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21 <br /> 1 Slide #26 <br /> Questions from Commissioners <br /> Public Comments <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> 1109n[CkROLINA <br /> 2 <br /> 3 Commissioner Fowler asked if"optional" on the first slide was referring to the state. <br /> 4 Cy Stober said yes. <br /> 5 Vice-Chair McKee asked the role of the staff at the NIM. <br /> 6 Cy Stober said the current practice is for the staff to welcome the public, present a <br /> 7 PowerPoint, show site plans, present findings of fact, discuss consistency with adopted plans, <br /> 8 describe the location of project as it relates to zoning districts and then the next steps of the <br /> 9 process. He said they essentially present the project to the public. <br /> 10 Vice-Chair McKee asked if this NIM is put in place, what the role of staff would be. <br /> 11 Cy Stober said there would not be a staff role. <br /> 12 Vice-Chair McKee said maybe he misunderstood but he thought the recommendation was <br /> 13 for staff to be there. <br /> 14 Cy Stober said staff would be there but in an observatory role because the developer <br /> 15 would be the one presenting the project to the public. Staff would only be there to answer any <br /> 16 questions that the developer may not be able to. <br /> 17 Commissioner Richards clarified that the NIM is optional under General Statute, but <br /> 18 required by Orange County LIDO. She said it's the first step, then there is a public hearing. She <br /> 19 said the public would have the opportunity to hear from staff during the public hearing. She said <br /> 20 that it would also require that the applicant provide a record of the NIM. She asked what that <br /> 21 would look like. <br /> 22 Cy Stober said it is the first public step of the process. He said county staff would have <br /> 23 reviewed the project at this time. That includes, planning staff, the environmental department, the <br /> 24 NCDOT, the Fire Marshall. He said there are multiple county departments and state agencies <br /> 25 before it advances to a NIM. He said that rezoning requests would then go to a Planning Board <br /> 26 hearing, then to a BOCC public hearing. He said that in some cases, it would go to a Board of <br /> 27 Adjustment public hearing. He said as advised by the County Attorney's office, the recording <br /> 28 definition was left unspecified to allow the applicant to provide a record and they are required to <br /> 29 provide a written report. <br />