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