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and while David Lockbaum would reportedly appear on a pro Bono basis, travel and lodging costs for both <br />Thompson and Lockbaum will need to be paid. <br />If the Board determines that the County will proceed through at least the preconference <br />hearing and will hold a public information meeting, the total cost will be approximately $35,000.00. The <br />Board will have to allocate at least an additional $3,500.00, to have a public information meeting, and to <br />complete the pre-hearing process. It is at this point where the NRC makes its determination that: <br />a. The County does or does not have standing; <br />b. Does or does not have valid contentions; and <br />c. A public hearing will or will not be held. <br />The Board will then have to determine if it wishes to proceed with the public hearing process, <br />appeal the NRC decision, or drop the entire issue. The cost of proceeding with the intervention through the <br />hearing process is estimated to be an additional $51,000.00 in consulting and legal fees, and expenses. <br />The total of all costs, through the NRC's public hearing process and including the April 7, 1999 public <br />meeting, is estimated to be approximately $86,000.00. <br />The manager recommends that the Board agree to hold a public information meeting, and <br />agree to allocate an additional $5,000.00, of which $3,500.00 will be used to cover actual projected costs, <br />with an additional $1,500.00 for contingencies, to the intervention and public information process. <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Halkiotis, seconded by Commissioner Brown to <br />approve the manager's recommendation to allocate an additional $5,000.00 to the Shearon Harris <br />intervention process. <br />VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br />10. REPORTS <br />a. Hebron Incorporation <br />Orange County was notified on November 18, 1998, of an Application for Incorporation of the <br />Town of Hebron. This notification is pursuant to N.C. G.S. 120-164 for information purposes and does not <br />require Orange County to be a part of the legislative approval process. <br />The Board heard a report by the Planning Director on the proposed Hebron incorporation <br />that explained the impacts on Orange County of the State's decision to permit incorporation (referred to as <br />Scenario A) or to deny incorporation (referred to as Scenario B). Orange County's major involvement <br />includes the provision of contractual services to the Town of Hebron if it is incorporated. Representatives of <br />the Hebron incorporation effort acknowledge that the services will be at full cost. Points addressed by <br />Planning Director Benedict included: <br />1. What are the steps, who makes the decision, and who is involved; <br />2. Scenario of the impact if Hebron is incorporated and the County asked to provide <br />services; and <br />3. Scenario of the impact if Hebron is not incorporated. <br />Planning Director Craig Benedict summarized the information in the agenda abstract and <br />summarized two (2) scenarios. <br />Under Scenario A, the approval of incorporation, Hebron would need to provide police, fire, <br />garbage collection, water distribution, sewer collection, streets, street lighting, and citywide planning and <br />zoning. Hebron can contract with Orange County for provision of two (2) or more services at full cost. <br />Other sources of revenue besides town sales tax may be necessary to generate revenues for contract <br />costs; i.e., ad valorem property tax. Orange County would lose the sales tax revenue based on the loss of <br />Hebron's approximately 300-person population. Hebron can control its comprehensive plan, which may or <br />may not be consistent with the existing county plan. If one of the contracted services is planning, then the <br />County/Hebron land use plan would be consistent. <br />Under Scenario B, the disapproval of incorporation, Hebron would be subject to oversight of <br />applicable service issues by Orange County, which would continue until the potential annexation by the <br />Town of Mebane. The annexation by Mebane is possible based on new annexation criteria. North Carolina <br />law permits the annexing of towns to change the land use or zoning designation of an annexed parcel <br />irrespective of the underlying Orange County Comprehensive Plan. The impacts to Orange County if <br />Hebron is annexed by Mebane would include the need to form a joint planning agreement with Mebane to