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