Orange County NC Website
advertisement. She said this may be why the Board of County Commissioners reviews the ad, <br /> and she likes the way this process is done now. <br /> Commissioner Gordon said she wanted to make sure that all property is being posted, <br /> and people are being notified by certified mail. <br /> Perdita Holtz said this is not going away. She said the requirement for certified mail is <br /> only for developer initiated applications. <br /> Commissioner Gordon said there used to be more development applications. The <br /> economy may be the reason there are currently not as many development applications and <br /> therefore relatively fewer quasi-judicial public hearings. <br /> Commissioner Gordon said her suggestion about waiting to vote is in reference to the <br /> first time a major public hearing is held. She said it is okay to decide something tonight for this <br /> item. <br /> She said the Board needs to be careful about having too many categories of hearings, <br /> each with a different process, because it might be confusing to the public. <br /> Commissioner Price said the flow chart states that the public can come to the Planning <br /> Board prior to the public hearing. She asked if these comments will then be entered into the <br /> record of the public hearing. <br /> Perdita Holtz said the record only relates to the quasi-judicial process, but not the <br /> legislative process. She said the flow chart in the packet is related to the legislative process. <br /> Commissioner Price asked if this flow chart would be the same for both. <br /> Perdita Holtz said there would be a slightly different flowchart for quasi-judicial, but it <br /> would follow the same general cadence. <br /> Commissioner Price asked if the public would be invited to speak at the Planning Board <br /> meeting. <br /> Perdita Holtz said the public would not be invited to speak, but there would possibly be <br /> an opportunity for comment. She said all of this has not been worked out. <br /> Commissioner Price said she is just concerned with the Board having an opportunity to <br /> see these comments. <br /> Perdita Holtz said there is not really a record of comments at public hearings for <br /> legislative items. She said the comments show up in the minutes, just as comments show up <br /> in the Planning Board minutes. <br /> Commissioner Price referred to item 1 in the bottom blue section of the flowchart on <br /> page 18. She asked when the public would be making comments if the item is not to be listed <br /> in the meeting agenda. <br /> Perdita Holtz said it would be listed as a regular item or a consent agenda item, but it <br /> would not be listed under the public hearing section. <br /> Commissioner Price said if it is on the consent agenda, the Commissioners may not <br /> know that there is someone in the audience who wants to speak. <br /> Perdita Holtz said the public can sign up, or the Chair can ask if anyone wishes to <br /> speak before the consent agenda. <br /> Chair Jacobs said he has never seen a planning item on the consent agenda. <br /> Commissioner Pelissier said the recommendation is to stick with the quarterly public <br /> hearings. She said this proposal solves the public input issue but not the timing issue. She <br /> sees that the roadblock is that you have to provide information 10 days before a quarterly <br /> public hearing, whereas you only have 4 days if a public hearing is added to a regular meeting. <br /> She questioned whether it might be possible, for legislative public hearings, to provide <br /> information on the website 10 days before, and then incorporate it in the agenda 4 days <br /> before. <br /> Perdita Holtz said there is no actual requirement to have it available 10 days in <br /> advance, but that is the practice that Orange County has had for 20 years. <br />