Orange County NC Website
be ARC, which is already funded by the County. The staff will provide this information <br />Commissioner Jacobs also mentioned the proposal from Orange Community Housing <br />and Land Trust to fund them more than was recommended. He would like to know if we <br />have the money in the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The staff will provide this <br />information before Thursday. <br />b. Fire District funding - BOCC discussion (if representatives are <br />needed to respond to Board questions, they would be asked to attend the <br />beginning of the June 19 work session) <br />Rod Visser said that the suggested appropriations are what is generated by the fire <br />district tax that was recommended by each fire district. The largest increase is the Eno <br />district, which is due to the increased cost of land and that they want to build a second <br />station in the area. Also, they want to improve their ISO rating. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis asked about the ISO rating and Rod Visser said there is a <br />growing concern in the Insurance Services Office in North Carolina to paying attention to <br />whether or not an insured property is within five road miles of a fire station. If it is not, <br />the insurer could make a determination that the property is not in a protected district and <br />the whole district could be rated as a 10. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis asked if Efland was the only one with an ISO rate of 7. EMS <br />Director Nick Waters said that all that cannot meet the initial standards can lase ISO <br />rating and the insurers can ga to a 10, which is the highest possible premium. There are <br />areas in the County now that are not in the five-mile radius and must build more stations. <br />Commissioner Jacobs would like to see a map with fire district coverage and ISO <br />ratings. He said that they need to be proactive with the future of the fire districts and <br />there needs to be conversations regarding volunteers, ISO ratings, full-time personnel <br />requirements, etc. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis thanked the staff for the red sheet and suggested this be used <br />for educational purposes. <br />Chair Brown asked Nick Waters to come back with some information about the future of <br />fire districts. <br />Rod Visser recapped the tax increases on page 8-16. <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked about the new building for Ena and if the rate increase <br />includes the community room. Nick Waters said that Ena is interested in partnering with <br />the County, and when they start the building plans, there is a place far the County to <br />became active with them. <br />Chair Brown asked about the two-cent increase in Eno and asked if there was a point at <br />which the capital would be paid off and if the tax rate would go back down. Budget <br />Director Donna Dean said that it is unclear if this will give them enough to use pay as <br />you go funds to construct the building. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis suggested looking at a GIS map and the five-mile circles. A lot <br />of people may be outside of these circles. <br />John Link said that there is a radical idea that the Board of County Commissioners could <br />become the Fire District Commission for the entire County and there is a statutory <br />process in place for this to happen and it is an idea that needs to be discussed. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that if the County were a fire fighting entity it could become <br />