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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: December 1, 2008 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. ) ~ -~ <br />SUBJECT: Hillsborough Area Rail Station Task Force Appointment <br />DEPARTMENT: Planning PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />Clerk to the Board <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />OCTSB Applicant Name, Phone Number <br />Craig Benedict 245-2592 <br />Donna Baker 245-2130 <br />Karen Lincoln 245-2594 <br />PURPOSE: To make an appointment to the Rail Station Task Force. <br />BACKGROUND: <br />Some appointments were made by the Board of County Commissioners on October 28, 2008. <br />Volunteer applications are on record now. One position from Orange County remains. Orange <br />County Transportation Service Board (OCTSB). <br />The first meeting was November 14 at 10:00 a.m. at the Town of Hillsborough Town Barn. <br />HISTORY: <br />A group of Hillsborough and Orange County citizens have met regularly to discuss the potential <br />for passenger train service in Hillsborough. The meetings grew out of acitizen-sponsored <br />petition begun during the town's review of the Boone/Collins project and demonstrated <br />significant local support for returning rail service to Hillsborough. Recently, Amtrak and NCDOT <br />have indicated passenger train service is financially feasible in the Hillsborough area. This <br />group of citizens is now asking the elected boards of both Hillsborough and Orange County to <br />establish a joint Rail Station Task Force to move the planning process forward. <br />The train stop is of county if not regional value and is noted within our Long Range <br />Transportation Plan goals. <br />The citizen group suggests the Task Force be charged to undertake the following work: <br />• Define best practice criteria for recommending the selection of a location for a train <br />station <br />• Apply these criteria to selected parcels in Hillsborough area to recommend to both <br />government Boards the best location for a Hillsborough station <br />• Prepare a report; investigate the established funding criteria and procedural steps to <br />proceed with station development and collect/report those items already prepared or <br />readily available for submittal to funders. These include but not limited to: connectivity to <br />