Orange County NC Website
9 <br /> 1 Deborah Stroman said yes. <br /> 2 Commissioner McKee thanked the HRC for bringing in more rural voices. <br /> 3 <br /> 4 Board of Adjustment (BOA) Craig Benedict, Planning Director <br /> 5 Craig Benedict emphasized the training that is now provided for BOA members. <br /> 6 Commissioner Dorosin asked if there is an update on reviewing the BOA. <br /> 7 Craig Benedict said a series of educational videos from the School of Government <br /> 8 (SOG) have been purchased. He said the training covers quasi—judicial procedures, which the <br /> 9 Planning Board often conducts. He said there has been turnover and new board members are <br /> 10 completing orientation. He said every time there are regulatory changes, staff works with the <br /> 11 Attorney's office to be more specific, to avoid confusion of interpretation. <br /> 12 John Roberts said staff asked the BOA if it needed outside and separate legal counsel, <br /> 13 and the BOA said no. He said he has given it great thought, and his opinion has fluctuated <br /> 14 over time. He said in the event that the staff's recommendation is in conflict with the BOA, the <br /> 15 staff would need separate representation. He said if the Board would like to explore separate <br /> 16 representation for the BOA, staff can certainly do so. <br /> 17 Chair Rich asked if the education and training are helping. <br /> 18 John Roberts said yes, and he and James Bryan also did an overview of the BOA's <br /> 19 responsibilities. <br /> 20 <br /> 21 OUTBoard (Orange Unified Transportation Board) Art Menius, Chair <br /> 22 Art Menius said they have Abigaile Pittman and Tom Altieri and others that support their <br /> 23 Board, and he thanked them and said they are able to provide extensive orientation to their new <br /> 24 members and it is also on their website. <br /> 25 Art Menius said the OUTBoard has a strong interest in multi-modal transportation, and <br /> 26 would love to be known for this around the state and country. He said the bike safety task force <br /> 27 is exciting, and safety videos and other media, are being circulated effectively. He said the <br /> 28 website is up and operating, and the OUTBoard continues to see open communication between <br /> 29 the government entities about how to create the best conditions for transportation safety in non- <br /> 30 motorized modes. He said the safe routes to school are an important piece of this, with the <br /> 31 route to Grady Brown Elementary and Cedar Ridge High School still being of concern. <br /> 32 Art Menius said public transportation is a priority and the OUTBoard is excited about the <br /> 33 progress made by Transportation Director, Theo Letman. He said ongoing conversations about <br /> 34 providing better transportation to the rural parts of the community are exciting and allowing the <br /> 35 County to be on the cutting edge of innovation. He said of special concern is effective <br /> 36 communication of their public transportation offerings to the public who most need these <br /> 37 services. <br /> 38 Art Menius said staff continues to support the OUTBoard in dealing with all of the tasks <br /> 39 that comes to it from TARPO and the MPOs. He said the OUTBoard is observing the Highway <br /> 40 54 project closely, and opposes widening it to 4 lanes. He said an area that has sparked great <br /> 41 citizen interest is the Efland/Buckhorn/Mebane access area. He reviewed the following <br /> 42 highlights: <br /> 43 <br /> 44 Activities for 2019: <br /> 45 In 2018, the OUTBoard has: <br /> 46 1. Received and reviewed information regarding Orange County's SPOT 5.0 project lists <br /> 47 and scores submitted by the DCHC MPO, the BG MPO, and the TARPO and NCDOT <br /> 48 for ultimate consideration of inclusion in the 2020-2028 Statewide Transportation <br /> 49 Improvement Program (STIP). <br /> 50 2. Received and reviewed regular updates regarding NCDOT Division 7 projects located in <br />