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3 <br />impact fees; and exploring a potential future bond referendum for parks and <br />recreation. + <br />Manager's Comment: We believe the general concept of a joint Parks and Resource <br />Lands Council is a positive approach to continuing the efforts of the Work Group. <br />We believe that the Council should support the establishment of a Parks and <br />Resource Lands Council after its charge has been clearly articulated and consensus <br />has been reached. We believe that the needs of Chapel Hill must be fairly <br />represented by any such body. <br />2. Standards <br />The towns and County currently utilize different standards to determine parks and <br />recreation needs. The report recommends that unified parks. and recreation <br />standards be developed for the Towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill and Orange <br />County. <br />Manager's Comment: The 1989 Chapel Hill Community Facilities Report included <br />what were then national standards established by the National Park and Recreation <br />Association. Chapel Hill's draft 2000 Comprehensive Plan does not include <br />recreation and park standards. We do not believe that the leisure values and needs <br />of a specific community should be benchmarked or based on values of other <br />jurisdictions. <br />The Parks and Recreation Department has chosen a consultant to develop a Parks <br />and Recreation Master Plan. We anticipate that a key result of the plan will be to <br />identify recreation and park needs specific to Chapel Hill and to develop target <br />goals to fully address thole needs. This can be done while allowing flexibility for <br />trends and innovations. F <br />We .believe that Town residents expect a higher standard relative to recreation <br />programming and facilities -when compared to other areas. <br />3. School/Park Planning <br />Joint siting, design, and management of school and park sites across jurisdictions <br />are important issues identified in the report. <br />Manager's Comment: We agree with the report's recommendation that any new <br />Parks and Resource Lands Council work closely with the existing Schools and <br />Land Use Council to address this idea. The role and relationship of a Lands Council <br />to the existing Schools and Land Use Council should be more fully explored. <br />33 <br />4. Public/Private Partnerships <br />The report highlights the need to pursue partnerships in order to expand parks and <br />recreation opportunities in the area. <br />