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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: April 1, 2014 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 5-a <br /> SUBJECT: Solid Waste Service Tax District— Public Hearing <br /> DEPARTMENT: Solid Waste Management PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) Yes <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): <br /> INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Letter to Property Owners Michael Talbert, 919-245-2308 <br /> Report Filed in Clerk to Board's Office Gayle Wilson, 919-968-2885 <br /> Including Map John Roberts, 919-245-2318 <br /> Frequently Asked Questions — Updated <br /> March 7, 2013 BOCC Abstract— Manager <br /> Franchise Proposal <br /> PURPOSE: To conduct the second of two public hearings, pursuant to North Carolina General <br /> Statutes 153A-302, to receive comments with regard to the proposed establishment of a Solid <br /> Waste Service Tax District in unincorporated Orange County. <br /> BACKGROUND: In 2004 the Board of Commissioners approved a new method of funding for <br /> the every other week curbside/roadside recycling collection program for about 13,000 <br /> residences in unincorporated Orange County. At that time the Board adopted a fee to fund the <br /> program, called a Rural 3-R Fee, that all eligible residences were billed annually on their tax <br /> bills. The fee was assessed to all eligible for the service, regardless of whether or how often a <br /> resident used the service. <br /> In 2012 the County Manager and the County Attorney advised the Board that they had concerns <br /> regarding the statutory justification for assessing this fee and recommended that the Board <br /> eliminate the fee and consider other ways to fund that program. The 2012 tax bill was the last <br /> time the fee was assessed. The fee was $38/year. In 2013 the Board provided an interim <br /> funding for the program from landfill reserves. <br /> Over the next several months the Board discussed various options on how to address this <br /> funding problem. Elimination of the program was even considered, but unanimously abandoned <br /> due to measured participation of the rural community of about 57%. Some residents eligible for <br /> this service chose not to recycle, others delivered their recycling to convenience centers and a <br /> very few employed private haulers. It was also considered that the service was important in <br /> order to meet the County's aggressive waste reduction goal of 61%. <br />