2008-08-27 SWAB MeetingNEW HANOVER COUNTY SOLID WASTE ADVISORY BOARD
AUGUST 27, 2008 MEETING PAGE 1
ASSEMBLY
The New Hanover County Solid Waste Advisory Board met on Wednesday, August 27, 2008, at 4:06 p.m.
in Conference Room 500 at the New Hanover County Government Center, 230 Government Center Drive,
Wilmington, North Carolina.
Members present were: New Hanover County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robert G. Greer; Martin
J. Michaelson; Robert W. Mitchell; John Richard Newton; Claud "Buck" O'Shields, Jr.; David Sims; Deputy
County Attorney Kemp P. Burpeau and Deputy Clerk to the Board of Commissioners Kymberleigh G. Crowell.
Others present: County Manager Bruce T. Shell; Assistant County Manager David F. Weaver; Clerk to the
Board of Commissioners Sheila L. Schult; JoBrent Austin, Joyce Engineering, Inc.; Shawn P. Carroll, Waste
Industries; Greg Peverall, Waste Management and Maggie Stone, First Tee Transport.
CALL TO ORDER, WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS
Chairman Greer called the meeting to order, welcomed everyone to the first meeting of the New Hanover
County Solid Waste Advisory Board and asked everyone to introduce themselves.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Chairman Greer gave a brief background of the history of New Hanover County's path in solid waste
management, current status of where the Board of Commissioners stand on this matter and the request sent by him
in 2007 to various solid waste companies for solid waste handling proposals. The Board of Commissioners held a
work session on May 19, 2008 to receive presentations from three solid waste companies and the Department of
Environmental Management. Chairman Greer also noted that David Sims and Buck O'Shields have served on
previous solid waste advisory boards. The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners approved forming this
committee at their August 4, 2008 meeting.
BOARD'S OBJECTIVES -DECEMBER 15, 2008
Chairman Greer reported that the objectives of the advisory board were the following:
• Review if New Hanover County was currently proceeding correctly in solid waste operations
• What, if anything, should be done entirely different, and
• How to incorporate the operation into the green concept and a better way to deal with those
issues in the County.
Chairman Greer also stated how fortunate New Hanover County is to have a lined landfill. December 15,
2008 rs the proposed date for the advisory board's recommendation to be presented to the Board of County
Commissioners.
ADVISORY BOARD EXPENSES
Chairman Greer explained the process for any expenses incurred by the advisory board and stated that
members will not receive compensation for serving on the board. He stated the advisory board members may need
to make site visits to various solid waste management companies' operations or may even be invited by companies
to visit their site(s). He explained that if members decide to conduct site visits on their own, the County will cover
those expenses. However, if a company initiates the site visits and offers to pay the advisory board's expenses that
will be up to the advisory board's discretion.
Staff answered questions by the advisory board members concerning receiving reimbursements and the
process that should be followed. County Manager Bruce Shell stated that Dave Weaver and he are available to
assist with the processing of any expenses that may be incurred by the members and reiterated Chairman Greer's
statement that staff is available to answer questions and assist the members through this process.
OPEN MEETING LAWS
In connection with the open meeting laws, Chairman Greer explained that notices of the meetings are
required to be posted and are open to the public. Chairman Greer stated that in addition to staff availability, Kym
Crowell, Deputy Clerk to the Board would be taking the minutes of the meetings, Kemp Burpeau, Deputy County
Attorney, would be available to answer any legal questions, and John Hubbard, Environmental Management
NEW HANOVER COUNTY SOLID WASTE ADVISORY BOARD
AUGUST 27, 2008 MEETING PAGE 2
Director, would be available to answer questions about the facility operations. Staff answered questions by
members regarding the open meeting laws.
ELECTION OF CHAIItMAN
Chairman Greer asked the members who would like to serve as Chauman of the Sohd Waste Advisory
Board. Mr. Suns nominated Mr. O'Shields and Chairman Greer asked if the rest of the advisory board members
were agreeable with this nomination. Advisory board members agreed to Buck O'Shields serving as ChauYnan.
SCHEDULE BOARD MEETINGS
Chairman Greer stated that discussion of future meetings needed to be held by the members. Chauman
O'Shields stated that the advisory board has fifteen weeks to work on this matter based on the December 15, 2008
deadline. Chairman Greer stated that the date was picked by the Board of Commissioners and that he personally did
not have an issue if the advisory needed an extension.
Chairman O'Shields suggested the group come to a consensus of a specific meeting day and how often to
meet. He then stated that the members should funnel requests of staff through Deputy Clerk Crowell. After some
discussion between advisory board members and staff, the consensus was to set a meeting for September 3, 2008 at
4:30 p.m. in the Harrell Conference Room (Room 601) of the New Hanover County Government Center. Chauman
O'Shields recommended the advisory board discuss the schedule of future meetings dunng the September 3, 2008
meetings. He suggested that the September 3, 2008 meeting be focused on setting a path for the advisory board,
setting future meetings and reviewing information provided by staff.
GENERAL DISCUSSION
Mr. Michaelson requested that an item be placed on the September 3, 2008 agenda for visiting the
WASTEC facility and the landfill. After some discussion, the members decided to visit WASTEC first and the
landfill at a later date, with the WASTEC tour to take place on September 3, 2008 prior to the 4:30 p.m. meetmg.
Chairman O'Shields will attend each tour on September 3`a with members Mitchell, Michaelson and Newton,
respectively, with the tours starting at 8:00 a.m. Mr. Sims stated that he would not be available to take the tour until
September 5, 2008.
Members requested County staff to provide a written update on the regulatory information, Federal and
State, regarding this topic. After discussion with Deputy Attorney Burpeau and Assistant Manager Weaver, the
update is to include information on flow control, changes in Federal and State regulations, State of North Carolina's
laws on landfills. It was suggested that a three to four page synopsis should be sufficient. A request was also made
for information on the New Hanover County Solid Waste Ordinance, a synopsis of Article 9 of the North Carolina
General Statutes pertaining to solid waste, NC solid waste legislation from 2007, information on the County's
franchise agreements, municipalities waste management programs and if available, a copy of Ed Hilton's magazine
article from about fifteen -twenty years ago on solid waste.
Discussion was held about the handling of construction and demolition trash, recycling programs in the
area, the enterpnse fund of WASTEC and landfill, and the NC-SWANA 2008 Fall Technical Conference currently
in progress at Wrightsville Beach, NC.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, Chairman O'Shields adjourned the meeting at 5:40 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
K berleigh G. well
Deputy Clerk to the Board