Minutes 02-04-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Chair Jacobs said there is an agenda item coming up soon on this issue. Gayle Wilson said the cost for service for the urban programs is a separate cost center from the rural curbside program. He said these are not subsidizing each other. He said, with the 3-r fees, the solid waste department was instructed to keep very meticulous accounting of those expenditures and those funds. He said those fees are set independently and have nothing to do with each other. He cannot imagine that this would ever happen in the future. He said the Town of Chapel Hill has asked for a five year price guarantee, and this is being worked on. He said those numbers will include full funding for those services. Michael Talbert said the County is working with all three towns to move this issue forward. VOTE: 6-0 Chair Jacobs said what was decided in December was to move forward with a public hearing to place before the public the option of having a service tax district to pay for rural curbside recycling. He said, in that public hearing process, the Board can hear comments on the option of opt in/opt out. He said if the Board is being consistent with the motion made in December, then this is simply a reaffirmation of their previous decision to move forward. A motion was made by Commissioner Rich, seconded by Commissioner Pelissier to move forward with the intent to create a service tax district for roadside recycling. Commissioner Pelissier said she agrees with Commissioner Rich, but this does not preclude the public from making any comments that they wish to make. She said there is a big difference between providing information and having a public hearing that is focused on a particular proposal. Commissioner Gordon asked how this affects what the Board does tonight. She referred to the notice on page 10 which talks about the hearing being on the creation of a solid waste service district. She noted that the public can bring up other options. She asked if the next to last paragraph on page 9 in the draft letter should be eliminated if this motion is passed. Commissioner Rich said yes. Commissioner McKee said most of the points made are correct. He said the last meeting effectively supplanted the December motion with another motion stating that a public hearing would be held to present all options. He said he again objects to the use of the word intent, as it conveys a pre-conceived outcome prior to the public hearing. He thinks that the public input received so far makes it fair to put both options in the public hearing. Commissioner Gordon said she thinks there should be one motion handling the substance and another motion handling the details. She asked to hear the motion again. Chair Jacobs repeated the motion to move forward with the intent to create a service tax district for roadside recycling and take it to public hearing. Commissioner Rich asked if there was a vote at the last meeting to bring all four options. She thought this was just a direction, but not a vote. She would like to go back to the original motion in December. She said that is what her motion is for. Michael Talbert said the four options were read off by Gayle Wilson at the end of his presentation. He said there was no motion or vote, only an agreement that these items should be considered. He said a motion to move forward with intent was made, voted on, and approved. He said the process to establish a service district includes a public hearing. He said if the Board wants to hold additional public hearings on other options, these would be