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APPROVED MARCH 9 1992 <br />MINUTES <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />SPECIAL PUBLIC HEARING <br />DECEMBER 11, 1991 <br />The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in Special Session on <br />December 11, 1991 at 7:30 p.m. for the purpose of holding a public <br />hearing on the matter of school capital needs, priorities and funding. <br />BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Moses Carey, Jr., and Commissioners <br />Stephen H. Halkiotis, Alice M. Gordon, Verla C. Insko and Don Willhoit. <br />STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr., Assistant County <br />Manager Rod Visser, Clerk to the Board Beverly A. Blythe, Finance <br />Director Ken Chavious, Budget and Management Analyst Donna Hamlet, and <br />Budget Director Sally Kost. <br />INTRODUCTORY REMARKS <br />Chair Carey introduced everyone - at the Commissioners' table <br />including Mary Bushnell, Chair of the Chapel Hill - Carrboro School Board <br />and Ralph Warren, Chair of the Orange County School Board. <br />PRESENTATION BY JOHN LINK <br />County Manager John M. Link, Jr. presented information on the <br />projects that a 66 million dollar bond issue would include. He stated <br />that the School Bond Advisory Committee appointed last summer by the <br />Board of County Commissioners was charged with prioritizing $157 million <br />in capital requests from the two school systems. The proposed 66 <br />million dollar bond would include 50 million for a new elementary, <br />middle and high school for Chapel Hill- Carrboro and 16 million for a new <br />middle school for the Orange County system. The impact on the homeowner <br />of a 66 million dollar bond would be $210 the peak year for a house <br />valued at $150,000. He explained that the revenues from the two 1/2 <br />cent sales tax are used for school capital. The cost of these schools <br />are higher than those in other counties because the specifications are <br />higher, technology is incorporated into the facilities, the cost of land <br />is higher and an inflation factor is included. <br />THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS OPEN FOR CITIZEN COMMENT <br />LINDA HAAC, representing the PTA Council for Chapel Hill- Carrboro <br />Schools and a member of the bond committee, stated that she understood <br />there was a consensus that Chapel Hill needed an elementary, middle and <br />high school and Orange County needed a middle school. The committee <br />concluded that even if the schools were merged, they would still need <br />these schools. She stated that new schools need to be built because the <br />present schools have no other space. The district is growing rapidly. <br />Each year there will be 300 more students. If these schools are not <br />built there will be overcrowding conditions. The schools now are over <br />crowded. She cited several examples and.stated that they are at capacity <br />at the high school. She understands that in Orange County a new middle <br />