Agenda - 09-02-2021; 12-6 - Information Item - Memorandum Regarding Orange County-Durham County DCHC MPO – Durham City Governance Study Interlocal Agreement (ILA)

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7 •�`� ATKINS SNC•LAVALIN .,., Introductory Information Project Background Durham County, as well as GoTriangle and Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC MPO) approved the first Durham Transit Plan in 2011. Durham County authorized a referendum be held, and voters resoundingly approved the half-cent sales tax for public transportation later that year. In 2012, Orange County followed with the approval of a transit plan and referendum. Both the Durham and Orange plans recommended the development of the Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit (DO LRT) project. In 2013, Interlocal Agreements were developed in both counties to guide the implementation of the plans. These Interlocal Agreements were focused on the shared effort needed for development of the DO LRT project. The Interlocal Agreements (ILA) were approved by the policy boards of the counties, the DCHC MPO, and GoTriangle. In 2019, the DO LRT project was discontinued. Durham and Orange Counties are currently developing new transit plans to guide future transit investments. Durham County is considering projects that will serve regional transit needs to Orange and Wake Counties, as well as projects that serve local transit needs. Durham and Orange Counties have identified a need for new ILAs to reflect the priorities of the updated transit plans and to consider new roles and responsibilities among the partners. The purpose of the ILA is to establish a framework for intergovernmental cooperation and regional coordination in the implementation of each county's respective plan. Project Goals Due to the need to bring forward a new ILA at the same time as the final Durham and Orange Transit Plans in late 2021 and the need to reach consensus on this important document, the study participants intend to engage a third-party consultant to provide an objective analysis of the current process, identify the goals of each agency, evaluate options for roles and responsibilities that incorporate best practices from other regional transit efforts, and facilitate discussions among the parties that will lead to a final recommended ILA. In addition, the work necessary to develop the new ILA will identify policies and procedures that need to be developed or updated. Current policies and procedures are not well documented or understood by all participants. The study participants anticipate that the enthusiasm generated by the updated transit plan will lead to a strong desire to quickly get started on the implementation of projects. As a result, the study partners desire to create Policies and Procedures Manual (PPM) to allow for plan implementation to proceed quickly without delays. The contractor will supplement the efforts of staff in adapting to potential new roles and responsibilities set by the ILA. The PPM is for use by staff and does not require approval by the policy/governing boards responsible for oversight of each county's plan implementation efforts. Work Duration It is assumed that the study duration will be approximately 12 months from the day the Notice to Proceed (NTP) is issued. 41 Page