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Home My WebLink AboutAgenda - 06-08-2004-5zORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: June 8, 2004 Action Agenda Item No. .rj - Z SUBJECT: Approval of Orange County's Three-Year Solid Waste Plan Update DEPARTMENT: County Manager/Solid Waste PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No ATTACHMENT(S): Proposed BOCC Resolution 5/10/04 Chapel Hill Town Council Resolution Draft Solid Waste Management Plan 3- Year Update (previously distributed under separate cover) INFORMATION CONTACT: .lohn Link or Rod Visser, 245-2300 Gayle Wilson, Solid Waste Management Director, 968-2885 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough Chapel Hill Durham Mebane 732-8181 968-4501 688-7331 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To consider adopting a resolution that provides formal approval of the three-year update of Orange County's Solid Waste Management Plan for submission to the State of North Carolina. BACKGROUND: At the February 17, 2004 regular meeting, the Board of Commissioners conducted a public hearing on the County's proposed three-year tapdate of the Solid Waste Management Plan required by North Carolina state law. Following the public hearing, the Board voted to provide conceptual approval to the plan update, pending review and action of the proposed update by the governing boards of the Towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Hillsborough, Since the Solid Waste Management Department was transferred from the Town of Chapel Hill to Orange County in April 2000, the County has been the lead agency relative to plan development and submission, However, the Towns also maintain a formal role in the plan approval process, The Towns of Carrboro and Hillsborough have since approved the three- year plan update as seen and approved by the BOCC. The Chapel Hill Town Council discussed this topic at their meetings on April 14 and May 10, 2004. The Council indicated that it had several concerns about the solid waste plan update as noted in their May 10 resolution. The Council appointed representatives to engage in discussion with the Board of Commissioners about these concerns, which was set to take place on June 7, 2004, In 1997, the County and the three Towns adapted a solid waste management plan which included along-term waste reduction goal of 61 % per capita and a comprehensive plan for achieving that goal, Plan development was based on a previous multiyear process that involved a consultant assisting the governments and citizens' committee to develop three waste reduction scenarios from which the governments developed the plan framework in 1996. The resulting plan was further refined and submitted to the NG Department of Environment and Natural Resources in 1997 as required by State statute. In addition to meeting the statutory requirement, the planning document also served as the County's guideline far future solid waste reduction planning and as a basis for projecting financial needs to meet those goals. In 2000, the plan was updated and the same goals and plan framework were reaffirmed. This latest update was due to the State in June 2003, but the County requested and received an extension to that submission deadline. FINANCIA<_ IMPACT: There is no financial impact related to conducting this discussion, The financial impact of the actual solid waste management plan, however, is considerable and the discussion could affect ongoing budgetary and alternative financing deliberations. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board discuss the proposed solid waste plan update and approve the attached resolution, or a modified version thereof, for submission to the State along with the solid waste plan update, 3 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS A RESOLUTION AFFIRMING ORANGE COUNTY'S 10-YEAR SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN, INCLUDING A 61 PERCENT WASTE REDUCTION GOAL WHEREAS, Orange County adopted in 1997 a general waste reduction plan framework as part of its overall solid waste goals and adopted specific waste reduction goals of 45% per capita by 2001 and 61 % per capita by 2006, and Wt-iEREAS, Orange County achieved a 40% waste reduction rate in 2001-02 and 45% waste reduction rate in 2002-2003, thus meeting its interim waste reduction goal of 4.5% and the State goal of 40%, and WHEREAS, this is recognized as the highest level of waste reduction in North Carolina, while during the same period the State overall has experienced increases in waste disposed, and WHEREAS, participation in Orange County waste reduction and recycling programs continue at a high level, and WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina does not contribute in any meaningful manner to funding local government waste collection, waste disposal, or waste reduction programs or services, and WHEREAS, Orange County is considering alternative means of financing its solid waste programs which it will likely implement in FY 2004-05, and WHEREAS Orange County must balance public investment in waste reduction with available funding and its current success relative to the remainder of the State; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Orange County Board of Commissioners that Orange County is maintaining its long-term goal of 61 % waste reduction per capita; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Orange County adopts the solid waste plan update attached hereto and authorizes the County Manager to submit the plan to the State. This the 8th day of June 2004. MEMORANDUM MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor and Town Council FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager SUB.IECT: Orange County Solid Waste Management Plan Tluee-year Update DATE: May 10, 2004 Page 1 of 3 Q AGENDA #8 The attached resolution would authorize the Mayor to communicate with the Orange County Board of Commissioners to request further discussion of the proposed Orange County Solid Waste Management Plan Three-year Update before it is submitted to the State. BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION On December 17, 200.3, we received from County Manager John Link a copy of Orange County's draft of the Solid Waste Management Plan Three-year Update. Orange County has requested that the Town of Chapel Hill endorse this plan as required by the State prior to submittal of the tlnee-year update. On April 14, 2004, the Town Council reviewed the plan and received public comment. The report includes deparhues from the previous plan (for example: no materials recovery facility, no expansion of recyclables collected nor expansion within commercial services). At the April 14 Council meeting and at the April 29, 2004 meeting of the Orange County Assembly of Governments, a number of issues were raised: The plan does not consider the possibility of including the construction of a materials recovery facility to handle both commingled recycled materials and additional materials generated from existing and expanded programs. . The elimination of a "materials recovery facility" from the plan means that there is no identified way to achieve the Town's waste reduction and recycling goals, including no provision for initiating and expanding commercial recycling programs. The plan also would not support the Council's goal of keeping a "pay-as-you-throw" residential refuse program as a possible future option. A $75.00 per year materials recovery fee is proposed to be charged to Chapel I-Iill citizens with no expansion of services. We believe it would be helpful to have further discussion and explanation of costs of urban curbside recycling services in relation to the fee being proposed for such services. Iu view of the issues outlined above, we believe that it would be appropriate to request further discussion of the proposed solid waste management plan. We recommend that the Council authorize the Mayor to communicate with the Board of County Commissioners, to initiate further discussion. We recommend that the Council appoint representatives to meet with counterpazts from the Board for these disensslolls. We recognize that the County is working toward submittal of a plan soon, and believe that initial discussions should take place promptly. One approach to moving forward would be to request that the http://towilhalL towno fchapelhil l.org/agendas/ca040510/8-Proposed%200range%20County... 5/24/2004 MEMORANDUM Page 2 of 3 Plan be modified to call for further consideration of developing a materials recovery facility, with discussions to take place during fiscal 2004-05, and with a final report of agreements reached to be submitted by May of 2005. Such an approach would allow the County to submit a plan while holding open the final resolution of issues regarding the Town's interest in a materials recovery facility. RI;COMMI;NDATION We recommend the Council adopt the attached resolution authorizing the Mayor to communicate with the Orange County Board of Commissioners to request further discussion of the proposed Orange County Solid Waste Management Plan Tluee-year Update. The resolution also would call for the Council to appoint representatives to participate in the discussion. http://townhal l.towno fchapelhill, org/agendas/ca040510/8-Proposed%200range%20County... 5/24/2004 MEMORANDUM Page 3 of 3 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REQUESTING ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION OF THE PROPOSED ORANGE COUNTY SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN THREE-YEAR UPDATE (2004-OS-10/R-IS) WHEREAS, the Town Council has received and reviewed the proposed Orange County Solid Waste Management Plan Three-year Update; and WHEREAS, the Town Council wishes to have further discussion of two issues in the proposed Orange County Solid Waste Management Plan Three-year Update including: . The possibility of including the construction of a materials recovery facility to handle both commingled recycled materials and additional materials generated from existing and expanded programs; . The need fora $75.00 per month materials recovery fee as proposed to be charged to Chapel Hill citizens; and WHEREAS, the Town Council desires to have further discussion with the Orange County Board of Commissioners about the proposed amended Solid Waste Management Plan and proposed materials recovery fee before it is submitted to the State; NOW, TFIEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council authorizes the Mayor to communicate with the Orange County Board of County Commissioners to request further discussion with the Board concerning the Plan and fees and requests that the Board of County Commissioners authorizes representatives of the Board to meet with representatives of the Town COL111C11, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council appoints _ to represent the Town in such discussions. This the IOtf day of May, 2004. and http://townhal l.townofchapelhill.org/agendas/ca040510/8-Proposed%200range%20County.,. 5/24/2004