Tell county how it should grow Monday

HILLSBOROUGH -- Do you live, work or own land in Orange County? Are you concerned about the increasing cost of housing?

Do you want farmland and natural areas to be protected? Would you like the county's commercial tax base grow? Do you want the soon-to-be-updated comprehensive plan to address climate change?

If so, you can express your views at public hearing Monday at 7:30 p.m. in the Gordon Battle Courtroom of the Orange County Courthouse in Hillsborough. County staff and planning board members will present a proposed update of the 1981 comprehensive land use plan.

The update will direct how Orange County will develop through the year 2030. It guides decisions for a wide range of local issues including housing, economic development, transportation, land use, environment, parks and recreation, and community services and utilities.

The draft comprehensive plan is available on line at www.co.orange.nc.us/planning/DRAFTCOMPPLAN050608.asp.

Hard copies can be viewed at the public libraries in Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Cedar Grove, and Hillsborough.

Making public comments can be done in several ways:

• You can submit written and/or verbal comments at the hearing.
• You can e-mail comments to CompPlanUpdate@co.orange.nc.us.
• You can call county staff at 245-2575, or you can mail comments to the Orange County Department of Planning and Inspections, 306-F Revere Road, PO Box 8181, Hillsborough, NC 27278.

The county planning board will likely take written comments until at least its June 4 meeting.

County hearing on chaining dogs Tuesday

CHAPEL HILL -- The Orange County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing Tuesday before considering a proposed change in the county's animal ordinance that would limit the chaining or tying out of dogs.

The proposal would limit how long a dog can be tethered, create minimum sizes for outdoor pens, and regulate the types of tethers that can be used.

The public hearing will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Southern Human Services Center, 2501 Homestead Road in Chapel Hill.

The proposal is based upon a report and set of recommendations by the Tethering Committee. The committee was appointed by the county to work in conjunction with the Animal Services Advisory Board to recommend what, if any, changes should be made to the county's animal ordinance in regards to tethering.

Interested parties should refer to the Animal Services Web site at www.co.orange.nc.us/animalservices for more information.

The Web site contains a complete copy of the proposal, the Tethering Committee's Report and Proposal for Ordinance Amendment, Tethering in Orange County -- Frequently Asked Questions, and a staff memo outlining recommended enclosure sizes.

Chatham to hold two budget hearings

PITTSBORO -- Chatham County has two public hearings next week on its proposed 2008-09 budget.

The first hearing is Monday at 6 p.m. in the Pittsboro Superior Courtroom. The second hearing is Thursday at 7 pm in the Siler City Courtroom.

"We are painfully aware of the need to keep any tax increase as low as possible for residents," said County Manager Charlie Horne in a release. "But we could not find a way to meet the most critical needs resulting from growth without proposing a 5.5 cent property tax rate increase."

The economic downturn is affecting county revenues at a time when demands for services and facilities are increasing, he said.

The proposed 5.5-cent tax increase would provide 1.2 cents for school needs, 1 cent to help pay for park facilities, 1 cent to cover water system construction and 2.3 cents for general operations.

With education the largest category of funding (35 percent of the total), the proposed budget would fully fund school facilities in the county's adopted Capital Improvement Plan, which includes nearly $1.35 million of school projects.

Other expenses include positions for the Sheriff's Office to improve jail security and narcotics investigations, creation of a new Community Development Department that will coordinate and implement new land use and environmental initiatives, and increases in county employee salaries.

To see the detailed budget proposal, go to www.chathamnc.org