Orange County NC Website
13 <br /> _. .. _. -- _ - — - - ---- - h - -- _ - . `_. - DRAFT <br /> DRAFT <br /> Mr. Carey: Thank you. Mr. Helwig and Mr. Trawick is next. <br /> Mr. Helwig: Mr. Chairman, elected officials, I am here as <br /> chairman of the Orange County Democratic Party. I have in my <br /> hand the platform of the Orange County Democratic Party which <br /> is been in existence for quite a number of years and has -been <br /> amended many times and- most recently adopted at the County <br /> Convention on April 9, 1988. Last year this platform was <br /> revised over a period of years with a lot of people <br /> throughout the County participating in that revision. Quite <br /> a great deal of discussion in the County Convention last <br /> year, a major revision. At that point, we had divided the <br /> platform into something like 8 major areas, let me read a few <br /> selected pieces please that I think might be relevant in your <br /> deliberations on this item. The preamble starts out with a <br /> sentence that says The Orange County Democratic Party <br /> believes the purpose of government is to guarantee the <br /> greatest possible freedom for all people. We have a section <br /> on human rights. Going to Section 2 under Planning <br /> Development and Growth. This section does speak quite often <br /> of County and municipal cooperation. I would like to read a <br /> few selected pieces out of there, these are very brief <br /> sections but perhaps they're relevant here. The Orange <br /> County Democratic Party supports Municipal, County, Regional <br /> and state planning to meet the challenge of population growth <br /> and economic development in the coming years, while <br /> maintaining the unique quality of life in Orange County. We <br /> support balance and appropriate economic growth to provide <br /> jobs i <br /> and increase tax base. Under the section Local, item A, <br /> I think is relevant, it reads--County and municipal <br /> governments should adhere strictly to Land Use Plans in <br /> improving development projects to insure minimum disruption <br /> to existin neighborhoods. Further down, item f under local- <br /> County officials should continue to support the Orange County <br /> Planning Staff's proposals to control development along the <br /> 1-40 route. The next section, section 3 under environment is <br /> perhaps relevant also--The Orange County Democratic Party <br /> supports policies which guarantee clean water, clean air, and <br /> other elements of this safe and attractive environment. We <br /> expect our elected officials to insure that industrial, <br /> commercial, agricultural, and residential development does <br /> not lower the quality of the environment. We support- <br /> research for public and private institutions into the causes <br /> and cures of-pollution. Under local there are 2 sections, A- <br /> -the County municipal government should identify preserve <br /> reserve <br /> natural open spaces for scenic, educational and recreational <br /> pleasure, and item B--the County municipal governments should <br /> set aside natural habitants for the protection of wildlife <br /> and plantlife. I think the most relevant of these is item A <br /> under Local, under Planning, and under Development Growth, <br /> which is to urging county municipals governments to adhere <br /> strictly to Land Use Plans in improving development projects. <br /> We understand that those Land Use Plans are developed with <br />