Agenda - 05-05-2015 - 6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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D I Mayor Kleinschmidt said these are all good responses, and it is important to improve 2 recycling capabilities countywide, but he does not want to miss an important aspect of this 3 decision. He said both options provide for the increased curbside recycling, and neither option 4 creates a barrier for people because of where they live. He said a lot of this comes down to 5 solid waste convenience centers, and these centers provide a broader service than just 6 recycling. He said the primary use of these centers is the disposal of municipal solid waste. He 7 said the residents of the towns pay a portion, through their taxes, for the disposal of their 8 household waste. He said Chapel Hill is satisfied with 35 percent of the fee supporting the 9 SWCC, because this moves toward the mindset of being in it together. 10 Mayor Kleinschmidt said if people believe there is a barrier related to option 1, he would 11 like to hear that articulated, because he does not understand what that is. 12 Commissioner Rich said there are options for people who can't afford these fees. 13 Commissioner Jacobs said Orange County is currently assisting 700 households. 14 Commissioner Rich gave an example of the Rogers Road area where one side of the 15 street would pay one fee and the other side another fee. She said this is a picture of how 16 equity does not always work out. She said this same scenario happened with the roll carts and 17 this, along with the discussions of the SWAG is part of what convinced her to go with the flat 18 fee. 19 Commissioner Rich said a decision does not have to be made tonight. 20 Chair McKee said this will be a discussion tonight and then it will be taken back to their 21 respective boards for final decisions. He said a decision will need to be made within a timeline 22 that adheres to the budgets moving forward. 23 Town Commissioner Ferguson said the situation in Hillsborough is similar to the Rogers 24 Road situation, but there are neighbors with lots beside each other that have different fees. 25 She said the $22 difference is greater than the $9 savings. She said the per capita income 26 tends to be lower in the County. She said we are in this together and this difference does 27 create a barrier and an artificial us versus them mentality. 28 Council Member Bell said there are many times where it is clear that we are not all in 29 this together. She said in the end, this may be a conversation about supporting a unified 30 recycling service. She said the town pays more taxes and then certain things are harder and 31 easier when you live in the County. She said neither of these options is onerous, and they are 32 divided by the thinnest of lines. She said the question is who will be the unifying voice. She 33 said it is a good idea to use option 1 for a year to see how it works, and it is easier to move 34 from a two tier system to a one tier system if changes are necessary. She said there is a larger 35 conversation to have about supporting one another and being in this together. 36 Town Council Member Palmer said the trash problem needs to be solved long term. 37 She said this is taking pieces of huge environmental and social justice issues and trying to 38 figure out how to make progress. She said her neighbors in the County understand the 39 differences associated with living there. She said if there is any confusion, people can be 40 educated about this. 41 She said most of the people in Chapel Hill who would struggle to pay for the fee would 42 not be among the 700 people who apply for assistance. She said most of these people are 43 renting, and the owners will just up the rent to cover the fee. She said there is a lot that Chapel 44 Hill could do with $212,000 to help its residents. 45 Town Council Member Palmer said it would be important to have people in place to 46 explain the fees to residents. She said she is hoping that this ends up as one fee, but she 47 understands the difficulty of explaining the taxes and fees to residents, some of whom are 48 struggling. She suggested a trial period with monitoring. 49 Alderman Chaney said she agreed that this program is a system, and it is not a la carte. 50 She said residents can choose whether or not to access the system. She said it is also