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Commissioner Brown said, as they look at affordable housing pieces, that this is a <br />wonderful piece for people who cannot maintain homes that they own. <br />Tara Fikes said that they are in line for another grant for $400,000 and they have 40 <br />on the waiting list. <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Halkiotis, seconded by Commissioner Brawn <br />to close the public hearing prior to the official close-out of the County's FY 2001 Scattered Site <br />Housing Rehabilitation Program and to authorize the execution of the Certificate of Completion <br />by the Chair on behalf of the Board of Commissioners. <br />VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br />9. Items for Decision--Regular Agenda <br />a. Adoption of 2003-2013 Capital Investment Plan (CIP) <br />The Board considered formal adoption of Orange County's 2003-2013 Capital <br />Investment Plan (CIP). <br />John Link said that they are asking the Board to formally adopt this plan. This is the <br />planning tool for capital projects. During the last three years, because of the budget cuts, the <br />Board has not been able to adopt a CIP but has had to address items on aproject-by-project <br />basis. With the adoption of SAPFO, the County is bound to provide adequate facilities for <br />school children. The staff has suggested approaching this as a tiered approach -the first tier <br />would be the first priorities (OCS Middle School, renovations to Orange High School, and <br />CHCCS elementary school #10). The second tier would be projects where funding is in place <br />but there may need to be some final action by the Board for it to become a budget ordinance. <br />Rod Visser emphasized the point that the CIP is a planning tool and it does not act <br />as an authorization to spend money. <br />Chair Jacobs said that for clarification that the Board is almost immediately going <br />into a process for adopting a new CIP in three weeks. Whatever is done with this is subject to <br />almost immediate adjustment. <br />Commissioner Brown asked about the tiers and the Heritage Center, which are tier <br />three, and the Northern Human Services Center, which is tier four. Budget Director Donna <br />Dean said that the Heritage Center brings money with it and Northern Human Services Center <br />does not have any money. <br />Commissioner Brown asked if they got the federal grant for water and sewer would <br />that bring it up and Donna Dean said yes. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis said that as an election year approaches, some will take the <br />opportunity to get a copy of the County's CIP and to wildly interpret it. He said that this is only a <br />marker in his opinion. He said that they have never finalized any plans to spend $8 million for <br />the Government Services Center. There has been discussion about possible expansion, but he <br />wants it understood that the plans have not been finalized. The Board has also not finalized <br />any plans for County park sites and development for $28 million in this CIP. These are only <br />markers so that people recognize that there is a perceived need. <br />Commissioner Gordon said that she does have questions about the tiered approach <br />and she would recommend going about it differently. Each year the Commissioners approve a <br />CIP, with specific dollar amounts for a number of capital projects. The next year staff would <br />suggest changes and those changes would appear on the next CIP without commissioner input <br />or review. She would like the staff to outline the changes from the last CIP. Procedurally, she <br />would like the Board of County Commissioners to be involved at the policy level of adding <br />projects to the CIP. She would like to put on the criteria list the importance of some of these <br />projects to the Board of County Commissioners. She is not ready to buy into the tiered <br />approach. She said that it should always be the prerogative of the Board of County <br />Commissioners to fund what they think is needed. <br />