Minutes 12-10-2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Commissioner Dorosin asked if there is a sense of how many of these residents were already not participating in the service. Michael Talbert said this information can be gotten from the RFID chips on the newer containers. He said, from the visual perspective of the drivers, about 60-65 percent set out recycling containers on any given 2 week schedule. He said this may mean that people only use the service once a month or it may mean that only 65 percent are using it, though he does not think this is the case. Commissioner Dorosin said the premise of the "opt out" option is that people, who may recycle when it is part of their taxes, won't participate if it is a separate bill. He is trying to understand this. He said this seems odd, since he feels people recycle because they are philosophically committed to it, or they are not. He does not feel that he has enough information about the impacts of any of these options. Commissioner Rich said she feels the same way about not having enough information to make a decision. She said the raising of the fee may cause people to opt out, and the idea of the subscription service does not sit well with her. She feels the County should have a program that everyone could use, and she is not in favor of this. Commissioner Gordon said she is concerned about the subscription service. She said one concern is that the best case scenario would be that 20% would opt out. She said this means that the best estimates are that the participation rates will be lower than they are now. She questioned what the expectations of the municipalities would be. She noted that the municipalities have all residents participating, and she feels that the County needs to touch base with the Town officials about this. Commissioner Gordon said she understands the concern regarding the fact that vacant properties will have to pay the fee. She said she would like to see a public hearing on the service district. She said this would allow comments and would give time to provide more information on the subscription service. Commissioner Pelissier said the Board is between a rock and a hard place. She said the County should have the right to levy a fee. She feels there are a lot of uncertainties, and some of this information simply isn't out there. She said a decision simply has to be made how to proceed, and she would like to mirror the Towns as much as possible. She said taxes are always paid for services that not everyone uses. She said land owners don't use most of the services they pay for, but there are things that just have to be accepted. She wants to see the community maintain its commitment to recycling. She thinks the best option is to do a tax district. She said a public hearing needs to be held sooner rather than later. Commissioner Price said she concurs with the previous comments, and her main concern is the increase of the fee. Michael Talbert said the fee will go up no matter what option is chosen. Commissioner Dorosin echoed Commissioner Pelissier's point. He thinks it is wrong to think that one option is going to yield greater participation. He does think if this service is important then the way to pay for it is through taxes. He would support a hearing on the service district, and then the Board can take it from there. Commissioner McKee said the main point is the commitment to recycling, and he is most comfortable with providing an option to do this for a fee rather than an additional tax. The cost will go up $20 a year, and that is not that much. Chair Jacobs said he came to this meeting without a starting inclination, wanting to hear what his peers had to say. He said he is inclined to stand by the principle of minimizing their adverse impact on the environment. He said the way to do that is to provide the residents a service that will make it easy for them to do the right thing. He is more inclined to talk about having a district.