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3 Sassaman then thanked Zander and Kaiser for sharing this information with the CFE and welcomed their ideas for other opportunities for potential collaboration. VII. Green Building Incentives – Neal noted that it had been since early 2012 that the CFE, in a memo to the Planning Board, expressed its interest in pursuing potential incentives for energy-efficient construction and renovation in Orange County. He recommends not waiting for the Town of Chapel Hill to complete its pilot study of offering incentives for “green building” in the Ephesus-Fordham district. Neal mentioned a conversation with Commissioner Jacobs in which he wished Morinaga had installed solar panels on its buildings. Neal said he reminded Jacobs the County has authority to offer incentives. Shaw suggested that he and Bouma meet with one or more receptive members of the County building inspections staff to discuss the potential for green building incentives. He will make the contacts and notify Neal so that he can participate if available. O’Connor said the Town of Carrboro considered offering green building incentives, but the cost of permits for the relatively small size of projects in Carrboro is not enough to offer much of a rebate. She said a representative from the Homebuilders Association will be meeting with Town staff to discuss other ideas for potential incentives. Gronback said Green Globes, maintained by the Green Building Initiative, is an alternative to the LEED green building rating system for assessing a building’s water efficiency, energy usage, construction materials, indoor air quality, and building site. Hintz said one purpose of this effort is to increase education and awareness; even small financial incentives can increase the chance that builders consider the green options. Sassaman agreed, and noted many people in Orange County cannot afford to improve the efficiency of their homes without the availability of financial and technical assistance. Neal said he wants the County to do what it can to promote green building using the authority granted by the General Assembly. He still considers this “low-hanging fruit” and a worthwhile endeavor for the County—using either incentives or public education. The CFE discussed the possibility of sending the BOCC a copy of the CFE’s January 2012 memo to the Planning Board, and asking the BOCC for its support and direction. Shaw suggested waiting on re-sending that memo to the BOCC until he and Bouma has a meeting with County building inspections staff to discuss this matter and identify specific ways the County could design and implement potential incentives. He will arrange a meeting and notify Neal so that he has an opportunity to participate. Sassaman asked to be notified of the meeting as well. Neal and Wegman indicated that following the meeting(s) with the inspections staff they would be willing to go back to the Planning Board to re-engage them in a conversation on how to make this work. Wegman noted she is now a member of the Planning Board. Wegman suggested they might also involve other advisory boards such as the Economic Development Commission. Wegman asked staff to check in with the Town of Chapel Hill staff to see if there is any further progress on their pilot program and to report back to the CFE in September.