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Business Meeting

Orange County · Board of County Commissioners
Thursday, November 7, 2024

Regular meeting Budget and appropriationsTax rate and revaluationPolice and public safetyArts and public artEnvironment and sustainabilityFarmland and open spaceHealth and human servicesLand conversion and large developmentPublic facilitiesRoads and transportationSchools and educationAppointments and personnelComprehensive planContracts and procurementEconomic development incentivesFire and EMSGrants and outside fundingHomelessness and shelterHousing and affordabilityParks and recreationSolid waste and recyclingSubdivision and site plansTransit

Agenda document Minutes Watch Meeting recap

What was decided

  1. Approved 6bOrange County Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Plan Approved unanimously (motion: Commissioner Hamilton, second: Commissioner Fowler).
  2. Approved 8aMinutes Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  3. Approved 8eApproval of Additional Closing Costs — Kittrell-McAdoo Tract Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  4. Approved 8fResolution of Approval — Donated Conservation Easement on Property of William Bruce and Phyllis Richmond Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  5. Approved 8gResolution of Approval — Donated Conservation Easement on Property of Circular Design Construction, LLC (Array) Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  6. Approved 8hAcceptance of NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Grant — America 250 Program and Budget Amendment #2-E Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  7. Approved 8iOrange County FY25 Quarter 2 Annual Work Program Amendments Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  8. Withdrawn 8jResolution Authorizing Vehicle Registration Tax Increase Pulled from consent and approved unanimously (motion: Chair Bedford, second: Vice-Chair Greene).
  9. Approved 8kResolution Naming the 203 Greensboro Project as the Drakeford Library Complex Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  10. Approved 8lApproval of the Sale of 0.2 Acre Property, PIN #9863668236, in Hillsborough Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  11. Approved 8mRequest for Road Additions to the State-Maintained Secondary Road System for Shagbark Court and Mocker Nut Lane Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  12. Approved 8nService Agreement for Public Safety Communications Radio System and Budget Amendment #2-F Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  13. Approved 8oPurchase of Vehicles for Planning & Inspections and Emergency Services Departments Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  14. Approved 8pPurchase of Solid Waste Vehicles for Recycling Collection and Tire Hauling and Budget Amendment #2-G Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  15. Approved 8qServices Contract Award for Justice Facility Fire Alarm System Replacement Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  16. Approved 8rFamily Caregivers Month and Caregiver Day of Care Proclamation Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  17. Approved 8sContinuation of Takeaway Meals Program and In-Home Services Program and Budget Amendment #2-H Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.

Another 3 items passed on the consent agenda, which is a single motion covering routine business. See the list.

Read from the agenda's recorded outcomes. Where the board published minutes, those are the record — this is a pointer to them.

What's on this agenda

Orange County commissioners were set to decide whether to raise the pay cap for the county's ABC General Manager from $132,000 to as much as $150,000, and whether to raise ABC board member stipends for the first time since 2004. The agenda also carried an updated Safe Routes to School plan recommending crosswalks, sidewalks and reduced speed zones near schools across the county.

Housing staff planned to report on the first quarter under new Emergency Housing Assistance rules, including a rising share of denied applications. A 20-item consent agenda covered property tax releases, vehicle and equipment purchases for Solid Waste and Emergency Services, two donated conservation easements, and a $2 regional vehicle registration tax increase for GoTriangle.

Summarized from the published agenda. Read the agenda itself before acting on it.

Meeting recap

What happened, drawn from the records published after the meeting. Minutes

Commissioners split 5-2 on raising the pay cap for the county's Alcoholic Beverage Control General Manager, from $132,000 to $150,000. Chair Bedford and Commissioner Hamilton wanted a lower ceiling and voted no; the rest of the board sided with ABC Board Chair Judson Williamson, who said the position's pay had fallen behind similarly sized ABC systems elsewhere in the state. A companion vote raising ABC board members' stipends for the first time since 2004, to as much as $250 a month for the chair, passed unanimously.

The board adopted an updated Safe Routes to School plan covering schools including Orange and Cedar Ridge high schools. Eleven residents spoke in favor. Parents of students at Grady Brown Elementary, AL Stanback Middle, Cedar Ridge High and River Park Elementary described children walking along roads with no sidewalks, some after dark. A Cedar Ridge teacher and an Orange Middle School employee said the same gap kept low-income students, who rely on walking rather than a bus, from after-school activities. The plan's student advisory representative said pedestrian counts missed students with early-release or late-arrival schedules. The board approved the plan unanimously.

Commissioners pulled two items from the consent agenda for separate votes and passed both unanimously: a $2 increase in the regional GoTriangle vehicle registration tax, after confirming none of the revenue returns to individual counties, and a revised 2025 meeting calendar that adds a joint session with the Town of Carrboro in March. During public comment on matters not on the printed agenda, one resident read a prepared statement; the minutes do not preserve its text. Commissioners also asked staff to return with a demographic breakdown of the county's 45 home foreclosures and a report on the tax impact of a proposed economic-development incentive package.

How the votes went

Eight recorded votes. Removing the closed session from the agenda: unanimous. Raising the ABC General Manager's salary cap to $150,000: 5-2, Ayes McKee, Fowler, Greene, Richards and Portie-Ascott, Nays Bedford and Hamilton. Raising ABC board stipends: unanimous. Adopting the Safe Routes to School plan: unanimous. Approving the consent agenda apart from items 8-j and 8-t: unanimous. The GoTriangle vehicle registration tax increase (pulled from consent, motion Bedford, second Greene): unanimous. The revised 2025 meeting calendar (pulled from consent, motion McKee, second Hamilton): unanimous. Adjournment: unanimous.

From the published minutes.

Speaking at this meeting

Orange County's own rules for public comment — check them before you rely on anything here.

Jump to an item (31 on this agenda)
  1. 1Additions or Changes to the Agenda
  2. 2aPublic Comments — Matters Not on the Printed Agenda
  3. 3Announcements, Petitions and Comments by Board Members
  4. 4a“The Nature of Orange” Photography Contest 2024
  5. 6aABC Board General Manager Salary Cap and Board Member Stipend Increas…
  6. 6bOrange County Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Plan
  7. 7aUpdate on Impact of New FY 2024-25 Emergency Housing Assistance Guide…
  8. 8aMinutes
  9. 8bMotor Vehicle Property Tax Releases/Refunds
  10. 8cProperty Tax Releases/Refunds
  11. 8dLate Applications for Property Tax Exemption/Exclusion
  12. 8eApproval of Additional Closing Costs — Kittrell-McAdoo Tract
  13. 8fResolution of Approval — Donated Conservation Easement on Property of…
  14. 8gResolution of Approval — Donated Conservation Easement on Property of…
  15. 8hAcceptance of NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Grant —…
  16. 8iOrange County FY25 Quarter 2 Annual Work Program Amendments
  17. 8jResolution Authorizing Vehicle Registration Tax Increase
  18. 8kResolution Naming the 203 Greensboro Project as the Drakeford Library…
  19. 8lApproval of the Sale of 0.2 Acre Property, PIN #9863668236, in Hillsb…
  20. 8mRequest for Road Additions to the State-Maintained Secondary Road Sys…
  21. 8nService Agreement for Public Safety Communications Radio System and B…
  22. 8oPurchase of Vehicles for Planning & Inspections and Emergency Service…
  23. 8pPurchase of Solid Waste Vehicles for Recycling Collection and Tire Ha…
  24. 8qServices Contract Award for Justice Facility Fire Alarm System Replac…
  25. 8rFamily Caregivers Month and Caregiver Day of Care Proclamation
  26. 8sContinuation of Takeaway Meals Program and In-Home Services Program a…
  27. 8tChange in BOCC Meeting Schedule for 2025
  28. 9County Manager's Report
  29. 10County Attorney's Report
  30. 12Information Items
  31. AdjournmentAdjournment

Agenda items (31)

Resolution · 5Contract or award · 5Procedural · 4Budget action · 4Staff or committee report · 4Consent agenda · 3Other · 2Discussion item · 1Presentation · 1Minutes approval · 1Proclamation or recognition · 1
  1. 1 Additions or Changes to the Agenda
    Procedural
    Commissioners removed the closed session from that night's agenda.
    Approved unanimously (motion: Commissioner Fowler, second: Vice-Chair Greene).
  2. 2a Public Comments — Matters Not on the Printed Agenda
    Procedural
    A resident used the public-comment period to read a prepared statement into the record; the minutes do not preserve its text.
  3. 3 Announcements, Petitions and Comments by Board Members
    Discussion item Economic development incentivesFire and EMS
    Board members gave updates including a tour of the renovated Efland Fire Department and a Board of Health and Behavioral Health Subcommittee discussion of youth social media use. Commissioner McKee asked staff for a demographic breakdown, by area rather than address, of the county's 45 home foreclosures, and Chair Bedford asked for a report on the tax impact of a proposed economic-development incentive package.
  4. 4a “The Nature of Orange” Photography Contest 2024
    Presentation Arts and public artParks and recreation
    County staff recognized winners of the 2024 nature photography contest, themed on Orange County flora and pollinators, chosen from 93 entries by youth and adult photographers.
  5. 6a ABC Board General Manager Salary Cap and Board Member Stipend Increases
    Budget action Budget and appropriations
    The Orange County ABC Board asked commissioners to raise its general manager's salary cap from $132,000 to $150,000 and to raise board member stipends for the first time since 2004.
    Salary cap raised to $150,000, 5-2 (motion: Commissioner McKee, second: Commissioner Fowler). Stipend increases approved unanimously on the same motion and second.
  6. 6b Orange County Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Plan
    Resolution Roads and transportationSchools and education
    The county's Transportation Department asked the board to adopt an updated Safe Routes to School plan recommending crosswalks, reduced speed zones, sidewalk extensions and multi-use paths near Orange County's public schools. Eleven residents, including parents, a teacher, a school employee and the plan's student advisory representative, spoke in favor, describing unsafe walking conditions near several schools.
    Approved unanimously (motion: Commissioner Hamilton, second: Commissioner Fowler).
  7. 7a Update on Impact of New FY 2024-25 Emergency Housing Assistance Guidelines
    Staff or committee report Budget and appropriationsHomelessness and shelterHousing and affordability
    Housing staff reported that a new life-changing-event eligibility path let 21 households apply for rental assistance before eviction court, avoiding a filing entirely in 12 cases, while the share of applications denied rose from 53% to 66% under the fiscal year's tightened rules.
  8. 8a Minutes
    Minutes approval
    The board approved draft minutes from its September 26, October 1 and October 8, 2024 meetings.
    Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  1. 8e Approval of Additional Closing Costs — Kittrell-McAdoo Tract
    Budget action Land conversion and large development
    The board increased the closing funds set aside for its previously approved purchase of the Kittrell-McAdoo tract.
    Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  2. 8f Resolution of Approval — Donated Conservation Easement on Property of William Bruce and Phyllis Richmond
    Resolution Environment and sustainabilityFarmland and open space
    The board accepted a donated conservation easement on the Richmond property.
    Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  3. 8g Resolution of Approval — Donated Conservation Easement on Property of Circular Design Construction, LLC (Array)
    Resolution Environment and sustainabilityFarmland and open space
    The board accepted a second donated conservation easement, on land owned by Circular Design Construction LLC, doing business as Array.
    Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  4. 8h Acceptance of NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Grant — America 250 Program and Budget Amendment #2-E
    Budget action Arts and public artBudget and appropriationsGrants and outside funding
    The board accepted a $10,000 state grant for the America 250 program and approved the related budget amendment.
    Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  5. 8i Orange County FY25 Quarter 2 Annual Work Program Amendments
    Other Budget and appropriations
    The board approved second-quarter amendments to its FY25 Annual Work Program.
    Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  6. 8j Resolution Authorizing Vehicle Registration Tax Increase
    Resolution Tax rate and revaluationTransit
    GoTriangle asked the county to authorize a $2 increase in the regional vehicle registration tax. Commissioner McKee asked whether any of the added revenue would return to the counties; staff said it would not.
    Pulled from consent and approved unanimously (motion: Chair Bedford, second: Vice-Chair Greene).
  7. 8k Resolution Naming the 203 Greensboro Project as the Drakeford Library Complex
    Resolution Public facilities
    The board named the 203 Greensboro project the Drakeford Library Complex, after Robert Drakeford, Carrboro's first Black mayor.
    Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  8. 8l Approval of the Sale of 0.2 Acre Property, PIN #9863668236, in Hillsborough
    Contract or award Land conversion and large development
    The board approved selling a 0.2-acre county-owned parcel in Hillsborough.
    Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  9. 8m Request for Road Additions to the State-Maintained Secondary Road System for Shagbark Court and Mocker Nut Lane
    Other Roads and transportationSubdivision and site plans
    The board asked the state to add Shagbark Court and Mocker Nut Lane, in the South Grove subdivision, to the state-maintained secondary road system.
    Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  10. 8n Service Agreement for Public Safety Communications Radio System and Budget Amendment #2-F
    Contract or award Budget and appropriationsPolice and public safety
    The board approved a service and maintenance agreement for the Motorola radio system used at its primary and backup 911 call centers.
    Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  11. 8o Purchase of Vehicles for Planning & Inspections and Emergency Services Departments
    Contract or award Police and public safety
    The board authorized buying three electric Chevy Equinox vehicles for building inspections and three trucks for Emergency Services first responders.
    Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  12. 8p Purchase of Solid Waste Vehicles for Recycling Collection and Tire Hauling and Budget Amendment #2-G
    Contract or award Budget and appropriationsSolid waste and recycling
    The board approved a budget amendment and the purchase of a side-loading recycling truck, two rear-loading recycling trucks and a tractor for hauling tires to the recycling processor.
    Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  13. 8q Services Contract Award for Justice Facility Fire Alarm System Replacement
    Contract or award Contracts and procurementPolice and public safetyPublic facilities
    The board approved a contract with Siemens Industry to replace the fire alarm system at the Justice Facility and authorized the county manager to sign it.
    Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  14. 8r Family Caregivers Month and Caregiver Day of Care Proclamation
    Proclamation or recognition Health and human services
    The board proclaimed November 2024 Family Caregivers Month and November 16 the county's Caregiver Day of Care.
    Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  15. 8s Continuation of Takeaway Meals Program and In-Home Services Program and Budget Amendment #2-H
    Budget action Budget and appropriationsHealth and human services
    The board continued the Department on Aging's takeaway meals and in-home services programs, previously funded with federal pandemic relief money, and approved the related budget amendment.
    Approved as part of the consent agenda, unanimous.
  16. 8t Change in BOCC Meeting Schedule for 2025
    Procedural Budget and appropriations
    The board amended its 2025 meeting calendar: a second budget public hearing and work session on May 29, the February 18 business meeting moved to February 20, and a joint meeting with the Town of Carrboro added on March 27.
    Pulled from consent and approved unanimously (motion: Commissioner McKee, second: Commissioner Hamilton).
  17. 9 County Manager's Report
    Staff or committee report Appointments and personnelComprehensive planSchools and education
    The manager previewed the November 12 work session, covering the county's Comprehensive Land Use Plan 2050, a housing scoring matrix, school capital funding policy and upcoming board appointments, and said the Drakeford Library Complex ribbon cutting is expected in February 2025.
  18. 10 County Attorney's Report
    Staff or committee report
    The county attorney said he would post a case update in My Case for commissioners to review.
  19. 12 Information Items
    Staff or committee report
    The packet included routine reports: a BOCC follow-up actions list, the tax collector's numerical and enforced-collections reports, tax releases under $100, and a memo on foreclosure activity.
  20. Adjournment Adjournment
    Procedural
    The board adjourned at 8:54 p.m.
    Approved unanimously (motion: Commissioner McKee, second: Commissioner Fowler).

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