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APPROVED 12/1/2008 <br /> MINUTES <br /> ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> TRANSFER STATION SITING WORK SESSION MEETING <br /> November 18, 2008 <br /> 5:30pm <br /> The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Transfer Station Siting Work <br /> Session on Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 5:30 p.m. at the Southern Human Services <br /> Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. <br /> COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Barry Jacobs and Commissioners <br /> Moses Carey, Jr., Valerie P. Foushee, Alice M. Gordon, and Mike Nelson <br /> COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: <br /> COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: Geof Gledhill <br /> COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Laura Blackmon, Assistant County <br /> Manager Gwen Harvey and Willie Best, and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (All other <br /> staff members will be identified appropriately below) <br /> NOTE: ALL DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THESE MINUTES ARE IN THE <br /> PERMANENT AGENDA FILE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE. <br /> 1. Call to Order/Introductions/Opening Remarks <br /> Chair Jacobs said that the County Commissioners have been having these Transfer <br /> Station Siting meetings before regularly scheduled meetings since early 2008. There was <br /> a timeframe that the Board was trying to work within, but it has fallen behind somewhat. <br /> He said that the County Commissioners would try and adhere to the agenda tonight. <br /> 2. De-Brief and Discussion of Public Comment Meeting Held November 17 <br /> Assistant County Manager Gwen Harvey provided a brief overview of last night's <br /> public comment meeting about siting the transfer station and the three proposed sites. <br /> Olver, Inc. provided summary remarks from last night's meeting. There were a <br /> number of comments about a waste to energy facility and the option of zero waste. Many <br /> speakers indicated that the transfer station should be located in an industrial zone. There <br /> was also a concern about the exclusion of smaller-sized sites. Some speakers also <br /> thought that the site should be located closer to the interstate or rail. Environmental <br /> issues related to sludge were also brought up. <br /> Bob Sallach said that there was a sentiment that a transfer station was not a long- <br /> term sustainable component of an integrated solid waste management plan. Some of the <br /> speakers recommended that the process be delayed to allow the Board of County <br /> Commissioners to look at other options, which may include a waste to energy facility. <br /> There would have to be a short-term plan to bridge to the long-term waste to energy <br /> facility. <br /> Commissioner Foushee would like to discuss site size and the proximity to the <br /> interstates. Bob Sallach said that one of the key criteria was the ability to screen the site <br /> visually and for noise, so buffering was a key point. He said that the buffering was driving <br /> the size of the site. <br /> Commissioner Foushee asked if the need for buffering would change if the site was <br /> in an industrial zone and Bob Sallach confirmed this. <br />