Minutes 05-15-2025-Budget Work Session

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33 about expanding soccer facilities at Millhouse Road. She said this would bring soccer further into Orange County and have an economic development impact. Commissioner McKee said he agreed with Commissioner Fowler. He said there could be joint uses between the proposed uses and the existing. He said he applauds the schoolboard for considering that. Commissioner Carter said she was generally supportive, but she had questions about property tax rate implications. Chair Bedford said it would remove $5 million from the CIP. She said the county has the right of first refusal if there is a surplus of land at the schools. She said currently there are no taxes collected from the land. Vice-Chair Hamilton said she is open to the idea, but would like to look more carefully. Commissioner Greene said it would be beneficial to the existing middle school and residential community. Commissioner Portie-Ascott said she is open to the idea. She asked for clarification of the joint use of the gym. Kirk Vaughn said one of the things in the planning document is the Board wants the school boards to reach out to the municipalities that could do a larger gym that could be turned over to the recreation departments. Commissioner McKee said it would be in the off hours of the day. Chair Bedford said it would be for after school hours when school is out. She said that it would be the city or the county that is using them rather than individual groups. She said if the county did it, the county would cover the cost of making it bigger and increased utility costs. She said that CHCCS has already talked with the Town of Carrboro. She asked what the timeline would be. Kirk Vaughn said they can move funding based on timing. He said the budget could be amended later in the fiscal year. Chair Bedford asked if the site is county or in the Mebane city limits. Travis Myren said that it receives water and sewer from Mebane. Kirk Vaughn noted that the members of the OCS Board of Education in attendance indicated that the site is in the Mebane city limits. Chair Bedford asked if the policy specifies guaranteed use. Travis Myren said he thinks that would have to be negotiated because he does not think the policy is clear at this point. Commissioner Portie-Ascott said she was open to the discussion. Chair Bedford noted the benefits of a K-8 complex. She said the transition to middle school is eased by proximity. She said it is also a benefit to teachers. She suggested making the entire area more parking friendly. She said the Soccer.com expansion is a good project, but this use is better. She said that residential does not pay for itself, but having a school there builds a neighborhood. She said she wanted to explore the joint-use gym. She said she was not concerned about the land swap. She said she thinks this is a win-win for the water and sewer and she thinks this is a really good location. Kirk Vaughn said he was considering the terms of the financials. He said if they are providing a piece of land for free are they getting that back. Chair Bedford said they are providing a site at the Greene Tract for Chapel Hill Carrboro. She said if a school became available downtown, they could do a larger field and have additional uses like a baseball field. Vice-Chair Hamilton asked when a decision needs to be made. Travis Myren said they have planning money available in July, and they would want to be able to make sure the money is not wasted. He encouraged the Board to decide before July 1. Vice-Chair Hamilton said it makes sense to decide as part of the budget cycle. Commissioner McKee said that he agreed.