Agenda 04-21-2026; 8-a - Minutes for March 19, 2026, March 21, 2026, and March 23, 2026

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38 1 reductions in corporate and personal income taxes creating a regressive tax policy. She said as a 2 realtor, she noted significant price differences between Durham and Chapel Hill properties. 3 Blake Rosser said he agreed with the points made in the first presentation during the 4 retreat. 5 Ian Scott said the Chamber discussed that the area needs a variety of housing types and 6 available at price points across the spectrum. He said much of affordable housing has been 7 delivered through partnership with private developers through inclusionary housing policy in 8 Chapel Hill. He said employers struggle to recruit and retain people, and he speculates that there 9 is increased competition from employers outside of the county. He said the number of Town of 10 Chapel Hill employees that live in Chapel Hill could be counted on one hand and within Orange 11 County, maybe on two. He said at the Chamber, maybe one employee lives within the county. 12 Chair Hamilton asked Ian Scott if the Chamber has a breakdown by employer types of who 13 is having the most trouble retaining employees. 14 Ian Scott said it's all the biggest sectors in the economy. He said both the university and 15 hospital have expressed concern that the housing supply creates constraints for their growth and 16 operation. He said food and beverage employers also face difficulties. He said a lot of people 17 commute into Orange County for jobs and a lot of residents commute out of the county for jobs, 18 and this is a consisted pattern that has been exacerbated over time. 19 Commissioner Carter asked Ansel Pritchard for policies in neighboring counties—are there 20 things that other counties are doing the Board should know about. 21 Ansel Pritchard noted Chapel Hill's recent land use management ordinance passage took 22 cues from Durham and Wake counties, removing tedious requirements for rezoning applications 23 and reducing required lot sizes and parking minimums. He said these changes provide access to 24 additional infill lots throughout Chapel Hill that weren't previously available. 25 Chair Hamilton asked for the definition of infill lots. 26 Ansel Pritchard gave an example of infill lots which is to subdivide existing lots to create 27 space for additional homes beyond just ADUs. 28 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if Ian Scott could share the Chamber's membership 29 survey slides which were presented at a recent economic forecast forum. 30 Ian Scott said yes. He said the Chamber surveys members each January or February with 31 a consistent set of questions. He said it gives the Chamber a sense of what businesses in the area 32 are experiencing. 33 Commissioner Greene requested more detail about precise income levels of employees 34 who can't afford local housing, noting that teachers and nurses at 60 percent AMI and many food 35 service/retail workers likely don't exceed 65 percent AMI, meaning subsidized housing is needed. 36 Ian Scott said he would provide that. 37 Commissioner Portie-Ascott said she thought there was a need for housing at 80-120% 38 AMI. 39 Ian Scott said he thought the earlier presentations accurately represented the state of 40 housing in Orange County. He said while economic development efforts work to attract higher- 41 wage jobs, many Orange County employees simply can't afford housing meeting their needs. He 42 noted significant wage pressure on employers during inflationary periods, particularly affecting 43 locally owned food and beverage businesses.