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APPROVED 5119198 <br />MINUTES <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />REGULAR MEETING <br />FEBRUARY 17. 1998 <br />The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, February 17, 1998 at <br />7:30 p.m. in the OWASA Operations Center, 400 Jones Ferry Road, Carrboro, North Carolina. <br />COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Margaret W. Brown and Commissioners Moses <br />Carey, Jr., William L. Crowther, Alice M. Gordon and Stephen H. Halkiotis. <br />COUNTY ATTORNEY PRESENT: Geoffrey Gledhill <br />COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr., Assistant County Managers Rod <br />Visser and Albert Kittrell and Clerk to the Board Beverly A. Blythe (All other staff members will be identified <br />appropriately below) <br />.NOTE: ALL DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THESE MINUTES ARE IN THE PERMANENT <br />AGENDA FILE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE. ALL RECORDING TAPES OF THE <br />MEETING WILL BE KEPT FOR FIVE (5) YEARS. <br />1. ADDITIONS OR CHANGES TO THE AGENDA <br />Commissioner Crowther asked to add a discussion on the recruitment plan for the Economic <br />Development Director and the Board agreed to add this as item 10D. <br />The Board deleted item 9f (Letter to Secretary Tolson at NCDOT) and removed item 8c from the <br />Consent Agenda for discussion. <br />2. CITIZEN & AUDIENCE COMMENTS <br />a. Matters on the Printed Agenda <br />Chair Margaret W. Brown asked that citizens who want to speak to items on the printed agenda to <br />sign up so they are not overlooked. <br />b. Matters not on the Printed Agenda <br />Livy Ludington, teacher at the Frank Porter Graham Elementary School, told us about what they <br />have been doing in their science program. For the last 5 years, her class has participated in the stream watch <br />program at Morgan Creek where they test the water quality. They told about some changes they have <br />identified over the last five years. They believe that construction near the creek is leading to erosion around <br />the creek which is causing the water to be less clean. The students have identified changes by using a <br />checklist that they update during the year. Several students described the process they follow and the <br />instruments they use to check temperature, pH, etc. They are also looking at creating a land trust which they <br />hope will benefit all the citizens of Orange County. <br />Ron Venters, representative of the Chapel Hill Daycare Board of Directors, said that they have <br />been in operation for over 30 years in Chapel Hill . They built a new facility in Southern Village and opened <br />in April of 1996. They received their first property tax bill in 1997. They applied for property tax exemption <br />and were turned down by the Tax Assessor's office. They appealed to the County Manager and were <br />referred to the State and told by the Dept. of Revenue that since they are not a charitable or educational <br />organization, they would not be considered tax exempt. They have been told by the County that they will <br />need to appeal to the Board of E & R or seek local legislation for exempt status. <br />Commissioner Carey said that he read all the correspondence about this situation and found it <br />hard to believe that they are not charitable or educational and would like for the County to do whatever they <br />can to help. This was referred to the County Manager for further review. <br />PUBLIC CHARGE