2011-04-08 Cost of Government Commission Minutes

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MS. WONG: So that would be policy, council. MS. NICHOLSON: And I think it’s appropriate for recommendation to come from this committee after we have learned a little bit more and can formulate some sort of recommendation. MR. BUKLAREWICZ: What I was going to say is it is incorporated into the current integrated resource solid waste management plan as an alternative means of revenue production for helping the solid waste division generate revenue. MS. NICHOLSON: So why has the county chosen not to adopt any sort of pay as you throw? It has been discussed. I know it has been discussed. But what are the barriers of the county? MR. BUKLAREWICZ: I think it’s just there is a lot of resistance to it. The biggest resistance comes from the fact that there is a spike in illegal dumping once you institute a program such as this but fact is communities that have adopted this they do experience that spike in illegal dumping but then once education takes hold and everybody gets with the program that level of illegal dumping does go down. The other objection is… I introduced this to a…. It was a seminar on illegal dumping by the prosecutor’s office a couple of months ago down in Oceanview and everybody got up in arms, they didn’t want to pay anymore fees for whatever. So as soon as you introduce the idea of having to pay extra money everybody knocks it down. MS. NICHOLSON: Well I don’t think that we would shy away from that. We’re not the implementers but I think we should see the report. MR. BUKLAREWICZ: Yeah. In serving on that committee, the solid waste advisory committee, I kind of got the sense that there is kind of a catch 22 in the solid waste area that the more recycling gets done the fewer revenues come in to support the mission of the solid waste division. So they were kind of ambivalent about the idea of incentivizing recycling because then their budget is based on tipping fees that come in right. So more recycling, fewer tipping fees coming in. MS. O’HARA: But the tipping fees are only charged at the landfill at this point in time and most residentials do not use the landfill. I personally just would like to say thank you Paul and I would like to see this agendized in the future if we could get a copy of the report. It is a big issue. Solid waste is underfunded by the tip fee and part of that is because as I pointed out 30% of commercial businesses use our free transfer station system. So if we’re looking at enhancing revenues to be able to support the programs that we need to be environmentally correct here then I think this is something that we need to consider. MS. NICHOLSON: Okay any other questions for Paul? MS. GARSON: We’ll scan it in. MR. BUKLAREWICZ: Scan it and send me a copy too. MS. NICHOLSON: Thank you Paul. 19