Agenda - 02-05-2013 - 5a - Laserfiche WebLink

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8 1 participate to the tune of $900,000. He likes what the attorney suggested regarding focusing on 2 the sewer lines. 3 Commissioner McKee thanked the members of the task force. He said that he does not 4 see anything that cannot be worked out. He thinks that the sewer issue and the community 5 center issue be disengaged. He said that one should not depend on the other, nor should any 6 recommendation depend on another recommendation for the community center to move 7 forward. He will continue to push that the community center be moved forward one way or the 8 other. He said that he is determined that the County will build this center. 9 Commissioner Jacobs asked Pam Hemminger to answer the question about Habitat's 10 participation. 11 Pam Hemminger said that Habitat owns the property where the community center is 12 supposed to be located and is dedicating property. There had to be a special use permit 13 process for this to happen. This is one of the reasons that Habitat is involved. Habitat does not 14 want to assume responsibility for long-term care and maintenance of the building. Habitat did 15 offer to be the construction engineer/contractor for this building. This will be a lot less cost. She 16 knows that there are legal issues to be worked out and these can be worked out. 17 Chapel Hill Town Councilmember Ward voiced support for continuation of the task force. 18 He asked that the charge be revised and updated to address the upcoming questions related to 19 the remaining issues. He said that the task force is really good at having representatives of all 20 elected bodies coming to meetings so that as the staff work through the issues, there is a venue 21 where there can be updates, etc. Without the task force in place, it is cumbersome to get the 22 approval information to the three elected boards. 23 Chair Pelissier said that she is struggling with the extension of the task force, especially 24 when it comes to the community center. She does not want to hold things up. She would like to 25 hear from staff about whether these things can be worked out. 26 Commissioner Jacobs said that the County Commissioners have made no explicit vote 27 on whether or not to continue the task force. The Board implicitly agreed with its two 28 representatives that it was worth continuing, but the Board no longer has any representatives on 29 the task force (Pam Hemminger and Valerie Foushee are no longer on the Board). It is on the 30 January 24th agenda for discussion on whether or not to appoint two new people or whether or 31 not the task force has finished its work. 32 Commissioner Dorosin made reference to the sewer issues. He said that these are 33 fundamental policy issues that should be resolved and not by staff. He said that he remains 34 committed to the idea that every resident in the Rogers Road Historic Neighborhood gets 35 connected to the water and sewer at no cost. He said that he would like to decide now or soon 36 that the boards are committed to funding the infrastructure mains and the connections from the 37 mains to the meters at the very least at no cost to existing residents. He is concerned about the 38 language about special assessments, loans, and sliding scales. He said that if they go down 39 any of these paths, then it is a betrayal of the commitment made to this community. 40 Commissioner Price said that she agreed with Commissioner Dorosin and she is 41 committed to seeing the community center. She thinks that the task force needs to continue to 42 meet. She thinks that the legal issues can be worked out. She agreed with separating the two 43 issues so that the community center can be built as soon as possible. 44 Alderman Johnson said the task force voted at their last meeting to continue the task 45 force for six months. She said that one of the recommendations was for managers to meet and 46 report back to them and they are waiting on that. She said that there are two community 47 members on the task force, and if the task force no longer meets, then the community members 48 are left out of the conversation. 49 Council Member Pease said that they need to disentangle the two issues and say that 50 the task force has finished phase I, whatever that is, and let the attorneys and managers work 51 out the legal issues for the community center. He said that his fear of continuing the task force