Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
1 <br /> APPROVED 412124 <br /> MINUTES <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> BUSINESS MEETING <br /> February 20, 2024 <br /> 7:00 p.m. <br /> The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Business Meeting on Tuesday, February <br /> 20, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, NC. <br /> COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Vice-Chair Sally Greene and Commissioners Amy <br /> Fowler, Jean Hamilton, Earl McKee, Phyllis Portie-Ascott, and Anna Richards <br /> COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Chair Jamezetta Bedford <br /> COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts <br /> COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager <br /> Travis Myren, and Clerk to the Board Laura Jensen. (All other staff members will be identified <br /> appropriately below) <br /> Vice-Chair Greene called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. All commissioners were <br /> present, except Chair Bedford. In her absence, Vice-Chair Greene led the business meeting. <br /> 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda <br /> Vice-Chair Greene summarized the public charge in lieu of reading it. <br /> 2. Public Comments (Limited to One Hour) <br /> a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda <br /> BJ Warshaw read the following statement to the Board: <br /> "I'm back to raise a few more points about your upcoming March 7th agenda item, amending <br /> WASMPBA in the southern Chapel Hill ETJ. <br /> Yesterday, I sent you an email detailing how Chapel Hill's current and planned stormwater <br /> regulations are insufficient. I say this after attending the Chapel Hill Stormwater Staff's public <br /> session last week around updating the LUMO's guidelines. As far as I could tell, current and <br /> planned restrictions do not take into account the increase in rain events we're seeing today due <br /> to climate change, where a 100-year event is already closer to a 1 in 25 chance of happening <br /> annually. And these increases in rain events — in duration, volume, and frequency — are baked <br /> into the climate crisis for decades to come. <br /> Just outside the proposed WASMPBA area, there are existing housing developments, built during <br /> a very different climate reality and abutting Fan Branch, Wilson, Morgan, and Obey Creeks, that <br /> are near or within existing 100-year flood zones. Before the water and sewer boundaries change, <br /> I would like to see an environmental impact study. Let's determine —first—whether or not it really <br /> is appropriate to develop up to 70% of mostly undeveloped woodlands, wetlands, creeks, and <br /> streams. Otherwise, I worry the pressure to build bigger and denser will lead to creating the <br /> Eastgates and Heritage Hills of tomorrow. <br /> Chapel Hill Town Staff has argued such environmental study is unnecessary. And that it's too <br /> expensive to conduct any studies without first moving the water and sewer boundary. <br /> Respectfully, that's now a moot point, as Carrboro and Hillsborough have said "yes" to amending <br /> the boundary. OWASA will say"yes". So, what is the rush?With support across the Towns, it now <br /> seems wise to take a step back, and set up reasonable guardrails to development. The flooding <br /> of future homes, the permanent destruction of natural ecologies are also expensive. <br /> Yesterday, I attended the amazing Orange County Ag Summit, as did several of you. I found the <br /> presentation from Amy Eckberg around our sustainability goals incredibly enlightening. Especially <br />