Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
all recycling services. She encouraged the Board to levy a subscription service with an opt-out <br /> policy to fund curbside service in the short term. <br /> Jeanne Brown said she would like to discuss the following four points: <br /> 1. We can do better than a one-size-fits-all roll cart solution that meets the needs of only 57 <br /> percent of area property owners. She said County data shows the affected area has two large <br /> and disparate groups. She said 57 percent of property owners use curbside recycling at least <br /> once a month, and 43 percent find curbside recycling impractical and many of these use the <br /> convenience centers. She believes a solution can be found that is more equitable and meets <br /> the needs of more residents. <br /> 2. Changing conditions such as the new funding laws, lost revenue from the landfill and the <br /> need for new equipment offer the opportunity to re-evaluate how we do business —to benefit <br /> from economies of scale and create more tightly integrated and cost effective programs. <br /> She said this is supported by the Commission for the Environment, but it is not built into this <br /> solution. She said the County should be working more closely with the towns, which would <br /> allow this issue to be approached based on use patterns rather than jurisdiction. <br /> 3. Changing conditions also offer us a chance to look at new technologies — including the <br /> opportunities to have trash and recycling picked up at the same time. <br /> 4. More complete data and information, presented in a user-friendly way is necessary to make <br /> this a transparent process and inform members of the community about the costs, benefits and <br /> trade-offs of these decisions. <br /> Ken Robinson said he does recycle everything, and because of this he only makes one <br /> trip a month to the convenience center to take trash. He said he is hearing that the funding <br /> source is lost, and that needs to be fixed; however the focus needs to be on improving <br /> recycling and not just working to get some more money. He said he has tried curbside, and it <br /> didn't work. He does not think this is the way to go. He said help should be given to those who <br /> need it and have no alternative. He said the Board should look at ways to improve recycling <br /> and not just collect funds. He suggested a fee-for-service system, and he said he would like to <br /> see the County restore more days at the convenience center. He said if funding is needed, <br /> then a small tax should be done for all, not just for some. <br /> Jeanette O' Conner said she is in favor of the service tax district, and the successful <br /> counties use a tax such as this. She said an opt-out system tends to decrease the amount of <br /> material being recycled. She said successful counties have some sort of tax. <br /> Tracy Noonan said she is in support of recycling; however she is not in support of either <br /> of these options. She understands the subscription service has its limitations and a tax district <br /> based on tax value seems very unfair. She said a home value does not determine how much <br /> a person recycles. She would be interested in knowing the average home value in the <br /> proposed district. She said she is fine with paying a fee for a service but not a fee that is much <br /> higher than what she is paying now, with no new improvements. She feels there is a hidden <br /> increase for a lot of the residents, and she does not think this is fair. She suggested the use of <br /> a straight fee or a tiered tax system. <br /> Ed Sirkee said he believes the Board has already made up their minds to raise taxes. <br /> He said the original literature stated that the manager and attorney had concerns in 2012 that <br /> the fee was illegal. He asked why the Orange County waste control center fee is allowed, and <br /> not the 3-r fee. He asked what would be required to change the statutory requirements. He <br /> does not feel that Orange County can justify a recycling collection with a tax increase. He said <br /> a retired couple on a fixed income living in a house with a value of$280,000 would pay more <br /> than a family of 4 living in a house with a tax value of$200,000. He said this does not make <br /> any sense, and it is unjust. <br /> Teresa Edwards lives on White Cross Road, and she said this proposed system does <br /> not make sense. She said she speaks for 5 of the 6 homes in her community, and all of the <br />