Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
1)~1p,i ' ` ~ ~' <br />MEMORANDUM <br />To: John Link, County Manager <br />From: Gayle Wilson, Solid Waste Director <br />Subject: Questions Raised By BOCC -February 26, 2003 <br />Date: April 16, 2003 <br />The following questions were raised by the Board of County Commissioners at their February 26, <br />2003 work session. Solid Waste departmental staff have developed the following responses: <br />1. [Would we] allow other counties to partner [with us in the M1ZF/WTS]? <br />Implementation of the recommended Comprehensive Prepaid Solid Waste Services Fee does not <br />preclude in any way the potential for partnering with other jurisdictions regarding the development of <br />a Materials Recovery Facility, Transfer Station or other facility. Each partnering opportunity should <br />be evaluated based on the specific costs/benefits of the suggested project. As partnering opportunities <br />arise the SWAB would be available to assist the BOCC in evaluating pros and con's of the <br />prospective partnering arrangement. <br />2. How much will governments pay [for tip fees if we maintain status quo]? <br />Based on FY 2001/2002 billing records, county jurisdictions paid tipping fees as follows: <br />• Chapel Hill - $911,639 <br />• Carrboro - $327,506 <br />• Orange County - $483,937 <br />• Hillsborough - $124,583 (Hillsborough franchised its commercial collections since FY 01/02 <br />so the estimate provided is for FY 2002/2003 YTD residential billing, annualized.) <br />Future year fees charges to the towns would be similar to or more than those provided above for <br />2001/2002. While the per capita volume of waste disposed of in the landfill (or through a future <br />waste transfer station) would decrease, increases in population and in disposal costs could offset that <br />per capita disposal volume and thus increased costs to the jurisdictions maybe anticipated. <br />3. (In writing) why is it good to eliminate the (mixed solid waste) tipping fee. <br />Tipping fee revenue paid to the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund provides the funding for county disposal <br />operations as well as the vast majority of financing for the county's extensive recycling and waste <br />reduction operations. The enterprise fund receives no direct appropriation from the General Fund and <br />has operated essentially as aself-funding governmental business for the past 30 years. Over that <br />period tipping fees have risen due to general economic conditions, greatly expanded environmental <br />regulations, an interest in and dedication to waste reduction resulting in the implementation of a <br />