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ORANGE COUNTY HILLSBOROUGH NORTH CAROLINA ana 7er's 611ce �isfa�fs�eo�17S2 MEMORANDUM TO: Orange County Board of Commissioners John Link, County Manager FROM: Rod Visser, Assistant County Manager DATE: April 26, 2005 RE: Historical Context of Capital Funding Policy The Board has suggested that it might be helpful to provide elected officials and staff with a brief summary of the historical context within which Orange County's capital funding policy was developed nearly ten years ago. This memo is intended to explain some of the issues that arose during that time period that helped to shape the capital funding policy under which we have operated since it was adopted by the BOCC in 1996. While far from exhaustive, this review may prove useful not only to those learning the information for the first time, but also to participants in the process whose recollections likely have become less sharp with the passage of time. Information presented below was largely gleaned from public documents, particularly from agenda materials of various meetings of County Commissioner or advisory boards. In 1995 and 1996, there were numerous public discussions about the emerging needs for new school facilities. During the first half of 1995, there was discussion about the desirability of establishing formal criteria that would shape the sizing and cost of new schools to be constructed in Orange County. In October 1995, the school construction standards process was initiated with a workshop at A. L. Stanback Middle School involving representatives of the County and school systems, the State Department of Public Instruction, and experts in school construction. issues from across the Triangle. A set of construction standards for elementary and middle schools was developed through a work group comprised of representatives of the County and. both school systems. That work group met on a number of occasions in late 1995 and early 1996, and presented its recommendations to the BOCC in Spring 1996. The BOCC approved those standards, which are still in use, in May 2006. Because there was no immediately pressing need for high school standards (what became East Chapel Hill High School was already past the design stage), development of those was postponed until several years later. Meanwhile the 1996 -2006 Capital Investment Plan was under development. In April 1996, both school systems presented their highest priority needs to the BOCC. For OCS, these included a new elementary school by 2001 and a major addition to the high school by 2002. For CHCCS, these included a new elementary school in Southern Village and an addition to East Chapel Hill High School (ECHHS) in 1999 -2000 and a new middle school in Meadowmont in 2000 -01. At a May 1996 work session, the Board directed the Manager and staff to work with the school staffs to develop a comprehensive school capital funding plan, including a potential bond referendum, with a report to be made in August 1996. On August 20, 1996, staff presented a plan to the BOCC regarding Long Range School Funding Options. Four options were based on existing policy, and a fifth would fundamentally change the way County and school capital projects would be funded in Orange County. Option 5 included a potential $40 million bond referendum, with proposed funding for a new CHCCS middle school at $22.5 million, AREA CODE (919) 245 -2300 • 688 -7331 • FAX (919) 644 -3004 Ext. 2300