Agenda - 01-21-2016 - 6-a - Minutes

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6 1 Commissioner Jacobs asked if investments that give a return due to higher interests 2 rates are being considered. 3 Gary Donaldson said yes these investments are being considered and there have been 4 meetings with financial entities and a review of statutory requirements and how investment 5 income can be optimized. He said staff will be following up on how this can improve down the 6 road and will return to the Board with an investment report. 7 Commissioner Pelissier noted that the staff report in January will be given just prior to 8 the Board's retreat. She said the Board may want to put the funds towards their identified 9 priorities, as determined at the retreat. 10 Chair McKee asked if the report is available on line. 11 Gary Donaldson said yes. 12 Chair McKee said he would like the Board to discuss moving the OPEB needs into the 13 budget. He thanked the finance department for their excellent work. 14 15 5. Public Hearings 16 17 a. Joint Public Hearing with the Historic Preservation Commission Regarding the 18 Proposed Designation of the Nicholas Corbett Hester House as an Orange County 19 Local Historic Landmark 20 The Board considered conducting a joint public hearing with the Historic Preservation 21 Commission (HPC) to receive public comment on the application and proposed ordinance to 22 designate the Nicholas Corbett Hester House as an Orange County Local Historic Landmark, 23 and then adopt the ordinance and authorize the Chair to sign. 24 Peter Sandbeck, Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation's 25 (DEAPR) Cultural Resources Coordinator, reviewed the background information: 26 27 BACKGROUND: In 1991, Orange County adopted the "Ordinance Creating the Historic 28 Preservation Commission (HPC) of Orange County", also referred to as the "Historic 29 Preservation Ordinance". In 1997, the County adopted the Local Landmark Program, a 30 voluntary program allowing the HPC to designate properties of local historic and/or architectural 31 significance, as authorized by NC General Statute 160A-400.1-400.14. One of the HPC's duties 32 is to recommend properties to the BOCC for local landmark designation. Properties must meet 33 a high standard of historic and/or architectural significance to be designated as an individual 34 landmark. The higher standard is appropriate since landmark property owners are eligible for a 35 50 percent property tax deferral as provided by state law, as long as the property is preserved 36 and retains its historic character. 37 The historic landmark designation process, outlined in Article 3 of the County's Historic 38 Preservation Ordinance, involves several steps culminating with the adoption of an ordinance by 39 the BOCC for each individual landmark. At its October 28, 2015 meeting the HPC accepted a 40 Part 2 application (Attachments 1 and 2)from owner Ms. Mimi Logothetis to consider her 41 property, the Nicholas Corbett Hester House, for designation as an Orange County Local 42 Historic Landmark. The HPC approved a motion stating that the Hester House possesses 43 special significance and is worthy of consideration for local landmark designation. The 44 application materials were then submitted to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)for 45 review and comment as required by state law. The SHPO provided the letter at Attachment 5. 46 The HPC also voted to request a joint public hearing with the BOCC, as required by Section 3.7 47 of the Historic Preservation Ordinance. 48 This is a routine joint public hearing required by state enabling legislation and the 49 County's Historic Preservation Ordinance. Following this joint public hearing, the BOCC and 50 the HPC will take into consideration public comments, if any. No comments that would cause a 51 delay or note opposition to the designation are expected, so the HPC has already taken action