Agenda - 06-03-2014 - 6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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IN I Chair Jacobs said the Board did listen, and it did make a difference in how the 2 Commissioners looked at the proposal. He said the Board saw an unwavering commitment to 3 recycling in the County. 4 Chair Jacobs said neither option before the Board is viable at this point, and there are 5 better next steps to take. 6 Commissioner Dorosin said it is clear to him that a one size fits all solution is not going 7 to work, due to the different levels of density and rural components of the County. He said 8 some neighborhoods are densely populated, and curbside recycling makes a lot of sense; 9 however a lot of folks live in the rural areas with long driveways and no curbs. He said it does 10 not make sense to try and squeeze either of these square pegs into round holes. He said the 11 context has changed since the Board originally looked at this issue, and there is now better 12 collaboration with the towns. He said this change creates an opportunity to re -visit all of the 13 options for the broader picture of solid waste. He said there is an opportunity to step back for a 14 moment and come up with a comprehensive plan that addresses the differing demands of the 15 different communities in the County. 16 Chair Jacobs noted that the Board has a work session on May 13th where they will 17 discuss a draft solid waste inter -local agreement, and this conversation can be continued then. 18 Commissioner Rich agreed with the previous comments, and she feels that it is 19 important to include their partners in this conversation. She said the idea of going into the 20 general fund means the people in the towns are paying twice for recycling. She would like to 21 continue this conversation at a work session. 22 Commissioner Pelissier said there may be more to discuss, but the fact that the towns 23 decided to continue the fees next year indicates that there is already a partnership, and there 24 was an expectation that the County would not draw from the general fund. She said the County 25 has not done a good job of painting the big picture of countywide recycling. She said many 26 individuals felt it was unfair to base this tax on property tax; however the County is already 27 paying for a large percentage of recycling at the convenience centers through the general fund, 28 which is property tax. She said there is already an inequitable system, and it will be aggravated 29 if the Board does not make a decision. She said the Board needs to look at all aspects of 30 recycling, not only curbside recycling. She said she is disappointed at where the Board is right 31 now. 32 Commissioner McKee said the Board held two public hearings with the intent of creating 33 a solid waste service district, and the response was loud and clear on both sides. He said 34 neither of the two options — the tax district or the subscription service - will pass tonight. He 35 said he still thinks the subscription service is a viable option, and he will continue to advocate 36 for it. 37 Commissioner McKee called for this discussion to be put into a work group similar to the 38 Emergency Services work group. He said this work group should include representatives from 39 the towns, solid waste and the community, and these representatives should spend the next 40 year discussing this issue. 41 He said this should be put into a separate entity and looked at in a holistic manner in 42 order to bring back a solution. He said the County is now in a place of paying to haul its trash 43 into another community. He said all suggestions need to be considered, and the issue needs to 44 not be continually kicked down the road. He said this process happened with the siting of a 45 transfer station. He said the Board needs to come to a point and accept the political 46 consequences and make a decision. 47 Chair Jacobs disagreed that this is like the transfer station issue, with the exception of 48 listening to the public. He said the Board decided respectfully not to accept what was 49 suggested by staff, but he does not feel that this is kicking the can down the road. He said