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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: June 3, 2008 <br />Action Agend <br />Item No. -~~m~~~) <br />SUBJECT: Resolution Expressing Orange County's Position on One Legislative Item <br />Regarding Local Government Authority to Provide Development Incentives In <br />Exchange for Reductions In Energy Consumption <br />DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Resolution with Exhibit <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Laura Blackmon, County Manager, 245-2300 <br />PURPOSE: To approve a resolution expressing Orange County's position on one legislative <br />item regarding local government authority to provide development incentives in exchange for <br />reductions in energy consumption. <br />BACKGROUND: Senate Bill 1597 -Cary Energy Efficiency Incentive -was filed in the North <br />Carolina General Assembly on May 14, 2008. The bill seeks to allow certain cities and towns, <br />within their municipal and extraterritorial planning jurisdictions, to adopt ordinances to grant a <br />density bonus, make adjustments to otherwise applicable development requirements, or provide <br />other incentives to a developer within a local government's planning jurisdiction if the developer <br />agrees to construct new development or reconstruct existing development in a manner that the <br />municipality determines, based on generally recognized standards established for such <br />purposes, makes a significant contribution to the reduction of energy consumption. <br />After its introduction, Senate Bill 1597 was referred to the Senate Committee on State and <br />Local Government, and the Committee reported the bill favorably to the full Senate on May 28, <br />2008. The bill unanimously passed second reading on the Senate floor on May 29, 2008. The <br />bill currently designates the cities of Asheville, Charlotte, and Wilmington, and the towns of <br />Carrboro, Cary and Chapel Hill as the only jurisdictions authorized to provide incentives to a <br />developer within their planning jurisdictions if the developer agrees to construct new <br />development or reconstruct existing development in a manner that the municipality determines, <br />based on generally recognized standards established for such purposes, makes a significant <br />contribution to the reduction of energy consumption. <br />It should be noted that Senate Bill 1597 has a companion bill in the North Carolina House - <br />House Bill 2134. House Bill 2134 was introduced on May. 15, 2008 and was referred to the <br />House Committee on Local Government I on May 19th, but no further action has occurred. This <br />