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Comprehensive Review of S olid W aste Collection and Disposal Options v2.1 2 10/22/12 Town Council appoints the Town Manager to carry out the directives decided by council. The Public Works Director oversees the SWSD, among numerous other divisions, and reports to the Town Manager. The results of this study will be presented to the Town Manager by the Public Works Director, with recommendations carried to Town Council by the Manager for consideration and deliberation. Decisions concerning programmatic and budgetary changes to the current solid waste services program will be made by a majority of Town Council. Compared to other localities, matters of Town governance and the budgetary process are open door practices with an engaged citizenry. Core government functions include regularly scheduled bi-weekly Town Council meetings, board and commission meetings, public forums, and Board work sessions open to the public. Much information is available publically posted to the Town website and include: previous and future proposed budgets, annual financial reports, meeting minutes and video, presentations, and comprehensive plans. The Town’s annual budget is routinely presented and adopted in June by the Town Council. Thereafter, Council enters a recess until September. The timing and presentation of much of this study information is understandably critical to the Town’s budgetary and governance cycle. 1.4 BACKGROUND INFORMATI ON Currently, the Town provides solid waste collection services for residential and commercial customers. The solid waste collected by the Town is disposed at the Orange County Landfill (Landfill) located on Eubanks Road in Chapel Hill. The Landfill commenced operations in 1972 by the Town and since 1999 has been owned and operated by Orange County as the regional solid waste management and disposal facility for the County and surrounding municipalities of Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough. The Landfill consists of an active MSW landfill unit (Solid Waste Permit No. 68-01) and an active construction and demolition debris (CDD) landfill unit (Solid Waste Permit No. 68-04). While the MSW landfill unit is nearing its permitted capacity, and in keeping with organizational values and socio-political considerations, the County decided to cease acceptance and disposal of MSW and formally close the MSW landfill unit beginning July 1, 2013. Other operations now conducted at the Landfill facility are projected to continue including construction and demolition waste burial, yard waste and clean wood waste mulching, collection and transfer of tires, white goods, scrap metal, and conventional recyclables processing and transfer. The pending closure of the MSW landfill unit at the Landfill will necessitates that the Town implement alternate arrangements for disposal of this segment of the solid waste stream. By commissioning this Study the Town recognizes the closure of the MSW landfill unit will mandate a change in solid waste management practices and is seizing an opportunity to review and re-define their future solid waste management program to include systematic operational efficiencies and innovative technological advancements in the solid waste industry for the short-term and long-term benefit of its citizens.