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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Memorandum of Understanding <br /> between the County of Chatham, the County of Lee, the County of Moore, the County of <br /> Orange, North Carolina Department of Transportation and Triangle J Council of <br /> Governments be approved and that the Chair of the Board and County Clerk are hereby <br /> directed to execute the Memorandum of Understanding. <br /> VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> b. Heritage Hills Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Completion <br /> The Board considered approving plans for the disposition of two lots and <br /> houses acquired by Orange County under the federal- and state-funded Hazard <br /> Mitigation Grant Program. <br /> Assistant County Manager Rod Visser said that last spring the Board <br /> received a report on removing and potentially relocating a couple of flooded homes in <br /> the Heritage Hills subdivision. These were damaged in Hurricane Floyd in September <br /> 1999. Two homeowners in that neighborhood filed applications to receive federal funds <br /> to buy out their property. Both of those transactions were completed last winter, so the <br /> County actually owns the properties and now has the responsibility to remove the <br /> buildings and restore the lots to as near a natural state as possible. Under the federal <br /> grant program, the preferred option is to demolish and landfill the remnants. The Board <br /> gave an indication that it preferred relocating and reusing the houses. Specifically, one <br /> of the houses could go to Little River Park and the other one could be moved to the Pine <br /> Knolls community to a vacant lot and reestablished as an affordable housing opportunity. <br /> The total cost of moving the two houses, including the moving, setup, deconstruction of <br /> what remains on site, clearing the lot, and restoring its natural condition will be $85,000- <br /> 90,000. The house that will be moved to Little River Park has about $15,000 of grant <br /> money. Durham County has indicated that they would be willing to participate in this <br /> project and share the cost that is not covered by the grant. The net cost to the County <br /> will probably be $30,000-40,000. For the affordable housing project, there is also <br /> $15,000 of the federal grant money that can be used for this, so the net cost to the <br /> County is going to be $70,000-75,000. He mentioned that they have received several <br /> extensions from FEMA for this project. Part of that is related to our interest in <br /> deconstructing the project. The Hendricks' will be deconstructing the project. This team <br /> deconstructed another building in the County. The staff is asking the Board to direct the <br /> Manager and staff to carry out the relocation and reuse plans that have been outlined to <br /> relocate the two Heritage Hills houses; to use either Affordable Housing Trust Fund <br /> money or 2001 Affordable Housing Bond proceeds for the Pine Knolls move and 2001 <br /> Parks, Recreation, and Open Space/Lands Legacy Bond proceeds for the Little River <br /> Park move; to take all the administrative and financial steps necessary to carry out the <br /> plans; and to execute the documents consistent with the Hazard Mitigation Grant <br /> Program agreement that the County has with FEMA and the State. <br /> Commissioner Gordon asked about the Lands Legacy bond money to be used <br /> for the house. She asked if there were other sources of funding for this program other <br /> than bond funds. <br /> Environment and Resource Conservation Director David Stancil said that the <br /> payment-in-lieu funds would be an alternative to the bond funds. He said that to make a <br /> change to the bond funds would require a budget amendment to use it for removal and <br /> placement of the house. <br /> Commissioner Gordon said that she objects to using bond money for this house <br /> that was supposed to be used for the purchase of land. <br />