Minutes 04-18-2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

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11 Commissioner Jacobs referred to the short-range transit planning, and asked if Orange County will be invited to participate with GoTriangle and Chapel Hill. John Talmadge said discussions are underway, and he did not want to make a commitment of Orange County's participation. He said Orange County staff can be included. Commissioner McKee referred to the question of debt, and said the Davenport staff was clear that counties could choose to pick up more obligations for debt, or be required to do so. Mindy Taylor, GoTriangle Senior Financial Analyst, said all of the debt that is issued is the responsibility of GoTriangle, and there is no requirement for counties to repay the debt unless the counties choose to enter into an agreement. Commissioner McKee said what happens if the assets backing the debt are insufficient. Mindy Taylor said the debt would be a general fund obligation of GoTriangle, and it could be repaid with any revenue that is legally available to GoTriangle. She said one of the benefits of the program that GoTriangle is using for its long-term issuance, the TIFIA program, is that there are lots of options for refinancing. She said there is a lot of flexibility built into the program. Commissioner McKee said that is not the same answer that Davenport told the BOCC a couple of weeks ago. Commissioner Price clarified that GoTriangle incurs the debt and is responsible for paying it. She asked if the counties' taxes pay GoTriangle. Mindy Taylor said those revenues are issued directly to GoTriangle by the State, as the sales tax monies were approved through a referendum. She said the funds are collected in the counties. PUBLIC COMMENT: Ken Larsen provided a summary chart in a hand out, and on the screen, of 74 members of the public speaking on light rail in the last months. He said of these speakers 70% were against the plan, and 30% were for it; but all wanted a comprehensive transit plan for Orange County. He said those who are against the light rail are concerned about the costs, and that it will not solve the traffic issues. He said those who are in favor of light rail are not worried about the costs, see growth as good, and want dense urban development along the route. Maria DeBruyn provided a hand out, which she reviewed. She favors a comprehensive transit plan that will serve all residents in, and all areas of, Orange County. She said she does not see how LRT can achieve this, as it is expensive and limited in its reach. John Hammond thanked the BOCC for their time, and provided a hand out. He said he has lived here for several decades, and he fully supports the DO-LRT. He encouraged the BOCC to be visionaries. Jim Parker said he is a native North Carolinian, an Orange County resident and business owner. He said his business in Hillsborough understands the transportation industry, and is an integral part of improving the transportation infrastructure in the state. He said his business supports the light rail. He said as a resident he has concerns that tax dollars not be wasted on funding initiatives that would not be aligned with the goal of the taxes. He said he would want to make sure that economic dollars are spent on direct economic growth. He said he looks to the BOCC to govern those plans, and as a resident he supports light rail. Sue Hunter thanked the BOCC for its work on this project, and asked it for its continued support for light rail. She said she attended many light rail planning meetings 10 years ago, and voted for the transit tax in 2012. She lives in Chapel Hill and commutes to work at Duke,