Orange County NC Website
about extravagant purchases by the Recreation and Parks Director of some bamboo fishing <br />poles. The bottom line is that the Board needs to figure out how to pay for all of this. For <br />example, the annual operating costs far Twin Creeks is estimated at $500,000, which is <br />equivalent to ~l cent on the tax rate. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis said that he is not in agreement with Lori Taft that the house <br />should be some kind of museum. He thinks that the homes should have a purpose that blends <br />very easily into the affordable housing mission in the County and that blends into the mission of <br />keeping an eye on valuable property. He said that the most giving thing to do to protect <br />property is to have somebody living there and keeping an eye on the place. He thinks the plan <br />is getting there, but the issue is whether the County can afford the plan. <br />Chair Carey said that the Board could decide the timeframe and haw it fits into the other <br />priorities. <br />Jahn Link said that this draft has already been partially successful because it is making <br />everyone think of costs. <br />RPAC member Tony Britt commented that Lori Taft works very closely with their group, <br />and this document reflects her progress in the right direction. He said that the RPAC has full <br />confidence in Lori Taft and her staff. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that the County Commissioners made a quick decision not to <br />talk about a bond this year, but when they do talk about a bond, they may want to look at these <br />projected costs in terms of a bond. The staff needs could also be phased in over a period of <br />time. <br />Chair Carey asked the Board's pleasure on the Parks Conservation Technician. <br />Lori Taft said that she hopes that it is clear from the plan that there will be positions <br />needed in the future. There is a need presently for more staff because of projects they are not <br />able to accomplish with the current staff. Examples include Efland-Cheeks, Fairview, Northern <br />Cedar Grove, and others. She would like the Board to consider this position tonight. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis suggested adding this to the next consent agenda. He asked <br />for clarification on something. He said that the grounds at the Southern Human Services Center <br />are starting to look shabby. There are uprooted and dead trees and this needs to be part of the <br />whole plan for facilities. He would like to see a breakdown of who is responsible for what in <br />these areas related to parks. He does not understand where Recreation and Parks ends and <br />Environment and Resource Conservation begins. <br />John Link said that there was a discussion about this last week and that this needs to be <br />expanded to include Public Works and Planning. <br />Chair Carey said that John Link would articulate this about where one department ends <br />and another begins and put it in writing. <br />Commissioner Gordon asked when this Parks Conservation Technician position would <br />begin. Lori Taft said that it would not start before March. <br />Commissioner Gordon asked about the relationship with Durham County in terms of <br />paying for the parks technicians at Little River. Lori Taft said that Orange County pays all of the <br />operating costs, and Durham County reimburses Orange County 50% for staff. <br />The Parks Conservation Technician position will be on the next consent agenda. <br />{b} Resident Caretaker for Little River Regional Park <br />Elaine Holmes explained the information that outlines the legal threshold of what the <br />County could and could not do with a resident caretaker. There are two options -the caretaker <br />would be an employee or a tenant only. In terms of the caretaker being an employee, there <br />could be various types of duties that the employee would carry out. In terms of the caretaker as <br />a tenant only, the work would be related to the residence and not to the park, but the objective <br />would be to have a presence in the park. <br />