HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 02-21-2006-5kORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: February 21, 2006
Action Agenda
Item No. ~_
SUBJECT: Confirmation of Plans for Use of Well and Septic for Solid Waste
Operations Center
DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Resolution John Link, (919) 245-2300
PURPOSE: To adopt a resolution indicating the intent of the Board of Commissioners to
construct the new Solid Waste Operations Center on Eubanks Road using a well and a septic
system, rather than pursuing water and sewer connections to the Orange Water and Sewer
Authority systems,
BACKGROUND: In May 2005, the Board of Commissioners approved a resolution of intent to
consider the use of OWASA water and sewer connections in providing utilities to the new Solid
Waste Operations Center, The property an which the new facility will be built is just inside the
Rural Buffer, which has attendant restrictions on the extension of water and sewer lines. In
keeping with the spirit of the Water and Sewer Management, Planning, and Boundary
Agreement between the County and its municipal and utility partners, the Board of
Commissioners transmitted copies of that resolution to each governing board to solicit their
comments about the Commissioners' proposed course of action.
During the September 2005 Assembly of Governments meeting, representatives of the Carrboro
Board of Aldermen and Chapel Hill Town Council expressed a variety of concerns about the
prospects for running utilities to the property and into the Rural Buffer, and particularly with a
route that would take sewer across the northern portion of the active landfill on the south side of
Eubanks Road.
Since the Assembly of Governments discussion, the County has been able to acquire an
additional 6+ acres of land immediately adjacent to the 4 acre parcel on which the Operations
Center is to be built, By recombining those two adjacent parcels, the County will have
considerably more flexibility to design an appropriate, safely accessible facility that uses well
and septic rather than OWASA utility connections. The County's architects are proceeding with
a design that uses well and septic for permanent operations.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated directly with the adoption of this
resolution. Funds to design and construct the Solid Waste Operations Center, to include well
and septic, will come from the Solid Waste/Landfill Operations Enterprise Fund.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board adopt the accompanying
resolution.
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
A RESOLUTION DETERMINING THE INTENT TO USE WELL AND SEPTIC
TO SERVE THE NEW SOLID WASTE OPERATIONS CENTER ON EUBANKS ROAD
WHEREAS, Orange County is in the process of designing a new Solid Waste Operations Center that is
tentatively slated to open in mid-2007 on County owned property on Eubanks Road, just inside the Rural
Buffer; and
WHEREAS, Orange County deems the Solid Waste Operations Center to be an essential public facility;
and
WHEREAS, the interlocal Water and Sewer Management, Planning, and Boundary Agreement between
the County and its municipalities permits the extension of water and sewer lines into the Rural Buffer to
serve an essential public facility; and
WHEREAS, the County Commissioners adopted a resolution in May 2005 reflecting the County's intent
to pursue extension of water and sewer lines to this essential public facility, and in keeping with the spirit
of the interlocal agreement, solicited comments on the resolution from other partner governing boards;
and
WHEREAS, elected officials of the Towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill raised concerns at the September
29, 2005 Assembly of Governments meeting about Orange County's consideration of extending water
and sewer Tines to the planned Solid Waste Operations Center; and
WHEREAS, the Orange County Board of Commissioners remain firmly committed to the preservation
and protection of the Rural Buffer, and acknowledge the difference of opinion that may exist regarding
the definition of an essential public facility; and
WHEREAS, since that meeting, the County has acquired additional property immediately adjacent to the
parcel of land on which the Solid Waste Operations Center will be constructed; and
WHEREAS, acquisition of that property substantially increases the County's flexibility for carrying out
several important solid waste system functions; and
WHEREAS, the additional acreage affords the County the opportunity to construct the building on a
revised footprint that will make the use of a well and a septic system feasible; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners have asked the project architects to design the facility
accordingly;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Orange County Board of Commissioners does
hereby state its intention to open the Solid Waste Operations Center with a design that relies on well and
septic system to provide water and wastewater treatment to the new facility.
This, the 215' day of February, 2006
Barry Jacobs, Chair