Agenda - 05-21-2013 - 5a - Laserfiche WebLink

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9 1 • Solid Waste Schedule of Revenues and Expenditures 2 • Solid Waste Advisory Board Resolution 3 • Summary of Solid Waste and Recycling Service 4 • Information from Commission for the Envinznnnont(CfE) 5 • Information from Town of Hilisborough 6 • Letter from Recycling Employees 7 8 Michael Talbert said Orange County is recognized as being number one in the state for waste 9 reduction, reaching 59% of its 61% aggressive reduction goal. The County is disposing only 10 0.56 tons/person compared to the base year of 1991-92, when the disposal rate measured 1.36 11 tons. In the region, Wake County has achieved a 25% reduction rate, Durham County rate is at 12 21%, Chatham County is at 37%and Alamance County at 26%. Orange County's 61%waste 13 reduction goal was adopted in 1997 by the County and by the Towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill 14 and Hillsborough as part of the County's original Comprehensive Solid Waste Plan. The 15 County is committed to continuous robust public education services and waste reduction 16 programs regardless of the funding or operational program implemented by the Board. 17 The County's Reduce, Reuse & Recycle (3-R) Fees consists of four annual recycling 18 fees adopted by Orange County in 2004 to fund recycling programs and services that are billed 19 in co junction with the annual property tax. The fee consists of a Basic Fee ($37/year) that is 20 charged to all improved properties county-wide and funds various recycling operations such as 21 the county To)dcity Reduction Improvement Program (Household Hazardous Waste, batteries, 22 waste oil, e\ectrnnics, otc.), reoyc|ingdrop'oYfa)tes' recycling at solid waste convenience 23 centers, education and outreach, enforcement, planning, etc. An Urban Curbside Fee 24 ($52/year) is assessed to improved residential properties within incorporated municipalities and 25 funds weekly curbside recycling service. 26 A Rural Curbside Fee ($38/ r) is charged to residential property in areas of 27 unincorporated Orange County eligible to receive bi-weekly curbside recycling service. Finally, 28 a Multi-family Fee ($19/year) is charged multi-family units throughout Orange County for multi- 29 family recycling services. (Attachment 4, Solid Waste Recycling Division Schedule of Revenues 30 and Expenses for Fiscal 2011/2012. Not related to recycling, the County also assesses a 31 county-wide Solid Waste Convenience Center Fee that is billed in conjunction with the annual 32 property tax. 33 The Unincorporated Areas Fee is ($ r/H h |d)' |noorpomdadAreasFeeia 34 ($10/vear/Houaeho|d), and Multi-family Fee is ($2/year/multi-family unit). This basic Solid 35 Waste Convenience Center Fee covers a portion of the operating costs of the County's five (5) 36 Convenience Centers. 37 A recent court decision, Lanvale v Cabarrus County, essentially says that where there is 38 no direct statutory authority to levy a fee, a local government cannot levy a fee. Since the 39 Lanvale opinion was issued, Orange County's staff has been engaged in discussions regarding 40 how, going forward, the County can best address the issues created by this action of the 41 Supreme Court. The Basic Fee is likely consistent with existing law, but the Urban, Rural and 42 Multi-family recycling fees may not be consistent with existing case law. The County Manager 43 will recommend that the Board of County Commissioners cease assessing the Urban, Rural 44 and Multi-family recycling fees beginning with the Fiscal 2013/14 Annual Budget. 45 The County Manager further recommends funding these services for Fiscal 2013/14 46 only with solid waste enterprise fund reserves to allow the County time to transition to an 47 alternative solution. The Rural Curbside program currently is limited to 13,730 households 48 eligible in the unincorporated area of the County. A rural curbside recycling fee is charged to 49 those households where recycling services are made available. These services are provided by 50 County Staff. Just 6,000 households lack access to rural curbside service at this time and are