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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: June 21, 2011 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 5 - U <br />SUBJECT: Reconfiguration of Advisory Board to Orange County Economic Development <br />DEPARTMENT: Economic Development PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Resolution To Repeal the 1982 Resolution Frank Clifton, 919-245-2306 <br />Creating the Orange County Economic Gary Shope, 919-245-2325 <br />Development Commission <br />o recognize t e contn utions o t ose m ivi ua s aving serve in a past capacity <br />as a member of the advisory group to the Orange County Economic Development Commission <br />and to approve a resolution to dissolve the Economic Development Commission as currently <br />constituted. <br />BACKGROUND: Over the past two years, the Board of County Commissioners has studied in <br />detail and thoroughly discussed how to best structure its economic development efforts. <br />Numerous actions have been taken to enhance and expand the County's role in economic <br />development. Presentations and recommendations by representatives from the UNC School of <br />Government have helped establish a new direction and formulation for the role and structure of <br />an economic development advisory board for Orange County. <br />The Board of Commissioners has increased the County's emphasis on economic development <br />with several significant actions, including: <br />Expanding the Small Business loan program and issuing several loans to local <br />entrepreneurs; <br />Pursuing inter-local agreements with the City of Durham to extend water and sewer <br />utilities into the Eno Economic Development District located on East Highway 70; <br />Employing engineering services to design water and sewer utilities in western Orange <br />County along Interstates 85 and 40 that will eventually connect to the City of Mebane; <br />Granting initial approval of a Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to streamline <br />County development regulations; and <br />Increasing funding of economic development support staff. <br />The County has hired an experienced and well-qualified Economic Development Director, and <br />the Board of Commissioners recently approved its first Business Investment Incentive Grant to <br />a local expanding industry. <br />