARING <br /> DECEMBER 11, 1991 <br /> The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in Special Session <br /> p on <br /> December 11, 1991 at 7:30 p.m. for the purpose of holding a ublic <br /> hearing on the matter of school p <br /> 1 capital needs, priorities and funding. <br /> BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Moses Carey, Jr. , and Commissioners <br /> Stephen H. Halkiotis, Alice M. Gordon, Verla C. Insko and Don Willhoit. <br /> STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr. , Assistant County <br /> Manager Rod Visser, Clerk to the Board Beverly A.A Blythe, Finance <br /> Y <br /> Director Ken Chavious, Budget and Management Analyst Donna Hamlet, and <br /> Y , <br /> Budget Director Sally Kost. <br /> INTRODUCTORY REMARKS <br /> Chair Carey introduced everyone at the Commissioners' table <br /> including Mary Bushnell, Chair of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Board <br /> and Ralph Warren, Chair of the Orange County School Board. <br /> PRESENTATION BY JOHN LINK <br /> County Manager John M. Link, Jr. presented information on the <br /> projects that a 66 million dollar bond issue would include. He stated <br /> that the School Bond Advisory Committee appointed last summer by the <br /> Board of County Commissioners was charged with prioritizing $157 million <br /> in capital requests from the two school systems. The proposed 66 <br /> million dollar bond would include 50 million for a new elementary, <br /> middle and high school for Chapel H i ll-Carrboro and 16 million for a new <br /> middle school for the Orange County system. The impact on the homeowner <br /> of a 66 million dollar bond would be $210 the peak year for a house <br /> valued at $150, 000. He explained that the revenues from the two 1/2 <br /> 1 <br /> cent sales tax are used for school capital. The cost of these schools <br /> are higher than those in other counties because the specifications are <br /> higher, technology is incorporated into the facilities, the cost of land <br /> is higher and an inflation factor is included. <br /> THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS OPEN FOR CITIZEN COMMENT <br /> LINDA HAAC,, representing the PTA Council for Chapel Hill-Carrboro <br /> Schools and a member of the bond committee, stated that she understood <br /> there was a consensus that Chapel Hill needed an elementary, middle and <br /> high school and Orange County needed a middle school. The committee <br /> concluded that even if the schools were merged, they would still need <br /> these schools. She stated that new schools need to be built because the <br /> present schools have no other space. The district is growing rapidly. <br /> Each year there will be 300 more students. If these schools are not <br /> built there will be overcrowding conditions. The schools now are over <br /> crowded. She cited several examples and stated that they are at capacity <br /> at the high school. She understands that in Orange County a new middle <br />