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Work Session

Orange County · Board of County Commissioners
Tuesday, February 10, 2026

Work session Appointments and personnelFees and utility ratesFire and EMSParks and recreation

Agenda document Minutes Watch Meeting recap

What's on this agenda

Orange County's commissioners gave an hour and 45 minutes on February 10 to the first group of county boards and commissions presenting their annual work plans, then 45 minutes to a fee study covering emergency services, planning and inspections, and the environment, agriculture, parks and recreation department.

A fee study is where a county works out what its services cost and what it charges for them. The commissioners adopted the resulting FY 2026-27 fee schedule in June.

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

Orange County's commissioners heard from nine boards and commissions on February 10, the first of two groups presenting annual work plans. The Historic Preservation Commission reported the Strayhorn House is headed for the National Register and described work locating unmarked cemeteries and installing markers for enslaved people at Blackwood Farm Park. The Agricultural Preservation Board finished a new farmland stewardship plan, and the Human Relations Commission said it has fielded 22 fair housing complaints in four months. The Alcoholic Beverage Control Board expects to distribute $1.3 million to the community and is considering a new store in the northern county.

A consultant's fee study found the county recovers 35 percent, or $7.6 million, of the $21.7 million cost of running fee-based programs in emergency services, planning and inspections, and environment, parks and recreation, leaving a $14.1 million subsidy. Commissioners leaned toward closer to full cost recovery generally while protecting youth athletics and low-income access, and asked staff to bring back more data before setting new rates. By consensus, the board also filled seats on the Board of Health, the Chapel Hill-Orange County Visitors Bureau board and the Economic Development Advisory Board.

Who spoke

No members of the public spoke.

Read from the records the government published after the meeting. Members of the public are private residents and are not named or indexed.

Speaking at this meeting

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

Agenda items (3)

Presentation · 2Appointment · 1
  1. 1 Boards and Commissions – Annual Work Plan Summaries
    Presentation Appointments and personnel
    The first group of county boards and commissions presented their annual work plans to the commissioners, reporting on the past year and their plans against the board's strategic goals. The second group presented on March 10.
  2. 2 Presentation of Fee Study for Emergency Services, Planning & Inspections, and DEAPR
    Presentation Fees and utility ratesFire and EMSParks and recreation
    A fee study covering emergency services, planning and inspections, and the department of environment, agriculture, parks and recreation, setting out what those services cost against what the county charges. The FY 2026-27 fee schedule was adopted in June.
  3. 3-6 Appointments Discussions
    Appointment Appointments and personnel
    Appointment discussions for the board of health, the Chapel Hill-Orange County Visitors Bureau advisory board, the economic development advisory board and the county planning board.

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