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APPROVED 1114196 <br />MINUTES <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />BI-MONTHLY WORK SESSION <br />MAY 16, 1996 <br />The Orange County Board of Commissioners held their bi-monthly work session on Thursday, <br />May 16, 1996 at 7:30 p.m. in the meeting room of the Government Services Center in Hillsborough, <br />North Carolina. <br />COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Moses Carey, Jr., and Commissioners William <br />L. Crowther, Alice M. Gordon, and Stephen H. Halkiotis <br />COUNTY COMMISSIONER ABSENT: Commissioner Willhoit (out-of-town) <br />COUNTY ATTORNEY PRESENT: Geoffrey Gledhill <br />COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr., Assistant County Managers <br />Rod Visser and Albert Kittrell and Clerk to the Board Beverly A. Blythe (All other staff members will be <br />identified appropriately below) <br />BOARD COMMENTS OR CHANGES TO THE AGENDA <br />Commissioner Halkiotis made reference to a statement made in the newspapers by Mayor <br />Horace Johnson, Mayor of Hillsborough about the County learning some things from the town in <br />managing their budget. He feels the responsibilities are vastly different and that an apology is in order. <br />On another matter, he wrote Hillsborough last month and asked that the Town consider lowering the <br />water rates for the SportsPlex because they bring visitors into the County who is turn spend money. He <br />feels that a facility like the SportsPlex sustains the quality of life more than other companies. <br />Chair Carey said that he would encourage Hillsborough to work more closely with the SportsPlex <br />and at their next work session will discuss this possibility with them. <br />Commissioner Crowther asked that item #5 "Financing Options for Orange County/Hillsborough <br />Park" be deleted. <br />AGENDA <br />1. DECISION ON SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS <br />Chair Carey commended the group and especially Budget Director Sally Kost for <br />developing these standards. <br />Chair Carey emphasized that one of the reasons for setting standards was not only to <br />help the public to understand, but to provide guidance to both school boards when they develop their <br />plans for school construction. Sally Kost noted that the basic school is based on state standards and <br />meet state guidelines. <br />Commissioner Gordon feels that these standards need to be not only the standards for <br />new schools, but also for the present schools. She feels that there should be a minimum standard and <br />that there should be a commitment to bring the other schools up to this standard. There is additional <br />square footage in some of the schools because of the community use of the school. She wants <br />agreement on the minimum that will be done for each child in each system. <br />Chair Carey said that the plan commits this board to the minimum for new schools and the <br />commitment to upgrade all the other schools to the minimum can be discussed.