Minutes 12-06-2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

,~ The Board received the draft Three-Year Update of the Solid Waste to the Board for consideration and approval by resolution so that the Plan can be submitted to the State prior to January 1, 2011. Assistant County Manager Willie Best introduced this item and said that it is about 18 months behind schedule. Blair Pollock presented this item. He said that the Solid Waste Management Plan is a State requirement. There is a ten-year plan that the County and the three towns crafted together in 1997. The cornerstone is a 61 % waste reduction goal. This draft plan has been adopted by the three towns and there has been a public meeting. He highlighted parts of the plan: • Making every attempt to extend Solid Waste Convenience Center hours • Longer term issues -two versus single-stream program • Recycling services -expand commercial programs • Landfill side -decisions about where to go with garbage • Future of Solid Waste operations PUBLIC COMMENT: Stephen Graff thanked the County Commissioners for their services. He asked to yield his time to Bonnie Hauser. Bonnie Hauser read a statement from Orange County Voice: "Our comments are based on the SW plan, attending most SWAB and SWWG meetings over the last 2 years, our survey of nearly 900 households from throughout the rural community, and anecdotal citizen's reaction to reduced hours at the convenience centers. Not to mention the SW reports, discussions with vendors, and visits to Catawba, Greensboro, and Alamance Solid Waste facilities. Solid Waste is a mission critical service to the County and, as you know, represents over 10% of the County's budget. Service is well done and appreciated by every resident in the County. We completely support the County's recycling goals. A great deal of work went into the plan and it's very informative. Now that we have the facts, it's clearer than ever that -for rural residents -the plan is directionally incorrect. Because of objections raised by residents and others including the Sierra Club, the County has backed off on rural recycling -which we appreciate. Whether or not you approve the plan tonight is not a critical issue for us. What we need is your direction on going forward policies for Solid Waste Services in the rural area. Only you can offer the perspective of competing priorities and resource constraints. When you read the plan, you will see that much of the last 2 years has been spent discussing services to the unincorporated areas -even though there is virtually no rural citizen representation on SWAB or the SWWG. The issue of representation from the rural community needs your immediate attention, unless, of course, you decide to sunset SWAB. So tonight, please speak to the features of this plan which disproportionately impacts rural residents from a fiscal and service perspective: 1. Here's a start: Please assure us that, after closing the Cedar Grove library, a dental clinic and many other difficult service cuts, there is no money for non-essential SW service improvements, for the foreseeable future at least until we are on the other side of the landfill closure. Please assure us that the residents of Orange County will not have to bear the burden of fees for services that we do not want. 18