Item 1 - Agenda 05-05-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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MEMORANDUM To: John Link, County Manager From: Gayle Wilson, Solid Waste Management Director Subject: Report - Waste Reduction, Reuse, and Recycling Fee Recommendations Date: April 13, 2004 This memorandum presents the culmination of the staff 10 -year financial analysis of the Orange County solid waste management enterprise fund and provides information on: • current and future anticipated expenditures /revenues, • projected revenue shortfall, • a proposed reduction, reuse and recycling collections fee structure that would provide supplemental income to the. fund and eliminate the projected revenue shortfall relative to recycling services, • highlight the many assumptions necessary to conduct such a financial/fee analysis, • other related issues, and • proposed schedule /timeline /process Staff requests that the Board of County Commissioners review the analysis, examine the assumptions, consider the staff recommendation, and provide feedback to staff as necessary in order that the supplemental financing process may continue toward a final decision that would allow a fee to be included on the 2004 property tax bills. Background Discussions of the need to provide supplemental financing to the solid waste enterprise fund have been taking place since at least 1993, when the Landfill Owners Group conducted its initial discussion of the topic. In 1996, once it was acknowledged. that Orange County would be unable to successfully site a new Mixed Solid Waste (MSW) landfill, discussions began again. Prior to 1996 it was generally understood that a new in- county landfill would generate surplus revenue that could substantially fund recycling and waste reduction programs indefinitely. In 1998 an Alternative Finance Committee was formed to consider the issue of how to provide additional revenue to the solid waste enterprise fund. This Committee was comprised of Managers, Finance Directors, Elected Officials, and a county citizen. While the Committee held numerous meetings, conducted substantive discussions, and thoroughly examined the issue, it did not complete its work or issue a finial report, as the member governments' focus at the time shifted to resolving matters related to shifting primary solid waste management responsibility to Orange County.