Agenda - 11-04-2010 - 4k - Laserfiche WebLink

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5 1. ®vganiza4i®nal f~a~ckgr®a~nd and Experience Orange County ("County") is a political subdivision of the State of North Carolina, located in the heart of the Piedmont section of the stafie within the Research Triangle region. Orange County's 2008 Certified County Population Estimate from the N.C. Office of State Budget and Management is 129,296, an increase of 12% since the 2000 U.S. Census. Orange County government operates 55 different facilities with buildings exceeding 600,000 square feel, including government offices, health clinics, human service centers, solid waste facilities, court and public safety facilities, and parks and open spaces. Orange County has taken a number of steps in formulating its Strategic Energy Plan (SEP), based around its 2006 adoption of water, energy and vehicle fuel conservation policies attached. Additionally, Orange County is committed. to environmental sustainability, renewable energy use and greenhouse gas emissions reductions. The County follows the Triangle J Council of Government's High Performance Building Guidelines (http://www.tjcog.dst.nc.us/regpian/highbuild.shtmll. This strategic commitmenfi is evident in the following: 1. Adoption of an "Environmental Responsibility in County Government Goal" (2005) with 10 objectives to promote environmental responsibility within the County organizational culture, 2. Active membership in the Triangle Clean Cities Coalition. Orange County installed a partially-grant funded ~ and publicly-accessible Compressed Natural Gas. (CNG) fueling station, and purchased 11 CNG vehicles and 34 other alternative-fuel vehicles. . 3. Active membership in the Infiernational Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (1CLEI) and the "Cities for Climate Protection" Program. 4. Completion of Greenhouse Gas Emissions /nventory and Forecast, with ICLEI. 5. Membership in the National Association of Counties/Sierra Club "Coal Counties" program, including a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050. 6. Creation of a State of the Environment report, including indicators on air quality and climate change. 7. Recipient of a 2009 Energy Assessment of County Buildings by Waste Reduction Partners. S. The organization and Leadership of numerous public education efforts and energy conservation seminars through different departments. Most of these recent efforts focus on the growth of the solar industry within Orange County, Orange County has implemented its strategic plan in both operations and commitments to sustainable building practices. All County facilities designed and built since 1992 have incorporated sustainable and energy efficient design elements to include passive solar day lighting and north-south building site positioning, reclaimed water systems (both storm water and gray water) for use in sanitary water systems, ground source heat pump heating and air conditioning, high efficiency 4 pipe heating and air condition systems, bio-retenfion storm water management, low volatile organic compound (VOC) building material use, high recycled content material use (especially in carpets and casework materials), ~ and high efficiency lighting futures and motion detection switching. Orange County has made these investments and has built approximately 290,000 SE of publicly accessible service space as well as three park and recreation facilities employing these principles. These first cosfi investments are actively saving energy, emitted greenhouse gases, lowering maintenance Page 1