Minutes 01-19-2021 Virtual Business Meeting

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29 question. He said some people will never accept this project, and some people will, regardless of any concerns. He said he currently falls somewhere in the middle. He said he is focused on the human aspect of this project, and the equal access of opportunity. He said he does not know if this is the best project for this parcel, but there have been multiple parties interested in the parcel in the past, but the Applicants have all walked away to adjoining counties. He said one previous applicant has now attracted two major pharma companies to their project in Wake County. Commissioner McKee said one of the reasons he ran for Commissioner in 2010, was due to an anti-business and anti-commercial view he saw being expressed by the a Commissioner at that time. He said that Commissioner stated that Orange County would become the "bedroom community of the Triangle", which is all well and good if one makes $100,000. He said not everybody can afford the taxes on expensive homes. He said for him this boils down to jobs and revenue for the County. He related a story about paying his taxes, where he ran into a woman who was facing a decision about selling a car in order to pay taxes. He said this is not unusual, and Orange County is losing some of its long-term, low-income residents who can no longer afford to live in Orange County. He said progress always brings impositions and tradeoffs. He said interstates 85 and 40 run parallel to the project, continuing all the way to Greensboro, and if the project is declined, it will regenerate elsewhere. He said he has seen this happen repeatedly over the past 30 years, and the revenues continue to go to other counties. He said this revenue could be spent on so many needs in Orange County. He said it bothers him that Orange County might be considered a bedroom community. He said Buc-ee's provides a lot of what other companies do not provide. He said there are many companies that do not pay $15 an hour, and this company also gives benefits and 3 weeks of vacation. He said this is an opportunity for a good job that is a stepping-stone to additional success over time. He said people can take one small step at a time, and move from borderline living to decent living. Commissioner McKee described public comments that upset him. He said one speaker said, "I don't care about people 10 streets away". He said he cares about everyone. He said not one African American or Hispanic person spoke against the Buc-ee's project. He said people from both of these communities have called him and emphasized the need for these jobs. He said it was especially insulting to hear from public speakers that a $15/hour job was a dead end job that only allowed you to clean toilets. He said he does not understand this thinking, and does not agree with denigration of individuals looking to improve their situation. Commissioner Greene said she would support not making a decision this evening, giving staff direction to prepare for a future meeting, and the Applicant time to consider conditions/concerns that were raised this evening. Commissioner Dorosin said Michael Harvey's list captured everything that had been raised. He said if there is a possibility that this project will be considered, based on conditions, he would support Commissioner Greene's suggestion. He said if there are 4 commissioners who will vote no to this proposal, no matter what, then there is no point in wasting everyone's time. He said he personally agrees with Commissioner Greene's suggestion. A motion was made by Commissioner Greene, seconded by Commissioner McKee to direct staff to develop conditions based on this meeting, and work with Applicant to develop a response to conditions. Commissioner Fowler said if there are conditions being added, she would like to add some of her own. She said she wanted to know if significant scaling down is even possible, because if Buc-ee's cannot scale down then further conversation may be a waste of time, and she would be willing to make a motion to deny.