Minutes - 20030305 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

power. He said that this highlights the fact that there needs to be continued emphasis to site permanent generators for both school systems. We need to be prepared to keep a facility running on its own. Chair Brown asked the Manager to come back with a report and said that she thought that Smith Middle School was going to be the designated school in the southern part of the county for a generator. Jahn Link will follow up on permanent infrastructure for emergencies in the budget process. Commissioner Halkiotis encouraged the Board of County Commissioners to call the Sheriff and ask for a personal tour of the new jail's basement. The County needs a warehouse somewhere in the Public Works campus. There are water supplies and voting machines in this basement. This space is being wasted and could be used as a physical fitness facility for the Sheriff's Deputies. Commissioner Gordon added her support for Commissioner Halkiotis' statements about the generators. She recalls that there was a proposal for a generator far the Southern Human Services Center atone time. Commissioner Gordon said that there has been some successes in phase I of the Triangle Transit Authority Regional Rail. The first phase is scheduled to go from Durham to Raleigh. On February 28t" they received final design approval from FDA. This is good news and they are ready to move forward with phase I. Commissioner Gordon said that the Triangle J Council of Governments discussed legislative priorities at their last meeting. She said that the County Commissioners might hear about a bio-fuel program award that the TJCOG is going to announce in conjunction with some Congestion Mitigation Air Quality grants with the DOT. Those grants have been awarded in Wake and Durham Counties. She read from a letter from State Transportation Secretary Tibbett, as follows: "Our support of TJCOG's Bio- fuels Program demonstrates the department's commitment to provide a transportation system that protects and enhances North Carolina's natural environment. I look forward to working with local governments to help expand the use of this environmentally friendly fuel." Only Wake and Durham Counties were eligible for this award. Commissioner Carey said that he represented the Board of County Commissioners at the NaCo Legislative Goals meeting in Washington, D. C. He distributed copies of the State's legislative goals. They did not get much encouragement in Washington financially. However, most of the discussion revolved around the funding of the Medicaid program. Anew initiative arose at the national level far Medicaid. The 17 states that are affected have formed a coalition at the national level to work on trying to address the issue of Medicaid funding and NaCo supports this. There will be more information on this in the future. The goal will be to keep the counties from bearing more of the funding burden for Medicaid in these states. John Link said that in many of the eastern counties, Medicaid can reflect as much as 30-40 percent of the budget. Commissioner Jacobs welcomed the members of the League of Women Voters. He outlined a proposal about locating schools. He wanted to say this in the Board Comments and not under the school merger item because he wants it to be clear that siting schools does not necessarily relate to the issue of whether or not we merge the two school systems. He read his proposal, which is incorporated by reference. In summary, he proposed that the Board direct staff to develop a draft MOU that would engage both school systems with the municipalities and the County in the comprehensive school siting process. He asked for the Board's support of this proposal. Commissioner Carey said that it sounds like Commissioner Jacobs is suggesting a process similar to the joint planning agreement. Commissioner Jacobs said yes and that it is in keeping with the practice in Orange County in trying to be collaborative and creative. Commissioner Carey said that this process has potential and we would have to engage the towns to see if there is interest in looking at school sites. He thinks this is a good start. Commissioner Gordon said that she feels that before we do something so specific that we explore what the jurisdictions and school boards think. She said that we should be careful in how we approach this because it is the statutory responsibility of the school systems to site schools. She would like to float this idea with the other entities involved. Commissioner Halkiotis said that school systems do not have the experience of land planning. The technical assistance can be achieved from staff. He said that this proposal was awin-win situation.