Orange County NC Website
Light green document -this would authorize Orange County to levy a tax on the impact <br />of land development for the purpose of generating revenues to pay part of the casts of <br />school capital facilities. Presently Orange County has an impact fee and this would <br />permit a conversion of the impact fee system to an impact tax, which has some public <br />policy advantages. It would give more flexibility in exempting affordable housing <br />initiatives, etc. He said that Senator Gulley has introduced Senate Bill 479, which was <br />intended to be a local act, which would authorize Durham County to levy a tax on land <br />development to pay part of the costs of school capital facilities. He said that the County <br />Commissioners could ask the legislators to introduce the requested local bill and to <br />support Durham's local bill and to combine the two to work towards accomplishing the <br />impact tax. <br />Blue document -this is an act to authorize cities and counties in North Carolina to enact <br />ordinances prohibiting discrimination. There was a similar bill that was passed in the <br />House, but it would limit the application to cities and counties greater than 10Q,000 in <br />population. This bill would involve all cities and counties in North Carolina and would be <br />a public bill. <br />Orange document -this is a resolution that does not contain any specific bill, but it <br />supports things that are important to Orange County. The first category is revenue and <br />asks for support for an increase in the cigarette tax for the purposes of health programs <br />and preventing tobacco use, with a portion of the new revenue being dedicated as a <br />funding source for the farmland preservation trust and for the creation of regional <br />processing centers to create value added products and help promote farm options. <br />Geof Gledhill read from the list of potential legislative items, which is in the agenda <br />abstract. <br />He made reference to some things that could be added to the list. Senators Gulley and <br />Lucas have introduced a bill entitled An Act to Amend the Highway Trust Fund Act - <br />Description of the Durham Northern Loop. This eliminates the Durham Loop west of a <br />certain point. This has been the County Commissioners' desire. It would eliminate the <br />portion of the loop that would come into Orange County and would stop the loop from <br />crossing the Eno River. He continued explaining the list of issues. <br />Geof Gledhill pointed out that the County Commissioners are being asked to oppose <br />legislation which would provide for private sector sail evaluations to become the basis for <br />County Health Department permitting of septic systems as proposed by the North <br />Carolina Coalition far Privatization of Waste Water Evaluations. He made reference to a <br />letter from the Environmental Health Department to the Health Director, which points out <br />the problems with the proposal. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis asked what would happen if the systems fail and if the people <br />who did the analysis would pay. Geof Gledhill said that the ultimate responsibility will be <br />with the Health Department. This is one of the problems with the proposal. <br />Commissioner Gordon made reference to the letter to Senator Ellie Kinnard and asked <br />to add Representatives Hackney, Insko, and Allen. She made reference to the impact <br />fee legislation and said that we should exercise caution because this may not have a <br />chance to succeed. She asked if the legislation would get back to the County <br />Commissioners if they thought that it would not succeed. <br />