Orange County NC Website
Chair Jacobs said that he noticed in janitorial services that there is no mention of <br />maintaining the new solid waste operations center and Rod Visser said that he does not see this <br />opening before next summer. <br />Solid Waste Director Gayle Wilson said that the Enterprise Fund pays for its own <br />janitorial services. <br />John Link said that he had recommended an increase in the 3-R fee and it is on page <br />12-3. <br />Gayle Wilson said that the proposed increase would generate an additional $515,000, <br />which would reduce the overall subsidy from reserves and the landfills to $411,000. <br />Chair Jacobs said that the increase in the basic rate would be from $27 to $34. Gayle <br />Wilson explained the difference between rural and basic. The increase far rural is $13. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis asked whose budget has the NC 57 Solid Waste Convenience <br />Center and it was answered Public Works. He made reference to page 12-3, which says, <br />"Relocation of Highway 57 Convenience Center will have costs as yet unknown." He asked how <br />this impacts Solid Waste. Gayle Wilson said that they are assuming to contribute to the <br />relocation because the services are integrated. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis read something from the Solid Waste section. "Significant future <br />costs associated with efforts to reach waste reduction goal for the Solid Waste Management <br />Plan implementations are likely, and we suggest that it is prudent that some financial <br />recognition/acknowledgement be made by a modest advance contribution to fund balance." He <br />asked what this meant and Gayle Wilson said that the Enterprise Fund is likely to face some <br />significant expenditures in the next five to six years and they think that it is prudent to make an <br />adjustment to the 3-R fee to take some of the pressure off the landfill revenue and set aside <br />some money. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis made reference to the discussions about using Durham's <br />transfer station and said that he was caught off guard with an article in the newspaper about <br />this. He said that the County Commissioners need to know what the discussions are. He said <br />that he does not vote on a budget based on some unknown. He needs to know the future <br />situations that the County Commissioners should be worried about. <br />Jahn Link said that he gave the County Commissioners a summary of the meeting, and <br />the article in the newspaper was based on what the Assistant Manager in Durham said. <br />Rod Visser said that the implementation of the 3-R fee has brought stability to the <br />Enterprise Fund and if they go with the increase in the fee, then this future revenue could be <br />used as a full cost recovery of the recycling program. <br />Chair Jacobs asked if it was equitable to raise the basic fee alone and Gayle Wilson said <br />that some of the program expansions they are proposing have to do with the urban and rural <br />curbside program. It would be reasonably equitable to raise only the basic fee, but not as <br />equitable as raising the other two fees. <br />Chair Jacobs asked about multi-family and Gayle Wilson said that what could be <br />equitable would be to increase the fees in the urban and rural and increase the basic fee less. <br />Chair Jacobs pointed out that the common denominator is basic and if it were raised <br />only, then it would affect everyone essentially equally. <br />Chair Jacobs said that he failed to ask a question when the Social Services Director was <br />present. He asked that when she is at a meeting along with the Health Director, the IT Director, <br />and the Clerk that they discuss digitizing data. He knows that there are tremendous space <br />crunches in departments because of records. He would like to talk about this on June 22"d. He <br />wants to knave if they can save some space and money by making digitizing a bigger priority. <br />Commissioner Gordon would like to review information before the 22"d <br />