Orange County NC Website
1 <br /> APPROVED 1017/25 <br /> MINUTES <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> WORK SESSION <br /> September 9, 2025 <br /> 7:00 p.m. <br /> The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Work Session on Tuesday, September <br /> 9, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, NC. <br /> COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jamezetta Bedford, Vice-Chair Jean Hamilton, <br /> and Commissioners Marilyn Carter, Amy Fowler, Sally Greene, Earl McKee, and Phyllis Portie- <br /> Ascott <br /> COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: None <br /> COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts <br /> COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Travis Myren, Deputy County Manager Caitlin <br /> Fenhagen, and Clerk to the Board Laura Jensen. (All other staff members will be identified <br /> appropriately below) <br /> Chair Bedford called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. All commissioners were present. <br /> By a show of hands, the Board agreed to limit the discussion on the first item to two hours. <br /> The Board also agreed to reorganize the agenda to discuss appointments after the Land Use <br /> Plan 2050 discussion, then discuss the timing of Closed Sessions, and discuss next steps for the <br /> Strategic Communications Work Group last, if time permitted. <br /> Orange County Land Use Plan 2050 — Board Request for Additional Information <br /> The Board received the first presentation in a series in response to the Board's request for <br /> additional background information for the Land Use Plan 2050 process. <br /> BACKGROUND: At its April 8, 2025 work session, the Board reviewed a tentative schedule for <br /> receiving presentations from County staff and in some cases, guest presenters, to provide <br /> additional background information for better informing its direction on the Land Use Plan 2050 <br /> process. The Board's calendar preference was for staff to schedule agenda items through mid- <br /> November to receive the information. <br /> Attachment A is Part A of the BOCC request for additional information grouped into six (6) topic <br /> areas by subject. To cover all topic areas, presentations to the Board are scheduled for work <br /> sessions on September 9, October 14, and November 11, 2025; and at half-day retreats, <br /> scheduled for November 14 and November 21, 2025. The half-day retreats are needed to cover <br /> Part B (Attachment B) of the Board's request for information and will include several guest <br /> presenters. <br /> The PowerPoint presentation (Attachment C) addresses the first three topic areas and related <br /> Board questions, as follows: <br /> 1. Fact Book, Planning Process, and Implementation <br /> a) The statistics supporting the "Need for a New Plan" can be misleading if taken out of <br /> context. A brief analysis with appropriate statistics would be more informative and provide <br /> a rationale for the updated Plan. e.g. Yes growing 8th or whatever in aging, but need to <br /> know how fast all of NC is growing. <br />