BC 1996 09 16 - Laserfiche WebLink

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163 Commissioner Niblock presented a Certificate of Commendation to Ms. Grist on behalf of the Board of Commissioners. INFORMAL PUBLIG COMMENTS Curbside Recycling Program - Vivian B. Lord, Ph.D. Chairman Barnhart opened the Informal Public Comments portion of the meeting for comments concerning curbside recycling. Vivian B. Lord, Ph.D., and her daughter, Alaina, expressed concern about the Board's decision to end the curbside recycling program. Dr. Lord cited environmental and economic benefits of recycling and offered the following reasons for the program's low participation rate: inability to get the service, confusion about the items that can be recycled, and the lack of an adequate education process. She also read a letter from Ms. Ruth Shoemaker, a disabled senior citizen, in support of the continuation of the curbside recycling program. Finally, Dr. Lord presented the following petition which she stated contained more than 600 signatures. CURBSIDE RECYCLING IN CABARRUS COUNTY We, residents and voters in Cabarrus County respectively request that the county commissioners reconsider their decision to end countywide curbside recycling. We do not believe adding drop-off centers to be a viable solution. With the rapid growth of the county's population and the limited use of land to dump waste, we believe that recycling is critical for the maintenance of the county's environment and important for the quality of life for the next generations. We would like the commissioners, with the input of the voters, to explore the reasons for the low participation of curbside recycling and find means to increase its use rather than abandon the system. Ms. Patti Rader asked the Board to approve a 90-day extension to the current contract which ends on November 1, 1996. Also, she asked the Board to appoint a task force to develop and implement a plan of action to continue the curbside recycling program. Ms. Janice Putney read a letter from Ms. Dianne Strahan, Harrisburg Elementary PTA Recycling Chairman, urging continuation of the curbside recycling program. She also submitted a group of letters and petitions written by the Harrisburg Elementary students expressing their concerns over plans to end the program. Ms. Marilyn Barnhardt presented a petition which she stated contained 52 signatures from residents in her community in opposition to the decision to end curbside recycling. A resident of Timber Ridge Drive commented on her family's recycling efforts. She suggested that the citizens be allowed to help determine a way to continue the curbside recycling program. Chairman Barnhart presented the following information for clarification: (1) The Board is not ending recycling in Cabarrus County; (2) Only the curbside recycling program which serves areas of the county is scheduled to end; and (3) Termination of the County's program will not impact the City of Concord's curbside recycling program in any way. The Honorable Scott Barringer, Mayor of Mt. Pleasant, requested a 90-day extension to the current curbside recycling contract to allow the Town of Mt. Pleasant to look at its options for assuming the program within the Town limits. Mr. Clifton commented that the decision to end the curbside recycling program involved not only the issue of low participation but also the cost of the program and how to equitably distribute that cost. Landfill fees are currently used to pay the monthly curbside recycling cost of $30,000.00 ($2.06 per month per household). These funds will no longer be available after the landfill closes in 1997; therefore, a tax increase would be necessary to continue the program.