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3. Board Comments Commissioner Jacobs thanked Chair Carey, Representative Insko, and Representative Hackney who helped defeat a bill that would dictate how County Commissioners would be elected. He said that Chair Carey was very eloquent and represented the interests of the County very well. The Representatives expressed confidence in the honor of the County Commissioners that they would do right by the citizens of Orange County. Chair Carey said that he would send the Representatives thank you letters for stepping up on the County's behalf. Commissioner Jacobs thanked Sergeant Norman Horton from the Sheriff's Department. His wife had a flat tire on NC 86 and Sergeant Horton helped her change the tire. Commissioner Jacobs reported that he and John Link met with OWASA, along with the Managers of Carrboro and Chapel Hill, the Mayor of Chapel Hill, several board members of OWASA, and OWASA staff about rates for extending water and sewer lines and whether there might be an alternative way to look at the policy that would preclude local governments from recouping the monies in extending water and sewer to public buildings. OWASA came up with an alternative to allow local governments to recoup some of the money, and the OWASA board will consider it later in the month. Also, OWASA informed them that the Wildlife Resources Commission has dropped, for this year, the discussion of advertising hunting on OWASA property until there is further discussion. Commissioner Jacobs reported that he, the Manager, staff, and Chair Carey met with representatives of UNC about their land holdings in Orange County. Environment and Resource Conservation Director Dave Stancil has prepared a memo. There are some areas of cooperation, including the possibility of working on some affordable housing together. Housing and Community Development Director Tara Fikes will be in touch with the appropriate person at UNC. Commissioner Jacobs attended the RTRP State of the Region Breakfast. He called TTA afterwards, because in mentioning the infrastructure, all that was listed were interstate highways and there was no mention of TTA or any public transportation. He thinks the Director of RTRP is coming to the Economic Development Commission on Thursday, and he will bring it to his attention that public transportation is a key component of the infrastructure in this region. Commissioner Jacobs said that he, the Manager, and staff went on a forestry tour and they visited four different sites. There were some good discussions with the current group of foresters and administrators. Commissioner Jacobs proposed getting a report back from staff at the next regular meeting. He made reference to the budget public hearings last week, and that most of the comments were regarding funding for schools. He thinks that it is time to propose putting a district tax for the Orange County School system on the ballot. The citizens need an opportunity to speak on this issue. He thinks this is just one component of the further discussion of equity. This would be a way to have people that are represented by the Orange County system vote on the future of the OCS. There was a proposal that came from OCS in December 2001. It was an Alternate School Funding Task Force Final Report and was co-chaired by Dana Thompson and Bob Bateman. The primary recommendation was to consider designing a special district tax with three provisions: proceeds going to the classroom, a sunset clause, and a cap of ten cents. He would like to submit this to the OCS Board for their advice and comment, and he would like to have staff to look at this to make sure it is legal to have a sunset clause or a renewal. Commissioner Halkiotis agreed with Commissioner Jacobs and said that it gives the opportunity for the equity issue to have some kind of resolution that has had all aspects fully analyzed. He said that he was concerned the other night about the language he heard at the public hearings. He knows that both school systems have been two of the tap four best-funded school systems in the state. The language offended him. Orange County spends almost 50°~