Minutes - 20080624 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

Metadata

Thumbnails

Annotations

Commissioner Gordon said that the Twenty First Century Committee and the Special Transit Advisory Commission are trying to point toward a referendum of al/2-cent sales tax for November 2009. Chair Jacobs said that this motivates him to make this decision before this prospect comes up. The County has already been hurt by legislative decisions on the way in which sales tax is allocated. Commissioner Nelson asked if this would be on the agenda for August. Chair Jacobs said that this would be an appropriate plan. It could be added at the beginning of another meeting so that a decision could be made before the ballots have to be printed. Commissioner Nelson said that when this comes back he would like to see a clear education process from staff. He asked if it would be the same education committee as the land transfer tax. He would also like to know the budget of the education process. He would also like some input on whether having a tax-related referendum on a ballot during a near- recession situation is a good idea or not. Commissioner Gordon said that the Board could specify where the money would be allocated. She would like to do the campaign a little less expensively. Laura Blackmon said that the Board would have to make a decision about whether or not to put the item on the ballot by August 19th. Chair Jacobs said that the presentation and public comment would have to be on the same night as the decision. Geof Gledhill said that the Quarterly Public Hearing is a public meeting and the Board could discuss at that time. A motion was made by Commissioner Nelson, seconded by Commissioner Gordon to approve a staff presentation on August 19th and possible continuation of Board discussion at the Quarterly Public Hearing on August 25th. VOTE: UNANIMOUS e-2. Report and Resolution Regarding the Progress Energy Proposal and Permitting of Two Additional Nuclear Reactors at the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant The Board received a report and considered a resolution and a recommendation regarding formal intervention into the permitting of two additional nuclear reactors at the Shearon Harris nuclear power plant to the BOCC for the Board consideration/review, revision, and/or adoption. Chair Jacobs said that there is an August 4, 2008 deadline to intervene and there was a question about what the Board had to do to intervene correctly. County Engineer Paul Thames said that the County would need to hire legal assistance like before to put the documents in proper form and file with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and get technical assistance. It is unclear as to whether the August 411 deadline is a firm deadline. He said that the design of the reactors probably forms the majority of the basis for intervention. The design has gone through more than a dozen iterations, some of which include additional high-density storage pools for spent fuel rods, which was the County's prime concern during the intervention of 1998-2001. Chair Jacobs asked if the County could resubmit the intervention materials from before and say that there are the same concerns as before. Geof Gledhill said that he knew nothing about this process last time and he knows nothing about it this time. He said that these questions would have to be answered by special counsel. Diane Curran is still available for counsel.