Agenda - 06-02-2015 - 6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 7. Regular Agenda 3 4 a. Solid Waste Program Fee Recommendation - Solid Waste Advisory Group 5 The Board received the Solid Waste Advisory Group (SWAG) recommendation on the 6 funding mechanism for solid waste /recycling programs and considered endorsing the fee, to 7 then be communicated to the Towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. 8 Gayle Wilson, County Solid Waste Director, said last June the BOCC created the 9 SWAG, and this intergovernmental group began meeting in August. He said subsequent to the 10 group's creation, additional representatives were added: one from the University of North 11 Carolina (UNC) and one from UNC Healthcare. He said in November 2014 the group's primary 12 focus became the funding mechanism for the County wide recycling program. He said the staff 13 have been meeting and communicating on a regular basis. He said at the November 20th 14 Assembly of Governments (AOG) meeting, a preliminary update was given regarding the 15 progress of the advisory group. He said on March 26th the AOG met and discussed two 16 proposed options for funding the recycling program: 17 • option 1: a two part fee; an urban fee and a rural fee and 18 • option 2: a single County -wide comprehensive fee 19 20 He said at the SWAG meeting on April 1, 2015, SWAG endorsed option 2, and this 21 option went back to each governmental entity to vote on. He said Chapel Hill and Hillsborough 22 have already met and voted for option 2. He said the Town of Carrboro is meeting tonight. He 23 said SWAG is present tonight for a possible decision from the BOCC. 24 Gayle Wilson said the County Manager is recommending that the Board of County 25 Commissioners endorse the fee recommendation and direct the County Manager to incorporate 26 the fee into the proposed Fiscal 2015 -2016 Annual Budget; and direct the County Manager to 27 communicate the BOCC decision to the Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough Town Managers 28 and request that the Towns prepare to incorporate County authorization to assess the Solid 29 Waste Programs Fee into their Fiscal 2015 -2016 Budget Ordinances. 30 Commissioner Price asked for the criteria if residents are in need of a subsidy for the 31 fee. 32 Gayle Wilson said there is an income criterion of about $29,000 per year for the 33 homeowner of the property. He added the homeowner must reside in the property for which 34 they seek a subsidy. He said the current 3 -r fee subsidy will need to be modified to incorporate 35 the new fee. 36 Commissioner Price requested the lengthening of the hours at the Convenience Centers 37 as the rural residents will not be getting curbside service immediately. 38 Chair McKee asked to limit the current discussion to questions only. He said debate can 39 occur after public comment. 40 41 PUBLIC COMMENT: 42 Alex Castro, Jr. said he is a rural resident in Bingham Township. He said he is 43 concerned about the proposed expansion of the rural curbside recycling. He said many people 44 do not have a curb or a short paved way to the road. He added that some residents are 45 mobility challenged and hauling a loaded ninety -five gallon recycling bin to the roadside would 46 be a strain and a difficult task. He said everyone has a mail box at the road side but not 47 everyone has a good location to place a ninety -five gallon bin at the road side. He referenced 48 his own property having a forty -five degree slope and being unable to accommodate a bin. He 49 said other residents have long, gravel or dirt driveways that make the large bin difficult to move. 50 He said the current practice of taking manageable sized containers to the Convenience Centers