The Historic Rogers Road Neighborhood Task Force spent nearly two years working on recommendations for how to improve the historically black and low-income community, but government officials don’t yet have a plan for how to apply them.
Carrboro has already approved the recommendations, but Chapel Hill hasn’t. At an Orange County Assembly of Governments meeting Thursday night, Chapel Hill Town Council member Matt Czajkowski said the towns need to start taking action.
“Until we start talking about funding, all we’re doing is talking,” he said. “It’s about time we stop talking.”
The task force’s recommendations include a plan for extending sewer and water services to the Rogers Road neighborhood. The cost of the plan, $5.8 million, will be shared among the three jurisdictions. Carrboro will pay 14 percent, Chapel Hill will pay 43 percent and Orange County will pay 43 percent.
Chapel Hill is still working on securing funding for its portion of the project.
“Money isn’t just sitting on the ground to be picked up,” said Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt. Additionally, Chapel Hill must approve an extraterritorial jurisdiction, known as an ETJ, to contribute money to the project. The council is scheduled to decide on the ETJ at a January meeting.
The county has not yet been able to approve the recommendations or commit funding to the project because of an ongoing EPA investigation into the treatment of residents in the neighborhood.
But Alderman Damon Seils said the EPA complaint is not an issue. He cited an email from the county attorney that said the Rogers-Eubanks Neighborhood Association has agreed to drop the complaint if the task force recommendations were adopted.
Whatever the status of the investigation, Orange County Commissioner Mark Dorosin said it’s time to move forward.
