HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda 06-03-2025; 8-s - DSS Computer Peripheral Surplus Declaration and Donation to Triangle Ecycling 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: June 3, 2025
Action Agenda
Item No. 8-s
SUBJECT: DSS Computer Peripheral Surplus Declaration and Donation to Triangle
Ecycling
DEPARTMENT: Social Services (DSS)
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Resolution Approving the Donation of Lindsey Shewmaker, 919-245-2817
Surplus, Obsolete, or Unused County
Equipment to Triangle Ecycling
PURPOSE: To approve and authorize the Chair to sign a resolution declaring items listed below
as surplus and authorizing the donation of those items to the non-profit Triangle Ecycling.
BACKGROUND: In 2015 and 2018, Orange County donated surplus computers and 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 Triangle Ecycling, which was then a local for-profit company, 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 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.
Triangle Ecycling has since become a 501c3 nonprofit. The organization collects surplus
electronics and uses those items in its own program to train high school students to refurbish them
for reuse.
In 2021 and 2023, Orange County donated outdated computers directly to Triangle Ecycling.
The Orange County Department of Social Services has a round of surplus computer peripherals
that is ready for donation, and staff is seeking Board approval of the attached resolution to donate
these computer peripherals to Triangle Ecycling for the benefit of local students and residents.
Pursuant to North Carolina General Statute 160A-280, the County Board of Commissioners may
donate County property to an incorporated nonprofit organization. The five-day notice of the
proposed resolution/action by the Board as required by the General Statute has also occurred.
The proposed donation would be 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.
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Property to be donated
Peripheral Type Qty.
Monitors 17
Printers 10
Scanners 63
Speakers 19
Docking Stations 39
Pagers 25
Power cords and other cables 5 boxes
Cellular Phones (factory reset) 136
Polycom Voice Station 2
AT&T 945 Business Phone 1
Boca Research 10Base-T Concentrator 1
GVC TP HUB-008 1
Verizon Cellular PCMCIA card 1
Linksys Wireless G PCMCIA NIC 1
HP JetDirect EX Plus 2
HP IR Transceivers 5
Sony DVD Player 1
Samsung Cable Box 1
Casio microcassette recorder 1
It should be noted that providing the County's surplus computers and computer peripherals to
local nonprofit 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 purposes prior to
any disposal action. The possibility of making surplus computers and computer peripherals
available to County employees has also been discussed in the past. 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.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Donating these computer peripherals to Triangle Ecycling will have no
financial impact on the County. As these computer peripherals have had 10 years of use and have
been deemed unsuitable for repair or further use for their intended purpose, any money recovered
by selling these items as-is would be offset by the Staff time involved in managing the sale. The
computers hold considerably more value as teaching tools for local students. Computer
peripherals repurposed by Triangle Ecycling trainees are given to local charities, sold locally at a
discount to bridge the digital divide, or sold online to support further programming of the nonprofit.
ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PLAN: This item supports:
• GOAL 5: PUBLIC EDUCATION/LEARNING COMMUNITY
OBJECTIVE 2. Improve school readiness and educational outcomes by providing access,
training, tools, technology, and other resources needed to thrive.
OBJECTIVE 3. Provide support for workforce development through training, tools,
technology, and other resources.
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RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve and authorize the
Chair to sign a resolution declaring the computer peripherals listed above as surplus and
authorizing the donation of those items to Triangle Ecycling.
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RES-2025-030
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
RESOLUTION APPROVING THE DONATION OF SURPLUS, OBSOLETE, OR
UNUSED COUNTY EQUIPMENT TO TRIANGLE ECYCLING 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 convey property to nonprofit
organizations 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 Triangle Ecycling, a 5016
nonprofit, 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
Triangle Ecycling of the above described personal property to be used for educational purposes.
Adopted this the day of —, 20—.
Jamezetta Bedford, Chair
Board of Orange County Commissioners