MINUTES

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

COUNTY OF HENDERSON APRIL 27, 2005

The Henderson County Board of Commissioners met for a special called meeting at 5:00 p.m. in the Commissioners' Conference Room of the Henderson County Office Building.

Those present were: Chairman Bill Moyer, Vice-Chairman Charlie Messer, Commissioner Larry Young, Commissioner Shannon Baldwin, Commissioner Chuck McGrady, County Manager Steven Wyatt, Assistant County Manager Selena Coffey, County Attorney Russell Burrell, and Clerk to the Board Elizabeth W. Corn.

Also present were: Deputy Clerk to the Board Amy Brantley and County Engineer Gary Tweed as well as members of the SWAC (Solid Waste Advisory Committee).

CALL TO ORDER/WELCOME

Chairman Moyer called the meeting to order and welcomed all in attendance. Chairman Moyer addressed the agenda before the Board for this meeting, requesting a motion to adopt the agenda.

Commissioner McGrady made the motion to adopt the agenda. All voted in favor and the motion carried.

LOCAL OPTON SALES TAX DISTRIBUTION METHOD

Chairman Moyer called the Board’s attention to the Interlocal Agreement in the agenda packet. All five municipalities had signed the agreement. It was the same proposal discussed at the last meeting on this item. Chairman Moyer requested the Board authorize him to execute the document.

Commissioner McGrady moved the adoption of the agreement. All voted in favor and the motion carried.

IMPORTANT DATES

Russell Burrell stated that this involves the Blue Ridge Community College Technology Education Building. They require a special use permit to be able to build the building as is planned. There is also a variance that is required involving the number of parking spaces. The Planning Board has dealt with both these issues and has recommended that both the variance and the special use permit be granted. Under the circumstances, under the Zoning Ordinance, this Board can deal with both issues at the same time. Staff proposed that the Board set a Public Hearing for BRCC Special Use Permit (Technology Education Center) for May 17, 2006 at 11:00 a.m. for both these issues.

Commissioner McGrady moved that the public hearing be set for May 17 at 11:00 a.m. All voted in favor and the motion carried.

WORKSHOP – Solid Waste Advisory Committee Recycling Enhancements Report

Chairman Moyer stated that this was the main purpose of the meeting.

Gary Tweed distributed some charts and statistics on recycling and reviewed those with the Board, as follows:

Gary Tweed stated that the key to running an effective and cost efficient recycling program is having a MRF close enough that you can keep your transportation costs down on moving those materials. Currently we have one in Asheville and one in Greenville.

The recycling program improvements that SWAC will suggest makes use of the facility in Asheville, actually in Woodfin. They currently accept blue bags. Gary Tweed turned the meeting over to SWAC for presentation of their program to the Board. He explained that what the Board had charged SWAC to do was to look at ways to upgrade the program, to develop systems to do that, estimate what it would cost and how to pay for it.

Katie Breckheimer, Chair of the SWAC, thanked the committee members. She said they had all worked very hard as the Board of Commissioners had asked them to step up the pace so they could get a recommendation to the Board of Commissioners by May 1. They went from meeting four times a year to meeting monthly. The Board also asked them to work with the Ad Hoc Committee for Recycling Reform. Some of those members were present in the audience and Katie thanked them for their work. These people represent a broad base of community organizations and citizens who felt like the current recycling program was not up to par, that it had really fallen into disrepair and that we were doing the bare minimum. She thanked them for working with SWAC to come up with the proposal.

Katie Breckheimer distributed a several page document which is attached and made a part of these minutes. Please refer to pages 7 and 8 for the break down of the proposed program costs of $27 per year per household or $2.25 a month per household. Their recommendation was to expand the recycling program to consist of five elements as follows:

Administration

Education

Special Wastes/Special Events

Collection

Convenience Center Operation

Each of these elements was discussed in detail with a projected budget for that element. The proposed funding of this program was through an annual recycling fee collected each year on the property tax bill.

Gary Tweed stated that long-term the key would be to get another MRF in this community. If we get a MRF (Materials Recovery Facility) here, you’re assisting private haulers by the fact that they’re going to save a lot of money by diverting flow to that MRF and that will take care of your recycling. They are going to do it to save funds.

Action

Chairman Moyer asked Steve Wyatt and Selena Coffey to take a look at this and see how it would fit into the budget this year. They may have different ideas as to when and how to start. As part of the budget process, the Board will consider the concept, get a recommendation from the County Manager as to how to deal with the program and act on it at that time.

Adjourn

Commissioner McGrady made the motion to adjourn the meeting at 5:42 p.m. All voted in favor and the motion carried.

Attest:

Elizabeth W. Corn, Clerk to the Board William L. Moyer, Chairman