HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - Item 8-s - Computer Surplus Declaration and Donation to Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: June 19, 2018
Action Agenda
Item No. 8-s
SUBJECT: Computer Surplus Declaration and Donation to Chapel Hill-Carrboro City
Schools
DEPARTMENT: Asset Management Services,
Information Technologies,
Solid Waste Management
ATTACHMENT(S):
Resolution Approving the Donation of
Surplus, Obsolete, or Unused County
Equipment to the Chapel Hill Carrboro
City Schools Board of Education
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Brennan Bouma, 919-245-2626
Jim Northrup, 919-245-2276
Robert Williams, 919-918-4904
PURPOSE: To approve and authorize the Chair to sign a resolution upon County Attorney
review declaring items listed below as surplus and authorizing the donation of those items to the
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) Board of Education.
BACKGROUND: In late 2015, Orange County donated 306 surplus computers and their
peripheral equipment (computer keyboards, mice, monitors, etc.) to the Chapel Hill Carrboro
City Schools (CHCCS) to help the school system launch a computer reuse and training
program. CHCCS worked with a local company, Triangle Ecycling, to help manage this program
and train high school students in computer repair. The donation was made with the
understanding that any computer equipment that could not be refurbished or re-used for this
program would be returned to Orange County Solid Waste to be responsibly recycled. All of the
equipment in that initial donation was reusable. With the County’s donation and that of other
public and private entities, the program has been successful and is now considering an
expansion.
Staff previously notified Orange County Schools of this opportunity to receive surplus computer
equipment, and received word that Orange County Schools contacted Triangle Ecycling directly
to inquire about their program.
Orange County Information Technologies now has another round of surplus computer
equipment that is ready for donation to CHCCS to support this program, and staff is seeking
Board approval.
Pursuant to North Carolina General Statute 160A-280, the County Board of Commissioners may
donate County property to another governmental unit including the CHCCS Board.
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Property to be donated
It should be noted that providing the County’s surplus computers to local non-profit
organizations has also been previously discussed and pursued. However, agencies have
declined interest due to the age of the computers as well as the cost to purchase operating
systems since the County must remove all software and information for security and licensing
purposes prior to any disposal action. The possibility of making surplus computers available to
County employees has also been discussed. The interest among County employees is
uncertain, and it has been noted that conveying/selling the computers to employees requires a
prescribed process based on State law. Staff will evaluate both employees’ interest and the
legal process in preparation for future surplus computer disposal consideration.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Donating these computers to CHCCS will have no financial impact on
the County. As these computers have had 5-7 years of use and have been deemed unsuitable
for repair or further use for their intended purpose, any money recovered by selling these
computers as-is would be offset by the Staff time involved in managing the sale. The computers
hold considerably more value as teaching tools for Orange County students.
SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: The following two Orange County Social Justice Goals are
applicable to this agenda item:
• GOAL: ENSURE ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY
The creation and preservation of infrastructure, policies, programs and funding necessary
for residents to provide shelter, food, clothing and medical care for themselves and their
dependents.
• GOAL: ESTABLISH SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE LAND-USE AND
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES
The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of people of all races, cultures, incomes
and educational levels with respect to the development and enforcement of
environmental laws, regulations, policies, and decisions. Fair treatment means that no
group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental
consequences resulting from industrial, governmental and commercial operations or
policies.
The donation of a portion of the County’s surplus computers to CHCCS will help support a new
computer reuse and training program aimed at providing valuable hands-on technical training for
Orange County students. This training program will continue to divert the County’s e-waste from
the landfill, while helping to prepare these students for jobs in the traditionally higher-paid
computer field, thereby increasing their economic security. These results translate to positive
outcomes related to the above Social Justice Goals.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve and authorize
the Chair to sign a resolution upon County Attorney review declaring items listed above as
surplus and authorizing the donation of those items to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
(CHCCS) Board of Education.
Computer Type Qty Average Age of Equipment Hard drives erased/wiped
Laptops 216 5 years National Institute of Standards and
Technology 800-88 Guidelines 7 pass
erasing technology
Desktops 168 6 years National Institute of Standards and
Technology 800-88 Guidelines 7 pass
erasing technology
Total 384
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RES-2018-047
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
RESOLUTION APPROVING THE DONATION OF SURPLUS, OBSOLETE, OR
UNUSED COUNTY EQUIPMENT TO THE CHAPEL HILL CARRBORO CITY
SCHOOLS BOARD OF EDUCATION PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF N.C.G.S.
160A-280
WHEREAS, Orange County owns computers and other electronics, which are unsuitable
for repair or further use for their intended purposes and should be declared surplus or obsolete to
the County’s needs; and
WHEREAS, N.C.G.S. 160A-280 allows counties to donate to another governmental unit
any personal property that the Board of County Commissioners deems to be surplus, obsolete, or
unused; and
WHEREAS, County staff recommends that the computers and other electronics on the
attached list be declared surplus, obsolete, or unused and donated to the Chapel Hill Carrboro
City Schools Board of Education, a school administrative unit which is a governmental unit as
defined by N.C.G.S. 160A-274(a), to be used for educational purposes; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the provisions of N.C.G.S. 160A-280, the Orange County
Board of Commissioners has caused public notice of this proposed Resolution to be posted at
least five days prior to the adoption of this Resolution approving the donation.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Orange County Board of
Commissioners that the computers and other electronics are hereby declared to be surplus or
obsolete based on their unsuitability for repair or further use for their intended purpose; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of Commissioners
hereby approves the donation pursuant to the provisions of N.C.G.S. 160A-280 by Orange
County to the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools Board of Education of the above described
personal property to be used for educational purposes.
Adopted this the ____ day of _____________, 20___.
________________________________
Mark Dorosin, Chair
Board of Orange County Commissioners
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