Orange County NC Website
,~ <br />MEMORANDUM <br />To: lolm Lirilc, County Manager <br />From: Gayle Wilson, Solid Waste Management Director <br />Subject: Report -Waste Reduction, Reuse, and Recycling Fee Recommendations <br />Date: April 1.3, 2004 <br />This memorandum presents the culmination of the staff 10-year financial analysis of the <br />Orange County solid waste management enterprise fiord 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 recornrnendation, 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 acknowledged that <br />Orazrge 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 landf 11 would generate surplus revenue that could substantially fund recycling <br />and waste reduction prograrns indefinitely. <br />In 1998 azi Alternative Finazice Committee 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 Conunittee 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 goverrnunents' focus at the time shifted to resolving matters related to shifting <br />primazy solid waste management responsibility to Orange County. <br />