Orange County NC Website
APPROVED 12/3/2001 <br />MINUTES <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />REGULAR MEETING <br />May 1, 2001 <br />The Orange County Board of Commissioners met on May 1, 2001 in regular session at 7:30 <br />p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. <br />COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Stephen H. Halkiotis and Commissioners <br />Margaret W. Brawn, Moses Carey, Jr., Alice M. Gordon, and Barry Jacobs <br />COUNTY ATTORNEY PRESENT: Geoffrey Gledhill <br />COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr., Assistant County Manager Rod <br />Visser, and Clerk to the Board Beverly A. Blythe (All other staff members will be identified <br />appropriately below) <br />NOTE: ALL DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THESE MINUTES ARE IN THE PERMANENT <br />AGENDA FILE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE. <br />1. ADDITIONS OR CHANGES TO THE AGENDA -NONE <br />PUBLIC CHARGE <br />Chair Halkiotis read the public charge. <br />2. CITIZEN & AUDIENCE COMMENTS <br />a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda -NONE <br />b. Matters on the Printed Agenda (These matters were considered as the Board addressed <br />the items on the agenda below.) <br />3. BOARD COMMENTS <br />Commissioner Gordon said that the Triangle Transit Authority has reached a milestone toward <br />getting a regional rail system, particularly phase I from Durham to Raleigh. The Federal Transit <br />Authority has finally signed off on the draft environmental impact statement. There will be <br />opportunities for public comment. She also reported that the County has met with some DOT officials <br />about joint planning with the Department of Aging on some rural transit projects. <br />Commissioner Gordon also made reference to the report, which is on the agenda, about the <br />investigation of groundwater availability and quality in Orange County. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that on June 14th the Economic Development Commission is going <br />to tour some sites in northern Orange County including the Barber and Ross facility, the two EDDs, <br />the community-supported agriculture enterprise on NC 86 and Midlantic Steele. <br />Commissioner Jacobs distributed some brochures about the Trust for Public Lands that would <br />like to work with Orange County in some aspects of potential open space and a parks bond. <br />Commissioner Jacobs also made reference to last night's meeting and the issue of membership <br />versus enrollment in schools. He looks forward to getting the report on the construction standards so <br />that further discussions can take place. <br />Commissioner Brown said that the search for the DSS Director is taking place. <br />Chair Halkiotis said that he, Commissioner Jacobs, and John Link met with officials from <br />Alamance County last week. They talked about reestablishing some contacts between the Manager <br />and respective GIS and Land Records staff. They also spoke about working together in a number of <br />different areas. The officials from Alamance County are concerned about disappearing farmlands and <br />that there is not a mechanism in place to preserve land. They talked about solid waste and Alamance <br />County indicated that its citizens have Hated the wonderful rural recycling program in Orange County, <br />which is completely free. Also, there may be a possibility of working together on buying land for a <br />