Minutes 10-04-2011 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Frank Clifton said that raising landfill revenues by 10% each year will NOT cover the post-closure costs plus the Rogers Road improvements. The cost to add water service to this area would be $4 million and the cost to add sewer would be $8 million. He said that he had a discussion with the Assistant City Manager in Durham and Durham is willing to have a longer term agreement with the County to accept the County's solid waste flows at whatever volume is needed. He read the recommendations, as follows: 1. Direct staff to initiate the Water Service improvements as outlined. Further refinement of those estimates, engineering and construction would be scheduled accordingly and Solid Waste Enterprise Funds be the source of funding for these projects. The Board of Commissioners would approve each project and OWASA would be the contract administrator. 2. Authorize the Dump Sites clean-up program as proposed. Solid Waste Enterprise Funds would be the source of funding for this effort. Solid Waste Staff will oversee the work and monitor the contractors authorized to perform to activities. 3. Recognize and authorize appropriate annual increases in the MSW tipping fee. Increases will occur in accordance with financial projections that support the proposals outlined above and closure and post closure financial obligations. The current agreement allows a 10% annual increase. The current rate is $57 per ton MSW. 4. Select an appropriate closing date for the landfill as a functioning operation. The estimated closure dates as proposed in the attachments and discussed earlier in this abstract are approximate in nature. As the landfill ages solid waste compresses with time. An exact date the landfill will reach permitted capacity is a variable. The Board has the option to extend the life of the landfill and add closure and post closure actions. County staff has not yet sought a permit extension, and the landfill is scheduled to close in the spring of 2013. If the Board chooses to extend the life of the landfill, it will need to direct staff to file the appropriate permit applications. 5. Encourage the Towns through conversations with elected leadership to become more involved in the future of the Rogers/Eubanks Road neighborhood. The improvements not eligible for funding via the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund (Sewer, community development activities, etc.) can be addressed via other revenues sources. The longer the landfill stays open the greater savings the Towns experience in waste transportation costs to a MSW landfill or transfer station elsewhere. The Towns and County could jointly address these issues collectively to lessen the financial burden upon any one government. 6. Convene a meeting with the Towns to discuss the future of MSW in Orange County. There has been a limited municipal response to taking future MSW to the City of Durham's MSW transfer station. Alternative MSW disposal options being pursued by the Towns thus far have not produced viable results. A new interlocal agreement is necessary to address both future MSW disposal and closure and post-closure costs and liability. Frank Clifton said that no formal direction is being asked of this Board, although something in the form of direction needs to be established soon. He said that there is a 60- acre tract of property that was acquired by the Landfill Fund. This is an asset for solid waste and could be sold to help with the financial issues.