Agenda 09-16-2025; 8-a - Minutes for August 26, 2025 Business Meeting

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33 1 requested. Presentations are proposed for work sessions on September 9, October 14, and 2 November 11, 2025; and at half-day retreats scheduled for November 14 and November 21, 2025. 3 4 Staff is requesting feedback from the Board on the draft presentation schedule (Attachment 1) 5 and use of County funds for expert presenters and professional services. Following are some 6 additional details on anticipated costs: 7 8 Independent Expert Presenters — Subject matter experts are needed to address the topics of 9 groundwater hydrology and the economics of housing supply/demand. Planning staff has 10 identified a representative from Applied Resource Management, which has expertise in geologic 11 consulting, well drilling, and geothermal systems; and the UNC School of Government, 12 Development Finance Initiative (DFI), for housing supply/demand expertise and a market analysis 13 of Rural Activity Nodes. Applied Resource Management has provided an estimate of$2,250 for 14 meeting preparation, attendance, and presentation, and staff is in coordination with the School of 15 Government towards receipt of its cost estimate. Most recently, staff has reached out to Randall 16 Arendt for additional expertise on Conservation Subdivisions and staff can update the Board on 17 its communications during the meeting. 18 19 Clarion Associates — For continuity purposes, it would be helpful to have a staff person from 20 Clarion Associates attend the meetings for hearing presentations, discussions, and for note taking 21 of items that will require changes to the draft Land Use Plan 2050 prior to its release for public 22 review and comment during Community Engagement Window (CEW) #3. Clarion has provided 23 a cost per meeting estimate of $580 for a 1-hour meeting and $850 for a 4-hour retreat. This 24 includes travel, attendance, and note taking. Total cost for the four(4)work sessions and two (2) 25 half-day retreats would be $4,020. 26 27 Meeting Facilitator — Following the presentations and completion of the Board's request for 28 additional information, it may be helpful for a meeting facilitator to help the Board identify the 29 changes to the draft Plan that will be needed prior to the scheduling of CEW #3. Staff is in 30 coordination with the School of Government, Center for Public Leadership and Governance, to 31 discuss the Land Use Plan 2050 process and the possibility of providing retreat facilitation to the 32 BOCC. Staff can update the Board on its progress during the meeting. 33 34 Why does Orange County Need to Update its Land Use Plan? - In North Carolina, local 35 governments that apply "...zoning regulations... shall adopt and reasonably maintain a 36 comprehensive plan or land-use plan (North Carolina General Statute 160D-501(a)). This statute 37 requires that zoning regulations are "in accordance with a comprehensive plan" and requires that 38 local governments make statements of consistency when making rezoning decisions on a 39 development application. The existing Orange County Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 40 November 2008. 41 42 Additional information about the project, including e-mail sign-up for project updates, is available 43 on the project website: https://www.orangecountylanduseplan.com. 44 45 Completed project deliverables, including Fact Book; outreach summaries; and more, are also 46 available on the project website: https://www.orangecountylanduseplan.com/resources 47 48 Next Steps with the BOCC— Planning staff proposes to present an agenda item covering aspects 49 of County demographics, the planning process, plan implementation, watershed regulations, and 50 planning agreements at the September 9, 2025 BOCC Work Session. 51