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<br />get materials in a timely manner. She hesitates going forward with this until they get due <br />diligence. <br />Commissioner Gordon would like for the County Attorney and Finance Director to look <br />over the materials and see if things are being handled properly. <br />John Link said that staff is trying hard to pursue a timetable to accomplish what they set <br />out to do to purchase the Sportsplex and include the senior center. However, they can take <br />whatever steps the Board wishes, but it will take additional time. The staff is trying hard to get <br />this done by a certain timeframe. He said that the resolution supporting the application to the <br />LGC does not commit the County to follow through with this deal. This is just a step to ga <br />through for debt financing. <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Foushee to <br />adopt the resolution related to the Local Government Commission financing application. <br />VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br />The Board addressed item `d' next. <br />d. Petition for Abandonment of a Portion of Pleasant Green Community <br />Center Raad from the NC Secondary Road Maintenance Program <br />The Board considered a petition to abandon a 0.27-mile portion of SR 1571, Pleasant <br />Green Community Center Road, from the North Carolina Department of Transportation <br />(NCDOT) Secondary Road Maintenance Program. <br />Karen Lincoln said that the property owners along this road have petitioned NCDOT to <br />abandon it from the maintenance, with the greater purpose of coming back to petition Orange <br />County to close the public right-of-way. The state statutes allow counties to close public rights- <br />of-way for roads that are not under the NCDOT supervision. She pointed out the properties on <br />a map. <br />PUBLIC COMMENT: <br />Brad Clark said that he owns property on the west side on Community House Road and <br />that, upon purchasing this property, he saw that this road was a satellite dumping ground for <br />Orange County. He said that all of the properties back up to Community House Road. In 1998, <br />when he bought the property, he met with Kenny Warren with DOT about Community House <br />Road. This road floods during heavy rains because of inadequate drainage. Mr. Warren has <br />had to come out and clean trash out of the road because people would come out and dump <br />truckloads of trash in the middle of the road after dark. He made a verbal agreement with Mr. <br />Warren that if Mr. Warren would ditch the road out, that he would try and keep the trash out of <br />the road. He has hauled lots of trash, debris, and even appliances and furniture off of the road. <br />There is also a hazard at the intersection of Pleasant Green Road because the sight line is poor <br />due to a sharp curve. He does not know of anyone that would be negatively affected by the <br />closing of the public right-of-way. <br />Ed Punt said that this has already gone through DOT and they have already signed off <br />on it. He said that it is now up to the County Commissioners. <br />Commissioner Jacobs empathized with the property owners. He is supportive of closing <br />the right-of-way. He would like to have a process for closing a road. Geof Gledhill said that the <br />statutes prescribe a process that includes a public hearing and public notice. <br />Commissioner Jacobs suggested using the process that was used before and have a <br />sign put up at the road and have a public hearing on November 21St <br />Commissioner Halkiotis said that he would vote to shut this road down tonight because it <br />has been a mess for over 20 years. <br />Discussion ensued about the process of closing the road. <br />