HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 09-05-2000-8d}
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: September 5, 2000
Action Agenda
Item No. ~-~
SUBJECT: Petition for BOCC to Designate September 16, 2000 as County Big Sweep
Stream Cleanup Day _ _ _ __
DEPARTMENT: County Engineer PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Paul Thames, County Engineer,
Letter from Town of Chapel Hill ext 2303
Engineering Staff (Big Sweep Stream
Cleanup Coordinators) TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
Hillsborough 732-8181
Chapel Hill 968-4501
Durham 688-7331
Mebane 336-227-2031
PURPOSE: To consider a request that the BOCC: 1) designate Saturday,
September 16, 2000, as Big Sweep Stream Cleanup Day in Orange County; 2) encourage
citizens and County staff to volunteer to participate in Big Sweep stream cleanup efforts;
and 3) agree to waive tipping fees at the Orange County Landfill for the debris
removed from the County's streams by the Big Sweep volunteers.
BACKGROUND: The Town of Chapel Hill Engineering Department, the Orange County
coordinator for this year's annual event, has petitioned the BOCC to designate Saturday,
September 16~' as "Big Sweep" Stream Cleanup Day. The Big Sweep program is a statewide
effort to remove litter from streams, lakes and waterways by using the efforts of local citizen,
civic, and environmental interest group volunteers.
The stream cleanup process generally involves getting local government jurisdictions to:
1) declare a designated day as "Big Sweep Day"; 2) agree to help with the disposal of
collected litter; and 3) encourage one or mare governmental employees to volunteer in
coordinating govemmen#al assistance with the volunteer effort. Local governments may also
choose to publicize the cleanup effort and to provide a venue for its own employees to
volunteer their services to the cleanup effort. Typically, personnel from the local coordinators
will target appropriate stream sites, solicit volunteers to remove litter from designated
streams, coordinate the efforts of those volunteers and provide gloves, trash bags, etc.
The volunteers will be responsible for transporting the collected litter to designated
pick-up points. Big Sweep organizers and coordinators will be responsible for collecting
litter at pick-up points and transporting it to the landfill.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Staff recommends that if the BOCC approves the requests from the Big
Sweep Coordinators, that the General Fund be tapped to pay any tipping fees incurred at the
landfill. Because the landfill operates in an enterprise fund, it is important to maintain a true
picture of the revenues and expenses of managing the County's solid waste business.
Accordingly, staff recommends against the outright waiver of tipping fees, and recommends
accomplishing the same purpose by using General Funds to ensure that revenues due to the
Solid Waste Enterprise Fund are properly recorded. It is estimated that total tipping fees from
all stream cleanup sites in Chapel Hill/Carrboro, Hillsborough, and the Orange County section of
the Eno River State Park will total less than $1,000. Adequate funds are available in the
"Manager's Miscellaneous" line item to address the anticipated costs of disposal.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the BOCC designate Saturday,
September 16th as "Big Sweep Day", and encourage staff to volunteer to provide the necessary
assistance to coordinate the event.
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TgWN OF CHAPEL HYLI.
Engineering Dept.
Town of Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill. NC 27516
August 7, 2000
Orange County Comrnissio~aers
200 South Camemn Street
Hillsborough, NG 27278
Dear Orange County Commissioners,
The Town of Chapel Hill Engineering Dept., the Orange County coordinators for North Carolina Big
Sweep 2000, hereby petitions the Orange County Cornnussioncrs fur their support and assistance with the
Scptetnbtr 1 G, 2000 countywide stream cleanup.
Urange County is rich in natural resources and water is a basic and essential need far all life.
U~tfortunately, trash threatcag our waterways and landscapes, diminishing their sestheCic and functional
value. The citizens of Orange County have a long history of environmental stewardship and have
established clean streams as a comntuniry value. Therefore we request that the Orange County
Commissioners provide the following assistance:
• Designate September l6, 2000 as Orange County Big Sweep Day.
• Vrge Orange County citizens and staff to volunteer their participation in stream cleanup efforts.
• Agree to waive Orange Gounry Landfill tipping fees for debris removed from the streams of Qrange
County
We ho(~e the County Commissioners will join us in helping to restore and maintain the beauty and function
of our streams, lakes and rivers, The Town of Chapel Hill 1ngineering Dept. thanks the Orange County
Commissioners for their support and assistance with NC Big Sweep 200D.
Sincerely, ~
- "L
J Wilson
Engineering Dept.
Town of Chapel Hill
306 N. Colombia Street, Chapel Hill, NC: 2751G (919) 968-2700