SUMMARY MINUTES OF A CLOSED SESSION

OF THE CHAPEL HILL TOWN COUNCIL

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2003 AT 9:55 P.M.

Mayor Kevin Foy called the Closed Session to order at 9:55 p.m.

Council members present were Flicka Bateman, Pat Evans, Ed Harrison, Bill Strom, Dorothy Verkerk, Jim Ward, and Edith Wiggins.

Council Member Mark Kleinschmidt was absent, excused.

Staff members present were Town Manager Cal Horton, Assistant Town Managers Sonna Loewenthal and Florentine Miller, Town Attorney Ralph Karpinos, and Town Clerk Joyce Smith.

Item 1 – Potential Purchase of Property Adjacent to the Site

of the Town Operations Center (Julia Blackwood Property)

Assistant Town Manager Sonna Loewenthal distributed maps that indicated the location of the property that was under discussion.  She noted that it includes several parcels across Millhouse Road.  Ms. Loewenthal stated that Orange County has expressed some interest in this property, which totals 153.82 acres.  She added that the County would like the Town to participate in the purchase of this property, with 74 to 84 acres being offered to the Town.

Mayor Foy noted that the property is valued at $14,244 per acre, but the contract purchaser had it prices at over $17,000 per acre.  He added that there is no set price at this time.

Mayor pro tem Evans asked if the property was located in the Rural Buffer.  Ms. Loewenthal responded yes, that it was in the Town’s extraterritorial jurisdiction.

Mayor Foy stated that the Town was approached by the County to provide funds to help acquire the property.  He noted that the property owner wanted some indication of the County and/or Town’s interest in purchasing the property by mid-January.

Mayor Foy said that he was not sure exactly what the County Commissioners wanted to Town to do at this point.  He said the Commissioners may view this property as “Chapel Hill” land, meaning the County may not want land this close to Chapel Hill.

Ms. Loewenthal said the County had mentioned using part of the property for a soccer complex or for open space.

Mayor Foy suggested asking the County Commissioners to purchase the property, and then have the Town contribute funds over a set period of time.

Council Member Ward noted there was a strong demand for soccer fields in the County, and purchasing this property would be an incremental step in fulfilling that need.

Mayor Foy stated the Council needed to decide what direction they wanted to give the staff.  Did they want to tell the County the Town is not interested, or should we move ahead with discussions?

Council Member Ward said he was not ready to say no, and would like to proceed with discussions so that more information could be gathered.

Mayor pro tem Evans stated that the Town provides 50% of open space funds to Orange County, and she believed those funds should be used to benefit Chapel Hill.  She questioned why those open space funds could not be used to purchase this property.

Mr. Horton suggested that the staff proceed by asking the County to purchase the property and preserve it.  Then, he said, the Town could negotiate with the County on how to develop it.

The Council agreed by consensus to allow the Manager to communicate that to the County.

The Closed Session adjourned at 10:09 p.m.