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BOARD COMMENTS: (These comments were made after the discussion on collocation of facilities <br />Commissioner Halkiotis thanked those members of the Board of Commissioners who supported the <br />resolution for Mr. Jose Campos. He has been returned to the United States and resumed the productive <br />citizen roles that he had before he was deported. This is a classic example of federal, state and local <br />government, as well as other local groups, working together for a cause that everyone agreed with. <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked about the status of the discussions on the Interlocal Agreement on Solid Waste <br />Management. <br />John Link said that a meeting was held today. Chair Gordon led the group through a process whereby <br />the Towns response to the County Commissioners "Elements of Expectation" was reviewed. This issue could <br />be addressed at the next meeting or the first meeting in June. It is hoped to have the Memorandum of <br />Agreement signed before the summer break. The Towns are motivated to meet that deadline as well. <br />Commissioner Jacobs stated that he had received an e-mail from Representative Insko about a bill that <br />advanced in the Senate allowing the Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) for Huntersville. County Attorney <br />Gledhill has indicated that we do not need legislative authority to initiate a TDR program. However, based on <br />this e-mail it appears that the legislators and the elected officials in Huntersville think that special enabling <br />legislation is required. He asked the County Attorney to let the Board of Commissioners know if local <br />legislation is required and if it would be possible to add Orange County to the Huntersville request <br />Geoffrey Gledhill stated that it is not necessary to request enabling legislation for a TDR program <br />Commissioner Carey suggested that Orange County participate in the Huntersville request because <br />having local legislation would clarify the issue. He said that it looks like the law will be passed for Huntersville <br />and he feels that Orange County should be involved in the request as well. <br />PUBLIC CHARGE <br />Chair Gordon dispensed with the reading of the public charge. <br />3. RESOLUTIONS/PROCLAMATIONS <br />a. Purchase of Site for New High School <br />The County Commissioners considered approving the purchase of a 64.8-acre site on the north <br />side of Grady Brown School Road in the amount of $603,200. This site will be used for a new high school in <br />the Orange County School District. <br />Randy Bridges, Superintendent of the Orange County Schools, said that the Chair of the Orange <br />County School Board, Delores Simpson and the Vice-Chair Susan Dovenbarger, attorney Mike Parker and <br />construction consultant Ray DeBruhl were in attendance and available to answer questions. He presented <br />some of the factors that they considered in choosing the site. <br />¦ The acreage requirement from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is that there be a <br />minimum of 30-acres of useable land plus one acre per 100 students beyond the thirty acres. The <br />high school they intend to build would house one thousand students. That would require a minimum <br />of forty-acres. For the athletic complex, parking, physical education fields and future growth an <br />additional ten to fifteen acres would be added to that. That would require fifty-five acres minimum <br />and the tract that is being recommended consists of sixty-four acres. <br />¦ Availability of water and sewer is also extremely important and this site would be able to tap-on at <br />the Grady Brown site which would reduce the cost of construction considerably. <br />¦ Availability of land is another issue that limits and directs their choices. There are two landowners <br />involved with this site and both are willing to sell to the School System for a reasonable price. <br />Bridges stated that they had budgeted approximately $600,000 to buy the site for the high school <br />and the cost of this site is $603,200. They feel that the price is very good compared to other sites that they <br />have investigated. It is also possible that a school built on this site would easily lend itself to expansion from <br />Q:\19990504A.a