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Attachment 6 <br />2 <br />3 DRAFT MINUTES <br />4 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />5 REGULAR MEETING <br />6 December 9, 2014 <br />7 7:00 p.m. <br />8 <br />9 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, <br />10 December 9, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center, in Chapel Hill, N.C. <br />11 <br />12 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair McKee and Commissioners Mia Burroughs, <br />13 Mark Dorosin, Barry Jacobs, Bernadette Pelissier, Renee Price and Penny Rich <br />14 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: <br />15 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts <br />16 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Assistant County <br />17 Managers Clarence Grier, Cheryl Young and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (All other staff <br />18 members will be identified appropriately below) <br />19 <br />20 Chair McKee called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. <br />21 <br />22 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda <br />23 <br />24 PUBLIC CHARGE <br />25 The Chair dispensed with the reading of the public charge. <br />26 <br />27 2. Public Comments <br />28 a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda <br />29 Terry Rekeweg read from the following written comments: <br />30 1 have spoken in the past about how an Alternative rail route may outperform the current <br />31 Durham - Orange light rail project. I attended the TTA public meeting last month and talked to <br />32 many people who agreed that there should be another alternative. <br />33 <br />34 The Alternative plan would change the location of 5 middle stations. The beginning point would <br />35 still be at Duke University and downtown Durham. <br />36 The Alternative provides for a faster ride from Chapel Hill to downtown Durham (a savings of 2- <br />37 5 minutes). <br />38 <br />39 Other benefits are: <br />40 - Savings of $400 million <br />41 - It serves a greater percentage of low- income and minority households <br />42 - It provides 4.5 square miles more area within walking distance to rail stations, which promotes <br />43 more affordable housing and Transit Oriented Development <br />44 - It is much safer by eliminating the need to build 27 new railroad grade crossings <br />45 - Planning maps suggests that it would have higher ridership and relieve more traffic <br />46 congestion <br />47 - It has fewer environmental impacts. <br />48 <br />49 Imagine this future scenario: If you were to board the Alternative light rail at the UNC station, <br />50 ride to the west side of RTP, then change to the proposed commuter train to continue your trip <br />