Minutes 04-26-2022 Business Meeting

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12 Commissioner Richards clarified that two of three prefer the option on the left. Travis Myren said staff representatives from the county and the MPO prefer the more inclusive option, as shown in the left on slide #14. Commissioner Richards asked when the decision will be made. Travis Myren said June or December. Commissioner Richards asked if the discussion of the alternatives will be resolved by June. Travis Myren said it may or may not be. Commissioner McKee said he is curious as to what GoTriangle's arguments are. Adam Howell said GoTriangle feels that transit operators outside of the three primary signatories should be the only ones responsible for making the decisions. He said the option on the right on slide #14 allows only those that are in charge of operating transit services having a decision-making role. Commissioner McKee said he disagrees because GoTriangle does not exist without county funding. He said he has no issue with GoTriangle managing the system and driving the buses. Commissioner Bedford asked at what point the commissioners will be asked what option they prefer. Travis Myren said that was one of the reasons they are bringing it tonight and if they have preferences, they can let them know. Commissioner Bedford said she preferred the option on the left that includes the towns. She said that for the annual work program and budget approval process, she hopes they can move forward with the change to see the responsibilities for both parties. Commissioner Greene said she appreciated the effort and transparency that has went into the work already. She said that she prefers the alternative that is more inclusive and on the left side. Chair Price said as a member of the board of trustees for GoTriangle, one of the issues they have focused on is being more inclusive. She said she is in favor of the option that is more inclusive, the one on the left of slide #14. She said that the option from staff is counter to what the board of trustees would support. She said they are talking about focusing on the community and what they need versus the project. Commissioner Hamilton said she liked the priorities, and they clearly reflect her view of accountability and gaining community input. She said that the more inclusive alternative is what she would be in favor of. She said she would like the annual work plan to come to the commissioners. Adam Howell said the county was the priority in receiving the update, but that GoTriangle and the MPO will be receiving this same update next month. c. Orange County Transit Plan Update Presentation The Board received information on the Orange County Transit Plan (OCTP) Update process and draft recommendations for new bus operations and capital projects for any preliminary feedback and comments that may help inform a draft plan. BACKGROUND: In 2012, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) along with the Durham-Chapel Hill Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC MPO) and GoTriangle adopted Orange County's first comprehensive Transit Plan. This Plan was funded using a newly adopted Article 43 Half-Cent Sales Tax, and it included investments in new and expanded bus service and new capital infrastructure projects such as the Chapel Hill North- South Bus Rapid Transit Project, the Hillsborough Train Station, and the Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit (DO-LRT) Project. The Plan was updated in 2017 to meet federal requirements associated with the DO-LRT Project.