Minutes - 19940110 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

685 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS SPECIAL MEETING JANUARY 10, 1994 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met on January 10, 1994 at 7: 30 p.m. in the Government Services Center public meeting room for a work session on Economic Development Districts. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Moses Carey, Jr. , and Commissioners Alice M. Gordon., Stephen H. Halkiotis, Verla C. Insko and Don Willhoit. COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr. , Economic Development Director Ted Abernathy, Clerk to the Board Beverly A. Blythe, Planning Director Marvin Collins, Economic Development Technician Oli DeVaud and Beth Wickham. OPENING REMARKS Chair Moses Carey, Jr. welcomed everyone to this work session. He added to the agenda a resolution for widening Homestead Road. He announced that this work session will be for the Board to discuss the proposed Economic Development Districts. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS Marvin Collins made reference to the "Fiscal Impact Analysis" (FIA) and explained how this was developed. He gave examples of how this FIA could apply to different kinds of uses. He tried to show the impact of developing the same acreagelin different ways. This provided information which led him to cut from the permitted use table those uses that paid less than $9. 18 per hour. An annual inflation factor of 2.9% was used in the FIA. In answer to a question from Commissioner Willhoit, Marvin Collins indicated that he has not developed a way to factor affordable housing into the FIA. Chair Carey noted that he does not favor using the FIA as a determining factor in approving Economic Development Districts (EDDs) . The Board needs to decide how it wants to use this information. In answer to a question from Commissioner Gordon, Beth Wickham explained the refinement coefficient procedure and how it was used in doing the FIA. Commissioner Gordon stated that one of the reasons given for creating-: EDDs is financial.. Diversifying the tax base is thought to' be a means for improving the County's revenue. The effect on affordable housing is unknown. She suggested that one way to provide affordable housing is to put money into it maybe with a bond issue. Commissioner Willhoit suggested that one way to provide affordable housing is to set a goal that for every $80, 000 house approved, a $200, 000 house is approved. Marvin Collins noted that one thing very important to his calculations is service standards which must be decided by the Board. Commissioner Willhoit said that the least impact model would be zero growth which is not possible. What he supports is providing guidelines for EDDs and a method to channel the quality growth. It is a question of the rate and quality of growth. He agrees that the FIA should not be used in their decision on these nodes. Commissioner Gordon feels that if the FIA cannot be done ahead of time, that a pilot node should be approved so that a track record can be kept. Commissioner Insko reiterated the two goals which are (1) have quality commercial growth and design standards to guide that growth and (2) concentrate the growth into specific areas.