Minutes - 20040131 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Commissioner Brown made reference to the last County Commissioners' convention last summer and that the focus was an the mental health systems in four or five states that have already gone through this. The systems start to deconstruct and many clients have ended up in the prison systems. There was a lot of discussion about how local sheriffs and County Commissioners deal with this issue. She said that the reform was supposed to take about three years for the State to come up with the requirements and then the counties could adjust to them and switch aver to them. Instead, the State is just making them up every week. The new definitions are not complete or solid. Chair Jacobs asked if this would be discussed further at a work session. John Link said that they will bring this back for a work session and they will have a more definitive plan. He would like to look at particular interventions that the Board needs to make in Orange County. This will probably be in April/May. Commissioner Gordon asked Commissioner Brown for recommendations of anything more the County could be doing at this point. Tom Maynard said that a lot of this change he does support from the State, but the problem is the principle of divestiture. He expects that they will be able to keep things together. Discussion ensued about what other counties are doing about mental health reform. Chair Jacobs said that the Board needs to reconstitute its legislative goals committee and identify what to bring up with legislators. PLANNING - EFLAND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT, SCHOOL 51TING, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN LAND USE COMMITTEE Chair Jacobs said that he and Commissioner Halkiatis have met with staff and Mebane's Mayor. There may be some action that Mebane takes in the near future. There has been progress. Commissioner Gordon asked about the EDD and the service agreement and Mebane's statutory authority over annexation issues. Planning Director Craig Benedict said that this area is from Buckhorn Raad to West Ten Road to the railroad tracks, almost to the Mt. Willing intersection. At this time, Mebane has said that this is within Orange County's land use jurisdiction and they will honor that. Mebane does not have the ability to annex in this area at this time because it is outside their extraterritorial jurisdiction and it is more than one mile outside their existing city limits. Mebane is happy to have a utility service agreement to service 940+ acres in this area. At some point in the future, Mebane is not going to give up its ability to annex these areas. Mebane did have a satellite annexation of the Petro station on Buckhorn Road. Commissioner Gordon asked if Mebane could do a satellite annexation of these 900+ acres theoretically and Craig Benedict said no. Chair Jacobs said that the People for Progress, who live along Buckhorn Road, south of US 70, would be included in the service. They will get sewer. This is part of what the County Commissioners asked Congressman Price to accomplish. John Link said that there are other reports on school siting and on the Comprehensive Land Use Element. Craig Benedict made reference to the school siting issue and said that there were some smart growth initiative meetings concerning High School #3 in the CHCCS. Related to the OCS middle school, there are 67 acres of land in one section and another 33 acres in the Buckhorn EDD. The school would be located on a portion of the 67 acres. The County will be looking at the potential for adjacent purchases for joint use facilities. Some adjacent lands could be used for a soccer field ar other recreation. Commissioner Gordon said that her understanding is that the middle school is on 41 acres. The Schools and Land Use Council asked what the County was going to do an the other 33 acres and when there would be a decision. She thinks the County is waiting to see how