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ORANGE COUNTY [Attachment 8 46 COPY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM-- ABSTRACT Meeting Date: April-15,-2014 Action Agenda Item No. 7 -b SUBJECT: Solid Waste Service Tax District for Recycling DEPARTMENT: Solid Waste Management PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No ATTACHMENT(S): Letter to Property Owners Report Filed in Clerk to Board's Office Including Map Frequently Asked Questions — Revised April 4, 2014 Resolution to Establish a Solid Waste Service District INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Talbert, 919 - 245 -2308 Gayle Wilson, 919 - 968 -2885 John Roberts, 919 - 245 -2318 PURPOSE: To discuss issues surrounding the establishment of a Solid Waste Service Tax District to fund the rural curbside /roadside recycling collection service, including information received during two Public Hearings, and to decide the method of funding for this County - provided program. BACKGROUND: In 2004 the Board of Commissioners approved a new method of funding for the every other week curbside /roadside recycling collection program for about 13,000 residences in unincorporated Orange County. At that time the Board adopted a fee to fund the program, called a Rural 3 -R Fee, that all eligible residences were billed annually on their tax bills. The fee was assessed to all eligible for the service, regardless of whether or how often a resident used the service. In 2012 the County Manager and the County Attorney advised the Board that they had concerns regarding the statutory justification for assessing this fee and recommended that the Board eliminate the fee and consider other ways to fund that program. The 2012 tax bill was the last time the fee was assessed. The fee was $38 /year. In 2013 the Board provided interim funding for the program from landfill reserves. Over the next several months, the Board discussed various options on how to address this funding problem. Elimination of the program was even considered, but unanimously abandoned due to measured participation of the rural community of about 57 %. Some residents eligible for this service chose not to recycle. Others delivered their recycling to convenience centers, and a very few employed private haulers. It was also considered that the service was important in order to meet the County's aggressive waste reduction goal of 61 %. After considering and rejecting numerous funding alternatives, in December 2013, the Board indicated intent to implement a solid waste service district tax as the means to replace the