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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-06-12 Work Session NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERSBOOK 29 SOLID WASTE WORK SESSION, JUNE 12, 2002 PAGE 229 ASSEMBLY The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners held a Work Session with the municipalities on Wednesday, June 12, 2002, at 5:30 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the New Hanover County Courthouse, 24 North Third Street, Wilmington, North Carolina. Chairman Davis called the Work Session to order and welcomed Mayor Harper Peterson, City of Wilmington; Mayor Ray P. Rothrock, Town of Carolina Beach; Mayor Betty Lou Medlin, Town of Kure Beach; Mayor Avery Roberts, Jr., Town of Wrightsville Beach; and other elected officials from the municipalities. He reported that the Work Session was called to discuss and answer questions about the recently adopted ordinance that will require a franchise with any person or entity who collects, transports and disposes of solid waste for compensation within New Hanover County. He also noted that each municipality hauling its own waste will be requested to enter into an interlocal agreement with the County. Chairman Davis opened the floor to receive comments from the elected officials of each municipality in alphabetical order. Mayor Ray Rothrock, representing the Town of Carolina Beach, began his presentation by requesting the Board of County Commissioners to close the WASTEC Facility (incinerator). When the facility was constructed, the elected officials and citizens felt that burning trash was an environmentally safe way to dispose of waste and save valuable space in the New Hanover County Landfill. Things have changed since the mid 80's, and it is felt that the incinerator is now outdated and too costly to operate. Many citizens are concerned about air quality because of hazardous materials, such as mercury and lead, that are mixed and burned and released into the atmosphere. Out of 100 tons of trash burned, approximately 40 tons of ash is produced which is spread over the County Landfill. This poses the question of whether incineration is an environmentally friendly method of disposal. There is also concern about new air quality regulations that will require expensive upgrades to the WASTEC Facility in the future. Director of Environmental Management, Ray Church, explained that waste-to-energy facilities must comply to stringent air quality regulations. The WASTEC Facility has continuous emission monitoring systems and analyzers that are constantly pulling samples from the stack to identify particulates going into the air. The facility is well within air permit regulations and five years ahead of the schedule on air pollution control equipment. The air is continuously monitored and tested with the results being forwarded to the State. He advised that emissions released from the WASTEC stack are not half as dangerous as the methane gas released from the Landfill. The Environmental Protection Agency is now focusing on how to control the release of this gas from landfills. Mayor Rothrock continued his report by presenting information compiled by the Town of Carolina Beach based upon County audit reports for the years 1994 through 2001. During this period, the New Hanover County Landfill made a profit, and the WASTEC Facility experienced a large deficit. With difficult budget constraints facing local governments, it does not make sense to continue to spend excessive numbers of tax dollars on incineration. The current tip fee at the Landfill is $30 per ton. Under the new franchise solid waste system, the tip fee will increase to $48 per ton. The national average, according to the Waste Age magazine is $32.19 per ton. In the year 2001, the cost of operating the incinerator was $10,537,990. Dividing this figure by the amount of trash burned in the incinerator equates to $97.23 per ton. In the year 2001, the cost of operating the Landfill was $2,313,107. Dividing the tons of trash into the cost of operation, equates to $15.53 per ton. It is wrong to allow the incinerator to remain open and place this additional burden on the municipalities and taxpayers. If the tip fee is increased to $48 per ton, Carolina Beach will be forced to increase the curbside residential trash collection service from the current $12.08 to $14.49 per month. This type of increase will negatively impact persons living on low and fixed incomes. The increase in the tip fee for business operators will range from $1.21 to $454.32 per month. This means that some businesses will experience an increase of $15 per year and other businesses will be burdened with an increase of $5,452 per year. Currently, trash from all the municipalities is carried to New Hanover County facilities for disposal. With an increased tip fee of $48 per ton, the Town of Carolina Beach cannot sign an interlocal agreement with New Hanover County. All of the municipalities are aware of the debt service on the incinerator and each municipality is willing to pay its fair share; therefore, the Commissioners should consider the following recommendation: Close the incinerator and keep the tip fee at $30 per ton. Since the cost of operating the Landfill is only $15 per ton, use $10 of the remaining $15 for payment of debt service with the remaining $5 for expansion and operation of the Landfill. For example, if 275,000 tons of trash are carried to the Landfill this year at $30 per ton, it will generate revenue in the amount of $8,250,000. With operational cost of the Landfill being half the amount of revenue generated, $4,125,000 will be available to pay for debt service, permitting, and expansion of the Landfill. Mayor Rothrock concluded his presentation by reading the following excerpt from a report prepared by a professional engineer from Raleigh, N. C., with 25 years of experience in the solid waste field who visited and evaluated the life expectancy of the New Hanover County Landfill. The New Hanover County Landfill has a 158-acre linear footprint which represents 50 years of landfill life. A life expectancy in excess of 65 years would not be unreasonable with proper landfill management and efficient cell design. Changes within the industry with regard to disposal alternatives, materials, and techniques cannot be adequately anticipated beyond a certain period of time. Even with a 25-year plan, it is important to continually update the plan on a regular basis to account for local, regional and national changes within the industry. New Hanover County is in an excellent position with at least two times the necessary landfill space NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERSBOOK 29 SOLID WASTE WORK SESSION, JUNE 12, 2002 PAGE 230 to effectively address the solid waste disposal problems of today and at the same time plan for the long term needs of its citizens. Mayor Rothrock offered to provide a copy of the report and information presented to the Board. Chairman Davis requested Finance Director Bruce Shell and Director of Environmental Management Ray Church to respond to some of the concerns presented by Mayor Rothrock. Finance Director Shell advised that without seeing the financial information presented by Mayor Rothrock, it would be difficult to respond to the figures. After studying this item for almost a decade, he contends that the figures presented by Mayor Rothrock are different from the County’s audited cost of operating the New Hanover County Landfill and WASTEC Facility. Frequently, the depreciation cost of the WASTEC Facility is used in calculating tonnage which increases the rate per ton. Since the Landfill virtually has no depreciation because the land is non-depreciable, a comparison of this type is out of context. Through the years, the County has studied the Landfill in depth and the main focus has been on the life expectancy of the Landfill with or without the operation of the WASTEC Facility. With operation of the incinerator, valuable landfill space is saved. Regardless of whether the WASTEC Facility remains open or closed, New Hanover County owes $16.5 million of voter approved general obligation bonds that have to be paid. In closing, Finance Director Shell spoke on the numbers presented by Mayor Rothrock being different from the audited figures and he offered to meet with Mayor Rothrock to analyze and discuss the figures. Director Church presented the following report on the construction of the New Hanover County Landfill in 1981: In 1980, New Hanover County was in a crisis situation because surrounding landfills (Carolina Beach, Blue Clay Road, and Flemington) refused to accept trash from the County. After numerous attempts to site a landfill out of the County, it was decided to find a site within the County. In 1981, the first double lined landfill for municipal solid waste in the United States was designed and constructed in New Hanover County. Many changes have occurred since this date, including new regulations and innovative waste management concepts. Maps and aerial photographs were presented of the Landfill site showing Cells 1-6, constructed wetlands and space for future cells. The permitting process is expensive and requires installing one well per acre of the usable site to monitor the groundwater. A site plan was shown of the sub-cells, borrow area, and a photograph of the lagoon and constructed wetlands project behind Cell 1. In this area, there are two parallel projects where leachate is removed from the lagoon, pumped up to where it will flow through the wetlands to the retention pond. It is then pumped back to the top of Cell 1 to be used as a spray irrigation. This process eliminates any discharge into the Northeast Cape Fear River from the Landfill. A plan was shown on the vertical expansion of the current operating site. Staff is in the process of permitting the adjacent property, which may take 3 to5 years. An on-site treated leachate spray irrigation system is being considered. The purpose for considering this work is to monitor the Landfill after it is closed. Regulations require government entities to treat any leachate that comes out of a closed landfill for at least 30 years. The constructed wetlands are very inexpensive to operate. Only a couple of pumps are required in lieu of the alternative of operating a wastewater treatment plant. The long-term closure plan of the Landfill is for it to become a wildlife park. Other options being considered are an on-site Construction and Demolition Facility, which would handle a large volume of materials going into the Landfill. In closing, Director Church advised that the Environmental Management Staff is looking at every possible alternative to save space in the Landfill. Discussion followed on the longevity of the Landfill space if the WASTEC Facility is closed. Director Church explained that the current 25 acres without a vertical expansion and the 77 acres on the other side will last 30 years. If the WASTEC Facility burns130 tons per year of solid waste, 2.73 acres of Landfill space will be saved per year. Vice-Chairman Greer noted that if one-third of the trash burned in the incinerator is left in the form of ash, which is carried to the Landfill, it doubtful that 2.73 acres of landfill space will be saved per year. Director Church explained that landfills are based on volume, not weight. When referring to 40,000 tons of ash remaining after incineration, consideration must be given to the fact that ash is wet with 15 percent of the ash weight being water that evaporates. This means that 40,000 tons of ash is actually only 34,000 tons after evaporation. Every cubic yard of ash carried to the Landfill is used beneficially to cover cells, and this is much cheaper than using sand. Out of 257,000 tons of trash received per year, 58% of the tash is carried to the Landfill and 42% carried to the WASTEC Facility. With use of incineration, 2.73 acres of landfill space is used per year. If the total tonnage of trash was carried to the Landfill, 5.67 acres of landfill space would be used. If the 101 acres of usable landfill space is divided by 5.67 acres per year, the life of the Landfill is 17.8 years. Carolina Beach Town Council Member Dennis Barbour expressed concern for hearing different figures on the cost of operating the Landfill, WASTEC Facility and the life of the Landfill. He suggested calling a meeting with the persons preparing the figures so an agreement can be reached on the numbers before moving forward with the proposed plan. He stressed the importance of the public and municipal elected officials obtaining the correct information. Wilmington Mayor Pro-Tem Katherine B. Moore referenced the WASTEC Facility being financed through general obligation bonds and stated that it would be difficult to close a facility that was approved by the voters. She asked if closing the WASTEC Facility would increase the cost of operation at the Landfill. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERSBOOK 29 SOLID WASTE WORK SESSION, JUNE 12, 2002 PAGE 231 Director Church responded that closing the WASTEC Facility would increase the cost of operation at the Landfill. Additional equipment and additional employees would be needed, and a cell would have to be built every year at a cost of $1.3 million instead of a cell every two to three years. Carolina Beach Town Council Member Joel A. Macon noted that he was not an attorney, CPA, or engineer but stated that the decision to close the WASTEC Facility should be based on the amount of general obligation bond debt. He stressed the importance of everyone understanding that regardless of what is done, the County will have to pay the debt; therefore, the Commissioners are obligated to render a decision that will be fair to the taxpayers. If the WASTEC Facility is too costly to operate, it should be closed. City Council Member Jason Thompson asked why more incinerators were not being built across the country. Director Church responded that construction of mega landfills is cheaper than constructing waste-to-energy disposal facilities. Mayor Betty Medlin expressed concern for the numbers and facts beginning to run together and stated that the citizens of Kure Beach do not want to be demanding and are willing to pay their fair share of the bond debt on the incinerator. After hearing the pros and cons on closing the incinerator, the citizens feel that it is ridiculous to continue to fund a facility that loses revenue every year. With budget cuts and tight money, the citizens are concerned about the increased cost for trash service because of the $48 tip fee. The Kure Beach Town Council does not have an answer, but Council does feel that something is wrong. In closing, Mayor Medlin requested Council Member David Heglar to comment on the financial aspects of the proposed plan. Council Member David Heglar expressed concern about the $48 per ton tip fee including a reserve fund for the Environmental Management Department and stated that Kure Beach will have to remove 8% from its reserve fund balance to replace the revenue lost from State and County budget cuts. He requested the Board to eliminate the amount of reserve from the $48 tip fee. Director Church explained that the use of “reserve fund” was a poor choice of words because this does not mean the money is coming from the New Hanover County fund balance. This is a fund set aside to pay for post closure cell costs. The County is required to monitor a cell after closure for a period of 30 years. This is an unavoidable cost, and money has to be budgeted for this purpose. The $48 tip fee was established to avoid making an adjustment for a number of years. If the tip fee is reduced to $47 per ton, the fee will probably have to be increased in a few years. Council Member Heglar strongly objected to increasing the tip to $48 per ton to pay a cost that will not be incurred for 30 years. He stated that it was wrong to charge citizens and businesses an increased tip fee during a poor economy when it is not necessary. He urged the Board to consider a smaller tip fee per ton. He also noted that Kure Beach and Carolina Beach are firmly behind the suggestion to close the WASTEC Facility. Vice-Chairman Greer advised that he did not recall placing a reserve fund in past budgets and stated that in his opinion, the $48 tip fee is a good way to increase the cost at the Landfill to make the operational cost at the WASTEC Facility look better. He stated with a $48 tip fee, a budget shortfall of $1.8 million will still be experienced. Chairman Davis expressed appreciation to Mayor Medlin and other members of the Kure Beach Town Council for their remarks. Chairman Davis asked if Mayor Roberts would like to speak on behalf of the Wrightsville Beach Board of Aldermen. Mayor Avery Roberts reported on numerous discussions being held over the last six months about solid waste disposal and the continued operation of the WASTEC Facility. According to data provided by New Hanover County, the WASTEC Facility has experienced an operational loss of $25 to $26 million since 1994. This financial liability to New Hanover County and its citizens has been staggering, placing an excessive and unnecessary burden on residential and commercial customers of Wrightsville Beach and the other three municipalities. Current operational costs clearly prove that the choice to continue to operate the WASTEC Facility is not based on a prudent financial consideration but on a speculative environmental philosophy. The municipalities represent 80% of the population in New Hanover County, and there is serious concern about the management of solid waste disposal. Mayor Roberts presented the following questions: (1) Why is New Hanover County the only county in North Carolina that operates an incinerator? At one time, Wrightsville Beach operated an incinerator and it was closed because it was too costly to operate. (2) Why is New Hanover County willing to accept a huge financial loss year after year for an operation that has debatable environmental benefits? (3) Why does the County elect not to focus its attention on a landfill with a usable life of greater than 50 years that provides substantial profits each year according to information from professional engineers, the City of Wilmington and the private sector? (4) Why does New Hanover County not consider using other landfills in the region to extend the usable life of its own landfill? (5) Why should the municipalities in New Hanover County be willing to accept a 60% increase in the tip fee that NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERSBOOK 29 SOLID WASTE WORK SESSION, JUNE 12, 2002 PAGE 232 must be either absorbed or passed to the citizens? (6) Why have the four municipalities in the County come to the conclusion that the WASTEC Facility should be closed after hearing the same information on the solid waste management plan? (7) Why did the County mandate the elimination of a tax subsidy to the Environmental Management Department without conducting an independent or unbiased analysis on this operation. Mayor Roberts concluded his report by saying that the Town of Wrightsville Beach is committed to working with New Hanover County to solve this long-debated issue; however, the Board of Aldermen will continue to oppose any action that is not in the best interest of its citizens as well as the citizens of New Hanover County. There is a point where the philosophy must end and financial consideration should begin. Due to budget constraints placed on municipalities, counties, and the State, the time has come to consider the financial losses of the current operation of the WASTEC Facility. Chairman Davis expressed appreciation to Mayor Roberts for his remarks and asked if any of the Commissioners would like to respond to his questions. Chairman Davis stated that personally he was in favor of allowing the WASTEC Facility to remain open because this facility does prolong the life of the New Hanover County Landfill. Without a way to save space in the Landfill, he asked what will happen in the future when the Landfill space is used up. It is imperative for the County to have a bargaining chip when negotiating an agreement to carry trash to surrounding landfills. Mayor Roberts responded that in the future, there will be plenty of landfill space and the County should consider carrying trash to Sampson County or to Columbus County once the landfill is operational. These are options that should be considered by the County. Chairman Davis noted that long-term contracts would have to be negotiated with surrounding landfills to guarantee that the rate of the tip fee per ton will not become unreasonable in the future. He advised that securing long- term contracts with landfills is not an easy task. Vice-Chairman Greer advised that some landfill operators have agreed to enter into long-term contracts with New Hanover County. With an estimated life of the County Landfill at 50 years plus, there is no way to project the technology that will be used in the future to dispose of waste in landfills. During the past 9 years, the County could have saved $37 million by not operating the WASTEC Facility. When the incinerator was built in the early 80's and expanded in the late 80's, the Board of County Commissioners at that time felt this was the best way to dispose of waste. Unfortunately, over the years the operating cost of incineration has become too costly; therefore, the WASTEC Facility should be closed. Chairman Davis welcomed Mayor Harper Peterson and other members of the Wilmington City Council. Mayor Peterson spoke on there being many debatable questions about solid waste disposal and stated that the key issue is to develop a long-range comprehensive solid waste plan to prevent disposal problems for future generations. He suggested conducting an external audit of the entire solid waste disposal system and stated that City Council cannot make a decision until the facts are presented. The following information needs to be provided to the municipalities and the public: 1 Factual information on permitted and un-permitted space in the Landfill and the projected life of the Landfill. 2. Factual information on the volume of construction and demolition materials that go into the Landfill. 3. Factual information on costs to deactivate the WASTEC Facility. 4. Factual figures on the real cost of operating only the Landfill 5. Factual information on whether operating the WASTEC Facility is worth the debt. 6. Factual information on the WASTEC Facility being environmentally safe, particularly with emissions from the stack and the ash product. 7. Consideration of a comprehensive City-County recycling program. 8. Consideration of regional solutions with the possibility of neighboring counties becoming partners. In closing, Mayor Peterson suggested deferring a decision on the proposed solid waste collection system until outside consultants can conduct an external audit to present a true cost analysis of solid waste disposal in New Hanover County. The five local governments need to work together instead of entering into a legal battle over flow control. Chairman Davis requested Director Church to respond to Mayor Peterson’s question regarding a construction and demolition (C&D) facility. Director Church responded that NCDOT road construction projects generate 75,000 to 80,000 tons of C&D debris that is transported to the County Landfill. In 1994, the Environmental Management Department began looking at a C&D processing facility; however, for various reasons the facility has not been constructed. He advised that discussion is now being held about a private operation of a C&D Facility, but no definite decision has been made. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERSBOOK 29 SOLID WASTE WORK SESSION, JUNE 12, 2002 PAGE 233 Chairman Davis requested Finance Director Bruce Shell to respond to Mayor Peterson’s question about deactivation costs of the WASTEC Facility. Finance Director Shell responded that he did not have the figures with him but stated the cost would range from $250,000 to $300,000 on the low side and up to $750,000 on the high side to decommission the WASTEC Facility. The turbine generators are the only item that can be sold and used by another company. Chairman Davis requested Director Church to respond to Mayor Peterson’s question regarding the actual cost of operating the Landfill without use of the incinerator. Director Church noted that he did not have the figures with him and offered to retrieve the numbers for Mayor Peterson. He stated that the major cost will be constructing at least one or more landfill cells per year at a cost of $1.3 million each. The cost per ton would not significantly change, but the use of landfill space will double. Chairman Davis asked Finance Director Shell to comment on the need to hire an outside consultant to conduct an external audit to present a true cost analysis of the solid waste disposal system in New Hanover County. Finance Director Shell advised that the accounting firm of McGladrey & Pullen was paid to audit and analyze the cost of operating the WASTEC Facility and Landfill. The numbers have been published and placed in different formats to show the price per ton. The difference in numbers is how depreciation has been used. The Landfill has virtually no depreciation because the land is being used. Hiring another consultant to re-analyze the numbers will not produce a different end result. Mayor Peterson pointed out that both the financial side and land capacities should be analyzed and audited to receive definitive, scientific, and conclusive information. Chairman Davis asked if any other City Council Members would like to speak. Council Member Frank Conlon advised that he felt an outside audit should be conducted because of the different numbers and figures presented at this meeting. He suggested moving forward with an audit that will provide the actual cost of operation for the WASTEC Facility and Landfill. Council Member Padgett expressed concern for the franchise ordinance being adopted by the Board of County Commissioners on the first and second reading without holding a meeting with the municipalities to discuss and explain the proposed solid waste collection system. Chairman Davis responded that early in the discussion process, Council Member Frank Conlon stood up at a meeting and requested the Board to postpone any decision on the franchise system until the City had time to study the issue and report back to the Board. The County never heard from the City. It is unfortunate that the municipalities feel that something is being rammed down their throats without prior notice when the Board has been discussing a solid waste management plan for a long time. With all due respect, he does not want anyone to get the false impression that th the County is coming up with this plan at the 11 hour because this information has been available and discussed for months. Council Member Padgett responded that she was aware of the topic being discussed and stated that people were caught by surprise when a franchise ordinance was adopted with a heavy increase in the tip fee. She advised that she was not in favor of immediately closing WASTEC and stated that consideration must be given to the lack of land left in New Hanover County to permit additional landfill space. Council Member Padgett asked if the WASTEC Facility was operating at full capacity. Director Church responded that fundamentally the plant is operating at full capacity. The tonnage last year was 108,000 tons and this figure should increase to130,000 tons for the next fiscal year. Two of the units were down for a portion of last year to replace baghouses. With replacement of this equipment, the tonnage will significantly increase for the next fiscal year. Council Member Padgett asked if the County plans to implement a countywide trash collection system. Director Church responded that when the franchise collection system is operational, a recommendation will be made to the Board in January 2003 to consider implementing a countywide trash collection system in the unincorporated county. Discussion has already been held with the waste haulers about providing the same level of services (curbside recycling, garbage collection, white goods, and bulky item collection) to all residents. Mayor Pro-Tem Katherine Moore suggested removing the reserve and capital expenditures from the $48 tip fee to reduce the rate. With a tight budget year, it will be difficult for the City and other municipalities to enter into interlocal agreements that will pass the additional trash collection cost to citizens and businesses. She also requested the Board to consider more than financial issues when deciding whether to close the WASTEC Facility because this plant is an environmental plus. In closing, she asked what had gone wrong to create the large deficits at the WASTEC Facility. Finance Director Shell responded that the major reason for the deficit was the Carbone lawsuit that ruled against flow control and allowed trash to be carried out of New Hanover County. As trash began to leave the County, the tip fee had to be drastically reduced, and the County had to subsidize the operation of the Environmental Management Department to pay the bond debt on the WASTEC Facility. Carolina Beach Town Council Member Dennis Barbour commented on the difference in the figures heard NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERSBOOK 29 SOLID WASTE WORK SESSION, JUNE 12, 2002 PAGE 234 tonight and he requested the Board to consider the end-user, the taxpayer. There is a perceived notion that New Hanover County is doing the environmentally right thing by operating the incinerator. With the present economy and need for revenue, the County Commissioners should ask themselves if operating an incinerator totally outweighs all other needs. Kure Beach Council Member Heglar commented on tough times ahead with cutbacks from the State and stated that residents and businesses in the beach communities are facing at least a 32% increase in insurance premiums to cover wind and hail coverage. To pass an additional increase in the trash collection fee will be another burden placed on the residents, particularly businesses. He urged the Board to consider these factors when rendering a final decision on the solid waste management program. Chairman Davis asked if any member of the Board would like to comment. Commissioner Caster expressed appreciation to the elected officials for their input. He stated that the decision made to move forward with a waste-to-energy plant in the 80's was the right move at that time; however, things have changed. The Board must now decide if the County can continue to operate a costly plant with a large annual deficit. Vice-Chairman Greer stated that if the County is trying to protect the taxpayers, the wise decision is to close the WASTEC Facility. It costs too much money to burn the trash when the County has an environmentally sound landfill to use, which will generate enough revenue to become self-sufficient. Commissioner Boseman suggested reducing the tip fee by removing the reserve as recommended by the Kure Beach Town Council. Vice-Chairman Greer agreed with Commissioner Boseman but requested the Board to keep in mind that charging a tip fee of $60 per ton did not produce sufficient revenue to cover the cost of operating the WASTEC Facility; therefore, it would be naive to think that $48 per ton is going to be enough to operate the incinerator. Chairman Davis spoke on the ordinance already being adopted by the Board of County Commissioners and stated that the remaining document is the interlocal agreement between the County and each municipality. The Town Council of Carolina Beach had indicated that it will not sign the agreement. He asked if any decision had been reached by the Wrightsville Beach Board of Alderman, Kure Beach Town Council or Wilmington City Council. Mayor Peterson responded that no decision had been made by the City Council and stated that discussion will be held on this item on Tuesday, June 18, 2002. Mayor Medlin responded that no decision had been made by the Kure Beach Town Council and stated that discussion will be held on this item at the next meeting. Chairman Davis requested each municipality to inform the Board about the decision rendered on the interlocal agreement. Commissioner Pritchett advised that when she was elected to serve on the Board of County Commissioners she decided to base her decisions on a set of requirements. The first requirement is whether the item being discussed is legal and within the bounds of the law. The franchise ordinance adopted by the Board is legal. The second requirement is what the citizens want and what is best for the community. The Wilmington-New Hanover County Comprehensive Land Use Plan was written by citizens of the community and consideration was given as to how the community should look in 2010. Under Page E-3, Section 7.3 and Section 7.5 of the plan, it reads as follows: Section 7.3: Continue to seek ways to reduce and manage the solid waste stream through establishment of County-wide garbage pickup, expanded recycling programs, composting, expanded hazardous waste pickup, education and multi-jurisdictional cooperation. Section 7.5: Continue to support and improve the County’s innovative incinerator and landfill system. She concluded her remarks by saying that New Hanover County is fortunate to have a waste-to-energy plant that is efficiently operated and a well managed landfill. She stated that she could not vote to close the incinerator because both methods of disposal are needed. Hearing no further remarks, Chairman Davis expressed appreciation to the elected officials for their input and stated that he hoped the municipalities and the County could move forward on negotiating interlocal agreements. ADJOURNMENT Chairman Davis called for a motion to adjourn the meeting. Motion: Commissioner Caster MOVED, SECONDED by Vice-Chairman Greer, to adjourn. Upon vote, the MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Chairman Davis adjourned the meeting at 7:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Lucie F. Harrell Clerk to the Board