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Orange County Goals: March 1992 <br />Page 2 <br />2. Opt lona I-Wagtewater Any plan to allow and /or <br />encourage alternative waste treatment systems in the county must rely <br />heavily on local inspection and enforcement. It must recognize that the <br />State program is very inadequate -- inspections occur on average only once <br />every five years; most are in response to complaints. The record of <br />homeowners associations in maintaining alternative systems has not been <br />good. Adequate bonding, public ownership,'public maintenance, or other <br />means must be found if the public health is to be protected from faulty <br />systems. Substantial funds are involved; the public should know in advance <br />whether private funds are guarantged or if the taxpayer is expected to pay. <br />3. Water Resource Quant i ty and Qua I i t : I support the goa I of deve I op i ng a <br />long range study and planning process regarding the county's valuable ground <br />and surface water resources. Studying and planning for the impacts of <br />existing and future Land use and waste treatment options is very important. <br />While much has obviously already been done, the formal process outlines <br />cannot begin too soon. It is important that both ground and surface water be <br />considered together, because they are interrelated and to avoid the trap of <br />protecting one at the expense of the other. It is also important to consider <br />quantity as well as quality issues as the volume of water use continues to <br />increase. Even with increased conservation, increasing population and <br />commercial growth will require greater quantities of water in the future. <br />Planning now will help insure a sustainable resources base. <br />Much of the information needed for the study may just need to be <br />gathered, compiled and evaluated. However, there may be areas in which <br />important information is not known and has to be developed. For example, <br />there may be little available information on some kinds of possible <br />contamination of groundwater, pesticides for example, which may be <br />necessary for evaluation of certain land uses or resource availability. The <br />Board may have to be prepared to spend more funds over the long term for <br />this important study and planning process if it is to be comprehensive. <br />C. Equitable School Funding: I doubt if anyone can seriously object to <br />the goal of "promoting fairness, effectiveness, and efficiency in the <br />allocation to and use of resources by the two school systems." However, <br />Susan and I have been increasingly distressed by the approach which has <br />been taken to achieve "fairness ". There are many ways of viewing equity: <br />equity of effort, equity of opportunity, equity of results, equity of present <br />facilities, equity in meeting anticipated needs, and no doubt others. We are <br />distressed that the Commissioners have focused on freezing and /or phasing <br />out the special district tax, which Chapel HI I I/Carrboro has asked to be <br />imposed on itself in order to help fund its schools. <br />..y <br />