OTHER-2023-045-Orange County Climate Council Memorandum of Understanding

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Memorandum of Understanding Creating the Intergovernmental Climate Council of Orange County THIS MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ("MOU") is made and entered into this day of , 2023 between and among the Towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Hillsborough, North Carolina, municipal corporations in Orange County, North Carolina (hereinafter referred to collectively as the "Towns"), and Orange County, a political subdivision of the State of North Carolina (hereinafter referred to as the "County"), for the purpose of creating a joint climate council to explore climate change issues in and their impact on Orange County and its residents. (County and Towns may be referred to individually as "Party" and collectively as the "Parties"). The Parties also acknowledge that the University of North Carolina — Chapel Hill, UNC Healthcare, the Orange Water and Sewer Authority, Orange County Schools, Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools, North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Durham Technical Community College, and The Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill Carrboro Partnership for Sustainable Community are important member entities (stakeholders) in the County and the Towns and though not parties to this MOU, the Parties acknowledge the vital role they play and further acknowledge their intention to invite full participation by these member entities with respect to the issues covered by this MOU. The purpose of this MOU is to foster the cooperation and collaboration between the County and the Towns, which has proved so successful on many issues and topics, to provide flexibility to explore the impacts of climate change and the mitigation of those impacts in Orange County. This collaborative agreement is established and maintained based on the cooperative trust among the Parties that is essential to the effective implementation of this MOU. WITNESSETH WHEREAS, the County, and Towns are public bodies, politic and corporate, under the laws of the State of North Carolina and are vested with the power and authority by Article 20 of North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 160A to enter into this MOU; and WHEREAS, at the January 29, 2019 Assembly of Governments, the County and Towns discussed the formation of a climate committee to explore issues related to climate change; and WHEREAS, a climate council was subsequently created with input from the Parties and began meeting in the Fall of 2019; and WHEREAS, the County and Towns determined that the climate council's purpose and function were unclear and jointly desired to formally establish an Intergovernmental Climate Council (the "Council") and impart to it a clear charge and purpose.