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321 <br /> MINUTES <br /> ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> REGULAR MEETING <br /> MAY 18 , 1993 <br /> The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in regular session , on <br /> Tuesday, May 18 , 1993- at 7 : 00 p.m. in the OWASA meeting room in Carrboro, <br /> North Carolina. <br /> BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Moses Carey Jr. , and -Commissioners Alice <br /> M. Gordon, Stephen H. Halkiotis, Verla C. Insko and Don Willhoit. <br /> ATTORNEY PRESENT: Geoffrey Gledhill <br /> STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr. , Assistant County <br /> Manager Rod Visser, Clerk to the Board Beverly A. Blythe, Finance Director Ken <br /> Chavious, Planning Director Marvin Collins, Housing and Community Development <br /> Director Tara Fikes, Personnel Director Elaine Holmes and Purchasing and <br /> Central Services Director Pam Jones. <br /> SCHOOL IMPACT FEES - PUBLIC HEARING <br /> Planning Director Marvin Collins stated that the purpose of this item <br /> is to receive citizen comments concerning a system of impact fees to help <br /> finance a portion of school capital needs in Orange County. He explained that <br /> for several years Orange County has pursued an objective of helping to fund <br /> school capital needs created by growth. During the 1981 Session, the General <br /> Assembly authorized the County to levy impact fees in its planning jurisdic- <br /> `tion for a number of needs, including school buildings. The Board of County <br /> "`°' Commissioners are considering a schedule of impact fees which range from $500 <br /> to $750 per residential unit. The fees collected would go to the school <br /> system in which they are generated. All comments received at this public <br /> hearing will be included in the record of the official public hearing <br /> scheduled for May 24 , 1993 . <br /> ANDY PHILLIPS, principal of Seawell Elementary, asked the Board to <br /> consider the tremendous impact that growth has had on their school system. <br /> Teachers .now have real spaces to teach visual art and cultural activities---but <br /> the problems are just down the road. He asked that the Board plan for -future <br /> growth and emphasized that the welfare of the children and the quality of <br /> their learning is of top importance. <br /> ALAN SPALT noted that residential growth does not pay for itself. He <br /> feels that since residential growth does not pay for itself, it is appropriate <br /> and important that the growth should pay for a significant portion of the <br /> needs. It seems that the main criticism is that the impact fee will have an <br /> impact on affordable housing. He feels that $500 to $750 is not the <br /> difference in this county between affordable and not affordable. The County <br /> needs affordable quality education and this can go hand in hand with <br /> affordable housing. Chapel Hill-Carrboro needs one elementary school now and <br /> will need another at the end of the decade. The impact fees can help fill <br /> this gap. He feels it is fair to have an impact fee and wonders if the square <br /> footage of bathrooms is a better way to levy this than the number of bedrooms. <br /> He supports a gradual impact fee which would help affordable housing. <br />