Agenda - 05-12-2015 - 2 - Laserfiche WebLink

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31 Approved 11/5/14 593 hearing and then you have the statements. I think that’s right before appeal, for a number of reasons, I don’t know if 594 the Board really wants to get into all of that but my recommendation would be that because of all of the legal 595 concerns with all that let one board handle it, the Board of Adjustment, that’s all they do and then youalso have a 596 corollary to that because when the public goes to these meetings and they want to know, look I’m a neighbor and I’m 597 against this, quasi-judicial they can’t say anything. That’s objectionable, you’re not supposed to allow them to go and 598 speak to that. So if you have one board where they know, oh Board of Adjustment that’s when I have to have my 599 expert there to testify and any time you go before the Board of County Commissioners or the Planning Board, that’s 600 when I’m allowed to give my opinion because they do policy and legislative matters. It’s clear for the public. 601 602 Lisa Stuckey: So, the quasi-judicial, and I guess the mix will move out of the Planning Board? 603 604 James Bryan: That would be my recommendation. 605 606 Perdita Holtz: Well, the legislative part of the mix would not but we need to figure out what we want to do for 607 legislative versus quasi-judicial before we tackle that funny beast of the mix. 608 609 Lisa Stuckey: But quasi-judicial is leaving us. 610 611 Bonnie Hammersley: No, as the County Manager I have to speak. The issue tonight is some kind of 612 recommendation from this Board to the County Board of Commissioners, they make the final determination. One 613 thing I would want to add thought as you all talked about your power or your worth, this Board isa highly valued 614 board in county government and is in all the counties I’ve been in. The County Board of Commissioners depend on 615 you greatly for your recommendations and what you do and so I want you for that but no determination has been 616 made on what is going to happen. That’s what this discussion is about. It would be a recommendation to the County 617 Commissioners and whether the Commissioners would agree with that, they would make the final determination and 618 I don’t know what that is. 619 620 Maxecine Mitchell: I’m sitting here thinking I want to share in my own way, when I decided to be on this Planning 621 Board, I came to represent my community. I don’t feel comfortable in any decision we make, I have to be there to 622 hear what the people have to say. I sit here every month and hear the staff from their perspective and I get a good 623 understanding on their challenges, what they are trying to do as a whole, I then like to come to the public hearing 624 meeting and I cautiously listen to the people. Within the decisions we make to the UDO and the Comprehensive 625 Plan when we have a chance thathelps me to figure out if it a good thing for the community. Then my 626 recommendation that I give to the County Board of Commissioners, I’m looking at it from the community perspective 627 because I have to live here. You may not live in my neighborhood, in my area, and I don’t want rules making it hard 628 for me to enjoy the life here in Orange County. I take this very seriously so I don’t want whatever we do, I want to 629 hear from the public, as well as coming here every month and hearing from the Planning Board and hearing the 630 County Commissioners and what they want and make it all work the best we possibly can. I understand the legal 631 process but for me that’s top concern because we haveto live here in Orange County so we have to keep it where 632 people can enjoy the County and not feel like they want to move to Durham or Alamance County, that’s the way I see 633 it and Iwant to find the best way to say that in the decisions we make. I try mybest to show up to the public hearings 634 and I go to work at 12 at night and the night of that long meeting, I left that meeting and went right to work because 635 that’s my commitment to the citizens of Orange County to be there. I think that staff and theBoard of Commissioners 636 get benefit from it. 637 638 Pete Hallenbeck: One good thing coming from this discussion is that it’s an interesting opportunity for everyone to 639 think about the role of the Planning Board and I think we are all basically on the same page. If anyone has another 640 rule they think is critical. 641 642 Paul Guthrie: I mentioned one and that is the fact that we provide the Board of Commissioners with a screen with 643 which they can filter through information as they deal with some very tough issues. 644 12