Orange County NC Website
ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />WORKSESSION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: April 9, 2015 <br />11 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 3 <br />SUBJECT: Community Centers — Mission Statement and Level of Service <br />DEPARTMENT: DEAPR PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Attachment A. Overview of Community <br />Centers <br />Attachment B. Guiding Principles and <br />Purposes <br />Attachment C. Possible Level of Service <br />Options <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />David Stancil, 919 - 245 -2522 <br />Chris Sousa, 919 - 245 -2660 <br />PURPOSE: To consider information and provide direction to staff on goals /objectives and <br />potential levels of service for existing and new community centers. <br />BACKGROUND: Orange County built and began operating its first community center, the 2600 - <br />square foot Efland- Cheeks Community Center (located at Efland- Cheeks Park), in 1992. Until <br />late last year, this was the only community center owned and operated by the County. The level <br />of activity at the Efland- Cheeks Center has decreased over the last decade, as grants funding <br />different community activities ended and programs were consolidated into new centers in <br />Hillsborough for financial or economies of scale reasons. Over the past year or so, residents <br />and representatives of community organizations in the Efland- Cheeks area met with staff from <br />the Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation and other County <br />departments about increasing access and program offerings at the community center. In <br />response, some limited hours of operation (two days per week) have been restored, a few <br />recreation programs added, and after - school homework help is now provided at the center on <br />weekday afternoons. Otherwise, the Center is available for rental - pending future decisions <br />about hours of operation and programs. <br />In late 2014, the County opened a second community center on leased property in the Rogers <br />Road community north of Chapel Hill. The Rogers Road Community Center is 4,000 square feet <br />in size, with an office, kitchen and meeting room(s).The Center is managed under a contractual <br />Operations Agreement with the Rogers Eubanks Neighborhood Association (RENA). Under this <br />agreement, RENA agrees to operate the center six days a week from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm. <br />The County is responsible for building maintenance and repair, grounds maintenance, utilities <br />and insurance under the agreement. <br />Finally, over the past three years residents of the Cedar Grove community have worked with <br />staff and a professional design firm to develop a plan for the old Cedar Grove School (African- <br />