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7 <br /> 1 Bonnie Hammersley said staff is putting together a communications plan about this <br /> 2 proposed fee increase. <br /> 3 Commissioner Price said the report discussed the possibility of reducing hours, and <br /> 4 asked if the Manager's schedule takes that into effect. <br /> 5 Bonnie Hammersley said her plan does not cut back hours, but she recommended <br /> 6 looking at this each year. <br /> 7 Commissioner McKee asked if there was consideration given to increasing the general <br /> 8 fund contribution to $2.5 million or more, in order to soften the first year blow. <br /> 9 Bonnie Hammersley said this consideration was not given, and available funds would <br /> 10 need to be identified in the general fund. <br /> 11 Commissioner McKee said he asked this question because if the general fund <br /> 12 appropriation was increased, it would not change the draw off of the fund balance, but it would <br /> 13 allow the first year increase to be a bit less dramatic. <br /> 14 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if the parcels are solely residential. <br /> 15 Bonnie Hammersley said this includes developed and individual parcels. <br /> 16 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if the University of North Carolina (UNC) pays its fair <br /> 17 share. <br /> 18 Bonnie Hammersley said UNC has its own system, and staff is working closely with the <br /> 19 University. <br /> 20 Commissioner Jacobs said non-profits have to pay the fee too. <br /> 21 Commissioner Jacobs asked if the Manager has a plan to pay back the fund for the <br /> 22 County's portion of the Greene Tract. <br /> 23 Bonnie Hammersley said the purchase of the Greene Tract from Solid Waste was <br /> 24 already completed, and is in this year's activities; and at year-end 2016-17, this will be <br /> 25 completed. She said this is not reflected in the numbers at this time, but it will be at year-end. <br /> 26 Commissioner Jacobs asked if this would potentially affect the point made by <br /> 27 Commissioner McKee. <br /> 28 Bonnie Hammersley said yes, depending on how the year ends. She said this will be <br /> 29 more clear as the budget process continues. <br /> 30 Commissioner Burroughs asked if the manner in which other governments fit into this <br /> 31 could be explained. <br /> 32 Bonnie Hammersley said staff is working on an interlocal agreement. She said the <br /> 33 County cannot charge the towns unless this fee is agreed to, and staff is working closely with <br /> 34 the Towns on this issue. She said the SWAG has been very helpful, and she expects this to be <br /> 35 resolved before the beginning of the next fiscal year. <br /> 36 Commissioner Burroughs clarified that these options are being presented to the Towns. <br /> 37 Bonnie Hammersley said yes, that she is meeting with the Managers on this, and has <br /> 38 also offered to present at town meetings. <br /> 39 Commissioner Burroughs recalled this issue being tricky in the past. <br /> 40 Commissioner Jacobs said the closure of the landfill raised a lot of resentment, and in <br /> 41 the course of talking about the interlocal agreement the County made sure that the Towns were <br /> 42 informed in plenty of time, so that the fees could be worked into the various budgets. He said <br /> 43 some of the attitudes on the SWAG have become more collaborative, which has made this <br /> 44 process easier. <br /> 45 Commissioner McKee said he had issues with the fee because of its impact on low- <br /> 46 income residents, and asked if ways to lessen the impact on low-income residents, such as <br /> 47 those in mobile home parks, has been discussed. <br /> 48 Bonnie Hammersley said staff has looked at the mobile home parks, and the fees that <br /> 49 park owners assess to renter is unknown, making it difficult to come up with a solution. She <br />