Orange County NC Website
Long-term financial analysis and re-organizational issues are critical areas of concern that have <br /> not yet been thoroughly addressed. Some prior financial and organizational analysis was <br /> conducted,but is not included here as it is currently being overhauled and reevalua.ted. A key <br /> change is the addition of the Sanitation Division to the enterprise fund beginning in 2010-11. An <br /> upcoming significant and mandatory expense is the closing the MSW landfill,the cost of which <br /> will be a key determinant of the fiscal future of the solid waste enterprise fund. No new funding <br /> sources have been identified or specified to cover future projected costs. <br /> Potential Future Areas for Solid Waste Plan Decision-Makin� <br /> Planning and development of options for the unincorporated areas' solid waste has been very <br /> detailed and received a lot of the Work Group's attention in the past year. They have completed a <br /> recommendation on the Solid Waste Convenience Centers that was delivered to the Board of <br /> Orange County Commissioners and is included as Appendix K,but not on rural recycling <br /> expansion or curbside waste collection. Despite detailed reporting and analysis,there has been <br /> no recommendation or action on the future of commercial recycling. Further consideration of <br /> C&D management and regulatory measures to enhance waste reduction has been deferred. <br /> Closure of the MSW lined landfill and subsequent alternative management of MSW rema.in as <br /> major tasks on the near horizon. <br /> Below is an annotated list of key issues that may be addressed as part of future solid waste <br /> planning <br /> • Financial plannin�: When the MSW landfill closes, enterprise fund revenues will be <br /> substantially reduced. Solid Waste staff are currently working with the Finance <br /> Department on development of a new financial model for sustaining remaining <br /> operations. Further fmancial planning will be conducted with regard to waste reduction <br /> program expansions toward achieving our 61%waste reduction goal. During the current <br /> period of budget challenges various solid waste services are being evaluated for <br /> improving efficiency and reducing redundancy. Efforts are being made to minimize <br /> service/program reductions. <br /> • Solid Waste Convenience Centers' fmancin ,g design,location and overation: this may be <br /> the single most pressing element of the plan to undertake in the next twelve months and it <br /> affects all of the County as all ta�cpayers support the convenience centers and they are <br /> used broadly getting over 425,000 visits a year. The Solid Waste Plan Work Group has <br /> made a recommendation to the BOCC to be considered in November 201 Q. but no action <br /> has yet been taken on the SWCCs, <br /> • Commercial rec cv lin�: this element of the waste stream retains the largest potential for <br /> waste reduction,without a more systematic approach to reducing commercial waste we <br /> are unlikely to reach our waste reduction goa1. By increasing collection efficiency in the <br /> past two years,the County has managed to provide over 250 businesses with recycling <br /> services but has reached its limit under currently configured staffmg and financing, <br /> • C&D mana e� ment_While C&D volume is declining,the C&D landfill,related recycling <br /> processing for regulated materials and enforcement of rules pertaining to managing these <br /> materials remain important county resources. In view of the County's aggressive waste <br /> reduction goal and assuming local disposal of C&D remains an important characteristic <br /> of our solid waste system, it will be a challenge to maintain these programs. The County <br /> 13 <br />