Orange County NC Website
20 <br /> • School Capital Improvements-$47.6 million <br /> The recommended CIP includes a total of$47.6 million to finance school capital improvements. Of this <br /> total, $40 million is contingent on the successful passage of a $120 million general obligation bond <br /> referendum scheduled for November. The CIP recommends that the total authorized amount be <br /> divided into three installments of $40 million in years one, three, and five of the five year plan. The <br /> funds are distributed between the two school districts based on their proportion of average daily <br /> membership. <br /> The remaining $7.6 million allocated for school capital projects is consistent with prior year allocations. <br /> This funding comes from a mix of sources including pay-as-you-go funds, lottery proceeds, Article 46 <br /> sales tax proceeds, and an additional $1 million in debt financed borrowing targeted at facility <br /> improvements in older schools. <br /> • Affordable Housing-$3.5 million <br /> One of the highest policy priorities expressed by the Board during its annual retreat was the <br /> development and maintenance of affordable housing in the County with an emphasis on affordable <br /> rental housing. Over the next several weeks, the Board will be considering the adoption of an <br /> Affordable Housing Strategic Plan which will guide the use of affordable housing funds. The CIP assumes <br /> that the $5 million general obligation bond for affordable housing is successful in November and that <br /> $2.5 million would be allocated for use in FY 2016-17, and the remaining $2.5 million would be <br /> authorized in FY 2018-19. <br /> While general obligation bond proceeds will likely be used to expand the number of affordable housing <br /> units in the County, the preservation of land for affordable housing represents another important <br /> strategy. The FY 2016-17 CIP recommends an additional $1 million to fund a land banking initiative <br /> started by the Board in FY 2015-16. <br /> • Community Centers-$35,000 <br /> The Board also identified the continued development of community centers as a policy priority for the <br /> coming year. The County has recently made investments in the Rogers Road Community Center and will <br /> open and begin programming at the Cedar Grove Community Center this summer. The CIP recommends <br /> beginning a new investment in the Efland-Cheeks Community Center by including $35,000 in planning <br /> and design funds in FY 2016-17 to expand and modernize the facility and improve landscaping. A total <br /> of$391,000 is recommended in FY 2017-18 to finance remodeling and landscaping work. <br /> • Senior Centers-$990,000 Seymour Center <br /> In 2015, the Board considered the space needs for the Seymour Center as part of the Southern Campus <br /> Master Plan report and expressed interest in addressing some of those short term space needs. The <br /> 2016-17 CIP recommends an interior remodel to increase programming space by 4,500 square feet as <br /> well as the addition of approximately 55 paved parking spaces to accommodate Senior Center users. <br /> Future facility needs for both the Seymour Center and the Jerry M. Passmore Center (formerly Central <br /> Orange) will be expressed in the Master Aging Plan which will inform future funding decisions. <br /> Page 13 <br />