Orange County NC Website
4 <br /> <br />completely set aside for planning-related items); some have more than one meeting <br />per month. It should also be noted that having more potential public hearing dates <br />per year would likely spread out the same number of items per year over more <br />meetings (e.g., there would be fewer items per hearing date). The number of items <br />Orange County typically hears in a given year likely does not warrant a monthly <br />meeting set aside only for planning-related items since there have been quarterly <br />public hearing dates with only a small number of “easier” items. <br /> <br />It should be noted that, especially for non-government initiated items, it could be <br />undesirable to limit the number of items on any particular agenda if the applicant has <br />met the application deadline date. Staff’s informal polling of local government <br />processes has indicated that most local governments put all applications that were <br />received by the filing deadline on the designated agenda, even if some must get <br />tabled to a future meeting due to time constraints; some will call a special meeting in <br />months that are particularly busy. A small number of local governments limit the <br />number of items that can be placed on any one agenda or informally work with <br />applicants to get permission to place items on a later agenda if the agenda for a <br />particular meeting has gotten very full. <br /> <br />Planning Board Involvement <br />The existing practice of holding a joint public hearing (governing body/Planning <br />Board) is also fairly unique (although the Town of Hillsborough also operates this <br />way). With a joint hearing, a quorum of members of both boards is necessary in <br />order to legitimately hold the hearing. Some local governments have the Planning <br />Board make a recommendation on items prior to the public hearing while other local <br />governments have the Planning Board make a recommendation after the public <br />hearing. Either process can work well, depending on the desires of the local <br />government. If a recommendation is made before the public hearing, the Planning <br />Board focuses its review on the technical merits of an item. If a recommendation is <br />made after the public hearing, the Planning Board’s recommendation can take into <br />consideration comments made at the public hearing. BOCC input at the September <br />9, 2013 work session leaned strongly toward having the Planning Board make its <br />recommendation after the public hearing and this is how the proposed amendment <br />has been written. <br /> <br />Additional analysis may be included with the quarterly public hearing materials. <br /> <br /> <br />• Comprehensive Plan Linkage (i.e. Principles, Goals and Objectives) <br />Land Use Goal 6: A land use planning process that is transparent, fair, open, <br />efficient, and responsive. <br /> <br />• New Statutes and Rules <br />N/A <br /> <br /> <br />C. PROCESS