Recycling might be on the move in Orange County after county commissioners voted to encourage individual towns to purchase roll carts for more efficient recycling services.
Interim County Manager Michael Talbert updated the Board of County Commissioners Tuesday on the progress between Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough regarding urban curbside and multi-family recycling services.
According to Talbert, the towns and county have been considering various options for the future of the long term recycling and waste reduction partnership between the towns, as well as how these options would be funded.
Following a previous meeting, the towns were facing a potential loss of county funding and management of this partnership. They decided to evaluate other options for obtaining these recycling services through a Request for Proposal.
In a later meeting on Nov. 1, the county and town managers met to discuss many of the proposals they received, including the replacement of current recycling bins with roll carts.
Talbert officially proposed this replacement to the commissioners.
“In total, the roll carts would cost about $1,043,000,” said Talbert. “However, the towns can apply for state roll cart grants that could total up to $214,000 of the expenses.”
Talbert also said no orders of the carts would be made until each town signs a letter of intent.
The proposal by Talbert was received with open arms by the commissioners.
“The county can do a more efficient job of this if [the towns] are willing to work together,” said Commissioner Earl McKee.
Barry Jacobs, the chairman of the board, said he hopes the carts will lead to an increase in recycling in the county.
And Commissioner Penny Rich said she is happy to see the towns staying active with their recycling and waste management plans.
“Waste management is an important community topic that everyone needs to be informed about,” Rich said.
At the end of the meeting, commissioners authorized Talbert to execute the Letter of Intent with Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough.
Once the letters have been signed, the county can then begin discussing how to pay for the roll carts. Talbert said he is confident they will be signed.
Notable:
The commissioners also discussed policies for putting commemorative plaques on new or renovated buildings. While McKee debated why the board was even considering moving forward with the plans based on a movement earlier in the meeting, many of the other commissioners were more adamant.
Commissioner Alice Gordon said the county should derive rules for putting up plaques based on what has been done in the past. She was in favor of having plaques on all new and renovated buildings and approved of the format presented.
Not only should the county put plaques on new buildings, Commissioner Mark Dorosin said, but also time capsules behind the plaques that could be opened in the future.
Quotable:
“If the boards don’t allow people who are employed in a field which the board oversees the opportunity to become a board member, then that is a violation of the first amendment,” Dorosin said during the appointment portion of the meeting when commissioners appointed county residents to its advisory boards.
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