Minutes 04-04-2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

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32 Commissioner Marcoplos said he does not think the Board has seen that on the same page as the other bus expansion. Danny Rogers said John Tallmadge, GoTriangle Regional Services Department Director, will include this information in his presentation on the draft plan Commissioner Jacobs said the dividend hours go to Chapel Hill Transit, and one of the issues is that the LRT is in Chapel Hill; the dividend hours are in Chapel Hill; everything is in Chapel Hill, despite the plan being promised to the whole County. He said it is important to consider whether the Board is fulfilling the commitment made to the residents that there will be a robust bus system in Orange County when the Board asked them to vote for the transit tax. Commissioner Jacobs referred to the state of good repair, and that this was going to be contributed to down the years. He said he thought this contribution was going to come out of the cash balances, and asked if this is correct, as the cash balances are so small. Ted Cole said part of the reason the cash balances fall to where they are is because some state of good repair improvements will be funded out of the cash balances. He said a borrowing would be inserted, when the cash balances are no longer sufficient to fund the state of good repair improvements. Commissioner Jacobs said this is the same predicament that exists with schools. He said there is not enough funding to repair the old, pay operations, and build new schools. Ted Cole said they try to do what they can on a pay as you go basis, and when that does not work money is borrowed. Commissioner Jacobs referred to the BRT, and asked where is the $100 million coming. Mindy Taylor said GoTriangle is not the project sponsor on the BRT, and said to contact the Town of Chapel Hill about this. She said funding options are being considered outside of the tax district share, and currently no state funds are being considered, and the federal share could be higher. Brian Litchfield, Transit Director for Town of Chapel Hill, said the current estimate is $125 million year of expenditure, which assumes a 70% from a federal grant, and a 30% local match. He said the current draft plan includes $6.1 million of that 30%. He said as the next phase of the project continues, the Town will have to look at the costs for the project and whether there are ways to minimize them. Commissioner Jacobs said there is a difference of about $28 million, and asked if this is included in the BRIP at this point, or is the County expected to contribute. Brian Litchfield said that difference is currently unfunded, and as they move into the engineering phase, the Town can consider a variety of adjustments, including delaying elements of the project, changing the cost share with the federal government, etc. He said design and environmental work have yet to begin. Commissioner Jacobs asked if there is a reason that the BRT is even in this basket of conversation about LRT. Brian Litchfield said the BRT was originally included in the investment plan, as it was considered a regional project, and both projects work better together than they do separately. Commissioner McKee asked if staff could gather actual sales tax growth data since the inception of this project, and to forward it to Davenport. He asked if Davenport could factor that data into the chart found on page 7. He said, as he understands, the sales tax growth since inception of this project, started above projections in year one, but then flat lined thereafter. Commissioner McKee referenced the state of good repair loans, and said he does not remember seeing these before. He said in December the Board was sold a bill of goods. Commissioner Marcoplos referenced the Hillsborough train station, and asked if this can be built on time regardless of any other part of the plan.