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8 <br /> 1 5. Public Hearings <br /> 2 a. Orange County FY 2025 Annual Transit Work Program <br /> 3 The Board conducted a public hearing on the Orange County FY 2025 Annual Transit Work <br /> 4 Program (AWP). <br /> 5 <br /> 6 BACKGROUND: In 2011, the Orange County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) authorized a <br /> 7 referendum for a half-cent sales tax to expand public transit in Orange County. The funding is <br /> 8 limited to public transit improvements identified in the Orange County Transit Plan approved by <br /> 9 the County, the GoTriangle Board, and the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning <br /> 10 Organization (DCHC MPO) Board. All three boards must approve the Plan and any material <br /> 11 changes to the Plan. <br /> 12 <br /> 13 An Interlocal Implementation Agreement (ILA) approved by the three boards in 2013 outlines the <br /> 14 roles and responsibilities of each agency for the administration of the funding. A new ILA was <br /> 15 approved by Orange County BOCC in February 2023. The new ILA provides a specific process <br /> 16 for the development of the Work Program including approval by the BOCC ahead of approval by <br /> 17 the GoTriangle Board. Section 3.04 of the new Comprehensive Participation Agreement outlines <br /> 18 this process. <br /> 19 <br /> 20 The Staff Working Group (SWG) met on January 19, 2024 and released the draft FY 2025 AWP <br /> 21 (Attachment 1)for public review. Orange County is a member of the SWG and serves as the Staff <br /> 22 Working Group administrator. DCHC MPO, Go Triangle and local town staff are also on the SWG, <br /> 23 per the Staff Work Group By-Laws. <br /> 24 <br /> 25 The FY 2025 AWP is the implementation of the Transit Plan for FY 2025. Orange County has no <br /> 26 new transit projects programmed or funded. The County's Mobility-on-Demand, which increased <br /> 27 to six (6) days starting May 1, 2023, now serves as a continuous operational project. Any new <br /> 28 County specific transit projects would require an amendment to the Orange County Transit Plan. <br /> 29 If Transit Plan and Work Program approvals take place concurrently, no additional amendment <br /> 30 approval will be necessary. If not, a Transit Plan Amendment would need to be approved by the <br /> 31 BOCC, DCHC MPO and Go Triangle for more County specific transit improvements. <br /> 32 <br /> 33 Public notice for the 30-day review period and public hearing was issued (Attachment 2). The <br /> 34 public comment period closes on February 29, 2024. No comments have been received to-date <br /> 35 (Attachment 3). <br /> 36 <br /> 37 Next Step: <br /> 38 The Annual Work Program will come back to the BOCC for consideration in March, and then <br /> 39 reviewed by the GoTriangle Board for its annual budget and approval. <br /> 40 <br /> 41 Darlene Weaver, Orange County Transportation Planning Manager reviewed the <br /> 42 background information for the item. She also made the following presentation: <br /> 43 <br /> 44 <br />