AGENDA #4e

MEMORANDUM

 

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

 

FROM:            W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

 

SUBJECT:       Plan for Extending Services to Proposed Annexation Area

 

DATE:             January 27, 2003

 

 

The attached resolution would approve a service plan for the proposed Parkside II annexation area.

BACKGROUND

On January 13, 2003, the Council set a public information meeting for March 4, 2003 and called a public hearing for March 17, 2003 on the question of annexing the Parkside II area.  State law requires that the proposed service plan be approved by the Council and made available to the public at least 30 days before the Public Information Meeting. 

Notices of the Public Information Meeting and Public Hearing would be mailed at least 30 days prior to the date of the Public Information Meeting by first class mail, postage prepaid, to the owners located within the area to be annexed as shown in County tax records.

The annexation area is described as follows:

Parkside II Area

This area is located northwest of the present Town limits and includes the Parkside II subdivision and the abutting right-of-way of the State University Railroad spur of the Norfolk Southern Corporation.

 

DISCUSSION

 

The key points regarding this service report are:

Legal Requirements:

The Town must prepare a service plan for each annexation area, in accordance with North Carolina General Statute 160A-47.

Under this statute, the Town must provide major municipal services to the annexation areas “on substantially the same basis and in the same manner as such services are provided within the rest of the municipality prior to annexation.”

The content of the report reflects these legal requirements.  The format of the report is similar to annexation reports in previous years.

Under the annexation law, approval of the report by the Council is necessary at least 30 days before the public information meeting for an annexation area.  The Public Information Meeting is scheduled for March 4, 2003.

Major Services:

We believe that the Town can properly serve the annexation area with current personnel and equipment.

The annexation law requires that the annexation report set forth the Town’s plans for extending major public water mains and sewer outfall lines into the annexation area if such lines are not already present.  Extension within the annexation area could then be done under the extension and financing policies of the Orange Water and Sewer Authority and of the Town of Chapel Hill. Under OWASA’s policies, benefiting property owners bear most of the cost of such extensions. 

No major water or sewer line extensions are needed to meet legal requirements.

Financing Services:

We believe that property taxes and other revenues from the annexation area will be sufficient to pay for the services to this area.  A summary of the approximate costs (Fire, Library, Parks and Recreation, Police, and Public Works) and revenues for the annexation area by year is as follows:

 

 

Additional detailed cost and revenue projections for the first two years of annexation are included as Appendix E of the service report.

 

NEXT STEPS

 

In the January 13, 2003 Resolution of Intent, the Council scheduled a public information meeting on March 4, 2003, and a public hearing on the question of annexation for March 17, 2003.  Notices of the information meeting would be sent by first class mail to owners of real property in the proposed annexation area in accordance with North Carolina G.S. 160A-49.

The Council may enact an annexation ordinance on April 14, 2003.  The proposed effective date for the ordinance is June 30, 2003.

RECOMMENDATION

Manager’s Recommendation:  That the Council adopt the following resolution approving the service report for the annexation area.

ATTACHMENT

1.  Annexation Service Report – Parkside II Annexation Area (begin new page 1)

 

A RESOLUTION APPROVING A REPORT WITH PLANS FOR EXTENDING MAJOR MUNICIPAL SERVICES TO AN ANNEXATION AREA IN ACCORD WITH G.S. 160A-47 (2003-01-27/R-5)

BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council approves the annexation report for extending and financing services to that certain proposed annexation area (Map 1 – Parkside II Area) as described in the Council’s Resolution (2003-01-13/R-4); which report was submitted to the Council by the Manager on January 27, 2003, and a copy of which report shall be retained with the records of this meeting. 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council directs the Manager to make the report available for public inspection at least 30 days before the public information meeting in accordance with State law.

This the 27th day of January, 2003.