|
MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING
<br /> OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FOR ALAMANCE COUNTY
<br /> HELD ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2009
<br /> The Alamance County Board of Commissioners met in Special Session on Monday,November 9, 2009,at
<br /> 7:00 p.m. in the Alamance Community College Auditorium, 1247 Jimmie Kerr Road, Graham,North
<br /> Carolina. The following members of the Alamance County Board of Commissioners were present: Chair
<br /> Massey, Vice Chair Boswell,and Commissioners Lashley, Sutton,and Vaughan. The following members
<br /> of the Orange County Board of Commissioners were present: Chair Foushee and Commissioners Gordon,
<br /> Hemminger, Jacobs,Pelissier,and Yuhasz.
<br /> WELCOME—Craig Benedict,Orange County Planning Director,welcomed everyone to the meeting.
<br /> Chair Massey called the Alamance County Board of Commissioners to order. Chair Foushee called the
<br /> Orange County Board of Commissioners to order.
<br /> INTRODUCTIONS—Chair Massey introduced Alamance County Commissioners and she introduced
<br /> Alamance County staff who were present: Craig Honeycutt, County Manager;Tim Burgess, Assistant
<br /> County Manager; Clyde Albright, County Attorney;Marian Smith,Assistant County Attorney;Bruce
<br /> Walker, GIS Manager;Pat Jones, Clerk to the Board;Jason Martin,Planning Manager;and Jessica Hill,
<br /> Planner. Chair Foushee asked the Orange County Commissioners to introduce themselves, and she
<br /> introduced Orange County staff who were present:Frank Clifton, County Manager;Willie Best,Assistant
<br /> County Manager;Annette Moore, Staff Attorney; Steve Averett, GIS Director; Craig Benedict,Planning
<br /> Director;and Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board. Chair Massey introduced Mebane City Council members
<br /> Patty Phillips,Ed Hooks, Tim Bradley,Everett Green,Jill Auditori;and Robert Wilson,Mebane City
<br /> Manager.
<br /> STAFF PRESENTATIONS—County Managers Frank Clifton and Craig Honeycutt made opening
<br /> remarks.Mr. Honeycutt also expressed appreciation to Dr.Martin Nadelman, Alamance Community
<br /> College President,and his staff for the use of the auditorium.
<br /> Craig Benedict began the first part of the Boundary Line Report.He reviewed the history of the county
<br /> line from its creation in 1849,and noted that due to the mapping process, over the years residents have been
<br /> uncertain what county they were in. In the 1970s letters were sent out about the tax payment arrangement,
<br /> but not a line change(Map A, set forth hereafter). In the 1990s discussions were held about straightening
<br /> out the question of the line placement instead of having semi-informal agreements between tax assessors,
<br /> but there was no resolution to that. With new developments along the line,residents are asking which
<br /> county provides their service. Orange and Alamance Counties passed a joint resolution in 2008 to
<br /> determine where the line is,and the NC Geodetic Survey(NCGS)was hired to locate points along the line
<br /> from the 1849 description.He stated that what is functionally used as the county line is these tax
<br /> boundaries,but that is not the appropriate line to use,and showed the irregular taxing jurisdiction line. The
<br /> NCGS located thirteen points along the 1849 line,using new technology, old reference points,and old
<br /> deeds; and a formal survey was created.
<br /> Mr. Benedict presented Option 1 (Map B, set forth hereafter),the reconfirmation of the 1849 line, or the
<br /> NCGS line. He presented data showing how much acreage and how many structures would move from one
<br /> county to the other.He also provided information about changes in schools and other services and stated
<br /> that services would remain constant in the City of Mebane. Property owners were notified and public
<br /> meetings were held. Results from those meetings indicated that, of the thirty-four speakers,eighty percent
<br /> of property owners want to remain in Alamance County, seventeen percent want to remain in Orange
<br /> County, and three percent have no preference.Following these meetings,the Commissioners from both
<br /> counties asked about other options.He presented Option 2(Map C, set forth hereafter),which would
<br /> gerrymander to affect the taxing arrangement line and service experience. If this line is considered,it
<br /> would be a new line that would be agreed to by both Counties and be adopted by the Legislature. He
<br /> presented data showing how the line would affect acreage, structures, students,and services. He stated this
<br /> line would only affect about ten students,and the Counties would work with the school systems to prepare
<br />
|