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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: October 5, 2010 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. ~ - G <br />SUBJECT: Orange County Water and Sewer District Concept <br />DEPARTMENT: Manager's Office <br />Planning and Inspections; <br />County Attorney; <br />Economic Development <br />PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />1. Central Orange County Land Use <br />Map <br />2. City of Mebane Existing Utility <br />Service Area Map <br />3. Efland Case Study <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Frank Clifton, County Manager, 245-2300 <br />Craig Benedict, Planning Director, <br />245-2592 <br />John Roberts, County Attorney, 245-2318 <br />Brad Broadwell, Economic Development <br />Director, 245-2326 <br />Kevin Lindley, Staff Engineer, 245-2583 <br />PURPOSE: To provide for BOCC consideration the concept of creating county water and <br />sewer districts in Orange County. <br />BACKGROUND: Orange County government has expressed interest in developing water and <br />sewer infrastructure in land use areas designated for economic development by the 2030 <br />Comprehensive Plan (see Attachment 1). This infrastructure is a necessary prerequisite to <br />improving the growth potential and associated tax base of these planned commercial and office <br />zones along the interstate. The creation of a water and sewer district authorized by state <br />statute NCGS 162A 86-101 is a mechanism to specifically designate and create an authority <br />governing the location, design, installation, operation, taxing, and financing of a district. <br />The quarter of one cent sales tax referendum in November 2010 would be another source of <br />revenue to comprehensively develop these economic development zones with a master <br />planned utility `backbone'. <br />Land Use and Infrastructure: Orange County has over 4,000 acres of urban transition areas <br />where higher levels of density and intensity are planned. However, it is difficult for any one <br />project within the transition areas to financially accommodate constructing major offsite utility <br />infrastructure. Connecting the project back to the sewer outfall or water transmission system of <br />the host utility authority responsible for sewer and water treatment plan operations is critical. <br />The aforementioned `backbone' utility system by the County would permit individual projects <br />along the corridor to connect to the master system and back to the host utility facilities. <br />