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Attachment 1 <br /> 1 <br /> 1 DRAFT MINUTES <br /> 2 ORANGE COUNTY <br /> 3 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> 4 BUSINESS MEETING <br /> 5 January 16, 2024 <br /> 6 7:00 p.m. <br /> 7 <br /> 8 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Business Meeting on Tuesday, January <br /> 9 16, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough, NC. <br /> 10 <br /> 11 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jamezetta Bedford, Vice-Chair Sally Greene <br /> 12 and Commissioners Amy Fowler, Jean Hamilton, Earl McKee, Phyllis Portie-Ascott, and Anna <br /> 13 Richards <br /> 14 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: <br /> 15 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts <br /> 16 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager <br /> 17 Travis Myren, and Clerk to the Board Laura Jensen. (All other staff members will be identified <br /> 18 appropriately below) <br /> 19 <br /> 20 Chair Bedford called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. All commissioners were present. <br /> 21 <br /> 22 <br /> 23 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda <br /> 24 Chair Bedford dispensed with reading the public charge. <br /> 25 <br /> 26 <br /> 27 2. Public Comments (Limited to One Hour) <br /> 28 a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda <br /> 29 Terri Buckner said for the past 40 years, the towns and county have excelled at joint <br /> 30 planning. She said the rural buffer and WASAMPBA to reinforce protections of farms, rural <br /> 31 communities, wildlife, drinking water quality and supply, and community infrastructure. As part of <br /> 32 the joint planning, she said certain areas were identified for development like the 15-501 corridor <br /> 33 but not at the currently proposed densities. She said changing the plan now without a new <br /> 34 planning process ignores the impacts of climate change. She said affordable housing is needed <br /> 35 but she continues to observe some town elected officials prioritizing new affordable housing at <br /> 36 the expense of existing affordable housing. She said there are over 400 affordable housing <br /> 37 opportunities in the 15-501 area. She said using Chapel Hill's 15% affordable housing <br /> 38 requirement, if this area is built out to OWASA's estimate of 2,200 new homes, it would create <br /> 39 330 new affordable units, but asked what would happen to the existing 400 plus affordable units. <br /> 40 Between the pressure of new development and increased risk of flooding due to the loss of <br /> 41 permeable surfaces in the watershed, she asked if there would be a net gain or loss of affordable <br /> 42 housing. She said this type of strategic planning needs to occur before expanding the urban <br /> 43 boundary. She said Chapel Hill does not have the authority to require missing middle housing of <br /> 44 developers and the cost of extending water and sewer or the impact of those costs on housing <br /> 45 costs is unknown. She said it is also unknown what income levels will be served by new affordable <br /> 46 housing, the impact on schools, or the impact on transit. She said there are many open questions <br /> 47 and no answers and is depending on board to get the answers to those questions on residents' <br /> 48 behalf. <br /> 49 BJ Warshaw said he agrees with everything Terri Buckner just said. He said he continues <br /> 50 to be concerned about WASAMPBA. He said he lives in Chapel Hill ETJ and this Board is his <br /> 51 direct representation in this matter. He said he was disappointed to hear people continue to say <br />