Minutes 01-23-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

are unable to use the services. She said if the Board decides to pursue the public hearings, she would like it made clear what else the Board hopes to learn about this process. She said she is also confused about equity. She said, according to UNC, County governments cannot make residents pay a fee for curbside collection services, and this was the basis for the end of the 3-r fee. She said the town residents see recycling as hand in hand with the curbside trash collection, which is provided to every household and funded by the town's general fund. She said the towns are expected to delegate their fee authority to the County. Bonnie Hauser said rural residents who want curbside services retain private haulers at their own expense. She said if equity is an issue, then convenience fees should be examined. She said everyone is concerned about the future of the County Solid Waste Department and recycling after the close of the landfill, and there is much to do to get the waste service fees right. She said it is a waste of time to hold public hearings for a service district tax. She advocated for a subscription service for rural families, with an option to opt out. Ken Robinson lives on Old Greensboro Road. He said he has tried to use curbside service, but there is no space in the right of way for bins, and it does not work for him. He asked what problem the Board is trying to solve. He said he uses the convenience center and sees lots of people using the recycling center. He said he takes his recyclables when he takes his trash, and this is quicker than carrying it to the street and bringing the bins back. He thinks the service district is a bad idea. Jan Sassman said the issue before them is whether or not to proceed with a public hearing. He encouraged the Board to vote yes on this, and he said he will defer his comments until that hearing. Terri Buckner said she appreciates the solid waste staff, and she appreciates her recycling being picked up. She is here to support this proposal and to encourage the Board to move forward with a public hearing. She said that a subscription service will reduce the recycling rate significantly. She said there are many people in the County who do not have long driveways and would use the service. She noted that she lives far from a convenience center and she appreciates the pickup service. Maria Tadd said she lives in Bingham Township. She thanked Commissioner Gordon for her years of service. She said she has lived in Orange County for 20 years and Commissioner Gordon is the finest Commissioner the County has ever had. She said environmental concerns are important to her and Commissioner Gordon has been a steward of the environment and a rational voice at the table. Maria Tadd said her love for the environment is what brings her here today, and she feels that curbside pick-up is a colossal waste of money and is bad for the environment. She said she lives on the corner of two private roads with a total of 14 households, and only one family uses this service. She said recycling must be driven to a designated area, and it is much easier to just drive another 1.5 miles to the recycling center. She said everyone has to drive to the recycling center anyway, so there is no benefit to curbside service when only recyclables are collected. She said the fact that Orange County has been ranked number 1 in the state is testimony to the fact that people are using the convenience centers. She said the elderly population in the rural buffer is increasing, and having to carry the bins to your car and possibly navigate stairs is a hazard for these people. She said the roll carts pose an issue for people like her with long driveways. She said the recycling trucks leave a large carbon footprint, knock down road signs, create ruts in the shoulders, and are a traffic hazard. She