Minutes 05-02-2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

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27 Travis LePage Orange County Project Director tlepage @fedeng.com 585-507-9731 Questions Commissioner McKee clarified that the differential between using Durham County's CORE system and Orange County's CORE system is $3 million. Cliff Brown said it is about $2.8 million. Commissioner McKee said the cost is $3 million more than the $29 million shown there, and the end result, if Orange County were to build its own independent system; or would it be more than the $3 million. Cliff Brown referred to alternative 2 on page 25, and said that is a stand-alone system that includes Orange County's own core. He said that is not sharing anything, and a shared system is $26 million. Commissioner McKee said 17 towers will be needed, if 200 foot towers are used. He asked if the number of towers needed could be identified, if the towers were 300 feet. Cliff Brown said he does not yet have this information. He said 200 feet is a magic number, both within the County's UDO and with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). He said towers over 200 feet must be marked with a light, and most residents have concerns about this. Commissioner McKee asked if it would be possible to explore going to a higher tower and reducing the number of towers, so that money could be saved and used for the CORE System. He said in a shared system, Orange County will not be the primary partner; and while there can be good faith negotiations, there will always be unanticipated events that occur. He said potential problems will need to be heavily analyzed if a shared system is to be considered. Commissioner McKee asked if the reduction of towers, due to increased heights, could be researched. Cliff Brown said yes. He said, on average, a brand new site for a tower is about $1.4 million, including equipment, prepping the land, etc. He said higher towers cost more money, but there would be less land costs. Commissioner Marcoplos said he lives 11 miles outside of Carrboro, and suggested putting the tall towers in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, as the blinking lights would blend in with the urban landscape; and put the unblinking lights in the rural areas. He said to use a hybrid system of towers. Cliff Brown said guidance from the County is welcomed. He said existing structures are being considered as well, such as the University of North Carolina (UNC) and a building just over the Durham County line. He said the 700-800 system, which is the long term solution for the County, are also VHF sites, which would eliminate duplication. Commissioner Jacobs said as far as siting taller towers, the County looked at bird flyways in considering the location of higher towers, which kill birds. He said lower towers were preferred for this reason, and Craig Benedict may have that information. He said the Audubon Society may also be helpful. Chair Dorosin asked if the County will have to pay fees to Durham if it uses a shared system. Cliff Brown said yes, and this cost is not factored into the cost estimates reviewed this evening. He said the costs identified this evening are only capital costs. He said the fees depend on how many users are in the system, but the initial quotes range from $50,000- $100,000 annually.