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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 02-18-1999 - Attachment 2C'~pP ,~l /~ ~ ~\ c~ o~rx caRCy`2 TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL 3OG NORTH COLUMBIA STREET CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA 27516 OFFICE OF THE MAYOR December 8, 1998 Mazgazet Brown, Chair Boazd of Orange County Commissioners PO Box 8181 Hillsborough, N.C. 27278 Dear Mazgaret: ~Bc~C-G W C'-' ~ .. '! ~, ~ DEC i .~ " 1 (919)968-2714 FAX (919) 967-8406 I write to forwazd to you and the Boazd the resolution adopted last night by the Chapel Hill Town Council regazding the management of solid waste in Orange County. I also want to express the appreciation of the Town Council for the willingness of the Boazd of Orange County Commissioners to assume the governance of solid waste management in Orange County. As you can see from the resolution, there aze a number of concerns, which the Council wanted to transmit to the Boazd. Important among them is the Council's condition that the Greene tract not be used for the burial of construction and demolition (C & D) waste. The Council, however, strongly recommends that a C & D facility be identified soon and put into operation, both to meet the needs of our citizens, and to provide significant revenue to support recycling programs. The Council also strongly urges that a transfer station and a materials recovery facility be located near the municipalities so that hauling costs may be kept reasonable. In fact, we endorse the site neaz the landfill that our staff has identified. Finally, I would emphasize our objection to any condemnation of properties owned by Mrs. Blackwood and Mrs. Nunn. This resolution does not address community benefit issues, because we believe that these matters aze sepazate from governance and will be address by a special committee which we understand will meet on December 14. We in Orange County have been discussing this topic for several years. Now that there are replies to the proposal of the County Commissioners from both Carrboro and Chapel Hill, I hope that we will begin to take the final practical steps needed to transfer the full responsibility and authority to the County for this very important azea of public service. Page 2. All of the governments in the county have adopted very ambitious waste reduction goals, as well as a solid waste management plan designed to help us meet those goals. The interlocal agreement referenced in the Council's resolution and, I believe, contemplated by the other local governments, is based on implementing that plan. With this work in place, I have every confidence that the Boazd of Commissioners will lead the entire county towazd the most efficient and effective management of solid waste possible. I will wait to heaz from you regarding the next steps needed to effect the transition. Sincerely, ~~05~ Rosemary Waldorf Mayor cc: Chapel Hill Town Council Mayor Horace Johnson Mayor Michael Nelson I, Joyce A. Smith, CMC, Interim Town Clerk of the Town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, hereby certify that the attached is a true and correct copy of Resolution (98-12-7lR-17) adopted by the Chapel Hill Town Council on December 7,1998. This the 8t6 of December, 1998. Jo A. Smith, CMC - Interim Town Clerk A RESOUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND THE TOWN MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE FINAL DETAILS OF AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT REGARDING THE MANAGEMENT OF SOLID WASTE BY ORANGE COUNTY (98-12-7/R-1'n WHEREAS, in 1972 the governments of Carrboro, Orange County and Chapel Hill together bought a 202-acre site on both sides of Eubanks Road to serve as a landfill for solid waste from Orange County; and WHEREAS, the governments of Carrboro, Orange County and Chapel Hill agreed by contract in 1972 that Chapel Hill would operate the landfill; and WHEREAS, since 1972 the management of solid waste has developed into a much more complex and expensive operation, including federally regulated lined landfills, waste reduction and recycling programs, and the need for a variety of facilities beyond a landfill; and WHEREAS, the Landfill Owners' Group has recommended that the owners of the landfill and the Town of Hillsborough work together to develop another form of governance of the management of solid waste within Orange County; and WHEREAS, representatives of these four governments have been working since the Landfill Reorganization Work Group began meeting in April 1995, on various approaches; and WHEREAS, at the request of the November 1996 Assembly of Governments, another group of representatives from each of the four governments began meeting with an attorney to prepare a draft interlocal agreement; and WHEREAS, the eighth draft of the Interlocal Agreement was presented to the local governing bodies in the summer of 1997, proposing that one government own and operate the solid waste management system with the advice of representatives of the four local governments; and WHEREAS, in June 1997, all four governing bodies adopted and submitted to the State the outline of an integrated solid. waste management plan which included waste reduction and recycling programs; and WHEREAS, sites have been identified for a materials recovery facility and a transfer station on the current landfill site, and more than one potentially viable site for a construction and demolition waste facility have also been identified; and WHEREAS, the Landfill Owners' Group has concluded that the present system of tipping fees will not generate enough revenue to fund the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Plan and appointed an Alternative Finance Committee to explore other means of financing; and WHEREAS, the Committee has identified an availability fee and use of the General Fund as potential complements to the tipping fees, both of which would be most efficiently and effectively handled by the County; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council recommends that the Orange County Commissioners, with the advice of a Solid Waste Advisory Commission, set policy, raise revenue and implement the Solid Waste Management Plan throughout Change County. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council requests the partners set up a work group composed of the Mayors and Chair or other single representatives chosen by the governing bodies, and the Managers to negotiate the revision of the eighth draft of the Interlocal Agreement to reflect the organization described above, intended to implement the Solid Waste Management Plan adopted by the governing bodies and submitted to the State of North Carolina in July 1997. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council urges that this work group begin no later than February, report to the governing bodies in March and be ready for final governmental action in April. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a condition of the Interlocal Agreement achieve the following: that no more than 60 acres of the Greene Tract be set aside for use by the County in solid waste management activities, or as an asset of the Landfill Fund, and that such area will not be used as a construction and demolition landfill facility. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council believes a construction and demolition (C & D) facility is very important for services to citizens and to generate revenue, with net revenue projected for 1998-99 being approximately $1,000,000. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council: • urges the Couaty to locate a transfer station near the municipalities in southern Orange County to avoid having the public pay very high hauling costs, • endorses a site on or neaz the landfill for a transfer station and a materials recovery facility, • urges that the properties of Mrs. Julia Blackwood and Mrs. Gertrude Nunn not be purchased for solid waste management purposes. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council recommends that the transfer of the solid waste operations be accomplished by October 1, 1999, with the transfer to the County of all Town of Chapel Hill Solid Waste Department employees and assets of the Landfill Fund. This the 7~` day of December, 1998.