Minutes - 20070313 - Laserfiche WebLink

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A motion was made by Commissioner Gordon, seconded by Commissioner Foushee to approve funding for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Elementary #10 including water and sewer infrastructure for Twin Creeks Park at $23.3 million; approve the CHCCS Board of Education plan for funding, from the district's revenue stream, the additional $1 million required to complete construction of Elementary #10; and request the CHCCS Board of Education engage County staff including Jeff Thompson in active value engineering of Elementary #10. VOTE: UNANIMOUS b. Orange County Transfer Station The Board considered a general update on recent activities and information pertinent to site selection for a proposed Orange County Transfer Station. Staff distributed maps of the proposed transfer station design. Laura Blackmon said that this is an update to the Board on what has happened regarding the transfer station. She said that a letter was sent to Chapel Hill and Carrboro asking for a recommendation, but there has been no response yet. There was a tour of the facility in Greensboro last Saturday. Solid Waste Director Gayle Wilson made reference to the documents distributed to the County Commissioners -drawings of sites on US 70, the Eubanks Road Master Plan approved in 2001, and two conceptual designs for existing landfill property. He said that, at the Board's direction at the last meeting, the staff prepared a handout and a mailing to residents in the area of the Eno Economic Development District. There were also advertisements in newspapers about this site. He explained the map of the Eubanks Road site. Regarding the timetable, following the acquisition of a site, it would take approximately three years and nine months to design, permit, and construct the transfer station. The landfill is expected to reach capacity in 2010. This estimate will be revised each year. Commissioner Jacobs said that the County Commissioners received a letter from Mayor Chilton that said he was writing on his own behalf, and not on behalf of the Carrboro Board of Aldermen. The Mayor stated in the letter about there being a lack of a systematic site search. He asked Gayle Wilson about this and if Carrboro has been approached about its Public Works site. Gayle Wilson said that the County has not approached Carrboro about its Public Works site. Regarding the systematic site search, he said that this is in the eye of the beholder. He described the process. It started with a recommendation from the advisory board and it moved from there. There were preliminary evaluations of different sites and the information was presented to the County Commissioners. He said that the landfill site search process was much more systematic than this process has been. This process did not follow the same template as the landfill site, but it does not mean the process is lessor more valid. Commissioner Gordon asked about the criteria that SWAB used. Gayle Wilson said that the SWAB looked at many aspects as it relates to siting such as proximity to the center of waste generation, proximity to highway access, size of the facility, availability of utilities, issues related to state regulatory requirements, costs, infrastructure, and land use and zoning requirements. Chair Carey pointed out that the SWAB recommended the Eubanks site. He also pointed out that representatives from all four jurisdictions are on the SWAB. Commissioner Jacobs said that part of the cost implication was the objection of the towns to having a site in Durham because it was cost prohibitive. SWAB Chair Jan Sassaman said that one other criterion not mentioned was the issue of sheer distance of transport of the solid waste. PUBLIC COMMENT: Darcy Wilson spoke in opposition to the US 70E locations. He said that wherever the County locates the transfer station, the residents will be upset by it. He suggested going with the practical and looking at the financial and environmental impact of the site. He said that the