Minutes 05-26-2011 - Laserfiche WebLink

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produced at a certain level and that the people of Rogers Road had waited long enough for the County to address these issues. He said that he did as he thought the Board directed him to do. Commissioner Hemminger left at 10:57 PM. Commissioner McKee said that he read the resolution from the towns and in his view the County Commissioners gave staff direction and they came back with a proposal and it was discussed thoroughly. He said that adjusting the dollar amount of the tipping fee increase would amount to back-pedaling. He said that to start wavering or adjusting any part of it at this point is a bad idea. A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Yuhasz to approve a resolution exercising Orange County's right to increase the mixed solid waste tipping fee to mitigate adverse environmental conditions and requesting Orange County's partner municipalities endorse the use of revenues generated by the increased fees for remediation efforts in the Rogers Road area; and direct the Clerk to the Board and Manager to provide copies of the resolution to each Interlocal Agreement party in order to meet the 30-day requirement in advance of the projected July 1, 2011 implementation date. Commissioner Jacobs said that he is going to vote against this because he thinks they could move $150,000 from the Fund Balance to make up the difference in the $2 and the $5 in the tipping fee. He thinks that the County continues to erode the relationships with the municipalities and everyone is blaming everyone else. Commissioner Gordon said that she would like to figure out a way to come up with the same funding but not raise the tipping fee the full $5, and to work with the towns. Frank Clifton said that when the landfill closes, he is not sure of the obligations of the town for remediation costs later on. Commissioner Jacobs said that the better relationships the County has with the towns, the more likely they are willing to be the County's partner. Commissioner McKee said that Commissioner Jacobs' scenario is the same amount of money, but it is not the same intent to him. This started with a very simple concept of a $5 increase on a tipping fee and he thinks they should go forward with that. He said that to start deviating from the intent is to back away. Chair Pelissier said that she would like to adopt this resolution. She suggested sending a letter to the towns to come up with the same dollar amount. There has to be a 30-day notice of the tipping fee increase. Discussion ensued on how much tipping fee to propose. John Roberts said that there is some disagreement here and one of the towns indicated some interest in, if the County gives them some idea of what community benefits the County is interested in, and then maybe they would go along with the $5. Commissioner Yuhasz said that there is a list from the Rogers Road community. Frank Clifton said that the money would be used first to provide for water and sewer and clean up of environmental hazards. Commissioner Gordon suggested some language that would allocate the first dollars to go for the environmental cleanup and the second part would say, "pursuant to the agreement, over the next year, the County would talk with the partners about what the money would then be used for, etc." Commissioner Jacobs said that he would be comfortable approving the motion, specifying that the immediate targets would be water and sewer and addressing illegal dumping that was not done by the owners of the property involved, and that the County invited the municipalities to participate over the summer in these conversations that are going to come back to the County Commissioners in the fall with suggestions about community benefits.