Minutes 09-06-2012 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Chair Pelissier said that she favored a new facility for the community center. She suggested that the County make a commitment in January to take action after the final report at the Assembly of Governments meeting in December. Commissioner Hemminger said that she does not want to wait until January. Commissioner Foushee said that she would not be here in January so she wanted to make a comment. She said that, as public servants, they do not always get it right. The County Commissioners have taken a lot of criticism from the towns about the closure of the landfill. She said that she understands that it was clear to all of the RENA community that if the landfill had not closed, they would not be having this conversation about a mitigation plan now. A motion was made by Commissioner Hemminger seconded by Commissioner Yuhasz for intent to: • move forward with a new "green" community center; • to ask the Manager to find $380,000 more to move into the fund already established with $120,000; • to work with RENA and Habitat for Humanity on the design and implementation of this community center; • to ask the towns to contribute computer supplies, permitting costs, connection costs and the first 12 months of utilities towards this project; • to ask the towns to expedite the permitting process; and • to be able to start immediately to bring this project back to the BOCC October meeting to finalize going forward. Michael Talbert said that the segments of sewer were designed without regard to the other surrounding land. It could be designed completely different if other neighborhoods were included. Regarding debt service, the County would be at or near 15% up until 2016-17. The $6.5 million, including the $740,000, plus all of the sewer, if financed for 20 years would require debt service of about $450,000. PUBLIC COMMENT: Mark Dorosin is the Managing Attorney at the UNC Center for Civil Rights. He was representing the Rogers-Eubanks Neighborhood Association (RENA). He made reference to the question of cost and said that this is not the most efficient way to serve the community. He said that OWASA does not have a prohibition on using pumps. He said that this may be an opportunity to engage with OWASA to get its board members to put this issue back on the table. He said that a commitment without a commitment to funding is no commitment at all. He is encouraged to hear the Board's discussion. He said that the report suggests that water is available all throughout the community. He does not think that a lot of the people in the community know that there is money available. He said that most people need help with the costs of hooking up to the system. Regarding the community center, he said that he was taken aback that Chapel Hill was talking about zoning and planning restrictions that it intends to impose on this property (i.e., 3,000 foot setbacks). He said that he is encouraged to hear the commitment to the community center, because when this first started the priority was the sewer. Commissioner Hemminger restated her motion.