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829 <br /> <br />In response to a question from commissioner willhoit, Mr. Collins <br />indicated that additional work needs to be done on the generation rates which <br />were calculated from the census data. He also mentioned that this fee would <br />be charged for each occupancy. A quadplex would generate an impact fee for <br />each unit in the quadplex. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis explained that because the Board of <br />commissioners has an obligation to explore new revenue sources, the impact <br />fee is being explored. <br />THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS OPEN FOR COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS <br />ALEX ZAFFRON, a resident of Carrboro and a native of Orange <br />county, spoke in opposition to this proposal. He stated that most of his <br />friends have purchased homes in other counties because they could not afford <br />to live here. He asked the Commissioners to return to the General Assembly <br />and ask for a progressive impact tax with exemption for low income families. <br />He also mentioned that the impact fee could become difficult to enforce <br />because builders could increase the number of family rooms and dens and <br />decrease the number of rooms designated as bedrooms. <br />GARY WICKER, a building contractor and Orange County native, spoke <br />against the impact fees. He believes it would cause a hardship for the very <br />people who most need help. He indicated that he tries to keep his money in <br />this county by using subcontractors who live here. He suggested cutting <br />expenditures, expanding schools, and looking carefully at how money is <br />currently being spent. He indicated that he is not opposed to raising taxes <br />if it is equitable. <br />MARY BUSHNELL, Chair of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of <br />Education, indicated that the County Manager suggested that the technical <br />needs of the new schools come from pay-as-you-go funds, including impact <br />fees. She mentioned that projections are that enrollment will increase. <br />Additional units of housing do increase the number of children, and, <br />therefore, it seems fair to tie a portion of the cost of the increased need <br />for school facilities to the building of those homes. <br />VICTOR TRIPP spoke against the proposed impact fees. He asked <br />that the Board of Commissioners use the property tax to increase revenue. <br />GREG SHEPARD spoke against the proposed impact-fee-;--.He believes <br />that most of the people who are buying new homes already live here.- If the <br />county needs to collect additional money they need to collect it from some <br />other source. <br />DOROTHY BAIN spoke against this proposal. She indicated that the <br />residents in hoer mobile home park would not have been able to purchase their <br />mobile homes if this fee had been in effect. <br />ROGER STEPHENS, an Orange County resident, spoke against this <br />proposal. He stated that this would discriminate against the lower income <br />resident. The residents in his mobile home parks could not afford an <br />additional fee of this magnitude. He stated that the housing industry is in <br />trouble in this community and anything that adversely affects the housing <br />industry also affects many other types of businesses. <br />STEVE SHEPARD spoke against this proposal. He stated that not <br />only are lower income residents adversely effected by this fee, but that <br />middle income families may be forced to choose a neighboring county because <br />of'this additional cost. He mentioned that renters may be discouraged from <br />becoming home owners.