HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 10-01-2001-3ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: October 1, 2001
Action Agenda
Item No. 3
SUBJECT: Regulated Recyclable Materials Ordinance
DEPARTMENT: Solid Waste Management
County Attorney
PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
ATTACHMENT(S):
9/5/01 Staff Memo re: Regulated
Recyclable Materials Ordinance
Implementation Plan
Summary of C&D Recycling Task Force
Recommendations
Proposed Ordinance -Draft #15
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Gayle Wilson 968-2885
Geof Gledhill, 732-2196
TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
Hillsborough 732-8181
Chapel Hill 9684501
Durham 688-7331
Mebane 336-227-2031
PURPOSE: To review and discuss a revised draft of the Regulated Recyclable Materials
Ordinance and to consider setting a Public Hearing date to receive formal public comment on the
proposed ordinance.
BACKGROUND: One of the key recommendations in the August 2000 report from the
Construction and Demolition Waste Recycling Task Force is adoption of an ordinance regulating
recyclable construction & demolition (C&D) materials. Implementation of such an ordinance
requires staffing, facilities development, and coordination with other departments and governments
within Orange County, as well as the regulated community of developers and waste haulers.
The proposed ordinance has potential to regulate both recyclable C&D materials and other
materials with a goal of keeping those materials from being landfilled and requiring that they be
separated for recycling instead. The proposed ordinance regulates on-site separation, requires
submission of materials management plans for large construction projects, and licensing of waste
haulers to haul the separated regulated materials. Passage of the ordinance would significantly
alter the ways in which construction and demolition waste is managed in Orange County and has
the potential to reduce the amount of material landfilled if properly implemented and administered.
The Board discussed previous versions of the draft ordinance at meetings in November 2000 and
January 2001, and raised a number of questions, including concerns that any ordinance the Board
might adopt should not have unintended adverse consequences on agricultural and forestry
operations. Since that time, the staff and the Attorney have worked with various stakeholders and
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other interested parties to produce appropriate changes to the draft ordinance, based on their input
and previous direction from the BOCC. Among other points, the accompanying staff memo lays out
the major features of the ordinance, feedback received from parties that would be affected by the
ordinance, a discussion of enforcement issues, and a proposed timeline for implementation if the
BOCC feels that they are ready to pursue adoption of the ordinance as revised.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Details of the financial implications related to adoption of the ordinance
are discussed in the Solid Waste Facilities Master Plan report (agenda item #2 on this October 1
work session). The Manager's Recommended 2001-02 operating budget for the Solid
Waste/Landfill Operations Fund included funding for the C&D Education and Enforcement
Specialist position recommended by the C&D Waste Recycling Task Force to implement this
ordinance and the accompanying education efforts. The BOCC elected to postpone consideration
of the creation of that permanent position itself until there was an opportunity to review the
recyclable materials ordinance in more detail than could be achieved during the June 2001 budget
work sessions. However, funding for the position and associated costs is already available in the
FY 2001-02 approved budget.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board provide additional input to
staff regarding the ordinance, set a date for the public hearing, and authorize the creation of a
permanent C&D Education and Enforcement Specialist position.