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14
<br /> DRAFT
<br /> 398 Amy Eckberg: We're reallyjust trying to advocate with the building code council through various networks. We
<br /> 399 all join together, and I'm talking about the towns and the counties, to be able to provide some language to
<br /> 400 encourage them to revisit the building codes. So, right now,that's what we're trying to do -advocate as best that
<br /> 401 we can for them to do that.
<br /> 402
<br /> 403 Cy Stober: If I may, I think the building code council refers to it as liberalizing the building code, but basically
<br /> 404 what that means is less and less oversight, less and less permitting by our own county and, therefore, less
<br /> 405 opportunities for us to incentivize energy saving practices as well, through either fee structures or permitting,
<br /> 406 which I think I made a comment when, last summer when they changed, for example, the minimum amount of
<br /> 407 improvements that are made to a building that don't require any permits went from $20,000.00 to$40,000.00.
<br /> 408 So, if you were doing $40,000.00 of improvements to your home, you don't require any permits, and that makes
<br /> 409 what you're talking about, Statler, very difficult. Doesn't mean that it doesn't deserve advocacy as mentioned in
<br /> 410 the plan and action.
<br /> 411
<br /> 412 Statler Gilfillen: The second issue is, in the last month, a number of studies are starting to come out that EV
<br /> 413 vehicles may actually in their lifetime be more pollutant than the conventional gas engine, and if we are pushing
<br /> 414 to improve the EV, use of EV vehicles, are we, in fact, being counterproductive? I don't have an answer for this.
<br /> 415 1 can only raise it based on what I'm reading in reports and in the news.
<br /> 416
<br /> 417 Amy Eckberg: I don't think that we have a definitive answer for that either. I think there's been definitely some
<br /> 418 issues that have been brought up in terms of the mining of lithium and the production of EVs in the batteries, and
<br /> 419 then recycling and talking about, you know, there are some negatives to EVs, but I think the positives overall
<br /> 420 outweigh the negatives, but I think the jury's still out and there's still research being done, so it's hard to say
<br /> 421 definitively at this point.
<br /> 422
<br /> 423 Statler Gilfillen: For a long time they've been talking about the high speed rail going from Raleigh to Charlotte
<br /> 424 which would go through Orange County. I believe from my own experience being in Europe for a good portion of
<br /> 425 my life, rail transit makes a big difference. Anything about the high speed rail, in particular, more than bus or
<br /> 426 other?
<br /> 427
<br /> 428 Amy Eckberg: I have not heard any updates on that. Do you all have any updated information?
<br /> 429
<br /> 430 Cy Stober: It's going through the initial kind of feasibility analysis because it would actually be a high speed rail
<br /> 431 line that connects Washington D.C.to New Orleans or Florida, I can't recall. But, yeah, it would use the rail bed.
<br /> 432 So, we have a 200-foot right-of-way, railroad right-of-way that goes through Orange County. And —
<br /> 433
<br /> 434 Statler Gilfillen: Has that already been defined?
<br /> 435
<br /> 436 Cy Stober: Yes, it is already owned by the North Carolina Railroad. So, evaluating it for a new set of tracks,
<br /> 437 because the existing tracks cannot accommodate vehicles traveling at that speed, is necessary. It's very likely
<br /> 438 additional land will be needed to accommodate that line,and we're talking about decades in terms of making that
<br /> 439 a reality. Our current president, as you know, is a big advocate of rail. He used the Acela for most of his career
<br /> 440 commuting from Delaware to D.C. He would love to see it happen, but it takes a very long time and every state
<br /> 441 has different ways of acquiring land and permitting. So that also adds complications to it. So it's at the very initial
<br /> 442 levels of evaluation.
<br /> 443
<br /> 444 Statler Gilfillen: My last comment, and I hope you can laugh a little bit at this. You made a reference to cycling
<br /> 445 and walking. There are, in my opinion,two other common uses for those types of trails that seem to be ignored;
<br /> 446 one would be for jogging. That's different than walking, and sometimes, the architectural planning needs are a
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