Agenda - 09-30-2003-a - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 provide an additional $2.2 million for the project if CHCCS provided the BOCC with a satisfactory proposal `for a design of CHCCS high school #3 that promotes smart-growth, which design addresses `reduced parking, ~reducedJ land disturbance, and other deleterious aspects of current plans' An ad hoc group (comprised of County/Schools/Town/DOT elected officials and staff, smart growth experts, and interested citizens) has met on several occasions during the past month to discuss specific smart growth design criteria that could be applicable to new school construction in general, and specifically, the CHCCS third high school project. County Commissioners and staff involved in this effort will provide a brief update on progress to date. No Attachments 3. Air Quality Update As anticipated at the April 2003 Assembly of Governments meeting, issues and activities related to air quality have progressed on two fronts. First, the State has now formally recommended to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that the Triangle region (among others) be designated as an "ozone non-attainment area." The official designation would be made by EPA in April 2004. Implications of this designation include more restrictive requirements for new large industrial sources, requirements that transportation plans demonstrate no worsening of air quality, and a potential withholding of Federal transportation funds for new road projects. The degree of local measures that will be needed or requested to address non-attainment is not yet known, as the State Air Quality Division continues to assess possible Statewide and region-wide measures toward a State Implementation Plan (SIP). Secondly, prior to this ozone recommendation, Orange County, Chapel Hill and Carrboro had joined the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) and the Cities/Counties for Climate Protection (CCP) program. As noted in the April 2003 Assembly of Governments agenda item, each local government in this program agrees to conduct a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions inventory and action plan. At that time, the County and Town boards indicated a positive response to the concept of joining forces on this project for comprehensiveness and efficiency. In June, the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) approved funding for portions of this project, and staff has developed a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) and proposed Scope of Work (attached). This was submitted to several known consultants in August, but the request yielded only one submittal. Staff proposes to re-submit another RFQ to gauge additional interest, and report back later this fall. The schedule in the RFQ will also need to be adjusted to reflect this timetable. The amount of grant funding for the project from the MPO may be more limited than initially thought, as the federal funding sources which allocate these monies will fund only project objectives that have a direct transportation function. As such, it is possible that a higher percentage of the cost of this initiative (projected to be $30-45,000 total) would have to come from local matching dollars. A draft Memorandum of Agreement is being prepared by staff to address the roles and responsibilities (financial and otherwise), for elected boards review later