Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
2 <br /> that this change would not impact the University Lake Watershed at a Chapel Hill Town Council. <br /> He said state maps show otherwise and said he would like to see the findings of county staff on <br /> this matter after the Board directed staff to investigate this issue at a previous meeting. He said <br /> Carrboro had a motion to vote on this issue on February 6th and does not want them to vote <br /> without the correct information. He said this decision feels rushed and that further studies are <br /> needed to determine the impact of changing this agreement. He said there is no guarantee that <br /> the stated affordable housing will ever occur and there is no full cost-benefit analysis or a plan for <br /> how affordable housing will be developed in this area. He said he would like to see more <br /> comprehensive planning at the county level and collaboration between county and towns on this <br /> issue but also affordable housing and climate change issues across the county. <br /> b. Matters on the Printed Agenda <br /> (These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda below.) <br /> 3. Announcements, Petitions and Comments by Board Members <br /> Commissioner Richards said there were a lot of activities during the holidays and on Martin <br /> Luther King, Jr. Day. She said she attended the first meeting of the Jordan Lake One Water <br /> Coalition and board officers were elected. She said it was a good organizational meeting and is <br /> looking forward to serving. <br /> Commissioner McKee said after learning that Buccee's will be built in Alamance County, <br /> he is extremely disappointed that, over time, Orange County will lose tens of millions of dollars to <br /> Alamance County because the Orange County Board of County Commissioners did not approve <br /> that project. <br /> Vice-Chair Greene said she stepped in for Chair Bedford at the graduation ceremony for <br /> the 6th class of Project EngAge Volunteers. She said this is a great volunteer program for older <br /> residents helping each other out. On a related note, she said that the senior centers are always <br /> looking for volunteer drivers for seniors. She said she attended the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day <br /> events yesterday in Hillsborough and went to her second DSS Board meeting today. She said <br /> that people are wanting to sign up for Medicaid expansion and staff is working to process nearly <br /> 1,900 applications at this time. She shared that this Board learned that Chapel Hill was interested <br /> in applying for funding for an affordable housing project on Homestead Rd., and initially wanted <br /> to use some county-owned land to build a covered bus shelter. Then, she said they learned that <br /> the requirements were that the site had to have Saturday bus service, so Chapel Hill decided not <br /> to apply after all. She said it was interesting to her because the state requirements did not used <br /> to consider public transit, and it is not a deal breaker for funding now, but six extra points could <br /> be applied to an application if Saturday transit were available. She said she is directing her <br /> comments partly to the MPO representatives on the Board, because people at state level <br /> recognize the connection between affordable housing, transit, mobility, and climate change but <br /> funding transit is still a challenge. <br /> Chair Bedford said she attended a Watauga Club dinner, and the subject was RTP 3.0 <br /> and the future development of RTP, including housing. She said it was interesting and will involve <br /> Durham and Wake counties rezoning. She said she went to Carol Woods last week to thank them <br /> for their$175,000 donation towards the Master Aging Plan. Finally, she said she attended a zoom <br /> meeting earlier this month with Senator Graig Meyer as part of a subcommittee planning for future <br /> land use if the UNC coal rail line ever becomes available. <br /> Commissioner Portie-Ascott said she also attended the project EngAge graduation and <br /> was impressed by the courses graduates took. She said she also attended several MLK Day <br /> events. She said she enjoyed an oratorical contest that involved courageous students in <br /> elementary, middle, and high school who made speeches. She said she attended two meetings <br /> of the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness and attended a training on the point-in- <br />