Click here to open the CCDP 2011 Chatham County Board of Commissioners Voting Scorecard. 

Reported by Diana Hales

SUMMARY: BOC releases Briar Chapel from affordable housing obligation and takes $900,000 instead; approves public records request policy; hears new vehicle tax collection procedure as part of Division of Motor Vehicles annual registration process; approves $20,000,000 in construction financing for new jail; learns that Cape Fear Shiner fish do live in Rocky River; passes a zoning request at Cole Place in opposition to homeowners association; hears public comment on why the Chatham County Land Use plan should not be developed by the Chatham County's Economic Development Corporation.
 
Work Session:  All present.
 
(1)  Approves Contract releasing Briar Chapel from Affordable Housing Requirement.  BOC changed the Compact Community Ordinance and will accept from Briar Chapel a $900,000 "payment in-lieu" option that releases it from the obligation to provide 60 lots for affordable housing in that development.  Vote:  4 to 1 (Kost voted against)
 
(2) Pay county vehicle taxes when renew DMV registration.  New statewide procedure begins July 2013 that will combine the County vehicle tax bill with the annual motor vehicle registration renewal.  North Carolina has approximately $80 million/year in uncollected vehicle taxes, which support local government. The new DMV system will increase tax collections and is expected to cost the County about $0.90 less per vehicle in paperwork and mailing costs.
 
(3) Public Records Request policy.  County has new policy for records retention of emails and attached documents.  All employees will read the procedure and sign stating they have read it. County Manager said there are few requests from the public. Vote: unanimous.
 
(4) County agrees to give Town of Goldston $126,000 toward their wastewater treatment infratructure. This is payable when the project is finished next February. Vote: unanimous.
 
(5) Cape Fear Shiner. Presentation by Rena Jones, NC Wildlife Resources on how they are going to reintroduce a few buckets of Cape Fear Shiner fish upstream of Woody's Dam on the Rocky River because the river has shown improvements in water quality.
 
(6) Mental Health Oversight Board.  This reorganized and expanded regional board (formerly composed only of Orange, Person, Chatham counties) has 3 seats reserved for Chatham County.  Kathy Zinn, appointed earlier by the BOC, stressed the need for the BOC to appoint a second qualified member and appoint the third member from the BOC because of policy issues.  The only BOC member who volunteered was Sally Kost, who was appointed by chair Brian Bock.
 
Regular Session:  All present.
 
(7) Public Input.  Numerous comments on why the Chatham County Economic Development Corporation should NOT do the County Land Use Plan as delegated to them by BOC majority: their emphasis is business development, leaving out farm preservation and conservation stakeholders, as well as community interests; global warming; should be professional effort that uses extensive GIS and EDC has no expertise.  Other comments suggested we should love oil/gas industry and not worry about Lake Jordan and fracking since Lake Jordan is already polluted; several comments relating to next item on Cole Place neighborhood.
 
(8) Cole Place Homeowners Assoc. forced to "take" neighbors land?  A most curious dilemma with lawyers presenting facts, that were construed by Chairman Bock as "new" information that could not be considered by the BOC since the public hearing was held in September. The issue is a conditional use permit (CUP) on a parcel adjacent to the Cole Place housing development.  The parcel owner (IS Development Co. LLC, recently dissolved according to NC Secretary of State) wants to remove part of his parcel acreage from the CUP and transfer that acreage to another adjacent property...that he apparently is trying to sell.  He wants to transfer the remaining 3.22 acres, still under the conditions of the CUP, to another adjacent landowner, the Cole Place Homeowners Association.  Cole Place has 72 homes of affordable housing, and the homeowners said they do not want this 3.22 acres because of safety hazards, broken concrete, trash, a large tree that needs to be cut down, stormwater issues on this property estimated to cost $15,000 to fix, and $7,000 owed in taxes by the owner.  Per the Homeowners Association attorney, the current parcel owner has no authority to ask for this change of permit, because the LLC is dissolved.  Much back and forth on legal rights involved, and does Homeowners Assoc. have a right to refuse this "gift" and the transfer of liabilities for that property.  Kost made a motion to defer this to legal council, motion failed.  A motion was made to approve the Conditional Use Permit request from IS Development Co. for these revisions.  Passed:  3 to 2 (Cross and Kost against), with a request that owner not transfer liabilities to Homeowners Association.
 
(9) Briar Chapel building Phase 6.  Plat approved for 115 lots on 30 acres.  Also got waiver request for a partial reduction of the 100-foot perimeter buffer at property lines for stormwater pond grading and access easements that will encroach into the buffer, but will be screened from view. Votes:  Unanimous.
 
(10) Jail financing.  The new County jail at the closed county landfill on Hwy 64 is projected to cost $15,000,000 to build and equip.  To follow BOC procedures and rules regarding public hearings, the finance office has requested a budget resolution for $20,000,000, just in case the costs exceed the projection.  The public hearing on the jail costs will be November 19, 2012.