Agenda - 04-01-2014 - 6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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14 1 Michael Talbert said in 2011-12 things were moving toward single stream, but trucks 2 and bins were not purchased then. 3 Commissioner McKee referred to the pre-existing rural curbside area where there were 4 13,700 customers, and 57 percent used curbside recycling service. He said this meant that 5 about 6000 residents were paying the 3-r fee and not using the service. 6 Gayle Wilson said that is correct. He said the 57 percent was calculated by the set out 7 rate. He said there may be more participating at any one time, but only 57 percent set out bins 8 on a given day. 9 Commissioner McKee said the point was that there were thousands of people paying 10 the 3-r fee while not using the service and opting to still take their recycling to the Solid Waste 11 Convenience Center (SWCC). He noted that the curbside collection amount was 1,715 tons, 12 and the convenience center collected 2,300 tons, though some of that were urban and other 13 materials. He said this means there were still over a thousand tons coming into the 14 convenience centers countywide. He said his point is that a lot of people on the curbside route 15 were still taking their recycling to the SWCC and not using the curbside service. He said 16 Orange County residents have been good about working toward the 61 percent goal. 17 Commissioner McKee referred to the pre-existing set up with curbside. He asked if the 18 exempt properties were paying the curbside fee. He said the proposed tax district will have 631 19 exempt properties that will not pay the tax although they will potentially still continue to receive 20 the service. 21 Gayle Wilson said this is correct. 22 Commissioner Pelissier asked if there is comparable data for the towns. 23 Gayle Wilson said there are surveys, and when the transition is made to roll carts that 24 information will be provided in detail; but he can't recall it now. 25 Commissioner Pelissier said it would be interesting to know the comparison. 26 Chair Jacobs asked Gayle Wilson to repeat the information regarding the fact that 27 people will not exclusively have to use the roll out carts. 28 Gayle Wilson said due to the varied topography, the County will have to make 29 accommodations for some homes. 30 Chair Jacobs asked if there is any data on the effectiveness of an "opt-in" recycling 31 program. 32 Gayle Wilson said there is considerable data. He said the `opt in-opt out' situation that 33 exists in 12-13 counties results in poor participation. He said Alamance County has an opt-in 34 program and the participation rate is in the single digits. 35 Chair Jacobs asked if it is possible to create a service district that includes the 36 municipalities and the areas of the County that would receive curbside recycling. 37 John Roberts said yes. He said the municipalities would have to approve being included 38 in the service district. 39 40 PUBLIC COMMENT: 41 Norma White lives in Little River Township, and she is against a tax service district. She 42 said the Board of Commissioners exists for the cause of the common good and general welfare 43 of the people. She said everyone can agree that schools, libraries and many County services 44 exist for the common good and general County welfare, even if these are located in town and 45 far from rural households. She said everyone pays, and no one gets to pick and choose what 46 the common good is. She said everyone agrees that solid waste/recycling is an issue that is for 47 the common good of the County, but it is not true that everyone pays. She said the Board of 48 County Commissioners is turning this upside down. She said data shows that the rural areas 49 are doing a fantastic job of recycling, and these areas have been telling the County for years 50 that rural people do recycling differently. She said these residents use the SWCC for the