Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
■ This point is relevant only if the Planning Board makes its recommendation after the public hearing, <br />rather than before the public hearing. <br />• Can be problematic if additional information is requested at the public hearing <br />■ In instances where additional information is requested at the hearing, the public hearing would have to <br />be held open to a date /time certain in order to receive the additional information. <br />• In some NC jurisdictions, the public hearing is closed and a decision is made at the same meeting <br />• This process can function only if the Planning Board makes its recommendation prior to the public <br />hearing or if the Planning Board also attends the public hearing and makes its recommendation the same <br />night. <br />• In instances where more information is needed, the hearing would be continued to a date /time certain <br />• Past BOCCs have stated a desire to not make decisions the same night as the hearing <br />3 Hold two separate public hearings — one for the Planning Board and one for the BOCC — and close both hearings the <br />same night as the hearing <br />• This potential process was discussed at the September 9, 2013 work session but was not favored <br />■ Would result in the need for advertising both public hearings, thereby doubling advertising costs <br />➢ Orange County already advertises in two publications (State statutes require advertising in only <br />one) so the County's advertising costs are already higher than necessary to meet statutory <br />requirements <br />o Staff notes that a policy decision was made many years ago when developing the fee <br />schedule that the advertising costs for only one publication are included in the application <br />fee applicants pay The annual Planning Department budget includes covering the costs of <br />advertising in two publications <br />• This hearing process has the potential to result in widely divergent points of view being expressed at the <br />separate public hearings, depending on whether interested persons choose to attend both hearings or only one <br />hearing <br />N <br />CD <br />