Minutes 06-03-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Commissioner porosin asked if this current discussion is envisioning what will happen on July 1 of 2014-15. Michael Talbert said that is correct. PUBLIC COMMENT Bonnie Hauser read from a letter the Board received from the Orange County Voice. Dear Commissioners: We are writing to voice our strong, shared support for full funding of schools and setting Orange County on a path to fiscal sustainability. Immediate priorities for teachers, schools and social safety nets will require more funding due to state budget cuts. Plus our aging schools are in disrepair, and will require increased funds and access to debt capacity for the next 5-10 years. The good news is the county's reserves are well funded which will help with short term funding needs. We believe that better planning, coordination with towns and schools, and improved transparency over spending and the county's reserves will help meet the county's short term funding needs, and prepare us for the future. Below are specific actions for you to consider in the current budget cycle and as you consider options for funding solid waste services. � Eliminate the general fund subsidy ($1.86 million) to Solid Waste and re-allocate these funds to schools and social safety nets. You are considering this idea with an offsetting increase in convenience center fees to fill the gap. After reading your agenda package for June 3�d, we believe that a better option is to cut solid waste spending and use solid waste reserves to fill any remaining gap. Cost saving ideas include: • Defer capital spending for rural curbside recycling trucks and roll carts, and for the Eubanks Convenience center (total $3.3 million) until there's a solid waste plan and a committed inter-local agreement with the towns. Consider co-locating the Eubanks Convenience Center with the Chapel Hill Transfer station. • Substantially cut the budget ($728,000) for rural curbside recycling by limiting service to existing users. As an alternative, consider outsourcing all or part of the program by inviting Waste Industries to extend their service area beyond town limits, and provide weekly service on a subscription basis. • Invite the department to further reduce costs without impacting service. • Use solid waste reserves ($3 million) to fill remaining funding shortfalls. For the long term, we could support eliminating solid waste fees and funding solid waste services out of the general fund if there were effective controls over spending and more transparency around costs. Public hearings would be needed as part of the decision-making process. � Place a hard moratorium on capital projects for county offices until there is a committed plan for all facilities, including consolidating offices and leasing or selling unused space. � Defer spending on new county parks in order to free up funds for schools, and align park planning with towns, OWASA and community resources. Orange County has an abundance of delightful parks and recreational facilities that are enjoyed by residents of all ages. However many of these assets are underutilized and better options may be available if the county: